Across Canada (and Back)!
1 August 2016, Monday
Two geezers, 60 days, and 27 home-baked brownies – an epic cross-Canada journey begins. (And yes, I am officially a geezer, having purchased my geezer pass at John Adams National Historic Park in Boston this past July 4th weekend.) As I am not quite sure where we left off on last year’s packing versions, I will refer to our current Forester packing arrangement as version 2.0. We are much better organized than last year, having pared down our equipment while becoming more efficient at car-camping menu planning. Convenience is the goal. I have almost all of the food we will need for the next 60 days in the back of the Subaru, and we still have a view out the rear window! O jokes it is such a good packing job that maybe we won’t need the van we have ordered after all. (An idea quickly abandoned when we later realize our passports are in the box in the middle of the car on the bottom layer!)
We take our time over breakfast with Dad, enjoying our traditional departure day repast of pie. Today’s selection is peach-blueberry-cherry pie. Delectable!
After driveway goodbyes, O and I are off shortly after 11 am, heading up 476 to route 81 inching through slowdowns caused in turn by accident, construction, and intermittent intense, but thankfully brief, showers. Our only mishap of the day is a drained car battery while at the Allentown Service Center. How did this happen, you might wonder? Well, I was busy trying to get my ipod nano to talk to the Forester’s bluetooth, not realizing that O had left the headlight switch turned to the ‘on’ position. I discover that batteries drain very quickly when headlights are on and the engine is not running. Luckily, the young man in the pickup truck parked behind us has jumper cables and helps us out. Our own jumper cables are of course inaccessible, packed in the very bottom of the Subaru. We are soon on our way again.
We finally arrive in Watertown, NY about 6:30 pm, check into The Inn at 81 and immediately head for Sackets Harbor Brew Pub, our true destination for the evening. After dinner we enjoy a walk around town as we watch the sun set over the harbor. We then return to the inn for the night.