Wow, what a beautiful day it was today. The weather was perfect for riding, and the scenery was incredible, in a variety of different ways. And, I even had some company for more than half of the 40-mile ride!
I awoke in Allegan this morning, and had a leisurely and delicious granola-and-fresh-fruit breakfast with my hosts Rian and Paula, while we talked more about travels and life.
After breakfast, I packed up my rig, and so did Rian! He decided to come along with me for a good chunk of my ride today, which used to be his occasional commute when he worked in Grand Rapids. He also brought along his own bike trailer, so we were kind of “bike twins” out on the road, which was fun. The auto traffic along most of the rural roads was pretty quiet, so we were able to ride side by side and chat for a good portion of the ride.
At one point, I thought I heard something a bit “off” from the trailer. I looked back, assuming the rain/visibility cover had shifted itself over and started rubbing against one of the tires, which it does sometimes, creating drag and an audible sound.
But when I scoped out the situation, I found instead a large screw embedded in the trailer’s tire! It had been flat for the past mile or two, we estimated, because Rian noted that he had seen something bright and seemingly flashing in the tire when he was riding behind me to let cars pass.
Argh… but I was so grateful for Rian’s presence and bike-mechanical expertise! We pulled over into the shade of a tree in the yard of a rural house. (Fortunately we never experienced the dog a sign posted to a tree warned us to beware of.) I dug around in my trailer bags and backpack, pulling out my Tern multitool, some tire irons, a spare tube, and my full-sized tire pump. Meanwhile, Rian quickly and expertly put all these tools to use, fixing the flat in short order. (Rian, if you are reading this, thank you again for saving the day!!)
We packed everything up again, and got back on the road. Before too long, the road turned into a lovely shaded bike path. It reminded me a bit of the 21-mile Banks-Vernonia rail trail, just west of Portland. At one point, the path passed through a golf course, and we saw some golfers heading across the “overpass” in a cart! It was kind of funny.
Once we got through a tunnel, Rian decided to turn around and head back home, having already traveled about 30 of the 40 miles I needed to go. We said farewell, and I continued along the path until it opened up into roads again.
Before much longer, I reached another beautiful shaded bike path, also along the side of a park that included a golf course.
When I stopped in the park for a much-needed restroom break, I was blown away by the quality of light against the trees and grass. The scale and spacing of the trees—mostly oaks, I think—reminded me of the otherworldly feel of the oak grove in Salem, Oregon’s Bush’s Pasture Park. In both cases, I stood mesmerized for some time, doing my best to capture the feeling in photos, but not quite succeeding.
Just before I was ready to leave, I glanced down at my feet and saw a tiny, adorable toad hopping around in the grass. They were probably about the size of half of my thumb. The photo quality isn’t great, but you can get the gist.
Soon thereafter, I encountered yet more friendly-looking wildlife, as I came upon a deer having a snack near a creek.
Then I went through a city park, with lush rolling hills and trees on the edge. It was a whole different park aesthetic, and I loved it too.
Soon afterward, I arrived at the home of my Grand Rapids Warmshowers hosts, Diane and Skip. They had just had a large family meal last night, and the leftovers were plentiful and delicious, so we feasted on a wide variety of healthy dishes while we talked about family (they have six grown children, and many grandchildren) and traveling.
After dinner, I wanted to enjoy the perfect weather and light a bit longer, so I walked three blocks to their neighborhood park, which I reached just at golden hour. I basked on a bench, savoring the slow waning of the day.
Tomorrow it might rain; we’ll see. I hope to get out and begin exploring the city of Grand Rapids. In the evening, I might join Diane and Skip at a bike race 20 miles away that their son is organizing; we’ll see how things unfold.
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Today was another multimodal travel day. This morning I boarded the train from Ann Arbor to Kalamazoo (and oof, was it a tight squeeze loading everything into the sold-out coach car, with two wheelchairs already in the car!) Then I biked 25 miles from Kalamazoo up to the small town of Allegan, Michigan, partway to Grand Rapids.
I’ll mostly let the photos speak for themselves. I did stop for lunch at Kalamazoo’s co-op (since 1970!) which was cool.
