Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Monday, August 13, 2012 - Day 86
Trois Rivières, QC to Ottawa, ON (home) by U-Haul Truck
I was up at 1:00 AM to take more Tylenol pain killers and put some ice on my left shoulder. I slept poorly because of the pain. Bev and I were up at 6:00 AM and discussed renting a U-Haul truck to return home as there was no way I could continue cycling due to my sore shoulder. We were able to check out U-Haul locations and rates on the Internet before going to breakfast at 7:15 AM. The motel manager had changed her attitude and was now quite concerned that I might sue her for having an unsafe bathtub, etc. I assured her I had no intention of suing her and told her we were going to rent a U-Haul truck and return home. She tried to find a phone number for U-Haul in the local phone directory but without any success. We returned to our room and after further searching I found 4 phone #s for U-Haul in Trois Rivières. I called all 4 numbers and left a voice mail at 980 Boul. des Récollets. I did some packing. Went back on-line and booked a 10 foot U-Haul cube van at $182. I paid by VISA and left my cell # at 9:05 AM. We waited 1 hour plus for a call from U-Haul representative to confirm there was a truck available for us. I tried contacting the dealer again but without success. I spoke to a U-Haul on line help rep and after another hour of screwing around and a 2nd help desk chat finally got through to the U-Haul garage and were able to confirm they had a small cube van available for us. We told the motel manager that we were going to pickup a U-Haul truck and would be back to collect our bags and bicycles. She called a taxi for us. Bev paid $20 plus tip for taxi to garage. It took sometime to get the truck ready. I ended up paying $278.24 ($182 + $55 insurance + $5 environmental charge + taxes). We drove back to the motel at 12:00 noon. Bev loaded our bikes and gear in the truck. I tried to help. I returned the key and gave Mme my home phone number. We walked over to the nearby Casse Croute for lunch and had cheeseburgers, fries and pop for lunch before leaving for Ottawa at 1:00 PM. We had to stop for gas and Bev took over as driver after making a pit stop. We snacked on date squares on route and arrived home at 5:30 PM. Bev unloaded while I tried to help. We had a beer before Bev decided to walk to Farm Boy for bread, etc. I asked Doris to call me on Skype and talked to my next door neighbour, Cheryl, re my mail, etc. I did some unpacking while waiting for Bev to return from the shops. Meanwhile Doris called me on my land line. I forgot I had asked her to call me on Skype. We discussed Bev and I coming to Burlington/Windsor for the Mailloux and Quenneville reunions. She said Dennis, my brother who lives in Costa Rica, was arriving on Thursday at midnight and that they were leaving for Windsor Friday morning but that it was OK to use her place on our way to Windsor. Bev arrived back from the shops and after a dinner of chicken pot pies we were soon off to bed.
Bev and Roly
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
CCCT 2012 - August 12/12 - Day 85
Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Sunday, August 12, 2012 - Day 85
Berthierville to Trois Rivières, QC - Trip 73.26 kms Time 3 hrs 44 mins Avg 19.66 kph Max 33.2 kph
Bev was up early and ready to go for breakfast at 7:00 AM. I got up at 7:30 AM and did some packing before going down to breakfast at 8:00 AM. All the other guest were also at the breakfast table (6 adults and 2 children). I had fruit yogurt, orange juice, veggie quiche, Raisin bread French Toast with maple syrup and Nutella and tea. Each guest got a miniature maple syrup sample bottle to take home with them. We finished packing and carried our panniers downstairs. Bev took them out to the garage while I paid for our night's stay ($70 + taxes + $2 for laundry). We loaded our gear on our bikes and set off for TROIS RIVIERES at 9:00 AM. It was overcast and humid. We had a gentle tailwind to go with the nice paved shoulder. There was a slight DETOUR due to a bridge under repair. It seems to me that same bridge was under repair when I did the KNBC Ottawa to Québec ride two years ago. We made a pit stop at a garage and had chocolate milk and a banana for our snack. We stopped for lunch at a chip stand at 11:30 AM just before entering Trois Rivières. We had "chien chaud" with "patates frites" and pop. After cycling through Trois Rivières we stopped at a DQ for ice cream cones at 2:00 PM. We decided to look for a motel and checked out Motel Miami @ $95 which we found to be a bit expensive considering there was a lot of construction going on right next door. We cycled a little further and checked out Motel Le Marquis which was a little more reasonable at $73 + taxes. After checking in, unloading our gear and putting our bikes in a back shed we walked to a nearby dépanneur for some cold beer and chips. Once back at our motel we sat outside our room on a park bench and enjoyed a cold beverage in the shade. Later on after a nap as I was about to have my shower I slipped in the bathtub in spite of having placed a "safety mat" in it before getting in and re-injured my left shoulder. I got an ice pack and some gel from the motel OFFICE and told the manager about the poorly designed and very unsafe bathtub but she didn't seem at all concerned saying in eight years she had never had any complaints. We watched Rory Mcilroy win the PGA at -13. He beat Niclklaus +7 record at +8. We walked to a nearby restaurant for dinner. Bev had a veggie pizza and salad and I had chicken brochette with rice and salad. On the way back to the motel we got some Gatorade, diet Coke and a bag of ice at the dépanneur. We had a good wi-fi connection so were able to check our e-mail, etc. Watched some TV before going off to bed at 10:00 PM. Took a few Tylenol pain killers and rubbed some Icy/Hot cream on my shoulder.
Bev and Roly
Berthierville to Trois Rivières, QC - Trip 73.26 kms Time 3 hrs 44 mins Avg 19.66 kph Max 33.2 kph
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| Miniature Maple Syrup sample bottles |
Bev and Roly
Saturday, August 25, 2012
CCCT 2012 - August 11/12 - Day 84
Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Saturday, August 11, 2012 - Day 84
Montreal to Berthierville, QC - Trip 91.58 kms Time 5 hrs 32 mins Avg 16.53 kph Max 58.83 kph
We were up at 6:00 AM. Thankfully the rain had stopped some time during the night. The people in the next room woke me up with all the racket they were making. I was going to get up and knock on their door and ask them to keep the noise down but first I checked my watch to see what time it was. It was only 11:00 PM!!! I decided to let it go. We walked over to McDs for breakfast. We had oatmeal, yogurt with fruit and a muffin for later. A customer told Bev that the oatmeal tasted much better if a coffee creamer or two were added. I went back to the counter and asked for some creamers. It really made a difference. We kept our yogurt and muffins for later. We returned to our motel room, finished packing, loaded our gear on our bikes and set off for BERTHIERVILLE (the home of Gilles Villeneuve former F1 driver) at 7:15 AM. We stopped at a gas station for Powerade and checked our map for directions to get on the Route Verte #5. We followed St Jacques to Rue Peel which got us on #5. It was a nice cool morning with very little traffic. The bicycle path took us most of the way out of Montreal. We met an older couple (Doreen 76) who were cycling to Ottawa. Not sure how old her partner was or where they were cycling from. We stopped and chatted for awhile and I gave them my detailed maps for Ottawa to Dorval that Tom Seniuk had prepared for me on my first trip to Montreal. We stopped at a Tims for a pit stop and at a chip stand later on for lunch. We arrived in Berthierville at 3:00 PM and stopped at the Information Centre to get information on motels/B&Bs. We managed to get a room at Manoir de la Tourrel, the same B&B where some of the girls had stayed when I cycled from Ottawa to Quebec City with the KNBC (Kanata Nepean Bicycle Club). When we arrived at the Manoir, Madame was waiting for us on the back porch. We put our bikes in the garage and brought our essential bags in. Mme agreed to do our laundry. After showing us our room upstairs (very narrow creaky stairs) we quickly showered and changed into non cycling clothes. I took our laundry downstairs and Mme immediately put them in the washing machine. There was no TV or wi-fi available. We decided to go out for dinner. It was threatening to rain. Mme offered to drive us to a nearby restaurant which she highly recommended. While having dinner it started pouring "chiens et chats". We had beers, chef's salad, Penne Gigi & Penne A.... and red wine. All very good. It was still pouring when we finished eating so we called Mme who came and picked us up. We changed into our PJs and I filled in my journal. I went down to get our laundry which Mme had taken off the clothes line and finished drying in the dryer. It was still warm. After folding and packing our laundry it was off to bed.
Bev and Roly
Montreal to Berthierville, QC - Trip 91.58 kms Time 5 hrs 32 mins Avg 16.53 kph Max 58.83 kph
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| Manoir de la Tourelle at Berthierville, QC |
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| Our laundry |
CCCT 2012 - August 10/12 - Day 83
Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Friday, August 10, 2012 - Day 83
Hawkesbury, ON to Montreal, QC - Trip 106.63 kms Time 6 hrs 17 mins Avg 16.95 kph Max 35.6 kph
I had to get up twice during the night because of cramps. First in my left inner thigh at midnight and second in my right inner thight at 1:00 AM. We got up at 6:00 AM, packed and loaded our gear on our bikes before cycling to a nearby Timmy's for breakfast. We left for MONTREAL at 7:22 AM. I had to stop after 8 kms to take my jacket off. Once we got on the main road going East along the Riviere des Outaouais/Lac des Deux Montagnes we had a nice paved shoulder. I struggled with a slight head wind pretty well all the way but Bev didn't seem to mind. Later she remarked that it was the most enjoyable day of our CCCT so far. She felt relaxed and very much enjoyed the lovely scenery. We made a pit stop in Rigaud and had cookies and chocolate milk. Next stop was the IGA in Hudson where we got some food for our lunch. We met 2 local guys, one a reporter, who were very curious about our trip. The reporter asked to take our photo and said he would like to publish our story in the local paper. (To date, August 25th, we haven't heard back from him). We stopped at a park in Vaudreuil for lunch. Crossing over L'Ile Perrot went very smoothly as the dedicated cycling lane is now completed. We arrived at the Motel St Jacques on Rue St. Jacques in Montreal at 3:00 PM. A room cost $60 (tax included). After unloading our bikes and putting them in the room we went to the pub next door for a cold beer. It became quite windy, the temperature dropped and it started to rain. We put our jackets on and walked to a nearby McDs for dinner. Once back in our room I checked out the wi-fi. I had some trouble getting a connection but eventually was able to check my e-mail and work on my blog. I was still hungry so finished off last night's left over Chinese food. Bev fell asleep while watching TV. I soon joined her at 9:30 PM.
Bev and Roly
Hawkesbury, ON to Montreal, QC - Trip 106.63 kms Time 6 hrs 17 mins Avg 16.95 kph Max 35.6 kph
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| Serbio and Bev at the Ontario/Quebec border |
Bev and Roly
Thursday, August 23, 2012
CCCT 2012 - August 9/12 - Day 82
Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Thursday, August 9, 2012 - Day 82
Ottawa to Hawkesbury, ON - Trip 116.02 kms Time 6 hrs 31 mins Avg 17.80 kph Max 39.5 kph
I got up at 3:00 AM and went downstairs to get an ice pack to put on my left shoulder. Frank was sleeping on the sofa with the TV ON/LIGHTS OUT!. I went back upstairs to bed and put the ice pack on my shoulder. We got up at 6:00 AM and I had toast with peanut butter and honey and a 1/2 banana for breakfast. Finished packing. Emptied dish washer. Most of the dishes were not clean. The soap puck was stuck on the bottom of the dish washer. Not sure why that's happening. Looks like I'll have to do some dish washer repairs when I get back home. Lori was up to take photos of our departure with our bikes fully loaded with our panniers. We left home at 7:20 AM for HAWKESBURY. We had a light head wind and some rain on the way. We made a few pit stops along the way and arrived in Hawkesbury at 2:30. We stopped at a DQ for ice cream and checked my GPS for Hotels/Motels. There were only 2 available - 1 in Grenville, QC, and the Best Western off the main highway. It started raining. We cycled to the Best Western and checked in at $112 + taxes. This was down from the original price quoted of $129. We able to bring our bikes in through the side door, unloaded our bags in the hall and then put the bikes in our very large room. I checked out the motel wi-fi and managed to get on the Internet OK. We checked our e-mail, etc. I was feeling a bit chilly so got under the covers for a nap and woke up at 5:30 PM. It was still pouring rain so we decided to order Chinese food after getting several takeout menus at the reception. Jessie, the receptionist, was very helpful. We ordered egg rolls, House Fried Rice, Sweet & Sour Chicken Balls and Singapore Noodles which cost $34.65 + tip. We watched TV until 9:30 PM and then it was off to bed.
Bev and Roly
Ottawa to Hawkesbury, ON - Trip 116.02 kms Time 6 hrs 31 mins Avg 17.80 kph Max 39.5 kph
I got up at 3:00 AM and went downstairs to get an ice pack to put on my left shoulder. Frank was sleeping on the sofa with the TV ON/LIGHTS OUT!. I went back upstairs to bed and put the ice pack on my shoulder. We got up at 6:00 AM and I had toast with peanut butter and honey and a 1/2 banana for breakfast. Finished packing. Emptied dish washer. Most of the dishes were not clean. The soap puck was stuck on the bottom of the dish washer. Not sure why that's happening. Looks like I'll have to do some dish washer repairs when I get back home. Lori was up to take photos of our departure with our bikes fully loaded with our panniers. We left home at 7:20 AM for HAWKESBURY. We had a light head wind and some rain on the way. We made a few pit stops along the way and arrived in Hawkesbury at 2:30. We stopped at a DQ for ice cream and checked my GPS for Hotels/Motels. There were only 2 available - 1 in Grenville, QC, and the Best Western off the main highway. It started raining. We cycled to the Best Western and checked in at $112 + taxes. This was down from the original price quoted of $129. We able to bring our bikes in through the side door, unloaded our bags in the hall and then put the bikes in our very large room. I checked out the motel wi-fi and managed to get on the Internet OK. We checked our e-mail, etc. I was feeling a bit chilly so got under the covers for a nap and woke up at 5:30 PM. It was still pouring rain so we decided to order Chinese food after getting several takeout menus at the reception. Jessie, the receptionist, was very helpful. We ordered egg rolls, House Fried Rice, Sweet & Sour Chicken Balls and Singapore Noodles which cost $34.65 + tip. We watched TV until 9:30 PM and then it was off to bed.
Bev and Roly
CCCT 2012 - August 4-8/12 - Days 77-81
Cross Canada Cycling Tour - August 4-8, 2012, Days 77-81
Ottawa Rest Days- Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday
Saturday -Day 77
We cycled to Kunstadt Bicycle Shop in the Glebe and left our bikes there for maintenance. We both had new chains and rear cassettes installed as we had now completed over 5000 kms of our CCCT. My daughter, Lise, was there waiting to give us a ride home in my Jetta which she had been taking care of while we were away. On the way home Lise asked us to stop at Future Shop on Merivale. She had bought a new camera for her trip to Kenya where she planned to visit her friend Stella and summit Mount Kilimanjaro. She had brought her new camera into work and had asked one of her colleagues to take some pictures with it. Unfortunately, he dropped it and broke it. Future Shop would not repair it under warranty as the damage was clearly caused by neglect. Lise went next door to Best Buy to see if she could get a new camera for less than the ones that were available at Future Shop. She ended up buying a new camera at Best Buy. After collecting her mail I dropped Lise off at Baseline Station so she could get the bus back home.
I returned home and picked up Bev and we went over to COSTCO for lunch and groceries. I also had to pickup a prescription at Shopper's at Merivale Mall and get more groceries at Farm Boy. It was kind of nice to have my car back to get around to all the various shops. It would have taken us all day on our bikes. Meanwhile our visitors had gone to Upper Canada Village for the day to see the re-enactment of the War of 1812. I lay down for a nap at 3:00 and got up at 4:00. I BBQ some marinated chicken breast (5) for dinner and we had them with a Greek salad from COSTCO and a beer. My neighbour, Cheryl, came over with her bike rack, which I had asked to borrow so we could go and pick up our bikes on Sunday. Later in the evening I worked on my blog before going off to bed at 11:30.
Sunday - Day 78
Slept in until 8:00 AM. I slept poorly due to my sore left shoulder. After breakfast I put Cheryl's bike rack on the Jetta. Bev made raisin bread French Toast for breakfast. We drove to Kunstadt and picked up our bikes. I also got a patch kit for free. I spoke to Mike Plumer, bike technician, who had to come up from the basement as they were cleaning up due to some flooding. I told him Jan from Velorution in Sault Ste. Marie said hello. Jan and Mike used to work together. We managed to get our bikes loaded on the bike rack just before the heavens opened up. We drove home in torrential rain. By the time we got home it had stopped raining. We unloaded our bikes and put them away in the garage. I had some left over pizza for lunch before laying down for a nap while Bev read her book. Later on we drove out to Eric and Marilyn's place in Orleans for a BBQ and played some cards. Bill, Stella and Nancy were also there. Diane came over to say hello. They had just gotten back from Pennsylvania after a 10 hour drive. Sebastian had decorated the house with balloons and "Happy Birthday" signs for Bev and I. There was a cake with "Happy Birthday Rolly" on it and ice cream for dessert. We played 7 card Euchre. I lost. Soon it was time to say goodbye and drive home. We arrived back home at 10:00 and were off to bed by 11:00.
Monday - Day 79
Got up at 8:00 AM and after breakfast went out and started breaking up the pile of dead branches in the front yard and stuffing them in leaf bags. Bev, Frank, Lori and Andrew all helped. We bundled up the larger branches and several other leaf bags left by my gardener at the front of the house for pick-up on Saturday. My hands were very sore. I saw Rob, my neighbour, leaving for work. He said he was waiting for the branches to "dry out" before getting rid of them! In the meantime the grass was pretty well dead where the branches had been. I returned Cheryl's bike rack. Bob, her ex, and his new wife came by to pick-up the boys. Cheryl took her dogs to Bruce Pit for a walk. Lori and Frank took Bev and I out to a Vietnamese Restaurant for lunch and treated me for my birthday. They had never been to a "genuine" Vietnamese restaurant before. Andrew was allowed to stay home and play on his Xbox. He said "we needed some adult time alone". When we got back home Lori, Frank and Andrew went off to Mont Cascade Water Slide Park. I lay down for a nap while Bev read her book. I got up at 4:30 and worked on my bike. I fixed the front fender mud flap with rivets, pumped up the tires and cleaned the rims. Keith came over and trimmed the front yard bushes. He was very pleased to see all the branches were cleaned up. Bev and I had left over BBQ chicken sandwiches and corn on the cob for dinner. I worked on my blog while Bev watched a movie. Our visitors were back from the Water Park and Lori, who was very tired, was off to bed at 10:00. We were soon off to bed also at 11:00.
