Day 59 through 66

Day 59 - Lake Huron Campground to Port Crescent State Park ~ 70 miles

Today was a very hard day! We left the campground this morning and it was already scorching hot. We hopped onto the highway and headed towards Harbor Beach. At Harbor beach Kris waited a while for Zach and he finally showed up. He had a slow leak and had to find an air compressor in Forester to fill back up. At this point we are both out of CO2 canisters and Kris has the only bike pump. Once we met back up we went to Subway for lunch and then used Kris' bike pump to try and fill up the tires more. This is where we found out that the pump was broken so we went across the street to the gas station to refill the tires. We then set off on the detour that the people across camp from us last night told us about. It took us inland a ways and we had a strong headwind. It was so incredibly hot but we made it to the next town of Bad Axe and stopped to get more water, cold drinks, and sit in the stations AC for a while. It was there that we found out that it was 97 degrees! No wonder we felt so awful!

After we left Bad Axe we headed north and were hoping that the wind would give us a push with the direction change but it didn't. It switched back into a headwind and we battled on towards Port Austin. Kris got a flat tire about 6 miles before the town in the middle of nowhere. We went to the nearest house and got in the shade from their trees. No one was home but we started to repair the tire when we realized that our pump had broken earlier that day. Kris tried to fix it but to no avail and so Zach offered to take the repaired tire up the road to find some air. About 10 minutes later he was back and we were soon on the road again.

We soon reached Port Austin and got some supplies for dinner at the grocery store. The state park was only a few miles past and we soon made it there. The campground was very full but we found a nice site right next to the water. We celebrated surviving the day by immediately going for a swim in the big lake. After walking about ¼ mile out into the water it was finally deep enough to swim. It was great but we reflected on the fact that lake Huron is showing major signs of the water levels dropping in the great lakes. You can see where the old shoreline is and how far it has dropped. After the swim we went back and made chili-mac and then chatted the rest of the night before dozing off to sleep.

Tomorrow we will head to Bay city where someone who contacted us earlier hopefully will have a place for us to stay and it wont be as hot!

Day 60 – Port Crescent to Bay City, MI ~ 65 miles

This morning we had breakfast, packed up and headed out of the park. About 3 miles down the road Kris had another flat tire, seems to be a slow leak. There was nothing around except for a canoe outfitter. They luckily had an air compressor and we were soon on our way again. We passed through many nice areas and houses with beautiful sand beaches. We got a bit separated during the day and weren't able to stop together for lunch. Zach stopped and got pizza at the last opportunity but Kris didn't, thinking there would be something in the next town. There wasn't! We eventually connected back up about 10 miles outside of Bay City.

We later arrived in Bay City and didn't have a message from the people who wanted us to visit so we had to figure out our next move. We decided to find the next state park and pitch a tent there for the night. In downtown we found a coffee shop and checked the email to see if they maybe had messaged us but there was nothing. We crossed the bridge over the river and found a cheap motel. There was no one at the counter and decided to leave. As we were leaving a lady walked by and told us we didn't want to stay there because thats where all the registered sex offenders stay. We quickly left and and made our way towards the state park. We stopped at a small market next to the park and got our food for the night. As we were getting ready to leave an older bearded man stopped us and asked about what we were doing. After a small conversation he said we could camp out at his place and take showers which was only a couple of blocks away. He seemed nice enough and trustworthy so we followed. When we arrived his yard was full of old antique cars and motorcycles, a museum of sorts. He took us through some thick underbrush to the backyard and we set up camp. Just think of Narnia. The neighbor boy was around too to who spent days hanging out with Dave and helped keep us company. Dave showed us the house and all of his collections, there were a lot of them but some really cool things. We took showers and spent the night listening to Dave's stories from his life ranging from run ins with Timothy Leery to space shuttle launches. Before we went to bed we watched music videos that he had cued up on his TV. One of the most interesting people we have met on the trip. Can't thank him enough for sharing his time and space with us.

Tomorrow we will have a short ride to meet Tom and Lois DiMuro just down the road. We have been in contact with them for months and are very excited to finally meet them and spend the day at their house! Today we finished the Thumb of Michigan!

Day 61 – Dave Who's House to the DiMuro's House near Standish, MI ~ 44 miles

Dave woke us up at 7:15am to tell us that the coffee was on and about the break news that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were splitting up! We were sad only for a moment and then laughed as Dave kept talking about now it was his turn to have her! We had coffee and packed up for the day. The neighbor boy came over and they were going to bike us down the road. As we were leaving Zach had another slow leak in his back tire that he hasn't been able to fix so we had to use Dave's compressor and fill his tire before setting off down the road.

Dave biked us around the neighborhood and showed us a great view of the Saginaw Bay. We said goodbye at the store where we had met the night before and parted ways. We continued on for about 4 miles where Tom and Lois where waiting for us in the parking lot of a McDonald's. They had drove down to meet us and Tom was going to bike with us to their house, where we were going to spend the night. It was great to finally meet them.

We headed out and had a decent ride along highway 13 with really spacious shoulders. We were able to chat side by side as we rode along. It was about a 40 mile ride to there house and we only stopped for a water refill because we were making pretty good time. As we reached the town of Standish we got off of highway 13 and were on the backroads to the DiMuro's home. We arrived sometime between 1 and 2pm and sat on the porch and had some beverages and ate an awesome lunch of hotdogs, coleslaw, and some amazing black bean dip that Lois makes. She is going to send us the recipe and we are glad because it is so good!

After lunch we started to work on our bikes and other issues. Kris's pump hasn't been working so he tried to fix it. He and Lois ended up going to a store to find a replacement O-ring. It sort of solved the problem, but the pump still isn't working at 100%. Its going to get sent back. We spent the rest of the afternoon servicing and cleaning our bikes to get them running in top shape again for the next few days. Kris put a new tire on the back because the old one's tread is pretty much gone.

After that Tom and Lois started to prepare dinner and we sat around the table outside and had some more beverages. The prepared an awesome home cooked meal of steak, potatoes, corn on the cob, bread, and salad. Just a treat! It was exactly what we needed and enjoyed every bite!

After dinner we sat in the living room and watch a few episodes of Pawn Stars. Lois made us home made ice cream out of strawberries and bananas. They went to bed around 9 and we stayed up for a while longer and watched the TV and Zach tried to find the slow leak in his back tire...patched it...but it still leaked.

We went to bed around midnight after watching Zoro. It is so nice to be sleeping in a nice bed under a roof. Tomorrow we are headed to Harris State Park.

Day 62 (July 1^st) – DiMuro's home to Harris State Park ~70 miles

We woke up this morning around 9am and headed down for an awesome breakfast of french toast and bacon that Lois had prepared for us. We ate like kings and slowly got ready for the day. Tom went out to check the air on our tires one last time before we left and came in to tell Zach that his patch job on the rear tire didn't work. He ended up giving us a brand new tube so Zach could continue without worry. Before we left Lois played “witch doctor” (inside joke) and treated us with essential oils, Thieves oil to be exact. She put it on Kris's feet and on Zach's shoulders. She didn't need to be messing around with Zach's poison ivy foot. She even sent us with a small bottle so we could use it to treat our sore throats that have been bothering us for the past few days.

