August 30, 2013

Leaving Watertown

August 30, 2013 Watertown --> Cranberry Lake, NY - 72 miles

This was one of those almost magical days where you just feel as if you are in the "flow."

Woke up to a wonderful surprise. The forecast had changed somewhat overnight and now there was only a 10% chance of rain through mid-to-late afternoon. After that, it went up to 40% chance of thunderstorms. So, my plan to get an early start and arrive in Cranberry Lake by mid-afternoon or so took on even more urgency.

I had a quick breakfast at the little diner next door, loaded up the bike and left the Relax Inn by 8:00 a.m. Decided to stop across the street at Subway and pick up a Veggie Delight Sub (my new favorite) to take with me so I would have something decent to eat during the 72 mile ride and I wouldn't have to take much time to stop. The route I planned to avoid downtown Watertown and get on Hwy 3 went without a hitch. It was a little overcast, but not a drop of rain in sight. Yeah!

Highway 3 runs all the way to Lake Placid, and is called the Olympic Scenic Byway. Although it is almost entirely a two lane highway, it is smooth pavement and has a huge well-maintained shoulder. Although I am not good at estimating lengths, I will go out on a limb and say these smooth shoulders were a good 10-12 feet wide. That really adds to your comfort factor as a rider. No "riding the white line" for me today. So, I fairly cruised along all day, stopping occasionally for a snack or something to drink. While there were some fairly decent inclines and a few rolling hills, it was not what I would call mountain climbing. I will admit, though, that my legs were fairly shot by the end of the day just due to several long rides over the past week. I am really looking forward to a day or two off the bike. The scenery was pretty, but not what I would call that unusual or stunning. While probably still a little early, I still saw some evidence of the turning of the leaves.




About 5 miles from Cranberry Lake, I came up on two men changing a tire on the side of the road. They were all decked out in bike riding gear and had loaded touring bikes. I think the three of us almost jumped in the air with joy at the sight of other riders. Seeing other riders has been a rarity during both our rides. Meeting other riders and sharing experiences is one of the most fun aspects of touring. These two, named Ron and Tom, are in the final days of an "inaugural" 1 week bike tour. They live in Burlington, VT. The really cool thing is that after retiring at age 55, Ron founded a non-profit called "Bike Recycle Vermont." This organization fixes up donated and old bikes to give away. Ron said that he sort of just happened into this endeavor, but is very passionate about it. That, of course, piqued my interest since I have been on this "quest" for a while now to find an endeavor I am passionate about as a second half of life career. Ron gave me helpful information about biking in and around the Lake Placid area, and offered me a place to stay in Burlington if I happened to ride that way. Sort of planted the seed. We exchanged contact information, I took a picture for the blog, and I rode on to the Cranberry Lake Lodge up the road.




As I came out of the office after checking in, Ron and Tom rode up and stopped. They still had another 20 miles to their destination town of Tupper Lake, but decided to stop at the Cranberry Lake Lodge for pie and coffee. I put the bike in my room, and returned to the restaurant to resume our visit. They told me a little more about the ride they are completing, and some other ideas for future rides. They are more inclined to take rides in length of 1 week or so from Burlington, since there are so many neat rides in this area. It dawned on me that Vermont Cycling Tours is headquartered in Burlington, and I told them I had been on several VBT tours and even interviewed as a possible tour leader after my cross-country ride. Ron told me that VBT President, Greg Marsten, had been supportive of "Bike Recycle Vermont." I started asking more questions about "Bike Recycle Vermont" and Ron said if I come visit them in Burlington I have a place to stay and he will give me a personal tour of the organization. He then asked about my plans for the end of the trip, and I told him the goal was Bar Harbor and I planned to fly out of Portland, Maine. They both said Bar Harbor and surrounding area was beautiful and I should plan to spend a couple of days there. Ron asked if I had a contact in Portland, and when I said "no," he gave me the name of a friend there who can help me with the last minute details and getting the bike packed up for the flight home. That is a HUGE help. Reminds me of the huge help I got on the front end of the cross-country trip last year when Jaime Schlueter picked me up in Portland and took me to Fort Stevens for the ceremonial tire dipping and send-off.

