Travel... Canadian trip 2010

Niagara Falls, Ontario side

There it was. A decision with no alternatives. A bigger boat or stick with one man trips. I decided to drive to Canada and buy the larger canoe. If  I was to have company on these bigger rivers we would need more room especially for fuel capacity. There was no gasoline on the White from the Ozarks to the Mississippi. 

Our present boat the Scott  Albany just was not big enough for two men, their camping gear and all the gas needed to make the 285 mile run. I would drive up, buy the boat, and come back to finish the White River run. 

Wooded trail Lake Michigan

One of my favorite clients found ten stories for me to shoot on the trip. They were job stories and I love shooting the heavy equipment action scenarios. On the way up I worked in three Michigan cities. Then on Canadian side, I shot in five or six Ontario towns. After I picked up the boat there were two more to do in Illinois and Indiana. I love traveling and shooting so this was the perfect trip.


The drive to Canada was during a beautifully crisp fall. The leaves were turning on the shores of Lake Michigan and the water was absolutely gorgeous. I spent a wonderful Sunday walking the wind blown sand dunes of the eastern shore. The weather was perfect just cool enough to let you know winter was on it's way. The people friendly, and the waters brilliant. It was a great day to hike around exploring new places.

Cool morning sun eastern shore Lake Michigan

A few days later I would finish a shoot in Detroit and drop in on one of my oldest pals. When I got to his house Mack McGee was working on a seventeen foot Grumman aluminum runabout. It was absolutely the widest, deepest, biggest 17 footer I have ever seen. She was old and McGee was rebuilding her. Mack was planning some serious adventures of his own. Not only was he thinking of fishing Lake St. Clair but he was harboring ambitions of navigating the St. Lawrence seaway. It was good to see my old partner still had adventure in his soul. 

Lake Michigan fishing rig

Tourist town eastern shore Lake Michigan

McGee and I not only shared similar adventurous spirits, our backgrounds were almost identical. Although, he was two years older we always seemed to be together as kids. From childhood when we were acolytes in church to troubles in junior high school. Then onto Columbia Military Academy where we were cadets. We continued to be pals after different colleges and early marriages separated us. During and after our University years we got together for fishing or canoe trips in the North Arkansas hills. Years later, we spent several Christmas seasons with our families in Fort Myers, Florida. "The McGee" has been a good friend throughout my life and for that I will always be thankful.

People enjoying a Sunday at the Beach, Lake Michigan

After leaving McGee's house in Detroit I headed north into southern Ontario. The trip was pleasant although gasoline was steadily rising in price. The next few days were filled with enjoyable photographic work in the small agricultural towns.

Meeting the great people of Ontario was the highlight of the trip. They are a wonderfully warm people. I worked my way across Ontario and through Toronto. Then it was northward once again. There were a couple of stops along the way with opportunities to meet heavy equipment dealers and some great customers. This was the fun stuff. I love seeing what other people do for a living and how they do it. Being a photographer gives me the opportunity to satisfy my curiosity about people and life in general.

Tourists taking a walk Lake Michigan 2010

I picked up the trailer in North Bay. Then drove to New Liskeard and Scott Canoe's plant. I arrived in time for the weekend. Scott's had arranged for me to stay in a nice little Latchford apartment near the lake. I was able to kick back and see small town Canada up close and personal. By Saturday I had the boat loaded and was ready to roll.  

A tough climb for the old fellow

New Liskeard is about five hours north of Toronto. It may have been late summer back in San Antonio but it was turning cold in northern Ontario. The fall leaves were terrific. The Northern Ontario scenery is all about rock, trees and water. Everywhere you look there are lakes and rivers. The same can be said of the huge outcroppings of rock. It truly is a sportsman's paradise. I had no idea what type country I would find. It is an amazing area. Next summer, I hope to take my wife up for a proper driving tour. 


Apparently, it was the time between moose hunting seasons. The first batch of hunters were going back to the cities while a steady stream of pick up's were on their way north. When I ran into hunters at the service stations and cafes, they were great fun. They all wanted to know why that big red pig was on the doors of my pickup. When I explained my football allegiances they always had a good laugh.

Families enjoying the beach, Lake Michigan Dunes 2010

I want to make an observation about Canadians in general. To the man, they probably have at least twice the vocabularies of their U.S. counterparts. I don't know if they are better educated but I can tell you they certainly sound like it. 

Canadians have something we have lost, manners. Even the trucker's on the c.b. radio behave as professionals. And manners, folks, are the base of any civilized society. I liked these people in the late sixties and I can report they have remained the same warm intelligent folk. Unfortunately, the U.S. has coarsened. No offense old friends but that's how I see it.

Quite beach scene before the Sunday crowd arrives, Lake Michigan Dunes 2010

The people at Scott Canoe could not have been nicer. They were friendly and helpful in every way. They couldn't have known how little I knew about marine architecture or how their boat would perform once put to my severe tests. No one had tried to make a long haul, moderate speed, efficient motor boat out of one of these big canoes and they were just as excited about my attempt as I was. 

Climb it ? Naw, I don't think so. Lake Michigan Dunes

Duh. If no one was doing it there was probably a damned good reason. Bill Shaw and I would soon learn the answers to these questions and more.


Just a word about the borders. I was under the impression I would need my passport for the U.S. side. I knew the Border Patrol was demanding everyone have passports before they could come back into the U.S.. But I didn't know Canada was enforcing an identical policy. 

Niagara River below the American Falls

I've been to Canada probably ten times. Never had I seen this policy and did not expect it. But alas, there he was, Mister Canadian Border Patrol with the attitude. That is something I never expected. I knew I would see it from the Americans as I had witnessed it on at least two occasions in the past but never from the ever friendly Canadians. 


I dug out the Passport. It was in the brief case on the passenger floorboard. He acted as if I planned on stealing the boat I told him I had come to buy. He was young, bored, with just a little too much bureaucratic power. Sometimes it's a bad mix. Apparently I was just someone who needed straightening out. He got to do that and I went on. 

On the way back, it was nearly midnight when I hit the U.S. station.  The U.S. guy was a jovial, cordial young man who wanted to know all about the big canoe. Who'd a thunk it. U.S. nice, Canadian cranky. Oh well, we made it through without and international incident.

Niagara Falls, the City

The rest of the trip home was highlighted by the two jobs I shot while passing through Indiana and Illinois. It's good to get to stop on a long trip. The construction guys and dealership salesmen are always a blast. Whether big company owners or the man in the ditch they always bring fresh air into this photographer's world. I am proud to be the working man's photographer.


Soon I was back in San Antonio and ready to outfit the big canoe for serious long range river travel. That's next.




                John Boykin        

      The Hard Hat Photographer
 
http://www.commimage.com     






The Boomer Magazine     http://boomermag.blogspot.com