newstalk

And then it started to rain.

We drove west on Highway 2 through the eastern shore of the U.P. along Lake Michigan, Cynthia at the wheel, myself riding shotgun. The sun shone brightly and we drove with the windows cracked. There were clouds far on the horizon, but here the day promised to be beautiful. We were both exhausted, feeling greasy and grimy and disheveled from our travels. That morning, we had brushed our teeth in a gas station after spending the night sleeping fitfully in Cynthia’s Subaru in the Wal-Mart parking lot of Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario, our destination after two days of unhurried driving from Chicago. Now, all we could think about was the cool water of Lake Michigan and a few hours resting in the sun.

Canada wasn’t the original plan. It all started when a mutual friend, Whitney, wanted to go up to HoneyRock to visit her fiance, Gustave. She didn’t want to drive up alone, so she asked me to come, since she knew I rarely pass up a chance to visit the Rock. Cynthia, her house-mate and my co-worker at CPO, got wind of the plot and threatened to blackmail us unless we let her come too. It probably wasn’t until we past Madison that the Northern Neighbor came up in conversation.

Funny how we fall into various adventures. I didn’t really know Cynthia all that well, an acquaintance from English classes and church. Neither one of us were all that likely by ourselves to go off on a whim to Canada. But now, given the opportunity of a Memorial Day weekend, half the distance already traveled, we egged each other on until Ontario seemed not merely attainable, but inevitable.

We took our time, enjoying the journey. I drank unhealthy amounts of gas station coffee. We stopped in Eagle River to buy peanut butter and jelly for the bread we had, and ended up with an early lunch of fresh-grilled bratwurst (a Memorial Day tradition in Wisconsin). We stopped in Marquette to sit on the shore of the harbor to Superior and rest from driving and talk. We debated about how to pronounce “Sault Sainte Marie”. Finally, we crossed the border, where we asked. The border guard told us “Soo”, and thanked us for asking because most of the other tourists just butcher it over and over. Exhausted, we wandered around the waterfront, enjoying the simple fact of being in a foreign country. We talked about where we might be able to spend the night, then trudged back to the car with nothing decided. To get our spirits up, we ate peanut butter and jelly with the doors open and the radio tuned to Prairie Home Companion.

Now, with Canada conquered and just as quickly quitted, we decided we should buy some sunscreen at the first opportunity, then hit the next beach we saw. Miles of beautiful, sunny, sandy beaches we passed by until we finally found a Live Bait, Tackle, Liquor, Jerky, Gas and Grocery store. We went in, Cynthia bought some jerky and I some sunscreen. We climbed into the car and got back on the highway.

“Wait, where did those clouds come from?” one of us asked. Without realizing it, we had been driving into an endless bank of storm-clouds which had now advanced upon our position while we had been occupied in the store. “Maybe we’ll find a clear spot further up.” We drove on.

Then it began to rain, and the tension that had been building broke, and we laughed, because, what else can you do? We stopped on the side of the highway and switched seats–Cynthia looked absolutely beat. I drove while she napped, and eventually we found a spot of sun and got a quick swim in the lake, and all was again right with the world. We made it back to HoneyRock, got a good night’s rest, then headed south again with Whitney.

I’m still tired, actually, and my shoulders are sore from sitting and driving for four days, but I’m a little more tan and my step has little more spring in it. I went to Canada this weekend with a friend, and that seems to have made all the difference.

Possibly related:

Share this:

Like what you see?

Don't forget to subscribe via RSS or email to receive updates when I post new material. Thanks!

On May 31st, 2005, this was the truth (Tags: Canada, Chicago, Eagle River, endless bank, gas station, gas station coffee, Grocery store, Gustave, Highway 2, Lake Michigan, Memorial Day, Michigan, Ontario, Sault Sainte Marie, Wal-Mart, Whitney, Wisconsin) | | Subscribe to comments | Both comments and pings are currently closed

And then it started to rain.

One Response to “And then it started to rain.”

subscribe

eykd.net

newstalk

categories

now reading

Planned:

Current:

Recent:

oldspeak