Port Elgin (McGreggor Point Provincial Park) Ontario, Canada to Sauble Falls Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada
Total: 20 miles
Grand Total Millage: 468.1 miles

I woke up with a terrible sore throat, runny nose, topped of with being nauseated from Peanut, so we didn't ride very far! Along the way, we discovered Canada's famous fries with vinegar. All along the roadside, people convert motor homes into fry wagons! We enjoy supporting small business owners!

At Sauble Falls, we had a campground just around the corner from the waterfalls and we could hear them! It was a great therapeutic way to fall asleep!

Roller-Coaster Ride on a bicycle a McGreggor Point!

July 11, 2010
Goderich Ontario, Canada to McGreggor Point Provincial Park, Ontario Canada
54 miles
Grand Total: 448.1 miles

Continuing North along the Lake Huron Shore, the shoulders on route 21 disappeared and left us fighting for the road with semi-trucks! At times, we were pushed off the road. Luckily, with the tandem bicycle I am able to watch behind me for big monster semi-trucks and we jump onto the shoulder when needed. Believe me, this is nothing compared with India's insane traffic last year!

We enjoyed our night's stay at McGreggor Point! You would think that after a long day's bike ride, we would have enough, but McGreggor Point Park has awesome winding trails that wind in and out of the wooded forest along the coast. We had a thrilling ride (without all the luggage packs of course) riding the tandem bike like a roller-coaster through the trails!

Goderich, Ontario, Canada

July 10, 2010
Goderich rest day!
24 miles
Grand total milage: 394.1 miles!

Goderich, the prettiest town in Ontario has a lot of character! The town is set around an octagon with the city court house in the center. Shops line the street around the "square" and there is a perpetual market going on in the center around the court house.
In Goderich, we camped for one night at the Provincial Park and we were astounded by the prices! Ontario is super expensive (36.75) for a non-electric rustic site! The next morning, the ranger informed us that our site was already reserved and they were full so we would have to move! We thought about continuing on, but Goderich is such pretty town and after days and days of cycling, our boodies get sore! So we just cycled a few miles North and stopped at a private campground called Lake Huron Resort. There the price was a little better $28.00 for a rustic site. In Goderich, there is an old railroad converted to a hiking trail that goes on a long bridge walk over a river. We also explored the lakefront, salt mining area, took lots of photographs, and checked out the market in the center of town. In the market, a lady was selling wall hangings with motivational words like, "love, joy, family." Each letter was a black and white photograph of something natural in nature. For example, the l in Love was a dandelion a the o was a zoomed in photograph of a sunflower. I love this idea and I spent much of the evening trying to photograph my own letters in nature.
In ending this post, we send you our love and hopes that you are enjoying nature!

Canadian Shores of Lake Huron

July 7, 2010
St. Clair, South to Marine City Ferry Crossing to Canada, and North along Lake Huron Coast just past Sarnia.
38.2 miles
Grand Total: 274.1 miles

We sizzle like eggs on a frying pan under the summer heat wave (over 97 degrees F!) Thankfully, the road is flat! As we ride on the smoothly paved road, the ride is bumpy! Bumpy? We pull over and glance at the back tire. It has a large bulge in it! "We better go really slow because it looks like it's going to pop!" Every turn of the tire brings a bumpity-bump-bump as we ride over the bulge in the rear tire, but we make it to the ferry dock. There are only a few cars aboard and nobody charged us! The ferry ride is gentle and only lasts about ten minutes. On the other side we ask, "Where is the nearest bike shop?"
"Not here. Sarnia!" Sarnia is twenty miles to the North. Amazingly, slowly, blessed with a perfectly paved ribbon road, we make it to Sarnia in front of a bicycle shop on Front Street. When Steve pulls off the rear tire, our jaws drop when we see that the tube has swelled and made a hole in the tire! The repairman in the shop says he has never seen anything like it and is amazed that the tube didn't pop before puncturing the tire! Just in case, we replaced both tires and tubes.