As Ron and Tom readied themselves to resume their ride, we agreed that I will re-route (once again) and see them in Burlington at some point after New York on my way to Maine. It dawned on me that in the space of 1 hour, my journey and life had been changed dramatically by this chance meeting. I now have new friends, new info to enhance my visit in Lake Placid and Bar Harbor, a new destination to visit (Burlington), and help for the endgame. The stuff adventures are made of!

My room at Cranberry Lake Lodge is a wonderful combination of rustic and comfort. The best part is that it is steps from the lake, which provides a fabulous view through the window. As I finish this post, I am sitting just outside my room as the sun goes down. Clouds are starting to gather a little, and I wonder if it will storm tonight, and pray that it does not rain before I finish the 54 mile ride to Lake Placid tomorrow. It is quiet and I feel happy and peaceful.








What a great day. Randy would have loved it - except for the hills!

August 29, 2013

August 29, 2013 Kingston, ON --> Watertown, NY - 46 miles

BACK IN THE USA!

Met Randy for an early start and we rode 6 miles through morning traffic to downtown Kingston, where I was to catch the ferry to Wolfe Island and Randy was to resume riding the Waterfront Trail. When we reached the downtown area, we found a cute and rather eclectic restaurant called The Sleeping Sheep. I had a cheese, mushroom and broccoli omelet with wonderful homemade toast. It felt like Randy and I were savoring those last moments together, because in truth we didn't really want to stop riding together. But we both realized and agreed that we had different areas that we wanted to see. And, as I mentioned previously, I had been to Montreal and wasn't excited about riding a bicycle through another big city when I could be enjoying a new experience in the Adirondack mountains.




Randy accompanied me to the Wolfe Island ferry and we said our goodbyes. A little awkward because we don't know when/if we will see each other again.

I had a 45 minute wait for the ferry, and took a short ride around the immediate downtown area for a quick look. Nice small city with some interesting sights and buildings.










The ferry to Wolfe Island took about 30 minutes. There must have been 50 vehicles or so on the ferry, including several large trucks. What struck me most as we disembarked were the many wind turbines nearby.







I got on my bike and headed east for the 10 kilometer ride to catch the Cape Vincent ferry to the USA. The ride was similar to the previous two days, with the exception of the wind turbines right next to the fields. Mostly flat roads and I made good time.




The Cape Vincent ferry is privately owned, and has been in the Horne family for I think 100 years. As I waited, I watched various boats in the distance and the flight of gulls and Canadian geese as they passed by. Also watched a large tanker go by. It was very quiet for the most part and I sort of gathered myself for the next phase of my journey alone. There was only 1 car on the small ferry boat with me, and the ride was all of about 10 minutes.




I quickly cleared customs and headed for the information center, where I picked up a NY state highway map and requested information on the Scenic Adirondack Byways. The lady at the office was extremely helpful, and I left with a new sense of direction. Instead of cutting across east to catch the Adventure Cycling northern tier immediately, I decided to take the more northernly Olympic Scenic Byway route through Lake Placid. That plan excited me since the Lake Placid Olympics were among my favorites. I was staying with my sister Donna in Atlanta at the time and every night we would hunker down for Olympics watching. It was great fun to share that with her.

Got back on the bike and rode 25 miles to Watertown, NY, where I found a lovely locally owned and reasonable motel for the night. Spent the next 2-3 hours going over the route for tomorrow and exploring accommodation options - there weren't many since it is Labor Day weekend. And it is 125 miles to Lake Placid and I needed a stopping place somewhere near halfway for Friday night. Also, there is a strong probability of rain/storms in the immediate forecast. The only possibility was Cranberry Lake, some 72 miles from Watertown, and I could only find 1 possible room there. So, I booked it. Decided I would have to gut it out the 72 miles, imagining a ride through rain and possible mountains. Then, I was fortunate enough to find a locally owned reasonably priced motel in Lake Placid for Saturday/Sunday, where I will take a rest day. It will be fun to explore the area a little.

