Days 73 - 75 Coast to Coast it's all been done!

Charlottetown -> Pictou

I was sad to leave Charlottetown, I enjoyed it immensly but I knew I needed to keep going! Huge thanks to Nancy and Gareth for having me stay with them for my 2 nights on PEI I had a great time! I got to see Green Gables, the beaches and the red cliffs, what a beautiful province!

The ride to the ferry terminal was pretty short just over three hours and fantastic scenery so I enjoyed every minute of it. I got to the ferry terminal with plenty of time to spare so I relaxed and had a snack while I waited. The ferry was nice, pretty small compared to BC standards but had a cafeteria and seating upstairs so I read my new L.M. Montgomery book (yes I had to buy one after a visit to Green Gables) as we chugged across the straite.

From the Nova Scotia side I only had about 10km to go before I hit the town where I was staying. Pictou was small and picturesque except for the big plant across the bay which ruined the otherwise unobstructed view. I checked into a quaint old inn in the middle of town and then set out to look for something for dinner. Quite the spectacle was going on when I reached the street, a parade of fire engines all with sirens screeching! I still don't know what the occasion was but there sure were alot of them and they were LOUD. They looped around the town before heading off to scare the next neighbourhood! I found the restaurant which had been recommended to me by a local and headed in for a bite to eat. Another diner sight greeted my eyes and I chose the only veggie options on the menu, a veggie sandwhich and caesar salad. I guess maybe if you eat meat and your teeth are removable you might like this place but for me it was a dud. I finished quickly and headed back to my room for the night.

Pictou -> Truro

I left late in the morning to another drizzly day. Nothing much to talk about on the ride, pretty dreary cold day with not much to look at. I arrived in Truro before my host had returned home so had a tea in Tim Hortons while I waited. Not long after I was back on my bike heading for Matt's (couchsurfing host). A shower and a change of clothes and I was feeling much better. Matt and his roomate Omar were great company and we had fun exchanging stories and just hanging out. They got a kick of how squirmy I was once I found out the rat they had in a tank on the floor wasn't the pet but the meal for their pet python Monty. They assured me he probably wouldn't be eaten that night since he had already survived 5 days. Of course they were wrong and just minutes after I found out, the rat was in the belly of a very full snake! Yuck! I couldn't even look in the direction of the tank, snakes just aren't a particularly friendly or cuddly pet. Despite the snake in the corner I still had a decent sleep. I guess when you are tired nothing can really keep you awake at night!

Truro -> Halifax

The Last Day!!!!!! How amazing to finally be finished!!! It actually didn't really feel real, it still doesn't, just feels like another rest stop before i'm back on the bike. Maybe once i'm on the train heading home it will set in.

The ride was dreary to start with another misty day. The first couple hours weren't very fun except for the little local bakery I discovered with cookies still warm from the oven! They were a hit, I'd never had date cookies before but let me tell you they were delicious! The day picked up after the cookie stop and the clouds started to clear. By the time I was heading down into Halifax it was a sunny evening. I rode across the Macdonald bridge from Dartmouth into the city that was my final destination! I arrived at Therese's and of course quickly hopped into the shower. I had dinner with Therese and her boyfriend Adam and then we were joined by Wanda, the P4P coordinator, and Susie, a P4P rider from Nova Scotia. We had a good time exchanging stories about the different parts of the ride.

Yesterday I met Wanda for lunch at a local cafe before exploring the downtown a little. We then did a wrap up interview for the Sierraclub website, you can view it here. The interview was fun and classically Nova Scotia with the bagpipes in the background and it kind of finalized the trip for me! Now i'm down in Lunenburg staying at Wanda's farm for a few days. On Friday I will be taking the ferry from Yarmouth to Portland and from there making my way to Boston where I will take the train across the states to Seattle! I will be back on Pender on the 14th! 3 and a half months and a hell of a journey later!! Thanks for reading my stories, I hope you enjoyed them and learned a little something!!! xxoo

Days 69-72 back to island life

Fredericton -> The middle of nowhere

I really enjoyed my stay in Fredericton both with Jessica and Anne. Big thanks to you both for welcoming me into your homes! After my rest day I set off feeling revived and especially energetic thanks to a hearty breakfast of wheatberry cereal and yogurt. I set off under drizzly skies and with the wind in my face. It was slow going but on the plus side the storm was getting pushed behind me and there were sunny skies in sight! I rode alongside the river and enjoyed the relatively flat road and the stunning fall colours! Just over half way I stopped for lunch at one of those convenience store/restaurant/gas stations that constitutes as a town in New Brunswick! There is where I began my overindulgent day with 2 slices of thickly buttered homemade delicious banana bread. Back on the road for jut a few minutes and I noticed a sign for homemade icecream coming up at the next exit. I deliberated stopping as I approached...I told myself if I could see the shop from the highway I would stop. If not I would continue on. When I reached the exit, no shop in view. So then I said to myself "well I will just take the exit and if I can't see it before the on-ramp I will just keep going" the on-ramp came and went and I was still on the quest. It was clear I was losing a battle with my tummy and so I turned the corner and just a few hundred metres down the road I saw the sign. It was homemade and it was delicious. I should have known I wouldn't have been able to pass a sign for ice cream! An hour after my impromptu ice cream stop and I had reached my destination of the day, another convenience store/restaurant/gas station only this time there was a motel too! Almost a city! Since I arrived so early in the day I treated my bike to a good wash down and even cleaned my chain! By the end I was filthy with grease but my bike was shining! I had a quick dinner and then headed over to the restaurant for dinner where the only vegetarian option was an egg salad sandwich. Less then satisfied with my dinner I had a large slice of carrot cake for dessert to make up for the fact and thus finished my day with another spot of indulgence but ohhh how it was worth it!

Middle of Nowhere -> Moncton

I took my time getting ready that morning as I had a short day ahead of me. Although, I was rather rudely awakened at 8 that morning by someone trying to barge into my room! Luckily I had deadbolted the door and after a few tries they gave up and I was able to go back to sleep for another hour.

It was drizzling again that morning as I set off but the torrential storm held off for the time being. About 30km down the road I noticed a distinct wobble on my bike which never warned of anything good and sure enough when I looked down I noticed that my front tire was flat! I pulled over and started pulling out my tools. As I did the heavens opened and it began to pour! Great timing! Then, to make matters worse I discovered that my pump was missing. I quickly threw everything back in my panier so it wouldn't get any wetter and started walking as I contemplated what to do. I hadn't seen an exit since I had started that morning so I thought there might be one coming up and fingers crossed it would have a gas station. 20 minutes later I was still walking, soaked to the bone, and no gas station in sight. That's when I noticed a car on the shoulder backing up towards me. When we were parallel the man inside unrolled his window to ask me if I wanted a ride. He probably thought I was nuts as I stood in the downpour and considered his offer. I hesitated and then asked how far it was to the next gas station. At this point the rain had reached monsoon levels and the drops were stinging as they hit my skin. He figured the closest gas station was about 30km away. I realized with a sinking sensation that unless I wanted to be walking till way past dark I was going to have to get in his car. I had to break my vow of a car free journey and take the ride. It was amazing how fast the distance was eaten up by the car. Travelling for so long by bike and a car felt unreasonably fast. John dropped me and my soaking gear off in Salisbury where I fixed my flat and had lunch while trying to decide if I had time to ride back to where I got the flat and then turn around and make it to Moncton before dark. Sadly I realized it was unfeasible and that I would have to forgo those 36km.

