Dennis' Cross-Country Bike Trip

Day 25 – Part 2, Weedsport, NY

Today was only a 45.31 mile (73 km) day. I was feeling better than yesterday, but no ball of fire. With the heat still persisting, I quit early and took a long, late afternoon nap.

I noticed some interesting street art today. It referred to “Clinton’s Ditch,” the original name for the Eire Canal. A fellow by the name of Clinton seems to have proposed building the canal back in 1699. Eighty years later they took action and actually started working on it. There was the original canal, and then later it was widened and eventually widened again to the present dimensions. It was a historic achievement, especially considering that everything back then was manual labor and animal power.

My ride today was through hot weather again. I’m planning on taking a few days off to go to a family event. I’ll be renting a car and leaving the trail and then will return to where I leave off, probably around Syracuse, NY. My goal today was to mak e it to near Syracuse so I will have a short ride to gather up the car. The remnants of Hurricane Florence are supposed to blow through tonight (it is raining as I write this) and then clear in the morning. I have about 22 miles to ride to the rental car. I’m actually looking forward to some time off. I have used up far more body fat than I thought I would by this point, the rest and eating should do some important restoration so I can attack the last few miles with vigor. I’ve been a wimp the last few days.

The canal is only about four feet deep (1.3 m) and about 80 feet (14 m) wide. It is an extremely popular place, with all sorts of party boats, and residences along it. They’ve done a good job of keeping residences to a minimum. I’m certain, if unrestricted, there wouldn’t be an inch without a building. As it is, one rides for many, many miles at a time without any sign of homes, etc. It is quite bucolic and scenic.

Tomorrow I will pick up the rental car in the afternoon and head over to Massachusetts. Maybe I can get my tooth repaired while there, that is a big question mark. In any case, early next week I should be back on the ride…stay tuned and thanks for following. I’ll be watching for comments while away.

Day 24 – Part 2, Palmyra, NY

Erie Canal locks to raise and lower water levels. Lake Eire is actually at a lower level than the Hudson River and the water flows west.

52.44 Miles (84.4 kkm) for the day. At around 30 miles (50 km) I was “bonking.” Bonking is a mountain bike racing term for running out of energy and not wanting to continue. I had been making good progress along the Eire Canal Path, but just didn’t have any energy. I haven’t been eating enough and using more energy than I am taking in. I haven’t weighed myself, but the clothes are much looser.

I had some left-over chicken and spaghetti from the night before so I stopped at a small park in Pittsford, NY, right next to the bike path and ate it at a picnic table. Then I pulled out my folding mat and took a nap for a little over an hour. Recovered, I moved on and made it to Palmyra for the evening.

Prior to the nap I had ridden through the section near Rochester, NY. I was looking forward to this section because the map indicated it was paved, it was a big disappointment. It was paved, but it must have suffered the “brother-in-law” effect. That’s where somebody in the local government doing the funding has a brother-in-law that has a friend that knows somebody, etc., etc., etc., that will do the job for cheap. It ends up somebody profits by it, but the end user gets the lowest quality product. In this case it was a riding surface that was like riding on the moon. There were huge, and I mean like six-inch (15 cm) frost heaves that would launch me airborne. Someone had gone through and actually painted bright orange paint on them so there was a chance to slow down before hitting them.

It was bone jarring and made my eyeballs blur. Later in the evening I had a dental cap come off, I can only wonder if the shocks worked it loose?

So far, the unpaved surface has not been too bad and certainly easier to ride on than the paved one through Rochester. Somebody should be called up on this and made to fix it, it is awful.

Just east of Pittsford I ran into Alan. He called out to me as I was going by to ask if I had a bicycle pump. I did, and it even has a pressure gauge. He had exhausted his CO2 canisters trying to put pressure back in his repaired flat bicycle tire. We fiddled with it for a while and finally got some pressure back into it. That was when I noticed that his tire was shredded and almost unusable. He had about three miles to go, I hope he made it. If not, it would take an hour of walking. the CO2 canisters are nice because they’e tiny, but once empty, they’re pretty useless. I’ll stick with the pump.

