We are in Moncton New Brunswick to visit Rick Snyder the owner of Mike’s Bikes. He has owned the company for 11 years and he built this beautiful store 3 1/2 years ago.

The store has two levels. You can’t help but wander up the staircase to discover more cycling goodies. The break room on the second floor has a low window. Relaxing you can easily look out and see the fire pit below with chairs around, waiting for friends to cozy up to the fire. The cycling path runs right near the store as well. A great way to get into the city. The lovely paintings are by Bridget who is in the photo below. Also they are for sale!

This evening we are off to the restaurant, “Catch 22.” On the left is Bridget, she handles graphic design and promotions for Mike’s Bikes and painted the beautiful paintings above.  On her left is Steve. He is the Store’s manager and Bridget’s sweetie. On Jim’s left is Rick and beside him is his wife Heather. If was interesting to talk with her. She is a counselor for grades K thru 5. How she is able to help these young children to get through issues is really amazing.

Mr. Jimmy got bibbed up, just in case the lobster got away from him. It was a great evening. Jim’s words of wisdom inspired them all, along with some of his great sayings. It was fun to watch them smile. In the bar one last group photo and how fitting, the Vuelta (the Pro race in Spain) is on the screen behind us.

Tomorrow we are off to Nova Scotia to visit Oak Island.

Oh No, the Tide is coming in! No wait the Tide is going out! The Bay of Fundy is how we got ourselves up this far north and east. Gotta see the tides.

We have been fortunate on these transfer days without much rain. We watched it swirl all around us as we moved on to Fundy. Love the moose warning signs All along the roads there are signs for moose and deer.

Getting to the Fundy National Park was flawless. We were pleased with our location. Easy access to the city of Alma and all the tide sites you would ever want to see.

Settled in camp now it’s time to head into the bustling town of Alma. From a lookout point in the park we have a beautiful view of the city. If you look hard there is a rainbow. Well, the tide it out. The boats have nowhere to go. We would learn later on that these particular boats do not go out this time of year. From the first of October to the second week of January they will be out at sea. Now the boats are worked on and readied for the up coming season.

Dinner at the Tipsy Tails and Mitchell suggested an awesome Lobster Mac&Cheese. The next morning we saw Mitchell at the campsite. He works for the park as well.

On our way to Cape Enrage. The rocks on this beach were facinating. They are all flat and smooth. Getting to the Cape this coastline changed around in each bend in the road.

On the GPS we reach the end of the road. The song playing on the radio was the Beatles, “No Where Man.”  Cape Enrage is one of the oldest names in New Brunswick dating back to 1686. The light house was built in 1840. It was moved 3 times because of erosion. The Canadian Coast Gaurd automated it in 1972. In disrepair a school teacher Dennison Tate and his wife, Anne campaigned to restore it in 1992. Now at 125 feet the lighthouse flashes a green light every 6 seconds and can be seen for 11 nautical miles. Foggy conditions the fog horn blast three 2-second blast every 6 seconds. The fog will also trip a continuouly beaming detector light. The other building was the light keepers home. Actually a duplex. Two families lived there and worked in the light house in shifts. It is now a resturant.

Same boats just add water. The tide is coming in.

Just across the road from our campsite is this view of the Bay. It really is beautiful to watch.

The famous Hopewell Rocks. These are known as the flower pot rocks. They all have vegetation growing on top of them. The Bay of Fundy is funnel-shaped wide and deep at one end and shallow at the other. The tides get higher as they are pushed up the bay. The gravitational pull of the sun during new and full moon phases is stronger than usual and results in stronger higher tides. It happens twice every 25 hours. By the time the tides reach the rocks they are over 4 stories high.

Crawling around on the rocks. Jim thought it would be a great short cut.  Where we walked it was amazing how solid the beach was. No squishy sand.

The sign lets you know with it’s warning that the tides are quick and you needed to be mindful of them. Walking the path we ran into our friends from Toranto. Rana, Jet and their families. They have been been on Prince Edward Island and now here and then headed home. The girls had just been kayaking now they were headed down to the rocks. Somewhere along the way they decided that Jim’s name was Randy! So Randy it is!