We packed up and they even gave us some power balls that they had made for energy. The three of us left around 11. Tom was going to ride with us to Tawas, which is on Lake Huron. We rode about 35 miles to the city and had a great ride. We were on country roads that were nicely paved with little traffic, so we were able to ride side by side for a majority of the time. We reach Tawas and Lois had stopped at a few places to find us a replacement pump and a few tubes. That was so nice of them to do for us and we can't thank them enough. We reluctantly parted ways, but we hope to see them again. We had so much fun spending time with them. It really says a lot about some one who opens up their home to a complete stranger.

We continued North on highway 23...back on the awesome shoulders and stopped for lunch in Oscoda. We stopped at Subway as we were eager to see what the new sub of the month was. We were disappointed when we saw it was the Buffalo Chicken. After a few rough incidents we don't trust the chicken there anymore. But we ate there anyways and then continued on our way. The time and miles flew by today because the wind was sort of behind us, it was nice and sunny, not too hot, and we were able to have conversations as we rode next to each other.

We reached Harrisville, passed the State Park entrance, and went to get groceries. We just got something small and a couple things for breakfast. We headed back to the park and got our site. It is really busy here because of the 4^th coming up and isn't ideal, but it will do. Nothing we haven't dealt with. We were going to swim, but the water here doesn't look to pleasant to we are going to wait on that, but the beach is nice.

We are headed to Rogers City tomorrow to Presque Isle and from there it is only a few days to Petosky and our rest day! We are starting to realize that even though we still have a ways to go our time on the trip is beginning to dwindle...bittersweet. Just passed 3800 miles today!

Day 63 – Harris State Park to Hoeft State Park ~ 78 miles

Woke up this morning and got ready for the day. We ate breakfast and then headed out towards Rogers City. We had a nice large shoulder today and saw some great inland scenery as the road took us away from the lake for some time today. On our way to Alpena we passed the 45^th Parallel which is half way between the equator and the North Pole. We stopped for lunch in Alpena before taking off again towards Rogers city. We quickly made it to the turnoff for Rogers City and decided to take the business route instead of the highway. We stopped at a extremely large Limestone quarry that we dubbed the Grand Canyon of Michigan. It was huge and went on for almost a mile at certain points. We made our way into Rogers city and didn't find anything in terms of a grocery store. We stopped and asked for directions just to find out that the grocery store was on the main highway so we had to backtrack.

After the grocery store we headed to the state park which was only a couple miles down the road. We made it to our campsite and decided first things first, lets go for a swim. The water was great but we had to walk out a ways. After a long swim and hanging out on the beach we went back to camp to get ready for the night. After setting up camp, dinner, and showers we decided to watch the sunset and do some more filming. We learned that Michigan has more shoreline than the Eastern seaboard and touches 4 of the 5 great lakes. It also boasts more historic lighthouses than any other place in the country. We also learned that Lake Huron, even though not the biggest has more shoreline than any of the other great lakes. All in all we learned a lot from Hoeft State Park, one of the top 5 state parks in Michigan!

We went and watched First Ascent, a really neat climbing movie and then dozed off to sleep. We were awoken at around 1am to thunderstorms. We quickly got everything under the tent and attached the rainfly before hopping back inside as the rain started. Hopefully it will let up by morning when we head to Mackinaw City.

Day 64 – Hoeft State Park to Mackinaw City ~ 56 miles

This morning we waited for the rain to let up before getting ready for the day. The wind was supposed to be at our backs but it didn't seem to be that way. After we got ready we headed out and battled some huge hills, hot temps, and strong headwinds. There was literally nothing until we hit Cheboygan 35 miles down the road. In Cheboygan we stopped for lunch and decided to press on to Mackinaw City, which was only another 20 miles or so.

Once we reached Mackinaw city we had some great views of Mackinac island and the Mackinaw bridge. We proceeded to go down the strip looking for the cheapest hotel. We finally found one and were able to escape the heat. Once we got settled in we headed closer to the bridge to do some filming about it and the island. The bridge really stands out as it is over 500 feet tall and 5 miles long. The island is really interesting because there is an old hotel where many famous people have stayed and there is also an old fort. The entire island has a car ban so people commute by walking and there is a great bicycle culture on the island too. After we filmed we stopped at a brewery and which had over 350 microbrews to choose from from all over the world. We then went back to the hotel and ordered pizza and hunkered down for the night. We were also able to dry off all of our wet equipment and relax and avoid all the rowdy 4^th crowds in the campgrounds.

Tomorrow we have another short day to Petosky where we will meet up with Mona, Baker, and Mona's family for a couple of days. We are excited to see them and to watch some fireworks and celebrate America's Birthday!

Day 65 – Mackinaw City to Petosky (Sharron Frost's House) ~ 55 miles

Happy Birthday America! Before we took off this morning we ate hot breakfast and then watched a documentary about Washington crossing the Delaware river during the revolution. This got us ready for the day. Hopefully people will be watching out for us on the roads this holiday day. We headed out of town and were already dripping sweat. After the first 30 minutes it seemed to be over 90 degrees. We decided to turn off the highway and head towards the water to be away from traffic and the heat. Soon we hit some Monster hills that punished us for miles. We also realized that our main camera was broken and its shutter wouldn't open. Hopefully we can fix it later. We then passed the North Country Trail and marveled in it's glory.

When we finally reached Cross Village we stopped for Powerade and then went on our way. We instantly hit The Tunnel of Trees, which is 20 miles of one way road with two way traffic that winds through trees that are overgrown over the road into a tunnel. We followed this and enjoyed the windy road but more importantly the amazing views of Lake Michigan and cooler temperatures. Somewhere around half way through the road we hit the 4000 mile mark. We were very excited and have been waiting for it! We made our way into Harbor Springs and it was complete chaos having been in peace for the last 20 miles. The 4^th of July was in full effect in that tourist town and we quickly left.

We made our way towards Petosky and once we were there we called Mona and she gave directions to Downtown. We made it through some crazy traffic and then met up with Mona. It was great to see her and the Frosts. We had to climb one more hill in the heat but we finally made it to Sharron's House. We had some great late lunch foods and conversations. There was a parade that was going to start at 6 and it was getting to be about that time. Zach was able to take shower before it started but Kris waited until afterwards. It was great because the parade went right in front of her house. We sat down and watched the parade and enjoyed. Al, Sharron's husband showed up and we then grilled out before the fireworks started. We got all packed up and quickly made it down to the water to watch them. There were people lighting large lanterns and releasing them into the air. It was a beautiful sight to see with the setting sun. The fireworks were great, especially being able to watch them from the Pier, looking back at shore where they were being launched from. We talked to a few people and one of the guys made a donation to the trip. It is just great talking to people that take a genuine interest in what we are doing. After the fireworks we walked back up to the house and on our way we walked past a cupcake shop that Sharon had gotten cupcakes from earlier. As we walked past they asked if we wanted some to take home...free of charge. We said of course and they gave us a dozen specialty cupcakes of all varieties to bring home. They all look amazing! We are heading to be thankful for friends and family and feeling completely content. HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA! Rest day tomorrow!

