Day #44, Niagara Falls to Henrietta NY

Most of us were up early for a 7:00 am breakfast, the door to the breakfast room was locked to we clogged the lobby for about thirty minutes with bodies, bags and bikes. There were a few other tour groups in the hotel to see the falls, I am not sure they knew what was going on with all the bikers. I only got one pass through the buffet as there was still a line waiting when my plate emptied out, I guess I need to start cutting back anyway. The day after a rest day always seems to be hard, maybe we actually need to rest. We had eighty seven miles to do, I was with a group for about twenty miles, then tired and dropped off the back and rode alone. I started to get a blister on my little toe, so at the first SAG stop I performed a little surgery on my shoe to cut away the offending area and stop the irritation. It seemed to work well, but my toe now kind of sticks through the hole. We rode through a mixture of farms and state forrest land, nothing spectacular that made we want to stop and take pictures. The temperature warmed up as we rode and I drank a lot of water, on one leg of the ride I sucked the Camelbak dry before all the ice could melt. We are staying at the La Quinta Inn & Suites in Henrietta, a suburb of Rochester NY. Its laundry day for me, I was hoping this would be the last time I had to do it on the road, but the numbers just didn't work out for me to have a clean pair of bike shorts every day. I think we are eating at TGIFridays tonight, that is something new for the group to try.

Total Miles 3241.85
Total Hours 218.51
Trip Speed 14.8 mph

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Day #43, Day off in Niagara Falls NY

We had today off, not like last time when we rode a hot ferry boat, this time we had places to go and sights to see. I started at Denny's for breakfast, we picked up a few riders on the walk over and had a table of about seven by the time we got there. After breakfast I headed over to ride the Maid of the Mist, you entered a a giant observation tower overlooking the gorge, and the descended into the gorge via an elevator. Interestingly, I think 90% of the passengers were Asians. We got up close looks at both the American and Horseshoe Falls from the boat. Afterwards I walked up a set a stairs to take a few pictures, but had already removed by disposable rain poncho. I got drenched but luckily had quick drying shorts and shirt. I next rode the trolly to the Cave of the Winds, where you walk up close to the American Falls on wooden catwalks. Another wet experience where they issue you a poncho and sandals. After that I went to the overlook of Horseshoe Falls on Goat Island. Then it was back to the Visitors Center for an IMAX movie on the history of the Niagara Gorge and some ice cream. Another Trolly ride took me to the Niagara Gorge Discovery Center which explains the geological and scientific history of the gorge. I then walked over to the Aquarium for a tour. After another stop for ice cream, at the Twist O'the Mist. I saved the best for last, a Helicopter Tour of the whole Niagara Gorge area. I report no problems with air sickness at all.

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Day #42, Brantford Ontario to Niagara Falls NY

We had another great breakfast this morning at the Best Western with a private room, cloth napkins and table cloths. Plenty of fruit to go along with the standard ABB breakfast, even had omelets to order, but I didn't waste time standing in line for one. Breakfast was at 6:30 and luggage load at 7:00, so you didn't want to get in our way. We were all decked out in our Red-White-Blue jerseys for a return to the USA at Niagara Falls. We left early to allow for plenty of time to sight see on the Canadian side, for those who didn't relish going through customs a couple extra times on our day off on Monday. We had a single SAG Stop and a couple alumni riders from a previous trip brought Canadian "Butter Tarts" which bear a close resemblance to Peggy's Aunt Hazels Pecan Tarts. They also brought a huge fruit tray. I rode 90% of the day with John Nixon, one of many Texans on the trip. We  took some pictures on the Canadian side before crossing the Rainbow Bridge and going through US Customs. We were waived into the "Express Lane" where NEXUS Card holders are normally processed and got through without any hassles. We are staying about three blocks from the bridge at the Quality Inn. Tonights dinner was supposed to be at Denny's, but many of us opted to use the Denny's gift card for breakfast tomorrow on our day off and head elsewhere tonight. My group tried an Italian restaurant, but it was booked solid, so we walked back past the hotel to the Hard Rock Cafe. I am not in bed yet because directly across the street a RAP Concert featuring Gucci Mane is still blasting a base beat. I plan to do the full tourist thing on Monday, the Maid of the Mist, Cave of the Winds, Adventure Theater, and even Fort Niagara. Check back for a full report.

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Day #41, London to Brantford Ontario Canada

I had a leisurely breakfast at the Travel Lodge this morning, breakfast opened at 6:30 and we didn't load luggage until 8:00, so the normal fifteen minutes of group gluttony was spread over an hour, much more civilized. We started late because we had only sixty-seven miles to ride, but rain was threatening, so I started with a jacket, but tucked it away before going ten miles. We are still in farm country, but we saw a few new crops to go along with all the corn and soy beans we have been seeing. I saw some cucumbers, tobacco and even some large ginseng farms today. The ginseng is grown under a huge sun shades and is only harvested every four years. I also saw strawberries under some of the same type of sun shades.

