Journey with Jeff

July 27, 2018

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.com  Only NINE riding days left and check back tomorrow as we pass the 3,000-mile mark!!

 

July 26, 2018

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.com  Only TEN riding days left!!  

Thanks for following.

… Jeff

July 25, 2018

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/jeffblye   I am deeply grateful for your support. 

 

July 24, 2018

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. 

You can click here to find out Why I Ride and to support me.  Or copy and paste this link:  http://www.wolusa.org/goto/jeffblye   

I am so deeply grateful for your support. 

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.

July 23, 2018

Day 36 – Rest Day and Ferry Ride across Lake Michigan (technically, with 7 miles of “riding”).  Seventh state visited: Michigan.  Fourth time zone: Eastern Time. 

First things first:  No, the 60-mile trip across Lake Michigan does NOT count toward our total mileage.  Just saying.

Well, we made it to our fourth rest day, although for a rest day, it was a bit hectic.  The logistics of getting 35 bikes, 35 bikers, 6 staff, 4 vans and 2 trailers loaded with luggage, supplies, and spare parts onto the SS Badger without losing anything or anyone, certainly changed our now well-worn routine.  Basically, the day mapped out like this:  meet for breakfast at 8:00 and load luggage at 9:00.  This would be the last time we had access to our luggage until our hotel in Ludington, MI.  We were told to meet at the ferry dock at 12 noon even though the ship doesn’t leave until 2.  

So, basically: kill three hours and be at the dock at noon so we can kill two hours waiting for the ship to leave, so we can kill four hours on the boat, and then lose an hour when we get to Michigan.  Clear?

“Kill” might be overkill, because we actually had an extremely pleasant day.  Oddly, we had to bike four miles into downtown Manitowoc, dressed in our “civvies”, as Garry called it.  For four miles, we figured we could manage that in sneakers or sandals.  The only holdover piece of mandatory gear was the helmet. 

Of course, there was a quick pit stop at the local bike shop (although, why, I have no idea.)  From there we went to the Wisconsin Maritime Museum and took a tour of the USS Cobia, a genuine WW II submarine that saw combat in the South Pacific.  The torpedo rooms (fore and aft) were awesome displays of real world firepower.  Pretty claustrophobic, too. 

The boat ride across Lake Michigan on the 410-foot Badger was super pleasant and calming.  The boat had a movie theatre (“showing, The Titanic”, one of the staff members quipped, demonstrating why he shouldn’t give up his day job), deck chairs (for rearranging, no doubt), a TV room, game rooms, kids rooms, quiet rooms, lounges, restaurant, snack bars, bars, and (I hoped) a modernized engine room.  The lake is over 900 feet deep in some spots, and Gordon Lightfoot’s Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald kept floating through my brain.  (Oh, except, … that was Lake Superior.)

At this point, I must bring up a topic that has been nagging many of us no end and a sad commentary.  And it deals with the diet of the average American.  Based on what we have seen for the past five weeks, the average American is seriously obese.  Or obese-plus.  Or obese-squared.  Our European riders are simply stunned and I am … gobsmacked.  (I’ve been wanting to work in “gobsmacked” since Day 0.)

This morning, instead of the usual hotel fare of powdered eggs and mystery meat, we walked across the parking lot to Perkins, a “family restaurant” chain.  The menu was voluminous, extensive and gargantuan.  And laminated.  And multi-paginated.  Portion sizes were huge.  Our server came over to take our order.  I was still paging through the various 1,000+ calorie offerings, when I asked her,  “Um, … where do you have, uh … granola? … or yogurt?”  “Oh,” she replied almost immediately, “we don’t carry that.” 

No, of course you don’t.  What was I thinking?  We have been to buffets where, for $11 (I kid you not), you can sit and stuff your face to your heart’s content.  And the clientele looks it.  Oh, you can try to eat healthier if you’re really careful.  But all across this great swath of America that we just rode through, food has been generally high calorie, high fat, high salt, cheap and plentiful.  Every city and town has a stretch of fast food, fast food and more fast food.  It is no wonder that many of us are gobsmacked.  

Ok, enough about that.  Just had to be said.  

We kick off our next segment tomorrow in Michigan with our last super long day at 112 miles.  Break’s over kids, back to work. 

Please enjoy these photos from today’s sort-of hectic semi-rest day and check our progress at Where’s Jeff at jeffblye.com. Thanks for following and I’d love to hear from you. 

…Jeff