Our September marked another change in our lives. Similar to last year, where we wound down life in Manitoba and prepared for a big move, the same thing has taken place in Nova Scotia. Both of us have been so grateful for this home over the past year, but at the end of the day, you just can’t replace the roots both of us have laid down in Winnipeg.
(Left – Right) One of our last evenings in Halifax spent on Citadel Hill. Amy was greeted by a new friend on our last walk to church. We had a farewell party with the wonderful friends we made at our church – so grateful for each of them!
That’s not to say the whole month was dedicated to packing. We still got out to check some last minute activities off our list, like going to the nearby rock-climbing gym, and doing some posing in front of a graffiti wall. To wrap up our last Sunday with our church friends, Amy and I decided to send out an open invitation to the congregation. We had around 20 people over in our little apartment and got to connect one last time before departing from Halifax.
(Left) Fun Fact: 4 out of 5 people in this photo are from Manitoba.
Our experience packing the car was about the same as the first move. Both of us were overly ambitious with how much stuff we could pack and wound up having to leave a number of things behind. This time, there wasn’t a friends basement that we could stow our belongings in, so there was a lot of last minute Facebook Marketplace postings done on the day of our move. (Hopefully someone found that bag of clothes behind our garbage cans!)
Lucy (the car) loaded to the brim with all our belongings!
On the day of our departure, it was cold and wet, with the rain giving us a proper maritime send-off. It was a busy day of packing our car completely full, and after it was all complete, we got a little distance between us and Halifax. We drove to Fredericton through the afternoon and early evening, only stopping in Moncton for a quick bite before continuing our journey. The plan was to get to Toronto by Sunday night, where we were going to stop for a few days so the two of us could get some work done. It was going to be a long couple of days ahead of us.
Amy wanted a picture with this sign.
The hotel in Fredericton was nothing special, and as soon as we were awake Saturday morning, we got on the road. Traveling through New Brunswick was gorgeous with the mountains surrounding us on each side. It was an easy drive, and we were making good time to be in Montreal by 2:30PM. We pulled into a rest stop approximately halfway between Quebec City and Montreal to have a quick picnic lunch before continuing the final stretch for the day, but we only wound up driving for about ten minutes. While on the highway, we all of a sudden heard a loud hiss from the back of the car, and what felt like a gust of wind pushing the car to the shoulder. One of our rear tires had given out, leaving us stranded on the side of the Trans-Canada Highway. Thankfully, we could call CAA to tow us into Montreal, but it was a long afternoon of sitting around watching the cars pass by us.
Our flat tire on the side of the highway en-route to Montreal.
When a tow truck driver arrived, he of course could only speak French, so we had a quiet 2-hour drive into the city. Amy’s work colleague just so happened to live close to the garage where we had dropped to car off and offered to give us a ride to our hotel. All things considered we were thankful to have a break down where we did. The tow to Montreal was covered with our CAA membership, and there was ample cell service to make the call. The garage was even able to get our car in first thing the following morning and we would still be able to make it into Toronto by Sunday evening.
After a brunch with Amy’s colleague the following day, the car was ready to be picked up and we were on the road to Toronto. The drive was uneventful. No flat tires, and just quick pit stops off the 401 for snacks and fuel. What a boring drive though! From Montreal to Toronto, you essentially drive in a straight line and just have the trees and shrubbery that dot the side of the highway for scenery. This is also one of the busiest highways in Canada and we needed to weave in and out traffic for the entire trip. All that to say, we were exhausted when we finally arrived in downtown Toronto (conveniently as a Blue Jays game ended, causing gridlock).
Amy’s colleague, Josée, who kindly picked us up in Montreal and even took us for brunch the next morning! (She gave us a sweet gift to help spread “good vibes” for the rest of the trip, too.)
The car was parked underground, earning a much-needed rest from the weekend, and we got checked into our hotel. Thanks to Amy’s corporate discount, the hotel staff treated us very well and gave us a corner suite on the 23rd floor, overlooking Lake Ontario. They must have not seen our car, and assumed we were somebody important.
For the four days we were in Toronto, not much happened. Amy got to work at the head office and caught up with her colleagues, and I set myself up in the hotel room at the desk they provided. There were plans to get out with colleagues after work, but I came down with a nasty cold and was isolated to the hotel room for the better part of two days. On Thursday afternoon, I was relieved to say goodbye to the ‘Centre of the Universe’ and continue our journey west.