Heard from Randy tonight - still on the WT trail and said he missed me. The last thing I told him at the ferry in Kingston was that if he came to his senses he should turn right and find me in the Adirondacks. Not likely, as I know he really wants to see the big cities, but one can hope. In any event, I know I made the right decision and am looking forward to the challenges of the next few days.

August 28, 2013

August 28, 2013 Trenton --> Kingston, ON - 68 miles

Randy and I had decided to get off to an earlier 7:30 am start since we calculated approximately 75 miles to Kingston. What we hadn't counted on was the dense fog that greeted us. With blinking red tail lights and wearing my bright yellow bike jacket, we took off towards Belleville, which was 8 miles away. Then, another of those "parting of the sea experiences." A fire had broken out in a small shopping center and the police closed down the road to traffic - that is, motor vehicle traffic. We were waved right through and essentially had the entire highway to ourselves. A broad, smoothly paved highway along which we fairly cruised.




Within 15 minutes we arrived at a very nice breakfast cafe in Belleville and had a wonderful breakfast. Not quite up to Dimitri's standards, but very good none-the-less. I told Randy that I was considering returning to the US from Kingston and getting back on the Adventure Cycling northern tier route through the Adirondacks in NY and continuing through Vermont as we originally planned. I knew he had decided that he wanted to go through both Montreal and Quebec City, but the thought of negotiating the traffic through two more congested big cities was not appealing to me. Plus, the reality is that when you take a "rest day" in a big city, what you usually end up doing is laundry; spending a significant amount of time planning the next phase of the ride; trying to actually rest some, and; trying to see what you can of the city in what is left of the day and with limited transportation since we usually stay in hotels on the outskirts of the city. We do the best to see as much as we can within the limitations, but more often than not it is more like an overview. Or, maybe we will focus on one thing to see. But, for me, I prefer biking through the charming towns and talking with the people you encounter along the way. Just taking in the scenery. Randy's point was well-taken - he did not know when he would have the opportunity to be in the area and visit these cities. Plus, he doesn't like biking in mountains, and the AC route does go through the NY Adirondacks - not exactly flat. But, I realized the same reasoning applied to me - I don't know when I will have the opportunity to bike this portion of the country along the northern tier route during the fall season. I like mountains. And I have always been interested in biking Vermont this time of year. Randy and I like and respect one another, and support each other's choices. As we discussed the possibility that we would continue on separate routes, we both had tears in our eyes. Because it is rare to find really compatible travel companions and friends that seem to bring out the best in you. That is what I have always liked about riding with Randy - I think we seem to bring out the best in each other. And I know we want the best for each other.

We continued on for approximately 30 miles to Picton, where we again resumed riding the Waterfront Trail towards the Glenora Ferry. There were quite a few rather steep inclines on the way to the ferry, and my legs were feeling a little tired. Along the way, we greeted several other people out for rides on their bikes, and I received a number of good wishes for our trip. You can often see the longing in the eyes of these folks - we are living their dream.

The Glenora Ferry was a 15 minute boat ride across the upper end of Picton Bay. A delightful interlude.










We resumed riding along a beautiful two lane paved road along the shores of Lake Ontario that was somewhat similar to yesterday's ride. There was the scenic farmland and countryside interspersed with occasional shoreline views. It was quite humid, and that took its toll. But we made really good time and arrived in Kingston by mid-afternoon. I realized that we had miscalculated the mileage by probably 10 miles, and the ride was more along the lines of 65 miles or so rather than 75 miles. All in all, another very enjoyable ride.










We found a motel on the north side of town and plan to meet for breakfast. For me the Tour of the Leaves journey takes on a whole different direction tomorrow.

August 27, 2013

August 27, 2013 Port Hope --> Trenton, ON - 56 miles

This was one of my favorite days of the ride to date!

It was quite foggy and overcast as we pedaled the 3 miles into Port Hope, but fortunately no rain and none forecast. Port Hope, like many of the towns along the Waterfront Trail, is a quaint and very interesting looking town. Lots of interesting stores and cafes. The Main Street is a long fairly steep downhill that ends at a bridge over a stream. Very picturesque.