When I arrived in Allegan, I was met by the coolest Warmshowers couple, Rian and Paula, and their two adorable cats, sisters Thelma and Louise, in their beautiful 1936 house overlooking the river. (I always take note of houses built in the 1930s, since that was such a rare occurrence during the Depression. I remember staying in a really cool 1936 house in San Francisco, too… and that is the same year the Golden Gate Bridge was completed.)
The three of us shared some great conversation about bicycling, traveling, and life, and they fed me abundantly, including a decadent dish of vegan So Delicious ice cream! It was a perfect evening, after a near-perfect day of beautiful mild sunny cycling weather and lovely bike paths.
Tomorrow, on to Grand Rapids!
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I have visited many arboretums in my travels. (Arboreta?) I usually make a point to go see the local one in each new town, if it has one. Usually it will have an official name, such as the Hoyt Arboretum in Portland, or the Dominion Arboretum in Ottawa. But generally people just refer to them generically: “Have you been to the arboretum?”
Never have I heard that word shortened to “the arb” until I arrived here in Ann Arbor. Perhaps it’s because the city’s name itself is related, but that’s what everyone calls it here, and I think it’s adorable.
It had been on my list to see while I was here, and I did so today. I was very glad for its shady trees; the day was very hot and muggy.
First, I bade farewell to my Warmshowers hosts on the southern edge of town, Emma and Benny. Around noon I set out on a ride of about an hour from their place to the northern edge of town, to meet my new Warmshowers hosts Rod and Amy. I passed some pretty scenery on the way.
After I arrived and had a brief chat with Rod about travels, both domestic and international, he gave me a ride back downtown—with the bike folded in the back of the car so I could pedal back—so that I could see a bit more of the art fair on its last day. However, the crowds soon felt like more than I wanted to navigate, so I headed a few blocks north to enjoy another lunch at the all-vegan Vedge cafe (not to be confused with the non-affiliated vegan restaurant of the same name in Philadelphia) where I enjoyed a delicious BLTA and some potato salad.
Then I biked over to the arboretum, where I met up with a local fellow I met on Bumble, and we ambled through the shady paths for an hour or two. The trees were towering and beautiful.
After we said goodbye, I pedaled back downtown to grab some dinner at the co-op and a treat at the local Cinnaholic. (It had been a long time since I’d visited a city with a Cinnaholic! Fort Worth, perhaps…? The one in Cary, NC was sadly closed when I visited.)
The way back to Rod and Amy’s place was beautiful, especially in the waning light. It’s such a pleasure to be able to travel by bike, taking in all the natural beauty without any filter.
Tomorrow I will drag myself out of bed early to receive a woefully overdue professional massage, and then see what else might be in store for me on my last day in Ann Arbor!
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It was a bit hot and humid for my taste, but I guess that’s true for most of the continental US right now.
I slept later than I had intended, but it felt good to catch up on some much-needed rest.
After an oatmeal breakfast with local maple syrup and fresh strawberries, I headed out to the nearby town of Ypsilanti, mostly because my hosts had told me there was a nice bike path to get there, as well as a co-op in that town. (Those are two of my magic words!)
I found it to be indeed a pleasant bike path, mostly along the river.
I enjoyed a nice lunch, al fresco, from the co-op deli.
Then I turned right back around, to go to the Ann Arbor art fair. I wanted to see the PCAP event at 3:30, where formerly incarcerated people read aloud their poetry and prose, and sometimes also creative writings from other people who are currently incarcerated. There were about seven or eight performers, and I enjoyed all of them.
After that, I found a lush nearby park, and relaxed on a bench for a while.
I took the opportunity to call my mother, whose 80th birthday was today! I felt glad to be able to connect with her, despite our physical distance.
Then I made my way south of town—on the way back to my hosts’ place—to REI, to buy some new socks. I have been wearing my favorite brand and style of socks (Endura Coolmax, which for years I had to order from England) for well over a decade now. My thick toenails have kept poking holes in them, and I have darned these few pairs of socks for years, including these three or four pairs I have with me on this journey. I have been slowly coming to terms with the fact that they are becoming threadbare enough that I really should probably replace them. Sadly, though, that particular style is no longer available. I have been putting off buying new ones, because I am not confident that any other product can live up to these.
But at some point, we have to just take action. So I walked into REI at 8 pm—still light out!—and encountered a dizzying array of socks. I asked an employee for help, but then I ended up doing most of the talking, eventually talking myself into a new pair, with only a small amount of input from her.
