The Phi-Natics: The Great CAmerican Roadtrip: There and Back Again

Another early morning greeted us with the cold northern air and a thin blanket that we naively thought would keep us warm. The cool mountain air was a little more than we had prepared for. We arose to a damp campsite but a positive outlook on the day. Today was the day that we were to start our Canadian adventures! We made quick work of our campsite, packing everything back in the car for the long day on the road. We found a little time to check out Lake Meacham before we left, taking a few pictures of this peaceful mountain lake. Minutes later, we were on the road headed to Cañada.

It was a little over an hour to the border. Before we crossed we took our last opportunity to get cheap American gas. It was on an Indian Reservation, where all stations were required to be full service. I had forgotten how nice this option used to be back in the day. We entered Canada through the city of Cornwall, Ontario. We were amazed how easy it was to get across the border, especially with the amount of things we had in our car. I think we were prepared to unload the trunk and explain every item (I think the baseball bat that I brought for warding off bears would have been a fun one to tell him about). Luckily for us, the border patrolman was nice and we were in the country within a matter of minutes.

The route we decided to take took us on a scenic view along the north shore of Lake Ontario. Occasionally we could glimpse to our left to see the Great Lake. The countryside of Canada was gorgeous, yet familiar as it's really an extension of what we have been seeing in America over the last few days. We stopped a few times along the way for refreshments, and were quite surprised at the amount of French that is still spoken in this area. It gave us the feeling that we were actually visiting a foreign land, although it was just a few miles from the good ole U.S.

The approach into the outskirts of Toronto.
Where else does rush hour start at 2?

About 6 hours later, we had our first sighting of Toronto. We were warned by Phillip's cousin, Ed, that the 401 through Toronto was insane with rush hour starting around 2:30 in the afternoon. Unfortunately for us, that was about the time we were just getting into the city, and quickly found our way to an alternate toll road that helped us bypass the traffic. The toll road didn't have polling stations, instead they take photos of your license plate and send you a bill in the mail. Very interesting technology, we just wonder how long it will take to track us down. There was little traffic on this route (it is a pricey alternate), and we got around the city quickly, but at the price of missing Toronto all together. At least we could see it in the distance.

We continued on our way to Grimbsy, Ontario, to stay with Phillip's cousin and his family. Grimsby is a small village on the southern shore of Lake Ontario. We took the scenic route through town to see the lake up close, then made our way through the village and onto Ed's house.

As a reference, Ed is Phillip's mom's cousin on the Gerstenecker side of the family. The Gersteneckers congregate every year to play golf, drink beer, and enjoy each other's company. It is a large bunch, as Phillip's grandmother is one of 10 Gerstenecker kids. From there, the number has grown exponentially.

Enjoying a delicious dinner at the Lewis Estate.

The Canadian clan was more than welcome to invite us into their home and show us a good time. For that, we are especially grateful. A very special thanks to Ed, Janet, Megan, and Charlotte for letting us crash their home. We also want to thank the McNivens, Mike, Cathy, Steve, and Marie. They took time out of their busy week to come and enjoy a Sweetwater brew from Georgia and entertain a few silly Americans. We really couldn't ask for a better family.

Janet, Ed, Cathy, and Mike

They have a group of Vegetarians in their house, so Natalie was right at home eating some of Ed's specialty veggie burgers. Phillip enjoyed a steak with the meat eaters, and played host to a tasting of Sweetwater beer, brought all the way from Atlanta for this occasion. I think we have a few new 420 fans up here in the great North.

Canadian Dancing?

As the night waned, most people made their way home and into bed. Ed and Phillip stayed up for a nightcap, polishing off a few small kegs of Heineken and whatever else could be acquired from the cooler as John Prine played in the background. It was a great Canadian evening, but we had to recover quickly. Tomorrow we were back on the road to the States.

Next Stop: Erie, PA