Bus trip from Maine to Alaska: Day 5 Crossing the border

Flooded farmland in Saskatchewan

Farmland in Saskatchewan

Some of the hills between Minot and Portage.

Day 5
We woke up fairly early for a change, knowing this was an important day on our trip. We were going to find tires for the bus and then cross the Canadian border. Jess called her parents and they had found some numbers to try to call to possibly find some tires. We were still under the impression at this time that even if we did find tires it would be a struggle to find someone who would be willing to put them on our split rims. Within three phone calls we had found a pair of tires, and they laughed about what we had been told about split rings being illegal in N. Dakota. The price tag on the tires was a choker, almost $1,000 dollars. Thanks again to Bob and Susan for the help not only with the numbers and assurances given along the way but especially with the tires. I would have pushed to keep driving if they hadn’t offered to help. We had a spare tire, but with all the weight in the bus we definitely didn’t want to have a blow out on one of our front steering tires. It would have been a catastrophe if something happened in the mountains. We quickly did our morning chores and were on our way to Northwest Tire and Auto only a 10-minute drive down the road. While they were putting on the new tires Jess and I decided to stop looking over their shoulders and decided to go to breakfast. We chose to sit at the counter with the locals and it turned out to be a great idea. While eating breakfast we shared some conversation with two truckers who happened to be on their way to Alaska. One was going to Fairbanks area and the other to Anchorage. Our original plan that day was to go through the border in Manitoba, but the truckers said that at that border crossing people often got hassled and they suggested we drive through Minot and use the crossing in Portal N. Dakota into Saskatchewan, Canada. We decided that that route was about the same distance, so we picked up the bus new tires and all and were on our way.
The drive was pretty through northern N. Dakota. The landscape was rolling hills intermingled with beautiful farms. One thing that came to a surprise to both of us was all the oil rigs in northern N. Dakota. Neither of us knew this was an oil state. We were both surprised by the amount of flooding that must have happened right before we arrived (day or two before). There were roads to farms everywhere that were completely under water.
We got to the Canadian border about 1pm in the afternoon. The border crossing was smooth as could be. Two border guards with rubber gloves did go into the bus to look around as we stood outside with the dogs. It seemed they looked in like two bags then stood there inside the bus chatting before they came out. They were amazed at how we were traveling and just talked to us about what a good idea it was and asked us questions about the bus. It seemed everyone we met thought the bus was such a good idea. Jess and I by this point where thinking the same thing. We couldn’t believe we had made it to Canada. Right before the border while paying for our last fill up of CHEAP gasoline before Canada, a gentleman told us of all the flooding ahead and gave us a route to take to avoid the main road which had been flooded out. The detour took us down some terrible back roads in Saskatchewan. It was a good thing we had those new tires because I am not sure they would have made it through that detour. Saskatchewan was flat and nothing but farmland. We saw flooded farm after flooded farm as far as the eye can see in all directions. The landscape in filled with fields of wheat and soybeans interspersed with corn and oilrigs. I was amazed at the number of oilrigs, many shut down at the time due to flooding I suppose. We found a campground outside the town of Weyburn on Nickel Lake. We had planned on staying closer to the border but the first few campgrounds we called were closed due to the flooding that had happened a few days prior. They campground was filled with big boats, none of them on the water and the lake was small in size. I still don’t understand. Pulling in to our campsite our back tires rolled over a fire pit and crushed the whole thing into the ground. We immediately had the attention of our neighbors. It was a fairly early stop for us we arrived at about 7:30 P.M. had a few drinks enjoying the people walking by the bus and stareing at the both the bus and cats. I think there was giggling inside and outside the bus. We both went to sleep, for us early, about 10:00p.m. Just when it began to get dark. The sleeping weather was fantastic. The temperature had started to drop on our drive through N. Dakota and continued through the rest of the drive. This was yet another time zone change day and we gained another hour. The time zone changes kept messing with my head. It was a very full day but it a peaceful night sleep with many of the worries we had at the start of the trip (tires, engine, brakes, cats) gone of doing better than good.　