These new ones look almost the same as my existing ones, and they are made from recycled plastic, so I feel good about that. (Wool is off the table for me as a vegan, and cotton is not practical since it can get wet and feel cold and miserable.) I will test them out soon, maybe tomorrow. If I like them, I should be able to easily get more, since there are REI stores in most major US cities.
I returned to my hosts’ place just after dark, in time to chat a bit before they turned in. I’ll turn in soon, too, and then tomorrow I’ll head north a bit, to my new hosts’ place. If the weather is good, I hope to also check out the arboretum.
—
Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a free one-hour phone or video call with me!
Want to be notified of future blog posts? Use the green “sign up” button to subscribe!
Want to support my vision financially? I am in the process of manifesting $50,000 in lieu of a “salary” for the year of this journey. You can make a one-time or monthly contribution, or even become a Fairy Godfunder! (Heartfelt thanks to all my patrons and supporters!)
After one full day of mostly walking around Buffalo looking for WiFi so that I could find hosting in Ann Arbor (and publish my previous blog post), my Warmshowers host Tyler was kind enough to drive me the eight miles to the train station in Depew for my “midnight train” (12:39 am) to Chicago.
While I was in the park in the late afternoon publishing that last post, I took a picture of the very striking armory building with the sun hiding behind it. There were many beautiful buildings in Buffalo, and I’m glad I got to see a few of them.
I arrived at the train station with my familiar anxiety about my ability to talk my way onto the train with all my stuff. What if they refused me? What on earth could be my backup plan, at midnight, if I were told I could not board that train that needed to take me all the way to Chicago?
But what I’m finding on this journey is that there seems to be an odd, inverse relationship between how much trouble station agents and conductors give me about whether I’ll be able to board, and how difficult it actually is to board.
When I’m sitting in a station and an agent approaches me disapprovingly, saying something like, “You’re not taking all that on the train,” I find that after I go through a careful song and dance (persistent, but never crossing the line into rudeness or entitlement) I find that when I actually board that train, it is easy-peasy, and I always kind of roll my eyes at the overprotectiveness of those staff.
Conversely, when I get to a station where it seems like it might actually be rather tricky to board, I find that often no one bats an eye. Multiple staff members look right at the rig, and say nothing. They don’t even look concerned. And yet when I then actually try to board, sometimes it is a nightmare.
Such was the case in Buffalo. I even approached the staffer at the desk to ask him how I should prepare my items for boarding. (I knew that both Depew and Chicago Union Station would require loading and unloading things up and down that steep narrow staircase I’ve come to know so well… and this time I had a sleeper car, which on a single-level train requires maneuvering around multiple tight corners.) He said they would not check my things onto the baggage car because Chicago was not my final destination, and to just carry everything on. He appeared supremely relaxed.
On the platform, I passed a conductor, who glanced at the rig and seemed similarly unconcerned. I asked him which way the sleeper cars were, and he pointed me toward them.
Once I did reach the sleeper car, the car attendant did show a bit of alarm when I said I would need a bit of time to load everything. She said she didn’t know where I could put all those things. I said, “Isn’t there a baggage rack, or area?” She said no.
Then I started to feel some alarm. Where was I going to put all of this stuff?
She said I would have to put it into my roomette, “and it is tiny.”
Oh, I knew it was tiny. I couldn’t imagine any way I could possibly squeeze all my stuff in there. Furthermore, to get to it, I would have to turn three sharp, narrow corners, and walk down two extremely narrow corridors.
Yikes.
But at least I was on the train. She closed the door. One way or another, we were all going to Chicago.
As I started to pick up the first item to try to squeeze down the hallway—without waking up the “neighbors”—that attendant did something for which I immediately felt eternally grateful. She opened up a door right before the first turn, right in front of us. She said it was the conductors’ room, but that I could squeeze the bike and trailer up against the wall in there.
Hallelujah!! Thank you!! (I was so glad I had made a point of going back into the co-op earlier that day to make sure I had the right cash on hand to leave a good tip for her.)
I put those bulky items in there, as snugly as I could against the wall, and then proceeded down the hall to my roomette with just my two backpacks. Totally manageable.
She had already made up my bed, so I quickly climbed into it, and let the rolling of the rails rock me to sleep.
The next morning, I awakened in Indiana, and we passed some pretty scenery in the next few hours before arriving in Chicago.
