Day 41 – London to Brantford, Ontario, CA – 69 miles, 970 feet vertical (flat, flat, flat).
Cumulative totals to date:3,047 miles traveled, with 100,890 feet of vertical climb.How about them apples?
Our routine for the past few days has been: wake up in the morning, have breakfast, go for a bike ride.Wake up in the morning, have breakfast, go for a bike ride.
These last several days have been just so wonderful and relaxing.With relatively low mileage, flat farmland, sunny skies and mild temps, we finally have the opportunity to relax and just enjoy ourselves.Today was another one of those days. For those concerned that we haven’t done a century ride in a while, I should point out that today qualified as a little over a metric century (that’s 100 kilometers). Still, it was a light day, especially compared to what we’ve already covered.
And so, we had time today to go easy, take in the sights, chat with the locals, stop at a fruit stand to buy fresh fruit, corn and pies and spend some quality time crawling around in a giant field of straw bales.Climbing up onto those beasts is not as easy as it looks and we had some, er, … embarrassing moments that will forever stay in the “members only” section.Hey, you try it in cycling shoes!
The other incentive to loll around is that our hotel rooms are often not ready if we get to our destination too early.So why rush?I was proof of this (again) today, so I just changed into a bathing suit and headed for the hot tub.Great and efficient way to spend the time, rather than standing there bugging the hotel clerk.
As I noted above, the milestone for today is that we passed the 3,000 mile mark and for tomorrow, we finish our little shortcut through Canada, head back into the USA and reach our fifth and final rest day in Niagara Falls.Honestly, none of us can believe it.Honestly.
Please enjoy our straw bales photos of the day and thank you so much for following along at Where’s Jeff at jeffblye.com. Please keep those cards and letters coming.Really appreciated!
… Jeff
The morning gang gets ready to head out.Many high voltage transmission lines in this area.We would have beautiful roads like this ALL DAY LONG!What did I tell you?Do we have time to play 18? (We probably do.)More silos …I stopped here and listened to the “cheep, cheep, cheep” of the hatchery. So cute.Waterfall in town of, uh, … I don’t remember. Sorry.Straw bales as far as the eye can see.So, … Arlene strikes a pose.I gotta climb up there too…… and make a statement. (How do you like my socks?)Tom was having FOMO so he climbed up too.This straw field is rather stunning.Oh, Canada!Dali…?Bob, me, Arlene, Tom and Jack.We passed this tomato field with day laborers, just finishing their shift.The fruits (I mean, plum tomatoes) of their labor.Tobacco plants.More tomatoes.Hmm… left or right? (We went left.)We stopped here at 69 miles to buy fresh fruit and cherry pies.This area grows a wide variety of crops.And we finish with about 12 miles on the bike path.Hey, Scotland is really close! 😂We have time for lunch at the windmill.Made it to downtown Brantford. The “People’s Bank”?They can’t get enough of Wayne Gretzky here.
Day 40 – Port Huron, MI, USA to London, Ontario, Canada – 83 miles + 3 miles of detours, 790 feet vertical (flatter than flat).
Bonjours, mes amies.Comment allez-vous? Nous sommes ici dans la belle pays du Canada, notre voisin amical au nord.
I just wanted to dust off some rusty French. Actually, the road signs are bilingual, but everyone seems to be speaking English, eh?
Well, we executed to plan and got up before god this morning, with 5am breakfast and 6:15am load and line up with passports on our persons. At 6:30 on the dot, we rolled out en masse and started up the bridge.Traffic into the US was heavy with trucks, but outbound was light, and it was stopped for us.The toll taker made a phone call, something about a horde of cyclists, and apparently got the ok to raise the gate, and up we went, over the Blue Water Bridge and into the just-rising sun.
It was exhilarating.It was also a bit treacherous as we had to dismount and walk across the two massive expansion joints that could easily have swallowed our narrow racing tires.We got to Customs and Immigration and presented all our passports.I can’t say the officers were all that friendly, but they are probably still bristling from our president calling them a national security threat. (Just a wild guess.)
