We left West Fulton a few days ago. It seems like a long time ago, and an even longer time since we were in NYC. This portion of the trip is beset with limited connectivity. (In our current location my phone claims allegiance to Rogers, Telus, Bell and very occasionally, Verizon. Last night it woke me with an amber alert, from Ontario.) Hence no posts, although I will claim to just be living in the moment.
Niagara Falls
We spent two hours exploring the falls on the American side. Beautiful, and a nice stretch of the legs. The last time I was there I was more interested in the motel swimming pool than the falls.
Border crossing
As usual we had to choose a lane and hope for the best. The guard noted the Massachusetts plates, to which we replied, “rental.”
Next up was what were our plans in Canada, to which we listed the Blue Jays game, Barrie and the Soo. After indicating we were from Seattle he looked a bit perplexed and asked why we were crossing at that location, and the Baseball Hall of Fame seemed to suffice, because he let us go with no further ado.
Drive to Toronto
This part was fairly uneventful, except for the realization that we were unlikely to get to the stadium in time for batting practice. Once we were near the stadium, basically following other cars, we started to get concerned about finding a lot. Luckily we were stopped at a stop light and a nearby policeman pointed out the nearby entrance to the Rogers Center lot. We found the machine to pay for the parking ($25 Canadian). The folks in front of us were trying to pay for theirs using coins. They were up to $22.15, but the machine was not taking their dimes, and eventually regurgitated all of their coins back at them. Think of an old slot machine payout. We successfully used our credit card and headed into the stadium.
Blue Jays game
We started out with a wander of the concourse. Fairly similar to many other ballparks. One worker suggested we check out the Flight Deck on the second level. This is an open, standing area in center field. There are two levels, and it’s a hang out area. Not much going on while we were there.
During the game there were fans out there, and cheerleaders!
In addition to the Blue Jay mascot, there are a group of cheerleaders. They move around the stadium, and lead the crowd. Their 7th inning stretch starts with, “Okay Blue Jays, Let’s go Blue Jays, Let’s, Play, Ball.” Then their rather fast rendition of Take Me Out To the Ball Game.
We were in the 5th level.
The game itself was so-so, but kind of fun to watch a game where we didn’t have a stake in the outcome. A few really good plays. And there was the prodigious foul ball that hit the railing three seats to our right. The season ticket holder said she had never seen one hit there before. In the end it was 7-3, Cleveland prevailed.
Drive out of Toronto
We found our way back to the car, rather easily. Out of the lot and onto the roads that come and go, at least the lanes come and go with surprising quickness. At least our trusty Google Map voice was providing direction. And it was raining. As we got further from the stadium the rain intensified, and then got even harder. We discovered earlier in the day that the windshield wipers will detect moisture and adjust their speed accordingly. I am fairly sure they were at maximum speed. At the heaviest rain the lanes were barely visible and, at a higher speed, hydroplaning would have been a real possibility. Luckily everyone slowed down and some handwritten instructions supplemented the voice when we lost data connection.
And it is orange barrel season, so once the rain subsided, so did the number of lanes available for driving. We finally arrived at our destination at 11:40 PM.
Barrie
We have stayed in Comfort Inns around the country and they are fairly similar. I think this version was a different, likely independent hotel, that had been rebranded as a Comfort Inn. Narrow halls and doorways, with only stairs available to the 2nd floor. In the end it served our purpose. Complete with continental breakfast to send us on our way. Canadian bacon instead of crispy bacon.
Drive to the Soo
The drive paralleled the east shore of Lake Huron, without offering many views of the big lake. We did get the understanding of the glaciers impact on the landscape, with the rock known as the Canadian Shield in evidence. Not much traffic, and much of the drive was at well over 100.
Into the USA
Once again we played choose the line, and came in 2nd out of the 3 choices. The questioning was somewhat limited, and he didn’t even ask me to remove my sunglasses.
Cabin life
And now we are at the cabin. As with the rest of this trip our time here is limited. Beach time, a visit to the Dancing Crane cafe, and a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle.
Thanks to Anne and Bill for the wifi.
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