Day 66 - Rest day, Petosky

We woke up this morning around 9 or so. Kris and Mona spent the night outside in the tent last night so they could be with their dog Baker. They ended up putting on the rainfly at about 5 in the morning because it began to lightning and thunder. Sharon had to work this morning so we lazily made coffee and breakfast and took our time getting ready for the day. And of course sampled a few of the cupcakes from last night. It did rain a bit but it didn't last long. We gathered our things together and started to walk downtown for a day of strolling.

We made it downtown and stopped at a local cafe for lunch. They had great sandwiches, and everyone seemed to know it because it was super busy...especially because of the holiday week. After lunch we walked to a children's clothing store called Circus where Sharon is working. We stopped in to say hello and then continued on our way. We stopped in a bunch of the local shops and eventually made it to the ice cream shop. We sat in the shade and enjoyed it. It was extremely hot today, definitely in the 90's plus humidity. We walked back up to the house and then decided to head down to the beach. We were about to take our first swim in Lake Michigan on the trip. We went down to the beach and swam and laid in the sun. It was great. 4 out of the 5 lakes complete (swimming wise).

After swimming we went back to Sharon's place and we had dinner...in a couple stages. First came the brats and corn on the cob. Then we decided it wasn't enough so we ordered pizzas as well. Great combo. Sharon also gave each of us a session of massage therapy treatments as a gift. It was absolutely amazing. After all of the stress both physical and emotional it was exactly what we needed. Such a treat!!!

We aren't ready to get back on the road tomorrow, but we have to keep truckin'. We are headed to Traverse City tomorrow. Should be about a 70 mile day.

We have had a blast here in Petosky and we just want to say thank you to the Frost family! They have treated us so well and we appreciate all they have done for us. It is going to be hard to leave and hard for Kris to leave Mona, but one more month and we will be home again.

We just feel so fortunate and lucky to have so many great and generous people looking out for us. It has made the trip!

Lets hope for good weather tomorrow with a nice tailwind...

Day 52 to 58 - NY, PA, OH, MI

 Day 52 – Buffalo, NY to Sara's Campground Erie, PA ~ 95 miles

Woke up this morning and went to go have breakfast. After breakfast we packed up and went out into the heat. It did not take us long to find the highway that we would take south towards Erie, PA and away from Buffalo. We kept following the Seaway trail, which by the way is the longest recreational trail/road in the country and is an American scenic byway. We kept chugging along and listening to our music as today was windy, extremely hot, hilly, and it helps take all that away and get you into the groove. We passed by Graycliff estates, which was designed by Frank Loyd Wright and decided to stop on in. They were charging admission of course but we went down the service road to get a look. We snapped a couple of pictures before the security guard told Zach to leave.

We went on our way and biked along the water for most of the day. We should have stopped at Dunkirk but we didnt and kept going. This turned out to be a mistake because we quickly ran out of water and were already dehydrated. Kris stopped for water at a country club but they had just treated their water and it was not drinkable. They could have just told the dirty cyclist to go away! We finally made it to a gas station where we ate and drank lots of fluids. Even after that we didn't pee and were very dizzy. It was over 90 degrees today and we just couldn't win the battle.

Soon after we crossed into Pennsylvania and said goodbye to New York. We made out way into Erie and along the waterfront. We stopped and had dinner before venturing out and looking for our campground. We finally found it and it was not what we were expecting or needed. Full of RV's and people who didn't know what they were doing. We decided on the beach site where people just pitched wherever they wanted but then moved to the other side of the road due to the sand and rowdy crowd. Out site was right next to the road and was still sand but we made due and set up camp. After camp was setup we decided to brave lake Erie and go for a swim. The water was incredibly polluted. There were algae blooms everywhere and the water stank. You could make bubbles on the surface that wouldn't pop because the water was so thick. The beach was also littered with trash, pretty shocking coming from lake Superior. It definitely gives us more of an appreciation for our lake. We left feeling like we had contracted some sort of disease and went and showered.

The rest of the night we tried to fall asleep but it was so hot and muggy that we couldn't. The loud campers all around us didn't help either. At about midnight the rain started to fall, which only made the tent hotter. We picked the wrong day to do 95 miles but we finally got rehydrated and started feeling better.

Tomorrow we are heading to Geneva State park in Ohio. We will be entering a 3^rd state in only 2 days, pretty crazy!

Day 53 – Erie, PA to Geneva SP, OH ~ 55 miles

We woke up this morning sweating and exhausted. We hardly slept a wink last night because of the temperatures, noise, and rain. Feeling awful we slowly packed up our gear and headed up the hill to find breakfast. We were so ready to get out of that campground. Probably the worst camping experience of the trip...possibly lifetime. By the time we made it up the hill to the area with restaurants it was already 11.

We ended up getting food at McDonalds because it was really the only thing around and we just wanted to eat and get on the road. Today was hot, but a bit more bearable than yesterday and the wind wasn't nearly as bad. We biked for a few hours until we reached Ashtabula where we stopped for lunch...subs, and picked up food to make for dinner and some produce and bagels for tomorrow's breakfast.

From there it was only about 10 miles to the campground. We biked through Geneva-On-The-Lake, which was a bustling little town with hotels, resorts, and restaurants for the weekend warriors. It was right on the lake and reminded us a bit of Sauble Beach, ON. A single road running through the village lined on both sides with businesses.

We reached the park around 6 or so and got our site and enjoyed a popsicle from the park office. We set up camp and showered and made our dinner. We are still exhausted from yesterday and are finding it hard to do much more than the necessities...at least it is going to be much cooler and less humid tonight. We will hopefully get a decent nights sleep.

We are really hitting the point of physical and mental exhaustion and are dreading the thought of having to bike for another month. But, we just have to keep pushing and try to enjoy ourselves. We are excited to make it to northern Michigan and back onto the “good” lakes of Huron, Michigan, and Superior. Troy Schantz is also going to ride with us for a few days after we pass through Detroit, so we are really looking forward to having a friendly face around for a few days.

We just know that Michigan is going to be better to us. Hopefully we will feel better tomorrow. BTW, Zach's poison ivy is GROSS.

Passing through Cleveland tomorrow which is going to be a challenge.

Day 54 – Geneva SP to Wahoo Campground and Bar ~ 89 miles

Woke up late this morning and got ready for the day, it was going to be a hot one. We made breakfast and slowly got ready. Once we were off we started to follow the Ohio Waterfront trail that took us all over the place. We ended up staying on highway 20 which is where the trail kept going back to anyways. Zach had a slow leak in his rear tire so we had to stop and pump it up. We headed towards Cleveland and stopped to talk to a biker for directions. He ended up biking with us for a little ways then we were on our own again. When we got close to Cleveland we stopped for lunch at a grocery store and then went on our way again. We passed some amazing houses and it was crazy to see right across the highway was the ghetto. Pretty stark contrast separated by one highway. We finally made it to downtown after cycling on some terrible roads. We stopped at the Cleveland Browns stadium and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They had Johnny Cash's tour bus parked out front so we got to see that! We also passed the gay pride parade next to the stadium.

