Ride around the Great Lakes

[mehaffydr]

I am planning a little warm up ride in preperation for the Upcoming IBR5K. I am doing it from St. Louis MO. so it will be a little longer than a normal great lakes ride but I dont see any problem doing it in the 100 hrs allowed.

What I am not sure about is how much time to allow for boarder crossings. I will leave STL on friday morning around 4:00 am plan on getting to canada at Thunderbay on hwy 61 around 22:00 Friday evening.

I plan on reentering the US on I81 at Watertown NY around 24:00 on sturday Night.

Question is do I need to plan more than about 1 hour for these crossings?

I tried to post a map but am having trouble getting mapsource to photobucket.

 

[RaYzerman19]

At those times of day, there should be no lineup of any significance, so 15 minutes maybe. However going back into the US, double that because typically your border folks just like to make lines have longer wait times just for the fun of it.

I find they basically want to know that you have a specific purpose and destination, and you know your itinerary. If you're vague or unsure about any of that, they ask you more questions. The US folks just want to be in control. Smile, be polite, be honest, maintain eye contact, you're good.

 

[rickcorwn]

That late at night shouldn't be big a problem and it'll be good practice for the IB5K when they send you to Windingo Lake, ON

Instructions to Windogo Lake

 

[wnyfjr]

Might be stating the obvious, but make sure you have a valid US passport or Enhanced Driver License to return to the US. Can't just get back in by answering all the right questions any more.

 

[FJRMaineiac]

At those times of day, there should be no lineup of any significance, so 15 minutes maybe. However going back into the US, double that because typically your border folks just like to make lines have longer wait times just for the fun of it.
I find they basically want to know that you have a specific purpose and destination, and you know your itinerary. If you're vague or unsure about any of that, they ask you more questions. The US folks just want to be in control. Smile, be polite, be honest, maintain eye contact, you're good.

+1 I cross the border fairly regularly and concur with Yzerman's conclusions and recommendations. I wouldn't elaborate about the type of motorcycle journey you are on - not sure if any border patrol guards would really care about LD riding, but my experience has been it is best to answer questions as politely but succinctly as possible. Don't give them any rope to hang you with.

Good luck with the ride. I rode around the great lakes about 13 years ago with a friend, but at a slightly more relaxed pace. One word of caution - be very wary of critters in CA, especially in the Provincial Park areas. Nearly hit a moose there on our trip.

Ride safe!

 

[lnewlf]

EDL [enhanced driver's license] is the muts nutz. The RF chip in it gets your info up to the booth before you get there and most of the time you zip right thru ..if the guy ahead of you doesn't get a cavity exam..

 

[Harald]

EDL [enhanced driver's license] is the muts nutz. The RF chip in it gets your info up to the booth before you get there and most of the time you zip right thru ..if the guy ahead of you doesn't get a cavity exam..

All new passports have the chip also, but it's an extra thing to carry....

 

[mehaffydr]

Thanks for all the info. I do not have the enhanced drivers license but I do have my passport. I will have to see if that license is avalible here in Missouri before the IBR.

Mike

 

[jcyuhn]

Are you certain the border crossings you wish to use are open at the hours you expect to cross? I'm not familiar with the ones you've listed, but not all crossings are open 24 hours - only the major ones. Floating somewhere around the internet is the story of a couple LD riders that snuck through a sleepy little closed crossing in the middle of the night. It wasn't good.

 

[Hello Kitty]

I have a NEXUS card which is supposed to be kind of like an EZPASS for the border. I think it's called the trusted traveler program or something like that. It's a bit of a process to get, and I wouldn't think you can get one in time for the IB5K. I'm surprised it wasn't discussed in the forum for the event. My experience has the been the complete opposite of Yzerman's. Example - I crossed into Canada at the I81 crossing and it took close to an hour (this was a busier time of day) and the guard asked about a gazzilion questions. As was suggested, be honest, but brief. Have your statement ready. They will ask you why you are going to Canada, how long you will be there, etc. Depending on how intense they feel like being, they might ask you where you work and what you do for a living. Same questions on the way back. Definitely do not change your story. I have heard of people who did and were questioned a little extra about it. I guess they put your answers in the computer...

But when I came back into the US a few hours later, absolutely nothing. Zero wait. One car ahead of me. The guard was friendly and joking with me about the elevator business.

If your only reason for getting a chip of whatever sort is for the IB5K, at this point with the event a couple weeks away, I wouldn't worry about it. The crossing has to have dedicated lanes - and actually, that might only be for NEXUS, I'm not certain. I think if you plan for an hour, as you suggested, you will be fine. You will probably find it takes much less. If you're lucky, as little as 5 minutes!

Have a great ride and enjoy the IB5K!

 

[FJRBandit]

Having just crossed both ways in the last five days, the basic questions both ways were, where are you going, how long are you going to be there, where are you coming from, what do you do for a living and why would you ride all that way JUST to see a concert? Obviously that border guard just didn't get it.

I did get cavity searched going into Canada at the Thunder Bay crossing last year. Would have been a 10 minute crossing without it. Then I was detained by the US boarder guards at the Niagara Falls crossing coming back in. Would have taken 30 minutes without being detained for 45 minutes.

This year, really no issues either way. Almost 2 hours at Port Hurron due to extremely high volume of traffic and 15 minutes at Buffalo with only two or three cars in line ahead of me.

Good luck and enjoy the ride!

 

[SYB Rider]

All border crossing delays will be different depending on the time of day. I just got back today from a trip around Lake Superior and the border crossing time was not long, roughly 15 minutes at every stop. I don't care what side you are coming from, all border crossings are the same. They all ask the same questions. Sometimes they ask lots of questions other times not.

Be very careful if you are driving at night along the north shore of Lake Superior. The swamp donkeys (moose) come out at night and they are very hard to see. We also have a lot of deer and bear and they also like to come out and play at night.

On the US side, deer are everywhere and will dart out at any time, day or night but more so at night. So be careful and enjoy the scenery if you can. The north shore of Lake Superior is awesome and I suggest that everyone do it if they can.

20 km/hour or 13 mph over the speed limit is tolerated all the time in Ontario. After that, you are on your own.

Good luck on your trip.

 

[fljab]

I have not crossed into Canada for many moons, but the main thing I worry about are the laws against radar detectors; so what'ya do? Does anyone have one and just put it in their saddlebag or some such? Just don't take it?

Coming from Florida I would have to either not run with it if I intend to go into Canada, or mail it, or hide it and hope the subject doesn't come up. I don't like lying to law enforcement/border crossing guards if at all possible. It's much worse if you do and get caught...

 

[jcyuhn]

FYI, there are two ferry boat crossings on the St. Clair river that enable you to avoid the Blue Water bridge and its associated queue. One at Marine City, MI, (about 5 miles south of the bridge) and another at Algonac, MI (at the top of lake St. Clair). My friends in the area tell me the Marine City ferry almost never has a lineup. Both services have web pages you can google up.

 

[rickcorwn]

I have not crossed into Canada for many moons, but the main thing I worry about are the laws against radar detectors; so what'ya do? Does anyone have one and just put it in their saddlebag or some such? Just don't take it?
Coming from Florida I would have to either not run with it if I intend to go into Canada, or mail it, or hide it and hope the subject doesn't come up. I don't like lying to law enforcement/border crossing guards if at all possible. It's much worse if you do and get caught...

The border guards aren't concerned with radar detectors the local LEO on the other hand is concerned. If your going into Eastern Canada just put the radar detector in your saddle bag before you cross. Technically that's still not legal but if it's not in sight and not on they can't tell you have it.