Alaska Trip - Day 2

Attempt number 2 after my computer locked up...

We made it to Winnipeg after 10 hours on the road today.

Last night we spent the night at Sam's, and then ate lunch with him and Doug and Caitlin at Perkins. We left Omaha about 11am and headed north to the spectacular Sioux City.

Steven drove most of the time today, and I was very grateful for that.

There was not much for scenery today. Most of the landscape was fairly flat and wide open, much like home. North Dakota was exceptionally flat, or at least around I-29.

We did like Fargo when we stopped there for a late lunch.

After Fargo, and a trip for some cheaper, by-the-gallon gas in Grand Forks, North Dakota, we continuted north to the U.S.-Canadian border. Steven and I both have never been to Canada, so we didn't know what to expect, but it was a fairly painless process. A nice lady there asked us about a dozen questions (it almost felt like speed dating). Another guy gave us a firm arm wave by saying "I am off now so sit your butts back down and the next guard will help you" without saying anything at all. I felt like a dog. After about half an hour there, they let us into Canada, and after a lot of construction we made into Winnipeg about 10pm.

Speaking of construction, there was a lot of it today. I guess we should be getting used to that.

A few initial observations about Canada:
* The metric system and the way spedometers are set up cause Canadians to drive slower in the U.S. and Americans to drive even faster in Canada. We were passing people constantly. It was weird, because I typically never go more than 5 mph over the speed limit. Also, we were ecstatic to see a speed limit sign say 100, until we immediately realized it meant kilometers per hour, not miles per hour.

* Everything seems nicer and cleaner in Canada. Even North Dakota seemed so...fresh...compared to the previous 5 states we'd be in on this trip. Does the cold preserve everything better?

* All road signs are in both English and French here. I think I finally have an opportunity to brush up on my French.

We are staying in our first hostel tonight in Winnipeg. The people here are nice. I even ate some free berries. From what I can tell so far, I really like this city. It it weren't for the -40 degree winters.