It continued to pour as I made my way to Moncton. I pulled up at Vincent's (my warmshowers host) looking very much like a drowned rat! A shower and the use of a dryer and I felt human again. We went to the Pumphouse Brewery for dinner and I had my first experience with blueberry beer, complete with real blueberries floating in it!

Moncton -> Sackville

First thing first! I went straight to a bike shop to buy a new pump! I did not want to have a repeat of the stranded situation of the day before!

The ride to Sackville was uneventful and slow. I was battling a ferocious headwind but at least the sun was shining. I arrived at Emily's (my couchsurfing host) around 2pm and the two of us spent the afternoon cooking a vegetarian moussaka for dinner that night. To be honest Emily mostly cooked and I mostly talked but I will take credit for the custard which I diligently stirred for an hour straight before it finally cooperated and set. It was fun to be in a houseful of students again and I missed school just a little bit until they all dissapeared back into their bedrooms to work on papers while I popped a movie in the DVD player :)

Sackville -> Charlottetown

The ride started with a few dead ends that morning thanks to my GPS misleading me. Eventually I found my way across the highway and onto the road heading north towards the bridge. I stopped for a second breakfast in Port Elgin, the last town before the bridge. I ordered the breakfast special but made sure to let the waitress know I didn't want any meat. When my plate arrived strewn with bacon I quickly called the waitress back to let her know there had been a mistake. She looked over at me and started to say something along the line of "well can't you just push...." and she trailed off. Probably because she had noticed the look on my face. So she went into the kitchen and returned with a side plate, she then proceeded to pick the bacon off of my plate with her fingers right in front of my face! I was shocked and figured if that's how things worked around there I better keep my mouth shut. I obediently started to eat my breakfast under the pitying looks of the other customers. I ate quickly to escape the restaurant and was thankful to get back on my bike!

In no time at all I could see the big confederation bridge looming in front of me. I pulled off at the last exit to look for the shuttle that takes pedestrians and cyclists across the bridge. I pulled into the parking lot and was surprised to see 8 other touring bikes already there! I soon met their owners, 8 friendly women who were setting off on a girls weekend which they told me included, PEI tip to tip on their bikes, good restaurants, good wine and good company! Sounded pretty good to me! We chatted as we waited for the shuttle and soon realized that one of the ladies and I had a mutual acquaintance, Margot with a "T" from Pender. What a small world!

As we crossed the bridge and I caught my first glimpses of PEI I knew instantly I would love it! Maybe it was because it's an island, maybe because it's so pretty but whatever the reason I could tell right away it was going to be a great couple of days. I said goodbye to the ladies on the other side and took off to get a few pictures of the bridge before heading towards Charlottetown. About 15km later I stopped, partially because I had seen a sign for ice cream and partially because I wanted advice on directions. Both were given freely! I left Anna's kitchen with my instant love of the island reconfirmed. A free double scoop in my belly and route advice in my head I set out again. I was surprised to encounter hill upon hill upon hill and I was very happy to reach Nancy and Gareth's and finally be done with the hills! I was warmly welcomed and we enjoyed a delicious dinner while getting to know one another. Later that evening while chatting we discovered that the friendly gentleman who had given me route advice was none other then their good friend Charlie! Proof again of what a small world it really is!

Days 67 & 68 Those cold and frosty mornings

Grand Falls -> Woodstock

Woke up shivering in my tent, it was freezing out! The rain overnight had cleared and therefore there was no longer an insulating cloud cover and it was chilly! and windy! I finally forced myself out of my sleeping bag and shedded the many layers of clothing I had worn to bed to get dressed. Tearing down camp was not fun as my fingers were soon numb and I couldn't get my tent undone with no feeling in my hands. Finally I was all packed up and ready to hit the road, I couldn't wait to get moving and hopefully warm up with some exertion. I didn't have to wait long, as soon as I left the campsite I was climbing a huge hill. My body was quickly warmed and just my feet and hands remained chilled. Broke out the gloves for the first time that morning!

I had a great tail wind for the most part of the day so even though it was cold at least I was going quickly and it wouldn't be too long of a day. My spanish podcasts kept me entertained until lunchtime at which point I couldn't take anymore of the cheesy intro jingle and had to take a break. There weren't really any towns to speak of for most of the day and since I was down on food supplies lunch consisted of a muffin and power bar. Gone are the days when we used to have a big spread for lunch and dinner!

I've noticed a few interesting things about New Brunswick so far, things that are different then any other province we have come through.

1. They all have these big wooden trunks at the end of their driveways. I thought maybe they were for packages in the post or then I thought of dowry trunks but after having asked a local I found out they are just garbage storage trunks. Much nicer then the big bins the rest of us use!

2. There are sooooooo many churches! Every little town has at least and Anglican, Baptist and Presbyterian church and some of them have even more!

3. Lots of the houses have metal stars on the outside, usually attached to the siding near the front door. I had no idea what this symbolized and again thought up many different reasons they could be there but when I asked it turns out they are trendy right now and solely decorative. So much for all my crazy ideas!

4. Lots and lots of dogs which really like to chase/bark at me. I'm sure most of them mean no harm but when two big dogs are chasing you as fast as they can run and I can pedal it's a little frightening! It's happened a few times over the last couple of days and i'm paranoid they are going to bite me and/or get caught under my wheel and cause a big accident both to me and them. Luckily most of the dogs are tied up so the most they can do is bark.

Anyways getting back on track, I got into Woodstock pretty early in the afternoon and had time to go to the library before checking into my "hostel". Note the quotation marks around "hostel" what a wierd place it was. There was no reception, you had to call to be let in, instead of some young foreign person working it was an older local woman, all the rooms were singles, it was in the basement of an apartment building, when the other residents heard I was a "traveller" they were surprised. Apparently it was more of a residence for people in between houses, in between jobs, or recently immigrated to Canada. I spent most of the time in my room. I must admit though, wierd as it was I had a fabulous sleep!

