We started from Mt. Pleasant, MI and hit the road. Axel and Uschi, in the lead 2CV, set quite a pace, explained later by Uschi that they had the wrong time zone in their GPS so it showed we were to arrive much later than we did and Axel was trying to make time.
Also took an ad-libbed ride off the highway on local roads rather than follow it the long way around to Port Huron, which was shorter, but slower and nicer too.
Going through Canadian Customs at Port Huron was only a bother in that the line was so backed up that we were on the top of the bridge leading to customs idling and basically coasted down to go through it.
Single lane file on the Blue Water Bridge at Port Huron, MI – going into Canada.
Uschi’s car didn’t like the long idle and the coil got hot. By the time she reached the booth, her car stopped running. No big deal, she just hopped out and changed the coil. It still wouldn’t start so we pushed it to the side and Axel found the problem, a loose wire, and off we went.
Not much to say about the rest of the trip. Highway 402 goes through farmland and as we got further east there was more urban and less suburban scenery. We could have been on almost any highway in the US.
We followed the QEW towards Niagara Falls and jumped off at exit 12 ending up hot and tired at Riverside Park which is beautifully sited right on the river, west of the Falls.
After checking in and setting up camp (Willa sent up our tent single handed) we discovered the pool…changed into our suits and jumped in. Water was early season cold, no heater here, but so refreshing.
Renewed we made dinner and then drove to the Falls, Uschi and Axel joining Willa and me in Marcel and Walli and Kiki in other car leaving Axel’s car and trailer at the park.
I haven’t been here for a while and it seemed way more built up and commercialized now. Still the Falls are magnificent and the lights on them were lovely. At 10pm they started the nightly fireworks display and by 10:20pm we were back in the cars returning to camp.
Willa lit our campfire and we all sat around and relaxed and talked until the fire burned down and we all turned in.
Slept like the dead until the birds started up around 5am, but went back to sleep, until the rain started and ended…back to sleep and the rain started again, so I got up and put some things away.
Plan is to return to see the Falls in the daylight, maybe ride the Maid of the Mist and then head for Toronto to visit with some 2CV friends of Axel’s and Uschi’s there. After a sightseeing day in Toronto, we will join up with a Canadian 2CV group to drive south into NY and head for Rendezvous 2017!
[Read the story about the complete trip here.]