Hello and welcome to my journey across the HUGE country of ours (some of ours)--Canada. Tonight I am in Wawa, Ontario...but first...leaving PEI.
A special thanks for my parents for helping me pack and wrap the truck (and totes) in preparation of my journey. Though only guaranteed to hold until the end of the drive way the many feet of rope holding my worldly possessions onto the back of my truck are still holding.
There are always a few tears when I leave and set out from PEI...and this trip was no exception. The good bye to my sister, niece and nephew ended with a few tears on my part and then the hugs and well wishes from both my parents set me off--as it always does. Generally by the time I reach the bridge I have cried myself out and I'm ready to focus on the long drive ahead...Friday was no exception. I was able to get away around 8:30am and by 10am was ready to throw in the towel and either pull over for the night or head back to PEI. I felt tired and my body was aching from being in the one position for that long--1.5 hours. It's going to be a long week I thought if I can't even make the first morning. The rain started shortly after that and my mood turned a bit more sour. It would rain hard enough to need the wipers and then just as I turn them on it would stop raining. I stopped for lunch at 11am, a lot earlier than I had thought I would but I just needed a break. Back on the road and still more--why did I decide to drive again?--going through my head but then later in the afternoon I hit the Quebec border, the sun came out and my mood brightened considerably. I got my second wind and drove with no plans to stop.
CBC radio always keeps me company on my journeys and this was no exception. I was doing so well and the drive was going so well I started thinking about just driving through Montreal and being done for the day with the evil roads of Montreal behind me. But the radio was not making that sound like a good idea as they talked about bridge closures for the weekend and only one lane being available in both directions. I don't know my Montreal bridges very well but when the announcers are talking about being stranded on the Island of Montreal for the weekend and how they are not even considering leaving you know they are expecting traffic to be bad. The word was the traffic closures would start around 7pm, based on my location and expected ETA in Montreal I decided to call it a night and start out early in the morning once I had an opportunity to check out the bridge situation. Day 1, approx 1000km.
Turns out the tunnel was not scheduled for closure and my leaving at 7am would almost guarantee that I avoided most of the traffic that would be skipping the bridge and taking the tunnel. I sailed thru Montreal and was happy to stop just inside the Quebec border for a sit down breakfast where I could relax and read my book. Then off to the city of Ottawa. I had friends I wanted to visit in Ottawa and seeing as I haven't seen them in 3 years it was very important to me. I had friends in Montreal to visit with as well, but I just saw (and met) them in April, so I'm sure they understand why Ottawa took priority. I arrived in Ottawa to sunshine and blue skies. I went to see a movie, drove downtown and wandered around the market, then out to Kanata for the visit. It was a great day. I then got back on the road and headed to Pembroke for the night. I wanted to be outside of the Ottawa area and Pembroke at about 1 hour out was a good choice and I've stayed there before. Day 2, approx 450km
A later start to my day today, didn't leave until around 9am but still managed to cover just under 900km. Another great day of driving and the weather has been terrific since leaving New Brunswick. At this point I'm just under 1/2 way there. I'm in Wawa, Ontario...about one hour South of White River--home of Winnie the Pooh. That is really only an interesting point because I've stayed in White River the last two times I crossed the country. This time I decided to take a chance on Wawa and may I recommend it to you if you are ever travelling through Ontario. It is a small town with a lot of hotels. Great scenery and giant geese all over the town.
It is just after 9pm and this is the latest I've been up since setting out on my trip. Yep, party animal. Let's hope tomorrow is just as good as today.
A special thanks for my parents for helping me pack and wrap the truck (and totes) in preparation of my journey. Though only guaranteed to hold until the end of the drive way the many feet of rope holding my worldly possessions onto the back of my truck are still holding.
There are always a few tears when I leave and set out from PEI...and this trip was no exception. The good bye to my sister, niece and nephew ended with a few tears on my part and then the hugs and well wishes from both my parents set me off--as it always does. Generally by the time I reach the bridge I have cried myself out and I'm ready to focus on the long drive ahead...Friday was no exception. I was able to get away around 8:30am and by 10am was ready to throw in the towel and either pull over for the night or head back to PEI. I felt tired and my body was aching from being in the one position for that long--1.5 hours. It's going to be a long week I thought if I can't even make the first morning. The rain started shortly after that and my mood turned a bit more sour. It would rain hard enough to need the wipers and then just as I turn them on it would stop raining. I stopped for lunch at 11am, a lot earlier than I had thought I would but I just needed a break. Back on the road and still more--why did I decide to drive again?--going through my head but then later in the afternoon I hit the Quebec border, the sun came out and my mood brightened considerably. I got my second wind and drove with no plans to stop.
