Border Bound: Days 1-3 of Our Northern Adventure
Day 1: Trading Mountains for Miles
Saying goodbye to our mountain home nestled in West Virginia's woods felt both thrilling and surreal. After months of planning, the moment had finally arrived—we were officially on the road to Alaska. Our first stop? A Harvest Host gem in DuBois (that's "DOO-boys" to the locals), Pennsylvania called Boxcar Brewworks.
What an incredible way to kick off our journey! The entire brewery was crafted from authentic old train cars, creating the most unique atmosphere we've ever experienced at a brewery. Every corner told a story of America's railroad history while serving up some seriously good beer. We spent the evening chatting with fellow travelers and locals alike, already feeling that special magic that happens when you're truly on the road. We met a 97 year old man who drove this rig all over the U.S., Canada, and up to Alaska in his day. That's a boat on top of a car he's trailering, with bikes, for a total of 65 ft. of RV joy.
Day 2: Crossing the Great Divide
Border day! We'd crossed into Canada before, but somehow this felt different—more official. The border guards were thorough, to put it mildly. While we waited at a respectful distance, they inspected every inch of our rig. It was a bit off-putting, but we made it.
Our second night brought us to another Harvest Host treasure: a stunning winery just outside Niagara Falls. The vineyard stretched out before us like something from a postcard, and the wine? Absolutely delicious. We sat outside our camper as the sun set, glasses in hand, still pinching ourselves that this was really happening. Lieba loved it too!
They had a super-fun dinosaur exhibit.
Day 3: Digital Detox (Not by Choice)
Well, day three was... educational. Remember that confident assurance from Verizon that I could use my phone as a hotspot throughout Canada? Yeah, that was spectacularly wrong. The moment we crossed the border, everything went dark digitally speaking.
As a professor trying to maintain classes while traveling, this was less than ideal. We spent the entire day soaking up Starbucks wifi and trying to figure out next steps, and wrestling with Canadian data plans. Not exactly the scenic day of exploration we'd envisioned, but hey—this is real travel, complete with real challenges.
Back Online and Looking Forward
The good news? We're back in the digital world, albeit with limited connectivity as we head into more rural territories. I can keep up with my students, we can navigate day by day, and most importantly for all of you—we can share these stories!
Three days in, and we're already collecting memories, meeting wonderful people, and learning that the best-laid plans are really just suggestions. Next up: deeper into Canada and closer to that Alaska dream.
Stay tuned for more tales from the road...