Woodstock -> Fredericton

Another very cold morning on the road but this time it was clear and sunny and warmed up fairly quickly. I decided to take a back road into the city instead of following the highway. I thought it would be a short cut. In distance it was for sure but time wise I'm not so sure since it was not very well paved it was pretty slow going for the first 40km and lots and lots of hills! Again almost no towns along the way but at least this time I had bought groceries in Woodstock and had food for lunch! The ride was pretty uneventful, I think I may have seen a moose but not quite sure, some sort of large animal from quite far away can be anything if you use your imagination a little :)

I got into Fredericton around 4pm surprised to see how little it really is! Apparently the population is only around 60,000. I spent last night at Jessica's, a girl I contacted through couchsurfing.org. We built a fire and hung out telling stories and making s'mores, a good Saturday night! Today I'm taking my first rest day since Ottawa and then tomorrow it's back on the road again!

Days 65&66 New Brunswick and the last time zone!

Riviere-du-loup - Edmundston 123km

I had a bit of sleep-in in the morning, enjoying the comfy hostel bed. My roomie Julia from Germany and I went downstairs to enjoy the breakfast included in our stay! Somehow free breakfast just always tastes better! I packed up and said bye to the new friends I had made the night before. Back on the road I turned south, away from the river and towards New Brunswick! The road was pretty decent for the first while although the cross wind was really strong, definitely a 2 hands on kind of day! Luckily the wind died down but that was when I hit all of the construction, and the stinky farms :( The road was bad so I had to go quite slowly and it was very bumpy and to make matters worse it smelled like poo. I kept on going for ever it felt like since I didn't want to stop for lunch until the smell went away. I have this thing about eating when it smells, ever since someone told me everything you smell your actually eating tiny particles of. In this case it would have been manure, no thanks! Finally things got better smell wise and road wise and I found a rest stop for lunch. Not to long after it started to rain but luckily just a light drizzle nothing to worry about. I hit the New Brunswick border at about quarter past 4 and promptly lost an hour due to the time change. I spent some time in the info centre looking up campgrounds and checking my email. By the time I was out again in was just before 6 and pouring! I started looking for the closest campground but when I reached the exit it had a big closed sign over it, darn! I continued on and the rain abated and I even briefly saw a rainbow! I stopped in Edmunston for some groceries and then continued south of town where I knew there was another campground. Luckily this one was open and even had a elevated pumphouse under which I was able to pitch my tent to stay out of the worst of the rain. I ate my dinner of granola and yogurt in bed before rolling over to go to sleep.

Edmunston - Grand Falls 65km???

So as you probably have gathered from the question marks after my distance yet another cyclometer has bitten the dust. I give up, that's the last one! Partially because I hate replacing them but mostly because there isn't another MEC until Halifax!

I slept in this morning and when I woke up the sun was streaming through my tent! Yay! I didn't manage to get out of the campground until after 11 which didn't really matter since I knew the day would be short.

Pushed along by a tailwind I was covering ground at a great speed! I was listening to my Spanish podcasts and practicing my pronunciation as I pedaled. Luckily there weren't too many people on the streets to hear me butchering the Spanish, repeating over and over "Esta es mi hermana, se llama Raquelle" That kept me occupied right up until I reached the campground, or until I saw the sign actually. It turns out that the address had been a little wrong and the campground wasn't on the highway but on a side road which ran parallel. I hopped off of my bike and decided to pull/drag it across the ditch, over the hill and across the next ditch instead of going back to a crossroad. It wasn't too difficult and I'm sure I probably saved at least 2 minutes! I've set up camp and have come back into town to use the Internet and try and find somewhere for dinner! Tomorrow I am heading for Woodstock!

Days 61-64 Au bord de la Ste. Lawrence

Montreal -> Trois Rivieres 150km

I left Montreal guided by Giselle, she took me to the bike path so I wouldn`t get lost like the day before. Back on La Route Verte I headed out of the city. The path was wonderful nothing reminscent of the stressful day before! The only unfortunate part of the path is that because it stays off of the main road I was zigzagging all around which added time and km to the day. Once I was out of Montreal`s industrial area the scenerey was gorgeous, I followed along the St. Lawrence and then headed inland through the Mauricie region. It was slow going since I was battling a slight headwind and I didn`t arrive in Trois-Rivieres until the sun was setting. I decided that 150km definitley deserves a poutine so I had one. I ordered the small and when it arrived it looked large enough to feed four! I will never understand how the quebecqois can polish one of those off. The guys beside me were ploughing their way through larges. I took my leftovers to go and even though cold poutine isn`t very tasty I ate it for two more meals to avoid being wasteful! After dinner I rode the last few km to Caro and Matt`s place, the couchsurfers with whom I was spending the night. We had lots of fun playing an english trivia game which resulted in lots of laughing and misunderstanding because of the language barrier!

Trois-Rivieres -> Quebec 160km

My longest day ever! It was the equivalent of a century ride (100 miles) and I think once was enough, I will stick to shorter days or less weight from here on out! Luckily I had a tailwind so although the distance was farther I actually made better time than the day before. I rode alongside the river again following La Route Verte. The weather was perfect and there was hardly any traffic. I passed some familiar sights from the last time I had been in Trois-Rivieres as I pedaled out of town. One thing I have noticed since being in Quebec is the huge number of casse-croutes, otherwise know as fast-food. The big difference between Quebec and rest of Canada though is that everywhere else you see the giant arches or some other chain but here they are individually owned and family operated. I`m sure they probably do a mean poutine but being all poutined out I stopped for an icecream instead. I rode into Quebec about 5:30pm that afternoon in search of a hostel in the old part of the city. I missed my turn off and ended up in who knows where but being lost ended up being a blessing in disguise because as I was plugging away at my GPS I received a phone call bearing news of accommodation for the night! A friend of a friend had offered to put me up! Even better she lived straight back from the way I had come so instead of figuring out new directions all I had to do was turn around! Josée and her family were great and I was instantly jealous of her bilingual children who switched between languages without even realizing it!

Quebec -> Saint-Roch-des-Aulnaies 132km

I started the day off with a wrong turn which caused me to unneccarily go up the steepest hill I had seen all week! maybe next time I will check the map a little more carefully! I got back on track and headed for the bridge to cross over to the south side of the St. Lawrence. I had a great view of vieux Quebec and château Frontenac as I rode along the busy bike path. Eventually I left the chaos of the city behind me. I rode through many picturesque villages, many of which were hundreds of years old! The rest stops along the road were spaced perfectly, need water? a lunch spot? a bathroom? Pop! They would appear just as I needed them! It was great! For anyone deciding on their next Canadian vacation destination I would highly reccommend this area! I stayed with a family that I contacted through the website warmshowers.org (a website linking up touring cyclists) they were great, 2 new kittens had recently become a part of the family and were adorable! The kids didn`t speak english so it was a good opportunity to practice my french!