The terrain in Canada was very much like the farmland we had just left.More corn.More soybeans.In fact, if it wasn’t for a Tim Horton’s on every other corner, we’d think we were back in the US.Oh, yeah and the road signs.
Our first detour came early when one of the small bridges was “out” and we waited while ABB staff checked out a workable reroute, going on ahead and laying down orange arrows for us.
Our second detour was necessitated by a mile long freight train that stopped across our path on one side of a double track. After some time, a second freight came along – apparently the “superior” train – and it was also a mile long.It passed by slowly, slowly, until it came to a stop.Then a start. Then a stop. Each time the momentum changed, we heard the loud bangs of the cars couplers’ slack either compressing or expanding.At any rate, we gave up, and once again, went back out to the main road and found a clear section of track to finally cross.All in all, an extra 3+ miles added to our route.
The weather was ideal.The company incomparable.The conversations and spirits were light.
One thing that was different today was the suspension of the enforced caste system of early rollers versus main load.Since we all left together, we were able to mix and match and ride alongside our friends that we don’t always get to ride with.This made for an entirely new dynamic that I had missed from the very early days of the trip.
We stopped for a phenomenal lunch at BJ’s in Delaware.We had custom-made sandwiches and I slugged down a chocolate milk.It was heaven.Audrey then talked us into ice cream for dessert.Why not?So I had a cookies-‘n-cream milkshake.It too was delicious, but I rode the next ten miles in a lactose overdose-induced fog.File under: self-inflicted, but guilt-free.
We have two more days of cycling through Ontario before we wind up in Niagara Falls for our final rest day.
Please enjoy these photos from the day, eh?And check out the dwindling array of red dots at Where’s Jeff at jeffblye.comOnly NINE riding days left and check back tomorrow as we pass the 3,000-mile mark!!
All lined up for our group departure.Rob gives a sly glance while Karen gets ready to take photos from the back of the van.Sure, let’s go there.All lanes are closed for us.And here we go …Canadian Customs and ImmigrationBienvenue.The sun had just come up while our passports were being scanned.I get to ride with Paula for a change. Ask her how she feels about iceberg lettuce.Hold-up and detour #1 due to road closure up ahead.Tom and Arlene are about to call for tech support.Oops, mile-long freight causes detour #2.These CN diesels are massive …… because these freight cars go on forever!UH – OH !!We wait for awhile while the second freight passes by …… but we give up when we see how long this will take.
Brad Campbell finds his ancestral home… 😂Pretty Canadian town.Corn on the right, soybeans on the left.Beautiful farming landscape.Q: What did Delaware? A: She wore a New Jersey.Just, … YUM.Post lunch lactose-overdose-induced fog.Heading for our destination city …Welcome, welcome … Until tomorrow, then.
Day 39 – Birch Run to Port Huron, MI – 88 miles, 1,260 feet vertical
We’ve traveled 2,895 miles up to this point, across seven states within the US.We bed down tonight at the foot of the Blue Water Bridge that separates us from Canada at the southernmost point of Lake Huron.And tomorrow morning, at the crack of dawn, the authorities will close the bridge to all traffic so that we – the riders and staff of Across America North – can ride across as one cohesive group.And yes, it’s an official jersey day (meaning, we all wear our red, white and blue America by Bicycle jerseys).
Today was forecast to be wet – VERY wet – and I had prepared mentally for spending some time in the van while I shake this cold.But instead, we awoke to blue skies and sunshine.And so, … off we went, without our rain gear.
We continue to have drop-in visitors and last night our Canadian riders were met by their Canadian wives:Rick’s wife Bonnie and Doug’s wife Madeline.And tonight, Steve’s wife Jill made her third (I think) appearance.
Not much to report about the ride today.It was flat (again), with a prevailing tailwind, and more sun and puffy clouds, all of which made the 88 miles seem almost routine.We did go through some sections of Amish country and encountered more than a few horse drawn buggies filled with Amish families.