We got a new neighbor. His name is Steve and is in the Canadian Special Forces. He is a sniper. Filled  with lots of stories and he always had a great smile.

Our mission today is to see the same rocks at high tide. It was great to catch it just before it reached to high water line. That is the darkened part along the rocks. It was hard to imagine we were walking und those arches.

Good name for a Cafe  near the bay. These are two mushrooms just growing in the grass.They were huge.

Another morning and the tide is definitely out.

There are many ways to camps. A Casita in a mesh tent. And a camper you can pull behind a motorcycle.

Having a last meal at the Tipsy Tails we told Norma Jean, the waitress that we hadn’t had any luck seeing a moose so how about a beaver. She suggested we go to the pond at the entrance of the park. There is a beaver family there. Well, we didn’t see any beavers but we did find their Dam and trees they fell.

Riding our electric bikes into town we explore some of the roads behind the Main Street. The roads were so steep. Even with the assist it was not an easy climb. The views were really great.

As far as you can see there are stacks and stacks of lobster traps.

We ride over to Alma’s lobster shop for lunch. Everything lobster happens there. It was quite tasty too. That is the jaw bone of a Fin Back Whale lying on the ground.

There are many trails in the Fundy National Park. We were so busy seeing rocks and tides we were fortunate there was a trail right at the end of our camp site. Doogie once again loves walking trails. The squirrels here really enjoyed him. They would eat nuts on the picnic table, on top of the fire pit, the best place the steps of the trailer.  A beautiful evening sky for our last evening.

We are off to Moncton New Brunswick to see Steve Snyder who owns Mike’s Bikes there.

It will be an easy drive to Quebec City. As we drive to Monteal which Ron and Michelle gave us directions to avoid the main roads. Unfortunately we looked at them just as we passed the exit we needed to take. The good thing is the traffic moved slowly and very smooth. The highway to get across the St. Lawrence is a combination of bridge and tunnel. The tunnel was started in 1963 and opened in 1967.  Because it would have disfigured  the city with a huge bridge and would have destroyed a neighborhood the tunnel was built. Sections were 15ft. and weighed 32,000 tons. The total length is 1.1mi. long. 120,000 vehicles a day or 44 million a year pass through. Wow!

Traveling we find dog parks is one of the best ways to end the day. Finding this one, the people who own it were amazed that I did. Called Pein-Air Canin, the owners teach Agility and have wonderful walking paths through the woods. Oh and a really nice steam.

We get back to camp and we have neighbors. Jim watched them as they set up camp and noticed some confused expressions. It was their first time RV camping ever. He was able to get them settled in and answer a lot of question. They promised to come over later and celebrate their accomplishments.

Everyone is up and getting ready to go. Well, Rana, Jet and their families. They are headed to Prince Albert Island and the Bay of Fundy? However the boys are moving a little slow. Something about some bad fruit.

Jim and I are headed to the old city of Quebec. Going by the Quebec bridge. The bridge was opened in 1919. The bridge collapsed twice once in 1907 and again in 1916. The center span of 1,800 feet is the longest cantilevered bridge span in the world. Besides that it’s just pretty cool.

Finally we’ve made it to the Old City. Wow we are back in a village in France. Everything is French, right down to the Bruskers entertaining on the streets. Quebec City is a walled city. From 1608 to 1871 when the English took over the city they started  fortifying the walls. The Citidael is the heart of it and is the largest British fortress in North America.

It’s a chilly day a great one just to look around and be a tourist. We found an Inukshuk made of Canadian Jade. Just had to take it home. Inukshuk means likeness of a human. The traditional meaning is “Someone was here.” or “You are on the right path.”

This is the Pierre Laporte Bridge it is 660ft. West of the old Quebec Bridge. It’s claim to fame is it is the longest main span suspension bridge in Canada. It opened in 1970. The sun popped through the clouds, made a bright spot in the river.

Today with cycle path map in hand we are on an adventure. Getting away from the campsite we get a great shot of the Quebec bridge. Just to make sure we were on the right track we stopped these two fellows. Boy, were we off. The fellow with the back pack got us in the right direction.