Tuesday - Day 80
I got up at 7:30. I slept poorly again because of my sore left shoulder. Did some work on my blog then drove over to Dalehurst, parked and walked to Dr. Nadolny's office. It was CLOSED. I waited until 9:35 AM but there was still no sign of the office opening. I drove to RBC at Centrepointe and deposited Nana's birthday cheque. I then drove to the barber shop/license bureau. The license bureau had moved to Slack Road. I got my hair cut and my beard trimmed for $20. I stopped at Shopper's to renew my Tylenol Rx but discovered there were no more refills. They faxed the doctor's office to get the Doctor to authorize a new Rx. I returned home and Bev and I drove out to Orleans to TranDee to get pedicures. I went for groceries while Bev was getting her nails done. I got myself a slice of pizza and a diet coke at Metro for lunch before going back to pick-up Bev. She treated me to a pedicure for my birthday since I had paid for the groceries. We stopped off a Villa Orleans, where Bev works, so she could discuss her return to work date. We drove to Dr. Nadolny's office on Woodroffe. I saw Danette at the reception. She told me Dr. Nadolny was unable to see me as she was quite busy as she was just back from holidays. She also confirmed that Dr. N. does not do Cortisone shots. She gave me the phone number of a doctor who does C shots. Once we were back home Bev took the dogs out for a walk. Our visitors had gone to Montreal for the day. I called the doctor who does C shots and left a voice mail.
Wednesday - Day 81
Unable to sleep because of sore left shoulder. Got up at 7:00 AM, had some breakfast and worked on my blog while Bev had a lie in. We drove to Carlingwood mall where I had hoped to renew my license plate sticker but the vending machine was shut down. Apparently someone had hacked into their computers and so they had to shut down all the terminals. We found a Post Office in the mall and Bev mailed a memory stick to Aprille, her friend in Vancouver, with Ottawa visit and Whistler visit photos. We shopped for socks in Sears for Bev before checking her lottery tickets. No winners!!! We drove to the Vanier Legion for lunch with the Old F.A.R.T.S. About 16 people showed up for cabbage rolls with mashed potatoes. After lunch we drove to Service Canada's new office on Merivale Road at Slack Road. Their "debit machines" were down so everyone had to pay cash for their transactions i.e. license sticker in my case. Stopped at the LCBO for some wine on the way home at 2:30 PM. I remembered that we had laundry in the dryer and went downstairs to fold it before taking it upstairs. I also noticed that one of the dogs had had an accident on the basement floor tiles. It had to be Mickey as Bella could not negotiate the basement stairs. It was raining very heavily which caused some flooding in the basement. I put down some rags to soak up the water. I lay down for a nap at 4:30. Dr. Nadolny's receptionist called re my Rx for Tylenol pain killers. She promised she would fax the pharmacy before the end of the day so that I could get a refill as soon as Dr N. signed the authorization. Lise called and asked to be picked up at Lincoln Fields. I got up at 5:30 and did some packing. Keith called from Loblaws at College Square wanting to know if he needed to get anything for the spaghetti dinner he was going to prepare for Bev and I. I got the hamburger out of the freezer in the basement. Keith arrived at 6:30. Lise sent him a text message re picking her up. Apparently the phone was off the hook upstairs in the MB and she couldn't get through to me. I drove out to Lincoln Fields and picked her up where she was waiting outside Moores. We drove to the Merivale Mall where, after a wait of 15 minutes, I was finally able to pick up my Tylenol Rx. I also bought 3 Gatorade @ $5.00 for tomorrow's ride. I needed some cash since I had paid cash for my license plate sticker so stopped at the Esso RBC ATM and got $100 on the way home. Dinner was almost ready. Keith had been busy preparing a spaghetti sauce, etc. I opened a bottle of red wine - a Bollo Valpolicela 2011. Very nice. Frank grated some of his "stinky" goat cheese which tasted very nice with the spaghetti sauce. There was chocolate cake and ice cream for dessert. Bev and I did the dishes and cleaned up. Lori wiped up the dog pee in the basement. I wrung out the wet rags and hung them up to dry. Lise took the Jetta and drove Keith home. Did some more packing while Bev made ham and cheese sandwiches for tomorrow's ride. Off to bed at 11:00
Bev and Roly
Ottawa Rest Days- Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday
Saturday -Day 77
We cycled to Kunstadt Bicycle Shop in the Glebe and left our bikes there for maintenance. We both had new chains and rear cassettes installed as we had now completed over 5000 kms of our CCCT. My daughter, Lise, was there waiting to give us a ride home in my Jetta which she had been taking care of while we were away. On the way home Lise asked us to stop at Future Shop on Merivale. She had bought a new camera for her trip to Kenya where she planned to visit her friend Stella and summit Mount Kilimanjaro. She had brought her new camera into work and had asked one of her colleagues to take some pictures with it. Unfortunately, he dropped it and broke it. Future Shop would not repair it under warranty as the damage was clearly caused by neglect. Lise went next door to Best Buy to see if she could get a new camera for less than the ones that were available at Future Shop. She ended up buying a new camera at Best Buy. After collecting her mail I dropped Lise off at Baseline Station so she could get the bus back home.
I returned home and picked up Bev and we went over to COSTCO for lunch and groceries. I also had to pickup a prescription at Shopper's at Merivale Mall and get more groceries at Farm Boy. It was kind of nice to have my car back to get around to all the various shops. It would have taken us all day on our bikes. Meanwhile our visitors had gone to Upper Canada Village for the day to see the re-enactment of the War of 1812. I lay down for a nap at 3:00 and got up at 4:00. I BBQ some marinated chicken breast (5) for dinner and we had them with a Greek salad from COSTCO and a beer. My neighbour, Cheryl, came over with her bike rack, which I had asked to borrow so we could go and pick up our bikes on Sunday. Later in the evening I worked on my blog before going off to bed at 11:30.
Sunday - Day 78
Slept in until 8:00 AM. I slept poorly due to my sore left shoulder. After breakfast I put Cheryl's bike rack on the Jetta. Bev made raisin bread French Toast for breakfast. We drove to Kunstadt and picked up our bikes. I also got a patch kit for free. I spoke to Mike Plumer, bike technician, who had to come up from the basement as they were cleaning up due to some flooding. I told him Jan from Velorution in Sault Ste. Marie said hello. Jan and Mike used to work together. We managed to get our bikes loaded on the bike rack just before the heavens opened up. We drove home in torrential rain. By the time we got home it had stopped raining. We unloaded our bikes and put them away in the garage. I had some left over pizza for lunch before laying down for a nap while Bev read her book. Later on we drove out to Eric and Marilyn's place in Orleans for a BBQ and played some cards. Bill, Stella and Nancy were also there. Diane came over to say hello. They had just gotten back from Pennsylvania after a 10 hour drive. Sebastian had decorated the house with balloons and "Happy Birthday" signs for Bev and I. There was a cake with "Happy Birthday Rolly" on it and ice cream for dessert. We played 7 card Euchre. I lost. Soon it was time to say goodbye and drive home. We arrived back home at 10:00 and were off to bed by 11:00.
Monday - Day 79
Got up at 8:00 AM and after breakfast went out and started breaking up the pile of dead branches in the front yard and stuffing them in leaf bags. Bev, Frank, Lori and Andrew all helped. We bundled up the larger branches and several other leaf bags left by my gardener at the front of the house for pick-up on Saturday. My hands were very sore. I saw Rob, my neighbour, leaving for work. He said he was waiting for the branches to "dry out" before getting rid of them! In the meantime the grass was pretty well dead where the branches had been. I returned Cheryl's bike rack. Bob, her ex, and his new wife came by to pick-up the boys. Cheryl took her dogs to Bruce Pit for a walk. Lori and Frank took Bev and I out to a Vietnamese Restaurant for lunch and treated me for my birthday. They had never been to a "genuine" Vietnamese restaurant before. Andrew was allowed to stay home and play on his Xbox. He said "we needed some adult time alone". When we got back home Lori, Frank and Andrew went off to Mont Cascade Water Slide Park. I lay down for a nap while Bev read her book. I got up at 4:30 and worked on my bike. I fixed the front fender mud flap with rivets, pumped up the tires and cleaned the rims. Keith came over and trimmed the front yard bushes. He was very pleased to see all the branches were cleaned up. Bev and I had left over BBQ chicken sandwiches and corn on the cob for dinner. I worked on my blog while Bev watched a movie. Our visitors were back from the Water Park and Lori, who was very tired, was off to bed at 10:00. We were soon off to bed also at 11:00.
Tuesday - Day 80
I got up at 7:30. I slept poorly again because of my sore left shoulder. Did some work on my blog then drove over to Dalehurst, parked and walked to Dr. Nadolny's office. It was CLOSED. I waited until 9:35 AM but there was still no sign of the office opening. I drove to RBC at Centrepointe and deposited Nana's birthday cheque. I then drove to the barber shop/license bureau. The license bureau had moved to Slack Road. I got my hair cut and my beard trimmed for $20. I stopped at Shopper's to renew my Tylenol Rx but discovered there were no more refills. They faxed the doctor's office to get the Doctor to authorize a new Rx. I returned home and Bev and I drove out to Orleans to TranDee to get pedicures. I went for groceries while Bev was getting her nails done. I got myself a slice of pizza and a diet coke at Metro for lunch before going back to pick-up Bev. She treated me to a pedicure for my birthday since I had paid for the groceries. We stopped off a Villa Orleans, where Bev works, so she could discuss her return to work date. We drove to Dr. Nadolny's office on Woodroffe. I saw Danette at the reception. She told me Dr. Nadolny was unable to see me as she was quite busy as she was just back from holidays. She also confirmed that Dr. N. does not do Cortisone shots. She gave me the phone number of a doctor who does C shots. Once we were back home Bev took the dogs out for a walk. Our visitors had gone to Montreal for the day. I called the doctor who does C shots and left a voice mail.
Wednesday - Day 81
Unable to sleep because of sore left shoulder. Got up at 7:00 AM, had some breakfast and worked on my blog while Bev had a lie in. We drove to Carlingwood mall where I had hoped to renew my license plate sticker but the vending machine was shut down. Apparently someone had hacked into their computers and so they had to shut down all the terminals. We found a Post Office in the mall and Bev mailed a memory stick to Aprille, her friend in Vancouver, with Ottawa visit and Whistler visit photos. We shopped for socks in Sears for Bev before checking her lottery tickets. No winners!!! We drove to the Vanier Legion for lunch with the Old F.A.R.T.S. About 16 people showed up for cabbage rolls with mashed potatoes. After lunch we drove to Service Canada's new office on Merivale Road at Slack Road. Their "debit machines" were down so everyone had to pay cash for their transactions i.e. license sticker in my case. Stopped at the LCBO for some wine on the way home at 2:30 PM. I remembered that we had laundry in the dryer and went downstairs to fold it before taking it upstairs. I also noticed that one of the dogs had had an accident on the basement floor tiles. It had to be Mickey as Bella could not negotiate the basement stairs. It was raining very heavily which caused some flooding in the basement. I put down some rags to soak up the water. I lay down for a nap at 4:30. Dr. Nadolny's receptionist called re my Rx for Tylenol pain killers. She promised she would fax the pharmacy before the end of the day so that I could get a refill as soon as Dr N. signed the authorization. Lise called and asked to be picked up at Lincoln Fields. I got up at 5:30 and did some packing. Keith called from Loblaws at College Square wanting to know if he needed to get anything for the spaghetti dinner he was going to prepare for Bev and I. I got the hamburger out of the freezer in the basement. Keith arrived at 6:30. Lise sent him a text message re picking her up. Apparently the phone was off the hook upstairs in the MB and she couldn't get through to me. I drove out to Lincoln Fields and picked her up where she was waiting outside Moores. We drove to the Merivale Mall where, after a wait of 15 minutes, I was finally able to pick up my Tylenol Rx. I also bought 3 Gatorade @ $5.00 for tomorrow's ride. I needed some cash since I had paid cash for my license plate sticker so stopped at the Esso RBC ATM and got $100 on the way home. Dinner was almost ready. Keith had been busy preparing a spaghetti sauce, etc. I opened a bottle of red wine - a Bollo Valpolicela 2011. Very nice. Frank grated some of his "stinky" goat cheese which tasted very nice with the spaghetti sauce. There was chocolate cake and ice cream for dessert. Bev and I did the dishes and cleaned up. Lori wiped up the dog pee in the basement. I wrung out the wet rags and hung them up to dry. Lise took the Jetta and drove Keith home. Did some more packing while Bev made ham and cheese sandwiches for tomorrow's ride. Off to bed at 11:00
Bev and Roly
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
CCCT 2012 - August 3/12 - Day 76
Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Friday, August 3, 2012 - Day 76
Arnprior to Ottawa (home), ON - Trip 80.39 kms Time 3 hrs 57 mins Avg 20.32 kph Max 39.0 kph
We got up at 6:30 AM. Bev was feeling OK thank goodness. After packing and loading our gear on our bikes we cycled to Timmy's for breakfast.. We met a couple of guys on Harleys who asked about our trip. We told them we were cycling to Ottawa via Ashton along the Upper Dwyer Hill (UDH) Road. We set off for OTTAWA (home) at 8:00 AM. We turned to soon and had to go back to the main road and continued on to CR29 where we stopped and asked a passing motorist how to get to U.D.H. Road. He told us it was just a bit further down CR29. The Harley guys, we had met at Timmy's, passed us very slowly and waved at us. They were very impressed that we had cycled all the way from the West Coast. While we were stopped at March Road for a break a motorist asked us for directions to Almonte. Usually we were the ones asking for directions!!! We continued on past Ashton along Flewellyn, stopped again for a snack and discovered a very mushy banana in one of my banana holders. We turned onto Eagleson Road, to Hope Side Road to Old Richmond Road and stopped at an Esso/McDonalds for lunch, etc. I called Philip to let him know we were almost home. He seemed surprised that I was calling him. I guess Stephanie forgot to tell him that she had asked me to call him when we arrived in Ottawa. We then took Hunt Club to Benlea and arrived home at 1:00 PM. I noticed there were several branches missing from the tree in our front yard and a pile of dead branches on the front lawn. My first thought was that there had been a terrific storm and several branches had been knocked down. I just hoped that they hadn't fallen on my neighbours car. I later found out that my neighbour had gotten his friend to come over with his chain saw and that they had "trimmed" my tree as per our discussion several months ago. My cousin Lori, her husband Frank and son Andrew, who were visiting from Windsor, were out. We found their e-bike in the garage and their two dogs, Mickey and Bella, in the living room behind a child gate. Although we were strangers to them they were quite happy to see us. We had a cold beer before unpacking our gear and sorting out laundry. We decided to use one of the spare rooms upstairs and let Lori and Frank use the Master Bedroom. Andrew was sleeping in the basement when he wasn't hooked up to the TV playing on-line video games. We ordered a large pizza for dinner. Philip called to say he was on his way over with the grandchildren. I hadn't yet seen my latest grandson, Parker, who was born while we were away and they were planning to leave on Saturday to go camping. It was lovely to see my grandchildren, Jasper and Landon, again and to meet Parker for the first time. Philip, et al, left at 9:00 PM as there was still a lot to do before leaving on their camping trip. We were off to bed at 10:30 PM.
Bev and Roly
Arnprior to Ottawa (home), ON - Trip 80.39 kms Time 3 hrs 57 mins Avg 20.32 kph Max 39.0 kph
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| Landon, Parker, Jasper and Proud Papa Philip |
Bev and Roly
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| Bella, Mickey, Lori and Andrew |
CCCT 2012 - August 2/12 - Day 75
Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Thursday, August 2, 2012 - Day 75
Golden Lake to Arnprior, ON - Trip 93.91 kms Time 4 hrs 59 mins Avg 18.81 kph Max 49.8 kph
I woke up when I heard Bev get up at 4:15 AM to go to the w/c. We got up at 6:30 AM. My left shoulder and upper arm were quite sore. I woke up Debbie when I went in trailer to use w/c. She was sleeping on her Lazy Boy recliner. Did some packing before having breakfast of OJ, cereal, toast with peanut butter and jam and tea. We finished packing and loaded our gear on our bikes, said goodbye, thanked Debbie and left for ARNPRIOR at 8:00 AM. We stopped at the corner store for Gatorade and filled our bottles. We followed Hwy #60 to Renfrew and stopped in Douglas for chocolate milk and a muffin at a café. In Renfrew we stopped at a Tim Horton's for lunch before continuing on #20 to Castleford then #1 (River Road) to Arnprior. The road was newly paved with some hills thrown in to slow us down before getting out of Renfrew. Although it was nice riding along the Ottawa River on River Road it was a bit rough for the last 15 kms or so. It was also very hot and humid with a bit of a tail wind. We stopped in Braeside for a cold drink before arriving in Arnprior at 2:00 PM. Bev was very tired and sore. I was able to use my GPS to find a motel. We checked into the Twin Maples Motel at $65 + taxes. We rinsed out an outfit for tomorrow's ride after having a shower. I had trouble turning on my Notebook. I eventually had to remove the battery in order to turn it on. It appears the battery went completely flat as I had left it on "Standby" when putting it away the previous evening. I had to pretend to connect to another router before I could connect to the Twin Maples router. We checked our e-mail and I sent a reply to Lise, Keith, Steph, Lori and Jim about our return to Ottawa tomorrow. Later we walked to the Tosh Restaurant for dinner. I had a pulled pork sandwich shared some sweet potato fries with Bev and a garden salad. Bev had a humongous, very juicy burger. We walked back to our motel and were off to bed at 9:00 PM as we were both very tired.
Bev and Roly
Golden Lake to Arnprior, ON - Trip 93.91 kms Time 4 hrs 59 mins Avg 18.81 kph Max 49.8 kph
I woke up when I heard Bev get up at 4:15 AM to go to the w/c. We got up at 6:30 AM. My left shoulder and upper arm were quite sore. I woke up Debbie when I went in trailer to use w/c. She was sleeping on her Lazy Boy recliner. Did some packing before having breakfast of OJ, cereal, toast with peanut butter and jam and tea. We finished packing and loaded our gear on our bikes, said goodbye, thanked Debbie and left for ARNPRIOR at 8:00 AM. We stopped at the corner store for Gatorade and filled our bottles. We followed Hwy #60 to Renfrew and stopped in Douglas for chocolate milk and a muffin at a café. In Renfrew we stopped at a Tim Horton's for lunch before continuing on #20 to Castleford then #1 (River Road) to Arnprior. The road was newly paved with some hills thrown in to slow us down before getting out of Renfrew. Although it was nice riding along the Ottawa River on River Road it was a bit rough for the last 15 kms or so. It was also very hot and humid with a bit of a tail wind. We stopped in Braeside for a cold drink before arriving in Arnprior at 2:00 PM. Bev was very tired and sore. I was able to use my GPS to find a motel. We checked into the Twin Maples Motel at $65 + taxes. We rinsed out an outfit for tomorrow's ride after having a shower. I had trouble turning on my Notebook. I eventually had to remove the battery in order to turn it on. It appears the battery went completely flat as I had left it on "Standby" when putting it away the previous evening. I had to pretend to connect to another router before I could connect to the Twin Maples router. We checked our e-mail and I sent a reply to Lise, Keith, Steph, Lori and Jim about our return to Ottawa tomorrow. Later we walked to the Tosh Restaurant for dinner. I had a pulled pork sandwich shared some sweet potato fries with Bev and a garden salad. Bev had a humongous, very juicy burger. We walked back to our motel and were off to bed at 9:00 PM as we were both very tired.
