Driving across the country

Well in the home stretch of my trek across the country as I move home to the Canadian Prairies from the bustling hubbub pf New York City. I've ridden in an air-conditioner-less van from New York to Montreal at which point I moved all my stuff into a rental van for the rest of my trip. For your information, National Car Rental is the only car rental company in Canada that allows one-way rentals of regular vehicles (not U-Haul cube vans and trucks). Isn't that nice of them? And they give you quality cars too. I got a Grand Caravan with 'stow-&-go' seats. The seats flip down into the floor of the van so there's, like, way more room in the back. Plus, since it's a mini-van, it's all about the comfort. A/C and power everything. Plus I purchased a Monster iCar play device that charges my iPod and plays by tuning to an empty radio station so I can hear all my songs as I drive. I leave it on shuffle so I have continuous play. Sweet!

Montreal was sweltering and covered in smog. Ottawa was sweltering and filled with conference attendees. Every city in Southern Ontario was sweltering until I got to Thunder Bay. And then it started to rain.

In Thunder Bay yesterday, it took me a while to realize that I was getting odd looks as I walked around the city. I couldn't put my finger on it until I realized that, besides the Native folks in the city, everyone else is white. Everyone! Weird. Now I'm probably making a generalization since I was only there for overnight but it was a bit startling, especially coming from New York. It probably didn't help that I ate my dinner at the restaurant closest to my hotel...Montana's. It's like an all western version of TGI Fridays. Their Value Village was well organized and spotless. Unfortunately, the clothes were pretty boring, scrubbed of any really interesting clothes...kind of like the city.

And what's with Winnipeg? They have a street called Broadway and West Broadway and Wall Street. Yet it's so tiny and quaint. The public art project they have on display is 'Polar Bears in the City'. Like cows in the city. Polar Bears on public lawns painted and decorated in all sorts of ways. There was one styled like a biker on a Harley. I took a picture of him with my stuffed duck, Albert. When I get home, I'll post his picture. I also have him posing with the giant goose in Wawa. Albert likes posing with strange and giant things. I wanted to have him pose with this strange Sasquatch-like thing in Minniwaki, ON but I passed by too quickly and couldn't turn around. Besides...it was freaky.

Winnipeg also has the unfortunate urban planning that results in Hwy #1 running through most of insides of the city before getting you outside the city to continue on your way. Why? There's a "bypass" route but if you miss that or want to go into the city to refill your tank, you end up weaving through the city. It took me an extra 45 mintues. Grrr...

Now I'm in Brandon, Manitoba. It's a small town but everyone is super friendly. I must look like an outsider or something but it doesn't seem to be as big a deal. Any town that has it's own alternative radio station (hear that Edmonton?) is alright by me.

And this is going to sound like a complete cliche...but seeing Tim Hortons every so often really does make me feel like it's a familiar place to get a decent cruller and get some much needed caffeine thanks to the iced cappucino. I don't drink coffee usually so the iced drink is a nice compromise although I don't think I'll make it a habit. It's not really good for you, it's pretty sugary and, while the caffeine is definitely a strong stimulant while I drive alone for days, I'd like to keep it an occassional stimulant...not one I want to have all the time. And the crullers...Dunkin Donuts have nothing on Tim Hortons.

Not that I'm going to make a habit of eating crullers either.