Following the road we had to stop for a cappuccino and a muffin. That is tradition. Finally the cycle path.

The huge tanks on the right are holding tanks for fuel. The red structure crossing above the path move fuel up into the city. I only know this because I stopped this fellow the next day who told me what it was all about. It was funny when he told me about the pipes over the path. He said,”I don’t know where it goes after that.” That is the old city across the St. Lawrence River.

All along the path there are places to relax and differences sculptures to discover. I could not resist the blue house with the blue truck.

The tanker at the top is one that helps fill that big painted tank up. The graffiti in the tunnels are really colorful.  Jim at one of the cycle path signs . Many choices are out there.

Today at the dog park we went a different way and found this stream. Just what the Doogie ordered.  This little hut was there a well. Seemed to need some TLC. Headed back to start the  hawk up in the tree flew over our heads and up.

This morning we are headed to the old city via the ferry. Construction outside our campground keeps this guy busy. I believe this is what St.Nick does in the off season. We stopped at the Cycle du Pont bike shop to get some tires for my bike. Phillipe owns the shop. He gave us tee shirts when I told him where we were from and also I wanted to take his photo. The car below is pulling a little camper and I mean little.

On the way to the ferry we passed these bird houses and the fire hydrant has a marker above it for the winter when the snows get high. Fortunately  I won’t be around to get a photo of that. Above is Nancy who sells tickets for the ferry. She wouldn’t speak English for us. She did smile and giggle a lot while we tried to get her to slip and says something in English.

Got tickets! Now how to get on the ferry. While waiting we talked with this fellow, John Claude Rheaume. He rides every day from beyond the Quebec Bridge, crosses on the ferry and rides home. 28K. He rides or 17.3 miles. The sculpture of magnets is outside the boarding area for the ferry.

Bikes on board and passing another ferry along the way. I could not resist these ladies taking in the view. Ok it’s an old photo.

Not real sure about this guys story. I’m sure he is a friend of Captain Jack Sparrow’s. Love the matching scooters. The local market was quite busy for the middle of the week. Lunch at the Buffet de Fantiquaire which has been here for over 40 years.

One last walk at the dog park we ran into Nancy who owns the park. With her two poodles. Doogie with Nancy’s husband, Michel. They also have this muddy little wire haired terrier. They train agility and also judge for competition.

One of the interesting things about RVing is there are constantly new neighbors. This is Marion and Ken. They lived not far from where we are camping. They were fun with lots of information and tips on what to see and do. One place they told us about was the Isle de Orleans across from the Old City Quebec. It would be a great place to ride. Tomorrow was our last day here so it became our new adventure for tomorrow.

Up and on the road on Isle de Orleans. One of our first observations was there are quite a few vineyards here. One after another. The road was smooth and wandered through tree covered areas. Big fuel tanker headed up the river.

Picking time for strawberries and harvesting wheat in the fields.

These transformers have huge springs on them. We decided it must be for the winds here, most likely in the winter.The thing about this area is there is not a shortage of hill climbing. Thank goodness for descents. Gosh what a neat barn.

We found this beautiful place for lunch and it was a museum for this area as well.

Across  the way from where we ate lunch I saw this cage. I thought it was an aviary. Closer inspection and story board I found out it was a fish weir specially to catch eel. The eels are born in the Sargossa Sea near Bermuda Islands. They finish growing in the St.Lawrence River and Lake Ontario. When they mature they go back to where the were born.

This area was known for ship building and repairs. The wooden structure was part of the hauling system to get boats out of the water. They would lubricate it with fish oil.

It’s always flat before the climb. A dairy farm up the hill with a stream running down to the St. Lawrence on the other side.

Dang, this climb won’t end. The girl at lunch told us it was flat. Yeah, right, in a car maybe. It was really an awesome ride. Just after this barn the descent started. Just as we picked up speed there was a sign that said 14%. I didn’t stop to get a shot of that.