I finished the day at a Best Western motel, south of town. Unlike most hotels, there were no eating establishments nearby. I pedaled back to Palmyra to a pizza joint and ordered two slices. The slices were massive! I could have easily done with just one, it was the size of a small, six-slice, pizza. It tasted fine, it was just way more than I could handle. If ever in Palmyra, NY and you have a hankering for pizza, Mark’s Pizza will certainly fill you.

I’ll try to eat more and drink more. I suspect the bonk was also do to extreme heat and insufficient liquids. We’ll see.

Day 23 – Part 2, Brockport, NY on the Eire Canal bike trail

I left my cousin Bill’s place in mid-morning. The GPS showed a route that was convoluted and long. I looked at the map and decided to ride up Transit Rd. from E. Amherst, NY, and head straight north to intersect with the Eire Canal Trail at Lockport, NY. This turned out to be an excellent decision. Transit Rd. is a heavily trafficked road, but there is an ample shoulder and the bike lane is pleasant enough riding. I arrived at the canal in about ten miles (16 km).

My first view of the Eire Canal in Lockport, NY.

The next fifty miles of riding was on a gravel trail. The surface was actually very good and made for easy riding. The day was fine for riding; scattered clouds, warm, and, most importantly, not windy.

The Eire Canal bike path. Not paved, but excellent riding.

On pavement, I can usually travel along at about 15-16 MPH (25 km/h) and here I was traveling at just under that. I was riding through miles of trees laden with ripe apples on one side and a canal full of large fish on the other. It was all very pleasant, although, as the day wore on the temperature kept rising, it became very uncomfortable in the late afternoon.

I decided to find a hotel for the evening, I was starting to feel dehydrated and overheated. In Brockport, NY, the first hotel I found was full and I snagged a room in the second one, their last room. Lady Luck was with me. The room was on the first floor, a big plus when you have an 85 pound (39 kg) bicycle.

Tomorrow’s weather looks good, but I’m not certain about the future. Hurricane Florence is wreaking havoc in the south and I suspect she will come up north to dump some rain. We’ll see.

Thanks for following along.

Day 21, 22 – Part 2, East Amherst, NY

Today’s goal was to cross over the border, back into the USA and then visit my cousin Bill in Amherst, NY. The ride was uneventful.

I did run into Ken Smith again. He is the fellow that is doing a coast-to-coast bike ride as a fund raiser for his grandson, who has serious medical issues. Ken is full of life and excited about his ride, even after all these miles. I took a short video of him as we approached the Peace Bridge, which is where one crosses to the US in Fort Eire. I’ll send him the video, maybe he will post it. A local fellow, Chris, guided through the area. We had our own personal GPS.

Ken Smith, riding coast-to-coast to help out his grandson.

Normally, bicyclists are required to walk their bikes across the Peace Bridge. The bridge is about 2/3 of a mile (1 km). I had heard from Ken that they are providing a shuttle for bikes because they are doing construction on the bridge. He was correct.

I rode around for almost an hour before I finally found where the shuttle pick-up was. It wasn’t obvious. My GPS started to work and it too was confused…”turn left, turn right, turn ?” I gave up on it. I finally found a border worker and he told me to stay put and the shuttle would come and get me where I was.

True to his word, in just a few minutes the shuttle did arrive. The fellow was all set to put the bike on a bike rack on the back of the van but realized that it was WAY too heavy for that, so we put it in the back of the van. He drove me across and now we had to go through the US border crossing. The van driver was holding my passport and I was sitting in a back seat. There is a cage between the driver and passengers. The border guard and the driver talked about me for quite a time. Finally, the guard left the booth, walked around the van and opened the van door to have a look at me. He stared for a few seconds, shook his head and closed the door. After a long day’s ride I must have presented quite a sight. I could see he was thinking, “Wow, they’ll let anybody into this country, wait ’til I tell Trump.”

In any case, I was dropped off at a park in the US. I still had about 16 miles (25 km) to go. My GPS was working! I did Fred Astaire dance moves for the next two hours navigating from Buffalo, NY to East Amherst. Some of the roads were crowded with traffic, but everyone behaved themselves. About half-way to my destination I started getting a GPS voice telling me, “GPS signal lost.” Thanks T-Mobile. When it was lost I would just use my pigeon senses and head in the correct direction. Eventually, the signal would return and would confirm I was still going in the correct direction.

