Gryph wrote:
Looks like I fly into Detroit tomorrow and rent a car and make my way across the border....

Don't forget your passport.   

Gryph wrote:
Looks like I fly into Detroit tomorrow and rent a car and make my way across the border....

Verify the  out of country insurance  on the rental.

Michael Bots wrote:

Verify the  out of country insurance  on the rental.

my employer has already informed me of all the stuff I need to do.

Jerry Nemeth wrote:

It used to be easier to enter Canada.  I have to renew mine.
Are you going to Toronto?

I need a new passport as well. I can't renew mine because I have a different last name now.

Michael Bots wrote:

Verify the  out of country insurance  on the rental.

I don't think that there will be any problem here in Detroit.  People around here from both sides travel across the border.
My nephew is in the RCMP. 

Jerry Nemeth wrote:
Don't forget your passport.   

They don't let you to board the plane heading out of U.S.

Connor Photography wrote:
They don't let you to board the plane heading out of U.S.

He said that he is flying to Detroit and driving across the river to Windsor.

Jim Shibley wrote:
Tecumseh looks like a small town, not much too do.

That's what I heard and read.  I'll hang out in the Windsor area tomorrow night then report to customer Wednesday morning.

Hopefully some good places to eat.

Model Sarah wrote:
Toronto is the only reason to go there. I mean, Ottawa is alright I guess but Toronto is like a Chicago sized Canadian version of almost NYC - sort of.

Gryph has to go to Tecumseh  to work and Toronto is 200 miles further.  I've been to Toronto many times and also like the city.

Gryph wrote:

That's what I heard and read.  I'll hang out in the Windsor area tomorrow night then report to customer Wednesday morning.

Hopefully some good places to eat.

There should be good places to eat in Windsor.

Jerry Nemeth wrote:

Gryph has to go to Tecumseh  to work and Toronto is 200 miles further.  I've been to Toronto many times and also like the city.

I'm not sure why he's asking us what to do in a small town then. Ontario's landscape looks like Indiana.

Model Sarah wrote:

I'm not sure why he's asking us what to do in a small town then. Ontario's landscape looks like Indiana.

He can have some fun and good food in Windsor.

Jerry Nemeth wrote:

He can have some fun and good food in Windsor.

Windsor is just Detroit-lite.

Model Sarah wrote:

Windsor is just Detroit-lite.

There are some great places in Detroit.  Have you been to Cliff Bells, the Fox Theater, Fisher Theater, Mi Pueblo or Texas de Brasil?

Model Sarah wrote:
I'm not sure why he's asking us what to do in a small town then. Ontario's landscape looks like Indiana.

Other than the Bahamas as a child, I have never stepped a foot outside the U.S. which is why I asked.

Anyways, my return flight isn't until Saturday afternoon.

Jerry Nemeth wrote:
There used to be a lot of adult entertainment in Windsor.   

Yup

Ontario is legend for it's strip clubs. Because it's full nude contact with alcohol sales allowed Windsor is a reasonably popular stag party destination for US visitors.

On a more fun note - try Poutine - amazingly nice national dish of fries cheese curds and gravy. A bit heavy for summer but you should at least sample.

It's a short trip from Windsor to Toronto on the train or a comfortable drive  - if you get an afternoon free it's well worth the visit. CN Tower is still the biggest free standing structure in the western hemisphere (and its genuinely impressive). The lake is beautiful in the summer and there is good stuff the see in the Art Gallery of Ontario.

Windsor is just about day trippable to Niagara - which is genuinely astonishing. But it would be a full day commitment.

Model Sarah wrote:
Toronto is the only reason to go there. I mean, Ottawa is alright I guess but Toronto is like a Chicago sized Canadian version of almost NYC - sort of.

Toronto is actually bigger than Chicago - it's 4th in North America after Mexico City, LA, and NYC.  It's also an astonishingly safe city.

scrymettet wrote:
Tim Horton but you don't like coffee
Harvey's as fast food

LOL.

Gah, I have my passport card with me in my wallet, but it took me forever to dig through my boxes to find my booklet as I just finished moving everything to my house.

I hope I don't have to be there more than 2 days and I'll make my way back to Detroit.  Perhaps if there are a few detroiters that want to hang out before I leave Saturday afternoon, I'll try to make some time.

Virtual Studio wrote:

Toronto is actually bigger than Chicago - it's 4th in North America after Mexico City, LA, and NYC.  It's also an astonishingly safe city.

I meant NYC is small but has a million times more people than Chicago/Toronto. Chicago is the size of the city I thought of in comparison. I really love Toronto a lot.

Gryph wrote:

LOL.

Gah, I have my passport card with me in my wallet, but it took me forever to dig through my boxes to find my booklet as I just finished moving everything to my house.

I hope I don't have to be there more than 2 days and I'll make my way back to Detroit.  Perhaps if there are a few detroiters that want to hang out before I leave Saturday afternoon, I'll try to make some time.

I can't.  I am booked solid on Saturday.  I have a graduation and a birthday to attend.

Virtual Studio wrote:
Toronto is actually bigger than Chicago - it's 4th in North America after Mexico City, LA, and NYC.  It's also an astonishingly safe city.

