Why Canada is BEST!

Hello - Sorry it's been a little while! We are currently in Middlebury, Vermont - visiting Wren's baby sister Emma. Well, she's not a baby - she is graduating from college! Go Emma!

So, I'll catch you up on Toronto with a short "Why Canada is Best" list. Please note that the list will match up to the pictures starting from top left and going around clockwise.

#1: Apparently they have big burly public transit buses that Wren couldn't stop talking about. For all of you truck lovers - Maybe Toronto is the place for you!

#2: Bowser looks really good in Toronto. Duh.

#3: St. Lawrence Market. Wren had been to this indoor market before on a family trip and we just happened to DRIVE up to it. We then proceeded to find a hotel nearby and walked directly to it. It is full of vendors of all different delicious food items - they sell lunch items to-go, you can get Chinese, sushi, Polish food, Italian (I had an eggplant sandwich and Wren had chicken parmesean) etc. You can also buy MEAT and cheese and OLIVES and all the fresh produce and flowers you want! Wow! I bought some Manchego cheese and snacked on it for a couple days. Best 9$ spend so far this trip! (Lisa - am I making you hungry?!) Oh yeah.

#4: Hello! ECO - FRIENDLY! Recycle, Litter and COMPOST bins! I love it - why haven't we done this yet? So smart. You can find these bins all around Toronto - and honestly, I saw them all around Canada not just Toronto!

For those of you waiting to hear about the first night sleeping in the truck - let's just keep it simple and say that the moment we woke up - we swore that we will never sleep in an urban area on a side street in a metropolis again. We realized YOU need to have a bathroom nearby where ever you sleep - peeing in an alley hoping to not get arrested isn't the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. But then again, how many of you can say that you've gotten a parking ticket while hiding in the back of your truck watching it happen? Again, hoping to not get arrested....

More later little kids....

Wings and Water!

Hello Again. It's true we went to Buffalo, NY yesterday -- just to get Buffalo Wings. And, boyyy, it was worth it. The place every random stranger told us to go to was "Anchor Bar" - this was supposedly the origin of the true spicy Buffalo Wing. I believe it! It was a fun old place with pictures of every famous person ever who loved wings on the walls. Can you believe it? I actually had to order 'hotter' sauce! I think I'm finally getting used to this SPICY thing! Oh yeah.

Also, we were able to see both the Canada side and America side of Niagara Falls. Above are pictures from the Canada side. We were constantly discussing about which side is better.

Here's what we've come up with:

1) Very weird that Canada has actually outdone America with the amounts of CONSUMERISM on their side. The Canadian side looks like VEGAS -- I kid not. Ripley's Believe It or Not, wax museums, 3D movies, hotels with huge buffets, casinos, Planet Hollywood, Hard Rock Cafe, the list goes on and on... Parking is not free. We parked a mile away and walked so that we didn't have to pay an arm and a leg :)

2) The American side on the other hand is a nice park looking area. Just park your car and wander around. There are public bathrooms, green awning ice cream shoppes, and I think I only saw 1 restaurant.

3) Now, I guess when you visit you just have to pick your preference. But, if you have kids -- go to the American side!! I can only imagine how much it would cost to go to EVERY single adventure theme thing they have on the Canada side! :)

We are in Toronto, ON now. Last night was the first night we spent in the bed of the truck on our mattress. But that's a whole other story.... Must nap in our comfortable hotel room now. That's right, we're in a hotel tonight (hint, hint).

Safe in Canada

Hello, Hello, Hello!

We made it to Canada just fine...I don't think it's the getting in... It might be the getting out! We'll find out today as we are off to Buffalo, NY.

Thanks Sara and Jordan for a wonderful time in Detroit. Here is a shot of them in Sara's kitchen, cookin' up the goods.

Just a quick blog to let you know we are here in Niagara Falls staying at a hotel -- Thank god for warm beds and a place to layout our rainy clothes!

Don't tell our hotel, but we snuck Bowser dog in the WINDOW of our hotel.... Oh, man. I feel like an outlaw! Lifting a 70 pound dog in and out of a window makes for quite a scene!

More pictures and stories from the falls... soooooon!

Detroit Lives!

So, yes, Detroit has had it's fair amount of 'downs' but - according to us, it still lives! There are plenty of old dilapidated buildings , warehouses, churches, etc (pictured above)... but then, right around the corner there is a lively bakery that has organic goods and fair trade coffee. Yay! That's always fun.

Jordan said that everyone is always saying "Detroit is on it's way back up" but then again, he reminds us "People say they've been saying that for 50 years now."

Hmmm.

Well, we're still having fun. We've been to plenty of cute restaurants and bars around Wayne State: Cass Cafe, The Bronx Bar, Avalon Bakery (Pictured Above). Not to mention, that Sara and Jordan have been making food for us! Mac N' Cheese with broccoli for lunch, pasta with homemade marinara sauce and shrimp fpr dinner(Pictured Above), and Monster cookies for dessert!

We're trying to be healthy and walk every morning. Bowser is really getting into this with us. We've been able to be out walking for about an hour every morning - above is a picture of us in front of the Detroit skyline near the river.

Ok, more later.... We leave tomorrow morning for Niagara Falls - Oh man, I'm pumped.

Mileage: 228, 931

Hey You Guys!!! (Goonies)

Um, so we started. We officially left on Tuesday April 20th, 2010. Here is a wonderful picture of Bowser and our 'pretty darn full' truck. We love TOTES as you can see! We will surely hate them soon, though.

We are currently in Dirty D - Detroit, MI. We are staying with Jordy who is being OH so kind and gracious and giving us his apartment and bed! Yes! Makes for a very good start to the trip.

Today we walked around Wayne State University, went to a French Bistro for lunch La Petit Zinc ( I think that's what it was called) bummed around on Belle Isle and watched Bowser chase geese. Tonight we are going to some cool Jazz club that has free cover on Wednesdays.

Gotta go dig in my TOTE for a cute dress! :)