We stopped at a cafe called Dimitri's and had the best breakfast of the trip. Dimitri's had a breakfast special for $7.95 that included a pancake, eggs, sausage, bacon, ham, potatoes and toast. The food was exceptional and just what we needed after the rain day and exile in the middle of nowhere at the Budget Inn. Really good coffee too. The restaurant itself had a very European feel to it. All in all, a great way to start the day, and we left in high spirits to continue our ride along the WT.




The ride along the WT was along varied paths again, similar to yesterday's ride except no rain and no dirt trails. In a word, delightful. Some of the ride was along the shore of Lake Ontario itself, some wove through neighborhoods, some along Hwy 2 (with very well marked bike lanes), and much of the ride was through picturesque countryside along farms. The constant turns to follow the WT necessitated periodic stops to check the "WT bible" as we called it - a terrific book that Randy found in Toronto that has maps and descriptions of the WT. The ride was mostly flat, and often a slight tailwind. What I loved about the ride was you never ever got bored as you were constantly engaged with following the WT signs and enjoying the changing scenery. Most of the day we felt exhilarated. I have to say that the Waterfront Trail has far exceeded my expectations. And I am particularly impressed with the signage that keeps you on track. We have had very little trouble with getting lost since we started riding the WT.







As we were riding through the town of Cobourg, a group of bicyclists passed us. They appeared to be a local bike club out for a ride. A woman came alongside and enthusiastically started asking about our ride. She said that she did long distance touring. At the next interaction, we parted ways as our map indicated the WT went straight. After a couple of blocks, a man from the bike club group rode up behind us and yelled that he thought we might have missed the turn. He was trying to help. We showed him that we were, in fact, still on the route and he shook his head as he realized the WT actually went that way. Turns out his name was Bryan and he was a local. He said he never realized the trail went that way and he had learned something. We chatted a while and Bryan talked about a drive he had made from Mississippi to Texas and New Mexico, and especially recalled the heat. An interesting man and yet one more example of a kind stranger who went out of his way to track us down and try to help. Amazingly, we were actually on track and able to "help" him learn something new about the bike route in his town.



I had told Randy that morning that if we passed one of those fruit stands along the road during the day, I wanted to stop and get some apples for snacks. Low and behold, on one of the isolated country roads we came upon an orchard full of beautiful apples ready for the picking. The orchard was huge and literally extended as far as the eye could see. Looked like millions of trees densely packed and loaded with fully formed and healthy apples. I yelled "hooray" and leapt off my bike to go pick some apples. They looked so good and inviting that we decided to test eat one - they were delightfully crisp and juicy. Not sure what type of apples those were, but the apple experience itself was magic.




I had also been wanting to get a picture of Canadian geese flying in formation, as they would often fly close by overhead while we were riding. Or sometimes you would see them flying out low over the water. The problem I ran into was that by the time I saw them, stopped and got the camera out, it was too late and they had flown by. Well, today I started seeing the V formations with some regularity. I happened to see one in the distance that appeared to be flying my way so I just stopped and waited. I was not disappointed and was able to get a few shots as the flew overhead. The only glitch was that they changed direction slightly just as they got to me and I had to twist around backwards to get the shot. It made me so happy to finally get that shot - the simple joys really are the best.




By now, the sun had come out, just adding to the festive feel of the day. We stopped for a snack at a little roadside store beside a canal. There, with a For Sale sign was a large red boat named "Georgia Peach II". Must have been owned by a misplaced Georgia bulldog fan. Made me laugh.
We finally ended up in Trenton around 3 p.m. and found the Bayside Motel, a delightful locally owned motel right on the water with gorgeous views of the harbor. After cleaning up, I walked down to the water's edge and spent almost an hour watching the Canadian geese and gulls congregating on the huge lawn. Their interactions and antics were fascinating and entertaining. Out on the water, groups of swans paddled by. It was the perfect way to end what was, for the most part, a magical day.








