I've finally completed Ontario and entered the beautiful, culturally rich, and historic land of the Francophones. Quite peculiar that I've just completed half the provinces while about three quarters complete by kilometres and time. That's Canada for ya... A lazy blogging Wednesday transitioned into dinner with Second Cousin Patrick, my third of four Ottawa visitees [...]
Blog
July 31st – August 8th: Farewell Great Lakes, Rail Trail Flashbacks, and Completing Pre-Arranged Visits.
This Ontario stretch packed with visits is coming to an end. While I will be connecting with more family and friends going forward, those I'd anticipated when leaving Vancouver are now complete. It's been another laid back week full of much socializing and minimal pedalling. A lazy blogging Monday was followed by a burger-and-fries date [...]
July 25th-30th: A Slow Stretch with Plentiful People.
I'm right smack in the middle of a unique stretch of my journey. I'm not covering much ground, staying inside almost every night, and my "regular human being" disguise is being used more than my cycling gear. I've looked forward to Southern Ontario since the beginning, a more inward-focused time to connect with family and [...]
July 16th-24th: Cycling Diet Continued, Hugging Humid Huron, and More Ontario Farmland.
July 20th marked the end of my four pannier setup, and the beginning of my first major detour since Alberta. My traversal of The Great Lakes continues to produce impressive coastline views and unexpected vast farmland. And while I can't say I expected to look north and see the USA during this trip, I have [...]
July 11th-16th: A Superior Week, Lightening Up, and Cyclists Galore!
After not meeting another cross-Canada cyclist in my first sixty-six days, I've met over a dozen in under two weeks. Sault Ste. Marie is a destination for nearly all of us, and the Trans-Canada Highway which I've followed almost exclusively through Ontario is littered with us. Lake Superior is big. How big, you ask? Allow [...]
July 5th-10th: More Hills, Less Traffic, and More Bugs!
I'm relieved to have bypassed the section of Canada most notorious for cyclists' safety concerns, without feeling unsafe for a second. My chosen route from Kenora to Thunder Bay turned out to be an excellent one, and I was glad to meet another cross-Canada cyclist on it too! With a fresh chain and a good [...]
July 1st-4th: Another Week, Another Province, and Planning For My Life.
Four cycling days and two rest days after saying hello to Manitoba, it is already behind me. The Keystone Province flew by in a flash... And nearly the last thing I witnessed before leaving was a flash of lightning! Winnipeg was an appropriate spot to spend Canada Day, about halfway into my journey both in [...]
June 21st-30th: Plenty Prairie Pedaling, Sandwiched Between Family Visits.
I've been treated with computer access in Winnipeg, so have added Strava screenshots to this post and the last one. On its 150th birthday, I am in Winnipeg, about 30km from this marvellous brown-painted chunk of metal marking the horizontal centre of Canada. If I constructed a sandwich over the past nine days, it [...]
June 13th-20th: Rail Trail Fail, the Big Blue Sky, and Triple Prairie Kindness.
Looking at the three cities on a map, one wouldn't expect I would take thirty eight days for Vancouver to Edmonton and seven for Edmonton to Saskatoon. I've reached province number three, and am finally consistently showing Eastbound progress! Before I departed Edmonton, University Friend Nils treated me to a frisbee golf clinic and a [...]
June 7th-12th: Icefields Hangover and Being a “Normal” Tourist
I finally completed and published my The Gear page! Find it on the top toolbar. Finishing the coveted Icefields Parkway produced yet another change in focus. No longer was I surrounded by magnificent mountains, entrancing half-icy lakes, and more hiking than hours in the day. It was a time to replenish my muscles, enjoy some great company, [...]