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U.S. travel blogger met up with his Thunder Bay friends despite the border closure (3 Photos)

They found a spot on the river where they could talk across the water.

THUNDER BAY — Cody Esser has grown fond of Thunder Bay. 

He's also established some good friendships with local residents over the years.

It's why the travel blogger from Wisconsin made the eight-hour drive from the Madison area to Pigeon River twice in the last several weeks.

Esser knew the border was closed but figured out how he and his friends could see each other without getting tossed behind bars.

They rendezvoused last month, as well as this past Saturday, at spots along the river where they could see each other and communicate across the water.

Esser parked himself on the riverbank on the American side of the border in Minnesota's Grand Portage State Park.

His Thunder Bay friends hiked to a spot directly opposite, near High Falls in Ontario's Pigeon River Provincial Park.

Ryan Trush of Thunder Bay said the most recent meeting was at a much better location than they used the first time, so they were able to catch up on things quite easily.

"It's surprising how close Cody is," Trush told a reporter at the scene. "I don't even have to scream and yell at him," he said, explaining that during their meeting a month ago "The wind was blowing...I couldn't basically hear what Cody was saying."

Esser started blogging as Impulsive Traveler Guy in 2013, when he drove from Duluth to Thunder Bay and saw the city for the first time

"I'm very impulsive," Esser said during his visit last weekend. "The first trip I blogged about was how I passed the Canadian border without a passport."

On that occasion, he was able to enter Canada with his driver's licence, but was summoned into the U.S. Customs and Border Protection station on his return to explain why he had no passport.

For his August trip, Esser took the precaution of reaching out to both American and Canadian border agencies to let them know how he planned to visit his foreign friends without leaving the U.S. 

Nonetheless, the RCMP showed up on the Canadian side while the meeting was underway. According to Esser, the officers engaged the Thunder Bay group in a friendly conversation.

Asked on Saturday what he's missed about Thunder Bay – besides his friends – since the border was closed, Esser said "between the Persians and poutine, just hanging out and having a good time. And the beautiful scenery...the Canadian experience. Everything."



Gary Rinne

About the Author: Gary Rinne

Born and raised in Thunder Bay, Gary started part-time at Tbnewswatch in 2016 after retiring from the CBC
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