Back to the beginning along the way a strawberry stand, happy cows. Oh yes and one more barn! Headed back across the river from the island we spotted this water fall.  Quebec City and all around has been fun. The cycling was more than we expected. What a great time. Tomorrows destination The Bay of Fundy. Going to  see the Bay and it’s famous Tides is what made our decision to travel this direction this summer. Should be interesting. To be continued……

 

 

On our way to Ottawa to visit our great friends Ron and Michelle Barton. We met them on a tour of East Texas in 2002. Since then we have been with them on tours in the Hill Country of Texas, Italy, England, Ireland and last year Germany. We are excited to ride with them in Their home town Ottawa.

Settled in at Rideau Heights RV Park, Jim notices this little animal out our back window. It’s a Canadian Beaver.

Doogie and I are on our exploratory walk. This is an old Steam pump engine out side of Drummond Oil offices next to our park. We walked in the office and they told us about it. It was used to pull farm equipment.

We decided to dine at Jack Astors tonight. Great description for their South of the border burger.

We set out to explore Ottawa. We found the Rideau Canal. Completed  in 1936, it is the best preserved canal from the North American canal building era. Originally was intended as a a military’s supply route between Montreal and Lake Ontario, it now is a recreational destination. It is 125 miles long and is also listed on Unesco’s World Heritage List in 2007.

In 1882 this was a railway swing bridge. By 1889 a swing bridge was built for vehicular traffic. 1915 brought the construction of the vertical lift bridge.1979 brought the construction of a new bridge keeping true to the vertical lift and the round turrets with the lift mechanism under the roadway.

Riding under this bridge we encounter locks, 9 to be exact. Talking with a fellow on one of the boats he told us the arrived at the first lock at 4:30pm yesterday and missed the last transfer of the day. He was finally in the next to the last lock up at 1:30. This morning they had let other boats come down the canal. Oh, at the bottom of the locks is the Ottawa River. We crossed over while the lock was filling.

Crossing over the locks I was surprised to see this Celtic Cross. It was a memorial to the 1000 workers and families that lost their lives building the canal

Back at the trailer the pup dogs enjoy the sunshine. Heading out to dinner with Ron and Michelle the streets were filled with fans going to the Red/Black football game. I could not resist the name of this street vendors concession.

We had dinner at the Baton Rouge resturant. Lynn is one of the partners. The way we got to know him, I noticed they offered a Makers Mark Old Fashion. I asked if they could make a Brandy Old Fashion Sweet. Well it took forever to get it. Finally he came by a fessed up. Bartender made 4 that were not quite right. Then Lynn brought him a new bottle of brandy. Which he dropped. He got another bottle and finally it was delivered. He came by to tell the story and told us it was the most expensive Brandy Sweet Old Fashion ever served! 

On Sparks Street we found a chair for King Mr. Jimmy!

This morning we picked up Michelle and Ron and drove to a small town, Kars. The plan is to ride to a town, Merrick. Goodness the landscape makes me feel like we are back in Indiana.

These are couple of Osprey and off to the right side is one of their chicks. They really kept and eye on us.

Above is a lawn mower for the canal. It clears out the vegetation that grows like crazy in the water. The house was built by the Irish Stonemasons  that helped build the canal as well.

Making it to Merrick we stopped to get sandwiches for lunch. It is a bustling little town. The pink bear blow bubbles.

Lunch by the canal. We watched the swing bridge move so the boat could go through.

On the way back to Kars we pass a field full of ponies. The Osprey are up ahead and we also pass their neighbors.

When we get to our destinations I will usually look for a dog park, especially if the area around the camp ground is limited. Well I found Bruce Pit Park. It is awesome. No chain link compounds. Lots of trails and woods. Plus lots of running buddy dogs.

At the back of the park on thefence are flags that talk of the Rainbow Bridge where pets go when they pass. Along the fence people have left tags and other mementos of pets lost.

Ron had a great idea for a rainy day. Let’s go to the Canadian War Museum. The people who first inhabited this area are called the First Peoples. The port hole  was from the ship, Lusitania.  The bike was used by paratroopers in World War Two.

This is a portion of the Berlin Wall. The one side with graffiti faced West. The bare grey wall faced East.

