August 11 - International Roads Meet (Sarnia, ON & Port Huron, MI)

[brianreynolds]

I am almost certain to be there for the US part. 

I haven't the necessary documents to re-enter.

Even if I did, I would miss the Canada segment.

I must be back in Hastings by 6PM for a social function.

I'm aiming to be in the Quay Street parking lot by 11 AM or so.

--
Brian Reynolds
Hastings Michigan

[Brandon]

I am almost certain to be there for the US part. 

I haven't the necessary documents to re-enter.

Even if I did, I would miss the Canada segment.

I must be back in Hastings by 6PM for a social function.

I'm aiming to be in the Quay Street parking lot by 11 AM or so.

--
Brian Reynolds
Hastings Michigan

Actually, since you have a Michigan Driver's License, you do have the necessary documents as that is an enhanced driver's license.  I believe the Illinois one is as well, IIRC.

[vdeane]

Michigan and Illinois only offer enhanced licenses?  In NY, you have to pay extra and show two proofs of residency (and citizenship, though that's required when first getting a licence but not renewal).

[A.J. Bertin]

Actually, since you have a Michigan Driver's License, you do have the necessary documents as that is an enhanced driver's license.  I believe the Illinois one is as well, IIRC.

Is this correct? I actually think that, in Michigan, having a regular driver's license is not enough. You have to apply separately for an enhanced driver's license, unless something changed in the past couple years.

I guess I'll find out soon enough because my license is up for renewal by September 1. I don't have an enhanced driver's license now, so I will of course be using my passport this weekend.

[rawmustard]

Michigan offers an enhanced license, but it isn't the default. I applied for one when they came out since my license was up for renewal that year anyway and I wasn't planning any trips which require a full-fledged passport. If you already have a valid passport or passport card, getting an enhanced license would be superfluous (although those documents are sufficient to prove citizenship if applying for one).

[cbeach40]

Another advantage is with an enhanced license is the convenience of not having to worry about remembering your passport, or having an extra thing to carry around with you when you're away.
My Nexus card stays with me whenever I'm out and about, and there have been plenty of times where I have made an impromptu trip across the border that I wouldn't have been able to otherwise.


But yes, a reminder again to everyone, bring whatever appropriate documentation you have if you're planning on traversing the border tomorrow!

[vdeane]

I got an enhanced licence even though I have a passport; I have my reasons for that (which Canadians in my situation are even more conscious of, as it's one of the only areas where the US is more liberal than Canada, at least right now).

[Roadgeek Adam]

This is my group photo (one of 4 taken).

From left to right: Adrian Leskiw (MI), Brian Rawson-Ketchum (MI), AJ Bertin (MI), Sam Scholtens (MI), Brian Reynolds (MI), Chris Beach (ON), Howard Goldman (MI-holding the Send Help sign), Dan Garnell (MI), Carl Tessier (QC), Brandon Gorte (IL), Adam Moss (myself, NJ).

[Brandon]

My group photos, one taken at the same place as Adam's.



And then, across the river.



Just for fun, Dan Garnell showing us the ever-so-rare "BEGIN" sign.



And remember, if you drive...

[Duke87]

Did you guys actually end up crossing the border together piled into a few cars? How'd that work out?

[vdeane]

I'm curious about how you decided to explain a road meet tour to customs as well.  Should be interesting.

The one time we did a multi-car trip to Canada for an Honors trip the lead car just mentioned that there were multiple cars.  The rest of us just got "where do you all live" "where are you going" "how long will you be in Canada" and "are you with the other car".

[Brandon]

Did you guys actually end up crossing the border together piled into a few cars? How'd that work out?

Sam and I carpooled as we were returning to Michigan that day.  We split the toll as the bridge is tolled each way (no EZ-Pass).  AJ and Brian (R-K) went together as they were spending more time in Ontario.  Chris, Adrian, and Carl each went over separately.  Carl apparently had a bit of fun with the Canadian border guard by using French.    They're supposed to be bilingual in some lanes.

[Brandon]

I'm curious about how you decided to explain a road meet tour to customs as well.  Should be interesting.

The one time we did a multi-car trip to Canada for an Honors trip the lead car just mentioned that there were multiple cars.  The rest of us just got "where do you all live" "where are you going" "how long will you be in Canada" and "are you with the other car".

Sam and I got asked where we were from, where we were going, how long were going to stay, and who we were seeing in Canada.  No questions about firearms, oddly enough.  Into the US, we got asked where we were from, how we knew each other, if we bought anything, how long we stayed, and she went a bit more in depth on me.  She asked if the car was mine (yes), and why a person from Illinois would drive all that way to spend a day in Sarnia.  She asked what time I left (5:30 central), and seemed not to understand that one would drive to the far side of Michigan for the day (something I've done very often to see family for visit places like Greenfield Village).

[cbeach40]

I had the Nexus lane, so cheating a bit.

"What were you there for?"
"Lunch with friends"
"Bringing anything back?"
"Nope"
"Go ahead"

[rawmustard]

For A.J. and me, the Canadian Customs officer asked where we were from, where we were going, how we knew everyone else (which A.J. answered well), if we had firearms, and then she sent us on our way. Coming back the next day, the U.S. officer asked where we were from, what we did while in Canada, how long we were there (at that point pretty close to 24 hours), if we bought anything, and then sent us on our way.

