We're Not in Kansas Anymore
This morning I was somewhere in the middle of Iowa and now I'm back in Winnipeg for the night again and a day behind schedule. I got held up at the customs on the way down for over eight hours. Apparantly it's not okay to just drive airplane engines across the border. I drove seventeen hours the next day, straight from Grand Forks, North Dakota, to Okmulge, Oklahoma, to make up some lost time.
Tolling the Road
Americans really know how to build roads. Sure, you have to pay to drive on some of them (seeing the 'Toll Road' sign I began looking around at the other drivers to see if they were "tolling the road" because I sure as hell didn't know how to, until the toll booth came up and realized what a dumbass I am), but Canadian highways are shit. Interstates, freeways, turnpikes; it's how driving should be. Cruising down the interstate at 75 mph (that's 120 km/h to the rest of the world) you don't stop for anything and the road is completely smooth. You're moving faster but it's a hell of a lot safer than any Canadian highway where the shoulders aren't paved, the road is riddled with cracks and potholes where there are no fancy exit ramps and overpasses. Also, Canadian drivers don't know how to merge.
On a Canadian highway, when you see a dead animal on the side of the road you can usually tell what it was before it was hit. On an American highway, at least from what I saw, you can hardly tell what it was. I guess 120 is the speed at which animals explode rather than just getting run over.
Spoons on Pens: Not Just a Kansas Thing
Every gas station I stopped at the pens had plastic spoons taped to them. The first time I saw this I left at nothing more than a quirky idea conjured by bored gas attendants. But then I saw it again. And again. I finally asked the old lady working at Subway in a small Kansas town, "What's with the spoons on the pens? Is it a Kansas thing?" I thought maybe it was some kind state pride ordeal, a sports team, The Kansas State Spoons. The lady laughed. "No, everybody's doing it," she stated matter-of-factly, "Someone started it a while ago. Now, even Wal-Mart's doing it." Holy shit! Wal-Mart? Where can I buy plastic spoons, I've got a bunch of pens in the truck that haven't been spooned yet. "I think it's so people don't accidently put it in their pocket." Ohhhhhhh. Gotcha.
Special thanks to Tim and Barb from Iowa for helping out a stranded and weary Canadian.
Some shots from the lodge.
Tolling the Road
Americans really know how to build roads. Sure, you have to pay to drive on some of them (seeing the 'Toll Road' sign I began looking around at the other drivers to see if they were "tolling the road" because I sure as hell didn't know how to, until the toll booth came up and realized what a dumbass I am), but Canadian highways are shit. Interstates, freeways, turnpikes; it's how driving should be. Cruising down the interstate at 75 mph (that's 120 km/h to the rest of the world) you don't stop for anything and the road is completely smooth. You're moving faster but it's a hell of a lot safer than any Canadian highway where the shoulders aren't paved, the road is riddled with cracks and potholes where there are no fancy exit ramps and overpasses. Also, Canadian drivers don't know how to merge.
On a Canadian highway, when you see a dead animal on the side of the road you can usually tell what it was before it was hit. On an American highway, at least from what I saw, you can hardly tell what it was. I guess 120 is the speed at which animals explode rather than just getting run over.
Spoons on Pens: Not Just a Kansas Thing
Every gas station I stopped at the pens had plastic spoons taped to them. The first time I saw this I left at nothing more than a quirky idea conjured by bored gas attendants. But then I saw it again. And again. I finally asked the old lady working at Subway in a small Kansas town, "What's with the spoons on the pens? Is it a Kansas thing?" I thought maybe it was some kind state pride ordeal, a sports team, The Kansas State Spoons. The lady laughed. "No, everybody's doing it," she stated matter-of-factly, "Someone started it a while ago. Now, even Wal-Mart's doing it." Holy shit! Wal-Mart? Where can I buy plastic spoons, I've got a bunch of pens in the truck that haven't been spooned yet. "I think it's so people don't accidently put it in their pocket." Ohhhhhhh. Gotcha.
Special thanks to Tim and Barb from Iowa for helping out a stranded and weary Canadian.
Some shots from the lodge.
posted by James at 7:41 PM
6 Books were burned:
funny, we americans are always complaining about our roads/interstates.
toll roads- ha!
and trust me, if you come down south, most drivers seriously do not know how to merge, or do anything else that would be considered good driving for that matter.
spoons on pens? that's a new one to me. they may have them at wal-mart, but i avoid wal-mart at all costs so i haven't seen them. sounds weird.
enjoyed the pics and glad to see another update.
missing your posts!
It's true. Canadian roads (Western Canadian ones, at least) are crummy. Then there's Manitoba, which doesn't even have a single kilometre of freeway.
Babies
Babies?
I dunno. When are you coming back? Josh and Marcus and I have an apartment on Grant, and we need someone to move in with us.
Uncle Sam wants YOU!
Be home for good probably in Septermber. I'll send you an e-mail.
Throw one on the pile
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