I spotted nine Canadian vehicles on the road (
I-75) -
1939 km or 1,205 miles - last week driving from
Detroit to Indian Rocks Beach (St. Pete) Florida. Okay, I saw two or three after arriving too. But the dearth of Canadian cars was quite noticeable as I've done this trip many times and Ontario license plates are sometimes as numerous as their counterparts across the river in Michigan, also a major tourist draw for the
Tampa Bay area. So I guess the boycott is working. I stop overnight in
Macon GA and the hotel clerk is puzzled he hasn't seen more Canucks. I explain. "The 51st state?" he laughs. "And don't you think the Canadians would have to approve that first?" ..... Prior to departure and to indicate I was staying more than 30 days I had to fill out a
G-325R form (free) online at the US Immigration website (there's also the
I-94 form for which you have to pay $30; I'm not sure the diff), which was approved almost immediately but which I had to get the
Canadian Snowbirds Assoc (an organization really on top of all the current complexities about travelling to the US, questions which abound on
Facebook travel sites) to interpret, so loaded was it with bureaucratize. Upon crossing over the
Ambassador Bridge last Monday the officers in both the primary booth and secondary office (yes, I got pulled over), hardly looked at it. They just wanted to know how long I was going for (46 nights in Fla) proof of my domicile here and how I supported myself. ..... When I've done this trip in the past I've just "winged it" and haven't reserved a motel room in advance for the one overnight stay between Windsor and Florida. But this year, just to make sure I had all my T's crossed, I booked a motel in Macon, my usual stopping point. Customs never asked. But I'm glad I did. Because the
Super 8 was the cheapest. Had I just opted for the first or second motel I came across - as in past years - I may have paid substantially more. And surprisingly this "low end" chain had refurbished suites, a king size bed, fridge, microwave, modern wingchair and a nice clean cafe for continental breakfast. Not just that, but the night manager, Michael, was a delight. We ended up talking about this that and the other thing for a good 40 minutes. I usually stay at a motel on Riverside Dr. adjacent to I-75 and just down the road from
Rose Hill Cemetery, where several of the
Allman Brothers band members are buried, Macon being the iconic home to the band and where exists a museum devoted to them. ..... The worst part of the drive?
Atlanta at night, with multiple lanes buzzing bumper to bumper at 70 mph and lunatics changing lanes without signaling, so bad I saw one car pushed on to the shoulder when another edged into their lane. ..... Yes, I guess I'm a
"snowbird" though I hate the term. Interestingly a few weeks ago I read a FB post asking what Floridians hated most about their state. Other than hot and humid summers "snowbirds" was right up there though there wasn't much explanation why. So, Welcome to the Sunshine State - it's warm, the beaches are great, and everyone you pass on the sidewalk says hello.
- Ron Stang, Windsor Ontario Canada, a frequent traveller
