Canada

The drive to Canada turned out to be a gift. When April first told me she was going to Canada to live for a few months and that I was the one driving with her ~ I wasn't very excited. I drive a lot. I had just spent so much time on the road that the thought of spending 3 days on the road to drive back from Lake Powell and turning around to drive to Canada, did not excite me. However, I wasn't about to send my daughter and grand-dog across country alone. April and I went over the miles and hours that it would take to get there. I told her to give us at least 4 days and she gave us 5. This turned out to be the blessing. We realized the day before we took off that not only would we have time to stop and visit my friend Lynn (who is family to us) in Michigan but we would be able to spend a whole afternoon. The first day we drove through Chicago. Don't ever do that if you don't have to. Drive around it. Trust me it will save you time regardless of how it looks like it will be the shorter way. Traffic was horrendous and the toll booths didn't make it any better. We spent the first night on the east side of Chicago in Indiana. Not knowing anything about the area we quickly found our self in the industrial area at the HO Hotel. It was not as bad as it could have been but it wasn't a place that made you feel very secure. We actually did see a Ho going in with her customer as we drove up. We could have, should have kept driving but we had no idea where to go and would we find something worse?! Note to everyone ~ always check Trip Advisor before making reservations for a hotel on the Internet. April and I had planned to get up do a quick run then shower and hit the road. After an almost sleepless night the only run we did was to the car to get the heck out of there. By noon we were driving into the drive of Lynn's house. What a sight for sore eyes. Seeing Lynn was like coming home. She is so much a part of my past and present. The kids and I adopted her & her family as ours shortly after their father and I divorced. We spent holidays, birthdays and weekends being with the Terry family. They embraced us with open arms. April had not seen Lynn since she moved from AZ 3 years ago and I hadn't seen her in over a year so as you can imagine it was a wonderful visit. Lynn and her brother Jon put on a very nice BBQ that night which included Sandra (Jon's daughter) Judy, Kimmie (friends) Kimmie's husband and Don.
Don is Lynn's boyfriend that April and I met for the first time. He is a great guy and it really made me feel good to see Lynn full of love and family in her home. The next morning we were on the road and found ourselves in Canada. We had decided to drive strictly by what the Garmin said so when we ended up cutting through Canada it took us by surprise. Once again, we found a blessing by this since it took us 30 miles from Niagara Falls. With plenty of time on our hands we made the adjustment (sorry garmin for recalculating) and drove the 30 miles to see one of the ten wonders of the world. We didn't stay long but it was a sight to see. I hope to go back and take the boat ride at the bottom. Note to everyone ~ if you go and stay ~ make sure you stay on the Canadian side. Back on the road we spent the night in Rochester N.Y. The taste of Rochester was going on and the lead band was Foreigner. April and I finally managed to get a run in and our days at the Ho Hotel were behind us. The following night we were in Maine and we ate at Skipper's. It was my first taste of fresh seafood and it was heaven. We arrived in Fredericton the following day. Her new landlord turned out to be a wonderful woman about the same age as me. She immediately made us feel welcomed and wanted to be of any kind of help she could. Everyone we met in Fredericton could not be more helpful. Frediction is beautiful and the pop. is about 40 thousand. Canada is so lush and the growth is so thick. The fresh seafood and produce is amazing. I couldn't have dreamed of a better place for April to be if she was going to go so far away from home. Since I left, Lynn (April's landlord) has been truly awesome to April. She stops by and walks Izzy when April is working late. She has also had them out to her lake cabin for dinner. She is going to babysit Izzy while April takes her birthday vacation. The day I flew home I had a heavy heart leaving my girls behind and so far away but I knew that they were in a good place with good people surrounding them. It was all I could ask for.

Our first night on the road at Ho Hotel Izzy found herself.
April and I laughed most of the night (good diversion)
because she kept going back to
make sure she hadn't left. LOL

















Sandra and Izzy bonded right away.






















Judy, Sandra, Lynn, ME, Izzy, April and Kimmie. It's a girl thing :)


















The girls take in Niagara Falls.























Rochester New York where taste of Rochester was in
in full action when we arrived.

April and I left Izzy in the hotel to go to dinner while

in Maine. Needless to say, she thinks the beds at Hampton Inn

are pretty fantastic!

April and Izzy in their home away from home.

This is the new school (Meritus U) and the building in which April is

currently working hard to get open by September.

These are photo's of the St. John river that flows through the

center of Fredericton. On a clear day it is absolutely beautiful.