A small grocery store called SUNRIPE is inviting and we devour a quarter watermelon and purchase asparagus and sweet corn with ideas of a campfire ahead. It is already five o'clock in the afternoon and we wonder where the night will find us. Sitting outside SUNRIPE market, chomping our watermelon slice, a lady smiles warmly and asks us where we are headed. I share our adventure plans with her and she wishes us a safe trip.
ONWARD SOlDIERS! We continue our journey North, peddle, huff, puff, peddle, one more and another forward. Then we approach a small blue car with its flashers on. "Heh!" A lady shouts and smiles.
I recognize her as the lady outside the market.
"I was wondering if you needed a place to stay tonight. I would like to invite you to my house if you like!"
Always jumping at the opportunity to meet people to add spice to our adventures, we accept the invitation. Caroline and Gord, our wonderful hosts, showed us real Canadian kindness and hospitality. We had dinner together, great conversation, and even breakfast the following morning. Thanks again Caroline and Gord!



July 8, 2010
Gord and Caroline's house North of Sarnia to Pinery Campground, Grand Bend Ontario
53 miles
Grand Total: 327.1
While I would love to paint you a beautiful story with details about our travels, I am writing in haste! If I could paint it, our destination of Pinery Provincial park would be hues of green with streaks of blue. Lake Huron with a backdrop of pine tree forest. Peanut-- our little alien growing inside me- continues to make our bike travel a challenge as every time I sit down to eat, I am flooded with nausia. Nothing tastes or sounds good to eat. Even my old time favorites of mexican, grapes, everything is disgusting to my taste! I nibble on Saltine crackers and try to eat little by little-- so any of you blessed mothers feel free to give me advice!!! I can't wait until belly feels better!

July 9, 2010
Pinery Provincial Park Grand Bend, Ontario to Goderich, Ontario, Canada
43 miles
The current moment finds me in the center of Goderich. It is currently 8:30 p.m. and I am just giving you a sliver of our experiences as we are off to find our campsite for the night! Lots of love! Teresa, Steve, and peanut

St. Clair, MI

June 2, 2010

Eaton County Fairground, Sleepy Hollow State Park, Laingsburg, MI
60 miles

"Ready?" Steve asks. On the count of three, we simultaneously put our weight on the left pedal and set our bicycle built for two to set sail and fly the road. After a gentle climb uphill, we are rewarded with a long downhill. With the weight of four saddle bags, tent, sleeping bags and the generosity of gravity we fly the rate of 29 miles per hour! My adrenaline pumps strong and by the time we reach the uphill grade I am ready for the challenge.
Suddenly, the ribbon of road becomes bumpy, frayed, and tattered. I feel the front tire dance with the gravel. "Be careful, Steve!" I shout, "We are slipping!" With no traffic, we ride in the direct center of the road, where it is smoother. Cycling along, eating miles, every mile, every stroke of the pedal belongs to me. When people ask me, "Why bike? Why not just take the car?" I have a rush of compassion that I have trouble putting into words, but maybe this is a part of it. I am a famous explorer and every inch of the journey is conquered by my body. I don't loose the journey to the gray highway. Every lake, stream, railroad crossing builds beauty into journey.





June 3, 2010
Sleepy Hollow State Park Laingsburg, MI to Holly State Recreation Park
55 miles

"What if we cycle all this way and when we get to the campground they are full? After all, it is a Friday on a holiday weekend," I said worried.
"I guess we may be meeting some farmers tonight and camping on their cornfields tonight if that is the case," Steve replied.
"Let's pull into that gas station there! We are close enough now where the gas station would have the phone number in their phone book. Let's call and make sure before we keep on pedaling into the boonies!"

"You are full already" Steve says as our eyes lock.
"USE THE BIKING WILD CARD!" I whisper loudly.
"Yes, we are on a bicycle tour and we are about ten more miles away. We don't need much space," Steve explains.
"Oh really! Wonderful! We will see you very soon then!"