Saint-Roch-des-Aulnaies -> Rivière-du-loup 82km

The wind was so strong this morning I barely had to pedal, if I had a sail I would have been here by noon! Either way it was a fun and easy ride! I got rained on a little but had dried off before stopping for lunch so it wasn`t a big deal. I would officially say I have reached the sea today, I can smell the salt on the air! Although I think it is still officially considered the St. Lawrence the water is salty and there are huge tides. Eel fishing is a big thing here and I have been told I should try the smoked eel it`s supposed to be delicious, I think I may just take their word on it! I was in Rivière-du-loup before 2pm today, a change from the past few days that`s for sure! I am staying at a very nice hostel which seems to be quite empty and have just found the library which is where I am now! Tomorrow I was going to have a rest day but I think I may just carry on instead. Heading for New Brunswick!

Days 59&60 Bienvenue au Quebec

Ottawa - L'Original 100km

My first day striking out on my own! Leaving Ottwas was nice, the roads all had bike paths and were not too busy. I stayed off of the main highway for the majority of the day and had really good riding conditions. With a bit of a tail wind I made great time getting into town and found the campground with no problem. In town while I was grocery shopping I met numerous friendly locals all interested in my ride and supportive of the cause! I had to use my french for the first time at the campground even though I was still in Ontario the caretaker spoke no English. I pitched my tent and had my cold dinner, (no stove now that Malkolm isn't with me) done just in time to watch the sunset over the river. Bedtime is coming earlier and earlier these days as the sun sets earlier. That night I think I was tucked into my sleeping bag by 8:30 luckily I had a book from my care package from Nao and Liis to keep me company!

L'Original - Montreal 110km

I woke up with the intentions of getting an early start that morning but when I heard the pitter patter of rain drops on my tent all good intentions flew out the window as I buried myself deeper into my sleeping bag in hopes of waiting out the rain. Luckily it stopped quite shortly after and I was able to get almost ready to go before it started again. I waited out the drizzle under the overhang of the bathrooms while reading the local paper and as soon as the rain ceased I pulled down my tent quickly and got packed up and on the road. That was it for the rain that day and soon after the sun was shining. I crosses the river into Quebec and immediatley found La Route Verte, the fabulous bike route all through Quebec. I managed to follow the path as is travelled along side the river for most of the day. As I neared Montreal traffic got heavier and heavier, unfortunately I was arriving in Friday rush hour. I decided to stop at MEC to return yet another cyclometer and that was my one big mistake. Traffic was crazy, my phone was dead and I was lost after that. I rode till I found a pay phone and called my host, Michel, and got directions. I was told that I was pretty much as far away from where I wanted to be as possible :( Good directions, a close-call with a school bus and an hour later I had made it to Michel's but unfortunately he had already left for work, his girlfriend Giselle was there to show me around and she was a most gracious hostess! Big thanks to both of them for their hospitality! I slept very well that night and the alarm sounded as usual too early the next morning.

To Ottawa and beyond!

My time in Ottawa passed quickly. On Tuesday we held a rally on parliament hill which was well attended and very successful in terms of politicians and citizens alike being in attendance. I was put a little on the spot when I was asked to give a speech without any forwarning! Luckily Malkolm had known in advance and written something up so I said a few things a greatfully passed the mic on to him!

I passed out the remaining postcards that Nadia and I had been carrying since day 1 and talked to lots of people who were interested in the trip we had just completed. You can check out some pictures of the event here. We also got to meet the group from Quebec who had just cycled in that morning.

In the afternoon we all rode together from Embassy to Embassy in search of Canada's missing climate action plan. We heard from the Dutch Ambassador as well as from a representative from the Danish Embassy. By then we were all starving so a bunch of us headed over to a local cafe where Kesten's cousin had kindly offered to treat us to lunch. The MTV news girl joined us for lunch and conducted a few more interviews while we waited for our food so keep an eyeout for pedal for the planet on MTV canada's news airing sometime this week!

Yesterday I finally reached a decision about my plans for after Ottawa, nothing like leaving it till the last minute! I am going to continue riding on to Halifax! I spent the whole day planning route, searching for accommodations and getting supplies. I am going to post my itinerary below and like before I will indicate whether or not I have somewhere to stay and if you or anyone you know would be interested in hosting me for the night please let me know! As the weather gets colder a warm house to sleep in is more and more welcome!

> Sept 17 - Ottawa - Hawkesbury YES
> Sept 18 - Hawkesbury - Montreal YES
> Sept 19 Montreal - Trois Rivieres NO
> Sept 20 Trois Riviers - Quebec YES
> Sept 21 Quebec - Saint-Aubert NO
> Sept 22 Saint-Aubert - Riviere-du-loup YES
> Sept 23 Rest day in Riviere-du-loup YES
> Sept 24 Riviere-du-loup - Edmundston NO
> Sept 25 Edmundston - Grandfalls NO
> Sept 26 Grandfalls - Woodstock NO
> Sept 27 Woodstock - Fredericton YES
> Sept 28 Fredericton - Waterborough NO
> Sept 29 Waterborough - Moncton YES
> Sept 30 Moncton - Port Elgin NO
> Oct 1 Port Elgin - Charlottetown YES
> Oct 2 Rest day in Charlottetown YES
> Oct 3 Charlottetown - Caribou NO
> Oct 4 Caribou - Truro NO
> Oct 5 Truro - Halifax YES

Days 56-58 Watch out parliament here we come!

Kingston -> Westport 64km

Left Wolfe Island and headed over to Kingston in the morning where we were hoping to find some other people to ride with us. We set up outside of city hall to talk to passers-by and see if there were any cyclists to join us. We met some interesting people but when it appeared there were to be no more cyclists we packed up and hit the road.

The windy hilly road we followed was pleasant and the weatherwas good, a great day for riding. We had arranged to meet with our billet that night for lunch at a point half way but when 1 o'clock rolled around and we still hadn't found it we decided to have lunch number one on the side of the road. We found Gerrie a few km further on and stopped again for a second lunch. She had made us delicious dishes with ingredients from her farm. She even brought a table and tablecloth, the classiest lunch of the trip!

Westport was not far from there and we made good time. Although just outside of town on the way to the farm we did have to climb one of the top 5 steepest hills of the trip! Most of us managed to pedal all the way, but I can attest to the fact that we were all breathless by the top except maybe Ted who decided to go back down and do it again!

Gerrie's farm was great! She primarily grows produce and worms! Who knew red wrigglers were such a cash crop? I learned a lot about the benefits of having a worm compost. They will eat almost anything! All your food wasted and paper wasted can be digested by them and their own waste is some of the best soil you can get! Gerrie has introduced worm composters into many schools and businesses in the area which is awesome! I have been a fan of worms since I used to collect in my blue bucket when I was kid, but now I will be singing the praise of worms wherever I go!

