Going International

As usual Alan is late getting work wrapped up and we are already a day behind. So instead of getting a whole extra day of TLC, he tends to my basic needs and he and Bev load me up (do they really need that much Dr Mikes hard lemonade and wine?) and away we go. I was hoping to get the “Ride-on” tire treatment before this trip. It is supposed to protect my tires from punctures and keep me on road. I like the concept and hopefully Alan will do the install before our next adventure. Given the short time frame we head straight up Rt.91 towards Rt. 89 and the northern border.
Our first stop is the rest area in Sharon VT. It turns out to also be the location of VT’s Vietnam Memorial. The memorial and all the pictures bring Alan back memories of the sixties, college, joining the National Guard, basic training with the Army, then going back home while most of the others headed to Viet Nam. Had he gone there, we might not be here now.
Amazingly, the facility is "Green" and has a fully recycled ecosystem for waste water and uses geothermal heating that even melts the snow from the walkways! Pretty impressive. In the green house some of the plant leaves are HUGE-they look like man eating plants. I admired the landscaped grounds and building design. Given that many rest areas are being closed for budget reasons these days ( a potential hazard to the health of all travelers including me) this one is all the more impressive. Definitely not your average rest area but worth stopping if you get the chance.
Anyway we escape and keep heading north. Finally we reach the border. Seems pretty sleepy and quiet. We wait for our turn and after a few questions on my papers (Montana plates?) the only issue seems to be having too much wine on board! They want to tax it!!
They pull us out of line and Alan carries the bottles inside the building- but the officer says I am blocking traffic- and tells us to just leave! I certainly hope our southern border is more secure (although we all know it’s not)
We eventually jump off the highway and take Rt 133 a nice meandering two lane up to the outskirts of Montreal. We arrive at the camp grounds just at closing and manage to get settled before dark. Nice open and level spot with full hookups. I will get a few days R&R while Alan and Bev take their friends Bill and Nancy to the F1 race and into Montreal. My jeep buddy gets to do the city commuting while I hang out here and enjoy the admiring glances of the Canadians that have never seen such a unique specimen of a Motor Coach!