Tomorrow we head for Kingston, some 75 miles away. I started looking at the maps again and am beginning to have second thoughts about Montreal. Another big city - ugh. Hate big city riding on bikes. Plus, I have been to Montreal on trips with my family. I am contemplating crossing down into New York and getting back on the Adventure Cycling northern tier route over to Maine. This would take me through many national forests and a different type of scenery. The Adirondacks - which implies more mountains and some climbs. A change at this point would also mean parting with Randy - who really wants to go to Montreal and Quebec City. I would prefer to keep riding with Randy - we are proven good traveling companions - but I also am having this feeling that the New York / Vermont route is the way I want to go. I will discuss with Randy and we'll see.

August 26, 2013

August 26, 2013 Whitby --> Port Hope, ON. - 46 miles

As expected, it was pouring down rain when I woke up. The forecast was 40-60% probability of rain throughout the day. After checking the weather radar maps, we timed our departure to coincide with a break between two fronts of rain, in hopes of avoiding the worst downpours. Still, it was raining pretty steadily when we left.




The Waterfront Trail was easily accessed a few streets from the motel, and ran alongside the shore. This portion of the WT was nicely paved and divided. It ran through a lot of nicely manicured city parks. As we progressed through the day, the WT took many forms in addition to paved asphalt. We road on gravel, dirt, and crushed granite. Over streams and railroad tracks on old rickety wood bridges and newly constructed sleek bridges. Through tree-lined trails and across fields on narrow paths. At times we rode on country roads, lined by wildflowers. We even rode on one country road that was lined for almost a half mile with beautiful bright colored traditional flowers that had obviously been lovingly planted by someone. There was also a fairly long stretch on the service road running alongside the equivalent of an interstate highway. And the stretch that ran by the nuclear power plant - that was interesting.










After 10-13 miles or so, the rain dwindled to a stop and the sun actually came out for a while. However, that only lasted an hour or so and the rain returned quite steadily for the final 8-10 miles into Port Hope, our destination town. The good news is that other than getting wet and dirty, the rain had little affect on the riding itself. "Drowned rat" is the term that comes to mind as we pulled in to the small, locally owned motel a couple of miles on the outskirts of town. Out in the middle of nowhere. No restaurants and the only convenience store had nothing of any substance to eat. The motel owners were from India and cheerfully greeted us. The rooms were very clean and comfortable, and after a long hot bath I started feeling revived. For dinner, Randy and I had pasta delivered from a local pizza place that was quite good. We sat on a bench outside our rooms and ate as we watched another downpour.

The good news is that the forecast for tomorrow is only 10% chance of rain.

August 25, 2013

August 25, 2013 Toronto --> Whitby, ON - 54 miles

We left our rest day "retreat" at approximately 10:30 am not quite knowing what to expect with regard to how difficult it would be to get across Toronto to the east side, and after that somehow get back on the Waterfront Trail (WT). We did find a good city bicycle map during our visit to Toronto on rest day, and that was our starting point. The plan was to take a route north of the city and ride available bicycle trails as much as possible in avoidance of traffic. Again, we had perfect weather conditions.

After a few glitches in following the directions on my part, we accessed the Eglinton West Trail within the first few miles and were rewarded with a paved and divided path running through pretty neighborhoods and often shaded by overhanging trees. There were quite a few runners and Sunday morning cyclists out for a ride. I felt almost festive and light-hearted.




The Eglinton West Trail ran out after 3 miles or so, and we had to negotiate some rather heavy traffic and deteriorating roads in search of the York Beltline Trail. "In search of" are the operative words. The maps were not always on point, and it was quite stressful at times finding the way. We did finally access the York BeltlineTrail, and although this trail was paved it was much less scenic and ran through some more rundown areas. By this time, some of my earlier euphoria had worn off.

