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xrvr · 07-28-2015, 05:54 PM

Good to hear Dusty is okay and both of you, also.

ROBERTSUNRUS · 07-28-2015, 08:09 PM

Hi, three places today. We drove to, and through, Sault Saint Marie. It seems to be an old French town that was run down and they are now trying to rebuild it. We drove around the town but didn't stop there, or go to the Canadian side.

Next we went to Tahquamenon to se e the lower and upper water falls. We put Dusty in his wagon, but he wasn't having it and wanted out. We waited as Lee went to check out the lower falls. Dusty's tongue was getting longer so back to the air conditioned truck for him. [and me] we drove to the upper falls and Lee stayed with Dusty while I checked it out. Quite a popular place for people to play in the water. Not Bob, he sinks like a rock. Then I stayed with Dusty so Lee could check out the upper falls.

OK too hot, so lets head towards the camp ground. Dropped Dusty off in the air conditioned trailer and headed to "Mystery Spot" where Lee decided that she wanted to Zip-Line. Well we double Zip-Lined. By that, I mean we both went down two different Zip-Lines. One was 400 feet long and the other was 750 feet long. We don't remember how high they were.

ROBERTSUNRUS · 07-29-2015, 06:40 PM

Hi, today we were going to enter Canada; We were going to see Niagara Falls. We were headed to London, Ontario. As we are coming to the border, we had to decide what lane was the right one for us. I followed a car to the gate. When it was my turn the #$@*& in the booth asked me where we were from. I said Salem, Oregon. He said that he couldn't hear me. So I yelled, SALEM, OREGON. Then he asked me if I run stop signs in Oregon and I said no. He said then why did you run this stop sign and cross the white line. I told him that I didn't see a stop sign. Then the typical, where are you going and what are you going to do? Do you have this that or the other thing? No, no, no and no. He handed back our passports and told us where to park. There two guys searched my truck and trailer. And asked all kinds of stupid questions like what is this for? [Infrared thermometer] I use it to check my tires and wheels. then we had to go inside. After waiting in line, we were then told that we have to take a number and wait on the bench. WE asked about Dusty because it was too hot for him. One lady said to bring him inside. When went inside a guy said that dogs can't be in here and to take him back outside. Then the lady said it was OK to bring him back in. When we finally got to the interrogation window. I asked what did we do wrong? He said nothing. So why do we have to go through all of this? His answer was that this was just normal procedure.

ROBERTSUNRUS · 07-29-2015, 07:05 PM

Hi, The guy in the booth gave us a yellow ticket and inside they kept our passports and the yellow ticket together. I was asked what were we going to do in Canada. We are going to see things that we haven't seen before. Have you been to Canada before? Yes, several times, but not here yet. We were going to stay in London and while there I was going to visit Cam-Am Airstream dealer. What's an Airstream????? It's a trailer. And go to Niagara Falls. So what did we do wrong????? Nothing. Where are you going now? Show me where to turn around and we will go back to the USA. You don't want to continue? No!

We were very upset by this caused by some idiot guard who was having a bad day and wanted to ruin ours. We will now put Canada on our don't ever go there again list just like Mexico. We were going to spend a month or so there and spend thousands of Dollars while there, but Canada will never see another thin dime from us.

: angry:

They also tore one of my upper cabinet end panels off and left it on the floor.

We went back to Michigan for the night and will most likely go to Ohio.

When we get back to Oregon I'm going to burn a Canadian flag in my front yard for everyone to see. [Not really, but they really pissed us off]

trakker · 07-29-2015, 10:05 PM

Ah. Yes. The time honored you ran a stop sign welcome to Canada ploy. We did the same thing although the border guard person just verbally dinged us and did not disassemble the vehicle. Only thing I would say is that the people in the country are a whole lot nicer than the guards at the border.

Airslide · 07-30-2015, 10:16 AM

That really sucks... sorry you had so much trouble. When you put those end caps back on.. remove the speaker, drill a hole through the plywood and put a screw just long enough to go into the curved end cap. If you line up the staples it should go right back in its spot. There are so many more places to hide stuff in an airstream.. why did they pop those off. Not nice.

Ag&Au · 07-30-2015, 10:50 AM

Maybe they're suspicious of guys with beards.

Ken

slowmover · 07-30-2015, 11:55 AM

Wait till next July 2nd on that flag burn.

Silver Goose · 07-30-2015, 03:01 PM

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Maybe I better leave my fly swatter home! That fellow at the border would probably have me spread out on the ground in handcuffs. We're headed towards Michigan in the next few weeks and plan to cross over and visit places going east towards Quebec before turning south towards New England. We've never had a bad experience at the border, but maybe I'm overdue. Thanks for the tip, I'll be sure to stop before the line 🙀

xrvr · 07-30-2015, 06:36 PM

Ah yes, Canada, my opinion confirmed.

bolerama · 07-30-2015, 10:26 PM

Sorry to hear about your ordeal! We have only traveled across the border once with our Airstream and I was sweating bullets -- not because I was hiding anything -- because of experiences like yours. Power-tripping imbecile of a guard!

I grew up in the Niagara peninsula and when I was a young 20-something, I crossed the border weekly. Life was so much more peaceful at the border crossing in those days. When we moved to the prairies, we traveled through the States with our U-Haul! No problems returning to Canada. Those days are so long gone.

