Crosscountry(ies) Road Tripping Part I

It was Friday night when we were in Winnipeg and after our Gil mis-adventures we decided it was appropriate to relax a little bit and go out for a few drinks. More significantly, two of our friends were getting married, and as we were unable to make the wedding, decided we'd toast them over here (albeit with beer and gin as there was no champagne or even sparkling wine to be had). After spending an hour trying to find an ATM, a task much harder than you would expect, we then found the only place open with more than four people in it. I do no exaggerate, Winnipeg after work on a Friday was quieter than the non-Paris end of Collins Street on a Sunday afternoon!

After a couple of drinks and some exceptionally good pub food, we were contemplating heading home when we struck up a conversation with the couple at the table next to us. Joe and Danielle had flown in from Virginia for an Alice In Chains concert as you do. It was during our conversation with them and further drinks, that Google Maps was consulted on our travel plans and advised us to drive to Toronto via the US and such fun places as Chicago. We somehow wound up attempting to play darts of all things. For anyone who has seen me attempt to play pool, my darts skills are even worse, even the middle aged ladies at the bar were laughing at me.

Waking up with clear heads the following morning, Google Maps suggestion still seemed like a good idea and so after a night at Grand Beach we headed south-westish for the border.

Crossing back into the US was far more eventful than our entry into Canada. We were grilled on where we'd come from, where we were going (which are kind of hard questions to answer you're road tripping), how I have an American passport, how we were funding this trip and so on. The answer to this last question is one that people seem to find a little hard to comprehend, and fair enough too. We've got to wondering does the world think we're a pair of spoiled rich kids? Really, we aren't and if you want to know how we can afford to do this, just ask, but please don't judge. Next Gil was ushered into a garage-like building and the doors closed. We were ushered into well, a concrete cell, to wait while Gil was inspected. Parents, don't worry the only contraband we were carrying was fruit and veggies and after a short we were on our way again, minus a few limes and some other items which were hitting their use by anyway.