Changing Plans. Yes … Already. Mildmay, ON to Allenford, ON
Sun comes up, it’s Tuesday morning.
On the upside, there was breakfast. A delicious breakfast which included fresh eggs. VERY fresh eggs. Practically direct from the chicken. Side note: I had no idea egg shells come in a variety of colours – naturally, not like at Easter! Who knew? I know, I know … probably most people. I’m not always the brightest bulb in the drawer, uh … well, you know.
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I’m no expert on gardens,
but this looks impressive.
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- Drying my tent. I guess you could say I’m doing my “dew” diligence.
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- Ready to roll for another day.
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- Did I mention I love my bike?
My goal for the day was the Trillium Wood Campground, north of Sauble Beach, and about 110 km from my starting position. It was a beautiful morning for a ride – even though I’m still not nearly in shape for all the cycling that lies ahead of me. I’m hoping muscle memory will kick in soon because being tired at the end of every ride will be, well … exhausting.
I was about 25 km into my ride when the plan for the day changed. I was pedalling along, about 10 km north of Hanover, when I saw a car parked on the shoulder and the driver standing behind said car, looking in my direction. I assumed he was looking at my bike, because … well, it’s a nice bike. As I got close he started to flag me down to stop. I thought that was a bit odd but hardly the strangest thing I’ve encountered on the road.
Moments later I stopped and I met Dan. Turns out Dan (and his wife Donna) are Warm Showers hosts in the area. Now, by “in the area” I mean his place was still about 45 km away. But, after talking for a few minutes, I decided that cutting my day short (by about 35 km) would be a good idea. And so, Dan gave me some very detailed – and very accurate – directions and we parted company.
The long, but not winding road.
Anyway, not long after reacquainting with Dan, we were sitting on the back deck, talking travel and cycling, and enjoying burgers fresh off the grill. Yes, cutting the day short was a good idea. A VERY good idea.
After lunch, Dan and I got in the car and went for a tour of the area – which included showing me which route I should take to Sauble Beach when I hit the road again tomorrow. Upon arriving at Sauble Beach (after stopping at Dairy Queen) we headed over to the beach. It was pretty much deserted. The other thing I realized is that I don’t think I’ve ever been to Sauble Beach – at least, not that I have any recollection of such a trip.
After the tour, we returned to the house and the rest of the evening went as you might expect. There was food, beer, cookies, and a lot more talk of travel and cycling. We also looked over some maps to determine the best route for tomorrow’s ride to Tobermory. Dan even checked the winds for tomorrow and it looks like they may actually be favourable. Here’s hoping!
Today’s Totals:
Distance travelled: 69.09 km
Ride time: 3:22:08
Average speed: 20.50 km/h
Maximum speed: 47.59 km/h
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