Crossing Into The USA.
Dec 23-25th Christmas break in Clifton, Maine.
Dec 26th. Winterport, Maine. 46.7km/ 29 miles
=2,240.4km/ 1,392.1 miles for 50 road days
I arrived at the USA border from St. Stephen, New Brunswick on a blustery Monday morning. I was heading for Calais, Maine.
Southbound
The immigration officer at the booth didn’t quiet know what to make of Nirvana so he ushered me inside the US immigration building.
I decided I had better keep my usual giddiness and smart tongue in check but within two minutes I was off!
” Any meat or fruit? ”
” Only a ham sandwich and a fruit slice! ”
There were 4 officers quizzing me on the usual questions of my route and why was I traveling in winter.
A female officer was scrolling back and reading my website blogs…
” So you sleep under bridges and in peoples garages? ”
” Only when I have to. ”
” Why you travelling through in the winter? ”
” I got made redundant in July and the trip had to go east or west… As cold as Canada is its not as cold as Russia where I would have had a long colder winter. Here I will be running south. I also want to make my world run as continuous as possible on a world map. I could have made it easy for myself by continuing from New York or Florida after I ran across Ireland but I am making it harder and longer because I intend to do this once only and I want to do it the right way. ”
” I see. ” She says with a friendly smile.
And then adds. ” But why did you not wait till the spring to start? ”
” I got made redundant in July and the time was perfect as I had been planning this for over 20 years.
” I also didn’t want to fall in love with a dodgy woman…. You know women I nodded over at a male officer! ”
Three nodding smilling faces said it all!
I am getting a bit worn out by the long replies necessary to some basic questions, so complex is the expedition.
You know it takes me a full minute to give a route description and very few people can follow it anyway! Gotta do this several times a day.
That one goes like this:
” After running the Dublin marathon on October 25th I then ran across Ireland to Dunquin because it’s the most westerly place in Ireland. I ran into the Atlantic and then came out of the Atlantic over here (watching their faces for this bit!) to match it up with the most easterly place in north America, which is Cape Spear, Newfoundland. I ran across Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and now Maine.
South west across the United States, across the Rockies, a must because I lived there before. Then on to southern California, through Mexico, Central America, over the Andes through South America to the very tip of Tierra del Fuego which will be about the halfway point. Then onto New Zealand, Tasmania, into Australia, from Sydney through the outback as far as Darwin. Indonesia, South-east Asia, Laos.
Turn left in China for the final straight across Asia and China, Kazakhstan, Russia, around the last bend and into the Ukraine and Europe all the way to Ireland where I want to finish at 2pm on 29th October 2013!
To finish where I started with the Dublin marathon.
” What? ”
Just then the officer that was examining Nirvana in the corridor wheels her in and shows her off to the other officers…
” I just thought you guys would like to see this impressive rig! ” He says.
” How long do you think you need to cross the USA? ”
Six months I say and I am into Maine.
The Maine Road.
I stop at the Circle K for a coffee and the attendant gave me $2 for the charity.
An hour down US 9 an a black pickup waves me to a halt.
I had left a document behind at immigration. The female officer had gotten her fiance to return it to me along with a Christmas card and $20 for a Christmas gift from the two of them 
I’m in the USA, crossing in just as I clocked up 2,100km or exactly 50 marathons ( in 47 road days) in the land of the 50 states…sweet!
December 26th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
Hi Tony, glad you had such a nice Christmas with John and Debbie and their family. They are truly wonderful people to have shown you such wonderful hospitality on Christmas day, They certainly made room at the Inn for you. We were so grateful to them that they allowed us ring you and speak to you yesterday. We felt we still shared some of Christmas day with you. You were great on the BBC interview, just a pity they didn’t allow more time for your interview. However you did get to say the important parts which mattered. Anyway take care Tony and good luck in the U.S.A. Hope they are as good to you there as the Canadians. Ann
December 26th, 2010 at 6:11 pm
Welcome to the U.S.A.! Sounds like you had a nice Christmas day and are now entering my home country. Sounds like you had to deal with a lot of questions at the border. Glad you are on U.S. soil. I hope the next 6 months of your U.S. experience are wonderful. Keep on running! – Paul
December 27th, 2010 at 4:55 pm
Watch Tony run in the snow in Winterport, ME.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wh9sbXCoxAU
GO TONY!!!