Westport -> Blacks Corners 61km

A nice short day, it felt like we hardly did any riding at all. No sooner then we were on our bikes it felt like we had reached lunch. The town of Perth welcomed us at their museum with sandwiches and goodies. It was great to have such a wonderful reception, even the mayor was there to chat. Some of the locals rode out with us after lunch and I enjoyed chatting as we pedalled along. Nothing like a good conversation to make the miles fly by and again we had reached our destination in no time at all. We were staying on Goodwood farm and they had organized a barbeque for us! Although the sight of a lamb and chicken roasting on a spit doesn't appeal to me I know some in the group were very excited! Dinner was enjoyed by all and the good company helped. I noticed Malkolm in animated discussion with a neighbouring farmer who apparently did not share all the same views. We later found out he had been invited because our host wanted to stir up everyone's blood a little and get some good discussion going. He was certainly successful!

We slept that night in the backyard and I was only allowed to pitch my tent after being warned about all the animals which had the potential to attack. Bears, wolves, coyotes, coy dogs, raccoons and vampire bats were all mentioned. I couldn't tell if Keith was joking or not so I climbed into my sleeping bag feeling less then settled that night. When I woke up in darkness to see the silhouette of an animal circling my tent I was petrified! I managed to convince myself that it was just a neighbours dog, and after a few minutes it took off. The rest of the night was uneventful and I slept well.

Blacks Corners -> Ottawa 77km

The final destination! We had finally reached it and it felt kind of surreal. We took a great path into Ottawa, I really enjoyed not having to worry about cars and trucks and took time to enjoy the beautiful fall colours surrounding me. We had lunch in Stittsville and from there you really have reached the outskirts of the city so we passed through numerous subdivisions on our way to the riverside where we would find another cycling path leading us right to parliament hill.

Once in Ottawa we took the obligatory pictures in front of parliament before our hunger got the best of us and we took off in search of one last ice cream cone! A double scoop of gelato later and we were all pretty content. I left the group then to search for my friend Dom's house as that is where I was staying. Only then did the clouds burst and I was soaked within minutes! I got lost a couple times on route so by the time I was outside the door I was looking more and more like a drowned rat. Rain like that really makes you appreciate a roof over your head and hot shower!

Days 54 & 55 on the home stretch

Grafton -> Belleville 78km



The highlight of this day was a stop at Earthwalk, Eco Education Centre. Located just outside of Colborne on a 5 acre plot of land it seems eons away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Peace and quiet surrounded us as we coasted down the driveway to the centre. There we had a snack of freshly picked beans and tomatoes before heading to one of the classrooms for a workshop on "getting your message through" some helpful hints on how to engage your audience were shared with us by Garnet McPherson the program's director. We also learned about the house and how it had been built, essentially carbon neutral using solar power to both heat and cool the house. We had lunch there and were then joined on our ride by a couple of locals who pedalled with us to Brighton.


We stopped for ice creams in Carrying Place a small town about half way through the ride. There we determined that yet again we had managed to lose a member of the group. Eddy was nowhere to be seen and only after some thorough searching by the support vehicle did he turn up having taken a substantial detour! The rest of the ride was uneventful and we arrived in Belleville about 6pm only 2 hours behind schedule! We were supposed to meet with the mayor there but I guess he got tired of waiting around and the town hall was quiet when we arrived. We headed on over to Organic Undgeround a great cafe/multi-use space where we were spending the night. The space didn't have showers so we decided to go the Y we heard was just a few blocks away. We started walking and 45 minutes later were still walking, I guess we should have asked just how far a "few" blocks is. The sauna there made it worthwhile and I had a great sleep that night.

Belleville -> Kingston 92km

Just me and the guys. again. Rita had to return to Toronto for the day and Eddy had to get back to school so our group had dwindled to 7. We left early and made great time as we followed the shoreline east towards Kingston. I finally finished all the Harry Potter books, perfect timing as the tour is almost over! We stopped in Bath for lunch and had arrived in Kingston by 3:30pm.

We went to a tar-sands teach in at Queen's led by Clayton Thomas Muller of the Indigenous Environment Network. He is a great speaker and I was happy to learn more from him. He also told us that Mercury is in retrograde which apparently makes people late, miss connections and generally behind schedule. This makes sense as we proceeded to miss two ferries and a train all within the next two hours! We finally made it over to Wolfe Island by 10:30pm our final destination for the night. While waiting for the ferry we amused ourselves by playing Zoom, Schwartz, Bflude..something, Kingston's citizens were probably wondering what kind of crazies were in town as we crawled, hopped and ran barefoot around the ferry terminal. Or maybe they took no notice since it's frosh week at Queen's and many weirder things are going on!

Today we are having a rest day, this morning we had a tour of the wind farm on Wolfe Island which was very interesting. The structures are very impressive once you get up close. I don't know about you but I would much rather have a wind turbine in my backyard then a coal-fired or nuclear plant! I guess tonight we will just chill out and try and get a good night's sleep before we head out for Westport tomorrow!

Apologies for the lack of pictures but I forgot my camera cord! Will post some next time I have reliable internet!

Days 52 & 53 Riding with a new crew

Toronto -> Oshawa 80km??

Left Anubha's after a great stay in Toronto. I was shown that my preconcieved notions about Toronto were completely wrong and it is a very down to earth and friendly city after all. Thanks too very much to Anubha for having me stay and showing me a great time!

I met with the new crew at union station and got ready to ride out of the city. The majority of the group decided to ride the GO train to Pickering but, the west coast crew plus Leslie decided to brave the busy streets and pedal our way out.

Stopped in Pickering for a photo shoot in front of N.A's largest wind turbine, largest but solo...and in front of a nuclear station... let's think about that for a minute. After that the whole group rode into Ajax and there we met the mayor Steve Perry who rode with us through town. We stopped for lunch at a park on lake Ontario and then got back on the Waterfront Trail to continue east along the lakeshore.

We spent the night camping in Darlington Provincial Park, our site was on the cliffside looking out onto lake Ontario, pretty stunning! It was fun to be part of a larger group again, we had a campfire and played games by the firelight before retiring to our tents.

Oshawa -> Grafton 65km so far

Odometer number 5 is now functioning! Hopefully knock on wood this one will last the rest of the trip! It should considering there are only 5 days left!

We left the campground around 10, our group having already shrunken by 2. Emma had to head back to TO for work and Ted was heading into town to have a broken spoke repaired before he could rejoin the tour. He left me with the map and directions to continue east, assuring me that they were straightforward and easy to follow... I don't know if I'm just bad at directions or he is exceptionally good but we managed to split the group into three, spend time backtracking and do some bushwacking all within the first hour! After trying to leave hints for groups further back as we twisted and turned through the forest we finally gave up and left the trail for a service road running parallel to the highway.

We met back up with Ted at lunch time just outside of Port Hope and I was happy to relinquish the role of "leader" back to him. We stopped in Cobourg for a tour of a geothermal company and then continued on to a press conference at a local cafe, we chatted with local press and did a mock ride by for a good photo opportunity. Check out these links later today or tomorrow to see the articles. Northumberland View, Today.com, The Northumberland News

That brings me up to right now where I am currently blogging away at the Go Green Together office. Big thanks to them for organizing the press conference, riding with us into the city and letting us use their office for blogging! We have a few more clicks to go but have been revitalized by fresh lemonade, fruit and coconut cookies at the cafe next door. End destination is Ted's families farm.