Bev and Roly
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
CCCT 2012 - August 1/12 - Day 74
Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Wednesday, August 1, 2012 - Day 74
Deep River to Golden Lake, ON Trip 98.10 kms Time 5 hrs 18 mins Avg 18.48 kph Max 48 kph
We got up at 6:00 AM. I had a good sleep until 2:30 AM when I was awakened by Bev's coughing and her getting up to go to w/c. My left shoulder was also quite sore afterwards. I must have been lying on it. We did some packing before having yogurt, a Danish pastry and a small chocolate milk for breakfast. We loaded our gear on our bikes and left for GOLDEN RIVER at 7:30 AM. We had to stop near Petawawa to put our rain covers on at 8:30 and also had a snack. Next, we stopped at a convenience store for hot chocolate and a muffin. Thank goodness the rain let up. We cycled to Lake Doré Road where we saw a sign for Golden Lake. Bev asked a couple guys in a pickup truck if we could take it to get to Golden Lake. They said we could so we set off again. It was flat for the first 5 or 6 kms then it became quite hilly. We stopped to have a look at our maps and checked the GPS. There was a connecting side road which we thought would be less hilly. Since it was now 12:15 PM we decided to have our lunch before going on. It was quite hot and there was no shade available. We then arrived at the side road intersection and once again asked for directions. We were assured we could get back to the main road (hwy #60) that would get us to Golden Lake. So off we went again. The side road also turned out to be a roller coaster ride. Oh well, we were not in a great hurry and it was a nice day so we decided to push on and enjoy the ride as much as possible. Eventually we arrived at #60 highway but were not sure which way to turn. Bev asked a guy in a Hydro truck for directions and he pointed us in the right direction. We arrived at Golden lake at 2:15 PM and went directly into a restaurant for some ice cream then across the street to a convenience store for some chips and pop before continuing on to Debbie's (Bev's friend) trailer in the Algonquin Indian Reservation where we arrived at 3:00 PM. We sat out on the deck and chatted. I had a beer while Bev had some tea. Bev went off to help Debbie prepare a salad and spaghetti for dinner with white bread and salty butter and white wine. I helped myself to a 2nd beer while waiting. There was no wi-fi or internet available. We went for a short walk after dinner to see Debbie's "new" pontoon boat. It got banged up pretty bad in a recent storm that also knocked down a large "Widow Maker" tree which luckily fell away from her trailer, etc. Once we returned to the trailer we sat out on the deck and had tea and ice cream until the mosquitoes got so bad we had to move inside. Watched TV for a while then unloaded our panniers and put our bikes in a shed. We inflated our Memory Foam Mattresses and slept on the floor in the bunkhouse. It was very comfortable and much better than sleeping in our cramped tent.
Bev and Roly
Deep River to Golden Lake, ON Trip 98.10 kms Time 5 hrs 18 mins Avg 18.48 kph Max 48 kph
We got up at 6:00 AM. I had a good sleep until 2:30 AM when I was awakened by Bev's coughing and her getting up to go to w/c. My left shoulder was also quite sore afterwards. I must have been lying on it. We did some packing before having yogurt, a Danish pastry and a small chocolate milk for breakfast. We loaded our gear on our bikes and left for GOLDEN RIVER at 7:30 AM. We had to stop near Petawawa to put our rain covers on at 8:30 and also had a snack. Next, we stopped at a convenience store for hot chocolate and a muffin. Thank goodness the rain let up. We cycled to Lake Doré Road where we saw a sign for Golden Lake. Bev asked a couple guys in a pickup truck if we could take it to get to Golden Lake. They said we could so we set off again. It was flat for the first 5 or 6 kms then it became quite hilly. We stopped to have a look at our maps and checked the GPS. There was a connecting side road which we thought would be less hilly. Since it was now 12:15 PM we decided to have our lunch before going on. It was quite hot and there was no shade available. We then arrived at the side road intersection and once again asked for directions. We were assured we could get back to the main road (hwy #60) that would get us to Golden Lake. So off we went again. The side road also turned out to be a roller coaster ride. Oh well, we were not in a great hurry and it was a nice day so we decided to push on and enjoy the ride as much as possible. Eventually we arrived at #60 highway but were not sure which way to turn. Bev asked a guy in a Hydro truck for directions and he pointed us in the right direction. We arrived at Golden lake at 2:15 PM and went directly into a restaurant for some ice cream then across the street to a convenience store for some chips and pop before continuing on to Debbie's (Bev's friend) trailer in the Algonquin Indian Reservation where we arrived at 3:00 PM. We sat out on the deck and chatted. I had a beer while Bev had some tea. Bev went off to help Debbie prepare a salad and spaghetti for dinner with white bread and salty butter and white wine. I helped myself to a 2nd beer while waiting. There was no wi-fi or internet available. We went for a short walk after dinner to see Debbie's "new" pontoon boat. It got banged up pretty bad in a recent storm that also knocked down a large "Widow Maker" tree which luckily fell away from her trailer, etc. Once we returned to the trailer we sat out on the deck and had tea and ice cream until the mosquitoes got so bad we had to move inside. Watched TV for a while then unloaded our panniers and put our bikes in a shed. We inflated our Memory Foam Mattresses and slept on the floor in the bunkhouse. It was very comfortable and much better than sleeping in our cramped tent.
Bev and Roly
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| Metal Pinwheels at Algonquin Indian Reservation |
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| Golden Lake at Algonquin Indian Reservation |
Friday, August 17, 2012
CCCT 2012- July 31/12 - Day 73
Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Tuesday, July 31, 2012 - Day 73
Mattawa to Deep River, ON - Trip 111.49 kms Time 6 hrs 47 mins Avg 16.43 kph Max 60.4 kph
We got up at 5:30 AM. I heard a train come through town at 11:00 PM. It blew it's horn at all 6 crossings, 4 times for each crossing. The last blast seemed to echo forever down the river. I also heard a female ranting until 11:30 PM. There was a loud BANG! that sounded like a gun shot or a large fire cracker and that shut her up. We did some packing before having a breakfast of yogurt and a Danish pastry. Afterwards we finished packing including the tent. We had to get rid of several earwigs that had found there way into the slots for the supporting rods. We left at 6:30 AM and cycled to the corner gas station to buy a bottle of Gatorade. I decided not to use my Camel Back anymore until we got home and I could clean and sterilize it. After each filling a water half full with Gatorade we set off for DEEP RIVER at 6:45 AM. It was an overcast day and we started off with a very long climb then several kms of road work and fresh tarmac. After several more hills we had to stop at 40 kms to put our rain covers on our handlebar bags. We already had our rain covers on our other panniers. It started raining so heavily we had to stop and got under our tarp for 10 minutes or so. In spite of getting under our tarp we were soaking wet so decided to keep going. We finally arrived at a gas station convenience store at noon after cycling 68 kms. There was nothing else OPEN on the highway. We had lunch. A Turkey Sub for me which the owner warmed up in his microwave and a snack pack, muffin, Ju-Jubes and hot chocolate for Bev. We also bought more Gatorade and topped up our water bottles. We continued on to Deep River on a very rough road for 15-20 kms. There were several more hills to cope with before arriving in Deep River at 3:30 PM. We checked into the Imperial Motel at $60 including taxes. We had to get fresh batteries for the TV remote as they were missing. After our showers we walked to a grocery store then to a nearby Bistro for beer and dinner. On the way back to our motel room we picked up some Gatorade at a convenience store for tomorrow's ride. Bev watched TV while I filled in my journal. We warmed up individual apple pies in the microwave. Bev was very tired and off to bed at 8:30 PM. I was long in joining her. Before retiring Bev called her friend Debbie in Golden River re our visiting her. I called Lise to let her know we were arriving home on Saturday or Sunday.
Bev and Roly
Posted from my sister's home in Burlington on Friday, August 17th, 2012
Mattawa to Deep River, ON - Trip 111.49 kms Time 6 hrs 47 mins Avg 16.43 kph Max 60.4 kph
We got up at 5:30 AM. I heard a train come through town at 11:00 PM. It blew it's horn at all 6 crossings, 4 times for each crossing. The last blast seemed to echo forever down the river. I also heard a female ranting until 11:30 PM. There was a loud BANG! that sounded like a gun shot or a large fire cracker and that shut her up. We did some packing before having a breakfast of yogurt and a Danish pastry. Afterwards we finished packing including the tent. We had to get rid of several earwigs that had found there way into the slots for the supporting rods. We left at 6:30 AM and cycled to the corner gas station to buy a bottle of Gatorade. I decided not to use my Camel Back anymore until we got home and I could clean and sterilize it. After each filling a water half full with Gatorade we set off for DEEP RIVER at 6:45 AM. It was an overcast day and we started off with a very long climb then several kms of road work and fresh tarmac. After several more hills we had to stop at 40 kms to put our rain covers on our handlebar bags. We already had our rain covers on our other panniers. It started raining so heavily we had to stop and got under our tarp for 10 minutes or so. In spite of getting under our tarp we were soaking wet so decided to keep going. We finally arrived at a gas station convenience store at noon after cycling 68 kms. There was nothing else OPEN on the highway. We had lunch. A Turkey Sub for me which the owner warmed up in his microwave and a snack pack, muffin, Ju-Jubes and hot chocolate for Bev. We also bought more Gatorade and topped up our water bottles. We continued on to Deep River on a very rough road for 15-20 kms. There were several more hills to cope with before arriving in Deep River at 3:30 PM. We checked into the Imperial Motel at $60 including taxes. We had to get fresh batteries for the TV remote as they were missing. After our showers we walked to a grocery store then to a nearby Bistro for beer and dinner. On the way back to our motel room we picked up some Gatorade at a convenience store for tomorrow's ride. Bev watched TV while I filled in my journal. We warmed up individual apple pies in the microwave. Bev was very tired and off to bed at 8:30 PM. I was long in joining her. Before retiring Bev called her friend Debbie in Golden River re our visiting her. I called Lise to let her know we were arriving home on Saturday or Sunday.
Bev and Roly
Posted from my sister's home in Burlington on Friday, August 17th, 2012
Thursday, August 16, 2012
CCCT 2012 - July 30/12 - Day 72
Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Monday, July 30, 2012 - Day 72
Sturgeon Falls to Mattawa - Trip 113.33 Time 6 hrs 13 mins Avg 18. 24 kph Max 57.8 kph
I woke up several times during the night. My left shoulder was sore and my upper body a bit cold. Sleeping in a tent in a sleeping bag is not exactly my cup of tea. We got up at 6:15 AM and did some packing. We saw several ducks diving off the nearby dock into the river which was covered with an early morning mist. We had Greek yogurt and 1/2 a banana each for breakfast before finishing our packing. The lady with the white dog (neither Bev or I could figure out what breed it was) came by and we chatted for awhile. She was on her way to Algonquin Park to do some hiking and camping there. On our way out we stopped at the main building and filled our bottles with water before leaving for MATTAWA at 7:35 AM. We cycled to Timmy's for chocolate milk and a carrot muffin for me and a cranberry muffin for Bev. I went over to the gas station next door and got some Gatorade while Bev got our Timmy's order. After topping up our water bottles with Gatorade we again set off for Mattawa at 8:00 AM. We made several pit stops on our way and stopped for lunch at a "Chip Wagon". It was a very hot and humid day. The road was quite good with a nice paved shoulder except for one rough section of about 10 kms or so. Also we had several hills to climb. Finally we got a break after 1:00 PM with a slight tail wind. We arrived at the Sid Turcotte campsite in Mattawa at 3:30 PM. It cost $30 for a campsite with water and electrical outlet. We treated ourselves to a very refreshing fruit sicle before going to set up our tent. Afterwards, we cycled into town (about 5 kms) and had a beer at the local hotel before going to get some groceries at Foodland for our dinner and breakfast. On our way back to the campsite we stopped at a riverside picnic table and had our Chicken Tenders, Wedge Fries and Cole Slaw for dinner. We met a 60 year old cyclist who had cycled from Sudbury to Mattawa (193 kms). He was looking for a motel for the night. We gave him directions to the hotel where we had stopped to have a beer. There were no other motels in town. After returning to our campsite I got my Notebook out and we walked back to the main office where there was a wi-fi hotspot. I was able to get a connection and we checked our e-mail. Since I was running on battery power I decided not to take a chance on working on my blog as I might lose everything if the battery died. We were off to bed by 9:00 PM.
Roly and Bev
Sturgeon Falls to Mattawa - Trip 113.33 Time 6 hrs 13 mins Avg 18. 24 kph Max 57.8 kph
I woke up several times during the night. My left shoulder was sore and my upper body a bit cold. Sleeping in a tent in a sleeping bag is not exactly my cup of tea. We got up at 6:15 AM and did some packing. We saw several ducks diving off the nearby dock into the river which was covered with an early morning mist. We had Greek yogurt and 1/2 a banana each for breakfast before finishing our packing. The lady with the white dog (neither Bev or I could figure out what breed it was) came by and we chatted for awhile. She was on her way to Algonquin Park to do some hiking and camping there. On our way out we stopped at the main building and filled our bottles with water before leaving for MATTAWA at 7:35 AM. We cycled to Timmy's for chocolate milk and a carrot muffin for me and a cranberry muffin for Bev. I went over to the gas station next door and got some Gatorade while Bev got our Timmy's order. After topping up our water bottles with Gatorade we again set off for Mattawa at 8:00 AM. We made several pit stops on our way and stopped for lunch at a "Chip Wagon". It was a very hot and humid day. The road was quite good with a nice paved shoulder except for one rough section of about 10 kms or so. Also we had several hills to climb. Finally we got a break after 1:00 PM with a slight tail wind. We arrived at the Sid Turcotte campsite in Mattawa at 3:30 PM. It cost $30 for a campsite with water and electrical outlet. We treated ourselves to a very refreshing fruit sicle before going to set up our tent. Afterwards, we cycled into town (about 5 kms) and had a beer at the local hotel before going to get some groceries at Foodland for our dinner and breakfast. On our way back to the campsite we stopped at a riverside picnic table and had our Chicken Tenders, Wedge Fries and Cole Slaw for dinner. We met a 60 year old cyclist who had cycled from Sudbury to Mattawa (193 kms). He was looking for a motel for the night. We gave him directions to the hotel where we had stopped to have a beer. There were no other motels in town. After returning to our campsite I got my Notebook out and we walked back to the main office where there was a wi-fi hotspot. I was able to get a connection and we checked our e-mail. Since I was running on battery power I decided not to take a chance on working on my blog as I might lose everything if the battery died. We were off to bed by 9:00 PM.
Roly and Bev
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
CCCT 2012 - July 29/12 - Day 71
Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Sunday, July 29, 2012 - Day 71
Sturgeon Falls - Rest Day
I woke up several times during the night once when I heard someone arriving at 1:30 AM and using some sort of motor to blow up their air mattress, bang their car doors, flash their lights, etc. I also heard a fox or cat strangling a bird. There was a lot of squawking at 4:30 AM. We got up at 8:00 AM and went up to the main building for a $5.00 pancake, sausage and orange juice (Tang) breakfast. The pancakes looked very anemic but the sausages were OK. We returned to our tent after breakfast and I worked on my blog. Later, we changed into our cycling gear and cycled into Sturgeon Falls for lunch at Tim Horton's. We then got some groceries at a Foodland store. We stopped at a sidewalk café to listen to some music and have a beer and ice cream. It was all very entertaining. A male singer asked for anyone wearing white sox to go up on stage. Bev went up and got a FREE Gisèle CD. We cycled back to the KOA at 3:30 PM and I lay down for a nap at 4:15 PM while Bev read her book. Bev prepared 3 Cheese Tortellini pasta with Tomato and Mushroom sauce. I helped. I packed my bags while Bev did the dishes. It was very hot in the tent. I had to take my T-shirt off. Did a bit more work on my blog while Bev packed her bags. I tried to work in the "lounge" up at the main building to get away from the mosquitoes but the wi-fi connection was to slow and I was unable to open any websites. I returned to our tent where wi-fi reception was excellent. We were off to bed at 9:30 PM. A lady in her 50s arrived with her large white dog and set up her tent next to ours. Bev told me that when I put my arm above my head I hit her inflatable pillow and it makes her head bounce!!!
Bev and Roly
Sturgeon Falls - Rest Day
I woke up several times during the night once when I heard someone arriving at 1:30 AM and using some sort of motor to blow up their air mattress, bang their car doors, flash their lights, etc. I also heard a fox or cat strangling a bird. There was a lot of squawking at 4:30 AM. We got up at 8:00 AM and went up to the main building for a $5.00 pancake, sausage and orange juice (Tang) breakfast. The pancakes looked very anemic but the sausages were OK. We returned to our tent after breakfast and I worked on my blog. Later, we changed into our cycling gear and cycled into Sturgeon Falls for lunch at Tim Horton's. We then got some groceries at a Foodland store. We stopped at a sidewalk café to listen to some music and have a beer and ice cream. It was all very entertaining. A male singer asked for anyone wearing white sox to go up on stage. Bev went up and got a FREE Gisèle CD. We cycled back to the KOA at 3:30 PM and I lay down for a nap at 4:15 PM while Bev read her book. Bev prepared 3 Cheese Tortellini pasta with Tomato and Mushroom sauce. I helped. I packed my bags while Bev did the dishes. It was very hot in the tent. I had to take my T-shirt off. Did a bit more work on my blog while Bev packed her bags. I tried to work in the "lounge" up at the main building to get away from the mosquitoes but the wi-fi connection was to slow and I was unable to open any websites. I returned to our tent where wi-fi reception was excellent. We were off to bed at 9:30 PM. A lady in her 50s arrived with her large white dog and set up her tent next to ours. Bev told me that when I put my arm above my head I hit her inflatable pillow and it makes her head bounce!!!
