O Canada!
July 25, 2008
We crossed into Canada which meant completing another state and adding a country to the list of boundaries crossed along our tour. If you can believe it they actually closed the bridge to Canada so that we could ride across. Everything went really smooth until we got into Canada. Some riders started to question the directions and some other riders (Kelli and I) followed the questioning riders. This meant standing in a parking lot for a couple of minutes before getting back on the road only to ride in a big U causing us to end up where we started. We got through the trouble spots and ended up riding through some amazing landscapes. The land actually looked similar to Michigan but there was a flare of European influence. I stopped for lunch in a cute little town and had an amazing lunch with a small group of riders. We sat there for about 2 hours just enjoying the food and conversation. When we got back on the road we realized that we sat for far too long as our legs had already given up for the day.
We made it into London Ontario just after 1500 to find the streets really busy. After making it to the hotel someone mentioned that there was a bike shop just down the street and I immediately thought it would be neat for Kelli and I to get matching Canada jerseys. I got back on my bike and ended up finding two jerseys that I thought would make great mementos for our journey into Canada. After leaving the bike shop I met up with a couple of riders to ride back to the hotel. Unfortunately, while crossing the street one of the riders turned in front of me causing my tire to hit their back tire. I soon found myself lying on the pavement with a bunch of cars coming right at me going 60 mph! I was still clipped into my pedals and couldn’t get out when the traffic caught up to where we were. Luckily the pick-up closest to me stopped and nobody hit him from behind because if they would have I would be posting this from the hospital. I made it up and across with only a scrape on my elbow. I’m just happy to make it out without serious injury. Just another adventure on this fantastic journey.
Semper Fidelis.
Great Ride and Great Friends!
July 25, 2008
Today was simply a great day on the bike. We have enjoyed every ride but today just flew by even though we logged over 85 miles. Kelli and I spent the first part of the morning riding together and after our first stop joined up with Diane and Mark who have been a big help in Kelli and me planning our life plan. Then we met up with a couple of friends of ours (Miao and Kyle – sister and brother) who had lunch with us and finished off the last 25 miles. We were in such deep conversation that all of a sudden we looked to the left and realized that we had already biked over 20 miles and were biking along Lake Huron. If I didn’t know it I would have though we were in the Caribbean with the emerald colored water and the sandy beaches. Definitely not Lake Superior.
Tomorrow we cross into Ontario Canada and make our tour an international one. We even watched Strange Brew in preperation of this adventure. We hope you have been enjoying our adventure eh!
Semper Fidelis.
Bad Roads…No Problem!
July 24, 2008
Today, Kelli and I experienced what it was like to ride on gravel roads with road bikes. It wasn’t the funnest experience but we made it through without any falls or flat tires.
Michigan has proven to be a beautiful state with a lot of trees and perfectly kept farms. The weather was perfect with cool temps throughout most of the day and with only 75 miles to our destination we were in the hotel with enough time to clean our bikes and do our laundry.
We are nearing the end of our tour which means I need to start cutting back on my bad eating habits. I’m afraid to say that I haven’t lost much or any weight, but I’ve enjoyed eating everything in sight and not worrying about it. Kelli and I are really excited for the next stage of our lives of living and working in Minnesota. It will be a nice change of pace to start our lives and make plans for our future. We appreciate all the support you have shown us over the years and we look forward to sharing our lives with all of you.
Semper Fidelis.
Our Last Day Over 100 Miles!
July 22, 2008
Well, you can tell that the trip is starting to wind dowm when you begin to notice when it is your last time doing something. That day has arrived. Today marked the last time we will bike over 100 miles in a single day. We rode 113 miles to Mount Pleasant and narrowly avoided a couple of thunderstorms and showers. We also completed another state the other day and today was our first ride in the great state of Michigan. I had no idea Michigan was so beautiful and the fact that it didn’t rain on us goes along way in my feeling on how much I like the state.
Yesterday we took a ferry across Lake Michigan and while we were waiting to board the ferry we practiced our dip in the Atlantic Ocean. The ride lasted 4 hours with another hour added on since we passed into Eastern Standard Time. Once we got off the ferry we were able to mark another state down and say hello to another.
Kelli and I talked most of the ride today with us figuring out what traditions we want to establish when we have children. When you have 7 hours to kill on the bike you tend to talk about a lot of things to pass the time.
Semper Fidelis.
