My First Trip to Canada

Last week I had decided to set aside this week to talk about My First Trip to Canada. Plus my first trip ever requiring a “Passport.” I made my trip across the “pond” aka Lake Michigan, without much trouble. A few hiccups here and there, mainly involving my slow poke hubby and wearing the wrong shoes or should I say “new’ fashion boots. I will say, the Air Canada App was really easy to use and convenient too.

When my airplane arrived at the Toronto Airport, we exited the plane outside and down a ladder. Something I never have done before. It’s definitely nothing at all like you see in the movies, nothing glamorous about it. By this time my legs were wobbly, the ladder so narrow I was hoping I wasn’t going to fall and make an ass out of myself. The airport was under construction, so it was quite the hike from the plane to customs.

Crossing the Border

Everything else went without a hitch after that. Customs went well and people were friendly and helpful at the airport. I did get in one wrong line but soon figured that out. Some of the check in process is done at those self-serve kiosk. They do make going through actual customs much faster. (I think) At the kiosk you answer a few questions on the screen, put in your flight number and slide your passport in the appropriate slot.

You then take your little slip of paper and get in line. Bing, bang, boom and off you go. (Maybe the wrong choice of words) The same is true on your way back through customs. Everything is basically the same only on your way back through, the kiosk takes a lovely picture of you:) The lines seemed longer on my way home but that might have something to do with the fact that my flight didn’t leave until late afternoon.

Waiting for a Taxi

After customs, I followed the rest of the crowd and rode the elevator down to the main floor. There on the baggage carousal was my suitcase. I couldn’t believe how smoothly this was going! Let me point out here that when I left my suitcase made the cut. Meaning it was under the 50 lb limit, so it was $30.00 to check it. But on my way home from Canada, it cost $100.00 to check! I did some shopping in Canada, eh?

Before I knew it, I was standing outside in the cool fresh air, waiting for Cindy and Rob aka The Crabby Cabbie to pick me up. I texted Cindy when I was waiting outside to tell her what letter I was standing under. I was super excited, super nervous and I couldn’t believe I was actually here! Cindy wrote this fantastic post for her own blog Just North Of Wiarton and I wanted to share it with you, so read on for more about our adventure.

She Arrived On A Jet Plane by Cindy

Many, many, many, years ago when I first began “blogging” some bloggers followed each others blogs. I am pretty certain when I was participating in the “See Ya in the Gumbo” blog hop, where we shared our Foodie Blogs, I began following Lynn’s Blog “Turnips 2 Tangerines”. From there we commented on each others blogs, and oh man I never knew anyone personally, as personal as it was through our blogs, who has made so many different food recipes in my life.
Then over the next several years we began emailing, writing letters/cards, a couple of phone calls, Facebook friends, and then all hell broke loose when we started texting each other !!!! When I was at my lowest in a Bipolar Depression for 2 years there was a period of time Lynn mailed me a card weekly, even though I didn’t have any joy those days,  it had meant the World to me. That is what true friends are made of.
The last couple of years I have invited Lynn & her hubby, Jim, up from Wisconsin to pay us a visit.  I would have loved for Rob & I to have gone there but with the exchange being 23 cents to the dollar, it made way more sense for them to come here. Lynn surprised me this past Spring by announcing she was booking Air Fare to come visit us in October.
Keep in mind we have never met in person before, wherein her husband questioned her visiting us, since you know we could be “axe murderers”.  Regardless Lynn pulled up her “Big Girl Brave Pants”, and arrived on a Jet Plane in Canada at the Toronto Pearson Airport. When we picked Lynn up at the Airport neither us skipped a beat, it was like we had known each other all our lives.  Oh yes I have forgotten to mention how much we are alike in all our likes and dislikes in Life, also having similar Life experiences, and only 1 year apart in age !!!  Holy moly Batman CRAZINESS …..
We were all starving as it was around 1 pm, we hadn’t ate yet that day, and Lynn only some toast at 5:30 am before heading to the Milwaukee airport.  We took Lynn to have the “Pebbles Restaurant” experience in Varney on our way home.  Never been to Pebbles? I think it is Rob’s favourite since it is owned by Mennonites, with Rob being brought up & adopted by Mennonites, he “schmucks” the food there.
Of course now Lynn also has Pebbles on her “favourite” list I am certain.  Check it out if have never been there at the following link:  Pebbles Family Restaurant Needless to say once we got home we were not only full, we were all exhausted. Bedtime couldn’t have came fast enough for the three of us.
Sunday came and we were off to the races. Lynn was heading back home Thursday only giving us 4 days to pack in a lot of experiences.
Day 1:  To my Hometown of Southampton ON where Lynn got to see the beautiful beach, Denny’s Dam, and the old Cemetery, which I love imaging the pioneers of the area back in the 1700’s & 1800’s.
 
Day 2 & 3:  Lunch at Green Door Cafe on Tuesday, after Lynn had a Manicure & I a hair cut, as since Lynn seen me blog many times about lunch there it was on her “list” to do.  The Wednesday we lunched at Lloyd’s Smoke Shop & Pool Hall where you can get the best Homemade Ice Cream on the Bruce Peninsula (this is why all my Grandchildren love me as when they visit they know I will be taking them one of the days to have ice cream for Lunch).
 
Day 2:  We went over for a trip to Owen Sound where we stopped to take in the beautiful Jones Falls.  A lovely place to visit going through Owen Sound by Springmount.  This also was the day Lynn got to try Sweet Pickled Cottage Roll for the first time EVER! She loved it! Sadly she had never had it before cause they just don’t have it in Wisconsin, eh Lynn? 
 
Day 3:  I think it was Day 4, but it seems like so long ago now it could have been Day 1, regardless we were at the Bruce Caves just outside of Wiarton thru Oxeden.  Should you have never been here it really is a lovely walk in to see the Caves.

Day 3 also was a bittersweet day as it had been Lynn’s last full day here “Just North of Wiarton & South of the Checkerboard” in Canada.  I was very amused, to say the least, of Lynn trying to pack her “very large” suitcase. It certainly was a lot heavier leaving Canada then when it arrived.


The Last Day, Rob headed down the Hwy to deliver Lynn to the Airport to return home.  I never included numbering the days picking Lynn up, or dropping her off. As they weren’t days spent taking in the “experience” of Bruce County Hospitality.

NOTE TO JIM (Lynn’s Hubby):  You never had to worry about Lynn since Rob & I retired from being “Axe Murderers” as ……


…. so Jim it is quite safe for you to come visit next time (as long as you don’t think we might come out of retirement and find a few more hiding places?)

Lynn’s visit from her 5th arrival until the 10th departure was an amazing time.  It was like we had been friends all of our lives.  Lynn said, “everyone has a twin in this World, and we are so much alike we could be that”.  True dat, Lynn !

That is all she wrote this day …… “Just North of Wiarton & South of the Checkerboard”.

I would like to Thank Cindy and Rob for their hospitality on My First Trip to Canada. They made my trip a complete success. Next September We would like to drive to Canada. Making it an extra long trip, so we can take our time.