After some detouring trying to navigate through downtown we passed over a very jhigh bridge and got a glimpse of the Cavaliers and Indians stadiums. We made our way through some more questionable neighborhoods and then found the lakeshore again and followed that through some nice houses. We stopped for some liquids at a convenience store and got directions to the campground and a grocery store, both were very close. After the grocery store we set off and found the campground. We had to leave to find a gas station right away though because they only took cash and we didn't have any. After the ATM we got our campsite and set up camp. We ate a great dinner of pita, hummus, and turkey sandwiches and listened to the people next to us scream at each other all night long. We went to the campground bar and watched the news over a beer and then quickly went to bed to the screaming again. I think it went on until 1am or so.

Tomorrow we are heading just east of Toledo and it looks like a long one. We hope to maybe take a ferry or catch a ride across the Bridge at Sandusky bay as bicycles are not allowed. We will se what happens. Tomorrow will be our last full day in Ohio!

Day 55 – Wa-Hoo to Fenwick Marina and Campground ~ 65 miles

We set the alarm for 8 am last night and we easily slept through it until a few minutes before 10. The temperature was perfect for sleeping and it was finally quiet..unlike last night, so we took advantage of it. In hindsight probably not the wisest choice because when we got up we realized that Zach's rear tire had gone totally flat in the night. The slow leak from yesterday had taken its toll. Not the way we wanted to start the morning. Zach took off the tire and tried to find the leak so it could be patched, but to no avail. So he used the tube from his first flat and patched it and used the air compressor at the campground to get it pumped up. We quickly ate and hit the road around 11:30.

It was about a 40 mile ride to Sandusky and we stopped for a quick stack before we got there. Once we got into town we immediately went to the ferry to see what our options were for getting across the Sandusky Bay. We met a couple kids from New York who were riding to Chicago that had just gotten off the ferry. It looked like they had to much gear for their ride, but more power to em! We found out that in order to get across the bay we would have to take two ferries, one to Kelly's Island and the second to Marble Head on the other side of the Bay. The first ferry was leaving at 3 and it was about 2:50 so we made the quick decision to take the route of the ferry. It was hot and we were tired and didn't want to have to bike the 20 plus miles around the Bay.

It was about a 20 minute ride to Kelly's Island and we passed Cedar Point Amusement Park on the ride over. Originally we had planned to stay there, but it didn't work out that was. Once we arrived we rode over to catch the second ferry to the Head. It took about the same amount of time to cross. We got off and went down the line to pay. Zach decided he wasn't going to pay for the second ferry because we had already paid enough, so he kept riding past the toll collectors in hopes that they wouldn't come after him. Kris ended up paying for his way and we continued on.

It was nearly 5 by the time we got to the other side of the Bay and we stopped at the first grocery store we came across to get supplies for the night because we weren't sure when we would get them again. While we were there Kris called the campground we were supposed to stay at just to double check that we could stay there. Good thing he called because they don't allow tent camping, which is absurd when you advertise your business as a family campground.

We ended up riding to another one that they had told us about and it ended up being the same situation. On our third try we finally found a place to pitch the tent. On our way we passed the nuclear power plant that we had seen when we were on the north shore of the lake nearly a month ago when we stayed near Amherstburg. We set up camp, but the owner had already closed the office so we are going to talk to her in the morning.

We had dinner and talked to a couple people who offered us a couple of hot dogs. We gladly accepted. We did a bit of filming and relaxed a bit after a long day.

Tomorrow we have a shorter day and are headed to the other side of Toledo, crossing into Michigan, just before Detroit. Definitely ready for a short day.

Day 56 - Fenwick Marina and Campground to Sterling State Park ~ 55 miles

Woke up this morning and the strong winds that started last light were still there and in the wrong direction. Looks like we will have a bad headwind all day. We got onto highway 2 and headed towards Toledo. It was about 20 miles away and we pushed through the miles pretty quickly. Once we got to Toledo we overlooked the city from the bridge that crosses the river. We then entered into downtown and we really didn't think anything special of it. Once we went north through the city we passed some golf courses and then stopped for lunch at Subway.

After lunch the road quickly took us onto the interstate and we took the next available exit and headed west until we found the 125 hwy that took us towards Monroe. Along the way we noticed that the signs started to say M-DOT and we realized that we were in Michigan. We were bummed because there was no sign that we could celebrate at. We then made our way into Monroe where we stopped for groceries and then headed east back towards the lake. Once we got close to the lake we asked for directions to the state park and we found out that we were very close. We followed a bike path into the state park that lead us through some great swamp areas and conservation zones.

We finally made it to the campground, got our site, and started to set up camp. Our campsite was about 100 feet from the water and we could see for miles. We could see the nuclear plant that we camped at the night before off in the distance and to our left we could see the two nuclear towers that we saw from Ontario. We talked to a few people in camp and found out that there were some bike tourists there. We went and met them and had a great conversation and found the best route through Detroit. During dinner we watched a bunch of teenagers hit a seagull with a rock and injure it. They then killed and buried it on the beach. Zach went to bed early but Kris stayed up and had smores with the campers next to us and talked with them for a while.

Tomorrow we will have a long day in the wind and heat and press on through Detroit. I hope it will go well and we will be safe all the way through. Tomorrow we will also meet up with Troy Shantz who we stayed with In Sarnia over 5 weeks ago. He is planning on riding with us the next day as well, and we are looking forward to a familiar face.

Day 57 – Sterling SP to Algonac SP ~ 90 miles

We woke up this morning after a good cool nights sleep and surprisingly didn't feel to great. We both felt like we had a bit of a cold coming on, Kris more than Zach. We got going though and headed out towards Detroit. We knew it was going to be a long day because we had to ride through Detroit, but we were looking forward to seeing Troy.

After about 10 miles we stopped at Erie Metro Park to pick up a road map of the area after one of the guys we had met last night recommended we stop. We had about 20 more miles to go before we made it to Detroit. We slowly made our way into the city once we arrived we could see that it was pretty close to how we imagined it. There were run down warehouses everywhere and it definitely had an erie feeling to it. It was basically a shell of a once thriving industrial town. We have to say though that we never felt threatened going through the city. We may have avoided the bad areas if there are any, but we felt a bit worse as we were traveling through Cleveland. We hope that Detroit will see a thriving time again.

As we passed through the heart of the city we went by the Joe Louis arena (home of the Red Wings, the GM building, and several other really interesting buildings. We were surprised though at how small the downtown was compared to most of the other large cities we have been through. Once we got to the other side of the city we stopped for lunch, called Troy, and then continued on our way.

After we got out of Detroit we got our first real view of Lake St. Clair. It is a really impressive lake as well and would stand out anywhere if it weren't surrounded by the other great lakes. The wind was against us for most of the day, but as we turned the corner around the northern shore of Lake St. Clair we got a bit of a push from the wind. Kris wasn't feeling good though and we stopped several times so he could rehydrate properly.