Dinner at Michelle and Ron’s. We meet Marvin who is a very social cat. Notice the tip of his tail. I called it his “ET” tail.They live in a condo in an area of town called the Glebe. The Glebe was originally 178 acres deeded to St.Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in 1837. Glebe means church lands. Across the street is the stadium for  football and other events. From their balcony is this view. Great dinner and conversation. Lovely way to end the day.

Today Ron is taking us on a tour of the city. We start off in front of the Parliament. We went to watch the changing of the guards, but they didn’t show. We never did find out why.  The top picture is the American Embassy. And the statues celebrate women’s right to vote.

Now we are on the Quebec side of the river. The pathways wander all the way through the city.

Stopped for coffee and passed a ground hog along the way. The glass building is a casino and nothing like a little graffiti to dress up a cycle path tunnel.

Making our way back to Ottawa City we pass the Rideau Falls riding along the endless paths of this area.

Oh my gosh, another day of riding. Ron said everyone who came to Ottawa should ride the Gatineau Hills. Ok, we’re in. First thing we head off to the Quebec side of the river.we crossed this bridge that has this counter. Almost 250,000 cyclist have crossed the bridge since the first of the year. Ron was number 983 for the day.Some one passed me before I went by so I became 985. Did I mention the cycle paths here are awesome? We finally start climbing.

Pink Lake was named after Samuel Pink, a woodcutter who donated 100 acres in 1831 that also included a mica mine. 1959 brought the parkway and the lake started to change due to erosion. Unfortunately no water sports happen here. The parkway is great for riding. When we stopped here there was a group of kids on a bicycle adventure.

Finally at the top the vista is marvelous. Mr. Jimmy was glad to be there. Ron says he rides these hills at least once a week. The Gatineau got it name for Nicolas Gatineau, a fur trader. He was trying to raise enough money to go back to France. Unfortunately he  drown in the river in 1683.

 

Once again another cycling adventure through Ottawa. We are riding through the Experimental Farm that is surrounded by the city . 1.5 sq. miles the farm is a national Historic site of Canada. Established in 1886 originally for research in agriculture, which it still does. It is more important for recreation and education.

Thursday is a rainy day. Perfect to get the truck to the dealership where Ron works for service. Also it gave us an opportunity to get ready to travel on Saturday. We passed the Texas Lone Star Grill on our way back to camp. Wow, we gotta go there. Lots of Texas stuff. Even a photo of Texas Long Horns at the Fort Worth Stock Yards. The resturant was established by Val Belcher who played for the Dallas Cowboys in 1977.  Moved on to Canada played for the Ottawa Rough Riders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Fell in love with Ottawa and stayed. Sadly Val passed on September 12,2010.

Sierra is the name of our waitress. One more glass for the trailer. The light fixtures are Corona Bottles!

Meet Fritz, a wonderful cycling friend of Michelle and Ron. Today’s egret the Fritz tour of Ottawa.

Going down new cycle paths we go by one of the many beach along the river.

These are Inukshuk which means “in the likeness of a human” in the Inuit language. Traditional meaning is “Someone was here” or “You are on the right path.” These are made by John Felice Cepreano. In 1986 he started creating them here. All done by hand  and are pruely balanced. Everyday he comes and works. In the Fall they are dismantled for the Winter. John starts again in the Spring.

Back across the river the cyclist counter is tallying today’s riders. We cruise the city and pass by many ambassador’s homes. The house here is Prime Minister Troudeau’s temporary home. The usual house in in need of renovation.

Back at Hog’s Back Park we go our ways. Thank you Fritz for a wonderful personal tour of the city. It is amazing how bikes are such a way of life here.

Our last night in town we meet up with Ron and Michelle to ride the bus to the Market for dinner. It is actually called the ByWard Market. The name came from Colonel By the original surveyor and the district, or Ward. In 1826 two villages Upper and Lower were  established while the Rideau Canal was built. By Wash was where the excess water ran from the canal, “the Lower Village.” In 1827 the first market was built. The history is fun to read about. There are 5 markets in the course of it’s time.

