Prescott & Ottawa.
Posted by kanderson on Apr 23, 2008
We’re staying just outside Prescott, right against the border. Actually, the kids rented a canoe and boated ON the border. We’re camped RIGHT on the St. Lawrence River, so you can see the US across the river.
Down the road is a Fort, it’s too early in the season, so we aren’t allowed in yet, but it looks interesting enough. (Yes, that’s meant to be a letdown, as much as it was a letdown for us to see it, but to be able to see it. We should still be in the US.)
There was a teeny lighthouse out on a man made rock peninsula. Gina and I walked all the way out. Melanie was too lazy (or was scared of the spiders, not sure which, she’d deny both) and Nicole still wears those useless flipflops that haven’t allowed her to walk anywhere interesting since we started this trip. (And she’s still saying she’ll get a “real” pair of sandals, but she won’t). In their defense, it was pretty boring. I think Gina and I both just like exploring for the sake of exploring, so that was neat. Some of the rocks are big, and occasionally, they move as you walk on them. Gina didn’t like that, so she always wanted me to lead the way. I think it’s scarier for me, realizing that these rocks easily way several hundred pounds, and I’d never be able to move one if it trapped my leg, or Gina’s. So then I thought about the recovery for us, 500 feel out on these stupid rocks, with no real access other than walking out behind, where we had walked. Quickly, I decided that I should think about something else.
Earlier in the day (It’s my story, I’ll screw up the chronology if I so please) I had been looking for a grocery store. Being a guy, I asked directions. Yes, I ask directions. But not always, sometimes I’m stubborn. Not this time. I was hungry, and I needed eggs for breakfast. So I asked. “Take Main street, and turn right just before the bridge. You can’t miss it.”
She was some older lady. I didn’t think she’d lie to me. Apparently she did. So I stopped at a Mac’s store and asked an attendant there. “Yep. Just go up main street, and turn before the bridge.”
“I can’t find main street”. I said.
“Oh, sorry, it isn’t actually called Main. It’s whatever street. (I can’t even remember, mostly because I was trying to decide if I should laugh or cry that this was 2 for 2 people telling me to take a street that doesn’t exist. You know you’re in a small town when…) So anyway, I went up 2 sets of lights. Same street as before. I’ve looked both ways on every street leading up to the bridge. No sign of the “You can’t miss it” store.
I can, and I am…
And, for the record, you friggin’ people are all liars.
At this point, since nobody knows the names of the streets, and the certainly don’t know where the heck this store I can’t miss is, I decide to explore. It’s been an hour, I’m on a 5 minute run to the gas station for eggs (which they DID have, but I opted to pass on, since they were dated for March.) Anyway, I drove up and down every street in town. It’s like Unity, there aren’t many streets, that sounds like there are a lot. There aren’t. It was just as fast as asking another liar^h^h^h^hperson for directions. (Some day, I’ll explain that. For now, just know that it amuses me, and if it amuses you too, you’re one of the cool people.) 10 minuted of driving later, I’ve covered every road. No store.
You people are all liars, I’m crossing the bridge.
Now, I should say, when we were in Fenelon Falls, we were warned, that if you take a wrong turn, you’re going to the US, Like it or not, cause there’s no way to turn around. So I was a bit hesitant to cross the bridge. But I figured, at least the Freakin’ USians would know where they sold eggs.
So I drove to the top of the bridge. Guess what I saw..
Another bridge.
And the turn off to the grocery store.
So here’s the moral. If you tell people not to cross the bridge, they won’t. EVEN IF YOU DON”T TELL THEM THAT IT”S THE SECOND BRIDGE THAT THEY AREN”T SUPPOSED TO CROSS.
Arg…!
I’ll write about Ottawa later. I’m getting all tense writing about this…
Over and out.