When we arrived at Algonac State Park Troy was already there. He and I picked our site while Kris laid in the grass, the combination of the 90 mile day and not feeling good had him wiped out. We got to our site, drank a beer, showered, and set up our tents. Afterwards we biked a mile back toward the town of Algonac to a riverside bar and grille where we had dinner and talked. After we ate we biked back into the town to the nearest DQ and got some ice cream and sat by the river and watched the boats pass as the sun went down.

After we got back to camp we tried to sit out and talk, but the mosquitoes were just to brutal. We tried to cover up as best we could, but they won. We went to bed still not feeling good. We are glad we made it through today because it marks a point where we are going to have a few easier days in our near future.

Day 58 – Algonac SP to Lake Huron Campground (Forester, MI) ~ 65 miles

We woke up this morning Kris feeling a bit better and Zach feeling a bit worse. We both have similar symptoms, sore throat, stuffy face, and achy body. We got out of bed around 9 and Troy had made us oatmeal. We had that and a bagel with Nutella and then packed up our things, did a bit of filming, and then headed out.

We left the park and biked along the river with a really nice wide shoulder for quite a ways. We stopped at the first McDonald's we found and went in for some coffee. After stopping we continued on biking side by side in the really spacious shoulders. Troy was going to part ways with us once we reached Port Huron, which is directly across the river from Sarnia where we stay at his home over a month ago. Before we parted ways we stopped for lunch at a little restaurant where we ate subs and Kris had pizza.

We had done about 30 miles at that point and we said our goodbyes and then continued on our way. It was really nice to see Troy and we hope to see him again soon. After we split we went down to the lake because we were officially back on Lake Huron. We could see the opposite shoreline where we were over a month ago.

After stopping we pushed on because we knew we still had about 40 miles to go. The shoulders were great again and made the riding a bit easier. We stopped in Port Sanilac for groceries and then biked the 4 miles to the campground. Once we arrived we set up camp and showered after attempting to go the pool, which had closed for the night. We ate our dinner, which we will never get again. We bought cans of the LaChoy Chicken Chow Mein. We decided to eat them cold, it was discusting, and completely un appetizing. Basically just tasted like salt. 180% of our daily sodium requirements in the can. Gross. Live and learn.

After dinner we chatted with the neighbors who are from Sarnia, and they gave us a couple beers while we chatted. Super nice folks. We are catching with some other stuff tonight because we have internet.

We are really looking forward to our rest day in Petosky on the 5^th of July. And then after that headed back south toward Chicago.

Day 47-51 Leaving Lake Ontario

 

Day 47 – Cape Vincent to Selkirk Shores SP ~55 miles

We woke up a bit late after spending the night with Ken and Joanne. We got up around 10 and headed downstairs for breakfast. Ken made us crepes and Joanne had made fresh muffins! It was so good and we ate as much as we could to fuel up for the day ahead. After breakfast we gathered our things and packed a lunch from the leftovers from last night. Before we left we took a picture together and they gave us two flags to put on our bikes! They are half Canadian and half USA, perfect! We said goodbye and took off toward Selkirk.

We left around 12:30 and it was already a really hot day. We crept along and battled through the sun and wind. We took a shortcut that Ken and Joanne told us about that cut about 5 miles from our day.

It was one of those days for us where we were just kind of feeling out of it. Both body and mind. But there isnt much we can do but take it slow and keep pushing on. We eventually stopped for lunch and got out of the sun for a bit. We had roast beef sandwiches and fruit and tried a new flavor of vitamin water. It was a blessing to get out of the sun, but we had to keep going.

It has been flat for so long we really forgot what hills were like, but today we were unpleasantly reminded. They were hard in the rain and cold of Northern Superior, but they are worse when it is 85 degrees with the sun beating down.

We arrived in Selkirk around six and stopped for dinner at the only place around which was a gas station. We ate and then headed into the State Park about a mile down the road. We pulled in and got set up and showered and made a few phone calls.

There was another bike tourist named Mike staying at the park as well. He is from a town called Wellington which is about 70 miles west of here. He is finishing up his trip around Lake Ontario in the next couple days. It is nice to finally be able to talk to another tourist. Hopefully we will be seeing more on the last half of our trip!

We treated ourselves to a campfire and enjoyed the nice night. We are going to bed exhausted. We are in need of a rest day which we are going to take in Buffalo, NY in a couple of days. We are making good progress though and are very happy about that.

Day 48 – Selkirk Shores SP to Rochester, NY ~ 93 miles

We woke up this morning around 9 to the sounds of the loud campground around us. We got us and ate the rest of the bagels and Nutella we have been carrying for a couple days. We could tell right away it was going to be another hot day today, more so than yesterday.

We ate and then headed out. Our plan was to head to Beechwood State Park, but we learned last night from Mike that there isn't camping there. So we were going to plan to find a private campground to stay in tonight.

Right away we were into the hills and they lasted all day. Just like a roller coaster, up and down and repeat. We stopped at a gas station about 7 miles or so down the road for an energy drink and then continued on our way. Today we feel much similar to yesterday, a bit empty and exhausted and cranky. Long days of nonstop biking can have that effect.

We went through the city of Oswego and kept pushing on through the hills. We stopped in a small town for lunch and sat in the grass, in the shade, for a bit while we ate. We have to say that it is a bit disappointing that even though we are on the roads closest the lake we don't get to see it that much. We are getting a bit tired of farm fields all day long.

We reached Sodus Point, which is where we planned to look for a private campground, at around 65 miles. There wasn't anything there. We drank some water and got out of the sun while we thought about it and decided to push on to Rochester. It is going to put us in a better spot to make it to Buffalo on Tuesday.

We rode another 30 miles or so into Rochester through some really nice neighborhoods right on the lake on a nice road. We found the nearest motel, which we thought we deserved after a 93 mile day in the sun. $55 dollars...sold. We ordered a pizza and are catching up on a few things and getting stuff sorted to send another package home along with our footage from Sault Ste. Marie to now.

We are hoping tomorrow will be better to us! Can't waiit to make it to Buffalo! We are goi ng to the Anchor which is the home of the Buffalo Wing! Today was our half way point! We are proud of our achievement so far, but still have a ways to go! We should be entering Michigan in a week or so!

Day 49 – Rochester, NY to Golden Hill State Park ~ 65 miles

Woke up today and got ready to leave. We ate the rest of our pizza for breakfast and then left to go to the UPS store. At UPS, we sent home around 10lbs of things that we didn't need anymore like winter clothing and our new footage. After that we navigated through Rochester and made our way out of the city. We had a nice wide shoulder the entire way and as we headed west, we saw the rain coming.

We packed everything in our waterproof trailers and then it hit. It rained pretty hard for about half an hour and then the sun came out to start drying us off. The only problem was it was drying everything and it was so humid. We stopped to take a leak and thats when Kris got his first flat of the trip. Even though it was a crappy time to get one we were pretty amazed that he had gone almost 3000 miles without one. He quickly found the source, a small shark tooth looking rock. He fixed the tire and then we were on our way again.

