How about this one, Dad?

Taken from where we had lunch.

That's the coast of Ontario with the windmills.

Cornwall, I think.

This is the kind of boat that has a butler.

And t.v.'s. And a bar.

Will this do?

For Dad....

and others.


But seriously.

It's a Harbour.

Sacket's Harbour.




A marina.






Lots of boats.






Wh0 likes boats?



Who does?

My Dad.











Okay.




Now that we've established that
here we go.





Sacket's Harbour, NY.







Flags everywhere.

The Marina.


Which do you like, Dad?

More boats.

But with blossoms in front!!

Much more interesting.

You see they all have sails?

As in, sailboats?

There's lots to choose from.

This was some part of the war of 1812 memorial.


You know, when we burned the Whitehouse down.


It has been updated to a "visitors center".

The Lalu.

Water.

The Bandstand.

Donna stole the flag....

Then, like the good friend I am, I reminded her that the Americans take the flag very seriously, and there was probably some Stste Trooper wiating to take her into custody.


So, she put it back.


What she would do without me, I don't know.




Be arrested, probably.

Sacket's Harbour is on the coast of Lake Ontario.

And also on the flight path to and from Fort Hood.




Lot's, and LOT'S of these things flying back and forth.

Ahhhh.


America.

Tomorrow.....
a boat for my Dad.....
for sale in Sacket's Harbour.



And, the rest of the War of 1812 memorial.



You know....




When we, Canadians,
burned the White House down.

Drivin'

We did a lot.




Just cruising around, visiting all the small towns,
sunroof open, windows down, tunes on the radio.



I like driving around.



Really I do.



I like driving on the 401.



I always thought I could be a trucker.



Long haul.





But driving in a truck is different than rocking it in a car,
or van, as the case may be.



This trip, however,
nobody seemed to know the rules of the 401.



You know,
if you are driving in the very left lane,
and someone comes up so close they can see what radio station you're listening to,
you maybe should move over.



Not this trip.



I can not tell you how many vehicles I passed by going into the VERY far right lane.



People would just toot along in the left lane, going 100.

Which, yes, is the speed limit.


But only losers drive the speed limit on the 401....



And that causes a lot of "weaving."


I hate weaving.


But I also hate going 100 on the 401.


So I weaved.



And I rocked the weaving.




Other drivers would try it, and get stuck.

In their little sport cars.



Not me, man.


I would weave, and weave,
and always made it back, and kept my speed.



Which was fast.




I shoulda been driving a mustang, instead of a Dodge Caravan.




Oh well.




I'm a rockstar, even in my Caravan.

The driver

Rockin' out.

Self portrait.
Wind making my hair crazy.

My driving position...

This was a playhouse.

A giant ship.


Way cool.

Driving around New York.

The Tattoo?



Yes.


It's mine.




And it's "Heather"


You know.


The Scottish weed?



Not some other Weed.



Which it may look like.



It's not.








That is all.

Plates

I'm weird.


Yes, I know.



Shocking.










I like license plates.



I crane my neck to see where it's from if I notice a different one.



It brings up a lot of questions.


"Where are they from?"

That one's answered.



But then,

"Where are they going?"

"What brought them here, to wherever it is I am?"

"Is it a work trip, or a play trip?"

"Are they happy about going?"

"What is it like where they live?"

"Do they like it here?"

And so on, and so forth.

And you can imagine all kinds of scenarios,
just from that one second glimpse.





Now, in Watertown there was a LOT of different lisence plates.


I don't know if it's like this all the way through the States,
or whether it's just because it's a military town, and these are enlisted men's plates.



Where I live, I only EVER see Ontario plates.


Maybe 'cause the provinces are huge?


Don't know.





Anyway.



Here is a sampling of the different plates I saw.



Yes, I took pictures.



I don't think it's breaking any laws,
because the plates are visible to everyone.


But still...
to get the pictures I lurked.

And was very sneaky.

007-ish.



Didn't want to get in a fight with someone because I was photographing thier lisence plates.



People saw, and gave me strange looks....
but no owners of the car in question.



Okay.



On with the show!

Michigan

Connecticut

Ooooooh. Government!!

Illinois

Alabama

South Carolina

North Carolina

New Joisey

Vermont

Florida.
Do you know each county in Florida has a different plate?

Mississippi

California

Georgia

New Yahk State Trooper

Normal New York

Aaaaaand....

A very dorky picture of me.
On a cannon.

More to c0me.

New Yahk.

Was the site of our next adventure.

We had fun.




We always have fun.





Destination?



Watertown, New York.



Very close to Fort Hood,
which is the largest Military Base in America.



Or so I was told.

My best friend.

One thing I noticed that was different,
among many things,

was the fact that every single little town flew an American Flag.


Well, not one flag.


Many.


Like, on every other telephone pole.

These next pictures are from Sackets Harbour.


We went to check it out,
and had lunch on the patio of "Tin Pan Galley."

A beautiful restaraunt.


Sackets Harbour is on the coast of Lake Ontario.


It has a giant War of 1812 memorial.



That's another thing that's different.


American's have memorials of war.

We don't.


It was a huge Heritage park,
devoted to The War of 1812.


When we burned the White House down.

And no.



The Americans don't admit it.




Anyway,
back to where I was.

Tin Pan Galley was gorgeous.

Donna at the entry way.

The guy from Labatts offered to take our picture.
He was there fixing the draft pumps.

The outdorr bar area

Waiting for our lunch

Another shot of the bar area

It was a beautiful place to eat

Iron and brick.
And plants and trees.

My favourite stuff in the whole wide world.


It was probably the best place I have ever eaten.

A fountain

There may have been wine......

And guess what?



Our waitress had celiac disease.


You know what that means?



It means she understood!!!!


And could tell me exactly what I could have.



So nice.


She recommended this.

This gorgeous piece of food with which to stuff my face.


Seared Tuna, (which was the best thing I've ever tasted!)
with sauteed vegetables on a bed of rice noodles, with wasabi cream to dip.



Delicious.

And Donna got a Turkey Reuben, with the house Pasta Salad.


Looked delicious!

So, if you every visit Sackets Harbour NY,
go eat at Tin Pan Galley.





You won't regret it.