The state park official shared with us a secret that will put us at ease on the rest of our trip. By law, if you show up on bicycle a state campground must find a spot for you.

Fenton, being our last time before pushing onto our final destination for the night, we stopped at the supermarket in search of dinner possibilities. We wandered like mice roaming a maze for cheese and Steve came up with corn and I came up with sweet potatoes. "What are you going to do with those?" Steve asked, "Can you eat those raw?"
"Well, no, but they might cook well over a campfire," I retaliated, defending my sweet potatoes.
"So we have to buy fire wood and carry it on the bike?" Steve questioned.
"No, We will just gather sticks and stuff at the campground."
"Right. Your sweet potatoes will take over an hour to bake on the fire and your twigs won't do the trick," Steve explained
I marched down the kitchen isle and came up with aluminum foil and a cheap knife. "If I cut it up and put it in the foil we will have yummy sweet potatoes for dinner," I declared.


Arriving at our campsite at last, the campground manager found us a grassy spot near the playground. I took a walk and came back with a pitiful fist full of twigs and we both laughed at the idea of having baked potatoes until at nine o'clock, the camper one site over started a roaring fire. We carried our sweet potatoes and corn over there and ended up making friends and having sweet potatoes for dinner after all!

"Let's never make a fire!" I explained on our way back to our tent. "It's our ticket to making friends!" Steve concluded.




June 4, 2010
Holly State Recreation Area to St. Clair, MI
60 miles



Rest, Relax, Family, and Fireworks!

July 1- Kalamazoo to Charlotte, MI

Steve, Peanut, and I left our driveway at around 1:00 p.m. It honestly felt like we were just going for a short ride to the nearby park or to the grocery store, except we were all loaded up with four saddle bags and the tent strapped to the top. Heading down Kilgore Avenue, past the airport, one pedal push after another led us through rural roads winding through corn fields. Our google map directions (I had selected the bicycle mode of transport to avoid highways) led us through gravel roads and finally to our first destination: Eaton County Fairgrounds hugging the edge of Charlotte. We stopped to fill up our tanks at a small town restaurant (yummy burritos with plenty of beans for protein). The google map directions had us turn into a narrow road lined with horse stables. "Are there campgrounds here?" I asked Steve, doubtfully. "I called and they said they had over 100 sites!" Steve replied. Sure enough, the road ended into a hundred site camping area with only two campers in the entire area. "We will have it all to ourselves!" We didn't see any guard or ranger so we just parked our limousine bicycle and popped up our tent! We went for a walk to stretch our legs and stopped at one of the campers lots where a man was standing outside with four small fires going. "Good evening!" the man said enthusiastically as we approached. "Are you the camp host?" I asked kindly. "Yes! My name is Dave, glad to meet you. I'm just cookin' up five turkeys for a graduation tomorrow!" he offered pointing to his fires. Steve shared the details of our bike ride plans to go through the thumb of Michigan, North in Ontario, and then through the upper peninsula into Wisconsin and finally South homeward bound. When we asked how much we owed him for the night's stay, he responded, "oh no, nobody's here, I didn't see you! Don't worry about it! Enjoy your stay!"




Hot steamy shower, peaceful sleep in nature, all for free! We love it! One more little story to share before we continue on to day two of our cycle trip! THis morning, July 2,we noticed that the one lonely camper across the way put a fluffy thing in a pen first thing in the morning. At first glance, I thought it was a small dog, but then as we were packing up the tent, Steve said, "Teresa, it's a foo foo" (which is my silly slang name for rabbit). I immediately walked up to the camper and talked to the boy and his father about their adventures traveling with a bunny. The bunny has its own cage in the camper and is super tame since the family raised it as a baby. At home it is litter trained. I fell in love with the little fluff ball and told Steve that I want to buy a foo foo for peanut!