Crossing into Canada via St. Clair, MI on the Blue Water Ferry cost us each $2 including bicycles. Not too shabby. The US border officer thoroughly checked our bags and grilled questions about our travels. Lucky for us, we had nothing to hide. We casually answered his questions before boarding yet another boat with our bicycles. Of all the forms of public transportation, (bus, plane, train, etc) boats are far and away the easiest to utilize for bicyclists. We have been aboard everything from a 700ft passenger ferry in Greece to a motorized canoe in the Guatemalan jungle. Canada makes for our 21st country in 26 months, riding somewhere close to 25,000 miles. Life has been nothing short of spectacular and I wouldn't trade a second of it.....not even the trying times in Central America. All experiences in the past, good and bad, lead to this exact moment. I hope to always be thankful for my past because it has brought me to now.
Crossing this river was a noticeable shift between cultures and landscape. This area of Canada is definitely rural and the locals had more smiles and less skeptical scowls on their faces as we approached on our old school means of transportation. Michigan is a beautiful state with extremely kind people, but riding just north of Detroit was a bit different than the northern part. A little less unkept, a bit more sketchy and not quite as many friendly people.
The kindness we have received continued through Canada. Our first breakfast at a tiny cafe in a town of a few thousand was picked up by a complete stranger who simply paid our bill and left without saying a word. How are people so generous??? And why are we the lucky ones to receive their generosity??? We filled up on pancakes covered in peanut butter, a new find in Canada. The containers that hold jellies also contain peanut butter and honey, a nice switch from our usual stacks slathered in butter and syrup.
Full bellies accompanied with smiling faces, we rode our way south across flat farmland to the north shore of Lake Erie. The sun was shining and a cool breeze made the heat bearable to keep us moving along. Our second night into Canada, we pulled off on the side of the road to access our situation, look at the map and try to decide where we would stash our tent for the night. As always, we were in need of water. We have learned over the years the importance of filling our bottles whenever and wherever possible. We were a bit dry because we hit a long stretch of closed shop after closed shop through multiple towns even though our Adventure Cycling map stated otherwise. Worst case scenario we could fill our bottles on the side of a public building and camp out back after the sunet to avoid being seen. If you ever need help in an unfamiliar town, simply pull out a map and before long someone will stop to help. Sure enough, a woman pulls up in a Jeep offering her guidance and shortly after offering a place to stay for the night. Again, our luck prevails. We gladly backtracked the few miles with the wind at our back (it was screaming in our faces that day making for tough riding and sore muscles) for a shower, laundry and a bed. This couple could not have been nicer. We picked up a pizza for a late dinner where we exchanged stories and talked of the area and travel. More great people in our lives that we never would have been lucky enough to meet without these bicycles.
The next morning we woke to a beautiful omelet, fresh asparagus from the yard and fruit, we were on our way and quickly at that because the wind shifted in the night and was now at our backs. Yes! We quickly covered 20 miles in an hour, following the blue water, eyeing the old cottages talking of what our home in the future will hopefully be like. We often daydream and talk of our life in the future when we are a bit more settled again. Truly loving living in a tent, we do still talk of what life will be like when we plant our feet. This adventure and lifestyle has made us appreciate what we want and how we want to live our life in the future. Life is simply too short to not be doing what you love, whether that is your job, the people you choose to hang out with, or the way you spend your time. It all matters and plays such a drastic role on how you perceive life. We both intend to be happy and healthy and will do whatever is best to make sure this happens.
A few days in Canada (the last day and a half of riding was amazing, following small roads along the water, combined with bike paths.....definitely recommended) and we reached the Peace Bridge crossing into Buffalo. As we approached the bridge, my stomach turned to knots as a few tears reached my eyes. We were on our way to visit an old friend and catch a ride to Ohio to visit Ryan's family and to Chicago for a friends wedding. Could this be our last leg of our bicycle journey? I crossed the bridge with trepidation, hoping that after this stint of time with family and friends, we would somehow still find a way back on our bikes.
Crossing this river was a noticeable shift between cultures and landscape. This area of Canada is definitely rural and the locals had more smiles and less skeptical scowls on their faces as we approached on our old school means of transportation. Michigan is a beautiful state with extremely kind people, but riding just north of Detroit was a bit different than the northern part. A little less unkept, a bit more sketchy and not quite as many friendly people.
The kindness we have received continued through Canada. Our first breakfast at a tiny cafe in a town of a few thousand was picked up by a complete stranger who simply paid our bill and left without saying a word. How are people so generous??? And why are we the lucky ones to receive their generosity??? We filled up on pancakes covered in peanut butter, a new find in Canada. The containers that hold jellies also contain peanut butter and honey, a nice switch from our usual stacks slathered in butter and syrup.
Full bellies accompanied with smiling faces, we rode our way south across flat farmland to the north shore of Lake Erie. The sun was shining and a cool breeze made the heat bearable to keep us moving along. Our second night into Canada, we pulled off on the side of the road to access our situation, look at the map and try to decide where we would stash our tent for the night. As always, we were in need of water. We have learned over the years the importance of filling our bottles whenever and wherever possible. We were a bit dry because we hit a long stretch of closed shop after closed shop through multiple towns even though our Adventure Cycling map stated otherwise. Worst case scenario we could fill our bottles on the side of a public building and camp out back after the sunet to avoid being seen. If you ever need help in an unfamiliar town, simply pull out a map and before long someone will stop to help. Sure enough, a woman pulls up in a Jeep offering her guidance and shortly after offering a place to stay for the night. Again, our luck prevails. We gladly backtracked the few miles with the wind at our back (it was screaming in our faces that day making for tough riding and sore muscles) for a shower, laundry and a bed. This couple could not have been nicer. We picked up a pizza for a late dinner where we exchanged stories and talked of the area and travel. More great people in our lives that we never would have been lucky enough to meet without these bicycles.
The next morning we woke to a beautiful omelet, fresh asparagus from the yard and fruit, we were on our way and quickly at that because the wind shifted in the night and was now at our backs. Yes! We quickly covered 20 miles in an hour, following the blue water, eyeing the old cottages talking of what our home in the future will hopefully be like. We often daydream and talk of our life in the future when we are a bit more settled again. Truly loving living in a tent, we do still talk of what life will be like when we plant our feet. This adventure and lifestyle has made us appreciate what we want and how we want to live our life in the future. Life is simply too short to not be doing what you love, whether that is your job, the people you choose to hang out with, or the way you spend your time. It all matters and plays such a drastic role on how you perceive life. We both intend to be happy and healthy and will do whatever is best to make sure this happens.
A few days in Canada (the last day and a half of riding was amazing, following small roads along the water, combined with bike paths.....definitely recommended) and we reached the Peace Bridge crossing into Buffalo. As we approached the bridge, my stomach turned to knots as a few tears reached my eyes. We were on our way to visit an old friend and catch a ride to Ohio to visit Ryan's family and to Chicago for a friends wedding. Could this be our last leg of our bicycle journey? I crossed the bridge with trepidation, hoping that after this stint of time with family and friends, we would somehow still find a way back on our bikes.
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