My layover there was only a couple of hours. I went to the first-class lounge, using a coupon my wonderful Charlotte host Pam had gifted me. (My first-class privileges from the trip I had just taken expired when I stepped off the train, I believe, and my connecting train to Ann Arbor was a coach seat.)
I used the coupon to stash the trailer in their parcel check, so that I wouldn’t have to lug it around while out finding lunch.
My Happycow app showed me that one of my favorite vegan spots I had discovered in New York, Plant Junkie, also had a location in The Loop! It was only about a ten-minute bike ride, and I got the Sri Lankan bowl again, which was every bit as delicious as I had recalled.
I got back to the station just in time to board a new-to-me train, the Wolverine, from Chicago to Ann Arbor. The scenery was pretty along that way, too.
One thing that did take me aback, when I went to the café car to enjoy my signature Amtrak cocktail, was that only three tables remained in the modified café car. One half of the car had been made into a small business-class section, and the other half was split between tables and bike racks.
I was glad to see that there was space for people with non-folding bikes to take them on board, but I was dismayed that rather than putting them in a baggage car or other designated bike car, like some Amtrak trains and several commuter-rail lines around the country do, they were taking up space that could otherwise have provided passengers on this completely booked train to relax and socialize with others. Given that the pandemic is still going strong, that is probably for the best these days, public-health-wise. But I would like to see a full bike car, as well as a full café car, in the future. I don’t know if I will.
We pulled into Ann Arbor at about 8:00 pm. I had dozed a bit on the train. When I got off, and began the slow process of reconfiguring my rig, I was surprised when the station attendant asked me to move several yards away, behind the yellow line, because the train platform was going to recede!
Sure enough, I moved away, and when the train pulled away, the platform pulled itself back from where it had been. I’m not sure what purpose that serves, but I’m sure there is one, and I was kind of delighted by the ingenuity.
My first Ann Arbor Warmshowers hosts, Gaia and Beth, lived just a few blocks away from the station, so it was easy to get to their house. Gaia had set aside a handmade burrito for me—he had made them for the residents of his adjoining community house—but I was full from snacking, so I saved it until breakfast.
This morning, I went out to the huge annual art fair that happened to be starting today. It will span at least three days, and draw tens of thousands of visitors to Ann Arbor. It takes over the whole downtown.
I met up there with a Servas couple who live in a suburb about 15 miles out of town. They had declined to host me since they had just returned to town from a trip to Texas, and will be leaving on another trip in the next few days, but they indicated that we could meet at the Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP) booth to see a powerful art exhibition of prisoners from the UK, called We Bear.
We did meet up there, and talked about our various experiences working on prison issues and prison reform over the years, while we snaked around block after block of artists and their wares. The fair was very cool, but overwhelming: we walked for well over an hour, and didn’t even cover half of the artists’ booths.
After we parted ways, I wanted to go to the Brompton-certified bike shop in town—the only one in the whole state of Michigan, from what I could see—Sic Transit Cycles. I wanted to have a mechanic take a look at the bike and see if there was anything that needed fixing or adjusting, especially the left-hand shifter that had given me trouble after the big rainstorm the other day.
The mechanic was cheerful and available to immediately put the bike up on the stand to take a look. His diagnosis? I just needed to lube the chain. This was a bit embarrassing, but a big relief. He did it for me, and also tweaked the rear shifter/internal hub a bit, since he said he noticed it was a bit off. Otherwise, he gave the bike a clean bill of health. The cost was $10, and it was well worth it for my peace of mind. I may be doing my first 50-mile day in a few days, from Kalamazoo to Grand Rapids, so it’s good to know the bike is in good shape.
After that I stopped at the local co-op and picked up a few items.
Then I went back to the house, said goodbye to Beth, and packed up to head a few miles south to my new hosts, Emma and Benny. They welcomed me with a homecooked meal of tofu and sautéed veggies (and even some vegan Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food!) and we talked about bikes and travel.
Tomorrow I may check out the neighboring town of Ypsilanti; we’ll see how my energy holds up!
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Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a free one-hour phone or video call with me!
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Wow. Yesterday was quite a day. It was capped by discovering that my Warmshowers host’s place doesn’t have WiFi, so even getting this post out is quite a challenge; I hope I can do it before the library closes in a couple of hours. (His place, while incredibly charming inside and out as an apartment inside a huge old historic home, also has no air conditioning, and is up three flights of stairs. Oof.)