When I was within a few blocks of Bill’s place, I called him to warn him. He was out in his truck but headed back to meet me. It was fantastic to see him again. We have a very storied past and maybe someday I’ll convince Bill he should write his memoirs, it would be quite a read. Bill was in the submarine service in the Navy and had some exciting experiences there. Get started Bill, the world awaits.

Bill and I trying to outdo each other with our lies and stories.

A day of “rest” was planned for day two. We volunteered to go help Bill’s son, Adam, to go help move some crushed stone. We managed to procrastinate long enough that by the time we arrived, he only need two more wheelbarrows loaded, out of maybe 30-40? Good timing on our part.

We then loaded up Bill’s truck with some firewood for his lake cottage and went up there to deliver the wood. It was another fine opportunity to lie to each other for a few hours. It was great fun and I was thrilled to see Bill and some of his youngsters again. Too bad we live so far apart, then again, maybe that is a good thing, we’d probably drive each other nuts.

I owe a lot to my cousin. He was there for me when I needed help many years ago and I can never repay that. He played a big part in helping us build our first home, a log cabin in the woods.

Day 20 – -Part 2, Port Coborne, Ontario, Canada

My little praying mantis friend rode along for about 10 miles (16 km), then got off at an A&W root beer place.

I picked up a hitch-hiker today, a praying mantis. For ten miles or so we were good friends. It kept looking up at me as if to say, “Take the next left,” or something along that line. Maybe it has better GPS?

Leaving Port Dover this morning the skies were overcast but not raining. Almost the entire time I have been in Canada it has been overcast…how depressing. Here and there the roads were rough. The right side of the lanes tends to be all cracked from winter frost. The water runs down the camber of the road and collects on the right side, finds its way under the asphalt and then freezes and cracks the surface. I found myself riding in the middle of the road and then moving over when a vehicle approached; fortunately, traffic was very light.

About 11 miles (17 km) from leaving, I noticed my friends the wind generators were getting anxious. Every now and then a blade would move a little. Finally, they kicked into full rotations and I again had a headwind. At least the wind wasn’t as bad as the previous days. Instead of traveling at my normal 14-16 MPH (20+ km/h), I was traveling around 10 MPH (16 km/h).

Passing through Nanticoke, ON, I observed a very large manufacturing site. It had no identifying signs and had the feeling they were trying to keep it hush-hush. There were tall fences around the place that looked to be thousands of acres. Every now and then, there were large plumes of white gases, perhaps steam, belching out of some stacks. I have no idea what they were doing. I’m guessing they’re making those same sands as in Wisconsin, for fracking use. Any guesses? There was a long ramp (see photo) that went down to Lake Erie to load something onto barges.

Near the end of the day’s ride, I went through an area that looked very resort-like but gave me trouble breathing—I was constantly coughing, just like a cough I have in Sarasota, Florida when we have the Red Tide. I know large bodies of fresh water can have algal bloom problems and I wondered if that was the case. Whatever it was, it made me cough even more than Sarasota.

I arrived at Port Colborne in the late afternoon. I found a Knights Inn motel and pulled in for the night. This one is really old, but, as they say, any port in a storm. Tomorrow I will follow Friendship rail-trail ride to the US border at Fort Eire and then I will visit with relatives.

Day 19 – Part 2, Port Dover, Ontario, Canada

Today was a welcome reprieve from what has been terrible bicycling weather. The air was absolutely still. No wind at all! I was thrilled. The sky was cloudy and looked like rain at any second, but the rain stayed away.

The wind generators didn’t budge. I felt like they were giant creatures watching me pass, their small red lights blinking, as if to warily watch me. I kept looking at them, watching for any movement, it never came. What a relief. I vowed to get as far as I could today, given this opportunity to actually cover some ground.

Cover some ground I did, 78 miles, (125 km). Most of the ground was level and good riding. The last mile or so had some real killer hills, but they weren’t too long and I managed them. Thanks to Ray’s cycle shop, the shifting into my lowest gears was working properly. On a few hills I did make it down to the lowest possible gear and climbed at about 3.3 MPH (5 km/h). I can walk that fast. At least with hills there is the payback, the energy of climbing turns into a fast downhill descent. At times I did hit about 30 MPH (50 km/h). What a thrill.