Days 46-51 under sunny skies

Sault Ste. Marie -> Blind River 152km

Our longest day yet! We made good time thanks to a great tail wind and a flat road! Fueled by omelettes, crepes, blueberry flan, deep fried zuchini and fresh tszatziki we were ready to pedal out those kilometres! Andre, Annika and Dusty joined us for the first 35km, I felt for them as they turned around to battle a strong headwind back into town. Huge thanks to Andre, Andrea and Annika for hosting us for 2 nights, we enjoyed ourselves immensly and will think back only on good memories of Sault Ste. Marie.

We got into Blind River just after 6 and being that it was a Sunday of course all the grocery stores were closed. We "dined" that evening at Subway. I was suitably impressed as Malkolm easily wolfed down 2 foot long subs! I let him know that I would be amazed if he could manage 3 by Ottawa! We spent that night on some mossy rocks next to a swamp, a campsite Kesten found while we were eating and deemed "quiet and lovely" by him. It wasn't bad as far as bush camping goes but I think our definitions of "quiet and lovely" differ quite substantially.

Blind River -> Espanola 107km

I will remember this day because of the icecream. On a sunny afternoon after riding your bike for a few hours all you can think about is icecream. I'm not sure if this statement applies to everyone but for me it is always true. As the afternoon wears on I am constantly on the lookout for the sandwich board sign with the all familiar icecream cone on it. That day I wanted to get to our destination before stopping for icecream, i'm not sure why but I guess I was just in the zone. I was lucky though, that Malkolm was in the mood for an icecream en route because when we stopped in Webbwood I think I almost went to heaven. Farquhar's icecream, what a delight! I had the maple twist and it was in the top 5 icecreams I have had in my life. Let me tell you that is saying a lot, I have gone for icecream in probably almost every country, city, town I have ever visited. Farquhar's tops the list. It comes from a small dairy on Manitoulin Island and is only available in that small region of Ontario. If any of you ever get the chance to stop for a Farquhar's icecream I wouldn't pass up that opportunity, it is DELICIOUS!!!!

Espanola -> Tobermory 115km???

Again my odometer bit the dust that day so my daily distance is an estimation. We rode from Espanola over the LaCloche "mountains" over the swinging bridge onto Manitoulin Island, took the ferry across lake Huron and ended our day in Tobermory on the very north end of the Bruce Peninsula.

We had a fairly tight schedule that day, you know with ferry schedules and all finally something familiar to me. The constant slight pressure of knowing you have to be there on time or you will see the ferry chugging out of sight without you. We thought we had left ourselves loads of time until in the first hour Malkolms chain broke. That set us back an hour. Then there was the "mountain" range we had to cross, they were more just like big hills but they did slow us down. Once we were on the island we were hit with terrible road conditions and a strong headwind. Our extra time was slipping away from us. Kesten ended up hitching a ride to make it on time and the rest of us powered on taking few if any breaks. We made it with time for an icecream at the ferry terminal!

That ride was also noteworthy because it was the day I saw my first bear! Finally! I had been on the lookout for ages, all through the rockies and northern Ontario, other people kept seeing them but not me so the bear really made my day!

Tobermory -> Owen Sound 100km??

We had spent the night in a friendly ladies back yard. We had met her the night before at her cafe in downtown Tobermory where we stopped after getting off of the ferry to listen to some live music, have a hot chocolate and hopefully find a friendly face willing to have a few campers in their yard. We were successful on all accounts and I suggest stopping by the Mermaid Cafe in Tobermory if you get the chance, it's got a great vibe going on!

We had a very pleasant ride that day, mostly staying on backroads and enjoying the sunshine. I was able to listen to my ipod without worrying about semi's at my back and that always makes the kilometers pass a little faster. We spent the night at a campground in Owen Sound and I was extremely greatful for the showers as it had been a couple hot days without one!

Owen Sound -> Orangeville 105km???

I got my second real flat of the trip that morning. Just 1km out of the campground and we already had to make our first stop. The guys enjoyed muffins at the cafe next door as I sat on the pavement cursing my bad luck and patching the leak. Another darn staple! Just before 11 we were back on the road heading south again. That was about the only eventful thing that happened until we set up camp.

I couldn't find a campground in Orangeville and the guys are all for bush camping anyways so we started looking for a good place as we left Shelburne heading for Orangeville. It was mostly farmland without a lot of cover so there weren't many opportunities for stealth camping. Finally we found a side road and off of that a snowmobile trail. We decided that would have to do. We cooked dinner on the trail, waiting till dusk to set up our tents so that there bright colours didn't draw attention. Shortly after we had gone to bed I hear Malkolm yell "Vehicle approaching" and I could hear him scrambling to throw his possessions tent included into the bush. We hadn't stopped to consider that although it was a snowmobile path it could be used by ATVs during the summer! I was glad that I had set my tent up on the side of the path and I just cowered inside as the machine roared passed the side of my head!

Orangeville -> Toronto 95km??

We all woke early that morning as sleep hadn't been particularly good for any of us. Uncomfortable site, worry of ATVs and a pretty chilly night didn't really add up to a good night's sleep. When I opened my eyes that morning my gaze fell upon dozen after dozen of slugs! All over my tent they were oozing along leaving their slimy trails behind them. I spent the first few minutes of the morning flicking slugs from the inside of my tent and then making sure there were no rogue slugs hiding in my fly as I packed my tent up. I've heard it's pretty gross to discover a mushed up slug when unpacking your tent the next night (Kesten told me - from personally experience).

Kesten decided to take'r easy that day so Malkolm and I took off without him. We took a portion of the trans Canada trail as we rode into Toronto and side roads most of the rest of the time. Getting onto highway 10 going through Mississauga I really noticed the reduction in air quality and we could see the smog hanging over the city. Once we hit lake Ontario we found a bike path which meandered along the lake shore towards downtown. We followed that for quite a while until we needed to head north towards midtown. I headed straight for Anubha's and left Malkolm as he continued further north towards his sister's cousin who he is staying with. Just as I was turning to stop in front of her building I went flying! Seconds later my bike, my bags and myself were sprawled all over the ground and passersby had stopped to help me up, make sure I was OK and stop traffic from running me over! I was fine and it was nice to see people stopping and careing. Luckily I had reached my final destination and didn't need to bike anymore that day anyways.