The day started when I checked out of my Niagara Falls hotel in a light drizzle. I knew I had twenty miles to bike during the day, and rain was forecast for much of the day. I hoped to avoid it as best I could. One factor I had on my side was time: I had to check out of the hotel at 11, and my host wouldn’t be ready to meet me until about 4:30. So I figured maybe I could find a covered area at a park along the way to wait out the rain if need be.
I was also planning to stop about halfway to Buffalo, in the little town of North Tonawanda, to visit a vegan grocery store (quite surprising to find in such a small town) and vegan coffee shop, as well as a carousel museum(!)
I was looking forward to a fun day.
After maybe 30 or 40 minutes of riding, mostly in light mist, I did find a park with an area of covered tables and benches. The shelter had a nice view of the river. I decided to rest there for a while until the rain let up. (My phone’s weather app kept changing its mind as to when that might be, and for how long.)
I enjoyed the downtime. I took the opportunity to do some dreaming into next year, brainstorming a few specifics to help my dream seem more concrete. (For example, what if I aim to fund 10-12 godfundees at $40-50K each? Would that mean 10-12 godfunders, too? Or might there be some overlap? Maybe 6-10 godfunders…? It felt good to start playing with numbers.)
I even pulled out my laptop and wrote down some of it. I also sat and thought deeply about my dream, and my fears about it, and some self-doubts. The thoughts turned emotional, and I started to cry about some of my fears and concerns. I have hardly cried at all this year, which seems a bit odd considering how challenging, and sometimes stressful, my travels have been.
In that moment, I let myself feel gratitude for the deserted, private natural place for me to just feel everything, let some tears fall, and not need to rush.
By the time I set out from that shelter, I had gone through a range of emotions and thoughts, and had written some things down and come up with some plans.
I felt refreshed and energized, and ready to brave the mist until the next shelter.
That shelter was another pretty one, and also private, and sure enough, the rain was coming down a little harder once I reached it. I was a little bit “thinked out,” so I just kind of sat quietly and wished the rain would let up.
Finally it did, and the sun started to come out. I was close to North Tonawanda by then, so I looked forward to my destinations.
The Vegan Grocery Store was incredible! It seemed such an odd sight in this small town with conservative political lawn signs, but the young woman inside was very friendly, saying that she and her husband had opened the shop because they had both grown up in town there, and were raising their child there now.
The shop was chock-full of all kinds of wonderful things, including some sweets imported from England! I stocked up on treats.
Sadly, as I left, I discovered that the carousel museum was set to close in only fifteen minutes! I rushed over there, with just ten minutes to spare. The woman in the gift shop kindly said she would not charge me admission, but she also made a point to mention that she could not therefore give me a token to ride the carousel. I understood, and instead enjoyed just a very brief glance around the museum. I do hope I can return sometime to get the full guided tour; the museum (which used to be a carousel factory!) seemed extensive, and I caught the tail end of the guided tour, which sounded very informative.
Then I went over to the vegan coffee shop, Little Black Heart, where I snagged the last brownie in the case, and the barista even gave me a discount since it was the last one! It weighed more than any brownie I’ve ever held, and induced quite the sugar coma later that evening when I savored it.
It was then time to press on south to Buffalo.
The bike path along the river was breathtaking. The light play in the sky was incredible, with sun breaks peeking out from behind the big puffy white clouds, and sometimes curtains of gray.
Unfortunately, however, those curtains of gray soon caught up with me, despite my weather app’s assurances that no more rain was to come that day.
It poured.
I mean, it poured.
First I took shelter under a tree, for about 15 minutes. It provided a surprising amount of protection from the rain, but certainly not 100%. I knew that time was marching on. After having messaged my host that I would arrive about 5:00, he had reminded me that he would be leaving for a community bike ride at 5:30. He had invited me to join him, but after the day of cycling, and starting to feel rather damp, I was thinking I would sit it out.
While I waited under the tree, I was very aware that time was ticking.
I decided to press on, even though the rain hadn’t stopped yet. It was no longer pelting, and I could see the curtain of gray slowly moving forward. I was willing to gamble that it was almost over.
I pedaled out from under the tree, into a long stretch with no shelter.