An ancestor of mine, Foster Reeve (1817-1886) of Simcoe (south of Brantford) was a farmer in this area. I imagine farming operations were smaller and much more labor intensive in those days, and I doubt he was growing ginseng. I didn't make it to Simcoe, but our route took us within ten miles. I also saw a lot of Dutch names on mailboxes along the roads.

Some of us stopped at an interesting place for lunch, Cora's Restaurant, they serve mainly breakfast items although I did get a Chicken Melt sandwich with a giant fruit plate with six or seven different fruits cut up into fancy shapes, even tried a gooseberry. I great place to end a ride and great to see something other than french fries with a sandwich. We are staying at the Best Western in Brantford Ontario, home of Wayne Gretzky the hockey player and Jay Silverheels who played Tonto on the Lone Ranger. They served us a great buffet, a couple notches above Golden Corral or Ponderosa. Dessert was fresh baked pies that some of the riders bought at a road side fruit stand and transported to the hotel by Karen.


Total Miles 3080.74
Total Hours 208.07
Trip Speed 14.8 mph


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Day #40, Port Huron MI to London Ontario Canada

Last night we were given a schedule that rivaled the D-Day invasion. They were shutting down the single-lane Blue Water Bridge to Sarnia Ontario for us at 0630 and we needed to be there with Passports in our pockets, no joking allowed. Yesterday semi-trucks were backed up for miles trying to get over the bridge, so shutting it down was a big deal. It was the first day we really rode as a single group anywhere. The first climb of the day was the 150ft bridge itself. The bridge has a couple dangerous expansion joints that would trap a bike wheel that we walked our bikes over, and then it was down the other side to Canadian Customs. We all made it into Canada with no more than a cursory look at a few Passports. We passed through Sarnia and then were out in the countryside, the corn fields look the same, the cows smell the same, but I did see a very large solar farm. I seemed to be tired today, I may have pushed too hard to keep up with the wind yesterday or was just excited to see family. I stopped for lunch in the small town of Delaware at a small market where they mad me a deli sandwich and sold me a diet coke in the old style glass bottles. That seemed to rejuvenate me and I finished the remaining twenty miles much stronger. I stopped at McDonald's for a Chocolate-Banana shake (not sure if thats a Canadian thing or not, but its the first time I saw or tasted one). I am still waiting for my first taste of Poutine. We are staying at the Travel Lodge in London. I did a load of laundry after exchanging my quarters for a Looney and some Canadian Quarters.

Total Miles 3013.04
Total Hours 203.40
Trip Speed 14.8 mph
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Day #39, Birch Run to Port Huron MI

I woke up at 4:00 am to thunderstorms and tried to sleep until the alarm went off at 5:00am. I ate breakfast at the hotel at 6:00 and then heard that "Luggage Load" had been pushed back an hour in hopes that the storm would pass thru. 8:00 passed and it was still raining. At 9:00 Jeff, (who was in charge today with Mike down with the flu) made the call, we would leave in fifteen minutes. I wasn't real confident, but we started, the rain seemed to stop immediately, and within two miles I was peeling off my rain jacket because I was too hot already. Many riders reported seeing a large rainbow. We picked up a tail wind and were enjoying the rural scenery. I stopped for lunch in the village of Brown City at Mary Ann's Restaurant and had the largest Club sandwich I have ever seen. I rode hard the rest of the day, because I had guests arriving and I didn't know when they were showing up. The wind kept pushing and I tried to keep up with it. We caught a glimpse of Lake Huron about ten miles north of Port Huron and then rode along the lake front road until we were in town. I got cleaned up and the my brother Rick, his wife Pam, and my daughter Shannon showed up at the hotel, we talked for a while and then we attended the "Map meeting" for the next day's ride. Then I was treated to a restaurant with (what we say on the ride) no pictures on the menu. We went to the Quay Street Brewing Company in Port Huron. I had Chicken Parmesan and Shannon had Fish and Chips. On the way out I spotted a group of our riders jumping in a cab after celebrating Polly's sixty-second birthday. It was great to see part of real family after spending six weeks with my new trip family.

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Day #38, Mt Pleasant to Birch Run MI

Another late start today, with breakfast at Bob Evans at 7:00, Map meeting at 8:00 and I was on the road at 8:15. I rode with the "Turtles" until the SAG Stop at the "Reeves Farm" between Alma and Ithaca, I talked with the owner Sandra, and as far as we know, we are not related. Wind was from the South today, at times it was pretty strong, so we fought it most of the day, especially on legs that took us directly south. Stopped at Culver's for Frozen Custard when I hit Birch Run. We are staying at the Comfort Inn in Birch Run near Frankenmuth. We ate dinner at the EXIT Restaurant near the hotel.

Total Miles 2842.47
Total Hours 192.36
Trip Speed 14.8 mph
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