It is the time of year when I have wanderlust on my mind. We are in the process of planning a trip to the northwest. With the exception of Hawaii, it is the only part of the United States we haven't explored yet.
We want to drive Highway 101. Visit the Redwoods, see Sherry, my cousin and do some camping in the mountains. Hopefully we will see the Seattle Sound. We will travel like we usually do when we drive, take one route out and a different route back to home. It is like getting two vacations at the same time. This trip should be a little over 4500 miles.
The longest "road trip" we have ever driven was when we drove to Alaska in 2001. We took a month off from work, driving 9,967 miles round trip. What an adventure it was. The sights we saw, the things we did were unbelievable to us. We still talk about that trip. I have written about it several times. I still have not captured it completely or to my satisfaction.
When we lived in Yuma, Arizona we would leave the United States for a day and go to Mexico. However, we always knew we would be back by nightfall.
Crossing into Canada was completely different. We had taken I-15 to Shelby, Montana drove on a little further to Sweet Grass ate lunch and traded some of our American money for Canadian cash. At that time $300 of American cash traded out to $400 Canadian cash. It was a good deal for the Americans. Things have changed now and I think the value is dollar for dollar.
Leaving the United States was no problem. We did not need a passport, we were wished a safe trip and sent on our merry way. However as soon as we hit Canadian soil, things changed. There were two lanes of traffic going into Canada. We were in the second lane. Our little red station wagon was covered in dust and dirt. We were packed heavy. Unsure of exactly what to pack for such a long trip, we over packed by about 100 pounds. A pretty young lady motioned us to pull over for inspection. I looked at Tommy and said, "You have got to be kidding me!" He smiled and we got out of the car.
She told us her name and asked us a few questions. We showed our drivers license and proof of insurance. She wanted to see more identification. Thank goodness we both had our state I.D.'s with us.
She then told us she was going to check our car from top to bottom. Then she turned to me and said, "Mam, where do you keep your money?" My mouth was so dry I could hardly talk. I told her in my purse, Tommy's wallet and the glove compartment. She shocked me when she informed me that those 3 places would not be searched. That statement made no sense to me at all, but I did not argue.
She turned around and entered the small building where the other border guards were working. When she came back out, she was snapping on a pair of rubber gloves. In my overactive mind I was waiting to hear, "Put your hands on the car and spread 'em" Thank God that did not happen. She did go through all our luggage, the extra snacks, sodas, tent, blankets, pillows, tapes, books, writing journals and anything else we thought we might need. Luckily for us she found Tommy's camera. We hadn't seen it sense we left home. I had mine in my purse and his was stuck in a box of crackers. Go figure....
We could go to the bathroom, one at a time. Someone had to stay with the car at all times. Soon everything we had packed was laying on a cart. She smiled at us, telling us to enjoy our stay in Canada, turned around and walked off.
Tommy and I looked at each other and stared at the mess we had to put back in the car. It didn't fit as well the second time. For some reason we felt 'violated'. It was an odd feeling. A stranger had just rummaged through our belongings. Rearranged our mess. It was an odd uncomfortable feeling. I was no longer on American soil. It took 2 hours and 3 beers before I shook off the feeling and began to relax.
As we drove on into Canada we soon realized that we were on our own for sure. The speed limit was in kilometers, gas was in liters and the weather temperature was in celsius. I had a flashback to 8th grade, when we were supposed to learn metric system. I memorized it for the test, then promptly forget it. In my infinite wisdom at the ripe age of 12, I did not think I would use the metric system again. I really did not think the world would ever use it, either. Like I have said before, when I am wrong---I am wrong.
It took us 5 days to drive through Canada. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. If Tommy and I taken this trip when we were young, our children would have been born in the Yukon. It would have been a rough life at times, however I think the adventures we would have had, would balance out the harshness.
In 2001 there were not a lot of rest areas. We soon learned to stop when we saw one and to gas up. Outhouses were everywhere. That was new and a surprise to me. I passed on the first outhouse we came to, after that experience I did not pass on another one.
When our trip was almost over, we were once again crossing the border into the states. The US border guard asked if we had anything of value to declare. We told her "no, just a lot of wonderful memories." She smiled and said, "Welcome Home". We crossed back into the United States without ever getting out of our car. I am sure that has changed in these past 11 years.
Everything has changed in the past 11 years. 9-11 happened 11 days after we arrived home. War is still everywhere. It is obvious anyone could easily be a suspect, or a terrorist. Traveling is stricter and for good reason. And yet we still continue to travel and discover the beauty of this less than perfect world. For me this is a wonderful idea. Many adventures are just around the corner. I look forward to them all.
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