Miles Ridden: 89.5
Avg Speed: 16.7
Avg Heart Rate: 117 bpm
Climbing: 951 ft
Calories Burned: 951 (so says my Garmin ... it's higher!)
Flat ... great weather ... a tale of three rides ... visions of Canada
Wonderful weather greeted us as we awoke for our last day in the US for the next three days. It was actually a little nippy when we departed just after 7:00 AM, so I donned my vest. Breakfast was at the "Exit" ... fresh french toast and sausage. Our first turn was a fast mile from the hotel and a few groups quickly formed on the road. The first group missed the turn and came to a sudden stop that caused a few folks to plow into them. Everybody was OK, although a few bikes got banged up. My group (Geldings plus Alex) almost did the same thing, but we were able to avoid any problems. Concentration and communication is the key. I rode the first 30 miles with the boys (and girl) at a pretty blistering pace. The roads were nice, the terrain was flat, but there was not much to see. In a blink we were at the first SAG which was in a small picnic area with an artesian well.
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| Filling Up At The Well |
About five miles after the SAG, I dropped back and picked up Helen. I had not had the chance to ride with her very much and wanted to spend some time with her. We rode a nice pace to the second SAG in Yale. The time passed quickly with great conversation and easy pedaling. Helen and I had chatted so much prior to the trip, it was great to finally spend some one-on-one time together. We made a quick stop in Brown City for a chocolate milk and Gatorade. I gingerly crossed several railroad tracks. I don't think I will ever cross them quite the same way again. At the SAG, we met up with a bunch of folks and took a nice break. A few folks went into the town. It is dubbed as the bologna capital of the USA. We found a nice mural just before town. The bologna festival was just a few days ago ... rats, missed it.
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| Flower Lined Roads |
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| Another Shot ... Cool |
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| Building Mural in Yale |
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| Signs Were Still Up For The Bologna Festival |
I rode the last 30 miles on my own and briefly with Beth. I picked up the pace a little and actually hit a hill (quite a rare occurrence the last few days). The roads remained pretty good, although there were a few bad spots. About 10 miles from Port Huron we turned onto Lakeshore Drive right at Peppy's. They had 100 milkshake flavors and I was a good doobie and actually passed without getting one. Beth, Tom, and I moved quickly down the road past some very nice houses that over looked Lake Huron.
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| 100 Flavors And I Got None |
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| Several Nice Lakeside Homes |
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| Great Views Too |
In town, we met up with Jeff who grew up in Sarnia, Ontario (just across the bridge from Port Huron). He showed us the bridge and where the lake and the Saint Clair River meet. We will cross over into Ontario in the morning. Jeff's mom is meeting us on the other side with some Canadian goodies. I had a phone interview with Federal News Radio (AM 1500) in Washington DC later in the day. It will air tomorrow during the afternoon drive show. Once I have the link, I will post to my blog and the My Media Coverage page of my web site. Chris Dorobek is the afternoon host and has been very supportive of my ride.
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| Looking Across Into Canada |
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| Bridge Into Canada |
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| St Clair River Meets Lake Huron |
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| I Was There |
Dinner was at the hotel and included an extended wrap about the entry process into Canada and some preliminary information on the last day in Portsmouth. It is hard to imagine, the trip will end in just 11 days. We will arrive at the
Wallis Sands State Beach in Rye, NH about 12:00. My entourage will assemble at 11:30 AM. Can't wait to see everyone!!
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| Alex Skypes In The Hall After Dinner ... Too Funny |
Good night moon ... good night bologna ... good night
Federal News Radio ... good night USA