There was a quick stop in London, Ontario for night before continuing our journey to the USA. Our entry point was in Detroit and did our best to get through the city as fast as possible. We experienced the great states of Michigan and Indiana along the interstate before stopping in ‘The Windy City’, Chicago. Thanks to gaining an hour back from time change, we got the car parked and ourselves checked into the hotel room early in the day and had ample time to explore the city.
Our hotel was right by the river in the heart of downtown, and we found our way onto the boardwalk jogging towards Lake Michigan. It was a beautiful day for early October and the Pier was bustling with activity. It was tough to decide on what to eat for supper, with so many famous restaurants nearby, but we ultimately decided on deep dish pizza at Giordano’s. After managing to finish our pizza, we continue to tour downtown as the sunset and the city lights came alive.
We enjoyed the river walk the most in Chicago. Spent some time exploring on foot during the day and evening.
The following morning, we got out for an early morning walk to find some coffee and take a bit more of the city in before continuing on the road. Both of us were disappointed to leave Chicago so soon, and we agreed that there will be another trip in our future to give the city a proper tour.
Our destination on Saturday was Wisconsin Dell’s, but first there was a stop in Madison for a college football game. Unfortunately, we spent a little too much time in Chicago and arrived at the game half an hour after kick-off. We drove around every parking lot near the stadium and all of them had the same ‘Lot Full’ sign lit up. Eventually, both of us were exhausted from driving aimlessly in hopes of finding a spot to park the car and abandoned the prospect of attending the game. We had a quick stop for lunch and walked around some markets in front of the Capitol building of Wisconsin before getting back onto the highway and continuing towards our next stop for the day.
Our hotel for the next two nights was located in Wisconsin Dells, which also happens to be the Waterpark Capital of America. I picked the same resort that my family visited a couple of times as a vacation spot when I was younger. It’s a massive property that is outfitted with three indoor waterparks. As we climbed the stairs to our floor, we were met with the sight of young screaming children accompanied with their parents as they wandered between waterparks. The wholesome memories of my childhood had lost a bit of their lustre as reality began to settle in. My best description of the resort is a casino for children. The waterparks are complimentary with your hotel stay, but between each park is a litany of arcade games, candy, and activities that are not included in your stay. Children are drawn towards the over stimuli leading to a tantrum and the parents finally relent shelling out additional cash for the overpriced distraction in hopes of any semblance of peace.
Amy wasn’t too sure about the waterpark.
The waterparks had not changed much since I was last here, and while they still provided a thrill, being thirty years meant we grew tired of the attractions faster than I remembered. On Sunday we spent the morning checking out the nearby state park, Devil’s Lake. There was a hike to the famous Balancing Rock that took us along the lake side and up the granite cliffs. After see the rock, we scaled down to the train tracks below, which seemed to be the return route of choice for most hikers at the park. On the way back to Wisconsin Dells there was a good local restaurant that we stopped in at and gave us a break from the fast food and gas station snacks we had endured for most of the trip.
Our hike along Devil’s Lake. The views were unreal!
Monday was a shorter drive to Minneapolis and we took our time checking out of the hotel. There was a local coffee shop in town along the river, that we got to sit at before hitting the road. Just like on our way to Halifax we took the opportunity to meet up with Amy’s relatives Kim and Andrew. They graciously opened their house to us and it felt so nice to have a home cooked meal at the tail end of our trip.
Our last night was spent with Amy’s family, (left to right) Grant, Auntie Kim and Uncle Andrew.
The following morning came early and both Amy and I were awake sooner than expected. We decided to take advantage of the empty roads before rush hour would hit and we were, finally, on route to Winnipeg. The drive through Minnesota was a fairly dull. It was dark and there was only farmer’s fields on both sides of us to look at. This is how I’ve always remembered this drive growing up, but when we got to Fargo and turned North onto the I29, something clicked about the scenery that never happened for either of us. After being away from the prairies for so long, seeing that big blue sky with nothing obstructing it again was breath taking. It’s amazing how much we take for granted the beauty of nature when we are surrounded by it all the time.
We safely crossed the border and got Lucy home – all belongings still onboard!
Aside from a brief stop in Grand Forks for lunch at Culver’s, we stayed on the road until we arrived in Winnipeg. It was only mid-afternoon and we were unloading our boxes into the same condo we left exactly one year ago. There was still the usual sound of small children screaming that we did not miss while we were away, and both of us agreed that we would be moving, soon. This time our move wouldn’t be across the country though. Winnipeg is our home, and our next journey will be finding a new home we can settle in.
This year was everything we had hoped it would be. We’re so happy you came along with us on our adventure!
Lots of love,
J&A
J & A's Adventure 
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