As we strolled through the market I stopped when I saw this. When I read what was written I was surprised nothing more significant was done about it. It is a time capsule that was put there in 1982 it will not be opened till 2132. What I could make of it was it was put in to comemorate the revitalization of the Rideau—ByWard. I hope that they will remember it’s location in 2132, because it surely is hard to notice now in 2016. Maybe someone will see my blog and will inspire them to at least make it readable.

This sculpture was outside the Side Door Resturant where we had a wonderful dinner. Walking back through the market, it was bustling. The car caught our eye. It was as loud as it was bright.

Saying  our goodbyes to Ron and Michelle. They surprised us with a pillow!  We need to add an “S” to Day on the pillow. It was such a great time exploring Ottawa with you and  Fritz. Thank you so much for making time to introduce your beautiful city to us. Safe travels.

 

 

 

 

It is a beautiful morning for a drive to Pembroke. The first thing we notice, hills. Definitely getting hillier.

YAY, we’re here. The campsite is great. Roomy with lots of tall trees. Across a small road the park owns the beach property. We go over to check it out. They have kayaks and canoes we can use. This is going to be fun. Doogie goes out for a test swim.

Up and out the door we go into town to get familiar with it. Looking for the Chamber of Commerce. Walking in an official looking building I asked these two ladies if this was the building. They smiled and said “Oh no, we are the tax office.” Told them we were looking for maps, preferably cycling maps. They sprung into action. Asking where we were from,Lynn, the blond said she had a daughter that lives in Plano Texas and she has been there several times. As we talked we asked about the huge murals painted on the sides of buildings. They gave us a map that follows them. Lynn and Kim said we should see theirs.

Their murals are down in the basement. There they were in the basement with everything they store there. In case you need help figuring who is who. Lynn is they lady in yellow in the first painting. Kim is the one in blue in the second. The guy in the middle is the one who painted the mural.

Cindy led us down to the basement. These panels are some of the others around the basement. Pretty amazing! Back upstairs we found out Lynn’s daughter actually lives in Richardson! Also that Lynn and her husband do not own cell phones. WOW!

The pins Lynn and Kim gave us.

Some of the murals we found around the city.

This is one follows the whole length of the building. The detail of faces are really detailed. We got close,  we thought they were cutouts stuck on the brick. Nope, truly painted on the wall.

This mural was beside a skate park.

The water tower we searched for was beside Tucson’s Tap and Grill. Lunch was really tasty. Back at the “house” we head out to kayak around a little bit. Diggity thought it was better if he just stretched out for another nap and Doogie was game for water sports. Unfortunately no photos. We had fun and Doogie did a whole lot of involuntary swimming as he kept sliding off the front of the kayak. We were all tired puppies by the end of the day.

Diggity wakes up about 5:45 in the morning. Out for our morning walk. It’s nice and cool, however this part of Canada is experiencing a heat wave. Suppose to be a high of 30C or 86F.

Today we head out on the bike. What a surprise the left turn on to Radke Road went up to a 9.5%. Haven’t climbed that in a while. We found a road that took us to Petawawa Point along the Petawawa River. I was surprised to find lily pads growing this far north. Guess I don’t know much about lily pads.

There is a series of trails that connect here. They call it the Emerald Necklace. We happened up on the Millineum Trail in Petawawa. There are Rapids all along this river.

I took this photo not knowing why these women’s names were on this boulder. We Thought they were women who were lost in a terrible bridge wash out. When we got home that evening I looked it up. It was more sad than I would have imagined. These were women from the area who lost their lives because of violence and abuse. A group of volunteers of Renfro county dedicated this memorial December 2012.

Getting back to trailer we made lunch and relaxed a bit. I took Doogie for a swim while Diggity stretched out in the sun. Jim and I took the kayaks out again, sans Doogie.  We paddled for about an hour and a half. It has been so hot here. Our air conditioner is having a fit keeping up with the heat. It was 98 degrees or if your in Canada little over  37 Celsius. It’s been a good day. Time to say “Good Night Mr. Jimmy

Up early with the dogs for a walk, we noticed this funny little dog with big fuzzy feet and a big thick tail. I got the dogs back to the trailer then went in search of the little dog. OMG, it was a porcupine! This was cool. Thinking back the only porcupines I have ever seen were in a zoo, stuffed or dead on the side of the road.

