OT: POE Crossing At Lake Champlain This Weekend
 

Promised I would write our experience of the crossing on this weekend when we went to celebrate Canada's Thanksgiving.

We never made the border on Friday night. The torrential rains turned a 3 hour trip to the Lake George, NY region into a 6 hour ordeal. We left our place before 5 p.m. and didn't make LG until 10 p.m. without stopping for dinner or a break. So we opted for a hotel room and a fresh start in the morning.

The border crossing both into and out of Canada was over an hour wait in line for our turn at the booth. Canada's agent would not allow Jim into his own country without first seeing his green card (expired) but never asked for his paper extension from the I-551. Still don't know the reason why they won't allow their own citizen into their own country but thought perhaps it was because he had an American wife with him and they wanted to be assured we were not "migrating" to Canada without paper permission.

On the return home the agents were physically going through vans only at the booth. They were not pulling them aside but physically going through the vans one by one.

Jim gave them his passport and expired green card and paper extension and we were let through quickly.

So folks, if you are planning on traveling across Houlton, ME, Calais, ME or Lake Champlain, NY, allow at minimum an hour to your travel plans to cross the border.

Rete

Re: POE Crossing At Lake Champlain This Weekend
 

Well glad to see you made it back :) Happy Thanksgiving to you both.
Cooked Deb a nice little 10 lb Turkey for the holiday. Hope you guys had a
good time.

John & Deb
Can/Am '98

Re: POE Crossing At Lake Champlain This Weekend
 

Wonderful time John. Jim's sister and her family are fabulous people. And the food was delicious from turkey to ham and all the traditional favorites in the middle. Dessert was awesome: apple, cherry, lemon merguine, sweet potato pies and all homemade too.

And I got to make a donation at the casino too ;-)

Glad to hear that you and Deb celebrated the day as well.

Hugs
Rete