By John Lilies & Lana Carbon
August 7TH, 2019
Day 2: May 19th, 2019 - Sault Ste Marie, Ontario
[John] Let the misadventures begin... that was my thought when we woke up on this morning. We knew we would encounter rain on this day but I suppose our hopeful, wishful thinking led us to believe it wouldn't interfere with our plans. In truth, rain was scheduled to overtake our Sunday and Monday in Sault Ste Marie.
[Lana] Something I have come to learn over the past few years of traveling with John is to always expect rain. It is drawn to her like moths are drawn to a flame. Now if only I had the common sense to actually bring an umbrella with me.
[John] Ha. Yeah, I can’t really deny that one. The sad part truly is that we actually did have umbrellas with us, but for some reason we just weren’t inclined to think about them - as per usual.
The indoor activities we were interested in were closed Sunday and Monday, until the next week or even June. Rain made the outdoor plans a bit difficult as it wasn't just a light rain but relatively heavy with intense downpours at times (Ontario norms and not entirely umbrella friendly).
We could have gone to the Michigan side for some attractions there, including a boat tour through the locks - which would have been really cool - but I questioned whether it would be enjoyable in the rain... what could we have seen? Same for some of the historical sites on the Michigan side. The intensity of the rain would not have made them worthy of the trip across the border (long weekend traffic) and the American dollars. There were a few statues we could have driven around our side of the border to find - some of the roadside attractions we were looking for - but what would the pictures be like in such heavy rain, what would we even see without the camera?
The next day (Monday) would be Victoria Day so, not much would be open here. We knew this coming in but had counted on outdoor activities. Leave it to us, ha.
After another chat and yet another look at the weather, it looked like Monday afternoon and evening would actually be okay, so we could do the outdoor stuff! On Sunday, we figured we could pick up some groceries and get in a mall walk to get our steps for the day. We had considered using the rainy day for a trip to the nearest Cineplex, but they weren't showing anything we either wanted to see or hadn't already watched. So, after having a slow morning, we decided it was time to get ready and get our butts out of the hotel to salvage what we could from the day.
Our day’s adventure, just across from our hotel.
[John] We spent the afternoon leisurely walking through the mall, which is definitely not a normal activity for us but we actually really appreciated it. The forced down time gave us an opportunity to peruse stores and gain some creative inspiration, as well as time to just walk and talk, sit for a coffee and talk, and just enjoy each other's company without focussing on any one activity. We don't often have that kind of time together, so it was truly a really great afternoon. I was so grateful for this, after having spent a short bit of time lamenting our misadventure fortunes, I was happy to have the reminder that everything works out as it is meant to.
[Lana] It also gave us the opportunity to pick up some gifts for our family members at home that we wanted to pick up a little token for, as well as a couple souvenirs for us. We always like to grab a little memento from our trips. Something simple like a magnet or postcard is usually what we favour but if I can get my hands on a hat with the town name or event represented on it… that baby is coming home with me.
[John] He lies not. The collection is beginning to take control of us and I am debating building a glass enclosure to house his beloved hats (not really but maybe kind of for real).
[Lana] You want to live in a glass house? Really? Because that is how big of a glass enclosure you are going to need if you want to keep all of my hats behind glass, my dear.
[John] Isn’t there a horror movie about a glass house or something? Maybe that’s actually what we really do want. (Kinda not really but maybe, I’m not so sure.)
[Lana] Just the Thirteen Ghosts will be fine.
[John] On second thought…
Lana’s Sault Ste Marie hat, a post card, magnet, key chain. John was treated to her chosen Bob Ross hat, while Lana treated himself to a fun and colourful addition to his hat collection.
[John] We ended the day with some TV time, without the worries of the house work being postponed or errands needing to be run, or anything else contributing to stress. Though I must admit, I began stressing a bit as I realized that while running a cleaning cycle for the dishwasher the day before we left home, I forgot to remove the lone cup that had been holding the vinegar to freshen the machine. Forgetting to remove it meant that I didn't dump out the water it would have then been holding, which also meant I didn't turn off the dishwasher. So, while we diligently checked everything else in the apartment to ensure it was off and/or unplugged, I realized way too late that cleaning the dishwasher was futile because when we return home the machine (and maybe the apartment) would likely not smell so good. Yes, these are some of the things that go through my mind. (Thankfully, when we did finally return home, all was well & there was nothing growing in the dishwasher!)
[Lana] She honestly does stress way too much.
[John] You just… you… okay yes I do but I really am working on it and hey, I took a vacation with you! This is a good start, yes?
[Lana] Yes, it is indeed.
[John] See, there is hope for me yet.
I decided there wasn't much we could do about the dishwasher from The Soo, so instead of continuing to stress, I turned my attention to us appreciating time with each other and enjoying the ability to just be with our thoughts together. I was feeling calm and happy, and warmer after we finally figured out the heating system in the hotel room. That night, I was very much looking forward to another enjoyable day on Monday. Thank you, Lana, for being a major part of why this day was so wonderful.
[Lana] Thank you, John. It is always a magical day when I get to spend it with you.
[John] And lovely readers, thank you for joining us on our Day 2 journey! We appreciate you very much and we hope you are enjoying our adventure. See you again for Day 3!
[Lana] Don’t forget your umbrellas.
