We took a detour on the road to Ottawa, leaving the 401 for Prince Edward County (not to be confused with Prince Edward Island, which of course is of far, far away).
Our detour took us down a two-lane road running thru farmland with apple trees and grape vines and corn and amber waves of grain. It took us thru small towns with old buildings: Wellington, Bloomfield, Picton.
Lake Ontario was just beyond the produce stand by the side of the road, where we bought corn, carrots, peaches and two whole pies (apple and strawberry-rhubarb).
And it was also just beyond the end of the streets in Wellingon.
Slicker’s ice cream shop sold hand-made, hand-packed ice cream made from now-in-season blackberries, and the girl behind the counter probably thought us crazy tourists for the size of the tip we left.
It was rush hour in Picton just as we rolled into town.
We saw horses and barns and Canadian flags flapping in the breeze.
And we saw Union Jacks. (This was, after all, the Loyalist Parkway.)
And we caught the ferry to get back to the “mainland” and continue our drive east.
Highway 4 took us back to the 401.
And the 401 put us back on the road to Ottawa, where my Dad and Khadija awaited our years-overdue arrival.
Thus ended our detour on the road to Ottawa.