I finally started seeing Lake Eire. As large as it is, it has been hidden behind trees for most of the ride. I stopped for lunch in Port Burwell, ON and was very near the lake, but couldn’t see it. Behind the restaurant there was a full sized submarine on display, the HMCS Ojibwa, a cold war era relic of the Canadian Navy. From what I heard it was quite a project to get it placed there.

In all, it was a good day’s ride and I was very tired when I arrived in Port Dover. I had a quick dinner of fried perch and it was off to bed. Thanks for riding along with me. Only 80 more miles (132 km) to the New York/US border. Once there, I will stop to see my cousin Bill, in East Amherst, NY. Did someone mention tequila?

Day 17/18 -Part 2, St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada

Mileage for the day, 51.5 miles, (83 km). Once again, the day appeared to be an easy ride, about 50+ miles or so. Once again, the invisible forces of nature were out to get me: wind.

The winds today were even worse than yesterday, gusts of up to 35 MPH (60 km/h). At times I would ride along until the headwind was so strong I just couldn’t push against it. I would just stop, put my feet on the ground and wait. What else was there to do.

As I rode along, I kept a close watch in my rear view mirror. A few miles back I could see that the clouds were dropping rain. Oddly enough, we traveled at the same speed for about eight hours and it never did catch me. I guess we were both having a struggle. The rain clouds were the front of a dying tropical depression named Gordon. I didn’t even stop for lunch, for fear the storm would catch me. It was a very long, tiring day.

Speaking of my rearview mirror, I’m going to recall an event from last week, in Clair, Michigan. This is to demonstrate what goes through my head (yeah, I can hear Jane saying “not much”) when I’m riding along and need a distraction from the wind and to keep me from thinking about the current misery.

In Clair, first thing in the morning, I was on my way to Ray’s bicycle shop to try and fix my shifter. The sun was just rising and it was very cold out, especially for August. The route consisted of mostly flat terrain with one rise in the road for an overpass. I had just left the motel when, in my mirror, I spotted an Amish fellow in his carriage pulling out behind me.

Now, I am going to describe the thoughts going through the heads of the three participants in this event: First, the bicyclist (me), the Amish fellow, I’ll call Gutenberg (I’m certain his wife calls him “Gutty,” when he isn’t around, but “Mr. Gutenberg,” when he is there) and the horse that I’ll name “Pherd.”

Now Pherd has just had a belly full of oats and isn’t very motivated, needing time to digest things. The bicyclist has an empty stomach and is looking to fill it. Gutty has had six cups of coffee, two more than usual and is feeling his oats. Maybe he should have had some of Pherd’s oats? Maybe he did?

The bicyclist looks in his mirror and notices that Pherd and Gutty are gaining on him. The bicyclist is cruising along at a hefty 12 miles per hour (I’m going to ignore metric here). Gutty has eyed this bicyclist and sees an opportunity to use his 13th-century technology to beat the bicyclist’s 19th-century technology. I don’t know for certain, but I suspect the “good book,” doesn’t allow racing, but this isn’t exactly “racing,” it is a demonstration of technology, so Gutty permits himself the luxury. Pferd isn’t so keen on this, what with a full belly of oats and all.

The race ensues. The bicyclist pulls slightly ahead, up to 14 MPH. Gutty gets out the horsewhip and urges Pferd to stop daydreaming and put some oats into the effort. The coach climbs up to 15 breakneck MPH. The wheels start to creak on the coach, Gutty just knows he’s going to get after one of the twelve kids to put more grease in those axles.

The bicyclist sees the coach gaining, and there is the overpass up ahead. This could be serious. The bicycle, with all the gear, weighs around 85 pounds and hills are anathema. Regardless, honor is at stake here, so the bicyclist pours it on, wishing he too had some of Pferd’s oats in his stomach. Pferd, encouraged by the horsewhip is pouring it on too.

Flames are spouting out Pferd’s nostrils, fire is in Gutty’s eyes and the bicyclist is losing ground. Using the hill to advantage, Gutty is going to show the bicyclist what 13th-century technology is capable of. Pferd demonstrates his opinion of all this by leaving a few of the oats on the street surface. Passersby wonder what is with Gutty today, is there a BOGO (Buy one, get one free) at the farmers market today? Maybe they should check the going price on summer squash?

