As I rode into Cayuga, Ontario, I noticed a small, bakery/coffee shop establishment and was drawn to it by the aroma of fresh coffee. As I was looking for a way to prop up my bike, I watched a young man and his smiling little girl enter the cafe for a father daughter breakfast. The owner/cook/server greeted me with a warm smile and began asking questions about where I was headed. Jordan and the other young man Adam, were good friends and avid Toronto Raptor basketball fans. (Both Jordan and Adam we’re headed to Toronto on Monday to watch the parade celebrating the Raptor’s NBA championship.) All three of us chatted about Alaska, the Cayuga area, the NBA and traveling by bicycle. Both young men had grown up in the area, moved away and were now back for good. I asked, “Why did you chose to settle in this tiny town of 1,700 people, and in the middle of Ontario?” Adam smiled while looking at his daughter eat her chocolate zucchini mini muffin and said, “My wife and I have aways dreamed of owning an art gallery, wanted to start a family, and live in an area with lots of outdoor recreation. So living in Cayuga is a life style choice.” Note the word dreamed! Jordan quickly added, “My wife and I came back to work the family farm, but have always dreamed of opening a restaurant with produce and meat from our farm. The Carolinian Cafe will be celebrating it’s one year anniversary this summer!” Note the word dreamed again. Anyone, regardless of age, physical limitations, or employment status is capable of “Dreaming and Doing!” Thanks Jordan and Adam for the time you gave me, the insights on life in Cayuga and for believing in yourselves and your talents to make your dreams come true.

“Gold is just a windy Kansas wheat field…” John Denver (My all time favorite singer.) The above is not Kansas, but a wheat field outside Tillsonburg, Ontario. A single photo cannot capture the enormity and beauty of this wheat field. On the other side of the roadway was a field of corn just as vast and gorgeous! Oh, the beauty of the Ontario farmland is breathtaking!

“Back in the US, back in the US, back in the USS … Oops, terrific Beatles song, but wrong country! I am back in the United States in the town of Port Huron, Michigan, and once again my ever present Guardian Angels were looking out for me. My plan was to cross the border via the Sombra ferry, but I neglected to do my research on ferry travel into Michigan. The Sombra ferry suspended operations last year, which meant I had to pedal to Sarnia, Ontario to cross back into the States. The Bluewater Bridge which connects Canada to the US is a car/truck only bridge, and according to the internet, crossing over via bicycle is problematic, at best. Enter Mike and his Bluewater Bridge Authority truck. Outside the town of Sarnia I had stopped riding and called a few numbers I had found on the internet. Within minutes Mike returned my call and said, “Once you get to the Ontario Travel Information office, call me back and I’ll meet you there.” Mike met me, helped load my bicycle onto his truck, called the US Custom’s office, and drove me over the bridge to Port Huron, Michigan! Instead of waiting in a long line of vehicles, Mike pulled into an empty “Bus Only” lane where a friendly US agent looked at my passport and said, “Welcome back to the US.” I thanked Mike for his kindness, shook his hand, took the above photo and watched him drive back to Sarnia, probably to assist someone else! Thank you so much Mike, you saved the day!  Thanks also to all the warm, friendly and helpful Canadians I met as I pedaled through magnificent Ontario! I will long remember the sights, sounds and warmth of the people of Canada!

The next post I write will describe in detail the absolute best day of my Journey so far! How’s that for a teaser?

As always, Greg