The final push…
After over a month on the road, it was time to head for home. But not before a few more visits.
After the Rock Hall in Cleveland, I headed for the west end of Lake Erie and crossed back into Canada on the Ambassador Bridge at the Detroit-Windsor border crossing. Traffic was quite heavy on the bridge however once I hit the NEXUS line, I only had one car in front of me. The CBSA agent questioned my travel history in the US and when he asked why I took the journey, he smiled when I responded “I’m retired. Decided to go on a road trip.” Total time with him - 45 seconds.
My first stop was with Karen and Glen in Windsor where I spent the night. I walked with Karen for a couple of weeks on my first Camino in 2019 and we have maintained contact since then. It was such a pleasure to chat about past experiences on the Way and future plans for another Camino. I’m very grateful for the friendship I have with these two very generous people.
On Thursday, en route to Sarnia, I took a detour to visit Craig and Colleen in the small town of Dresden in southwestern Ontario. Craig and I flew together many moons ago and I will always try to find time to visit this great friend. Any time spent with my military friends inevitably leads to reminiscing, bad-mouthing, embellishment and a wonderful time. I loved the visit!
In Sarnia, I spent time with a friend of many decades going all the way back to my days in Dover. Paul (Wax) and Allegonda were wonderful hosts who always make me feel at home. More reminiscing and story-telling filled our time together and many laughs were had as we discussed the antics from our youth. We are often surprised that we survived those days! I’m looking forward to reconnecting this summer in Dover for a high school class reunion.
I headed for my hometown (Port Dover) on Friday and along the way, had to share the road with hundreds of motorcycle enthusiasts. Every Friday the 13th since 1981, bikers have been getting together in this small town of about 6,300 people. This year, with perfect weather, it was estimated that over 100,000 participated. The streets were completely filled with people, motorcycles, vendors, and music and I had a great time wandering around enjoying the sights. I never tire of visiting Dover as I am filled with memories of my formative years and of the incredible friendships I formed in my youth and still maintain. Yup, another grateful moment. Additionally, it is always wonderful to see my sister Sue and to stay in the same bedroom I slept in 50 years ago. A visit with my neighbour Barb and her son RIck was another highlight of the day.
Saturday was the last day of my journey but I was not done with my visits. I started the day with a coffee at Martha and Peter’s. Martha has been a very close friend of my sister Chris since my family moved to Dover in the late 60s. I love chatting and spending time with these wonderful friends. Last but not least, I headed to Guelph to spend a couple of hours with my oldest son Jake and his girlfriend Bailey. They put on a delicious lunch for me and I thoroughly enjoyed the visit. I don’t get a chance to see them very often so I was very happy for my short time with them.
Finally, it was just a matter of getting past the traffic chaos in Toronto and taking a secondary road back into Ottawa. A quick synopsis of my adventure: total time - 35 days; number of states visited - 16; total driving distance - 9,672 km (6,010 miles); total journey (driving plus flights from Florida to Ottawa, plus hiking, walking) - 13,622 km (8,464 miles); and, total driving time - 122 hours. I saw many new places as well as some old stomping grounds and most importantly, I reconnected with many old friends. This aspect of my adventure was definitely the best part and I am very grateful to all those who made time for a short visit or who opened up their homes for me. Thank you! I continue to plan more adventures and look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones. Buen Camino!
