Road trip, all 4000km of it...

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” 
― Mark Twain

We are living in some strange times, times that I only read about in history books.  Being a living witness to actions that I had believed and been told we had already learned about and not to repeat.  Maybe, as Mark Twain has said, we need to travel.  Maybe it speaks to our virtual lives that have consumed us where we can see the "world" from the comfort of our living room.  As we know, comfort is lovely but nothing grows in comfort.  Our minds become more narrowed, we begin to develop fears and worries about the unknown and even of others.  We loose perspective and begin to think we are the only people that truly know.  Maybe travel, even within our own communities, going to parts of your city or town that you haven't been, a neighbouring community or even a new coffee shop, can begin to chip away at that fear.  To realize we are all one people, the human race.  Maybe we need to spend more time actually connecting to family and friends instead of virtually by liking a post or sharing a photo.  Maybe we need to be more open to discussion even when it doesn't fit in our beliefs.  Maybe we just need to take more road trips.  

Although this is a somber beginning, it fit the last road trip we took.  We ventured down the highway because we wanted to be with family to celebrate a life that had ended earlier in the summer.  We also wanted to connect with family who live to far away and we wanted to explore the countryside of Ontario.  We had a loose timeline to follow and we wanted to expand our taste buds and visit some new breweries. All these reasons seemed beyond good enough to venture off on our 4000km road trip.

So packed into the van, we made sure to hit stops that family were.  I was fortunate enough to meet some of Randy's family. We were fortunate enough to spend time at his brother's and sister in laws home and home away from home, the trailer.  We both spoke about how seeing where someone lives and calls home helps build perspective on who they are, and makes you able to connect with them more easily.  Of course, it also makes you want to go back and visit which we intend to do.  We also stopped in to meet with someone who I have only met virtually.  Virtual life is a funny thing, it allows you to create and maintain contact with people who you perhaps you may never have had the opportunity to if the internet didn't exist.  But nothing beats meeting people in the real 3D version of life.   

Part of the allure of travelling by car is that you can very dramatically see the change in geography.  It is different than arriving by plane where you basically teleport into the new environment.  By car you can acclimatize yourself and you can begin to understand a bit more about the people, their industries and the fact that they can sell beautiful buckets of flowers at the end of the driveways, yes I am very jealous of this.  Also, you can become inspired about your own home and yard with endless views.  Of course the farm land was phenomenal and as we travelled late into the evening, the farmers still working with lights on their machines and barns aglow, you are humbled and reminded why good food is not bargain food.  

We spattered our time visiting with family and friends with stop ins to breweries.  We wanted to make sure we went off the beaten trail as it were, and ensured we tried mostly breweries we couldn't purchase in the LCBO.  If we revisited a brewery, we made sure to try something we hadn't had before.  The goal of our travels was to bring home different beers to enjoy on our last days of summer with friends.  And bring home beer we did... 

We visited, in no particular order, New Ontario Brewery, Whitewater Brewery, Big Rig Brewery, Saw Dust City Brewery, Stone House Brewing Company, Cow Bell Brewery, and Maclean's Ale. Every stop, from the largest brewery (Cow Bell Brewing Company) to the smallest (Stone House Brewing Company) was unique.  I also have to report that we didn't meet a beer or a brewery we didn't like.  We were met with conversation and great beer.  Really, Ontario has some great people making even better beer.  
So my advice to you is walk out your front door, explore, connect and have an open mind.  

Happy trails!