Bev and Roly
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
CCCT 2012 - July 28/12 - Day 70
Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Saturday, July 28, 2012 - Day 70
Sudbury to Sturgeon Falls, ON - Trip 85.47 kms Time 4 hrs 42 mins Avg 18.15 kph Max 45 kph
Had a good night's sleep in spite of sore left shoulder. I dreamt about my rear van wiper being stolen while I was in it. I woke Bev up when I shouted "F**king punks!" just before my alarm went off at 6:00 AM. We got up and did some packing before going over to the restaurant for breakfast. I returned the Internet cable to the front desk and ordered eggs, toast, home fries, sausages and tea while Bev had blueberry pancakes and tea. The syrup was OK but the tea went cold to fast! While having our breakfast we watched cycling at the Olympics in England. We returned to our room, finished packing, loaded our gear on our bikes and set off for STURGEON FALLS at 7:40 AM. We stopped at a gas station for some Gatorade and at a Mennonite Restaurant near Walden for lunch. We had Whistle Dogs (hot dog with bacon and cheese) and Dutch Apple pie with ice cream for me and Coconut Cream pie for Bev. We met 2 young cyclists who were cycling from Vancouver to StJohn's, NL, in a hurry. They stopped at the restaurant to have lunch with friends who were already inside waiting for them. We arrived in Sturgeon Falls at 1:45 PM and saw a sign for a KOA where we decided to camp for 2 days. It was 3 kms from the main highway on a paved road. We paid $33 + $3 for an electrical hookup. Before setting up our tent we had an ice cream then sorted out our laundry, put it all in one large pannier and went off to the laundromat hut to do a load of laundry. The KOA manager came by to thank us for allowing her to turn at the highway which allowed her to arrive in time for a pontoon boat tour that she was organizing. She asked if there was anything we needed. I jokingly asked for a cold beer. She was so impressed that we had cycled all the way from Nanaimo that she went and got us 2 cold frosty beverages which turned out to be Bev's favourite i.e. Coors Light. We couldn't thank her enough. We checked out the park wi-fi which turned out to work very well right from where we had set up our tent - much better than at the KOA in Thunder Bay. We prepared KD with Maple Syrup flavoured beans for our dinner. The staff had organized a screen and sound equipment about 200 metres from our tent in order to show a movie. I think it was "The Three Musketeers" which was supposed to start at 9:00 PM. It was well after 10:00 PM before they finally started the movie. By that time we had gotten tired of waiting for the movie to start. We were ready for bed and inside our tent in order not to be eaten alive by mosquitoes. We could just make out the screen from our tent "screen window" in spite of all the mosquitoes trying to get inside our tent to feast on us. Eventually, since no one showed up, they shut down the movie and we all had a good night's rest.
Bev and Roly
Posted at home in Ottawa on Tuesday, August 14th, 2012. We had to abandon our cycling adventure due to Roly's shoulder injury. More about this later.
Sudbury to Sturgeon Falls, ON - Trip 85.47 kms Time 4 hrs 42 mins Avg 18.15 kph Max 45 kph
Had a good night's sleep in spite of sore left shoulder. I dreamt about my rear van wiper being stolen while I was in it. I woke Bev up when I shouted "F**king punks!" just before my alarm went off at 6:00 AM. We got up and did some packing before going over to the restaurant for breakfast. I returned the Internet cable to the front desk and ordered eggs, toast, home fries, sausages and tea while Bev had blueberry pancakes and tea. The syrup was OK but the tea went cold to fast! While having our breakfast we watched cycling at the Olympics in England. We returned to our room, finished packing, loaded our gear on our bikes and set off for STURGEON FALLS at 7:40 AM. We stopped at a gas station for some Gatorade and at a Mennonite Restaurant near Walden for lunch. We had Whistle Dogs (hot dog with bacon and cheese) and Dutch Apple pie with ice cream for me and Coconut Cream pie for Bev. We met 2 young cyclists who were cycling from Vancouver to StJohn's, NL, in a hurry. They stopped at the restaurant to have lunch with friends who were already inside waiting for them. We arrived in Sturgeon Falls at 1:45 PM and saw a sign for a KOA where we decided to camp for 2 days. It was 3 kms from the main highway on a paved road. We paid $33 + $3 for an electrical hookup. Before setting up our tent we had an ice cream then sorted out our laundry, put it all in one large pannier and went off to the laundromat hut to do a load of laundry. The KOA manager came by to thank us for allowing her to turn at the highway which allowed her to arrive in time for a pontoon boat tour that she was organizing. She asked if there was anything we needed. I jokingly asked for a cold beer. She was so impressed that we had cycled all the way from Nanaimo that she went and got us 2 cold frosty beverages which turned out to be Bev's favourite i.e. Coors Light. We couldn't thank her enough. We checked out the park wi-fi which turned out to work very well right from where we had set up our tent - much better than at the KOA in Thunder Bay. We prepared KD with Maple Syrup flavoured beans for our dinner. The staff had organized a screen and sound equipment about 200 metres from our tent in order to show a movie. I think it was "The Three Musketeers" which was supposed to start at 9:00 PM. It was well after 10:00 PM before they finally started the movie. By that time we had gotten tired of waiting for the movie to start. We were ready for bed and inside our tent in order not to be eaten alive by mosquitoes. We could just make out the screen from our tent "screen window" in spite of all the mosquitoes trying to get inside our tent to feast on us. Eventually, since no one showed up, they shut down the movie and we all had a good night's rest.
Bev and Roly
Posted at home in Ottawa on Tuesday, August 14th, 2012. We had to abandon our cycling adventure due to Roly's shoulder injury. More about this later.
Friday, August 10, 2012
CCCT 2012 - July 27/12 - Day 69
Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Friday, July 27, 2012 - Day 69
Massey to Sudbury, ON - Trip 107.18 kms Time 6 hrs 58 mins Avg 15.39 kph Max 56.8 kph
We got up at 6:00 AM and had oatmeal, yogurt and a banana for breakfast. After packing our panniers and loading them on our bikes we cycled to a nearby gas station and bought some Gatorade to fill our bottles before departing for SUDBURY at 7:30 AM. We had to cycle on the highway as there was no paved shoulder. The road conditions were terrible. Many drivers were not so considerate and came rather close to making contact with us. Plus we had a head wind which slowed us down all day. With 30 kms to go before arriving in Sudbury there was a sign which indicated "No Bicycles" allowed on Hwy 17. We had to take the old Hwy 55. It was in even worse condition and very bumpy. We made a few stops for butt breaks and lunch on the way. We arrived on the West side of Sudbury at 3:00 PM. The road conditions were again very poor. Our hands, butts and bikes were really taking a beating!!! We stopped at a DQ for ice cream. We also gave up on camping and decided to look for a motel on the East side of Sudbury. It was rush hour and the traffic was very bad. The majority of drivers had little or no patience for us and our bikes. After stopping and asking for directions several times we finally arrived at the Chateau Guay Motel at 5:00 PM. We checked in at $75 + tax and unloaded our gear. I was given a cable so that I could connect to the motel network and checked it out while Bev showered. The cable connection was very good. I showered and rinsed out a cycling outfit for tomorrow's ride. We walked over to the attached restaurant for a couple cold refreshing beers and dinner. I had a garden salad, meat loaf, mashed potatoes and veggies. Very good. Can't remember what Bev had for her dinner. I got some chips, a diet coke and a large date square to go. I worked on my blog while Bev watched TV. Off to bed at 10:30 PM
Bev and Roly
Massey to Sudbury, ON - Trip 107.18 kms Time 6 hrs 58 mins Avg 15.39 kph Max 56.8 kph
We got up at 6:00 AM and had oatmeal, yogurt and a banana for breakfast. After packing our panniers and loading them on our bikes we cycled to a nearby gas station and bought some Gatorade to fill our bottles before departing for SUDBURY at 7:30 AM. We had to cycle on the highway as there was no paved shoulder. The road conditions were terrible. Many drivers were not so considerate and came rather close to making contact with us. Plus we had a head wind which slowed us down all day. With 30 kms to go before arriving in Sudbury there was a sign which indicated "No Bicycles" allowed on Hwy 17. We had to take the old Hwy 55. It was in even worse condition and very bumpy. We made a few stops for butt breaks and lunch on the way. We arrived on the West side of Sudbury at 3:00 PM. The road conditions were again very poor. Our hands, butts and bikes were really taking a beating!!! We stopped at a DQ for ice cream. We also gave up on camping and decided to look for a motel on the East side of Sudbury. It was rush hour and the traffic was very bad. The majority of drivers had little or no patience for us and our bikes. After stopping and asking for directions several times we finally arrived at the Chateau Guay Motel at 5:00 PM. We checked in at $75 + tax and unloaded our gear. I was given a cable so that I could connect to the motel network and checked it out while Bev showered. The cable connection was very good. I showered and rinsed out a cycling outfit for tomorrow's ride. We walked over to the attached restaurant for a couple cold refreshing beers and dinner. I had a garden salad, meat loaf, mashed potatoes and veggies. Very good. Can't remember what Bev had for her dinner. I got some chips, a diet coke and a large date square to go. I worked on my blog while Bev watched TV. Off to bed at 10:30 PM
Bev and Roly
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
CCCT 2012 - July 26/12 - Day 68
Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Thursday, July 26, 2012 - Day 68
Thessalon to Massey, ON - Trip 130.66 kms Time 7 hrs 24 mins Avg 17.64 kph Max 47.3 kph
We got up at 6:00 AM. I had heard Gigi get up at 5:00 AM and start preparing breakfast. We went down for breakfast at 6:30 AM. There was raisin bread French toast, fresh fruit, bacon, juice, etc. Gerard had put our photo, which he had taken yesterday, in their Guest Book and left it on the breakfast table for us to add a comment which I did. I had left if for Bev to do but she passed it over to me as she had done the Guest Book comment at Velorution. We finished packing, carried our panniers out to the garage, where we had left our bikes, and loaded our gear on them. We left for MASSEY at 7:30 AM. The skies were overcast which made for a cool start to the day. We had a nice paved shoulder. We stopped at a "Rest Area" and enjoyed half of the date square which we had purchased at the restaurant the night before. We met a young cyclist going West. He looked and sounded a bit tired of cycling. We stopped at a Motel/Ice Cream stand for lunch. I went into the OFFICE to see about cold drinks. The manager was busy with two other "fishing" customers. I checked the fridge but there were only Pepsi, Cokes and Minnows for fish bait in it. He later came out and apologized for ignoring me. When I told him I was looking for a cold, refreshing drink, such as Dole Grapefruit juice, he went back to the OFFICE and came back with some grape juice and 2 glasses which he offered us for FREE. In spite of a head wind we arrived in Massey at 5:00 PM. There were only 2 motels in town to chose from, 1 restaurant and 3 convenience stores plus the LCBO. After purchasing two cold beers at the LCBO we checked into the Massey Motel at $68.50 + tax. I was able to get on the Internet using the motel wi-fi and we checked our e-mail. There was no word from Eric regarding his sister's address, etc in Sudbury. We walked over to the Dragonfly Restaurant for dinner. No license - No booze. I had veal parmigiana, veggies and mashed potatoes. Bev had pasta. The restaurant featured very interesting decor in both the Men's and Women's washrooms. The walls were covered all over with bric-a-brac and all sorts of memorabilia. I saw a Newfie chainsaw in the Men's. It was a crosscut saw with a chain instead of a blade! We walked to the grocery store for an ice cream. The soft ice cream was very soft. My strawberry sundae was dripping all over. We walked back to the motel and I worked on my blog before going off to bed at 10:00 PM.
Bev and Roly
Thessalon to Massey, ON - Trip 130.66 kms Time 7 hrs 24 mins Avg 17.64 kph Max 47.3 kph
We got up at 6:00 AM. I had heard Gigi get up at 5:00 AM and start preparing breakfast. We went down for breakfast at 6:30 AM. There was raisin bread French toast, fresh fruit, bacon, juice, etc. Gerard had put our photo, which he had taken yesterday, in their Guest Book and left it on the breakfast table for us to add a comment which I did. I had left if for Bev to do but she passed it over to me as she had done the Guest Book comment at Velorution. We finished packing, carried our panniers out to the garage, where we had left our bikes, and loaded our gear on them. We left for MASSEY at 7:30 AM. The skies were overcast which made for a cool start to the day. We had a nice paved shoulder. We stopped at a "Rest Area" and enjoyed half of the date square which we had purchased at the restaurant the night before. We met a young cyclist going West. He looked and sounded a bit tired of cycling. We stopped at a Motel/Ice Cream stand for lunch. I went into the OFFICE to see about cold drinks. The manager was busy with two other "fishing" customers. I checked the fridge but there were only Pepsi, Cokes and Minnows for fish bait in it. He later came out and apologized for ignoring me. When I told him I was looking for a cold, refreshing drink, such as Dole Grapefruit juice, he went back to the OFFICE and came back with some grape juice and 2 glasses which he offered us for FREE. In spite of a head wind we arrived in Massey at 5:00 PM. There were only 2 motels in town to chose from, 1 restaurant and 3 convenience stores plus the LCBO. After purchasing two cold beers at the LCBO we checked into the Massey Motel at $68.50 + tax. I was able to get on the Internet using the motel wi-fi and we checked our e-mail. There was no word from Eric regarding his sister's address, etc in Sudbury. We walked over to the Dragonfly Restaurant for dinner. No license - No booze. I had veal parmigiana, veggies and mashed potatoes. Bev had pasta. The restaurant featured very interesting decor in both the Men's and Women's washrooms. The walls were covered all over with bric-a-brac and all sorts of memorabilia. I saw a Newfie chainsaw in the Men's. It was a crosscut saw with a chain instead of a blade! We walked to the grocery store for an ice cream. The soft ice cream was very soft. My strawberry sundae was dripping all over. We walked back to the motel and I worked on my blog before going off to bed at 10:00 PM.
Bev and Roly
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
CCCT 2012 - July 25/12 - Day 67
Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Wednesday, July 25, 2012 - Day 67
Sault Ste. Marie to Thessalon, ON - Trip 92.10 kms Time 5 hrs Avg 18.44 kph Max 51.8 kph
We got up at 5:30 AM and packed our gear, tent, etc. Louis also got up at 6:00 AM when he heard us packing up to leave. Bev left a note in the "Visitor's Book" and we filled our water bottles before going over to the Husky restaurant for breakfast. The waitress was quite busy so we just got a pastry, drinks and some food for our lunch before leaving for THESALON at 7:30 AM. Earlier we also had some Greek yogurt and 1/2 a banana each before we left the campground. We followed the directions on a pamphlet prepared by Velorution for getting out of town. We met up with Louis who had stopped at a donut shop for breakfast after taking a wrong turn. He later on caught up to us when we stopped for a break and a pit stop at a native "resort". Bev said the "facilities" were disgusting. Louis went ahead as he was cycling much faster than us. After cycling 61 kms we stopped to put our rain covers on our handle bar bags, computers, etc. We again met up with Louis at Bruce Mines where he had stopped to take shelter. He planned to stay at a motel there for the night. Since we were already wet we decided to continue on for another 20 kms to Thesalon. We passed an expensive looking motel by a beach and 2 others that were CLOSED. Earlier we had stopped at a "Rest Area" for our lunch. On arriving in Thesalon we went into a grocery store and asked about accommodations. Chris, the manager, called 2 B&Bs. The 2nd had a room available at $100 (tax in). We were pretty well soaked and the rain was still coming down quite hard so we decided we would pay the price to stay in a warm and dry house. Besides it included breakfast. We bought a few groceries and checked into the Northshore B&B. We arrived at 2:30 PM thoroughly soaked, put our bikes in the garage and carried our essential gear into the beautiful home of our hosts Gigi and Gerard Marion. They made us very welcome and after we had showered and changed into dry clothes offered us some tea and cookies. The rain finally let up and we were able to walk to a nearby restaurant that they had recommended. I had the White Fish which was huge. We also got a date square to go. It was also huge and very reasonably priced at $5.00. We hurried back to our lodgings as it was threatening to start pouring again. The B&B also had a terrific entertainment room and Gerard invited us to choose and watch a movie from his very sizable library of both DVDs and VHS tapes. We chose to watch "The Last Brickmaker" with Sidney Poitier. I had wanted to work on my blog but my efforts to get my Notebook connected to the B&B wi-fi proved to be fruitless. For some reason I could not get it to recognize the "security code" which consisted of a long string of characters. It was soon time to hit the sack as we planned an early morning departure
Bev and Roly
Sault Ste. Marie to Thessalon, ON - Trip 92.10 kms Time 5 hrs Avg 18.44 kph Max 51.8 kph
We got up at 5:30 AM and packed our gear, tent, etc. Louis also got up at 6:00 AM when he heard us packing up to leave. Bev left a note in the "Visitor's Book" and we filled our water bottles before going over to the Husky restaurant for breakfast. The waitress was quite busy so we just got a pastry, drinks and some food for our lunch before leaving for THESALON at 7:30 AM. Earlier we also had some Greek yogurt and 1/2 a banana each before we left the campground. We followed the directions on a pamphlet prepared by Velorution for getting out of town. We met up with Louis who had stopped at a donut shop for breakfast after taking a wrong turn. He later on caught up to us when we stopped for a break and a pit stop at a native "resort". Bev said the "facilities" were disgusting. Louis went ahead as he was cycling much faster than us. After cycling 61 kms we stopped to put our rain covers on our handle bar bags, computers, etc. We again met up with Louis at Bruce Mines where he had stopped to take shelter. He planned to stay at a motel there for the night. Since we were already wet we decided to continue on for another 20 kms to Thesalon. We passed an expensive looking motel by a beach and 2 others that were CLOSED. Earlier we had stopped at a "Rest Area" for our lunch. On arriving in Thesalon we went into a grocery store and asked about accommodations. Chris, the manager, called 2 B&Bs. The 2nd had a room available at $100 (tax in). We were pretty well soaked and the rain was still coming down quite hard so we decided we would pay the price to stay in a warm and dry house. Besides it included breakfast. We bought a few groceries and checked into the Northshore B&B. We arrived at 2:30 PM thoroughly soaked, put our bikes in the garage and carried our essential gear into the beautiful home of our hosts Gigi and Gerard Marion. They made us very welcome and after we had showered and changed into dry clothes offered us some tea and cookies. The rain finally let up and we were able to walk to a nearby restaurant that they had recommended. I had the White Fish which was huge. We also got a date square to go. It was also huge and very reasonably priced at $5.00. We hurried back to our lodgings as it was threatening to start pouring again. The B&B also had a terrific entertainment room and Gerard invited us to choose and watch a movie from his very sizable library of both DVDs and VHS tapes. We chose to watch "The Last Brickmaker" with Sidney Poitier. I had wanted to work on my blog but my efforts to get my Notebook connected to the B&B wi-fi proved to be fruitless. For some reason I could not get it to recognize the "security code" which consisted of a long string of characters. It was soon time to hit the sack as we planned an early morning departure
Bev and Roly
CCCT 2012 - July 24/12 - Day 66
Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Tuesday, July 24, 2012 - Day 66
Sault Ste. Marie - Rest Day
I was woken several times during the night by night creatures, etc and once by a screeching bird being mauled by a cat or ? at 3:30 AM. We got up at 8:00 AM and had muffins and a Mandarin orange fruit cup for breakfast. The wind had died down during the night and it was a very pleasant sunny morning. I took some photos while Bev did some reading. We took our bikes over to the bike shop and left them for repairs/maintenance when it opened at 10:00 AM. We then went back to our tent, gathered our laundry and walked over to the laundromat at 10:50 AM. It was not yet open. The lady in the next door shop said the manager of the laundromat usually opened at 11:00 AM. We waited 10-15 minutes before going over to the Metro across the street to get something to eat and drink for lunch. When we returned the laundromat manager was just arriving to open up. We started a load of laundry at $2.00 plus .89 cents for soap and $1.00 for the dryer. While waiting for our clothes to dry we walked over to the nearby Zellers for a cup of tea. Once our laundry was dry and folded we walked back to our campsite stopping at a McDs for an ice cream on the way. After hanging my T-shirts, etc which were still a bit damp, we went up to the bike shop to check on repairs. They were not yet started. I checked over the selection of tires and chose a Schwalbe touring tire at $60.00 recommended by Jan. I had brought along my Notebook and was able to get on the Internet using the bike shop wi-fi. We were able to check our e-mail and I let Lori know that we would be back in Ottawa before they left on August 11th. Returned laptop to tent and walked over to Walmart, Husky and Beer Store. We bought some groceries including chicken breast to BBQ for our dinner and beer for the boys working on our bikes. All this hiking around tired me out so I lay down for a nap. A cyclist, Louis, arrived at 5:00 PM to spend a night at the campsite. We chatted for an hour before cooking our chicken on the bike shop BBQ. It was very tasty along with an egg and potato salad and tomato and a sticky bun and tea with milk. We checked the weather forecast and I worked on my blog while Bev cleaned up. We packed our bags, showered and were off to bed at 10:30 PM for an early morning start.