That’s when the sky really opened up.
I was pounded by huge raindrops. They were getting behind my glasses and stinging my eyes. My rain gear proved a weak match for nature’s force. Gahhh! These were not my preferred cycling conditions.
I finally reached a freeway overpass, and some blessed shelter. As I stood there and tried to use my phone—with no effect because the rain wouldn’t let the touchscreen sense my fingertips—I noticed another bedraggled cyclist. I struck up a conversation: turns out he was cycling straight across the US, from San Diego to Maine, over the course of two and a half months. That is hardcore!! I was very impressed. He said he lives in Denver, and we talked about my hope to bicycle around Denver and Boulder at some point. I wondered if I should try to make that happen in October. (Would it already be too cold for my taste by then? I bet the aspens would be spectacular…)
When the rain finally let up again, we went our separate ways. It was already 5:30, and my host called me to work out what we would do. I was thoroughly drenched; there was no way I was going to join the ride. He agreed to give me the code to his place so I could let myself in after he left, since he wouldn’t be returning until after 9:00. I was very grateful.
A passerby stopped me as soon as I got off the phone, to enthusiastically endorse my bike-and-trailer combo: “You got it, girlfriend!! I want to do that too!!”
I smiled, although my squishy shoes were reminding me of that miserable day when I rode for hours in a soaking rain from Ventura to Moorpark, California, back in December.
As I pushed off to finish the last four miles, I soon found that I was now also having mechanical trouble: my left-hand shifter didn’t let me shift into the low/default gear. I had to use the higher gear. I could somewhat compensate by using the right-hand (internal-hub) shifter, but my heart sank with yet one more new obstacle. Was there a Brompton dealer in Buffalo? I didn’t think so. (I later confirmed: no.) Probably another bike shop could handle it, though… but this was a lot to deal with after a very complex day, when I was still drenched.
I continued forward. At least the rain had finally stopped.
When I arrived at the house, I was thoroughly impressed with its appearance. In fact, I noticed many such huge, amazing Victorian houses in the neighborhood.
It was a challenge to carry everything—wet—up to the attic turret. It took at least four trips up the three flights of winding stairs.
But I made it, and I relaxed as best I could.
I got a phone call from a friend, and after a few hours, my host and his girlfriend returned from their ride. (They had entirely avoided the rain!)
It turns out that my host works for Reddy, the Buffalo bike-sharing company! What a small world, after my visit with Kevin McLaughlin of Zygg the other day in Toronto.
Today I had a few more obstacles, including plumbing issues and a maddening series of challenges finding Wifi. I finally found it here at the second library branch I tried; the first was closed on Tuesdays.
Meanwhile, I plan to board the train after midnight tonight for an overnight trip to Chicago, immediately followed by an afternoon train to Ann Arbor.
With all my internet challenges, I haven’t found a host in Ann Arbor yet. I’m doing my best to trust life, and to relax and appreciate each moment, rather than freaking out or getting cranky, though I admit I have not been entirely successful in that goal.
Life does keep offering me magic, though… yesterday after my crying jag and dreaming/planning session, I checked my phone to find that a new friend had just sent me a generous donation, “for a hotel or scrumptious vegan snacks.”
Wow.
People are amazing. We are all in this together, aren’t we?
(Oh, one more edit: I just now see that I did get a Warmshowers hosting offer in Ann Arbor! The magic happens when it happens. I just need to trust it.)
Thanks again to all of you for following me, and joining me, on my journey.
—
Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a one-hour phone or video call with me!
Want to be notified of future blog posts? Use the green “sign up” button to subscribe!
Want to support my vision financially? I am in the process of manifesting $50,000 in lieu of a “salary” for the year of this journey. You can make a one-time or monthly contribution, or even become a Fairy Godfunder! (Heartfelt thanks to all my patrons and supporters!)
I woke up very early this morning in Toronto, and buttoned up the apartment that had been so kindly loaned to me for my four nights there. I biked to the train station, bidding farewell to a beautiful Lake Ontario in the early morning light.
The train ride was pretty uneventful, but with some nice scenery. It was a bit odd: I had tried to book an Amtrak train, but wasn’t able to make it work in their reservation system, so I decided to book a Canadian ViaRail train instead. But when I got out to the platform to board, I saw that it actually was an Amtrak train after all! Interesting…
When I disembarked in Niagara Falls, Ontario, I bicycled from the train station to the falls, but I passed a small park on the way with a cool sculpture of a water molecule, made in 1967 for Canada’s centennial.
