Stereotypes aide this US community is pedestrian-friendly

A Canadian stereotype is that the United States must be worse in almost every way, from health care to guns to crime and, oh, urban car-centric wastelands. A lot of that is true but a lot isn't. I've always been impressed by how SE Michigan is much more advanced than say Windsor-Essex or really anywhere in Canada with its longtime metro parks, huge green spaces featuring trails, picnics, swimming and canoeing - sometimes camping - within Detroit's sprawling suburbs. Or the conversion of rails to trails, light years ahead of home. Or the use of cemeteries as area for people to walk for exercise. And in Florida, pedestrian-centric neighborhoods go the extra mile, so to speak. Here in Indian Rocks Beach on the barrier

island between the Gulf and mainland in the greater Tampa Bay area, pedestrians might not necessarily rule but there are still lots in the way of protecting or giving them courtesy and priority, to an extent I've never seen in Ontario. Start with the pedestrian crossings (photo), which have long been a feature of life here and just emerging now at home, where all a pedestrian has to do is press a button and the lights starts flashing and motorists grind to a halt. Where I am on the beach strip these crossings are spaced every few hundred feet. As well, pedestrians and motorists are told to respect the residents in nearby communities: "Please Keep Noise to a Minimum" with "Quiet Hours" designated overnight. At intervals signs stating "State Law" advises motorists to "Stop for Pedestrians In Crosswalks." Finally, unlike at home where bereaved families of those in fatal accidents build their own roadway memorials, in Florida the state provides signs with the names of those who have died: "Drive Safely - in Memory of ...." 

- Ron Stang, Windsor Ontario Canada, a frequent traveller

Only nine Canuck cars spotted on the drive to Florida

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