After Iowa, we drove through Illinois passing close enough to Chicago to see a distant skyline. We didn’t want to take the time to explore the big city so we continued on into Indiana and slept there.
In the morning, I didn’t feel like just driving all day again, so we stopped in Michigan for some fresh air and to get a peek at Lake Michigan. It was cold but beautiful. The water was a gorgeous colour and there were sand dunes to climb. Carmanah even ran a little!
Then we went to Kalamazoo! Seriously. This is a great Michigan town – tons of interesting stuff to see, great stores and restaurants and an outdoor shopping street with no traffic. Actually the good part of the street had traffic, but really wide sidewalks with art on display. We ate lunch there and then headed for the border near Sarnia, Ontario.
As we approached the border, we were stopped at a toll booth. We had to pay $3 to cross the bridge to go to Canada. But we didn’t have any cash! The lady said we’d have to turn around and go back to town. In the end, Morgane saved the day – we borrowed her change that she had in her little purse and crossed the bridge.
The Canadian customs official was super nice – very human, not military-like and it made us feel like we were home again. We slept in London, Ontario, and this morning the news on the TV was much less morbid than it is in the US. No more billboards offering medical services or assistance with suing someone. We saw our first Tim Hortons. Small changes that make the difference between Canada and the States.
What?! You’re back in Ontario already? Geez, stop by and visit us if you can. We’d really love to see you guys, cook you a meal and catch up. Missing you.