After a few miles, we left the York Beltline Trail and returned to the streets in search of the Kay Gardner Beltline Trail, which would take us in a southeast direction after passing over Toronto to the north. Although this trail was unpaved and mostly gravel or crushed granite, it weaved among and under large shady trees and alongside some beautiful homes. There were many people out on this multi-use trail enjoying the day. I felt less stressed and my spirits starting rising again. Alas, at the end of the Kay Gardner Beltline Trail, we were again faced with less than clear map directions and floundered around a bit trying to get back on the planned street route. I was stressed and my spirits starting to sag again. As we were stopped by a cemetery, a woman out for a ride came along and asked if we needed help. I emphatically said "yes", and she helped direct us to the best way to get back on route. Affected once again by the kindness of yet another stranger, my spirits rose and I felt less stressed again. Then, we were confronted by miles of heavy traffic and less than ideal road conditions. Plus, navigational challenges. This went on for several miles. By this time, we had spent 3-4 hours covering approximately 12 - 14 miles to get on the east side of Toronto, and I was feeling tired, discouraged, and frustrated. I could tell Randy was feeling frustrated as well. We pulled over to re-assess a way to get off the busy roads and access the WT along Lake Ontario. We were both a little testy at this point. Randy wanted off the road, period. I told him to pick the route, and after a few minutes he just started riding down the nearest side street without a word. At first, I was a little irritated that he didn't at least tell me what he had in mind, but then just settled in to following. It was like a miracle - a parting of the sea. After a few turns, we were in the midst of a really pretty neighborhood with no traffic whatsoever. Then, another miracle - Signs with arrows directing us to the Waterfront Trail. I almost wanted to cry with joy. And my irritation toward Randy was transformed into gratitude. From his body language, I think he was relieved as well.

We stopped at Subway for a bite to eat - by this time it was 2:00 pm and we still had another 20 - 30 miles to go. I thanked Randy for getting us off that road, and we started riding again re-fueled and encouraged. Soon, the WT route became a separate paved trail running alongside the shores of Lake Ontario, and again my spirits soared. Stunning views, gorgeous wildflowers, lots of little coves and parks full of people engaged in Sunday afternoon barbecues and sporting activities. There was a huge diversity of cultures and people on the trail and in the parks. One problem we did encounter frequently was people not paying attention as they wandered aimlessly. I felt myself annoyed at their lack of common sense and consideration for others. I did find myself wondering who all these people were and conjuring up their life stories. Some looked happy, others sad or lifeless. The mass of humanity. I kept thinking, "We're all just here doing the best we can in this life. Who am I to judge anyone? Rather, how can I do it better and make this world a better place?"










As we approached the town of Pickering during part of the WT ride, there was a very large wind turbine next to a power plant.




Randy told me that he had done a google search of what the possible health hazards of wind turbines were - you may recall we saw signs protesting wind turbines earlier. Apparently, there are no known physical health hazards as such, but some people claim that the whirring noise of the wind turbines has an adverse affect on their mental health. I, of course, love the whirring noise and find it soothing rather than mentally disturbing. Just more confirmation that I am "odd" from most normal people in the way I seem to view life. I also love rain and thunderstorms and find that they actually elevate my moods, rather than make me feel down as a lot of people claim. At any rate, how we choose to approach life makes a huge difference in our capacity to enjoy life. And the older I get, the more I find that I can choose to find enjoyment in almost any circumstance. I find this preferable to finding the negative in every situation. This reminds me of one of my recent morning readings by Rohr:

"If we put our energy into choosing the good - instead of the negative and largely illusionary energy of rejecting the bad - we will overcome evil in a much better way, and will not become evil ourselves....the best criticism of the bad is the practice of the better."

As we approached our destination town of Whitby, we exited the WT and got back on narrow and congested roads that required a major exercise in patience. Also, it started spitting rain, and I became concerned that we might not make it to the motel before it began raining in earnest. Randy told me that the next turn was at Brooks Rd. I saw what I thought was Brooks Rd, but as I got nearer found that it was Brock Rd, so continued on. You can see where this is going. A mile or so down the road, it became even more narrow and pot-holed. We stopped and checked - in fact we were supposed to turn on Brock Rd. Our collective senior eyesight had betrayed us. We continued on and eventually reached the motel after a couple of extra bonus miles. I felt happy and relieved.