I pedaled along the aptly named River Road… and before you know it, lo and behold, there was an enormous waterfall! (And then another one right next to it!) I spent some time just marveling at these feats of nature, and meandering down the sidewalk to see it all from different angles.
I briefly considered getting on one of the tourist boats, or taking a zipline with a view of the falls, but decided to save my money and the wait time; there were long lines for both, and I also wondered what I might do with my rig while enjoying such excursions.
Just seeing the falls was cool enough for me.
I then crawled my way across the Rainbow International Bridge, which took about twenty minutes as I got in line with the auto traffic, per the posted instructions for cyclists.
I crossed the border without incident, and then made my way into Niagara Falls State Park in New York, which offered different views of the falls.
The whole thing was really cool. I’m so glad I finally experienced this amazing natural international landmark.
I then moseyed over to my hotel, along the riverfront bike path. It’s a decent hotel, and I was able to get it without a cash outlay by using credit card points.
Tomorrow is supposed to be quite rainy, which is unfortunate since I will be bicycling several hours to reach Buffalo. I’m thinking of stopping to visit the carousel museum, which I just learned about today from my awesome friend Mimi, who grew up in Buffalo.
Here’s hoping for some breaks in the rain tomorrow while I ride!
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Today was lovely. After a lazy day yesterday enjoying the beach and some nearby restaurants, I got another nice slow start this morning, but also good news shortly after I arose: my COVID test was negative! I don’t know how long this has been the case; I hadn’t re-tested since my positive result on July 6th. Today was my 11th day since the start of my symptoms, so I felt confident I wasn’t contagious… but it felt extra good to see it in “black and white.” I still have a few lingering symptoms (which I always do for a week or two after a cold) but mostly, I’m back, and feeling good.
This afternoon I wanted to see the Toronto Islands, which must be reached by ferry. Several people had suggested that I should see them while I was in town, and I’m glad I went.
But first, I wanted to meet up with someone in person whom I hadn’t spoken to in more than twenty years, and had never met before… but our talks at that time had given me my first inkling that I would like to visit Toronto someday.
Kevin McLaughlin was the founder of AutoShare (1998) a then-independent car sharing company which is now part of Enterprise Rent-a-Car. Back when I worked for CarSharing Portland (also founded in 1998, by my then-boss Dave Brook, and now part of Zipcar) we had a few conference calls with Kevin about the operations of the two companies, which were similarly sized and structured.
Kevin now manages his new startup, Zygg, an e-bike subscription service with offices in Toronto and Vancouver. I stopped by the office for a brief chat to reminisce about car sharing’s nascent days, as well as the present and future of urban mobility. Keep an eye on Zygg: expansion plans are in the works!
After our meeting, I biked down to the ferry dock, where three ferries depart at regular intervals to take foot- and bike passengers over to the islands.
After disembarking, it was cool to sit on a bench at the beach on Ward’s Island, and look over at the city across the water.
I spent the better part of the next hour cycling a beautiful path to another ferry dock at Hanlan’s Point, where I caught a return boat, then bicycled back to my apartment in The Beaches at the end of the evening.
I have one more full day here. Looking forward to whatever unfolds!
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Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a one-hour phone or video call with me!
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Want to support my vision financially? I am in the process of manifesting $50,000 in lieu of a “salary” for the year of this journey. You can make a one-time or monthly contribution, or even become a Fairy Godfunder! (Heartfelt thanks to all my patrons and supporters!)
My dream of traveling by train in Canada came true today! (I’m doing my best to overlook that it cost me $149 Canadian, for an aisle seat with no view, on a train with no café car, and that it also required me to disassemble the rig more than I prefer to. On the plus side, I walked into the station and was able to buy a ticket on a train leaving within half an hour, and they even gave me pre-boarding privileges and a helping hand out to the train with all my stuff.)
This morning I packed up all my things from the empty house in Ottawa, and my “hosts” came by to say goodbye and chat just a bit in the driveway before I embarked.
When I did embark, the bike ride to the station took me just under an hour, and I was once again impressed by Ottawa’s bikeway network: most of that ride was on lovely off-road paths. I definitely need to return and ride much more of their bike network at some point, maybe next summer.
