Lake Erie

Today I cycled from Leamington to Blenheim along Lake Erie. Early in the day, with a brief break in the clouds, the sun beamed gloriously down and the views of Lake Erie were stunning. It has been a great day of riding, though a short ride with foreboding clouds now heading this way, which will probably keep me inside as storms pound the area all day tomorrow.

O Canada!

My entrée to Windsor, Ontario, in Canada was more of a challenge than I anticipated. The Ambassador Bridge, from Detroit, Michigan, to Windsor, Ontario, is no longer open to pedestrian traffic. According to the customs agent, with the advent of casinos in both Detroit and Windsor, there were 2-3 "jumpers" a week. In an effort to curtail gambling related suicides, they have shut down the bridge to non-motorized traffic (though I would have thought that a determined jumper could simply drive their car halfway across and then jump). Poor air circulation in the nearby Windsor tunnel has also resulted in pedestrian and bicycle prohibitions. Thus, my effort to bicycle across to Canada was foiled, and I annoyingly had to pay $40 for a 2-3 minute taxi through the tunnel in order to avoid the significant detour north (to the Port Huron bridge to Canada) or south (through Ohio).

As I unpacked my bicycle in Windsor, Ontario, the skies opened up on me, so I took shelter for the day after only 25 total miles (40 kilometers, eh) of riding. Still, this shortcut through Canada changes my terminology, as I now have to say that I have now entered by ninth state and/or province. But I can also now accurately claim that I am riding through my second country, too!

Today, in the brisk temperatures with rain looming again, I have had a short ride to Leamington, Ontario. September has featured atypically excessive rainfall, and I am hoping that October is drier, though current forecasts do not look too encouraging!

Visiting friends in Detroit

Yesterday I made solid progress as I cycled the 92 miles from Jackson to Grosse Pointe, just past Detroit. I had a chance to catch up with a good friend from high school, and David and Bernadine graciously put me up for the night. They have two bright, beautiful children, clearly a result of good genes and a wonderful home. I'd like to thank David and Bernadine for inviting me to stay on such short notice.

Today, I'm off to Canada, as I proceed east. I have storms coming up behind me, so I should hit the road so I can stay ahead of them!

Mechanical failure in Michigan

Yesterday, I bade farewell to Julie after yet another great breakfast and hit the road. After a great couple of hours of riding in the gorgeous autumnal Michigan roads, my ride was cut short as the supporting bracket for my front panniers gave out. It was weakened during the rough ferry crossing from Milwaukee to Muskegon. So, as I pulled into Jackson, the rack fell against the front tire and after an hour or so or roadside surgery, all was well again, but the better riding hours were behind me, and I called it a day. Today I hope to make it to Detroit and catch up with a good friend from my high school days, and so far, my bike, the roads and the weather are smiling upon me.

Michigan wildlife

On Sunday, Aunt Julie took me out to the Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek, MI. To call it a zoo does it a great disservice, as it is more of an animal preserve than anything else. Most strikingly was a reproduction of an African savanna, with giraffes, zebras, antelope, and many other species grazing and prancing across a broad expanse. At the edge of the savanna, there is a public giraffe feeding zone at which patrons can hand feed these giants from an elevated walkway. The giraffe are incredibly gentle, with their head gently reaching and bobbing up to the elevated railing. There is no jostling amongst the gentle giants as their tongues carefully take the biscuits from your hands. The savanna evokes both surprise and awe, reminiscent of archeologists' first encounter of dinosaurs in Jurassic Park. While not as fantastic as the movie, it takes one aback to stumble across this naturalistic African savanna in the middle of Michigan.

I also had a chance to meet Aunt Julie's horses, one of whom is pictured here.

