Week Eight: Grand Rapids Michigan to St. Catherines Ontario

Monday August 18: 111 km. 86 F sunny. Grand Rapids Michigan to Lainsburg Michigan

Today was one of those days where everything came together for a perfect day of cycling. It was one of those "sun in your face and wind in your back" kind of days. After a send off ceremony at Calvin College, we were off at 8 AM. All day long it was sunny with a 20 kph tailwind. The day went very fast and was an easy break in for the 60 new cyclists that started in Grand Rapids. The terrain was relatively flat thru this area of western Michigan along the Grand River, making for very enjoyable riding. We traveled along almost deserted county roads for the most part, allowing us to see the countryside in a way one can't while traveling along major highways.

Send off from Calvin College in Grand Rapids MI.

Restored covered bridge in Ada MI, originally built in 1847. Hey, who is that guy on the bike, and where is his helmet?

Tuesday August 19: 157 km. 76 F mostly sunny. Lainsburg Michigan to Richmond Michigan.

The day started cold and cloudy, but by mid morning the sun was shining. Along with the cool temperatures came a 25 kph. wind out of the northeast, a headwind for us all day. This will be the longest day of the tour for the new cyclists who started in Grand Rapids. It was a healthy dose of reality for them after the easy day yesterday. Most of them fared well and finished the ride by late afternoon.

Old train station in Durand MI, now a railroad museum.

This is what happens when you forget to unclip your shoes from the pedals. Lou Haverman and Jo Tipple trying to untangle themselves from their bicycles after falling.

Wednesday August 20: 89 km 22 C sunny. Richmond Michigan to Chatham Ontario

The tour entered Canada today by way of the ferry from Michigan to Sombra Ontario across the St. Clair River. And what a reception awaited us! We had heard that there would be a few people to meet us, but no one was expecting the crowd that was waving flags, holding signs and generally welcoming us very vocally! There must have been at least 150 people there. And most important of all, Tim Horton's coffee! All kinds of goodies including cupcakes adorned with Canadian flags, fresh fruit, timbits, etc. waited as we arrived. One couple, from our church in Brantford were there to greet Stephanie Webb and I. Harry and Marion Dyk have a trailer at a park nearby and stopped in to say hello. A pleasant surprise, indeed. After this, a 50 km ride thru the countryside to Chatham ON, where an equally rousing reception awaited us.

Our first sight of Canada this morning across the St Clair River in over seven weeks.

Waiting to board ferry to Canada.

Aboard ferry on St Clair River Our mobile kitchen on the ferry.

The crowd of well wishers in Sombra ON, as we get off the ferry from Michigan.

A Canadian cultural icon!

Thursday August 21: 127 km. 24 C sunny. Chatham Ontario to London Ontario

Another great cycling day, warm, sunny, with a good breeze in our face. No tailwind yet again. I wonder what would have happened if we had cycled east to west? All those easterly winds would become the prevailing west winds we have heard so much about, but have failed to see. It was a great though, a nice ride through more soybean and cornfields about the same view as we have had from about Nebraska three weeks ago. A time trial was held halfway thru the ride today with Rueben Vyn of Portland OR coming first and John Vanderveen of Edmonton AB placing second. When we got to London, about 12 of our cyclist went to the velodrome here in London, one of only a very few in North America, so it was a rare oppurtuity for cyclists who are not from Ontario to experience riding on an indoor track. Tomorrow is the day I've been waiting for. I'll be passing within one block of my house in Brantford ON and I'll be seeing Elaine for the first time in eight weeks. I had no idea that it would be so difficult to be apart for this long. I'm sure it will not be easy to carry on to New Jersey on Monday, but I'm committed to see my little adventure thru to the end.

Bicycles taking a break while their riders are having lunch at Mt Bridges CRC.

Six man paceline on Hwy# 2 in Delaware ON. The fourth person in line is Lawrence Bakelaar, the grandson of James Kooistra. (For those who remember the early days of Brantford Christian School)

Friday August 22: 127 km. 27 C sunny. London Ontatio to Hamilton Ontario

Home, sweet home. What more can I say? Today was the day I was looking forward to for a long, long time. I got an early start as soon as it was light enough to bike safely and was in Brantford by 10:30 AM. I met my daughter Karen by her house just west of Brantford where she was waiting for me with a Tim Horton's coffee. It was so nice to see her and my son-in-law Jeff, especially as she informed me a couple of weeks ago that I'm going to be a grandfather for the first time. My brother-in-law Pete also stopped by for a few minutes. As I cycled past our house, my son Adam was just walking up the diveway, so I chatted with him for a few minutes. Then it was the off to a Sea to Sea refreshment stop a few blocks down the road where I met many friends who stopped by. Then, most important of all, I was off to the the last stop of the day on Jerseyville Road, where my dear wife, Elaine was waiting for me. It was so good to see and hold her again after eight weeks apart! This trip has been an adventure of a lifetime for me and the only negative of the trip has been the realization of how much I missed Elaine. It was good to be back together again, hear her voice and feel her touch.

My daughter Karen presented me with an always appreciated Tim Hortons coffee as a homecoming present.

Welcome sign at Len and Wilma Brak's on Jerseyville Road

Back in Brantford with Elaine after eight weeks apart.

Saturday August 23: 74 km. 30 C mostly sunny. Hamilton Ontario to St. Catharines Ontario

Today was a short pleasant ride, jokingly referred to as the "Tour de Food" on account of all the stops today at various CRC churches along the route. A hearty welcome was found at these stops as well as an abundance of food and drink. It was very much appeciated by the cyclists. The recognition is nice. We travelled for awhile along the brow of the Niagara Escarpment which is the geological formation over which Niagara Fall drops. The view of Hamilton, Lake Ontario and all the way over to the Toronto skyline was spectacular.

Overlooking Hamilton Harbour from the top of the Niagara Escarpment.

Visiting with the seniors at Shalom Manor in Grimsby Ontario

Sunday August 24: A celebration service was held at Queenston Heights Park, across the Niagara River from Lewiston NY. This park is the scene of one of the major battles of the war of 1812. The whole tour there has been some friendly banter between the Americans and the Canadians on the tour. It is not without irony that here on this exact spot where we are now having this celebration, less than two hundred years ago, we were killing each other. It rained most of the afternoon in advance of a 4 PM start. Promptly at 4 o'clock the rain quit and the sun came out. It was a nice service and a supper afterwards served by the local CRC congregations. It was a time to connect with family and friends and long ago acquaintances for many of the cyclists who are from Ontario.

Some of the crowd who were pretty wet from the rain prior to the start of the service.

Cyclists lined up in front of the stage.