The train ride was scheduled to last just under five hours, but due to delays, it ended up taking closer to six. I do wish I had had a window seat, especially when Lake Ontario first came into view! But I think it’s safe to say the ride was more pleasant than it would have been on the bus, and the midday timing of it was also much more pleasant.
When I arrived in Toronto, it took me a while to reassemble everything, and by the time I started on the also-about-an-hour ride to my new place (also currently unhosted, though not empty—my host is on vacation) some rain had begun to fall. Fortunately I had expected it, and my gear was sufficient to keep me comfortable.
My host lives in the neighborhood called “The Beaches,” right near the lake. What a cute neighborhood (even with a frequent-service streetcar right on the street) and so awesome to be so close to the beach! The next three days are forecast to be sunny. I’m looking forward to exploring Toronto, and also enjoying some private downtime that isn’t overshadowed by COVID symptoms.
It’s getting off to a good start: the small grocery store two blocks away was carrying vegan Ben & Jerry’s for only $3.99 per pint (Canadian!)
Looking forward to more of this city.
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Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a one-hour phone or video call with me!
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Want to support my vision financially? I am in the process of manifesting $50,000 in lieu of a “salary” for the year of this journey. You can make a one-time or monthly contribution, or even become a Fairy Godfunder! (Heartfelt thanks to all my patrons and supporters!)
My symptoms are mostly gone. My nose/throat still has a bit of “congestion feel,” and I do cough sometimes. My energy definitely is still lower than normal. But I don’t feel achy or miserable, and I no longer need to keep tissues within reach. On Day 8 now, I think I’m on the mend.
I moved out of the guesthouse the day before yesterday, into the vacant home kindly offered by a friend of a friend of a friend whose family had just sold the home. They set up a cot for me, and provided some dishes, linens, and toiletries. The house has been a wonderful place to convalesce. I will be there one more night, before taking either the train or the bus to Toronto tomorrow.
I say “there” rather than “here,” because sadly the one downside to the house is a lack of wifi. I quickly blow through my phone plan’s daily data allotment, so I have been walking to the nearby library, about 20 minutes away, to use the internet. (Of course I’m masking here in the library to be extra careful, but according to Ottawa’s public-health guidelines, I believe I have not been contagious since yesterday or the day before.)
Last night and today we had rain, sometimes heavy, and even thunderstorms. Luckily my data held out today just until the rain stopped, although the sky is looking like there might be a bit more before I head back.
Meanwhile, you will recall a wonderful woman named Beverley who was bringing me all the food. I still have so much food left from what she has brought! (Those two bags on my handlebars are full of food.) She felt comfortable yesterday—with extra precautions such as masking, distancing in the car, and windows down—to take me on a tour of Ottawa. It was so cool! I’m so glad I got to see at least a glimpse of this city before moving on. It is more lovely than I had imagined, so I’m definitely putting it on my list to return and explore more fully.
We went to Parliament Hill and saw various government buildings, which were breathtaking! Then we drove through some beautiful neighborhoods, and stopped at Rockliffe Overlook, which was beautiful at sunset. (That’s Quebec across the river.)
Then, we actually crossed the river, into Gatineau. Once again, all street signs were in French. It was a beautiful area with lots of nature. She took me into the edge of the Gatineau Hills, including a beautiful huge nature park with endless hiking and biking trails. Apparently both Ottawa and Gatineau are very good with bike infrastructure. I’ll have to come back and visit both.
My time in Ottawa has been surreal, to say the least. But the kindness I have encountered from locals has been incredible.
That kindness continues in Toronto: I have one friend helping me to possibly get a free hotel for my first night (since I’ll be arriving around 9 pm) with her hotel points… and then another new-to-me person is allowing me to stay in her vacant place while she is on vacation. The dreams I wrote about the other day are rapidly coming to pass, and it feels so gratifying and wonderful on multiple levels.
Thanks for following along on this journey with me.
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Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a one-hour phone or video call with me!
Want to be notified of future blog posts? Use the green “sign up” button to subscribe!
Want to support my vision financially? I am in the process of manifesting $50,000 in lieu of a “salary” for the year of this journey. You can make a one-time or monthly contribution, or even become a Fairy Godfunder! (Heartfelt thanks to all my patrons and supporters!)
