First Americans at Taggart Bay Lodge 8/9/21 => 8/20/21

[Dieselgirl]

A little delayed in reporting back from our trip to the great North!  It sure was good to get back to Kipawa!!

Some random info and experiences:

-CVS app where you schedule your Covid test advises 1-2 days for results.  However, after getting test completed, they advised 2-5 days in spite of what their app indicated.  And it was being sent to San Diego, CA from Edinboro, PA   So that wasn't going to work.  Mind you that we went to CVS after receiving discrepant information from Medexpress after 4 phone calls.  So we went for a second test at Medexpress in the hope that one of the two places would get results back within the allowable time frame.  We planned to cross the border immediately after it opened on 8/9/21 at midnight.

-Outcome of our chaotic testing:  CVS came back within 24 hours (Yeah!).  Medexpress's lab, (Labcorp) website was down for maintenance.  Received a phone call from Medexpress as we were crossing the Ontario/Quebec border.  Not that we needed them at this point, however, they proceeded to advise mine was negative, but my husbands' test could not be run!   Seriously, the lid on the container was not properly closed by their employee and it leaked out.  No test for hubby.  So we got lucky that we went to CVS also.

-No issues at the border.  Be prepared with copies of the documents.  We arrived at 12:30 am on 8/9 and it took almost 2 hours to cross.  6 lanes open.   But we were in the initial slug of anxious Americans.   

-We were not chosen for the random testing

-Return to the USA was easy.  3 cars in line and the CBP must have been bored.  We had to take bungees off and unsnap the boat cover looking for smugglers.   

-We caught enough to eat and bring home, it wasn't our best year; nor our worst.  No real big ones, but plenty of nice ones.  One moose sighting on our drive to the lodge.

-It was a much needed reset after this past year!

[Hodgey1]

Glad you were able to make the trek. Thanks for posting the details, especially the part about the Covid testing snafu. Just last night I scheduled a second test at a different company to hedge our bets and hopefully help us get across the border next week.

[Morrow21]

Thanks for the report. Been wondering if I need to consider two tests as well. I will be driving from South Carolina in a few weeks and timing will be important

[Hodgey1]

As a back-up to the back up plan, I found this Urgent Care in Niagara Falls that claims a 24 turn around, if things went south with my other tests.

https://wellnow.com/locations/niagara-falls/?utm_source=yext&utm_medium=lociqyext&utm_campaign=Niagara_Falls,NY-5118

[Oarin]

Jon and I both had 2 tests. Dieselgirl, you beat us by a week! If all goes right we'll be dropping our lines on Saturday. Thanks for the reporf.