Days 44 and 45

Wawa -> Montreal River 106km

We left the gorgeous campground of Wawa with one less in our crew. Keston's ankle was acting up again so he was planning on hitching to the Soo and meeting us there. We were making pretty good time along the way. It was a little wet and cold so we didn't feel like stopping anywhere for long. We ate lunch under a park map which provided a little shelter from the elements but not unfortunately the bugs. Ontario is pretty bad for black flies, they are much more persistent then mosquitoes and there bites last a lot longer :( After lunch we ran into some bike issues...luckily for me not with my bike, unfortunatley for Malkolm it was his. We spent about 2 hours total on the side of the highway trying to fix his chain. Two bent rings were causing the issue. Let's just say that now we are a lot more experienced with taking apart and putting back together a bike chain - they say practice makes perfect - we should be nearly there! We spent the night at the mouth of the Montreal River in a campground with showers! Yay showers! They have been far and few between on this leg of the trip and I was extremely happy to be clean again!

Montreal River -> Sault Ste. Marie 125km

As we packed it drizzled. As we rode it drizzled. As we ate lunch it drizzled. And so goes the story... luckily the clouds finally cleared as we were coming down into the Soo. Malkolm's chain had managed to pull through - although he was short a few gears and the only misfortune he experienced was a flat.

The highway was substantially flatter which was a nice change from all of the hills. It was clear we were nearing a city as traffic increased dramatically that day as did the cottages dotting the lakeshore. We arrived shortly before 5 and headed for the bike shop Velorution to meet Kesten and our host Andre, the shop owner. Back at his place we ate a huge dinner with homemade raspberry flan for dessert! A great end to a long day!

Today we have a rest day here in Sault Ste. Marie. I indulged and slept in till 9 this morning. Woke up just in time to enjoy crepes and french toast before heading out into the rain. We had a 10:30am coffee date with local MP Tony Martin, the first MP meeting for myself and only the 3rd or 4th for our group over all. The Soonews was there to cover the story and we had a good chat - we look forward to seeing Tony again in Ottawa, hopefully with a bike!

After our coffee date we headed back over to Velorution for a quick tune up on our bikes, or not so quick in the case of Malkolm who found out he had more problems then expected! My brakes are good and I gained a gear I didn't know I was missing so I am a happy camper! Thanks Andre and the guys at the shop for the helping hands!

For those of you trivia buffs our there I have put together a little photo trivia game on facebook so feel free to check it out and leave your guesses behind!
http://www.facebook.com/inbox/?ref=mb#/album.php?aid=2168111&id=120401629&ref=mf

Days 39-43 Riding the North Shore

Thunder Bay -> Nipigon 109km

First day on the road without Nadia, and we were also missing Kesten as his ankle was still acting up. We met with a couple local environmentalists and MP Bruce Hyer's assistant Andy for breakfast at the famous finnish restaurant Hoito. Three plate sized pancakes and mounds of scrambled eggs filled our bellies and when Nod stepped onto the scale to do her official weigh-out she was the exact same as when we left Victoria. I'm sure it's more muscle and less fat right?

We said goodbyes outside the restaurant and then Malkolm and I were off. We managed to stay off highways for the first 25km which was nice. Back on the trans we came upon a couple other touring cyclists, they too had left Vancouver and were heading east. The highways wasn't too bad for the most part and we made pretty good time getting into Nipigon. So good in fact that when we arrived our host for the night was not yet expecting us and wasn't at home. She found us sitting outside the convenience store having a snack on her way back from blueberry picking.

Thankyou Bonnie for a deliscious dinner fresh from the garden and for sharing your tasty wild blueberries with us! We were well fueled for the next day!

Nipigon -> Rossport 80km???

Third odometer bit the dust that morning so our distance is a rough guess. It lasted 2,576 km which is about 2500 km more then the last one so I guess I shouldn't complain!

We set off under sunny skies with beautiful views of the lake to the south as we climbed and descended hill upon hill. We coasted into Rossport around 2pm, perfect timing for a second lunch! We had heard great things about the Serendipity Cafe so that's where we headed to wait for Kesten as he had a ride which would bring him to Rossport that afternoon. We sat on the patio and enjoyed veggie burgers and spanokopita.

Once we had met up with Kesten we got back on the road to find a place to camp for the night. It was to be my first experience "roughing it" We ditched off road and set up camp on some rocks on the lakeshore. Probably the most beautiful campsite of the trip! Sure it lacked facilities but made up with it view! I was slightly nervous about wild animals, specifically bears, as we had been warned not to wild camp but I woke up still in one piece the next day!

Rossport -> Marathon 105km??

Left camp early that morning as we were supposed to be in Schreiber (next town on the hwy) by 9am according to a press release which had been sent out from Thunder Bay. We had breakfast on the side of the highway in Schreiber on the lookout for reporters. None were to be seen but that could be as much our fault anyways since we were running about 20 minutes behind schedule! Kesten decided to hitch from there so it was just Malkolm and I again.

Very hilly highway with not great shoulders wasn't the best day for riding especially not coupled with a headwind! We made it into Marathon about 5pm and hit the grocery store to load up. We seem to always make the mistake of shopping when we are hungry! I also went to Canadian Tire in search of a new odometer! We headed out towards the campsite and were just setting up when Kesten rolled up. Apparently hitchhiking takes just as long as cycling if not more so! That night we also met in the campground another cross-country cyclist who we had been catching glimpses of for the past few days. He has since joined the crew so now it really is just me and the boys!

Marathon -> White River 100km

We left town and couldn't see more then 20ft ahead of us the fog was sooooooo thick! Luckily that didn't last too long and before we knew it we were being wisked along by a delightful tail wind! The road was a lot flatter so we made good time, except for one flat tire (kesten's) that is. When we got into town we found out that there was free camping behind one of the motels! Yay! Also free showers at the truck stop next door. Hooray for showers! I hadn't had a real one since Nipigon!

White River - Wawa 107km

Posed with Winnie this morning before we left town. White River is where Winnie-the-Pooh first came into being (little known fact of the day). Again flatter road so we made really good time. Had lunch on the side of a small lake. Very picturesque but very stinky, must be something in the water! Got into Wawa about 3pm and am now at the library getting in some good internet time! We are heading a little south of here to stay with some friends of our host Darrell (thunder bay) they have an adventure kyaking company on lake superior and have offered to let us camp there! Internet time is running out so that's it for now...

Days 35-38 Come Again Another Day

Apologies for the slackage, i was supposed to do this up on my last day in Thunder Bay but getting my bike in a box proved more difficult than expected ;)

I am now back in glorious Prince George after a lovely and relaxing four day train ride.

so to back track about a week, I will take you back to Dryden!

Day 35 Dryden-Ignace 107km

Left late today as we hadn't had internet in awhile and really needed to catch up on some things. Dryden is a mill town and with the mucky weather mixed in, the stench was pretty bad...reminded me of Prince George.

Got on the road without the rain, shortly into the ride Kesten got a flat, after making sure he was okay the rest of us powered onwards. Finding a lunch spot we decided to stop and leave one of our bright yellow pannier covers on the shoulder, held down with a rock, to let Kesten know that we had stopped just off the highway. Turns out someone took the pannier cover....still a mystery as to why this would be useful for anyone else. A great loss for us. Luckily Kesten spotted us off the road and we sat down for some hot soup in the rain and bugs :)

We met another cyclist who was heading East and shared a campsite with him in Ignace!