Bev and Roly
Sault Ste. Marie - Rest Day
I was woken several times during the night by night creatures, etc and once by a screeching bird being mauled by a cat or ? at 3:30 AM. We got up at 8:00 AM and had muffins and a Mandarin orange fruit cup for breakfast. The wind had died down during the night and it was a very pleasant sunny morning. I took some photos while Bev did some reading. We took our bikes over to the bike shop and left them for repairs/maintenance when it opened at 10:00 AM. We then went back to our tent, gathered our laundry and walked over to the laundromat at 10:50 AM. It was not yet open. The lady in the next door shop said the manager of the laundromat usually opened at 11:00 AM. We waited 10-15 minutes before going over to the Metro across the street to get something to eat and drink for lunch. When we returned the laundromat manager was just arriving to open up. We started a load of laundry at $2.00 plus .89 cents for soap and $1.00 for the dryer. While waiting for our clothes to dry we walked over to the nearby Zellers for a cup of tea. Once our laundry was dry and folded we walked back to our campsite stopping at a McDs for an ice cream on the way. After hanging my T-shirts, etc which were still a bit damp, we went up to the bike shop to check on repairs. They were not yet started. I checked over the selection of tires and chose a Schwalbe touring tire at $60.00 recommended by Jan. I had brought along my Notebook and was able to get on the Internet using the bike shop wi-fi. We were able to check our e-mail and I let Lori know that we would be back in Ottawa before they left on August 11th. Returned laptop to tent and walked over to Walmart, Husky and Beer Store. We bought some groceries including chicken breast to BBQ for our dinner and beer for the boys working on our bikes. All this hiking around tired me out so I lay down for a nap. A cyclist, Louis, arrived at 5:00 PM to spend a night at the campsite. We chatted for an hour before cooking our chicken on the bike shop BBQ. It was very tasty along with an egg and potato salad and tomato and a sticky bun and tea with milk. We checked the weather forecast and I worked on my blog while Bev cleaned up. We packed our bags, showered and were off to bed at 10:30 PM for an early morning start.
Bev and Roly
CCCT 2012 - July 23/12 - Day 65
Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Monday, July 23, 2012 - Day 65
Montreal River Harbour to Sault Ste. Marie
Trip 129.70 kms Time 8 hrs 16 mins Avg 15.69 kph Max 60.70 kph
I heard it start raining at 4:30 AM so got up to close the windows and get a drink of water. I was also up twice before during the night to pee and drink water. For some reason I was extra thirsty. We got up at 5:30 AM when my watch alarm went off. It was still raining and very windy. We went back to bed. The storm let up at 6:30 AM so I got up and put our bikes out on the deck. It started raining again. Bev had to go out and get her bike computer. We had yogurt and a muffin, warmed up in the microwave, for breakfast. Rain stopped at 7:00 AM so we loaded our gear on our bikes and set off for SAULT STE. MARIE at 7:30 AM under black stormy looking clouds. By 8:00 AM it was beginning to look clearer and by 8:30 the sun had come out. There was a paved shoulder most of the way except for some sections where we had to ride on the highway. I counted 19 hills between Montreal River Harbour and Sault Ste. Marie with the last hill at 20 kms before arriving at "The Soo" as it is commonly referred to. This particular hill is knows as "The Mile". It was a killer!!! We had to stop several times for breaks and cold drinks. At one restaurant/convenience store we bought cold drinks and 2 small bottles of water. The owner offered us 2 more small bottles of water for FREE. We arrived in Sault Ste. Marie at 5:00 PM. We were very thirsty so we stopped at the first gas station we came to for a cold drink and asked for direction to the bike shop where we could get free camping. The attendant sent us off in the wrong direction. After cycling about 3 kms we realized we were going in the wrong direction and after again asking for directions ended up cycling back to the gas station where we discovered that Velorution Bike Shop/Campground was just a block away on Hwy 17. Needless to say we were not amused by the attendant's directions or lack thereof!!! Fortunately, we arrived at 5:50 PM just before the bike shop was about to close for the day at 6:00 PM. Jan, one of the bike mechanics, showed us where to camp and gave us the code so we could use the washroom and shower. We set up our tent and then cycled to a Chinese Restaurant near Staples for a buffet dinner. I, of course, pigged out. I could hardly make it back to the campsite on my bike. We both enjoyed a very refreshing shower and saw a beautiful "red ball of fire" as the sun set. It was quite windy and there were a lot of gulls squawking in the nearby parking lots. I had forgotten to get the "access code" for the wi-fi so it was off to bed at 9:30 PM.
Bev and Roly
Montreal River Harbour to Sault Ste. Marie
Trip 129.70 kms Time 8 hrs 16 mins Avg 15.69 kph Max 60.70 kph
I heard it start raining at 4:30 AM so got up to close the windows and get a drink of water. I was also up twice before during the night to pee and drink water. For some reason I was extra thirsty. We got up at 5:30 AM when my watch alarm went off. It was still raining and very windy. We went back to bed. The storm let up at 6:30 AM so I got up and put our bikes out on the deck. It started raining again. Bev had to go out and get her bike computer. We had yogurt and a muffin, warmed up in the microwave, for breakfast. Rain stopped at 7:00 AM so we loaded our gear on our bikes and set off for SAULT STE. MARIE at 7:30 AM under black stormy looking clouds. By 8:00 AM it was beginning to look clearer and by 8:30 the sun had come out. There was a paved shoulder most of the way except for some sections where we had to ride on the highway. I counted 19 hills between Montreal River Harbour and Sault Ste. Marie with the last hill at 20 kms before arriving at "The Soo" as it is commonly referred to. This particular hill is knows as "The Mile". It was a killer!!! We had to stop several times for breaks and cold drinks. At one restaurant/convenience store we bought cold drinks and 2 small bottles of water. The owner offered us 2 more small bottles of water for FREE. We arrived in Sault Ste. Marie at 5:00 PM. We were very thirsty so we stopped at the first gas station we came to for a cold drink and asked for direction to the bike shop where we could get free camping. The attendant sent us off in the wrong direction. After cycling about 3 kms we realized we were going in the wrong direction and after again asking for directions ended up cycling back to the gas station where we discovered that Velorution Bike Shop/Campground was just a block away on Hwy 17. Needless to say we were not amused by the attendant's directions or lack thereof!!! Fortunately, we arrived at 5:50 PM just before the bike shop was about to close for the day at 6:00 PM. Jan, one of the bike mechanics, showed us where to camp and gave us the code so we could use the washroom and shower. We set up our tent and then cycled to a Chinese Restaurant near Staples for a buffet dinner. I, of course, pigged out. I could hardly make it back to the campsite on my bike. We both enjoyed a very refreshing shower and saw a beautiful "red ball of fire" as the sun set. It was quite windy and there were a lot of gulls squawking in the nearby parking lots. I had forgotten to get the "access code" for the wi-fi so it was off to bed at 9:30 PM.
Bev and Roly
Monday, August 6, 2012
CCCT 2012 - July 22/12 = Day 64
Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Sunday, July 22, 2012 - Day 64
Wawa to Montreal River Harbour, ON - Trip 112.84 kms Time 7 hrs 17 mins Avg 15.50 kph Max 53.1
I slept poorly because of the Tylenol pain killers which I had taken before going to bed for the pain in my left shoulder. Also the motel room was either to hot or to cold. I got up and turned off the A/C and opened the window. We got up at 5:30 AM and had a muffin and yogurt for breakfast.We left at 6:45 AM for MONTREAL RIVER HARBOUR. There were several very long and difficult hills along the way. After going 13 kms we began cycling through Lake Superior Provincial Park. A distance of 83 kms without any facilities. It was very scenic but also, because there was no wind, very hot. We stopped at Old Woman Bay so Bev could use w/c. She had to go "hunting" for it. We met a couple from the Czech Republic on a one month auto tour. Erika? was quite impressed with our bikes and all the gear we carried and asked to take a photo of us. We gladly obliged. We stopped in the shade a few times when it was available. We met a young couple, Kimmy and Daman from Victoria, who started their trek across Canada from StJohns, NL. They came over to our side of the highway and we chatted for 15-20 minutes before continuing on our separate ways. We found out they had met Sebastian, the 4 kids from Vancouver, the MS guy (all cyclist we had crossed paths with earlier) at the cycling campground in Sault Ste Marie. We arrived at the Twilight Resort Motel and Cabins at 4:00 PM. A motel room cost $80 + tax, a cabin cost $60 + tax. There was also camping available but I didn't bother asking how much it was. After checking out our cabin we unloaded our gear, put our flip flops on and went back to the OFFICE/Convenience Store for ice cream. There was no beer, no wi-fi and no TV. After having our showers we rinsed out a cycling outfit for tomorrow's ride and walked over to the "Chip Wagon" for dinner. We both had cheese burgers and fries. Not much else on the menu besides "Moose Balls" which we learned are deep fried Mars bars. We decided to give them a miss. The burgers and fries were very tasty. We also got some ham and cheese and 2 buns for tomorrow's lunch. We bought 2 bottles of G2 and a large KitKat chocolate bar before returning to our cabin. I took 2 milder Tylenol pain killers before going off to bed at 9:00 PM.
Bev and Roly
Wawa to Montreal River Harbour, ON - Trip 112.84 kms Time 7 hrs 17 mins Avg 15.50 kph Max 53.1
I slept poorly because of the Tylenol pain killers which I had taken before going to bed for the pain in my left shoulder. Also the motel room was either to hot or to cold. I got up and turned off the A/C and opened the window. We got up at 5:30 AM and had a muffin and yogurt for breakfast.We left at 6:45 AM for MONTREAL RIVER HARBOUR. There were several very long and difficult hills along the way. After going 13 kms we began cycling through Lake Superior Provincial Park. A distance of 83 kms without any facilities. It was very scenic but also, because there was no wind, very hot. We stopped at Old Woman Bay so Bev could use w/c. She had to go "hunting" for it. We met a couple from the Czech Republic on a one month auto tour. Erika? was quite impressed with our bikes and all the gear we carried and asked to take a photo of us. We gladly obliged. We stopped in the shade a few times when it was available. We met a young couple, Kimmy and Daman from Victoria, who started their trek across Canada from StJohns, NL. They came over to our side of the highway and we chatted for 15-20 minutes before continuing on our separate ways. We found out they had met Sebastian, the 4 kids from Vancouver, the MS guy (all cyclist we had crossed paths with earlier) at the cycling campground in Sault Ste Marie. We arrived at the Twilight Resort Motel and Cabins at 4:00 PM. A motel room cost $80 + tax, a cabin cost $60 + tax. There was also camping available but I didn't bother asking how much it was. After checking out our cabin we unloaded our gear, put our flip flops on and went back to the OFFICE/Convenience Store for ice cream. There was no beer, no wi-fi and no TV. After having our showers we rinsed out a cycling outfit for tomorrow's ride and walked over to the "Chip Wagon" for dinner. We both had cheese burgers and fries. Not much else on the menu besides "Moose Balls" which we learned are deep fried Mars bars. We decided to give them a miss. The burgers and fries were very tasty. We also got some ham and cheese and 2 buns for tomorrow's lunch. We bought 2 bottles of G2 and a large KitKat chocolate bar before returning to our cabin. I took 2 milder Tylenol pain killers before going off to bed at 9:00 PM.
Bev and Roly
CCCT 2012 - July 21/12 - Day 63
Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Saturday, July 21, 2012 - Day 63
White River to Wawa, ON - Trip 97.32 kms Time 5 hrs 44 mins Avg 16.95 kph Max 52.7 kph
We got up at 5:30 AM and went across the highway to Robbins Donuts for breakfast. I had a decaf coffee and a breakfast sandwich with sausage. Bev had hers with ham and tea. We bought an egg salad sandwich and bran/cranberry muffins to take away with us. We returned to our motel room and finished packing before setting off for WAWA at 7:20 AM. After cycling 22 kms we made a pit stop at a roadside shop and had a snack of cookies and chocolate milk. There were also a number of very primitive looking holiday cabins. I wondered how much it would cost to spend a night in one of them? Later on we found a "shady spot" down a dirt road where we stopped at 12:00 PM to have our lunch and a pit stop . We saw a strange looking reddish brown bird about 3 feet tall with a short beak walking in the reeds along the side of the highway. Later we were told that it was a Sand Crane when we asked at the Visitor's Centre. Also, while cycling along, a bright blue bird swooped down in front of me narrowly missing my front wheel. I think it was after the grass hoppers which were all along the highway. Still not sure what species of bird it was?
We were doing really well until about 10 kms from Wawa when we had to struggle up several more hills on rough pavement and against a nasty head wind to boot. We arrived in Wawa at 2:00 PM and stopped at the Visitor's Centre. Our original plan had been to camp but dark cloudy skies put us off. Besides the camp ground was several Ks out of town and we needed groceries which would have meant cycling up a hill into town and back and repeating it all over again in the morning. We checked into the Beaver Motel and afterwards I went next door to the Beer Store to get a couple beers. We sat outside our room on a park bench and while enjoying a cold beverage I checked out the motel wi-fi. After leaving the Visitor's Centre we stopped at the "General Store" for an ice cream. Great place with a very generous serving which we thoroughly enjoyed after our hot day of cycling. While Bev went for groceries I lay down for a nap. When she returned she also lay down for a short nap. We decided to walk into town and find the North Of 17 Restaurant that Jim Rogers had recommended for it's pizza. We were not disappointed. It was very tasty. On the walk back to our motel we found the streets of Wawa very quiet for a Saturday night. We bought some Gatorade at a Mac's and did some packing. I worked on my blog while Bev watched TV.
Bev and Roly
White River to Wawa, ON - Trip 97.32 kms Time 5 hrs 44 mins Avg 16.95 kph Max 52.7 kph
We got up at 5:30 AM and went across the highway to Robbins Donuts for breakfast. I had a decaf coffee and a breakfast sandwich with sausage. Bev had hers with ham and tea. We bought an egg salad sandwich and bran/cranberry muffins to take away with us. We returned to our motel room and finished packing before setting off for WAWA at 7:20 AM. After cycling 22 kms we made a pit stop at a roadside shop and had a snack of cookies and chocolate milk. There were also a number of very primitive looking holiday cabins. I wondered how much it would cost to spend a night in one of them? Later on we found a "shady spot" down a dirt road where we stopped at 12:00 PM to have our lunch and a pit stop . We saw a strange looking reddish brown bird about 3 feet tall with a short beak walking in the reeds along the side of the highway. Later we were told that it was a Sand Crane when we asked at the Visitor's Centre. Also, while cycling along, a bright blue bird swooped down in front of me narrowly missing my front wheel. I think it was after the grass hoppers which were all along the highway. Still not sure what species of bird it was?
We were doing really well until about 10 kms from Wawa when we had to struggle up several more hills on rough pavement and against a nasty head wind to boot. We arrived in Wawa at 2:00 PM and stopped at the Visitor's Centre. Our original plan had been to camp but dark cloudy skies put us off. Besides the camp ground was several Ks out of town and we needed groceries which would have meant cycling up a hill into town and back and repeating it all over again in the morning. We checked into the Beaver Motel and afterwards I went next door to the Beer Store to get a couple beers. We sat outside our room on a park bench and while enjoying a cold beverage I checked out the motel wi-fi. After leaving the Visitor's Centre we stopped at the "General Store" for an ice cream. Great place with a very generous serving which we thoroughly enjoyed after our hot day of cycling. While Bev went for groceries I lay down for a nap. When she returned she also lay down for a short nap. We decided to walk into town and find the North Of 17 Restaurant that Jim Rogers had recommended for it's pizza. We were not disappointed. It was very tasty. On the walk back to our motel we found the streets of Wawa very quiet for a Saturday night. We bought some Gatorade at a Mac's and did some packing. I worked on my blog while Bev watched TV.
Bev and Roly
Sunday, August 5, 2012
CCCT 2012 - July 20/12 - Day 62
Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Friday, July 20, 2012 - Day 62
Marathon to White River, ON - Trip 101.19 kms Time 6 hrs 14 mins Avg 16.23 kph Max 59.2 kph
I slept poorly. My left shoulder and arm were quite sore. The camp attendant came by at 6:45 AM with my GPS. We finished packing and cycled to the bakery/deli and bought some yogurt, muffins and chocolate milk for breakfast. We then cycled to a nearby gas station for Gatorade. They only had diet Gatorade for me. We set off for WHITE RIVER at 9:00 AM. Bev's breakfast was not sitting well. She had to stop a couple times as we started the 2 km climb out of Marathon to get back on the TCH. Eventually Bev's tummy settled down and we were able to make good progress cycling along a nice paved and flat shoulder with a slight tailwind. We stopped for several breaks and twice for cold drinks. We saw a young guy pushing a cart loaded with his gear along the highway facing traffic. He was moving quite quickly. Bev wondered how he managed to control his cart on the downhills? We arrived in White River at 4:00 PM and checked into the Continental Motel at $74 (including taxes). There was no fridge or microwave in the room so I asked to change rooms. We were given a room around the back with a fridge and stove but it smelt of smoke. We unloaded our gear and put our bikes in the room. My bike fell over on the rear derailleur. On inspection it looked OK. We went next door to the restaurant for a beer. Then it was back to our room for a shower before going over to the Husky to get some Gatorade and bananas for tomorrow's ride. We went over to Robbins Donuts and found out they opened at 6:00 AM for breakfast. We also noticed they had a good selection of sandwiches and pastries. We returned to the motel restaurant for dinner. Bev had the Lasagna. I had Haddock with a baked potato and vegetables. The vegetables, green/yellow beans and carrots, were cold and under cooked. We went back to the donut shop for ice cream. Upon returning to our room I worked on my blog (posted 2 days) while Bev fell asleep watching a Jays vs Red Sox ballgame. I was off to bed at 10:00 PM.