There was nothing where we planned to have lunch, which was late anyways so we had to keep going very hungry. We stopped for ice cream a little while later and that helped get us to a gas station where we got lunch/dinner, breakfast for the next day, and snacks. The subs we got were enormous and you couldn't even finish half. They were probably 16 inch subs. We then headed to Golden Hill State park and set up camp right next to the water. There was a nice little lighthouse as well that was close by. We spent the night making calls, snacking, and trying to relax. Some of the other campers came by to talk to us about what we were doing and the couple next to us gave us some home made chocolate and granola bars. They were amazing! We went to bed and got woken up to the sound of thunder around 1am. We quickly got up and threw everything in the tent and then then storm hit. The rain was intense but not as intense as the lightning. It was less than a mile away at certain points and kept us up worrying for quite a while. We finally went to bed after the storm passed.

Tomorrow we will make it to Buffalo, NY and take a rest day the next day. We will be saying goodbye to Lake Ontario and looking across the Niagara river at the shore we were on only a couple of weeks ago. Its crazy to think about how much ground we have covered in that short time!

Day 50 – Golden Hill State Park to Buffalo, NY ~ 70 miles

We got up and had breakfast in the rising heat. It was going to be a scorcher today. We went to the front entrance to try and pay but there was no one there to take our money and no drop box so we left. Free camping is always the best! We headed west and we were struggling. Our bodies are worn out and the heat was really getting to us. We could have used a good nap. We rode apart for a while and didn't meet back up for a few hours. We said goodbye to lake ontario and I went ahead to film being back on the river again. When I met Zach in Lewistown he was far behind because he stopped to swim in the lake before we left it. I guess it was pretty polluted, gross. We stopped and had a late lunch at Subway and then we headed out again towards Buffalo. When we reached Niagara on the US side we were in a pretty scary area but we stopped at the falls and got a great close look at the American falls. With all the rain they were roaring. It was amazing how quiet it was in during the weekday. When we were on the Canadian side there were so many people. The American side also wasn't a circus like the Canadian side was either. We headed up the river in amazement at how fast the rapids were.

We made our way into Buffalo and ended up in a pretty bad part of town. We got dinner and then hastily made our way towards a community bike shop where we were to meet Adam who was going to put us up for the night. The traffic was crazy and we were still in a bad part of town but we made it and met Adam. We were amazed at the community bike shop. They are open 3 days a week and the diversity of people who come there is incredible. People come in to get parts and to fix their bikes. They have to fix the bikes themselves with the help of the mechanics. This way they learn how to do it themselves. They also have volunteers who are there all the time to help. It is funded by the city to promote bicycle riding and commuting in town. Really a neat place! We made some calls and got interviewed by Sam Cook back in Duluth. I guess it is really pouring there and the city is in a state of emergency. I hope everyone is alright and we are thinking of you all. Right before they closed we got a chance to use the stands and clean our bikes and tune them up. After they closed the doors we had to wait until almost 11pm for a guy to leave but we headed out back to Adam's house to drop off our stuff and get changed. We then headed to a local bar and listened to people sing. We left later and went to bed in the hot upper apartment.

Tomorrow we will head to the south side of town and get a hotel to get out of the heat and do nothing but relax and recover for the next couple of weeks.

Day 51 – Rest Day Buffalo, NY ~ 10 miles

Got up late this morning and Zach looked at some close by hotels and booked one. We got packed up in the heat and headed out down the road. We made out way through downtown and then headed off south towards the hotel. We headed a little too far east and had to backtrack a little towards our hotel. We stopped at a Tim Hortons and had lunch and got some directions to get on our way again. We finally made it to a mall area and there was our destination. We spent the day catching up on computer work, getting dinner, and relaxing in the AC as the heat kept going up outside. We watched some news about the flooding in Duluth. Pretty crazy to see, we wish we could have seen it but seeing lake Erie isn't so bad......

Tomorrow we will be heading west towards Pennsylvania. We will be in Michigan in under a week and making our way through Detroit, I hope were ready.

Day 38-46

 Day 38 – Louiseville to Portneuf ~ 75 miles

This morning we got packed up and said our goodbyes to the french cyclist who was camped next to us. She didn't say much but neither did we. We headed up to a grocery store where we had breakfast outside on a table out in the sun. After that we were off towards Portneuf along the river. The sun was shining and the wind was in our faces but it was lite. We kept peddling all day long and kept each other occupied with conversation. We passed by many really neat churches today that were really old. In fact many of the towns we passed through today were founded in the 1600's. The churches had a really neat silver glow to them on their steeples.

We stopped for lunch at a supermarket and were really full afterwards. We didn't want to move, all we wanted was a nap. We reluctantly got back on our bikes and headed the 20 more miles towards Portneuf. When we reached the town we had a hard time finding a grocery store but we eventually did after climbing a big hill and asking for directions at a gas station. We had to cross over the freeway and up a huge hill that we almost had to walk up. We got stocked up for the night and then headed back down the hill, up another one, back down and finally up another huge hill to get to Camping de Panoramique. This place is a glorified retirement home where everyone lives in lavish trailers and drive golf carts around. We are literally the youngest people here and surely the only people in tents. Its a little uncomfortable being here but at least it is quiet. We took showers and then checked the email to see if anyone had responded to us for a place to stay tomorrow in Quebec city. No one had so we found some phone numbers on the Warm Showers Network and gave them a try. After much searching we found a place to stay tomorrow night and for our rest day on Saturday. We met some really nice people who spoke to us in english and asked about our trip so they could go tell their non english speaking friends about us. We definitely stick out like sore thumbs here. The rest of the evening was spent making calls, walking around this giant trailer park (with its own streets), and avoiding the rain.

Tomorrow we are off to Quebec city where we will explore and catch up an doing nothing. We may even have a radio interview on CBC radio so stay tuned!

Day 39 – Portneuf to Quebec City ~ 70 miles

This morning we packed quickly and had breakfast. We left and hopped back on the 138, spirits were high. We had the wind at our backs but it looked as though it might rain on us. We made our way along the river and caught sight of the bridge in Quebec City. After about 20 miles we stopped and got some coffee at Tim Hortons. Luckily we were inside because thats when the rain started. It did not last long and then we were on our way again nearing the city. When we were about 6 miles away we had to take a detour. We decided to stay on our path and see if we could walk our bikes around it. We found out that it was possible but they had fenced everything off so we had to turn back. We decided to look for something else after realizing that the detour would put us on the freeway. We headed down a small road that took us through a tunnel under the freeway. This led us to a small dirt road that eventually brought us to the train tracks. We crossed them and followed a dirt road into a neighborhood. We eventually found our way back onto our route.

Once in town we stopped at a grocery store for lunch and then headed to Marianne's house where we were to stay for the next 2 nights. She was a very nice person with a brand new cat. Kris called the bike shop where we had a package sent and then she showed us the way through downtown where we got our external hard drive that Mona had been so kind to send us with a hand made yarn owl that she had worked on as well. She went back to the house to get ready for dinner while we explored old downtown and the naval ship museum. We headed back to the house where dinner was running late. We decided to head off to the circus as that was the plan and have dinner afterwards. The circus was great! It was very small and intimate but hilarious even though it was in french. We had an amazing time and would have gone to see it again.