The bicyclist puts everything into hyperdrive. Sweat is pouring from his brow, the calves are aching; steam is pouring from the nostrils. The bicyclist’s beard is parting into two from the wind, Gutty’s can’t part, it is too tangled, something of a fashion statement. Pferd is breathing down the bicyclist’s back. Holding off the attempted pass, the two teams crest the hill and start down the other side.

The 19th-century technology now has the advantage. Pferd can only move those legs so fast and Gutty has to actually apply the wooden brake and burn off some of the kinetic energy just when he could use it the most.

Gutty is getting a good look at the synthetic, plastic panniers (saddlebags) on the bike and thinking what heresy that is, they should be made of good leather. Pferd, on the other hand, is looking at the plastic bags and thinking that is a really good idea, he isn’t a big fan of leather if you get my drift.

I digress, back to the race: With a clear advantage, the bicyclist pours it on. He can see the fury in Gutty’s eyes as the bicyclist opens a small lead. The intersection where the bike shop is located is clearly visible, this is going to be a win for the 19th century! Three blocks from the destination the bicyclist sees the 13th-century technology turn right and disappear…a win. The bicyclist rolls up the winners circle, dismounts and goes to get two well-deserved trophy doughnuts. What a way to start the day.

The events depicted here did actually happen. The names have been, well, at least changed, if not totally made up. I hope Gutty doesn’t get in trouble, the race will be discussed for years and he could be brought before the elder’s council. Then again, he might be one of the elders, it was hard to tell.

Sorry if I ramble, but things go through my mind when all I have to deal with is wind, and more wind.

When I arrived at the outskirts of St. Thomas, I went into the Wayside Restaurant to get a bite to eat and use the WiFi to see how far the hotels were. One, the Cardinal Court Motel, was just down the street and the other I was interested in was about 5-6 miles. Tired as I was, it was the Cardinal.

After a plate of spaghetti, I headed to the motel and just beat the rain. Once again, exhausted, I unpacked everything and then took a long nap. This was getting to be the routine…fight the wind all day, then sleep. Looking at the upcoming weather I was certain that I wouldn’t be riding tomorrow. The remnants of Hurricane Gordon were approaching and they were expecting heavy rain locally. I was ready for a break from all the rain and the unseasonably cool temperatures.

Day two was a rest day. I went into town in the morning to find breakfast, riding in the rain. It was about three miles (5 km) to town. The hotel had the usual assortment of really lousy food for breakfast, I just couldn’t face it. I’ve discovered that the fast-food chain, Tim Horton’s in Canada has a really good steeped tea, so I went there. Everything else is “sorta” McDonalds, although they also have an assortment of doughnuts. It is almost like McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts had an illegitimate child. The tea certainly is good, so I’m a customer.

I returned back to the motel and spent most of the day updating blog posts and fixing up things that needed fixing on the bike, etc.

Late in the afternoon I put up my antenna wire and operated the ham radio for a while. I talked with Mary, KA4TIE in KY, Cliff, AE5ZA in TX, John, W8VYM in GA and a station in St. Charles, MO that is a special station that is set up to honor Route 66, W6P. Most of them were on a digital mode over the radio, but W6P station was on Morse code.

That ended my day. I didn’t even do photos, all they would be is looking into a parking lot with rain coming down. I don’t need that reminder. The forecast for the next few days is warmer, sunnier, and most importantly, with little wind. I hope they’re correct. I suspect later in the week, or next week, I will be running into the remains of Hurricane Florence. We’ll see.

Day 16 – Part 2, Ridgetown, Ontario, Canada

Black squirrels are common in Michigan and Ontario.

Only 39.07 miles today, into constant headwinds. The night before I consulted on Google maps about hotels in Ridgetown. It showed just one, The Ridgetown Inn. I made that an intermediate goal for the day, should I not be able to make it to a further destination, such as Port Stanley.

The day was decent, some sun, billowy clouds here and there, and flat roads, perfect for bicycling. There is one exception, as you’ve no doubt guessed: wind. The wind was out of the east and terrible. I was going east so I struggled through a headwind. It was like riding uphill all day. At least a hill goes down once in a while, you get back you kinetic energy that you have stored.