Michigan family affair

Michigan has been a family affair for me. I had a wonderfully unproductive few days with my parents in Spring Lake, catching up and dodging rain storms. (I got a laugh when my mother walked into the kitchen while I was preparing lunch and watching the U.S. Rider Cup team lose to the Europeans and a dismayed look appeared on her face as she reproachfully asked "do you watch golf?", as if this reflected some previously undiscovered egregious flaw in my upbringing.)

Eager to continue on, after a few days, with the rains still rolling through, they dropped me off at my Aunt Julie's place in Richland, MI, on Saturday as they headed to Chicago for the weekend. Julie and I had a great time, too, as it had been over ten years since I had last seen her place. We enjoyed numerous long conversations (she's the "cool" aunt that everyone wishes they had) and watched a few college football games, and generally had a great time.

Welcome to Michigan

After a day's delay due to heavy waves that canceled three ferries, yesterday I said farewell to Milwaukee as I took the Lake Express high-speed ferry from Milwaukee to Michigan and then visited my parents in Spring Lake. After 3,500 miles of bicycling, this marks my eighth state and my fourth time zone. My bicycle was tuned up in Milwaukee (including new tires, brake pads, chain, and rear cassette), so I'm ready to go. After a few days here in Spring Lake, Michigan, I'll then continue my trip east.

Ups and downs of Milwaukee

Milwaukee has been a mix of ups and downs. The highlight, beyond any doubt, has been seeing Rachel after two months apart. We had a fabulous time and now that she's left, I'm motivated to pedal that much harder to get home sooner. The chance to see a few of my good friends here in Milwaukee has made this choice of itinerary worthwhile, too.

Unfortunately, the highs of seeing Rach and a few friends have been offset by the low of GENCO's retraction of their prior offer to let me stop by Capital's offices. They are not letting me visit, so I'd like to apologize to all my friends at Capital that I've been unable to see. You are in my thoughts and I wish you all the very best. Stay in touch and take care of yourselves.

Milwaukee

After riding from Wisconsin Dells to Watertown on Thursday, yesterday I made it the rest of the way into Milwaukee. Rachel's flight was delayed, but after waiting for two months, I managed another two hours. It's nice to see Milwaukee again, but even better to see Rachel.

Wisconsin Dells

Last night, after 85 miles, I rolled into the Wisconsin Dells. I should hit Milwaukee tonight, or early tomorrow...

Bicycling (and not bicycling) in Wisconsin

After about a week of no Internet access, here in Tomah, WI, I finally have gotten online. Last Friday, I rode from Cambridge, Minnesota, to Turtle Lake, Wisconsin, thus entering Green Bay Packer land (though after the Packer's devastating game 1 loss, that may be a sore point). On Saturday, I rode on to Chippewa Falls, and then on Sunday, through Eau Claire on to Humbird. The rain Sunday cut my ride short (thus stopping in Humbird at a hotel whose tagline was "Bikers and bicyclists welcome, and normal folk, too"), and continuous downpours kept me off the road on Monday, as well. Tuesday morning, despite menacing clouds, I was anxious to hit the road, but the rain promptly started to dump as soon as I was a few miles down the road, so I stopped after a short 20 miles ride to Black River Falls.

Despite the nasty weather, there have been plenty of interesting sites along the way. I've cycled through Amish country and just as the plains of North Dakota evolved to rolling hills of Minnesota, the hills have started increasing with frequency and grade as I've ridden into Wisconsin. Still, the bitter 50 degree temperatures (20 degrees below normal for this time of year) and rain have been the hallmark of Wisconsin cycling thus far.

Having said that, despite occasionally discouraging conditions, my spirits are buoyed by the prospect of this weekend in Milwaukee where I will see Rachel (and I've concluded that two months of absence constitutes cruel and unusual punishment) and then all of my Capital Returns friends. Then, on Tuesday, I will be taking the ferry to Michigan and will be spending a few days with my parents in Michigan. So after a good two months in the company of strangers, I get to see some friends, family, and loved ones.

