We were able to visit with two of Craig’s cousins while in Canada, which made it very nice.  Our first visit was in Montreal.  Thank you so much Jacqueline Flynn for everything!  Our first home cooked meal!  Thanks Jackie & Andre for your generous hospitality.  Plus, we have never heard Kenzie laugh so hard and so much – it was crazy, even for this funny kid.  Kenzie kept trying to scare Jackie, who of course, played along for hours.  Kenzie could not get enough of it!  She had so much fun!!!

While in Montreal, we were also able to go to the Jardin Botanique (yep, everything in French – funny thing is Jackie said she could not understand GPS as they pronounce the French names very American.  Craig and I both offered to translate as it made perfect sense to us!  Seriously, I could listen to she and Andre speak for hours… so lovely!! The Garden is the third largest in the World.  Amazing!  I was in awe.  Craig was ready to drink.  Kenzie was getting into everything.  Oh and Craig helped her to her first “water fountain” drink.  I wish I would have gotten a photo of the lady behind Craig waiting, she was not impressed.

After the garden, we went across the street to see their Olympic Park.  Nothing like Utah.  We went up in the Tower but, that was about it.

I should mention here, since Montreal, Kenzie now sleeps in bed with us…  Yep, bad habit #21 to break.

We left Jackie’s to go see Milton & Deb Flynn.  They were on the way to Niagara Falls and had found a camp ground close to them for us to stay.  Sounded perfect for us.  On the way there, our A/C and power quit working (yet, the generator still worked) so no biggie.  We would still make it.  Half way there, we could see outside… where the windshield should have been.  Yep, one side of the windshield already out and about 1.5 inches plus – gap at the top where it was coming off there.  Guess bumpy roads in Quebec + Craig driving 65 mph with home on wheels = not good results.  We decided just to go on to Niagara Falls, knowing if we had to stay in a hotel and put the dogs up, that place made the most sense.  We were able to secure a rental car and still head back to Milton & Deb’s house for dinner one night.  Our second home cooked meal… and YUMMY Chicken Curry but not spicy (as we are both wimps).  So great!  Kenzie loved the peas and the rice plus their house (so many stairs to try and tackle and what a fun place to run around).  It was so wonderful to be able to spend a little time with them, we are just sad it was not more. Would have been nice to explore Toronto, though I am terrified of the 24 lanes of traffic!!   Here is a photo of Deb and Kenzie, sadly we didn’t take any until the very end and they were all taken by Milton so I don’t have any to post.  And sadly, I just have a video of the windshield and no photos – I regret that one!

Meanwhile, back at campground, we found a glass company who came out.  A few hours later, it started raining and he was unable to finish.  He would be back sooner or later. We decided to do all the touristy things at the Falls, since we were stuck anyway.  AMAZING!  Dad and Lynn, kudos for Maid of the Mist.  The boat has an amazing view of the falls.  We were also able to do behind the falls (where you get an incredible close up view of the side of the Horseshoe Falls (aka Canadian Falls), Aero Car which is suspended 250 feet above part of the rapids a little ways down from the American Falls and the White Water Walk (which I highly recommend).  Amazing to see class 6 rapids.  We were also able to eat at Skylon Tower which has a rotating floor and pretty high up views of the falls plus a place right across from the falls where you could feel the mist from the Horseshoe Falls.

Maid of the Mist:

Behind the Falls:

Aero Car:

White Water Walk:

Lunch plus misc shots:

This little girl drew a picture for Kenzie.

Oh, Did I mention there is a guy (around 70 yrs old) who does tight rope from the Sklyon Tower (pictured above)  to the Hilton Hotel every night for 3 months?  He raises money for charities and does this World wide.  Watch out Back family, he is heading to China next!

They illuminate the falls at night.  It was orange when we went; however, photos do not come out very well (at least not when just using an iphone)

Our windshield, still not complete, gave us time to drive our rental car across border the following day.  We did Cave of the Winds.  You get very close to the American Falls, so close Craig leaned over and drank from them at one point.  They have a hurricane level where you can feel the falls hitting you.  Craig and I took turns standing up there and then decided to take Kenzie with both of us.  She did great – WHEW!  Around both sides of the falls are quite a bit of cheesiness; however, all in all I must say it was an incredible experience.  I apologize for all the photos now… but, I loved it.

Windshield fixed… for now.  We found out the windshield is smaller than the frame (he actually said the frame is cut a little bigger than the windshield – haha same thing to me).  Oh and we found out the prior owners had it glued in… yep, that is fun.  But, he said it should be good now.   Back on the road for the Dewbus and Back to the US!  (oh yeah, Fun fact – to go into US from Canada was free, coming back to Canada from US – the US charges a toll on the bridge)

Entering the US with the RV….  Even fewer questions than the other side…  Do you have any alcohol or anything else to declare.  Yes, we have some wine … for Mom and Kelly – thanks for all you have helped us with…  the photos of the winery are from your gift and yes, it is worse than taking a baby to a bar… Now taking a baby to a winery to taste wine…   OK, back to border question.  He said ok, anything else to declare? We said we have a baby… Craig said we found her over there.  Just fyi, that is not their sense of humor – don’t bother going that route.  And we are back in the US!  Once again, I heard yep, could have kept both produce and gun!  (later would wish we had the gun!!)