If I had to label today, it would be emotionally "schizophrenic". Up and down, and very stressful at times. Requiring a lot of patience and problem solving skills. Yet accompanied by some exhilarating highs. Life.

The forecast for tomorrow is for 60% probability of thunderstorms. So, I am getting prepared mentally for a wet day.

August 24, 2013

August 24, 2013 Rest day in Toronto.

Had a great rest day off. It was the first day since we started the trip that I did not get on the bike at all. The weather was absolutely stunning. Crystal clear blue skies and, although it reached the high 70's, there was just enough of a gentle cool breeze.

We took the 2 minute free hotel shuttle to the Toronto airport and caught the 152 Airport Rocket Express to the eastern most subway station to catch the train to town. I had decided that I did not want to do anything really strenuous on my day off, but still wanted to see the highlights of Toronto. So, I found one of those double decker buses that give a 2 hour tour of the high spots of the city. You have the option of hopping on or off if you want to spend more time at a particular spot, i.e. visit a museum,etc. A bonus feature of this tour was an optional 45 minute boat ride around Toronto harbor. I was a little surprised when Randy indicated that he wanted to go on the bus/boat tour with me.




The subway train let us off at the town square which bore a strong resemblance to Times Square in New York. There was a huge crowd of people due to a festival with activities and booths to raise funds to fight epilepsy. A huge billboard caught my eye - an advertisement to "Edge Walk" the CN Tower. "No Guts No Glory." The CN Tower is that space needle looking structure that you always associate with Toronto. Probably the tallest structure in Toronto. We were able to see it yesterday 25 miles out while biking in on the Waterfront Trail. For a mere $175 you can go to the top of the CN Tower, get strapped in a harness, and hang off the side. At first I thought you actually fell or repelled all the way down. But I think they only let you "walk the edge" at the top. My second thought was how "Amazing Race-like" walking the edge was. And what good practice in preparation for Amazing Race. I mentioned this to Randy and he rolled his eyes and said no way he would ever "walk that edge." The look I got was clear - he thinks I am crazy. And Amazing Race holds no fascination for him.




The bus tour was exactly what I wanted - a good overview and just the right amount of time. The guides were young college students who did a very good job of giving the basic background of whatever we were looking at, and adding in a touch of story telling and local color. I think what struck me most about Toronto was the variety of architectural styles of all types, old and new, often mixed in together or right next to each other.

Around noon, we reached the harbor and got off to take the harbor boat ride. We immediately noticed that airplanes were flying in low over our heads to land at the local airport. Only jets with propellers are allowed because of the really short runway and environmental concerns. Again, we had a young woman tour guide who did an excellent job. Just the right amount of time and information. I will note that she had a rather strange accent, or what sounded like maybe a combination of several accents. That was a little confusing to my ears. But what cracked me up was she had this habit of occasionally emphasizing each individual syllable in a word that gave it a long drawn out sounding affect. This would be followed by a hearty "EH!" for emphasis. For example, she might describe a feature of the harbor islands as "FAB -U - LUS! EH!" Or "LUV - E- LE! EH!" I caught myself trying to anticipate when this might occur, and mouthing the words with her. I could tell Randy was doing the same. By the end of the boat ride, I was starting to think in that new strange syllable language. As we got off the boat, Randy tactfully asked her about her accent, and she said she was from Trinidad. She even volunteered that she had a combination of accents as a result of living various places. We did not make further inquiry as to the strange syllable language.










After the boat ride, we had lunch at a harbor front restaurant specializing in pizza and pasta. I had this linguini dish with mushrooms and spinach, drizzled with roasted olive oil. It ranks up there with the top 2-3 favorite meals on the trip.

We climbed back on the double decker bus for the remainder of the city tour, and I started feeling a little sleepy. It was close to 3 p.m. and I decided to head back to the hotel and leave Randy to his further exploration of the city.

It was another great day, and I enjoyed getting to spend some time in Toronto. Tomorrow we resume riding along the shores of Lake Ontario towards Montreal.

August 23, 2013

On a building we rode by today..

August 23, 2013 Burlington --> Toronto - 36 miles

A magical day - one of the best biking days I have ever had.

