Heading Home

All too soon my Northern exeat was over and I headed back across the bridge to the U.S., where I was given the third degree at the border by an overzealous border guard. "Why were you in Africa?" he asked. "For the hunting, officer." (I wish) But no matter, one truck search over and I was on my way. 

I want this building in Windsor

I stopped outside of Nashville, again, because I'm a traditionalist and I like El Jardin's Mexican food and frozen maragaritas. The next day I drove through to Dallas, stopping at Texarkana to gas up and get a hamburger. Some guy in a fishing shirt wandered over to a Yukon that was waiting in the drive-through line and started swearing at the driver, who looked understandably scared. I watched this from the comparative safety of the side of my pickup, waiting for the shot, but there wasn't one. A vicious little scene inside the Texarkana goldmine.

A Hippy.

An hour or two later Dallas rose out of the heat haze as the traffic roared into town from Rockwall. One day, I suppose, it'll be a ruin and, or, a very large mound, but for now the city prospers. It has few hippies, unlike Austin, where they're a menace.

Good to be back in Texas and, of course, the South.

LSP

Bank Fishing the Detroit River and Lake Erie

Some people might argue that there isn't a lot to do in Windsor, Ontario, but they'd be wrong. You can go fishing on the Detroit river. Not having access to a boat - sort it out - I resorted to bank fishing. There's ready access to the river by the Ambassador Bridge and Langlois and Riverside, which is where I went.

Matty Moroun

I found the Bridge best, with lots of fish breaking the surface and one toxic looking catfish(?) following my 10" red plastic worm into the bank, only to sniff at it lazily and drift away. So, long story short, I didn't catch anything but had fun trying. 

"I just throw everything I've got in, eh."

Perhaps I was using the wrong lures and bait; word to the wise, there's plenty of minnows schooling by the bank so it's probably a good idea to take a bait net and use those. Next time. Regardless, it was neat to gaze out across the water at the seemingly normal face of Detroit but no foolin', it's a jungle out there.

Erieau Beach

Made it out to Erieau beach too and took the young 'uns for a bit of rod & reel fun on the promontory leading to the "light house". A beautiful, uncrowded beach, not dissimilar to Rehoboth but without the boardwalk, buildings, crowds and marauding gangs of tackheads that make the commercial Atlantic coast a misery. Well done Canada, you haven't wrecked Erieau.

Catch Some Fish! Or Try...

Annoyingly, the promontory was being over fished by the Japanese, who had a weird monopoly on the place. They trolled away and caught the occasional small mouth Bass, which they put in plastic buckets. Still, we cast away and got a few bites but no strikes. As with the Detroit river, fun trying.

It's not over, fish. (Spot the derelict train station)

Fish, you won this time. Don't get complacent.

Cheers,

LSP

Road Trip, Dallas to Detroit and Windsor

Sometimes, in the summer, I head North to visit family and friends in Windsor and Detroit. I drove this time, via Memphis, Nashville and Cincinnati. Why? Because I wanted to see Kentucky and Tennessee, even if it was just from the road, and I liked the idea of the drive. "Get out and see something of America!" I thought, adventurously.

I like Tennessee

There was ferocious rain from Little Rock onwards, which forced me to stop at Kingston Springs, just outside of Nashville. Big relief to get off of the zero-viz highway and into the strangely good El Jardin Mexican restaurant. Tasty, cheap, fresh food and frozen margaritas that went down just right.

Cincinnati

The next day it was on to Cincinnati, Dayton, Toledo and Detroit. I always enjoy the last stretch of the drive. As you leave the well put together, speed-limit-abiding Ohio highway and get onto I75, the road becomes a pot-holed Mad Max slalom. Flak jacket on, you're getting close to the Motor(way) City.

O Canada!

I took the Ambassador Bridge into Windsor.

It was good to be back in Canada.

Cheers,

LSP