Population:
Chicago - 2,695,598 (2010)
Toronto - 2,615,060 (2011)

When did Toronto jump Chicago?

Vindictive Images wrote:
Population:
Chicago - 2,695,598 (2010)
Toronto - 2,615,060 (2011)

When did Toronto jump Chicago?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_N … population

couple of years ago. The immigration here is just phenomenal.

Model Sarah wrote:
I meant NYC is small but has a million times more people than Chicago/Toronto. Chicago is the size of the city I thought of in comparison. I really love Toronto a lot.

It's interesting. NCY looks big because all of the connecting boroughs are lumped into the main city count. Toronto looks artificially small because all of the run on cities (mississauga, york, peel etc) are treated as their own municipalities for census purposes.if you aggregate the count becomes 6.5MM+ That's a lot.

I wonder of the same rules apply to eg Chicago. ie is the Grater Chicago Area a lot lot more people than the city itself and they just dont get counted?

Gryph wrote:

damn, that means I'll have to bring some money and have it converted.  I can't possibly just give em a loonie or two....

Perhaps I'll bring my 3 Canadian quarters and see if they hold any real value

There's little to no tipping (though our dollar sucks right now so they'd probably be more than happy to take your American money). They'll take your credit card for a lap dance.

Laura UnBound wrote:

There's little to no tipping (though our dollar sucks right now so they'd probably be more than happy to take your American money). They'll take your credit card for a lap dance.

Wow.

I got in after a bit of hassle at the border and at the customs building.  They asked for a letter of intro from the customer stating why I needed to be here.  They did a quick follow up with I think the customer and then let me through.

Boy did my heart race faster than hell on wheels.  Who are you?   Where you from?  Who are you here to see?  What will you be doing?  And the list goes on before he finally asked stuff about weapons, alcohol and drugs.  Then if I had ever been arrested.

Glad that shit is over with.

Gryph wrote:

Wow.

I got in after a bit of hassle at the border and at the customs building.  They asked for a letter of intro from the customer stating why I needed to be here.  They did a quick follow up with I think the customer and then let me through.

Boy did my heart race faster than hell on wheels.  Who are you?   Where you from?  Who are you here to see?  What will you be doing?  And the list goes on before he finally asked stuff about weapons, alcohol and drugs.  Then if I had ever been arrested.

Glad that shit is over with.

Yup.. there's a distinct sphincter tightening feeling when you're being questioned by a border guard.  I get the same thing going into the USA for work.

If your work will take you into Canada regularly then I highly recommend getting a Nexus card.  You zip through customs incredibly quickly (in both directions).  Every now and again they'll flag you for a random check but in the 3 years I've had my card it's only happened twice.

Gryph wrote:

Wow.

I got in after a bit of hassle at the border and at the customs building.  They asked for a letter of intro from the customer stating why I needed to be here.  They did a quick follow up with I think the customer and then let me through.

Boy did my heart race faster than hell on wheels.  Who are you?   Where you from?  Who are you here to see?  What will you be doing?  And the list goes on before he finally asked stuff about weapons, alcohol and drugs.  Then if I had ever been arrested.

Glad that shit is over with.

Pfft that's standard. When they send you into the secondary questioning room to do it all over again and get into where your parents were born and how many years ago did you have a dog and what was your third grade teachers nationality, that's when you worry.

For work stuff it's best to get more paperwork than you'd ever think you need, but don't offer it unless they specifically ask for it. Basically don't offer any info they'd don't explicitly ask for and keep it as short as possible, the whole point is to trip you up and make you answer wrong. It's stupid. I get it both ways, which is even more stupid.

Laura UnBound wrote:

Pfft that's standard. When they send you into the secondary questioning room to do it all over again and get into where your parents were born and how many years ago did you have a dog and what was your third grade teachers nationality, that's when you worry.

For work stuff it's best to get more paperwork than you'd ever think you need, but don't offer it unless they specifically ask for it. Basically don't offer any info they'd don't explicitly ask for and keep it as short as possible, the whole point is to trip you up and make you answer wrong. It's stupid. I get it both ways, which is even more stupid.

Yeah, I kept everything as short and simple as possible.  I sent an email back to work letting them know for next time should there need to be a reason for me to ever come back this way.

scrymettet wrote:
too bad you aren't coming in Winter

Bad enough it's humid today.  If there is any chance of snow, you won't find me running towards it.

Gryph wrote:
Yeah, I kept everything as short and simple as possible.  I sent an email back to work letting them know for next time should there need to be a reason for me to ever come back this way.

When I brought an oscilloscope with me to work with.  I had a big hassle at the border.  I had to call my company for assistance.  They got me a Customs Broker.

Laura UnBound wrote:
Pfft that's standard. When they send you into the secondary questioning room to do it all over again and get into where your parents were born and how many years ago did you have a dog and what was your third grade teachers nationality, that's when you worry.

For work stuff it's best to get more paperwork than you'd ever think you need, but don't offer it unless they specifically ask for it. Basically don't offer any info they'd don't explicitly ask for and keep it as short as possible, the whole point is to trip you up and make you answer wrong. It's stupid. I get it both ways, which is even more stupid.

True.

Last year I called immigration to help someone who came here from Mexico with all the proper documents.  They gave him a very hard time.