I wish you had been given the chance to turn around before they started tearing apart your trailer.

Lisa

Gene · 08-01-2015, 04:04 PM

Bob, what a bummer. I've been to Canada hundreds of times and only once did we have any problems—it was in 2002 I think. No trailer then. I think that was at the crossing at the end of I-15 in Montana going to Alberta. A very green and not very nice woman border guard was snippy and told us to park and go inside. We showed them our credentials (passports were not required then) and they checked them on computers. They were very nice inside and told us it was routine because we said we were going to Alaska. The guy said people who go to Alaska are suspect because they are deadenders or something (maybe hosers). I think he was kidding. The whole thing took about 20 minutes and they didn't look at our SUV.

Since then we have gone to Alaska twice more and visited Canada a number of other times without any questions others than routine ones (where are you going, how long will you be in Canada, guns, potatoes [once at the International Falls crossing], etc.).

I can understand how you feel, but you might give Canada another try. All our problems with border guards have come when we came back to the US. Was that at Windsor, Buffalo, Niagara Falls or another crossing? I avoid busy crossings because they are where the guards are more busy and get an attitude sometimes.

Gene

ROBERTSUNRUS · 08-02-2015, 08:32 PM

Hi, my wife says it's my pony tail, not the beard. I say it's because of all of the meth heads from Oregon. NO! it was the jerk in the booth. My wife put the Asian curse on him and he will suffer, long and slow. Three days with no WIFI and now poor WIFI. Don't count on any pictures.

ROBERTSUNRUS · 08-02-2015, 08:45 PM

Hi, on the 30th we went to the Gilmore Museum. Lee stayed with Dusty while I toured the place. After that, we looked for a camp ground nearby. The closest one was pretty bad looking, so we passed. Later found out that it used to be a nudist camp. We found another place nearby that was pretty good, but the owner lied about having WIFI. And lied to another guy, saying it was a Good Sam park. We stayed for three nights there, so on the 31st Lee and I went back to the Gilmore Museum. Lee doesn't really care for old cars, but they have a Pierce arrow barn and that got her interested. Dusty stayed in the air conditioned trailer. On the !st of August, Lee and I went back to the museum again; This time for an outdoors car show and a few Tin Can Tourist trailers. For the very first time on this trip, I saw an Airstream with an Air Forums sticker on it. First one in 4,500 miles of traveling.

ROBERTSUNRUS · 08-02-2015, 09:05 PM

Hi, today it was a short drive to Elkhart, Indiana. I toured the RV Hall of Fame. Lee didn't want to go, so once again she stayed in the air conditioned truck with Dusty. After my tour, we found a close by camp ground; Elkhart RV Park. It's OK except for a few things like weak WIFI. Tonight was laundry night and that's my job. There was a small lake in the laundry room, so I let them know about it. When some old woman with a mop showed up, we told her that the drains over flowed. She told us that if you start two machines at the same time, it will do that. Like we should have known that. After laundry, it was time to fight WIFI an almost for sure losing battle. I figure that if I wait until about midnight, all of the old people would be in bed and the WIFI would be all mine.

ROBERTSUNRUS · 08-02-2015, 10:22 PM

Hi, right at Midnight we got one heck of a thunderstorm. Wind, Lightning, thunder, and tons of rain. I did not use my surge protector and I'm not leaving my trailer until morning, no matter what.

tallytwo1994 · 08-04-2015, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Hi, right at Midnight we got one heck of a thunderstorm. Wind, Lightning, thunder, and tons of rain. I did not use my surge protector and I'm not leaving my trailer until morning, no matter what.

Hope you survived the thunder storm without any damage to the three of you and the trailer and tv. Where are we going next?

Carol

ROBERTSUNRUS · 08-04-2015, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tallytwo1994

Hope you survived the thunder storm without any damage to the three of you and the trailer and tv. Where are we going next?

Carol

Hi, no damage to anything, but the winds rocked my trailer pretty good. today we drove to Lexington, Kentucky. Might take some tours tomorrow. Free WIFI here, but you get what you pay for. I'm sitting on a bench in front of their office. And even here it is weak. I went to a Verizon office yesterday to see about getting MIFI, but their little office was packed with cell phone fanatics, so I left. It was about an eight hour drive today and there was only one rest stop on the way, just before we got here.

ROBERTSUNRUS · 08-04-2015, 06:55 PM

Hi, unless I can get WIFI to work in my trailer, which I doubt, this will be my last post tonight. It is very dark, windy, lightning, and thunder. But no rain yet, but I feel another big storm is on the way. And my battery is getting low.

Good Night everyone.

FreshAir · 08-05-2015, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Hi, no damage to anything, but the winds rocked my trailer pretty good. today we drove to Lexington, Kentucky. Might take some tours tomorrow. Free WIFI here, but you get what you pay for. I'm sitting on a bench in front of their office. And even here it is weak. I went to a Verizon office yesterday to see about getting MIFI, but their little office was packed with cell phone fanatics, so I left. It was about an eight hour drive today and there was only one rest stop on the way, just before we got here.

I have MIFI......I like it.

Neil