Our SAG stop featured an Artesian well from which we filled our water bottles. And after zig-zagging for miles through more corn and soybean fields, we stopped for coffee and snacks at a very welcoming country cafe.We ended near the foot of the bridge in Port Huron, perfectly staged for our morning assault on our neighbor to the north.
On a personal note, I took advantage of our early arrival this afternoon to visit a nearby urgent care facility and get checked out for this persistent cold.I’m happy to report that the chest x-ray was negative and I am now appropriately medicated and on the mend.Also, I figured it would be a good place to exercise my Medicare card before crossing into Canada.
Please enjoy these photos from the day and check out the dwindling array of red dots at Where’s Jeff at jeffblye.comOnly TEN riding days left!!
Thanks for following.
… Jeff
Doug and Maddie from OntarioMorning lead out trainOur mechanic Robin tries valiantly to keep up!! (Kidding, he’s just horsing around.)This track seems to lead to the smiley face water tower.If it were white, it could be the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man.We fill our bottles with delicious fresh water from this Artesian well.Pam, Judy and Rob at our SAG stop.Warning, Amish country.Ooh, a new hay bale pattern …We have a civilized lunch break at 47 miles today.More gleaming storage silosCorn on the left, soybeans on the right.Typical stretch of country roadYale Bull Dogs.Typical country store,Ooh, look, that’s Lake Huron!! It looks beautiful.Did you know this about Port Huron?The Blue Water Bridge into Canada. Tomorrow, we cross!
Day 38 – Mt. Pleasant to Birch Run, MI – 74 miles, 590 feet vertical.(Think about that:less than 10 feet of climb per mile.Translation: flatter than flat.But we’ve ridden over 2,800 miles total.Less than 1,000 miles to go.Holey Moley!!!)
First things first: a big Happy Birthday to my Mom back home in Long Island.She is 92 years young today – while Dad is 94 and following the journey every day.They are both Holocaust Survivors and sadly, part of a dwindling cohort of witnesses to the Shoah.
I mailed a card a few days back, but figured a call was called for too.She was surprised to hear from me and had, um, … forgotten where I was.I told her I was calling her from Michigan.“Michigan?!? What are you doing in Michigan???”“Mom, remember, I’m riding my bike across the country.”“You’re doing WHAT??!”I repeated my status.She paused and then said, “Oy!!Why would you do that??” … Yeah, good question. And then she added, “You’re meshuga!”So, … I guess she still has it.
I got a much-needed full night’s sleep last night and felt so much better this morning.Plus, it was sunny and warm.Plus it was a short day (74 miles).Plus, it was flatter than flat (see calculation above).And mostly – plus, I could breathe.All in all, a number of success factors for a great day.
I understand some folks are suffering withdrawal from a lack of photos from yesterday, so I will post a combined set from the best of the best from both days.If you’re wondering about the provocative title, I will reveal to you that that is from a bonafide actual sign posted yesterday at a general store in Bitely, where we stopped for a cup of coffee.You can read all of the rules and regulations for returning bottles and cans, but the one that stopped Tom and me in our tracks was … “absolutely no bugs or chew spit”. I kid you not.Chew on that for a while!And note the use of “absolutely”.Now that’s an Oy!
Please enjoy this double photo day as we continue to trek across Michigan, while (sorry to say) trying to avoid some serious road rage by the locals (not the farmers – they’re great.)And check out the shrinking red dots at Where’s Jeff at jeffblye.com
The forecast for tomorrow is some serious rain. Not happy. Pity party, … waaaah …
Oh, and a friendly reminder to check out my Wheels of Love page at http://www.wolusa.org/goto/jeffblyeI am deeply grateful for your support.