After the circus we went back and made stir fry before heading out on the town for a while. Marianne took us to a close by bar where we had great conversation as the night went on. On our way back home we went to a local snack bar and got some poutine to bring back before bed. It was delicious!

Tomorrow we have a rest day and plan on exploring as much of the city as possible after a morning of shopping at the local street days garage sale.

Day 40 – Quebec City Rest Day

This morning we woke up and got ready for the garage sales. We headed out and went down the block for espresso and chocolate croissants. We then spent the next few hours looking at all the stuff in the alleys for many blocks. Marianne found lots of stuff for her new apartment and Zach found a small painting. We helped her carry all of her stuff back including two new living room chairs. After that we said our goodbyes to her as she was leaving for the evening to go to a friend's cabin. We left and headed into downtown and our first stop was at the grocery store for some late lunch. After that we went up and up and up until we reached the top the the hill where downtown and old Quebec were. We saw so many old buildings and a beautiful streets. We went by parliament and talked to some protestors about the student protests and the ongoing pursuit of Quebec trying to become their own nation. It was very interesting talking to those people about these issues.

We then headed into the walls of the old city and explored for a while. Kris got a couple of gifts and then we got ice cream. After that we went down to the overlook where you could see for miles in every direction. We shot some footage and reflected on how this was a far east as we will come on our trip. What a turning point both figurative and literal. We will be turning around and heading west for the first time on our trip back towards the USA, and eventually Duluth. It is a huge milestone for us to be here. We have been thinking about this city for the last month of the trip, but words cant describe how it feels to have made it. Getting here had gotten us through so much and now we have new milestones to reach. The USA, large cities, and then back home to Duluth!

We biked back to Marianne's house after checking out a couple more sights on the way. We caught her just before she left for the evening. After she was gone we walked to the grocery store to pick up dinner and breakfast for tomorrow morning. We got a decent frozen pizza so we could utilize the opportunity of the oven and had a mediocre hot meal. While the pizza cooked we worked on planning out our route for the next few days. We are adjusting some things so we wont have to do another 100 mile day when we head into Montreal on the South side of the river. After figuring out the route we are going to get organized before we clean up and go to bed.

Even though today was a rest day we are exhausted. But we have to keep pushing on and stay on track. You could spend so many more days in Quebec and not see it all. We hope we are doing enough filming...it is really difficult to keep up with it all, but we are doing the best we can.

Heading across the river and back West tomorrow!

Day 41 – Quebec City to Camping a la Roche ~ 65 miles

We woke up this morning at Marianne's place at around 9:30. We slept in a bit because we were up a bit late last night chasing down the protesters and enjoying our day off. We made some coffee and had our fruit and bagels for breakfast. We packed up our things and made our way into town. We headed down to the dock area because we wanted to avoid having to bike up and over the hill. It was busy and difficult trying to deal with the traffic and people, but we made good time and enjoyed biking next to the river.

As we made our way out of town we we able to see the bridge in the distance that we we going to cross. We made it very near the bridge and then had to climb the hill to make it up to the crossing level. The bridge is enormous and beautiful, but the path for bikes is very narrow so we crossed slowly in order to be safe. We made it across and were officially on the south side of the Seaway and on our way back home!

We stopped for lunch in Ste. Croix at the local grocery store and sat out in the Sun and enjoyed our food. It was a very nice day weather wise and had a decent tailwind to help us out. After lunch we reached a detour and decided to try to pass it. We reached the town and found the detour and realized it wasn't passable. We tried to communicate with someone before the detour and we thought they told us we would be ok. This is where being able to comprehend French would have helped. Luckily a family in the town saw us and noticed we were trying to pass. So they showed us a way around the detour and walked us through a field and got us by without having to bike out of our way to pass.

We got clear of the detour and continued to bike along the river. We reached Saint Pierre led Becquets around 6 or so and stopped at the grocery store for dinner. We picked up dinner and headed to the campground. Pretty normal day. We showered and ate and relaxed while we enjoyed the sunset. We walked back up into town to the local Dep to get prepaid phone cards and then went back and headed to bed. We have been leaving the fly of the tent open to keep it cool while we sleep.

Day 42 – A la Roche to South of Sorel-Tracy ~ 92 miles

We woke up around 9 or so feeling rested, but wanting to sleep longer. We slowly got up and ate our usual breakfast of fruit and bagels. We packed up and headed up the steep hill from the camp up to the road. We stopped about 10 miles down the road when we reached a payphone. We had to call into CBC radio because we had an interview that we were supposed to do over the phone. We did the interview and it aired at 4:00 today internationally. Really humbling to be a part of.

After the interview we continued on. We could tell early on that it was going to be a hot day. We bike at a pretty good pace until we reached Nicolet where we stopped for lunch. When we stopped for lunch however we really noticed the heat. After we ate we really slowed down and struggled to keep going. Now that we are headed west the sun is in our face for most of the day and it is really noticeable. The road quality also got worse which made the day even more stressful. We stopped a few times along the way in the shade to get a brake.

We reached Sorel-Tracy around 6:30 or so and stopped at a local pizza place for dinner. At that point we were exhausted and had already done 70+ miles. We ate and enjoyed the cool indoor temps. It didnt last long though and we had to continue on to find our site for the night. We were trying to make it to a campsite that had no water or toilets, but they said we could stay. We passed another campground on the way, but they wanted to charge us $50 dollars for the night! It was already 8:30! That was absurd so we continued on and tried to reach the campground that we had decided on prior.

We never found it. We ended up stopping at a Historical site which was a canal/ dam. We found a square of tall cedar bushes that was covering a power box and pitched our tent inside the square. It was protected from view, but not from the heat a mosquitos. We quickly set up our tent and hopped in to avoid getting eaten alive. We laid in bed and sweated for a while before we fell asleep. Not ideal but we had gone 92 miles and didn't want to go any further.

Day 43 – South of Sorel-Tracy to Montreal ~ 56 miles

Woke up very early today to all of the park workers arriving and looking at us in our hidden abode. We quickly threw everything together and left onto the road. On the road we packed up our stuff properly and then we were off. It was quite a ways before we found a town where we could get something to eat and refill our water bottles. Yesterday really took it out of us and we were feeling it, especially dehydration. Once we found a town we got huge bottles of juice and milk and then ate our other pizza that we couldn't finish last night. After that we were off into the strong wind towards Montreal.

A few hours later we stopped to get some more water and then started to enter the busy city. We were actually on the south side of the river and the city is on the north side but it still a very populated area. Right as the rain started to fall we stopped at a grocery store for lunch and took refuge under the awning as we ate. It started to rain harder and we had to go back out in it. We made our way over a bike ramp that took us over the freeway and found a really cool bike path that was actually out on the water. We were not sure if it was a breakwater or what but we biked along a dirt path out on the water looking out at the city on the other side of the river in the hazy rain. About ½ mile before we reached a bridge Zach got the first flat tire of the trip. It was pretty impressive since we have biked over 2500 miles but it couldn't have come at a worse time. Zach walked his bike to the bridge where he found the source of the problem, a small but very sharp thorn shaped rock. He tried to repair the leak but it was wet so he just put on a new tube and we were on our way in the rain again.

