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So, we pulled up to the Canada / USA border at the Thousand Islands crossing point. Four different armed US Customs personnel sized us up as we approached the border, and the last one of them directed us into a specific line for further inspection and questioning.

Oh shit... here we go.

The officer that handled us there did a great job though, first making sure that I was not holding Big Al and The Microbe against their wills. Then he asked us a series of questions and checked out our documents. He grilled us pretty hard, but after he ran a quick background check on me he softened up on us, exchanged pleasantries with the girls, and welcomed us to the United States of America. I thanked him for checking us out, and he said "hey, it's my job".

So, here we finally were - in upper NY State, blowin' down I-81... and such a beautiful run through the state, winding our way through the "Endless Mountains", into New Jersey which is also spectacular (of course I checked every UPS van we saw, looking for Bob Keelan!)

By the time we reached the NYC environs it was dark, so we grabbed a hotel in the Meadowlands in NJ, and at about 11:30 after a little rest, the girls and I hopped into the car, headed for the Lincoln Tunnel and drove into Manhattan. Six bucks and we're in.

Wow... the tunnel spits us out onto 42nd Street. What a light show! We're in a river of yellow cabs, being pulled down the 42nd Street current. We're loving it. I'm in my element, being an ex-courier vet myself (in Toronto years ago). It's like playing bumper cars without actually making contact.

A couple of blocks down the girls squeal out "it's Times Square!" Holy shit, the light show just has just intensified 10 times over. We can't turn left into it though, get screwed by the oneway street grid, get lost, somehow find the tunnel back to NJ. I decide I'd best study the Manhattan maps we found at the NY State Welcome Center.

Wednesday morning we bus into Manhattan. We walk for hours, and decide it will take at least a month just to get familiar with the neighbourhood. We only have two days though, because we've decided to move on to Boston...

...and we do the whirlwind tour of Beantown. Boston Common, The Freedom Trail, the Skywalk. I get to drive through the fruits of The Big Dig. What an amazing project.

This morning we left Boston and headed up through New Hampshire and Vermont. Breathtaking drive through The White Mountains, up back into Canada with a stopover in Montreal this afternoon, where the main drag Rue Sainte Catherine is alive with musicians, artists, vendors, magicians... 2 1/2 km of Quebecois partying. What great fortune to pull into town today of all days.

5 hours more driving and here we are home safe and sound. I'm tired and burnt out but I will give you more impressions once I get my senses back.

i missed you all again!

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live for today

Sounds like an amazing trip!
See ya Soon!
DJ Bud
(Not looking forward to crossing the border )

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Now Playing:
https://soundcloud.com/cowboys-of-scotland

Coming Soon:
Roy Batty and the Combat Models

Awesome Ricky. Glad ya had fun. I'm probably the only U.S. Citizen that's never been to NYC. Did ya manage to hit any music stores there? I spent a day in Boston once - very cool city. Vermont and New Hampshire - beautiful indeed!

jonny

Hey thanks, boys

DJ, let's PM if you're coming up for the CNE shows.

JM, ya gotta go to NYC, it's wicked! (My girls patiently sat by as I checked out Guitar Center in Manhattan... it's okay, but it's no Steve's or L&M... far too corporate chainey for me, and the tagged prices are no better than up here given the exchange rate)

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live for today

Glad to hear you had a good time bro. Also glad to hear you made it safe and sound. Well, safe anyway, I have no idea what they mean by sound! [/i]

Thanks Sir Dave, it's good to see you again, my friend.

It wasn't all fun though.

We asked a cabbie to take us down to the Statue of Liberty. He took us past Ground Zero on the way down.

He's from Ghana. He came to the USA to study accounting.

He became an accountant and got a job in the financial district.

He saw the twin towers go down on 9/11 from his office two blocks away.

He said that he thinks about it every day.

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live for today

Never been to New York. I can only imagine the feelings that one would have at seeing ground zero. I'm waiting for DJ to invite me for a stay.

Yah man. Nothing like a road trip during the summertime. So much to see. I'm glad you had a good time. And it's always nice to be back home. There's something about being away for a little while that makes home look even better.

Sounds like a fine trip Ricky. Your boarder crossing reminded me of my first Canadian boarder crossing back in 1976. I pulled up in my volkswagon bus loaded with surfboards, guitar and my best friend, Khalua the dog. I got the full treatment from the Canadians. I finally realized that an old volkswagon bus coming from California meant, "hippy wagon full of drugs". After an hour of pulling everything out of the van and searching it on the ground they started tapping on my surfboards. Of course they sounded hollow here and there where the fiberglass had delaminated. They weren't buying my story that I had just been surfing out on the tip of long island in the snow and ice either. The only thing that saved my boards from the hatched was my photo album with pictures of me surfing frozen slush. Anyway they turned me away in tears since I only had twenty dollars in my pocket (what was I thinking?) and left me to reload the van. It had been a positive experiance though, as I was wiping away the tears with beautiful Canada receeding in the mirror, I finally realized, "You can't always get what you want..."

SirN said:

I have an opening when hell freezes over...
Why do you always have to start with me?
Go Away, Please...
DJ Bud

_________________
Now Playing:
https://soundcloud.com/cowboys-of-scotland

Coming Soon:
Roy Batty and the Combat Models

Refresh my memory:

What was that saying about "getting a long island tea" again, fellas?

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live for today

Very nicely said Ricky! That says it all!!!!!!!!!!!!!