Cross Border Camping Trip

JWalter · Post by **JWalter** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 11:22 pm

Hi Folks, this isn't an official 'beer event' per se, but it sort of is...

Back in November when I went to Premier Gourmet in Buffalo, en route I noticed a KOA Campground on Grand Island (just 10 minutes over the border across from Niagara Falls).

My family camps, and a fair number of our friends do as well (and like good beer), we typically get a few group camping trips in over the summer.

I thought, wouldn't it be cool to camp down there, then we can hit Premier Gourmet on the Friday, grab some great beer, camp for Friday/Saturday enjoying a mini Premier Beer Festival..., and head home, taking home whatever we have left (amoungst our camping gear).

Brilliant eh?

Anyway, the idea has been a hit, there's now a total of 4 families heading down, with a total of 10 kids, but I think it promises to be an absolute HOOT... So if anyone's interested in joining in on the family fun, we're heading down Friday, July 28th... The KOA Campground website is: http://www.koakampgrounds.com/where/ny/32101/

lagerale · Post by **lagerale** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 9:31 am

Hmmm....That is an absolutely brilliant idea!!! You've got me thinking of possibilities....

JerCraigs · Post by **JerCraigs** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 2:14 pm

i worked out an interesting camping plan in NY State, including checking out a few breweries a while back. Not really something I'd want to do with kids in tow, but fun nonetheless.

staying overnight avoids the pesky duty issues as well.

tupalev · Post by **tupalev** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 2:26 pm

staying overnight avoids the pesky duty issues as well.

You mean staying 48 hours right?

BeerMonger · Post by **BeerMonger** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 3:11 pm

Your post about Grand Island brings back some fond memories...we used to take our little guy (yikes! he's gonna be 20!) to the Holiday Inn on Whitehaven Road not too far from that campground. If you have never stayed at the H.I. there it is great for kids...indoor/outdoor pool, shallow pool for the very small ones and a hot tub/ sauna, etc. There is also a large outdoor play area with shuffleboard, swings, tennis courts, etc. indoor games room and for the big kids like me a decent golf course across the street. I think I saw somewhere that the hotel has been recently renovated but I'm not sure.

I haven't been for many years but they used to have a decent weekend package available...you can also ask for a ground floor room which works out well with the kiddies. Gotta keep an eye on them though because the fast moving Niagara is on the edge of their property.

Premier is about 15 minutes away...make sure you check out Johns? Drive-In close to the campground...their wings were better than Honey's way back when. On your way back take the slow way along River Road until you must get on the Interstate, a pleasant but short drive.

Regardless of where you stay, have a great time when you go and I'm wishing you the appropriate weather.

Jon Walker · Post by **Jon Walker** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 8:56 pm

Hey, maybe someone could bring a banjo...maybe we could do some rafting...

Squeal like a piggy!

BeerMonger · Post by **BeerMonger** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 9:03 pm

Now THAT was funny! Thanks for the chuckle.

JWalter · Post by **JWalter** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 11:45 pm

Whoa! We're not goin' that far south mate!

JerCraigs · Post by **JerCraigs** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 10:20 am

I have never paid duty when i stayed overnight even just onenight, but I was basically just lucky, since you're right that its technically 48 hours

joey_capps · Post by **joey_capps** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 8:31 am

JerCraigs wrote:I have never paid duty when i stayed overnight even just onenight, but I was basically just lucky, since you're right that its technically 48 hours

I used to think that they calculated the 48 hours based on the exact time of day that you arrive, but I've since learned that they use the date of arrival. So if you arrive on Friday and leave on Sunday you will be fine. That being said, I've never had to pay duty on reasonable amounts of beer (8-12 bottles) that I've declared with as little as two hours in the US. The only time I came close was in September after the Buffalo Brewfest--and I had only one bottle. I was coming down with a flu or something, so I must have looked nervous. They searched my car. The agent searching my car hassled me over the one bottle, asking me why I didn't declare it--which I had--don't think he realized it was beer--kept asking me what I was hiding--nothing--all the while I felt like I was going to vomit. He finally let me go without paying duty--like he was doing me a favour.

Joe

Sambo · Post by **Sambo** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 9:31 am

48 hours means 48 hours and in 40 trips to the US, they have got it down to the hour, maybe once went by the day

detritus · Post by **detritus** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 9:40 am

Sambo wrote:48 hours means 48 hours and in 40 trips to the US, they have got it down to the hour, maybe once went by the day

Well... I'm not one to advocate lying to customs officials... but how could they tell whether you entered Friday morning, or afternoon?

Jon Walker · Post by **Jon Walker** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 9:44 am

Well...I've been raked over the coals for a six pack!

Back in 1998 I was living in Vancouver. My then girlfriend's parents lived down in Point Roberts Washington (a tiny peninsula south of Vancouver that is only two square miles but is below the 49th parallel, so part of the U.S.). We would often go down to visit them for the weekend and I would often buy beer to bring back. Anyway, once I dropped my girlfriend at her parents place but I had to drive back home for work. I stopped and bought 6 Bridgeport IPA's then drove back to the border. At Canadian Customs a snotty high school kid (couldn't have been more that 19, one of those summer hires) didn't believe me when I declared nothing. He had me pull over and searched my car front to back...he ALMOST missed the unhidden six pack in the trunk but looked mighty pleased with himself when he saw it. I was ordered inside, zit boy wrote up a report with a warning, confiscated my six pack, logged my car license and D.L. on some sort of "flag" list of known duty dodgers and sent me on my way. I'm sure I made his day...probably got some sort of junior merit badge for catching such a criminal as me...it pissed me off more than anything.

Having said all that I've crossed the Canadian border with beer plenty of times since. Often I've been gone less than 48 hours but when asked I just declare "a case of beer" which to me means 24 or less. If you declare it and they pull you over you end up paying the duty but several times they just smile and wave me through.

Jon Walker · Post by **Jon Walker** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 9:46 am

detritus wrote:
Sambo wrote:48 hours means 48 hours and in 40 trips to the US, they have got it down to the hour, maybe once went by the day
Well... I'm not one to advocate lying to customs officials... but how could they tell whether you entered Friday morning, or afternoon?

I don't know this for sure but there's talk that, since 9-11, U.S. and Canadian customs have integrated their computer systems. Your car license plate gets scanned coming and going so, at the very least, they know when the vehicle crossed the border.

Gunny · Post by **Gunny** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 7:38 am

Just back from 5 days in Michigan with grandiose plans of scoring four mixed cases of beer from several pre-planned stops to split amongst four adults in two vehicles "Duty Free". Naively forgot to factor in the tolerance of 7 kids aged 15 months to 10 years and 2 dogs to pickup from the vets by 5:00pm in Windsor. I selflessly chose to forego my stops as we contemplated making the run to Cloverleaf sitting in the parking lot of an abandoned gas station off I-75 at 8 Mile. We hit the border and received the most intense questioning I've ever experienced. I was relieved I didn't load up with beer. My wife felt so bad that she told me to go back the following day. Confident that I would get nailed for Duty, I carefully chose 6-75cL bottles and 12-12 oz bottles. We approached the wicket after 1 hour in the States.
Customs Officer: Citizenship, etc, etc
Anything to declare?
Me: Some beer.
Customs Officer: How much is some?
Me: About $110.00 worth.
Customs Officer: That's not much beer. Have a nice day.
Saving over $30.00 made my day.