While I complain about the unusually bitter temperatures, someone upstairs is keeping an eye on me. Just out of Eau Claire, I noticed that my rear tire was wearing very thin. I've been looking for bike stores since then, in order to get a replacement. By the time I hit Black River Falls, there was no more rubber on the surface of the tire, having worn down to the weave of fibers that hold the tire together. At my third hardware store (all the bike stores had closed), I finally found a replacement tire (700x35 rather than my preferred 700x28's). As I walked out of the hardware store I looked at my rear tire, wet from the rains, and it was bubbling. Apparently, the tire and tube had finally given way just as I went into the store, and the leaking tube was releasing air into the tire, and since the surface was gone and only the web fiber weave remained, the air was bubbling through along the entire, wet surface of the tire. An amazing site, and I was incredibly fortunate. If this had happened 10 miles earlier, I would have been in a real bind.

Pedaling through Minnesota

Yesterday I rode 70 miles from Urbank to Little Falls, and today I continued on another 90 miles to Cambridge as my odometer passed the 3,000 mark. The riding has been good through this farm land north of Minneapolis. In the western states, I saw predominantly grain fields, but as I cycled through these gentle hills of Minnesota, this has given way first to soybean and alfalfa fields and now to corn fields.

People continue to be incredibly generous. Yesterday, having stopped for a quick beverage, the waitress was so amazed by my cycling tale, that she refused to let me pay for my drink. Throughout the trip, everyone has been great to me.

This has been a learning experience for me, as well. The lesson of the day: Keep mouth closed when bicycling. I have been struck on the face by the occasional bug (and the sunglasses have been invaluable in this regard), but today a cricket managed to fly right into my mouth. Foul tasting creature, and I was wiping my tongue off for a good mile or so.

Entering Minnesota

As I rode the 60 miles from Fargo, ND, to Pelican Rapids yesterday, and an additional 65 miles on to Urbank today, I've been enjoying the wonderful Minnesota Lake District. The area is dotted with hundreds of lakes interspersed through the gentle rolling hills. While I look fondly back at the Great Plains, Minnesota offers wonderful views of its own. Traffic has picked up a tad as Fargo natives are returning from their long Labor Day weekends at this vacation destination area, but I'm still riding the "road less traveled."

I would like to extend a thanks to Vern Foster, owner of the Twin Lake Landing Resort, near Amor, MN. He's a bicyclist-friendly host and has a campground with lake access. A great place.

Fargo, ND

The day before yesterday, I pulled into Page (pop. 225) just as it was starting to sprinkle rain lightly. There is no formal hotel, but the bank has a spare room in back, managed by the local barkeep. I checked into room number #2, which although the only room in town, reminds one of those days where they were multiple rooms available. Page consists of little more than the grocery store, cafe, bar, bank, and a diminutive cinema that shows two movies a week, one Saturday evening and another Sunday. But as always, the residents are as hospitable as ever and shared stories of better days in Page.

Saturday, it proceeded to rain all day, so I took shelter and read and watched college football (notably, Michigan's and Notre Dame's respective, unconvincing victories). But today, I cycled the 60 miles from Page to Fargo, ND. The weather was cloudy in the morning and the roads still wet from the evening's rain storms. It cleared in the afternoon and I took a break just past the turn for Arthur, ND. While finishing my snack, I met Dale, the fellow wheelman pictured here, who at the age of 61 had recently taken up cycling and was embarking on a 40 mile ride into Fargo where he was going to meet his wife. So, we rode the rest of the way together into Fargo and had a great time chatting along these lightly traveled roads.

In a tribute to the movie Fargo, I'm staying at the same hotel Marge used when she was here, because, "yah, ya know it's the Radisson, so it's pretty good."

Starting a new Page

Today, I hope to ride from Cooperstown to Page, ND. The nasty weather lingers, but should blow through by late morning. At least the wind has shifted to north by northwest (an homage to Hitchcock?) and is finally blowing the right direction!