As for the trip itself, it went very well. After the meet, we did a Highway 40 clinch. The interesting thing to note about that was between Wallaceburg and Chatham there were several bridge reconstructions with temporary signals. If there was a private driveway close enough, that approach got signal faces with a NO RIGHT TURN ON RED symbol sign (hence my tweet about feeling a little sorry for those residents). That made me wonder whether those residents were forced to pay for their approaches of the signals by the MTO. (In Michigan, signals are typically paid for in this fashion.)

The next morning, A.J. and I headed up to London mostly via local roads, first doing a loop through St. Thomas so he could see the Super 2 there (which I had previously driven at dusk). Doubling back through downtown St. Thomas, we caught Wellington Road and took that up to London, jogging over to Highbury Avenue to see that brief freeway (likely a quicker way into town than just driving in on Wellington). We parked in downtown London and walked around for a bit before leaving town via Fanshawe Park Road, which becomes Middlesex and Lambton counties 22. That route was taken back to Sarnia, where we lunched at a Swiss Chalet before heading back into Michigan. I ended up finishing the part of Old M-21 I didn't yet have from Port Huron to Lapeer before heading down to I-69 and taking that back to A.J.'s car.

[agentsteel53]

I had the Nexus lane, so cheating a bit.

"What were you there for?"
"Lunch with friends"
"Bringing anything back?"
"Nope"
"Go ahead"

what is the difference between Nexus and Sentri?

[haljackey]

I was there for the Canadian side. Pretty fun stuff... never done anything like this before.

[vdeane]

I had the Nexus lane, so cheating a bit.

"What were you there for?"
"Lunch with friends"
"Bringing anything back?"
"Nope"
"Go ahead"

what is the difference between Nexus and Sentri?

One's with Canada and the other's with Mexico.  That's the only difference I can think of.  There might be lower requirements for Sentri too though, since Canada has stricter entry requirements than Mexico does (at least for the border zone).

[DanTheMan414]

I was there for the Canadian side. Pretty fun stuff... never done anything like this before.

Just curious, did anyone get a group photo over on the Canadian side?

[Dr Frankenstein]

Yes, we have a group photo on the Canadian side.

I only got the routine questions when I crossed into the States. Citizenship, where, how long, go.

Like Brandon said, I enforced the official language law at the Canadian customs, hoping the guy wouldn't want to bother too much with trying to speak French; An odd strategy that has proven to work with some of my friends, but I still got asked about 6-7 questions (citizenship, where I live, how long I've been there, firearms, alcohol/tobacco/drugs, and WHY). Emphasis on the "why" because I got a comment in the form of "it's quite unusual that someone from Québec specifically goes to Port Huron". All in a slow and slightly broken French that reminded me of Stephen Harper's (considering the region, I'm not sure whether it's a good or a bad thing) I just said I had friends in the area and that were meeting up there.

On the way back from the meet, I drove on old Highway 21 (now the Oil Heritage Highway) from Highway 402 to Highway 401 (where Rawmustard, A.J. and I spent the night). I drove around and took photos in and around Petrolia, Enniskillen and Oil Springs. The first commercial oil well in North America was drilled there, back in the 1800s. Unfortunately, the museums and historic sites were already closed for the day.

On Sunday, on the way back home, I stopped at St. Thomas to visit their old – and huge, considering the size of the town – railway station and their old locomotive repair shop, both of which have been converted to museums (and office space). The town was located on the Canada Southern Railway (an American company despite the name) halfway between Detroit and Buffalo, so in the end it became a very important junction serving several large cities and over 100 passenger and freight trains per day, hence the station's large size and their huge railway complex with a roundhouse with over 20 (if not 30) stalls. Now everything except the station, repair shop and tower has been torn down, has burned, or has otherwise disappeared, including most of the yard trackage. The station is somewhat impressive and the museum has a very nice collection for its size. Also, there's the life size statue of Jumbo the Elephant, a circus elephant that was killed by a locomotive in the town's classification yard, and which inspired the current use of the word to mean something that is huge.

I made it home around 7:15 PM, doing the rest of the drive on Hwy 401, Hwy 403, 407 ETR (full clinch), RR 1 (Brock Street), Hwy 401, then the usual 20-201-132.

[agentsteel53]

Like Brandon said, I enforced the official language law at the Canadian customs, hoping the guy wouldn't want to bother too much with trying to speak French

I wonder how this works at a port of entry that does not have a French speaker on duty.  I can imagine some of the more remote ones (say, Stewart, BC) might not be able to hire French speakers from among the local populace. 

or do they just find someone in Quebec and tempt him with the promise of adventure, paid room and board, his very own pet bear, and a whole lot of additional beaver pelts beyond that, just if he agrees to move to sunny Yukon?

[Dr Frankenstein]

I have been wondering too, but I haven't found out yet.

[NE2]

Canada Southern Railway (an American company despite the name)

Specifically part of the New York Central Railroad, forming a cutoff between Buffalo and Detroit. But it was a Canadian company, just controlled by American companies for most of its life, like the Soo Line has long been part of the Canadian Pacific.

[Dr Frankenstein]

That's right NE2, thanks. In fact, its headquarters were in St. Thomas.

[Brandon]

I was there for the Canadian side. Pretty fun stuff... never done anything like this before.

Just curious, did anyone get a group photo over on the Canadian side?

Look at my post above, Dan, second photo down.