Bike paths are always a blessing as they get you away from traffic and tend to be quieter, but as you bikers know a dirt path in the rain causes havoc on your chain and shifting systems on road bikes. By the time the trail turned to pavement, everything was caked in dirt and grit. We will definitely need to clean our bikes and trailers tonight or tomorrow. Once we got off the trail we had to find our warm shower spot for the night. We got a little mixed up but eventually found the right roads that took us there. We arrived at Domanique's house right as he got there. We sprayed off all the grime with the hose and then went inside to get showered up and ready for dinner. He had a great salmon dinner made up in no time and soon we were engaged in conversations about past trips and his bicycle journey throughout south america. The rest of the night we sat out on the porch with his dad and had Cuban cigars and flaming Sambuca. We went to bed watching Te Dark Knight, hoping that the rain will end by tomorrow.

Tomorrow we will head to Camping le Dauphin, which is very near the US border. We are very excited to be entering back into America in the next two days!

Day 44 – South Montreal to Camping le Dauphin ~ 53 miles

This morning could not have come at a worse time, all we wanted was to sleep the day away. But got ready and brought all of our things outside. We pumped up our tires and made some quick adjustments before saying our goodbyes. We headed to a grocery store for breakfast and then we were off west towards St-Anicet. The wind was pretty bad and we were so tired so it was slow going. We passed through a reservation and couldn't believe all of the smoke shops, literally 50 or so in a mile! After that we found a random DQ in the middle of nowhere and stopped for some Blizzards. That definitely made us feel better. After that we kept following hwy 132 and slowly making our way west. We should have gotten lunch a few hours before but there really wasn't much until we made it to St-Anicet. There we got lunch and dinner and then made the final 2 miles to the campground. We showered and then Zach headed back into town for some more supplies, while Kris made some phone calls back home. After Zach returned we both extensively cleaned our bikes and that took so long but it was so needed! The rest of the night we looked at our route for the next few days and marveled in the fact that the US is so close. The border is only 10 miles away and we will strike early in the morning.

Looking back at our time in Canada, we have seen so much in such a short time. It was an amazing experience but what we will come away with the most is how wonderful people were to us. Everyone was interested in what we were doing and were so willing to lend a hand or a place to stay. The people who put us up at night were so incredibly friendly and hospitable, they really made us feel at home. We cant thank them enough and will never forget what they did for us. Canada it has been a pleasure, Quebec it has been interesting but great. USA here we come, you better be ready because we wont be looking back!

Day 45 – Camping le Dauphin to Jacques Cartier State Park ~ 90 miles

Woke up late this morning to the mosquitoes waiting for us on the edges of the tent. A bit tired after having to deal with our first pesky raccoon of the trip. It came right up to our tent and we had to get out and hit it with a stick. It came back a second time and we had to hit it even harder and chase it up a tree before it decided to leave us alone. We got ready quickly and headed out in high spirits towards the USA! We stopped about 8 miles down the road and tried to get rid of some of our canadian money and get some snacks. About 10 minutes later we were at the US border, crossing into New York, something we have been waiting 45 days to see. We crossed the border and then had to go through customs. They had a lot of questions for us and then wanted to see our footage that we had just filmed. In the end they gave us a lot of grief for two guys being on bicycles. We finally were on our way again and stopped in Messena for some lunch and Zach went looking for a Sprint store to get a new phone. He didn't find one and then were on our way along the Seaway trail that will take us along all of the NY shorelines.

We made it to our destination by 3pm and decided that we would keep going as it would make tomorrow shorter. Tomorrow we will be staying at a lake home and having a good relaxing rest with good people form Duluth. We ended up continuing on and headed towards Ogdensburg. On the way there we stopped for a snack at a gas station and then were off again. We then stopped at a campground and found out if we went 20 more miles we would find a state park. In Ogdensburg we stopped for dinner and then were off again with the wind at our backs and shoulders that were 10 feet wide at times. We quickly made it to Morrisburg and got some beer and then made it to the campground before the sun went down. It was the cheapest site yet but the most beautiful and well groomed. We had the site all to ourselves, which it meant it was quiet. We went down to the shoreline and watched the sunset and filmed the 1000 islands and Brockville across the river. We went back up to the campsite where we showered up and then went off into the woods and found a abundance of firewood and then made a great fire and had great conversations of life. We went to bed a few hours later to the sounds of the woods in peace.

We are so happy to be back in the USA where we don't have to speak French to survive and everything is cheap. Tomorrow we have a short day to Cape Vincent where we will be staying with a couple from Duluth at their lake home where we will have a nice rest and some time to explore, reset, and get ready for the second half of our trip!

Day 46 – Jacque Cartier SP to Cape Vincent, NY ~ 40 miles

We woke up this morning to the sound of a lawn mower at 7 am...luckily that is what time we had the alarm set for. We fell back to sleep until about 8 and then got up for our last day on the Seaway. We packed up our stuff and ate our breakfast of an apple and bagel with Nutella. We wanted to get going ASAP because we knew that it would mean a longer time to relax once we reached our destination 40 miles or so away.

We headed out of the park with the sky blue and sun beating down. We headed west towards Alexandria Bay. We continued on pretty uneventfully, but making pretty good time considering we had a bit of headwind. We stopped at an overlook that looked out on the Seaway and we could see the Singer Castle on Dark Island, which is one of a couple big castles on the Seaway in the Thousand Islands region. It was paid for to be build by one of the early Presidents of the Singer Sewing Machine company. It is a beautiful building from a far and we would love to tour it someday.

We continued on through the countryside until we reached the town of Clayton. We stopped at a gas station and got a snack and sat outside and watched as a bunch of cigarette racing boats pulled into the gas station to fill up. Being Friday people are headed to the water to relax.

After we stopped it was a pretty quick jaunt to Ken and Joanne's home along the river just outside of Cape Vincent. The wind switched a bit a so it was great as made our way to their place. We arrived around 1:30, so it was a quick day for us.

They came out to greet us as we arrived and we stood out and talked a bit. After we went inside and enjoyed the sloppy joe sandwiches that they prepared for us. After we ate we showered and then hopped in the car and we drove up to Cape Vincent to check out the town and the Tibbet's Point Lighthouse. We drove around to Clayton and Alexandria Bay and they showed us around the area and explained some of the history of the area.

We made our way back to the house and had a happy hour with Gin and Tonics and some snacks. At about 8:30 we sat down for an amazing dinner prepared by Joanne and Ken of Beef, Pork, Mashed Potatoes, Butternut Squash, Bread, and Salad with the “Original” Thousand Island Dressing. The dressing was invented in the Clayton area and named after the Thousand Island region of the St. Lawrence Seaway. Right in the middle of dinner a few of Ken and Joannes friends stopped by and said hello. They arrived here last night at 7 and haven't had a chance to really settle in yet.

After dinner we sat and watched the guy tight rope over the Horseshoe Falls at Niagara. It has been a relaxing afternoon and we have really enjoyed their company and can't thank them enough for opening their home to us.

Tomorrow we have another short day to Selkirk Shores SP and should be going through Rochester, NY on Monday!