From Saturday August 4 to Saturday August 11 we decided to take a week trip thru Michigan. Here is a map of the route we took (Starting in Kitchener ON, going counter clock wise).
We were 3 people going on 2 bikes. We had to re-think how we were going to pack the bikes. We are pretty good at packing the bikes for 2 people, but with a third person, there were some extra stuff (sleeping bag, air mattress, tent and clothes) that had to find a place on the bikes. With everything packed Friday night, we were ready to rock-and-ride early Saturday morning.
First Day (Kitchener, ON to Sudbury,ON)
We were ready to take of at 8am. With my bike fully loaded (the bike 500lb and gear 200lb) I went to push the bike off the centre stand, and that's when I pulled/ripped the muscle in my right calf muscle. I spend about 5 minutes cussing and swearing and waiting for the pain to subside to get going. Denise proposed we take the car. No, this is a bike trip.
Shortly thereafter we started riding. The plan was to cover a lot of distance in the first 2 days in Canada, and get to the US as fast as possible. Thing are a lot cheaper in the US, so we wanted to get there as soon as we can.
Once we got near Orangeville ON, it was time for a bathroom break and get something to drink. The first restaurant we went to were closed, but we decided to go to the convenience store across the road. Denise and Dominique went inside, but they would not let them use the washroom (assholes).
That's when a man in his pickup truck pulled up to the store, and we started talking Bikes. He was a fellow South African ex-pat, that did the Roof of Africa in Swaziland 3 times, and when he heard we wanted to use the washroom, he said "Just drive down the road, go round the corner, and you will see the house with the yellow door. Go in and use the bathroom. I will see you there a little bit later. I Just have to buy some stuff"
We found the house and used the bathroom. He showed up a little later, and showed us his property, and offered some coffee and tee.
Pieter DeBoer. What a great guy.
He lives on a small farm with his dogs, cats, and some horses. The dog that accompanied him in his bakkie (pickup truck) was the Rhodesian Ridgeback.
Here are some pictures of the other dogs.
What a great experience! Thanks Peter for your hospitality.
This is one of the reasons why taking a road on a bike (instead of a car) is so rewarding. You meet more people. I think being so exposed on the bike also makes you more approachable by strangers. I must admit that initially I was slightly apprehensive to go to a strangers house. But if I gave in to my apprehension, I/we would have missed out on one of the highlights of the day/trip.
The rest of the day was a long and hot ride to Sudbury. We were all glad when we got to our pre-booked motel, The Belmont Inn.
With it being a long weekend in Canada, we had a tough time finding accommodation for the first night. Denise found the Belmont Inn on line, and Tripadvisor had some mixed reviews about the place. We found the Motel to be nice and clean, and it included a continental breakfast the next morning.
Sudbury we did not find very impressive. Roads were crappy, and food was expensive. Very expensive.
Tomorrow we go for the border.
No comments:
Post a Comment