We have started our second RV trip to Canada. As some of you may recall, we had to cut last year’s trip short because we contracted COVID-19 – for the first time – while on Prince Edward Island (see Oh, Canada!). The first half of this trip is dedicated to visiting areas of eastern Quebec Province and western and central New Brunswick that we were not able to visit last year.

We had a five-hour (266 mile) travel day planned with an overnight at Artisanal Brew Works, a Harvest Host located in Saratoga Springs, NY. It’s been our experience that Brew Pubs especially in less densely populated areas are less “bar-like” and more like a local community gathering place. We have experienced numerous fun evenings enjoying beer with a room full of locals playing trivia, bingo or listening to live music and leave feeling as if we have experienced some sense of the community. Our evening at Artisanal Brew Works reinforced this perception.

After we picked up our flight of pale ales to sample, we walked into the main dining room off the bar and found all the tables reserved. We were surprised by the lack of available seating, especially for a Tuesday night, but it was a warm evening so we headed to the outdoor seating area.

We were able to find seating toward the back of the outdoor stage area. It was then that we noticed all the gig bags at tables. When our nachos were delivered we asked the server if anything special was happening at the bar and that’s when we discovered it was Uke N’ Brew night. Community members of all abilities were present to enjoy a beer and perform at a sing-a-long.

If you are wondering about what was on the large-screen TV in the video above, it was showing chords for the musicians and lyrics for those of us singing along from our tables.

How did so many people in upstate New York State come to play the Ukulele? The Crandall Public Library, in nearby Glens Falls, applied for and received a grant in order to offer free classes and instruments for loan. What a fantastic way for a Library to remain an active community resource!

We experienced a lovely evening filled with community and music. It was a delightful way to end a very long first day of travel.

We cross the border into Canada tomorrow. Not sure what to expect from the Border Agent after all the incivility and worse expressed by our government toward our closest neighbor. We will let you know how it goes in our next post.