Day 36 Ignace-Savanne 130km

Woah, this was a long day. For some reason i was feeling particularly tired and my butt was insistent on reminding me of this for the last 50km of today's ride. Headwinds and rain all day again. We were tempted (me especially) to call it quits in Upsala, 20 km from Savanne. After hot chocolate and pie at a cafe, we ventured back out onto the highway.

At this point in the day it probably would have been much safer for us to have stopped. Just outside of Upsala, we came upon a construction zone coupled with a single lane highway and semi's. We had to haul off the road when a semi came up from behind and Martina had one very close call. I had pulled off just ahead of her and stopped due to the deep gravel, she came up behind me but couldnt stop as she was stuck in the clips of her pedals. Just as the semi was passing she toppled over into the road and we screamed as the wheels missed her head by 2 feet. I was pretty shaken up and the rest of the ride went by fast as all i could think about was getting to Savanne alive. Rain, Semi's, Construction zones, single lane highways, and narrow shoulders don't mix. Finally we arrived at 9pm local time and set up our tents in a downpour as we made curry in the dark with bug nets on our heads. The night ended in laughter as we ate our dinner in the bathroom to escape the elements and the mozzies.

Day 37 Savanne-Thunder Bay 123km

Agh, rain and a headwind again! The semi's have become demonic as they roar along, with smokestacks for horns and grills for teeth. I am still feeling unsafe on these roads and can't wait to safely arrive in Thunder Bay! We also have warm and dry beds tonight!

Today's ride was fairly uneventful. We did manage to check out Kakabeka Falls and get off the trans for about 20km---such a relief!

We rolled into Thunder Bay absolutely drenched and freezing cold. We took refuge in a coffee shop, chattering we looked up directions to our much needed homes for the night ;)

Days 32-34 Rain, rain go away...

Winnipeg -> Prawda 125km

First off huge thanks to Mary for having us stay! The home-cooked meals and fresh bread were wonderful and we won't forget your hospitality anytime soon!

Sheets of rain were falling from the sky as we set out from Mary's on Saturday morning. We were soaked within seconds. Our send-off from the leg was composed of only the very bravest and we were accompanied out of town by only one other cyclist - James, leader of the Manitoba green party - thanks for showing us the way!

The rain continued for nearly the entire day and Malkolm and I lost Nadia and Kesten due to flats and found ourselves passing the afternoon at a truck stop in Richer, MB as we waited for them to catch up.

By the time we finally reached Prawda darkness had fallen and the rain was still coming down. We managed to find shelter in the cooking area of the campground, surrounded by the glow of Christmas lights we drifted off to sleep, happy to be out of the rain.

Prawda -> Kenora 107km

Crossed our last border that day! Seems crazy that we still had a month on the road and it is all in Ontario. We ate lunch in the tourist info centre on the Manitoba side, escaping the rain once again. Hitting Ontario the highway was under construction and we lost both the four lane highway and our shoulder. That stretch was somewhat nerve wracking seeing as it was still pouring rain and visibility was at an all time low.

As we rode into Kenora the sun came out briefly and we saw a rainbow as we crossed the bridge into town. Picturesque, Kenora definitely was. A cute little town set on the side of the lake. We camped just outside of town where again we were able to find shelter under another cooking area. The lights didn't go out that night so we just pretended it was the full moon, although there were 8 instead of just one!

Kenora -> Dryden 141km

We left town under fairly blue skies with a nice tail wind. We were able to get a lot of distance done before the skies started changing. We stopped for a picnic lunch next to a small lake, made it a quick break so as not to waste our tail wind. We stopped again in Vermillion Bay for ice creams in the afternoon.

I was in the zone so after leaving Vermillion I just pedaled on and arrived into town around 5:30pm. I found the phone numbers for the campgrounds and started calling around to find somewhere to stay for the night. I finished and the rest of the crew still hadn't shown up...more flats perhaps? 45 minutes later Nadia came down the hill to let me know that both of the boys had had flats. I was freezing so I took off into town to get groceries for dinner and then to start setting up camp.

Dinner in the dark with all the mozzies wasn't the most pleasant that night. We took refuge in our tents to eat they were so bad. Again we stayed on the lakeside unable to really enjoy it due to late arrival, plentiful biting bugs and bad weather. One of these days we will manage to go for a swim!

Days 29-31 It's raining Bacon!

Reston -> Brandon 115km

Woken by the roar of a motorcycle (our campground neighbour) a little earlier then we would have liked, we made eggs for the first time that morning (a little burnt but not too bad). Stopped in the town of Souris for lunch as recommended to us from our friend Jon of Kipling. Jon was right Souris is a good town with good people! We continued on secondary highways all the way to Brandon. There, we experienced couch surfing for the first time and I know I speak for all of us when I say it definitely left a good impression. The sprawling old Victorian style house welcomed us in and there we found organic loving cyclers - people right up our alley! Barbequed loads of veggies for dinner and finished the night off right with old fashioned dipped cones at the local Velvet Dip.

Brandon -> MacGregor 100km

Sunshine and smoothies were a good start to the day. We headed out with Kayleigh (our host) to her work and the family's cafe/pub/gift shop, Lady of the Lake. Malkolm had his second breakfast there while Nod got her bike fixed at the bike shop next door. We set off around 11 taking the longer but more pleasant secondary highways. Stopped in Carberry for lunch end enjoyed seeing many other people out on their bikes! Riding along after lunch listening to a little more HP I smelled a familiar smell, something reminiscent of home and the west coast to be exact and as I became more aware of my surroundings I realized I was surrounded by fields of pot or what I thought at first. It must have been hemp, the female less potent relation but I definitley got off my bike to check it out hiding between the bushes pretending I was Leo Decaprio in The Beach. That was pretty funny but the highlight of the day was the veggie stand we discovered just outside of MacGregor. A small family farm produced new potatoes, beets, carrot and kolrabi, all of which were on the menu that night. A steal of a deal all for $5. Big thanks to the generosity of the farmers who kept pressing us with more as we were leaving.

MacGregor -> Winnipeg 122km

The thunder and lightening storm was so close we could feel the ground vibrating with each clap! Sleep was illusive that night as we opened our tent as much as we dared to watch the storm. The alarms sounded particularly loud and angry that morning as much of the night had not been devoted to sleep. At least once we got going we were pleasantly surprised to find the road's shoulders had been recently paved - despite what we had been told! Another surprise was in store that afternoon as we discovered that thunder and lightening weren't all that had come from the sky that night, we were passing strip after strip of bacon all over the road - cooked at that! It reminded me of a book we read as kids "Cloudy with a chance of meatballs" I will forever remember Winnipeg as the city that rains bacon!