#Schummer14: Day 3 recap Summer of Schnyder

Today’s post brought to you by Lee

Canada is the place to go to learn about the things that died in America’s educational system along with some interesting quirks. It’s also a time to realize the advantages to living in Canada.

You remember the metric system. Americans were able to discard those silly measurements like kilometers, litres, and Celsius back in the 70s.

Canada never received the memo and still uses the metric system.

The first speed limit sign I saw showed 100. Awesome, driving in Canada is going to be fun! But after metric translation, it was only 60 mph. Though I will say Canadians drive quite a bit like my good friends from Houston (fast).

My second disappointment was seeing a gas sign with the price of $1.50 then remembering that was the litre price. I didn’t know I would need an advanced degree to figure out how much a gallon of gas costs. First you need to figure out how many litres are in a gallon, then multiply by the cost of gas and then multiply the exchange rate. After using my abacus I came up with the amount of $5.25 per gallon.

Why can’t the Canadians at least use the U.S. measurement for temperature? Today’s high is 25 degrees. The low is 13 degrees. I like my big swings in temperature; it looks so much more impressive when you say today’s temperature was 100 degrees, rather than 38 degrees Celsius.

OK, those are some trivial American thoughts but there are plenty of things I really have enjoyed about Canada so far (this is my second time in Canada; MeLinda and I flew to Calgary and explored the Banff area in 2009).

Driving along the highway was pristine and you felt like you were in the middle of a screensaver that kept showing the same beautiful scenery. Unlike in America the highways aren’t littered with fast food restaurants, gas stations, etc. Canada did a great job in planning their transportation system keeping it convenient to all the cities but without the removal of the beautiful landscaping.

The first major landmark we hit crossing the border was the St. Claire River, which flows out of Lake Huron. We stopped to eat lunch at a place that MeLinda had researched and had a relaxing lunch sitting by the bluest river I’ve seen. I figured we would run across a bunch of tourists but it was a local hangout and I was jealous of all the local residents who stop there to eat lunch and get to enjoy that site on a daily basis.

The first neighborhood I visited in Toronto was exactly what I would picture a perfect living area would be. We were able to walk from our vacation rental and within five minutes were in the middle of a vibrant shopping area. After hours of driving it was nice to be able to walk into safe and friendly neighborhoods filled with shopping and restaurants. It was like every person within five square miles was out at night enjoying the perfect evening. It is amazing how culturally diverse this city is and everyone is getting along. There was even a car dealership that displayed a Middle Eastern man wearing a turban; you don’t see that very often in the U.S.

Tim Horton!!! You would think that was the name of Canada’s first prime minister or the country’s greatest sports legend. There is a Tim Horton’s sign every five miles as you drive through Canada and they have even invaded the upper portions of Michigan. For non-Canadians: a Tim Horton’s is known for donuts and coffee. From watching How I Met Your Mother I have learned that every Canadian is able to mark the special events in their family based on the type of Horton’s donuts they were eating at that time.

Driving the Canadian highways you also realize there are no hoopties. Every highway in America you at least run across one hooptie. I realize now that I couldn’t move to Canada because my car wouldn’t be allowed across the border. What’s the fun of driving if you can’t see someone driving a Ford Pinto 20 mph below the speed limit on the highway with the bumper hanging off.

I will continue to ponder the differences of life in Canada as I sit on the couch here in the condo, eating poutine and watching some Canadian Football League action.

Through Day 3 of #Schummer14 we have covered 1,401 miles, passed through six states and been in two countries. We’re staying in Toronto until Monday and we’re taking the weekend off from blogging. We will write a recap of our time in Toronto early next week. Thanks for following along!

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#Schummer14 – Lee & MeLinda Schnyder are turning their home in Wichita, Kan., over to a friend and taking a month-long road trip. They’ll travel from Kansas to Ontario and Quebec, Canada; then through Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. The trip home will include stops in Ohio and Missouri. Beyond the blog, you can follow #Schummer14 on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.