The wind generators all over the landscape were whirling away.

They also have lots of solar panels in the region, but they have sensors on them that move them horizontally when the winds get too high, to prevent wind damage. I don’t know at what point they go horizontal, but they were all up. One report showed winds of 23, with gusts of 30 MPH (40-50 km/h). It was a serious struggle to make it to Ridgetown.

For many crops, it is harvest time. There were miles and miles of tomatoes being harvested, all by machine. Plum tomatoes are reasonably tough and can be machine harvested.

Plum tomatoes ready for processing. I saw many loads of these. Somebody is going to make spaghetti.

I can’t imagine how many tons of tomatoes were on their way to be made into sauce. Truckload after truckload passed me.

Politicians in Florida are in the pockets of the fossil fuel energy companies. They grandstand on the legislative floors and make speeches about Florida not having enough sunlight to make solar power viable. Think about that, our license plates say “Sunshine State.”

Everywhere I go up here in the north I see prime examples of using solar energy to solve problems. In the photo above, an agricultural industry by the name of Green Hill has indoor plant growing areas. They’re surrounded by solar panels and wind generators. They’re growing tomatoes, peppers etc. in an area that has severe winters. They’re slogans reflect a locally grown mentality. This is a huge operation, not some backyard industry. Gotta love Florida politicians.

Arriving in Ridgetown I couldn’t find the hotel. I asked a young man walking down the street and he said he didn’t know where they were, but he did see one by the highway. My search earlier had shown only one in town, so that had to be it. It was 3.6 miles (6 km) away. I was already beat, but what could I do?

After riding to the motel, I was able to get a room. The place looked deserted. There had to be fifty rooms and I was the only one there. The manager, the only staff I ever did see, put me in the same room that James, the fellow on the recumbent, had stayed in the night before. He was probably in Massachusetts by now, or Europe.

I rested for a bit and then went to the hotel restaurant, noticing that the indoor pool had no water in it. The restaurant was locked up tightly, with no sign that it wasn’t in business. Tables were set, everything looked ready, but the lights were off and there was nobody home. The manager yelled up to me that the restaurant was out of business. He has a grasp of the obvious.

He pointed up the road further to a gas station and indicated they have a restaurant. I walked up there and they indeed did have a dining establishment. It wasn’t a terribly appealing place, but I was now hungry. I ordered the meatloaf plate.

I should have taken a photo. The meatloaf was fine, but the baked potato was smaller than the small container of sour cream that came with it. I’ve been riding by fields of potatoes for weeks and this is the best that they can do. Recall my adventures in Idaho where I couldn’t find a baked potato anywhere. Well, I did find one in Ontario, but it was barely visible.

Returning to the room, I went to take a shower. The manager cautioned me that the hot water takes a while to get warm. He wasn’t kidding. I turned on the water and started reading a book on my Kindle Reader. I think I read ten pages before the water was hot. They must have a pipe that comes from the Icelandic steam beds.

At last, it was time for bed. I slept like a baby. I guess exercising all day will do that.

Day 15 – Part 2, Wallaceburg, Ontario, Canada

Resting on a rail trail bench. Wondering why they’re not harvesting the corn.

63.97 Miles for the day, plus about two miles on a ferry to Canada. Leaving Yale, MI, I figured I would be in Canada later that day. My plan was to get to Marine City, Michigan and take the Blue Water Ferry across the St. Clair River to Canada.

The route through the Marysville, MI, area wasn’t well marked and, therefore, confusing. I made a number of wrong turns, but after losing maybe an hour, I did find my way. The bike route through there was really rough. The road shoulder surface was in terrible condition and the actual bike path, where it could be found, was even worse. The ride was bone jarring. My vision was blurring from all the bumps.

Finally, I arrived in Marine City but couldn’t find the ferry. I rode up and down to no avail. At last, I asked a couple, Matt and Laura walking their dog, Quincey, if they knew where I could catch the Blue Water Ferry. They looked at me a bit puzzled. “Why, that was seriously damaged last winter and is out of commission.” My mind raced, why didn’t I check to make certain first?” when I had a WiFi connection. Anytime I considered calling, I was out of range of a T-Mobile connection, which is most of the upper mid-west.