Day 37 – it was foggy and overcast for the rollout, and would end up raining off and on before the sun burned through.The farm equipment for the last 2,000 miles has been impressive.Um, … ok.Tom steps on the gas.Here’s the full policy. Absolutely, no bugs or chew spit.We cross dozens of these each day.Audrey shows off her new home state jersey.I have no idea what she’s listening to, do you?This one obviously hit her tee shot out-of-bounds and is looking for relief.Hard to catch Arlene NOT smiling.Tom gets serious.It was a 112-mile day, which means we have to record passing the century mark.Rob is all smiles.Ahhh, … made it. Wonderful lunch in Mt. Pleasant!! End of Day 37.Day 38: Finally, a CIVILIZED start to the day. We stop for coffee at 20 miles in the town of Alma.More Arlene smiling pix…“What? What do you want?”Bob is still going strong – at 78!More gigundo farm equipment. Good thing he moved over for us.Audrey is still all smiles.Soybeans, soybeans, soybeans, …Corn, corn, corn …Storage silos.The Flint River! Yes, that Flint River.Day 38: End of the line. Welcome to Birch run!🎶 “It took me four days to hitchhike from Saginaw, I’ve gone to look for America.”🎶 — Simon & Garfunkle
Day 37 – Ludington to Mt. Pleasant, MI – 112 miles, 2,320 feet vertical
I won’t lie to you. I had a really rough day.Some sort of bad cold has been circulating around and while I’m not sure who Patient Zero was, I could be Patient Ten or Eleven.I was congested today and just couldn’t breathe.I took it easy to start but fell back quickly.When it started to to rain, I was just miserable and thought of getting on the van.But I just couldn’t.I medicated, got better later in the day, soldiered on and finished – but I’m going to bed early tonight and so my usual repartee needs to be postponed.Please don’t join my pity party, but instead read on, … because …
This would be a great time to remind everyone of the wonderful charity that I support.It’s the ALYN Children’s Hospital in Jerusalem, Israel and the ride is called the International Wheels of Love.This October, my wife Joanne and I – Team Blyecycles – will travel to Israel and join 350 other riders from over a dozen countries to ride for five days across the Negev, up and down staggering rock formations, and climb from the Dead Sea (the lowest place on Earth) to Jerusalem where the Children of ALYN greet us with open grateful arms.When they strain against their disabilities to put medals on the riders, there isn’t a dry eye in the house.
This is my 12th year doing this ride and it has helped to change my outlook on life.ALYN helps children with birth defects, war trauma or injuries from car accidents.They are non-denominational and help all children regardless of religion.Most importantly, Joanne and I self-fund all of our expenses for this trip so that every dollar you donate goes directly to the hospital.
Won’t you please consider making a donation to this amazing cause.
Thank you.
…Jeff
Wheels of Love Challenge Rider
2007-2018
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Please enjoy these amazing pictures from previous Wheels of Love rides.
Team Blyecycles 2016 – Jeff, Joanne, Samantha and MattOpening day in the NegevClimbing up the steep cliffs of the Makhtesh.Conquering the switchbacks.Looking back on what we had just climbed.Every year, my goal is simple: stay ahead of the sweep bus!Typical desert vista.Morning yoga at sunrise on the the Makhtesh.I could stare at this picture all day.Rest stop in the desert on one of our century rides. Joanne likes when I say, “My wife stops traffic.” And, she does.Meet Erez Cohen, our most amazing Challenge Ride Leader.Erez Cohen, just showing off …Erez Cohen, really showing off. How on earth does he do that?You really can’t get lost in Israel. If you’ve hit a border fence, you’ve gone too far.Oops, caught in the act.About to climb the tortuous Ma’ale Akrabbim (“Scorpion’s Ascent”) – the steepest road in all of Israel.Alpe D’Huez is nothing compared to this.Ma’ale Akrabbim … from near the top down.Ma’ale Akrabbim … still have some climbing to do.Descending down to 1,400 feet BELOW sea level, it’s always good mark this spot.Floating in the Dead Sea.On the climb back up to Jerusalem, we stop for some “camel-ing” around.Never a dry eye in the house when a disabled child puts a medal around your neck.My two amazing kids.
Journey with Jeff 