I got lucky the day I rode to Canada. I think it was about an 80 mile ride or so and the road was pretty remote at times. As I was waiting in line with the cars to cross the border in Canada, I heard some strange noises coming from my bike and realized I broke a spoke. Fortunately I was only a couple of miles from my hostel so it wasn’t a big deal, but had that happened earlier in my ride I would have been in trouble.
Similar to most border crossings or customs in an airport, the border services officer asked me a series of questions about my business in crossing the border which often feels like an interrogation. The difference here was that after he asked the necessary questions, I think he started asking me questions about my trip because he was genuinely interested in what I was doing.
I took a couple days off in Niagara Falls to get a chance to see where the higher Lake Erie flows into Lake Ontario. Some of the views were amazing and since it was still the beginning of the season, the crowds weren’t so bad.
Since I was so close to the great city of Toronto, I decided to make a detour over there.
Looking across Lake Ontario, I could just see Toronto in the distance.
Just outside of Toronto, I found some really serene spots.
Some of the terrain was new to me, I had never seen bluffs like this before.
As I traveled further west into the Ontarian countryside, I noticed that agriculture became more and more popular. In fact, farms were almost everywhere. In fact, I ended up staying with a farming family in Ingersoll, ON that I found on Warm Showers. They ran a family farm that the father of the house had grew up on. This family definitely broke my preconceived stereotype of farmers because the father was a serious triathlete, having already completed an Iron Man and attempting to do another. The whole family was very kind and friendly. In addition to giving me a tour of their barn and goat milk production, they cooked up a delicious dinner to share with me.
The next town I arrived at was Port Stanley, a beach town along the coast of Lake Erie. The little town was charming and I enjoyed cooling off in the Lake after a hot day of riding.
I set out early the next day and found exactly what I could ever ask for. The road was nearly traffic free and the temperature was perfect.
I continued through the quiet Ontarian countryside and eventually arrived at Leamington, where I would leave Canada to come back to America.
On the way back over the lake I got some great views of Cedar Point amusement park, boasting some of the most impressive roller coasters in the world.
Returning back to the US was an interesting experience. I would be returning back to my home country, but at the same time distancing myself from home as I continued the journey west.