What made this day special was that every single thing that happened seemed special - there was a certain positive "flow" to every aspect of the day. It started with a brilliant blue cloudless sky and comfortably cool temperatures. We had the breakfast special at a local cafe that was wonderful. Eggs, bacon, potatoes and toast all perfectly cooked, and good strong coffee.

Most of the ride to Toronto was on the Waterfront Trail, which was nothing short of magical in places. The trail itself was a flat smoothly paved path running through various parks and neighborhoods beautifully landscaped with bright happy flowers that were often accompanied by equally happy wildflowers. At other times, the trail ran right alongside Lake Ontario, offering stunning views. At one point approximately 25 miles from Toronto we were able to see and take pictures of the city skyline in the distance.







There were also little coves where swans swam and dove for fish, their butts prominently pointed to the sky. Canadian geese flew in formation over the water. Geese and ducks strutted alongside the trail. They were unaffected by the passersby, and allowed me to walk right up to them. However, they did still shy away from having their picture taken.




We stopped at a bike shop in one of the small towns to get advice and maps. I had been looking for a pair of bike socks that would stay up for weeks, and here I found the perfect pair of socks. Not only do they stay up and are the most comfortable socks I have ever owned, they came with a Canadian flag and the logo on the side "NICE SOCK, EH" makes me want to run around saying "EH" to everything and everyone like many of the Canadians we have met.




In Oakville, we stopped to talk to a woman coming from the other direction on a fully loaded touring bike. She was a German lady named Ursula who was riding solo and had just started from Toronto. Turns out her bike had been lost in transit from Germany to Toronto and she had bought a bike she was less than happy with to make the ride. Ursula's planned route would take her south to Niagara Falls; west along the north side of Lake Erie into Michigan; north to take the ferry to Mackinaw Island on Lake Huron; then north back into Canada, I think eventually ending up in Toronto . I asked Ursula about biking in Germany, and she gave a very positive review. She also told us that she had biked solo in Siberia and Mongolia, and told a story of having lost her compass which was a near disaster. She now rides with 2 compasses, one of which is on a cord around her neck. Ursula was very cheerful and seemed like an interesting person. I wish we could have had more time to visit and get to know her better.




Eventually, we reached the place near Toronto where we needed to leave the Waterfront Trail and head north toward the Toronto airport, where our hotel was located. We started on another beautiful bike trail running alongside a stream that actually somewhat resembled mountain streams. Black squirrels ran across the trail. One stopped nearby and actually posed for me to take his picture. Eventually, however, the trail took a turn and ended in a dirt and rock strewn path under a tunnel-like bridge. We were forced to get off the bikes and push. Randy kept on undeterred despite my repeatedly saying "uh..this doesn't look or feel quite right..don't you think we should...?" From there, it only got worse until the narrow path barely existed and we were hiking through these weeds with yellow flowers. As we slogged along pushing our bikes, I kept yelling to Randy that this just could not be right. He pulled out his google map and suggested we had missed a turn somewhere back in the weeds and wanted to backtrack. After checking my own google map, I vetoed that suggestion and strongly suggested we forge on as it appeared that the real road we were looking for was ahead if we kept on through the weeds. I was right. After hiking up a steep dirt hill pushing loaded touring bikes (mine weighed in at 81 pounds last summer at Adventure Cycling headquarters in Montana), we finally came out on a real road which actually happened to be the road we were looking for. I told Randy that after meeting the challenge of hiking through the weeds and finding our way, Amazing Race would be a piece of cake. Randy remained unimpressed or interested in the adventures offered by the Amazing Race.







Another 5-6 miles through neighborhoods and traffic, and we gratefully arrived at our hotel. We found a great deal on a hotel near the Toronto airport where we will spend 2 nights, taking a rest day tomorrow to see Toronto and regroup for the next leg of the ride. At this point, we are over half way to the final destination, wherever that ends up in Maine. We have several route options and are assessing. At any rate, the hotel is fantastic, and a fitting end to a fabulous day. We truly did "Live the Dream" today, and are fortunate enough to realize and appreciate that fact.