CBC radio always keeps me company on my journeys and this was no exception. I was doing so well and the drive was going so well I started thinking about just driving through Montreal and being done for the day with the evil roads of Montreal behind me. But the radio was not making that sound like a good idea as they talked about bridge closures for the weekend and only one lane being available in both directions. I don't know my Montreal bridges very well but when the announcers are talking about being stranded on the Island of Montreal for the weekend and how they are not even considering leaving you know they are expecting traffic to be bad. The word was the traffic closures would start around 7pm, based on my location and expected ETA in Montreal I decided to call it a night and start out early in the morning once I had an opportunity to check out the bridge situation. Day 1, approx 1000km.
Turns out the tunnel was not scheduled for closure and my leaving at 7am would almost guarantee that I avoided most of the traffic that would be skipping the bridge and taking the tunnel. I sailed thru Montreal and was happy to stop just inside the Quebec border for a sit down breakfast where I could relax and read my book. Then off to the city of Ottawa. I had friends I wanted to visit in Ottawa and seeing as I haven't seen them in 3 years it was very important to me. I had friends in Montreal to visit with as well, but I just saw (and met) them in April, so I'm sure they understand why Ottawa took priority. I arrived in Ottawa to sunshine and blue skies. I went to see a movie, drove downtown and wandered around the market, then out to Kanata for the visit. It was a great day. I then got back on the road and headed to Pembroke for the night. I wanted to be outside of the Ottawa area and Pembroke at about 1 hour out was a good choice and I've stayed there before. Day 2, approx 450km
A later start to my day today, didn't leave until around 9am but still managed to cover just under 900km. Another great day of driving and the weather has been terrific since leaving New Brunswick. At this point I'm just under 1/2 way there. I'm in Wawa, Ontario...about one hour South of White River--home of Winnie the Pooh. That is really only an interesting point because I've stayed in White River the last two times I crossed the country. This time I decided to take a chance on Wawa and may I recommend it to you if you are ever travelling through Ontario. It is a small town with a lot of hotels. Great scenery and giant geese all over the town.
It is just after 9pm and this is the latest I've been up since setting out on my trip. Yep, party animal. Let's hope tomorrow is just as good as today.
3 comments:
Hi Jennifer,
Good to hear from you and that you are safe and sound. Starting off sounds real tough, never easy to say goodbye to family. Glad that the weather improved for you as well, no fun driving for such long days in bad weather. I just returned from Ottawa the end of May, and I too, really enjoy the city. Always so clean and lots to see, one can put on a lot of miles walking, whether it be outside or, in my case in May, in the malls!!
Hope the rest of your drive is good and that you don't run into any snags of any kind and that you have some more friends to visit along the way, good to have conversation with someone other than yourself!! You are making good time on those long days - I don't think I'd be able to sit that long! Day 2 seemed to be shorter, which I assume was the plan so you could enjoy Ottawa and visit with your friends.
Take care ... Lori B.
Jennifer,
Great to hear you are making lots of headway across the country. I hope you have wonderful visits with your friends to catch up on things. Stay safe, hope the weather holds for you all the rest of the trip. Just think, Sunday you'll be in your new digs and the babies will be back with you!
Jack
Jennifer:
I did read this blog on Monday night when I had returned from Calgary but for some reason I couldn't reply to it and forgot to go check it again last night.
I wanted to cry when I read how you cried when you said goodbye to your family and drove off alone across Canada. Your heart must have been broken. And this move back West was not what you expected to happen when you came to PEI a year ago. It is different when you want to make the journey for work reasons. This time you had to make the journey for work reasons.
I hear you when you had to drive in the pouring rain. That is one miserable task. The only thing worse would be when I was in Calgary trying to drive behind my nephew as he was leading me to our destination for the meet and greet and there are 3 lanes of traffic going your direction and it is teaming rain making it hard to see where other cars are when you are switching lanes. I did have the GPS for back up if I lost him and that was very re-assuring. But beautiful sunshine does make a long drive so much more pleasant.
I'm glad your driving weather improved for you.
I always find the drive through Montreal stressful but I can't imagine what it would be like to have bridge closures to add to that stress. You were wise to stop for the night. Rest up well and tackle it in the early morning.
You made great progress in a few days and the break in Ottawa with friends was a "must" when you were so close.
Edith
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