Bev and Roly
Marathon to White River, ON - Trip 101.19 kms Time 6 hrs 14 mins Avg 16.23 kph Max 59.2 kph
I slept poorly. My left shoulder and arm were quite sore. The camp attendant came by at 6:45 AM with my GPS. We finished packing and cycled to the bakery/deli and bought some yogurt, muffins and chocolate milk for breakfast. We then cycled to a nearby gas station for Gatorade. They only had diet Gatorade for me. We set off for WHITE RIVER at 9:00 AM. Bev's breakfast was not sitting well. She had to stop a couple times as we started the 2 km climb out of Marathon to get back on the TCH. Eventually Bev's tummy settled down and we were able to make good progress cycling along a nice paved and flat shoulder with a slight tailwind. We stopped for several breaks and twice for cold drinks. We saw a young guy pushing a cart loaded with his gear along the highway facing traffic. He was moving quite quickly. Bev wondered how he managed to control his cart on the downhills? We arrived in White River at 4:00 PM and checked into the Continental Motel at $74 (including taxes). There was no fridge or microwave in the room so I asked to change rooms. We were given a room around the back with a fridge and stove but it smelt of smoke. We unloaded our gear and put our bikes in the room. My bike fell over on the rear derailleur. On inspection it looked OK. We went next door to the restaurant for a beer. Then it was back to our room for a shower before going over to the Husky to get some Gatorade and bananas for tomorrow's ride. We went over to Robbins Donuts and found out they opened at 6:00 AM for breakfast. We also noticed they had a good selection of sandwiches and pastries. We returned to the motel restaurant for dinner. Bev had the Lasagna. I had Haddock with a baked potato and vegetables. The vegetables, green/yellow beans and carrots, were cold and under cooked. We went back to the donut shop for ice cream. Upon returning to our room I worked on my blog (posted 2 days) while Bev fell asleep watching a Jays vs Red Sox ballgame. I was off to bed at 10:00 PM.
Bev and Roly
CCCT 2012 - July 19/12 - Day 61
Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Thursday, July 19, 2012 - Day 61
Schreiber to Marathon, ON - Trip 110.61 Time 7 hrs 17 mins Avg 15.16 kph Max 6.8 kph
After a fairly quiet night's sleep we were up at 6:00 AM, packed and ready to leave at 7:00 AM. We cycled 3 kms into town to an Esso gas station/restaurant/convenience store. We both had hot chocolate and French Toast (mine with strawberries and whipped cream) for breakfast. We got some Gatorade and bottled water, etc. After filling our bottles we left for MARATHON at 8:00 AM. It was still a bit cool. We had a nicely paved shoulder to cycle on. We had to stop after the 1st hill to remove our jackets put our sleeves and vest on which we removed after the 2nd hill. It was still a bit chilly going downhill but quite hot going uphill. We stopped several times for snacks and once at a store for cold drinks and a pit stop. We arrived at the Penn Lake Park and Campground in Marathon at 4:00 PM. On arrival Bev thought I was turning left when in fact I was going straight on. We collided and toppled over. But, fortunately, since we were going slow no one was hurt just my front fender mud guard. We went around the campground looking for the "OFFICE". We saw a young girl riding on a golf cart and followed her to the OFFICE near the DUMPSITE/SHOWERS/LAUNDROMAT. I paid the Senior's rate of $30.++ for a site with electrical hookup. After putting up our tent at site #31 I noticed there was no electrical outlet. We went back to the office and got a reduced rate of $25.++. The campground attendant agreed to let me charge my GPS in the office overnight. She assured me she would be into work at 6:45 AM before our planned 7:00 AM departure. We cycled into town to a grocery store. It had the most pathetic selection of fruit that I've ever seen in a grocery store. We then went over to a nearby motel restaurant for beer and dinner. We cycled back to our campsite, gathered our laundry and went for a shower. We did one big load of laundry. I was able to connect to the Internet using wi-fi and sat at a nearby picnic table while waiting for the laundry to finish. I was feeling a bit chilly so returned to the tent to get a jacket. I found a bag of garbage ripped open and spread about. The squirrels were nearby munching on a stale muffin that we had thrown out earlier. Bev returned with our laundry. I sorted through mine while she went off to brush her teeth and vice versa. We were soon off to bed at 10:00 PM.
Bev and Roly
Schreiber to Marathon, ON - Trip 110.61 Time 7 hrs 17 mins Avg 15.16 kph Max 6.8 kph
After a fairly quiet night's sleep we were up at 6:00 AM, packed and ready to leave at 7:00 AM. We cycled 3 kms into town to an Esso gas station/restaurant/convenience store. We both had hot chocolate and French Toast (mine with strawberries and whipped cream) for breakfast. We got some Gatorade and bottled water, etc. After filling our bottles we left for MARATHON at 8:00 AM. It was still a bit cool. We had a nicely paved shoulder to cycle on. We had to stop after the 1st hill to remove our jackets put our sleeves and vest on which we removed after the 2nd hill. It was still a bit chilly going downhill but quite hot going uphill. We stopped several times for snacks and once at a store for cold drinks and a pit stop. We arrived at the Penn Lake Park and Campground in Marathon at 4:00 PM. On arrival Bev thought I was turning left when in fact I was going straight on. We collided and toppled over. But, fortunately, since we were going slow no one was hurt just my front fender mud guard. We went around the campground looking for the "OFFICE". We saw a young girl riding on a golf cart and followed her to the OFFICE near the DUMPSITE/SHOWERS/LAUNDROMAT. I paid the Senior's rate of $30.++ for a site with electrical hookup. After putting up our tent at site #31 I noticed there was no electrical outlet. We went back to the office and got a reduced rate of $25.++. The campground attendant agreed to let me charge my GPS in the office overnight. She assured me she would be into work at 6:45 AM before our planned 7:00 AM departure. We cycled into town to a grocery store. It had the most pathetic selection of fruit that I've ever seen in a grocery store. We then went over to a nearby motel restaurant for beer and dinner. We cycled back to our campsite, gathered our laundry and went for a shower. We did one big load of laundry. I was able to connect to the Internet using wi-fi and sat at a nearby picnic table while waiting for the laundry to finish. I was feeling a bit chilly so returned to the tent to get a jacket. I found a bag of garbage ripped open and spread about. The squirrels were nearby munching on a stale muffin that we had thrown out earlier. Bev returned with our laundry. I sorted through mine while she went off to brush her teeth and vice versa. We were soon off to bed at 10:00 PM.
Bev and Roly
CCCT 2012 - July 18/12 - Day 60
Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Wednesday, July 18, 2012 - Day 60
Nipigon to Schreiber, ON - Trip 97.89 kms Time 6 hrs 42 mins Avg 14.59 kph Max 49.8 kph
Bev got up at 1:00 AM to pee. It was quite a walk to the washrooms so she just went outside in the nearby woods. After she came back to "bed" I heard a snuffling sound which I thought was coming from outside our tent. Later, Bev explained that it was only her brushing off her mattress!!! Nevertheless, my heart was racing for some time until the "snuffling" went away. We got up at 5:30 AM. It was quite cold. I put on my light jacket before going to the w/c where I changed into my cycling gear. I put my arm and leg warmers on along with my cycling shorts and jersey. We packed up our gear and cycled to the Husky gas station/restaurant for breakfast at 7:15 AM. I had eggs, bacon, home fries and toast. Bev had a muffin, ham, eggs and cheese with home fries. we both had hot chocolate. We picked up a smoked meat sandwich and ham, cheese, crackers and Gatorade from the store before leaving for SCHREIBER at 8:00 AM.
It was a sunny but cool day except for the long tough climbs which really caused us to work up a sweat. We had to stop many times especially during and after the hill climbs. After passing through a construction zone we saw a tanker truck coming around a curve in the opposite direction. He had ignored the "construction zone" warning signs and had to stomp on his brakes to slow down in order to avoid crashing into the cars waiting to go through. His tires were smoking!!! We could smell the rubber burning. He just managed to stop in time. Bev and I were holding our breaths just waiting for a major catastrophe to happen.
We arrived at the Rongie Motel in Schreiber at 4:00 PM. I convinced Bev that we should stay in a motel instead of camping as I needed a good night's rest after last nights lack of sleep. We put our bikes and gear in our room and went back down to the Hungry Moose Restaurant for a beer. The waitress said they weren't licensed but that she would bring us a "ginger ale" which turned out to be a cold refreshing beverage i.e. beer. When we left our room I automatically locked it. We hadn't yet formally registered and therefore had not yet received a room key. When we returned to our room the waitress, Tonya, had to come with us to unlock our door with the motel master key. It was a very relaxed motel and we were allowed to run a tab. Bev had trouble getting the TV to work. I managed to sort it out and also got on the Internet with a good wi-fi connection. We went back down to the restaurant for dinner and were again offered a "ginger ale". Bev had ribs, a baked stuffed potato and corn-on-the-cob. I had a burger with mushrooms and mozza and corn-on-the-cob. The corn was not very sweet or fresh tasting. After dinner we met the owner, also a real estate agent, who asked a lot of questions, some rather personal i.e. "Are you married?" etc. He had just concluded a real estate deal for some people who were buying property nearby and were planning to move from the Ottawa area. We returned to our room. I worked on my blog while Bev watched TV. She soon fell asleep at 9:30 as she was very tired. I soon joined her at 10:00.
Bev and Roly
Nipigon to Schreiber, ON - Trip 97.89 kms Time 6 hrs 42 mins Avg 14.59 kph Max 49.8 kph
Bev got up at 1:00 AM to pee. It was quite a walk to the washrooms so she just went outside in the nearby woods. After she came back to "bed" I heard a snuffling sound which I thought was coming from outside our tent. Later, Bev explained that it was only her brushing off her mattress!!! Nevertheless, my heart was racing for some time until the "snuffling" went away. We got up at 5:30 AM. It was quite cold. I put on my light jacket before going to the w/c where I changed into my cycling gear. I put my arm and leg warmers on along with my cycling shorts and jersey. We packed up our gear and cycled to the Husky gas station/restaurant for breakfast at 7:15 AM. I had eggs, bacon, home fries and toast. Bev had a muffin, ham, eggs and cheese with home fries. we both had hot chocolate. We picked up a smoked meat sandwich and ham, cheese, crackers and Gatorade from the store before leaving for SCHREIBER at 8:00 AM.
It was a sunny but cool day except for the long tough climbs which really caused us to work up a sweat. We had to stop many times especially during and after the hill climbs. After passing through a construction zone we saw a tanker truck coming around a curve in the opposite direction. He had ignored the "construction zone" warning signs and had to stomp on his brakes to slow down in order to avoid crashing into the cars waiting to go through. His tires were smoking!!! We could smell the rubber burning. He just managed to stop in time. Bev and I were holding our breaths just waiting for a major catastrophe to happen.
We arrived at the Rongie Motel in Schreiber at 4:00 PM. I convinced Bev that we should stay in a motel instead of camping as I needed a good night's rest after last nights lack of sleep. We put our bikes and gear in our room and went back down to the Hungry Moose Restaurant for a beer. The waitress said they weren't licensed but that she would bring us a "ginger ale" which turned out to be a cold refreshing beverage i.e. beer. When we left our room I automatically locked it. We hadn't yet formally registered and therefore had not yet received a room key. When we returned to our room the waitress, Tonya, had to come with us to unlock our door with the motel master key. It was a very relaxed motel and we were allowed to run a tab. Bev had trouble getting the TV to work. I managed to sort it out and also got on the Internet with a good wi-fi connection. We went back down to the restaurant for dinner and were again offered a "ginger ale". Bev had ribs, a baked stuffed potato and corn-on-the-cob. I had a burger with mushrooms and mozza and corn-on-the-cob. The corn was not very sweet or fresh tasting. After dinner we met the owner, also a real estate agent, who asked a lot of questions, some rather personal i.e. "Are you married?" etc. He had just concluded a real estate deal for some people who were buying property nearby and were planning to move from the Ottawa area. We returned to our room. I worked on my blog while Bev watched TV. She soon fell asleep at 9:30 as she was very tired. I soon joined her at 10:00.
Bev and Roly
Sunday, July 29, 2012
CCCT 2012 - July 17/12 - Day 59
Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Tuesday, July 17, 2012 - Day 59
Thunder Bay to Nipigon, ON - Trip 104.77 kms Time 6 hrs 44 mins Avg 15.55 kph Max 46.6 kph
I had to get up at 2:30 AM to go to the w/c. It was very dark. There was no street lighting in the campground. A car and a large truck came in very fast with headlights glaring and almost blinding me. On the way back to our tent I saw flashing red lights at the other end of campground. Not sure what that was all about. My alarm went off at 5:00 AM. It was still very dark. I went back to sleep and eventually we got up at 5:50 AM. I packed up our gear and tent while Bev prepared pancakes, hot dogs and hot chocolate for breakfast at the nearby gazebo. Finally, after getting everything washed and packed, we set off for NIPIGON at 7:30 AM. We made a pit stop at a convenience store and got a bottle of water for Bev. I had put her empty bottle in her bottle cage on her bike without filling it prior to leaving the KOA campsite. There were no other facilities "OPEN" along the highway. We made another pit stop at a "Rest Area" but had to use a "GO HUT" which was quite a mess! We arrived at the STILLWATER campsite at 3:30 PM. I paid $24.86 (including tax) for a site with electricity plug in and water. After setting up our tent we cycled to the nearby Tourist Information Centre and the Husky service centre. We had ice cream and cycled back to the campsite. I checked out the wi-fi but eventually had to go inside the "OFFICE/GIFT SHOP" to get a connection. We were able to check our e-mail and I sent a reply to Lise re our ETA back in Ottawa. I also e-mailed Jim Rogers, who was travelling back from Saskatchewan with his trailer, re our location. Bev was also able to check her e-mail. We again cycled back to the Husky for dinner. I had spaghetti, salad, trifle and a diet coke. Bev had spaghetti and tea. We cycled back to our campsite. I tried to charge my GPS by plugging it in at the junction box on the pole at our campsite but there was no power. I brought it with me when we went for our showers and plugged it in in the laundry room. Afterwards I checked with the OFFICE re laundry room hours and complained about lack of power at our campsite. The receptionist came around and after finding the breaker box on the pole unlocked it and turned it on. I was already in my PJs inside the tent so Bev plugged in my GPS for me. After sorting out my gear we were off to bed at 10:00 PM
Bev and Roly
Thunder Bay to Nipigon, ON - Trip 104.77 kms Time 6 hrs 44 mins Avg 15.55 kph Max 46.6 kph
I had to get up at 2:30 AM to go to the w/c. It was very dark. There was no street lighting in the campground. A car and a large truck came in very fast with headlights glaring and almost blinding me. On the way back to our tent I saw flashing red lights at the other end of campground. Not sure what that was all about. My alarm went off at 5:00 AM. It was still very dark. I went back to sleep and eventually we got up at 5:50 AM. I packed up our gear and tent while Bev prepared pancakes, hot dogs and hot chocolate for breakfast at the nearby gazebo. Finally, after getting everything washed and packed, we set off for NIPIGON at 7:30 AM. We made a pit stop at a convenience store and got a bottle of water for Bev. I had put her empty bottle in her bottle cage on her bike without filling it prior to leaving the KOA campsite. There were no other facilities "OPEN" along the highway. We made another pit stop at a "Rest Area" but had to use a "GO HUT" which was quite a mess! We arrived at the STILLWATER campsite at 3:30 PM. I paid $24.86 (including tax) for a site with electricity plug in and water. After setting up our tent we cycled to the nearby Tourist Information Centre and the Husky service centre. We had ice cream and cycled back to the campsite. I checked out the wi-fi but eventually had to go inside the "OFFICE/GIFT SHOP" to get a connection. We were able to check our e-mail and I sent a reply to Lise re our ETA back in Ottawa. I also e-mailed Jim Rogers, who was travelling back from Saskatchewan with his trailer, re our location. Bev was also able to check her e-mail. We again cycled back to the Husky for dinner. I had spaghetti, salad, trifle and a diet coke. Bev had spaghetti and tea. We cycled back to our campsite. I tried to charge my GPS by plugging it in at the junction box on the pole at our campsite but there was no power. I brought it with me when we went for our showers and plugged it in in the laundry room. Afterwards I checked with the OFFICE re laundry room hours and complained about lack of power at our campsite. The receptionist came around and after finding the breaker box on the pole unlocked it and turned it on. I was already in my PJs inside the tent so Bev plugged in my GPS for me. After sorting out my gear we were off to bed at 10:00 PM
Bev and Roly
CCCT 2012 - July 16/12 - Day 58
Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Monday, July 16, 2012 - Day 58
Thunder Bay - Rest Day due to rain storm
Heard rain start at 2:00 AM along with trains blowing their horns at crossings several during the night. We got up at 6:00 AM. It was raining pretty hard. We decided to stay another day rather than risk cycling in the torrential downpour. We slept in until 9:00 AM. Got up to go to the w/c in the rain. We had our breakfast in the nearby big kitchen gazebo equipped with 2 counter top stoves, 2 sinks for washing up dishes and 4 large picnic tables. A couple on a motorcycle equipped with a small trailer decided to pack-up their tent, etc and leave in the pouring rain. But first he had to move the motorcycle/trailer out of a gully which was filled with water. Eventually they got everything packed away in the trailer, put their rain gear on over their leathers and headed off West in the pouring rain. We had Greek yogurt and shared a large cinnamon raisin sticky bun for breakfast. The rain stopped at 11:00 AM. We gathered our sleeping bags, which had gotten wet at the foot ends, Notebook, etc and went over to the laundromat. It started pouring again so we had to make a mad dash for it. We dried our sleeping bags and jackets. I was able to get on the Internet wi-fi in the laundry room and checked e-mail, FB, etc. I sent an e-mail to Stephanie re photos of grandchildren and opened the invoice from Sam, my gardener, for June gardening fees. I paid $5.00 for two bottles of Brisk Iced Tea. The rain stopped again so we quickly walked back to our tent. We shared a large sub sandwich, which we had purchased the day before, for lunch. We put our air mattresses out on the picnic tables to dry and Bev mopped up the floor of the tent. We both lay down and did some reading before having a nap. We were up at 5:20 PM. I tried to connect to the Internet at the campsite but was unable to open the KOA website page!!! Yet it had worked on a previous attempt??? Very strange. Bev went to the store and bought some hot dogs which she prepared with some KD for our dinner. I finally FINISHED reading The Sleeping Doll. We ate dinner in the gazebo which was a convenient place to cook and clean up afterwards. We went for a walk back to the "OFFICE" and had ice cream for dessert. I was able to use the camp PC and checked Google Maps for the distance we would have to cycle to get to Nipigon. It was very slow. There were several people lined up anxiously waiting to use the PC as they couldn't get anything on their i-Phones. We returned to our tent and were soon off to bed at 9:30 PM. Several kids were still out playing with a Frisbee and a few times they came very close to our tent. I was worried that one of them would come crashing through!!! Oh, the joys of camping. I was never so happy to hear Mom shout "Time for bed".