While the Quincey and I made friends, Matt jumped into action. He was on his phone and called down-river to the Algonac ferry crossing. They were open for business and would be until late. I was saved! It was about ten miles south, but if I had crossed where we were at I would have had to head south on the Canadian side anyway, so it all worked out. I rushed to Algonac to catch the next available ferry, not knowing the schedule. It turns out they run constantly and I didn’t need to hurry.

My last view of the USA for a while, from the Algonac Ferry.

Thanks to Matt, Laura and Quincey, all was well. Otherwise, I would have had to go all the way back North to Port Huron, 29 miles (47 km). I would not have been a happy camper, but it would have been on account of my own stupidity. Give Quincey an extra treat for me. Do leave a comment, I would love to hear from you.

The ferry only takes a few short minutes and I landed in Canada. A quick pass through customs and I was on my way. My goal was to make it to Wallaceburg, Ontario before nightfall. I hustled along and after about ten miles (16 km) I made it to town. My phone was of no use, so I stopped at an intersection to assess the situation and take a guess on which direction there might be a hotel.

A couple pulled up next to me in their car and could tell I was lost. We chatted for a bit, there were delightful and interested in what I was doing. They told me there was only one motel left in town. It was across the very bridge that I had decided against, so thank you. I rode about a mile to the Days Inn and found a room.

Successfully sheltered for the evening, it was time for dinner. I asked at the front desk about possible destinations and they suggested a new place within easy walking distance, Crabby Joes. I ordered their cashew chicken, it was absolutely fantastic. I would order it again in a heartbeat. I told my server that she wasn’t qualified to work there, she wasn’t crabby at all.

Fed and tired, I ambled off to bed. I was in Canada.

Day 14 – Part 2, Yale, Michigan

Bologna Festival in Yale, Michigan. Who knew?

56.69 Miles today. I really wanted to go a bit further, but it was getting late in the day and I didn’t want to be caught out there in those open fields far from anything and no place to sleep. The next area that helps prospects was around Marysville, MI and with no phone communications, it was just chancy.

James (?) on his custom-built recumbent. He could really move on that thing.

On the way to Yale, I was riding through and stopped in North Branch for Gatorade. As I was leaving town I spied a machine fast approaching from the rear in my mirror. These days it is quite common to see bicycles with electric motors attached and they race along the city streets. They’re dangerous and usually violate a long list of laws, but they’re everywhere.

As the rider pulled up next to me he slowed to say hello. It was a recumbent and he was really moving. No electric motor, just human power. The recumbent bicycle can really fly, although, they can be slower up-hill. They are heavy and the rider can’t get up out of the saddle to force more pressure on the pedals. That said, they do cover serious ground.

Further along the way, we stopped to chat for a few minutes. James is also headed for the east coast. He is traveling about 3-4 MPH (5-7 km/h) faster than I and should arrive there many days before I do. He mentioned that his brother works for the company that made the recumbent and that his brother had welded the frame. I poked around on the Web and found his blog at http://www.ransbikes.com/category/blog/ For more on the bike, see: http://shop.ransbikes.com/product-p/mabk0100.htm

James is doing considerably higher mileage each day than I. In some cases, almost twice as much. The recumbent speaks for itself.

I stayed in Yale Motel for the evening. The listing on Google said something about it being “quaint.” Little did they know. It was a very old hotel, no elevator and shared bathrooms. For $25.00 a night, I gave it a try.

The staff let me put the bicycle in a first-floor pool table room to save carrying it up the stairs. I was assured that the door would be locked; just in case, I put my bike lock on it and attached it to the fireplace. (in the morning, the bike was still there, but the door wasn’t locked).

The staff was nice enough and I slept well, but I felt like I was on the set of an old Alfred Hitchcock movie. A traveling bicyclist might do better at the Sweet Dreams Motel, about a mile north. Carrying everything up and down three flights was trying when tired. There were very few electrical outlets in the walls, and they were so old that nothing stayed plugged in. There must be smoke alarms somewhere, but I didn’t spot any. Several times someone banged on the door when I was in the bathroom showering, yelling for “Leech,” or something like that. I think it was their dog, a large mutt. I answered them several times, but they must think Leech can talk, they were convinced he was in there.

I did sleep well and was up early and ready to go.