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