Lunch in Port Burwell

Lunch in Port Burwell was a treat with the clear blue sky, a scenic entrance to the port, a view of the beach and a wind farm to come.  In addition there was a beach concession stand with ice cream.  We enjoyed our casual lunch at mile 54 in the shade before continuing our trek east to Port Dover.

On The Road to Port Dover - Day 48

Today we rode along the north shoreline of Lake Erie after departing from West Lorne.  Bob, Tom, Ed, Deidra and I rode together for most of the day through a number of scenic port towns, each with its own charm and character.  There was Port Talbot, Port Stanley for an early coffee-pastry stop at Spicers Coffee (top picture), Port Bruce, Port Burwell for lunch, Port Royal, Port Rowan for ice cream and conversation with a Canadian lady with Scottish origins and finally Port Dover for the night.  The stop at a wind farm viewing area at mile 65 answered many of our questions about their operation.  We passed by a variety of crops as we cycled through the fertile Niagara growing area.  We saw fields of peaches, apples, green beans, squash, cucumber, tobacco, grapes, sweet corn, asparagus and blueberries.  Fortunately the local cooks included much of the local produce in our evening dinners.

West Lorne, ON - Day 47

Stats: We rode 77 miles today under sunny skies with temperatures in the hi 70's and a nice tailwind.  This area of Ontario is flat and easy to ride.  We are now camped about 6 miles (I should say 10 kilometers now that we are in Canada) north of Lake Erie at West Lorne Secondary School.  I went downtown in search of a barber which I never found.  However while downtown, Bob and I stopped at the Donut Delite Cafe as a brief and windy storm dumped rain.  While riding out the storm in the cafe we had a lengthy conversation with an elderly resident about the area.  Our tents survived the winds back at the school where dinner is tonight.  Our fond memory of this camp will be the cows next door that mooed wailfully all night.  Janet in the picture with me is Canadian and excited about spending some time riding in Canada.  The sailboat went by as we waited for the ferry.

On the Road to West Lorne - Day 47

I had a valve pop off of my front tire before starting today.  After replacing the tube, we were quickly on our way to West Lorne and Canada.  We crossed over into Canada at Marine City, MI on the Blue Water Ferry at mile 20 in the morning.  If you have ever driven the 401 from Windsor to Toronto you know how flat this area of Ontario is.  About 15 miles after the ferry crossing, an OPP officer pulled up next to me and I thought he yelled "Are you all right" as we were riding along at 20 mph.  He actually yelled "Stay to the right" as we were surprised to have 3 trucks hauling massive 120' long windmill arms pass us on our 2 lane road.  It was an interesting close up view of the giant arms.  After a stop for ice cream at Scoops and Subs and for Canadian money at the Bank of Montreal in Bothwell at mile 56, we headed straight for West Lorne.

Richmond, MI - Day 46

Stats: We rode 87 miles under overcast to partly cloudy skies with temperatures in the low 90's and high humidity resulting in a hot sweaty ride.  Similar to yesterday when we turned south at mile 47 in Brown City, we faced a stiff headwind.  Otherwise it was an uneventful ride through Michigan farm country.  As we finished up the day on a short 2 mile strip of bike path, we approached a group of our riders standing around each other on the trail.  Our first thoughts as we approached was that someone was injured and our hearts sank.  However we quickly discovered that one of the riders had arrived early and brought some refreshments back to the bike trail and our spirits soared.  We enjoyed our first Bicycle Path Beer Party of the trip.  It turned out to be a very impromptu and unique ending to our hot and tiring day.  Camp and dinner tonight are at Richmond High School with time for clothes washing and DQ in town before dinner.

Frankenmuth, MI - Day 45

Stats: We rode 82 miles under overcast to partly sunny skies with headwinds in the pm.  Temperatures were in the mid 80's with noticeable humidity adding to the heat.  After setting up camp at Rittmuller Middle School, Bob and I walked to and through Frankenmuth.  We toured several of the shops and now I understand better the risks that we men take when "the girls" make their Frankenmuth stop on the way to Harbor Springs.  In search of some pre-dinner refreshments, we walked 3 miles to the Black Forest Brew House.  That should hold the record for the longest walk of the trip in search of a beer.  Dinner tonight was at the Bavarian Inn downtown, from which Bob, Ed, Diedra, Tom and I had a pleasant walk back to camp.

Pere Marquette Rail Trail - Day 45

After departing Farwell, we had a very pleasant morning of riding with 35 miles on the Pere Marquette Rail Trail, a relatively new and well kept trail across flat Michigan countryside, which ended in Midland.  Stirling (Australia) and Sherry (LA) are in the picture on the trail this morning.  However after lunch at mile 45 in Fisherville, we turned south into a stiff headwind and the flat open countryside offered no protection.  I rode most of the day on my own but fortunately Bob joined me in the pm and we helped each other ride in to Frankenmuth.