Bev and Roly
Thunder Bay - Rest Day due to rain storm
Heard rain start at 2:00 AM along with trains blowing their horns at crossings several during the night. We got up at 6:00 AM. It was raining pretty hard. We decided to stay another day rather than risk cycling in the torrential downpour. We slept in until 9:00 AM. Got up to go to the w/c in the rain. We had our breakfast in the nearby big kitchen gazebo equipped with 2 counter top stoves, 2 sinks for washing up dishes and 4 large picnic tables. A couple on a motorcycle equipped with a small trailer decided to pack-up their tent, etc and leave in the pouring rain. But first he had to move the motorcycle/trailer out of a gully which was filled with water. Eventually they got everything packed away in the trailer, put their rain gear on over their leathers and headed off West in the pouring rain. We had Greek yogurt and shared a large cinnamon raisin sticky bun for breakfast. The rain stopped at 11:00 AM. We gathered our sleeping bags, which had gotten wet at the foot ends, Notebook, etc and went over to the laundromat. It started pouring again so we had to make a mad dash for it. We dried our sleeping bags and jackets. I was able to get on the Internet wi-fi in the laundry room and checked e-mail, FB, etc. I sent an e-mail to Stephanie re photos of grandchildren and opened the invoice from Sam, my gardener, for June gardening fees. I paid $5.00 for two bottles of Brisk Iced Tea. The rain stopped again so we quickly walked back to our tent. We shared a large sub sandwich, which we had purchased the day before, for lunch. We put our air mattresses out on the picnic tables to dry and Bev mopped up the floor of the tent. We both lay down and did some reading before having a nap. We were up at 5:20 PM. I tried to connect to the Internet at the campsite but was unable to open the KOA website page!!! Yet it had worked on a previous attempt??? Very strange. Bev went to the store and bought some hot dogs which she prepared with some KD for our dinner. I finally FINISHED reading The Sleeping Doll. We ate dinner in the gazebo which was a convenient place to cook and clean up afterwards. We went for a walk back to the "OFFICE" and had ice cream for dessert. I was able to use the camp PC and checked Google Maps for the distance we would have to cycle to get to Nipigon. It was very slow. There were several people lined up anxiously waiting to use the PC as they couldn't get anything on their i-Phones. We returned to our tent and were soon off to bed at 9:30 PM. Several kids were still out playing with a Frisbee and a few times they came very close to our tent. I was worried that one of them would come crashing through!!! Oh, the joys of camping. I was never so happy to hear Mom shout "Time for bed".
Bev and Roly
Friday, July 27, 2012
CCCT 2012 - July 15/12 - Day 57
Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Sunday, July 15, 2012 - Day 57
Shabaqua to Thunder Bay, ON - Trip 90.50 kms Time 5 hrs 33 mins Avg 16.28 kph Max 49.1 kph
We got up at 6:00 AM. I tried to check my GMail but had no luck with wi-fi. We had blueberry muffins and yogurt for breakfast. Finished packing and loaded our gear on our bikes before setting off for THUNDER BAY at 7:30 AM.
It was a nice paved shoulder most of the way up to Hwy # 102 but quite foggy. There was no wind - it was very calm. We stopped to take photos at SUNSHINE. The lake was covered with fog and the sun was desperately trying to get through the clouds to burn it off. After cycling 30 kms we stopped at a convenience store for a "pit stop" and bought a chocolate milk to share. We arrived in Thunder Bay at 11:00 AM. Bev went into a gas station to ask about bike shops. The attendant told her to go to WAL-MART. "It's much cheaper." A guy, who was also in the shop, overheard Bev asking about bike shops and offered to help. He said he had a phone directory in his car and we could look up the bike shops in the yellow pages. We found listings for several bike shops including one for Fresh Air Experience which said it was open on Sundays from 12:00 to 5:00 PM. After getting directions we cycled there and found that it was CLOSED. While waiting at a nearby intersection for a fire truck to pass we met a cyclist (Ceasar) and after asking him about bike shops he took us down a back alley to PETRIE'S bike shop which was OPEN. Fortunately they were not very busy and I was able to take my bike in and have the rear derailleur and chain checked over. The owner of the shop was very talkative and gave us excellent service. My chain was OK and the derailleur just needed a small tweak. He also adjusted my rear brakes and when I asked how much he said there was "no charge".
While my bike was being worked on we walked to a nearby restaurant called "Norma Jeans" on May Ave for lunch. It was a 50s theme café with all the appropriate decor. After lunch we walked back to the bike shop and after getting directions to a grocery store and the KOA campground we continued on our way. We were unable to find the grocery store that had been recommended to us but were given directions by a passerby to another nearby grocery store where we were able to get supplies for dinner, breakfast and lunch.
It was quite hot and there were still several more hills to negotiate before finally arriving at the KOA at 5:00 PM. We paid $35 plus $3 for an electrical plug-in so I could charge my GPS. Before going off to set up our tent we had an ice cream to help us cool down a bit. Later while doing a load of laundry I checked out the wi-fi. It was extremely slow. Bev had bought a tin of Irish Stew which she warmed up for dinner on a stove in the nearby gazebo and we had it with some fresh rolls.
It was quite warm and humid in our little tent when we finally went off to bed at 10:00 PM. Bev went out and tried to open a vent to try and catch a breeze but that didn't seem to help at all.
Bev and Roly
Shabaqua to Thunder Bay, ON - Trip 90.50 kms Time 5 hrs 33 mins Avg 16.28 kph Max 49.1 kph
We got up at 6:00 AM. I tried to check my GMail but had no luck with wi-fi. We had blueberry muffins and yogurt for breakfast. Finished packing and loaded our gear on our bikes before setting off for THUNDER BAY at 7:30 AM.
It was a nice paved shoulder most of the way up to Hwy # 102 but quite foggy. There was no wind - it was very calm. We stopped to take photos at SUNSHINE. The lake was covered with fog and the sun was desperately trying to get through the clouds to burn it off. After cycling 30 kms we stopped at a convenience store for a "pit stop" and bought a chocolate milk to share. We arrived in Thunder Bay at 11:00 AM. Bev went into a gas station to ask about bike shops. The attendant told her to go to WAL-MART. "It's much cheaper." A guy, who was also in the shop, overheard Bev asking about bike shops and offered to help. He said he had a phone directory in his car and we could look up the bike shops in the yellow pages. We found listings for several bike shops including one for Fresh Air Experience which said it was open on Sundays from 12:00 to 5:00 PM. After getting directions we cycled there and found that it was CLOSED. While waiting at a nearby intersection for a fire truck to pass we met a cyclist (Ceasar) and after asking him about bike shops he took us down a back alley to PETRIE'S bike shop which was OPEN. Fortunately they were not very busy and I was able to take my bike in and have the rear derailleur and chain checked over. The owner of the shop was very talkative and gave us excellent service. My chain was OK and the derailleur just needed a small tweak. He also adjusted my rear brakes and when I asked how much he said there was "no charge".
While my bike was being worked on we walked to a nearby restaurant called "Norma Jeans" on May Ave for lunch. It was a 50s theme café with all the appropriate decor. After lunch we walked back to the bike shop and after getting directions to a grocery store and the KOA campground we continued on our way. We were unable to find the grocery store that had been recommended to us but were given directions by a passerby to another nearby grocery store where we were able to get supplies for dinner, breakfast and lunch.
It was quite hot and there were still several more hills to negotiate before finally arriving at the KOA at 5:00 PM. We paid $35 plus $3 for an electrical plug-in so I could charge my GPS. Before going off to set up our tent we had an ice cream to help us cool down a bit. Later while doing a load of laundry I checked out the wi-fi. It was extremely slow. Bev had bought a tin of Irish Stew which she warmed up for dinner on a stove in the nearby gazebo and we had it with some fresh rolls.
It was quite warm and humid in our little tent when we finally went off to bed at 10:00 PM. Bev went out and tried to open a vent to try and catch a breeze but that didn't seem to help at all.
Bev and Roly
Thursday, July 26, 2012
CCCT 2012 - July 14/12 - Day 56
Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Saturday, July 14, 2012 - Day 56
Upsala to Shabaqua, ON - Trip 70.89 kms Time 3 hrs 54 mins Avg 18.13 kph Max 52.7 kph
We were up at 6:00 AM and after a breakfast of yogurt and a muffin we packed our gear, loaded our bikes and were off to SHABAQUA at 7:30 AM. Before leaving we had a chat with a motel guest who was quite impressed with our CCCT. It was an overcast day and therefor quite cool compared to the previous 2 days. We had to cycle along a very narrow paved shoulder most of the way. Thank goodness there was not much traffic. The truck drivers and motorists were very considerate. There were some hills, especially the last 20 kms. We stopped at a Rest Area for a banana and granola bar. A truck driver came over and wanted to know where we were. He had been asleep when his co-driver had parked and he was now asleep! We again stopped for a break and I took some photos of the scenery.
We arrived in Shabaqua at 12:20 PM. We met 2 young cyclists who were also cycling coast-to-coast. They started out on May 1st and cycled from Toronto to StJohns, NL, then flew out to Vancouver to begin 2nd half of their journey. It started raining but it only lasted 5 minutes. We went into store/restaurant and had a cold drink and a bowl of soup. We asked about the motel (it was attached) room rate which was $65. There was some mold in the bathroom tub but otherwise it was OK. We were told to ignore the "Do Not Drink" notice in the bathroom as the well water, which was recently "treated" and OK. We both washed a cycling outfit and put it out to dry. I checked out the free wi-fi but it was very slow. I went back to the shop and got a diet coke for myself and a chocolate milk for Bev. It was much to hot to do anything else so I lay down for a nap. Got up at 4:30 PM. It was a bit cooler. Bev was able to check her GMail while I showered. I went out and checked on the laundry which was drying out in the sun. It was already dry!!! After Bev checked her FB I checked my e-mail and FB. I wanted to try and book a "warm shower" for Thunder Bay but was unable to get on the website. We watched a movie until 7:00 PM and then went over to the store for dinner. I had chili (very good) a diet coke and a cheese bun. Bev had a chicken burger and grapefruit juice. We both had ice cream bars for dessert. We bought some groceries for tomorrow's breakfast and lunch including drinks. The Internet was a total loss so watched a movie "The Losers" with Bev. Off to bed at 11:00 PM. Our tiny room was quite hot, in spite of a noisy ceiling fan, and a couple of moths buzzing around all added up to a restless night's sleep for me.
Bev and Roly
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
CCCT 2012 - July 13/12 - Day 55
Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Friday, July 13, 2012 - Day 55
Ignace to Upsala, ON - Trip 121.02 kms Time 7 hrs 39 mins Avg 15.82 kph Max 41.2 kph
I managed to get a fairly good night's sleep in spite of many leg cramps before going to bed. I woke up at 4:30 AM with a cramp in my left outer calf. I managed to massage it out without waking Bev. We got up at 5:00 AM, packed our gear/tent and cycled to Subway for breakfast and to fill our bottles with cold water. We got 3 small bottles of Gatorade from the attached gas station convenience store before leaving Ignace at 7:00 AM for UPSALA. But first we had to get through 20 kms of road works. At the first single lane control the flag person let us go through but before we were all the way through he radioed the flag guy at the other end to let the traffic come through. The trouble is it was "BIG TRUCKS" one with a "WIDE LOAD". This was not a very smart move on their part. We were forced to go onto the shoulder. When we got to the 2nd flag person Bev asked why they had let the traffic through before we were safely clear? His reply was that they thought we would have plenty of room!!!
By this time it was getting pretty hot and because of the heat we stopped several times for breaks. We first stopped at a shop after cycling 25 kms. It was 8:30 AM. The shop didn't OPEN until 9:00 AM. Our next stop was at 11:00 AM at a "Trading Post". It was CLOSED!!! There was a table and chairs in the shade at the front of the building so we sat and enjoyed a snack just the same. As we were leaving, a guy who lived across the highway, came over and offered to fill our water bottles with fresh water. We were only to happy to accept his kind offer.
After cycling another 10 kms or so a car pulled off the highway in front of us. It turned out to be Bev's nephew Russel and his family arriving from Toronto via Thunder Bay to attend Tom's memorial service. They had rented a vehicle and driven out to say hello to "Auntie Bev".
We arrived in Upsala at 4:30 PM and went into the first shop we came to for ice cream. We were also able to get some information about 2 motels and bought some date squares and muffins. We cycled to the Black Spruce Motel arriving at 5:00 PM only to be told that it was now 6:00 PM. The clocks had already gone ahead one hour despite the fact we had not yet crossed the time meridien. We checked in and Bev paid $77.97 for a room for the night. After unloading our bikes, putting them in the room, having a shower and checking our e-mail we went over to the restaurant for dinner. I had Walleye Fish and Chips with coleslaw and a rice pudding for dessert plus 2 diet cokes. Very nice fresh fish. No license to sell beer and boy was I ever thirsty. Before returning to our room we bought some yogurt in the convenience store for our breakfast. Bev also paid for our dinner. She wanted to treat me. Bev received a reply from Brandy's friend in Thunder Bay. Unfortunately she was not able to put us up due to prior commitments. Bev filled our water bottles, made sandwiches and watched TV before going off to bed at 9:30 PM. I sent an e-mail to Frank Pollari on Warm Showers asking if he could put us up when we arrive in Thunder Bay before going off to bed myself at 10 PM.
Bev and Roly
Saturday, July 21, 2012
CCCT 2012 - July 12/12 - Day 54
Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Thursday, July 12, 2012 - Day 54
Dryden to Ignace, ON Trip 114.11 kms Time 7 hrs 2 mins Avg 16.19 kph Max 45.9 kph
We got up at 6:00 AM. Merve already up since 5:30 AM. I had cereal with banana, toast with peanut butter and jam (home made red pepper jelly - very tasty) and OJ. We finished packing our gear and loaded our panniers, etc on our bikes. Larry and Ken were also up to take photos and say goodbyes. Merve did a video. We left Dryden at 7:15 AM and cycled to IGNACE, ON. It was very hot and humid. We had to stop many times, especially if there was some shade. We stopped at a "Rest Area" at 12:30 for lunch. We were desperate for a cold drink. By this time all our drinks were warm. Bev went over to a lady who was sitting in her airconditioned SUV eating her lunch and asked if she had a cold drink for us. She gave Bev a very cold diet Pepsi. Although I'm a die hard diet Coke person I was willing to make an exception for diet Pepsi this time. There was another family, who arrived towing a large trailer, and I went over and asked if they had any cold water to fill two of our empty water bottles. I was given some "potable water" from their "holding tank". Water is water - as long as it's potable! An hour or so further down the road we were once again desperate for a cold drink. We had stopped so Bev could consolidate all the water she had left in her 3 bottles. Bev said she wished she had a cold drink. I started saying "Don't hold your breath ..." and had to bite my tongue. A car pulled over and Bill from Calgary got out with 2 bottles of cold water for us. Apparently he had previously cycled along the same route as we were cycling and knew how desperate we were for a cold drink. He had passed us earlier and gone into Ignace to get some cold water for us and 2 other girl cyclists who were ahead of us and returned to give it to us. Talk about "angels"! We thanked him profusely. We arrived in Ignace at 4:00 PM and went directly into a gas station convenience store to get a cold drink. Afterwards we sat in the Subway to cool off and were also able to fill our water bottles, from the soda fountain dispenser, with icy cold water. We cycled over to the Visitor's Centre at 5:30 PM but it was already closed! Went over to the grocery store and bought some fresh fruit before cycling to the campground. We paid $26 for a camp site and free wi-fi. No other facilities i.e. food. We set up our tent after drinking a beer that we had purchased earlier at the LCBO. Bev got her camp stoves and dishes out and prepared KD with mini sausages for dinner. It started thundering, lightning and raining with pea size hail! We quickly had to put all our gear inside the tent and put the tarp over the tent. We stood under the tarp and watched the hail come down. The storm only lasted 15-20 minutes but it sure made a mess of everything. Bev cleaned up the dishes while I went over to the gazebo (hot spot) and checked out the wi-fi. I was able to get on the Internet and sent an e-mail to Lise to let her know about the parcel we had sent home from Dryden. Bev joined me and sent an e-mail to Brandy's friend in Thunder Bay re visiting for a couple of days. Returned to the tent and went for a shower. Off to bed at 9:00 PM.