Wine stop for Mom and Kelly – Niagara on the Lake: (don’t get too excited, I actually think U.S. wine is better)

You have a baby… In a winery? Not even in Alabama!

Gettysburg, PA – first stop. Well, actually first stop is service shop to get A/C and power repaired:

Now to Gettysburg… By the way, I voted Hersey or Amish.  Craig voted Gettysburg.  Kenzie blew Abe Lincoln a kiss, we rented a car so we could drive around battlefield while listening to tour on cd, Craig decided enough history after an hour or so and live football was better.  I laughed and said chocolate actually trumps both.

Next stop on list – Blue Ridge Parkway! On the way, we stopped at the Luray Caverns.  Craig and I thought it was amazing, Kenzie hated it and I had to break another rule and feed her the entire tour.  Thank goodness for tasty little goldfish.   Poor Craig, had to carry the stroller up 60 steps and down 70 – yet they told him we should take it.

We made it to the BRP (Blue Ridge) and stopped at the first visitor center to find out about parks and places to see.  First mistake… we scraped the bottom and broke off part of the bike trailer.  We go into center, come back to find dogs got into trash can and made a huge mess.  Ok, told Craig I thought these were signs and we should just go somewhere else.  He laughed.  Got to our campground after a few miles of crazy roads and an even tighter campground.  Oh, with a crazy neighbor in a tent…  Yep, should have turned back…  Crazy neighbor guy kept walking up (he was the very strange and strange looking) and kept saying things like “You sure have a pretty rig, right there”  Anyway, I tried to be polite but would walk away as we were extremely unlevel and trying to correct.  He would just follow me around and if I walked inside, he then followed Craig around.  Not saying much, just standing there in a weird way.  Later that night, we were doing laundry (both in rv and directly across our rv they had one working old washer and dryer).  On the door, it had a sign about black bear sightings.  I thought, great, if crazy neighbor doesn’t kill us, the bear might.  Geez!  Did I mention we have NO cel service, internet, tv or gun out here (yep, Craig said we should have kept it).  Well, the firewood we bought (getting down to the 40s at night) disappeared.  Crazy neighbor guy had a fire going all night.  Not saying any conclusions but, firewood was gone…  I was freaking out and told Craig he was going to kill us in the middle of the night and take our rv.  No one would know for a while as no one knows where we are, etc.  Anyway, made us sleep with knives (that are really RV cheap crappy ones – probably wouldn’t break the skin) and I slept with my travel size hair spray.  Guess I thought it could blind him??  Anyway, after no sleep, we are both still alive.  Crazy neighbor guy was gone by 8 am, us shortly after and thus the decision to only drive the BRP to Roanoke and exit…

What I thought would be our last campground thanks to Crazy Neighbor Guy.

Exiting Roanoke – Craig decided he wanted to see VA Tech Stadium so we ate at Cracker Barrel (exit 118B and Va Tech was 118C)…  After lunch, 2 hours later and passing Cracker Barrel for a second time… (“Look Kids… Nevermind”  Sorry, can’t help but think of the Griswalds and the look kids – Big Ben/ Parliament scene)  we never found the stadium (heard it was off the road) and barley found a few buildings, plus missed our first campground as GPS took us down a road that say “Trucks No Turn Around, Dead End”.  I told Craig I didn’t think it was a good idea, but he said our RV GPS would not lead him astray.  Astray we were lead and then we backed up the whole road.

Just showing Cracker Barrel, since pretty much all we saw. “Look Kids… Nevermind”

We made it to the first campground, turned around and left.  Horrible little round circle of rvs with crazy homeless looking shirtless people…  Went to the second lot, where the lady on the phone said they had a great easy pull through space for a 40 foot rv and would save it for us.  Got here, and this was a crazy space.  Closest we have ever been to other rvs and electrical pole, etc.  Crazy!  Took some photos but, it was at night (now) and they did not come out very well.  Literally, we could touch arms from one rv to another without moving and this place is packed!

Along the way (since Montreal), we came across many accidents and things – here are some of those:

Tree fell down during storms (we were driving around battlefield during) and we were second car behind this tree falling.

Funny Story… On Blue Ridge Parkway, commercial truck stuck. Cops got there after we were stuck and Craig/cops walked area and determined Craig could not safely go around. Tow truck on way… BTW, trucks not allowed on this.

No lie, tow truck driver gets out and walks over… gets in truck and drives it out. After 30 min plus of waiting haha. At least Craig used satellite to watch Red Zone while we were waiting.

 

Luckily, our RV is still in tact (well, minus some of the bike trailer and added scrapes from the BRP visitor center…)

Count as of today: 4200 miles, one RV, 2 adults, 2 dogs and 1 baby.  2 more weeks til we are home!  Stay tuned next week to see what we get into!  Thanks again to Jackie, Andre, Milt and Deb!  It was so wonderful spending time with you!!!