The Northeast Thus Far

We did stop to camp in Ohio on our way north. It was a fun time. We were the only campers there. Dane played his guitar around the campfire. We went mountain biking early the next morning. Unfortunately we got lost from each other AGAIN while we were mountain biking. We eventually found each other, vowing to use our walkie talkies next time we hike or bike.

Putting our walkie-talkies to use

Detroit was a temporary stop on the way to Toronto. There is a lot of sadness about Detroit. Some bright spots there were...1) the "People Mover" train that does a loop around downtown Detroit (only 50 cents) and 2) Campus Martius Park which is one of the top 25 public spaces in the United States according to the American Planning Association.(Dane's info) The fountain there was great!

Downtrodden Detroit

On the way to Toronto we were detained at the border by Canadian immigration. Our main offenses were trying to carry firewood over the border (we didn't know!) and Dane being a little bit "facetious" with the border guards. It was a little fiasco that put us behind time about an hour.

Two days in Toronto. The highlights were Chinatown and Kensington Market. We were also fascinated by the black squirrels.

We saw Niagara Falls on a cold, blustery, rainy day and they were still beautiful. We especially enjoyed the trails along the river that led up to the falls.

Along the path

The Falls

We spent 3 nights in Buffalo. An unexpected surprise was an annual event called "Doors Open Niagara". There were several sights in and around buffalo that were free to the public. We went on several free tours including the largest city hall in the nation which was beautiful, a carousel museum, a huge cemetery and an old homestead to name a few. We also visited Brian and Emily, missionaries who are starting a church in the Buffalo area and attended their Bible study on Sunday night.

Buffalo City Hall

Inside City Hall

Dane's description in a gravestone

By the way, I know we're not following the Fall foliage at it's peak season, but it has been beautiful! Dane compares the feeling he gets when he sees to the colors to being punched in the gut. (Dane wanted me to clarify that this punch in the gut is a good thing)

We've been camping the past 2 nights. For a fact we know it got to 23 degrees Fahrenheit one night. Our tent was frosty and it was snowy/rainy when we woke up.

Our frozen bottle

We also got stopped by a state trooper yesterday! Three major issues were speeding (15 miles over the speed limit), Dane couldn't fine his license and we couldn't find our registration! Julie is one of the nicest state troopers we've ever met and she only ticketed us for a non moving violation...a cracked windshield. Funny thing is the crack was only a couple of inches long the day before and in the cold temperatures it decided to crack about 3 more feet!

The windshield being cracked

Dane did find his wallet rolled up in one of our sleeping bags.