Bev and Roly
Dryden to Ignace, ON Trip 114.11 kms Time 7 hrs 2 mins Avg 16.19 kph Max 45.9 kph
We got up at 6:00 AM. Merve already up since 5:30 AM. I had cereal with banana, toast with peanut butter and jam (home made red pepper jelly - very tasty) and OJ. We finished packing our gear and loaded our panniers, etc on our bikes. Larry and Ken were also up to take photos and say goodbyes. Merve did a video. We left Dryden at 7:15 AM and cycled to IGNACE, ON. It was very hot and humid. We had to stop many times, especially if there was some shade. We stopped at a "Rest Area" at 12:30 for lunch. We were desperate for a cold drink. By this time all our drinks were warm. Bev went over to a lady who was sitting in her airconditioned SUV eating her lunch and asked if she had a cold drink for us. She gave Bev a very cold diet Pepsi. Although I'm a die hard diet Coke person I was willing to make an exception for diet Pepsi this time. There was another family, who arrived towing a large trailer, and I went over and asked if they had any cold water to fill two of our empty water bottles. I was given some "potable water" from their "holding tank". Water is water - as long as it's potable! An hour or so further down the road we were once again desperate for a cold drink. We had stopped so Bev could consolidate all the water she had left in her 3 bottles. Bev said she wished she had a cold drink. I started saying "Don't hold your breath ..." and had to bite my tongue. A car pulled over and Bill from Calgary got out with 2 bottles of cold water for us. Apparently he had previously cycled along the same route as we were cycling and knew how desperate we were for a cold drink. He had passed us earlier and gone into Ignace to get some cold water for us and 2 other girl cyclists who were ahead of us and returned to give it to us. Talk about "angels"! We thanked him profusely. We arrived in Ignace at 4:00 PM and went directly into a gas station convenience store to get a cold drink. Afterwards we sat in the Subway to cool off and were also able to fill our water bottles, from the soda fountain dispenser, with icy cold water. We cycled over to the Visitor's Centre at 5:30 PM but it was already closed! Went over to the grocery store and bought some fresh fruit before cycling to the campground. We paid $26 for a camp site and free wi-fi. No other facilities i.e. food. We set up our tent after drinking a beer that we had purchased earlier at the LCBO. Bev got her camp stoves and dishes out and prepared KD with mini sausages for dinner. It started thundering, lightning and raining with pea size hail! We quickly had to put all our gear inside the tent and put the tarp over the tent. We stood under the tarp and watched the hail come down. The storm only lasted 15-20 minutes but it sure made a mess of everything. Bev cleaned up the dishes while I went over to the gazebo (hot spot) and checked out the wi-fi. I was able to get on the Internet and sent an e-mail to Lise to let her know about the parcel we had sent home from Dryden. Bev joined me and sent an e-mail to Brandy's friend in Thunder Bay re visiting for a couple of days. Returned to the tent and went for a shower. Off to bed at 9:00 PM.
Bev and Roly
CCCT 2012 - July 11/12 - Day 53
Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Wednesday, July 11, 2012 - Day 53
Dryden, ON (Rest Day 3)
I was up twice during the night to go to the w/c. Finally got up at 7:50 AM. Bev, Merve, Larry and Ken already up. Had some cereal, fruit and OJ for breakfast. Went down to the basement and checked my e-mail on Merve's PC. Sebastian had told me about "Warm Showers" a site dedicated to providing accommodation to cyclists. I decided to check it out. I started filling out the registration but was interupted by Bev who said Merve was ready to take us to the shops. We drove to Shopper's and shipped surplus clothing, tools, etc back home. Only cost $23.00. We then drove to Wal-Mart. Bev bought herself a new outfit (shorts and top) then we did a little shopping for camping supplies. Merve drove us back home at 11:30 AM. I had a chicken salad sandwich, potato/egg salad and bread and butter pickles for lunch. Afterwards I helped Bev do the dishes. They sure do seem to pile up with 5 adults in the house! Bev went on the Internet to check her e-mail then went out with Susan to pick flowers for Tom's funeral. I finally got to finish registering with Warm Showers then worked on my blog. I went upstairs and lay down for a nap at 3:30 PM. When I got up at 4:30 PM the Minister was over to discuss arragements for Tom's memorial service. He was a very active member of the community and local Legion. I did some more work on my blog and had a beer while waiting for dinner to be prepared. Got Ken's SD card out of his camera and started showing photos of his son Chad's wedding, etc. Susan went to pick up her friend and they came back for dinner of BBQ chicken (again), which Ken had cooked on the BBQ earlier, and Greek salad. Later we had some watermelon for dessert. I went downstairs to do some reading. Bev started a load of laundry at 7:00 PM. Must observe "peak hours" to conserve electrical energy/costs. Bev ended up helping with dishes again. Ken continued to show his photos. I went off to bed at 10:00 PM.
Bev and Roly
Dryden, ON (Rest Day 3)
I was up twice during the night to go to the w/c. Finally got up at 7:50 AM. Bev, Merve, Larry and Ken already up. Had some cereal, fruit and OJ for breakfast. Went down to the basement and checked my e-mail on Merve's PC. Sebastian had told me about "Warm Showers" a site dedicated to providing accommodation to cyclists. I decided to check it out. I started filling out the registration but was interupted by Bev who said Merve was ready to take us to the shops. We drove to Shopper's and shipped surplus clothing, tools, etc back home. Only cost $23.00. We then drove to Wal-Mart. Bev bought herself a new outfit (shorts and top) then we did a little shopping for camping supplies. Merve drove us back home at 11:30 AM. I had a chicken salad sandwich, potato/egg salad and bread and butter pickles for lunch. Afterwards I helped Bev do the dishes. They sure do seem to pile up with 5 adults in the house! Bev went on the Internet to check her e-mail then went out with Susan to pick flowers for Tom's funeral. I finally got to finish registering with Warm Showers then worked on my blog. I went upstairs and lay down for a nap at 3:30 PM. When I got up at 4:30 PM the Minister was over to discuss arragements for Tom's memorial service. He was a very active member of the community and local Legion. I did some more work on my blog and had a beer while waiting for dinner to be prepared. Got Ken's SD card out of his camera and started showing photos of his son Chad's wedding, etc. Susan went to pick up her friend and they came back for dinner of BBQ chicken (again), which Ken had cooked on the BBQ earlier, and Greek salad. Later we had some watermelon for dessert. I went downstairs to do some reading. Bev started a load of laundry at 7:00 PM. Must observe "peak hours" to conserve electrical energy/costs. Bev ended up helping with dishes again. Ken continued to show his photos. I went off to bed at 10:00 PM.
Bev and Roly
Friday, July 20, 2012
CCCT 2012 - July 10/12 - Day 52
Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Tuesday, July 10, 2012 - Day 52
Dryden, ON (Rest Day 2)
I woke up when I heard Merve, Ken and Larry arrive from Winnipeg at 2:10 AM. Also heard Merve get up at 4:00 AM to go to w/c and several trains came through town. I finally got up at 7:00 AM and had a nice breakfast of OJ, cereal, toast with peanut butter and jam. Merve got up also as he had to go to a diabetic's meeting at 8:00 AM. I got tires (Bev had asked for one tire) out of Merve's van which he had managed to get while in Winnipeg. I went out to the garage and changed Bev's rear tire. I took my bike out for a short test ride. It shifted a bit better. Sorted through my clothes, tools, etc. Bev did the same. We packed all our cold weather gear, etc in a box and wrapped it for shipping to Ottawa.
About 10 minutes after Bev left to go get her hair washed and cut, by hairdresser who lived on street just behind Toms's house, Merve received news that Tom had passed away at 11:00 ish. Merve went over to tell Bev the sad news. They eventually went off to the hospital at 12:30.
I worked on my blog. Made myself a chicken salad sandwich for lunch and also had some potato salad and bread and butter pickles. Went back downstairs and continued to work on my blog. I received an e-mail from Jim Rogers re his trip to Saskatchewan.
Bev, et al, back from hospital. Lay down for nap at 2:30 PM while they had a late lunch. I got up at 3:45 PM and had a cup of tea. Checked my e-mail and sent a reply to Erika to let her know that we were OK and had not been affected by the storms in SK.
Neighbours brought over 2 BBQ chickens, a large potato salad and fruit platter. Bruno, Tom's friend, brought over a fruit basket, etc. and stayed for a beer. Bev and I also had a beer. Susan returned from the funeral parlour. She and Bev prepared dinner i.e. BBQ chicken, etc. Merve's girlfriend, Dot, came over and joined us for dinner. We watched the US All Star game. It was a washout!!!
Bev and Roly
Dryden, ON (Rest Day 2)
I woke up when I heard Merve, Ken and Larry arrive from Winnipeg at 2:10 AM. Also heard Merve get up at 4:00 AM to go to w/c and several trains came through town. I finally got up at 7:00 AM and had a nice breakfast of OJ, cereal, toast with peanut butter and jam. Merve got up also as he had to go to a diabetic's meeting at 8:00 AM. I got tires (Bev had asked for one tire) out of Merve's van which he had managed to get while in Winnipeg. I went out to the garage and changed Bev's rear tire. I took my bike out for a short test ride. It shifted a bit better. Sorted through my clothes, tools, etc. Bev did the same. We packed all our cold weather gear, etc in a box and wrapped it for shipping to Ottawa.
About 10 minutes after Bev left to go get her hair washed and cut, by hairdresser who lived on street just behind Toms's house, Merve received news that Tom had passed away at 11:00 ish. Merve went over to tell Bev the sad news. They eventually went off to the hospital at 12:30.
I worked on my blog. Made myself a chicken salad sandwich for lunch and also had some potato salad and bread and butter pickles. Went back downstairs and continued to work on my blog. I received an e-mail from Jim Rogers re his trip to Saskatchewan.
Bev, et al, back from hospital. Lay down for nap at 2:30 PM while they had a late lunch. I got up at 3:45 PM and had a cup of tea. Checked my e-mail and sent a reply to Erika to let her know that we were OK and had not been affected by the storms in SK.
Neighbours brought over 2 BBQ chickens, a large potato salad and fruit platter. Bruno, Tom's friend, brought over a fruit basket, etc. and stayed for a beer. Bev and I also had a beer. Susan returned from the funeral parlour. She and Bev prepared dinner i.e. BBQ chicken, etc. Merve's girlfriend, Dot, came over and joined us for dinner. We watched the US All Star game. It was a washout!!!
Bev and Roly
CCCT 2012 - July 9/12 - Day 51
Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Monday, July 9, 2012 - Day 51
Dryden, ON (rest day 1)
Sorry about the double posting of Day 50. Sometimes the wi-fi is quite flaky and I'm never quite sure if my blog gets posted OK.
Merve was up at 4:30 AM. He's not a very quiet person! Bev thought Sebastian was also up. She got up at 5:00 AM. Merve left for Winnipeg at 6:30 AM to go and pick up Ken and Larry, Bev's two other brothers. I got up at 6:45 AM when I heard Seb getting ready to leave. I had some OJ, cereal and toast with peanut butter and jam and tea for breakfast. Seb left at 7:15 AM for Ignace (about 109 kms).
I went out to the garage and worked on the bikes. Cleaned my chain, derailleur, etc. I was unable to break the chain quick release on my bike which made cleaning the chain rather ackward. I had a break and had some cheese and crackers while Bev did dishes and tidied house. I cleaned and oiled her chain and mounted the rear tail light on her bike. I had to drill out a hole, to fit a larger bolt, using a file a job that would have taken me 5 minutes to do at home. It took me an hour to find the file. I found some drill bits but no suitable drill!
Bev prepared bacon and eggs for lunch. Made myself a delicious bacon sandwich. I lay down at 1:00 PM for a nap while waiting for Emily, Bev's niece, to arrive. Got up at 2:30 PM to say hello. I went down to the basement and checked the Internet. I was finally able to send an e-mail to my cousin Lori after the 3rd attempt. I decided to do some work on my blog and was able to post 3 days. Meanwhile, Bev went out for groceries for dinner. Susan arrived from work and we had BBQ chicken, salad, potato salad, beets, pickles and water melon for dinner.
Susan and Bev went to the hospital to visit Tom. I got stuck with the dishes! Afterwards I was able to post another day on my blog. I had some of the ice cream that Seb bought with chocolate sauce. Checked out his website http://www.whereisseb.com/ Transferred photos from camera SD card to Notebook. Watched Tour de France and filled in my journal. Susan and Bev returned from hospital. Tom was much more alert and Bev was able to chat with him. Bev made a cup of tea before going on PC to check her e-mail. Showed her pictures from Crystal Lake. Susan left her car for us to use tomorrow but had to come back at 11:00 to get it to go pick up Emily who was getting off work at DQ.
We were off to bed at 11:00. It was quite hot. No A/C and not much of a breeze. I had trouble falling asleep as I knew Merve, Ken and Larry would be getting back from Winnipeg shortly.
Bev and Roly
Dryden, ON (rest day 1)
Sorry about the double posting of Day 50. Sometimes the wi-fi is quite flaky and I'm never quite sure if my blog gets posted OK.
Merve was up at 4:30 AM. He's not a very quiet person! Bev thought Sebastian was also up. She got up at 5:00 AM. Merve left for Winnipeg at 6:30 AM to go and pick up Ken and Larry, Bev's two other brothers. I got up at 6:45 AM when I heard Seb getting ready to leave. I had some OJ, cereal and toast with peanut butter and jam and tea for breakfast. Seb left at 7:15 AM for Ignace (about 109 kms).
I went out to the garage and worked on the bikes. Cleaned my chain, derailleur, etc. I was unable to break the chain quick release on my bike which made cleaning the chain rather ackward. I had a break and had some cheese and crackers while Bev did dishes and tidied house. I cleaned and oiled her chain and mounted the rear tail light on her bike. I had to drill out a hole, to fit a larger bolt, using a file a job that would have taken me 5 minutes to do at home. It took me an hour to find the file. I found some drill bits but no suitable drill!
Bev prepared bacon and eggs for lunch. Made myself a delicious bacon sandwich. I lay down at 1:00 PM for a nap while waiting for Emily, Bev's niece, to arrive. Got up at 2:30 PM to say hello. I went down to the basement and checked the Internet. I was finally able to send an e-mail to my cousin Lori after the 3rd attempt. I decided to do some work on my blog and was able to post 3 days. Meanwhile, Bev went out for groceries for dinner. Susan arrived from work and we had BBQ chicken, salad, potato salad, beets, pickles and water melon for dinner.
Susan and Bev went to the hospital to visit Tom. I got stuck with the dishes! Afterwards I was able to post another day on my blog. I had some of the ice cream that Seb bought with chocolate sauce. Checked out his website http://www.whereisseb.com/ Transferred photos from camera SD card to Notebook. Watched Tour de France and filled in my journal. Susan and Bev returned from hospital. Tom was much more alert and Bev was able to chat with him. Bev made a cup of tea before going on PC to check her e-mail. Showed her pictures from Crystal Lake. Susan left her car for us to use tomorrow but had to come back at 11:00 to get it to go pick up Emily who was getting off work at DQ.
We were off to bed at 11:00. It was quite hot. No A/C and not much of a breeze. I had trouble falling asleep as I knew Merve, Ken and Larry would be getting back from Winnipeg shortly.
Bev and Roly
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
CCCT 2012 - July 8/12 - Day 50
Cross Canada Cycling Tour - Sunday, July 8, 2012 - Day 50
The rain finally stopped so we were able to get some sleep in our slightly damp tent. I heard a train come through at 5:30 AM. We got up at 7:00 AM and did some packing before going down by the beach to have breakfast with Sebastian. We had hot dog buns with peanut butter and jam, cut up fruit (banana & grapefruit) and chocolate milk. We returned to our campsite and finished packing our still wet tent, etc. We were going to DRYDEN and would be able to set out our wet gear to dry once we got there. We set off at 9:30 with Sebastian joining us.
There were some tough hills and it was quite hot. We stopped at a convenience store for Gatorade and water. Sebastian treated us to lemon tarts. We arrived in Dryden at 1:00 PM. Sebastian wanted to go for pizza. He had seen several ads for pizza on the way into town and hadn't had any for quite some time. We went on to Tom's (Bev's older brother) house. Sebastian went shopping for groceries at the IGA across the street while we were invited by Merve (Bev's other older brother) to have salmon sandwiches. Sebastian came back with 2 bags full of groceries including ice cream! On arriving in Dryden we passed by a DQ and I mentioned how disappointed I was about not stopping for ice cream.
We put our wet gear out to dry in the back yard and cycled over to Canadian Tire to get some Mineral Spirits, oil and batteries for Bev's new rear taillight. Did I mention it was very HOT!
Back at Tom's house, I checked out the Internet by plugging my Notebook into a CAT5 cable. I was able to read my Sympatico e-mail but not able to reply. There was a problem with the service provider and the router was cutting out constantly. I gave up and went out and helped Bev fold the tent and tarp before going off to Pizza Hut for dinner with Merve, Susan (Bev's niece), Sebastian and Bev. Bev had managed to convince Sebastian, who had planned to continue cycling, to spend the night in Dryden at Tom's house as it was much to HOT to continue cycling. He pulled a fast one by pretending to go to the w/c and paid for our dinner. Bev and Susan went to the hospital to visit Tom. Sebastian and I went back to the house and put the load of washing, that Bev had started earlier, in the dryer. I filled in my journal while waiting for Bev and Susan to return from the hospital. I was able to get on the Internet using Merve's PC and checked the MEC website for a replacement tire for Bev. It was pretty flaky. Merve spent 3/4 of an hour on the phone with SHAW. They figured it might be a loose cable on the modem. We were all quite tired so it was off to bed at 10:30
Bev and Roly
The rain finally stopped so we were able to get some sleep in our slightly damp tent. I heard a train come through at 5:30 AM. We got up at 7:00 AM and did some packing before going down by the beach to have breakfast with Sebastian. We had hot dog buns with peanut butter and jam, cut up fruit (banana & grapefruit) and chocolate milk. We returned to our campsite and finished packing our still wet tent, etc. We were going to DRYDEN and would be able to set out our wet gear to dry once we got there. We set off at 9:30 with Sebastian joining us.
There were some tough hills and it was quite hot. We stopped at a convenience store for Gatorade and water. Sebastian treated us to lemon tarts. We arrived in Dryden at 1:00 PM. Sebastian wanted to go for pizza. He had seen several ads for pizza on the way into town and hadn't had any for quite some time. We went on to Tom's (Bev's older brother) house. Sebastian went shopping for groceries at the IGA across the street while we were invited by Merve (Bev's other older brother) to have salmon sandwiches. Sebastian came back with 2 bags full of groceries including ice cream! On arriving in Dryden we passed by a DQ and I mentioned how disappointed I was about not stopping for ice cream.
We put our wet gear out to dry in the back yard and cycled over to Canadian Tire to get some Mineral Spirits, oil and batteries for Bev's new rear taillight. Did I mention it was very HOT!
Back at Tom's house, I checked out the Internet by plugging my Notebook into a CAT5 cable. I was able to read my Sympatico e-mail but not able to reply. There was a problem with the service provider and the router was cutting out constantly. I gave up and went out and helped Bev fold the tent and tarp before going off to Pizza Hut for dinner with Merve, Susan (Bev's niece), Sebastian and Bev. Bev had managed to convince Sebastian, who had planned to continue cycling, to spend the night in Dryden at Tom's house as it was much to HOT to continue cycling. He pulled a fast one by pretending to go to the w/c and paid for our dinner. Bev and Susan went to the hospital to visit Tom. Sebastian and I went back to the house and put the load of washing, that Bev had started earlier, in the dryer. I filled in my journal while waiting for Bev and Susan to return from the hospital. I was able to get on the Internet using Merve's PC and checked the MEC website for a replacement tire for Bev. It was pretty flaky. Merve spent 3/4 of an hour on the phone with SHAW. They figured it might be a loose cable on the modem. We were all quite tired so it was off to bed at 10:30
Bev and Roly
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