In Grand Forks

We are in Grand Forks for two nights before we head home for appointments and a change-up of clothes etc. to leave for Europe.
We left the Maritimes on Sunday and drove into snow (what else?) right up to Trois Riviere which is at the northern tip of the NB provincial border. Of course, we were again going through the mountains - what gives with the mountains in our country? Not my friends!!
The remainder of the trip for that day took us through Montreal at about 4 - traffic was great. We decided to stop half way in between Montreal and Ottawa in a town called Vans. Small place, expensive hotels. Canada has very few cheaper places to stay as we find that the US does. At first decision, we were going to go through the Sault into the US and then take the number 2 as we usually do in the better weather, but the truckers that we talked to told us to not bother as there were snow squalls everywhere around the lakes. So we changed our minds, again, as headed to the number 401 to go through Toronto and then through Sarnia. That trip was pretty good because we had missed the ice rain along the 401 throughout the night and the roads had been salted and were dry as we met them. There were several 18-wheelers, however, on their sides in the ditches and several tow trucks working together to clear the mess. We were very lucky to have slept at Vans when we did. We went through the pretty little towns trying to get to the 401 and we noted their names to go back to them during a warmer weather trip.
We stayed over night in LaPeer, Michigan in a beautiful hotel which had the most amazing breakfast.
We headed towards Wisconsin the next morning to drive through a mix of weather through Chicago area and around the lake and then up into Wisconsin to stay Janesville where we had an oil change and a good night's sleep. That's if you consider sleeping with the smell of our next door neighbours cooking their Mexican food in a microwave.
Off we went, after that, to our friend's house in Hudson to stay overnight. We enjoyed seeing them again even for only one night. Today we sit in Grand Forks taking in the end of our long trip in the same hotel that G and I first stayed in when we made our very first trip together as a couple. We will sort out our belongings, receipts, shop a little (for what we haven't a clue because we have no need for anything now) and then head for Kelly's house on Saturday. We will try to get in touch with everyone before we head out for Europe on Jan 26.
Hope you people are warm and melted.
J and G