Riding into Pembroke we found a history museum of this area. This museum was very well done. At different places they had recordings where the voices were in character. This is the Astrolabe that Samuel De Lawrence lost on his journey up the Ottowa River in 1613. Well they know he lost it from accounts in his journal. Farmer, Edward George Lee found it while plowing in 1867.

What is a museum without an old bicycle. I think this was one of the first point of sale computer.

A 36 foot canoe and it’s little baby canoe. Made of Birch and sealed with pitch.

After visiting the museum Elizabelle walked us through the church that is still used for services, a school house that was used up until 1956 and a frontier home.

Elizabelle took this photo for us. The machine at the bottom was called a hit and miss. It controlled another machine, if it ran too fast it would cut it’s ignition and then allow it to hit again if it ran too slowly.

Headed back to the trailer we rode pass this food truck.  Boy did it smell good. It was lunchtime too! Can’t get much better than that. Brandon on the left and Terry on the right. When Brandon found out we were from Texas he said, “You should have brought me some BBQ recipes.” I told him he should go down and do a tour of Texas BBQ. By the way on the menu “poutine” is listed.French fries topped with cheese curds and brown gravy? It originated in Quebec. We haven’t tried it.

We had a game plan for Doogie on the kayak. We put a towel on the front and it made a big difference. This time he was able to stay on. We had a great paddle time.  What a fun day.

Back at camp there were some cyclist that came in. Two were riding and one was driving. We met Timo, he was riding in 2014 and crashed, he was unable to finish his trip. This year he started where his ride ended and is finishing the route now. He noticed the Purple Heart plates on Jim’s truck. He brought over a book of his father’s memoirs. His father was Finnish and fought against the Russians back during World War II. This war was called the Winter War.The army unit he was in traveled by bike. He read to us his fathers accounts. Whew, his Dad’s story kept us on edge waiting to hear the next episode. I had to find out why Russia invaded Finland. Seems they wanted to get more space between Leningrad and Germany. Finland was able to defend itself and Russia gave up. There is a lot more to this story. Too long for this blog.

An RV going down Radike Road hill.

Goodness it was a rainy day today. We have been gone this time since May 9th, it has rained all day. We finally ventured out to go to a resturant. The road is Radke Road with the 9% hill. The motor coach headed toward us looks like it it stuck on a wall. Dining at Kelsy’s, Sam was our happy waitress.

This morning the rain gauge was up to 2 inches or 5.2 cm. It will be interesting to see what it is by the end of the day. The forcast is for 100% all day today.

Today the rain was going to continue and with that said we decided to drive into Ottawa to check out our next campsite. we were able to get with Ron and Michelle who we will see again and hopefully will ride with. When we got back to the trailer the rain gauge had gone up to 3 1/4 inches. A beautiful evening ended the day. This was taken out our back window.

That darn Radike hill. It is much more fun to go down. John who works a the camp drew us a map for a great ride. Where we are riding now if you took a pine or cedar incense and smelled it you would be able to relate to the smell of the trees along this road. After all the rain it smelled so fresh.

Great barn with a matching house.

This ride took us to the Algonquin National Park. At either end of the road there is an outfitter shop. When we stopped most of the people there were either canoeing or kayaking opinion the river. The shops were real busy.The one had this worm refrigerator.

Getting a ride in before the rains get there. Nice and chilly and with the map in hand that John made us, plans to go out and ride the era of the route we didn’t cover the day before. Slowly rolling up the road finally close enough to get a shot of this Red Fox.

Following the map closely and still managed a wrong turn. The cool thing about riding a bike, might be lost however you encounter beautiful people and animals along the way.

These roads were awesome! The temperature was getting cooler. By the time Petawawa Road came up it was time to get straight back to the camp. Little sprinkles were dancing on my Garmen screen. Should be a clear day tomorrow. Hopefully we can ride one more time.

2 1/5 inches of rain! This is the map John made for us. You can tell it was folded and unfolded a bunch of times.

On to Ottaw.

Around 6:00 the sun starts its show.  With each moment the colors become more intense.

Leaving the U.S. On to Canada. They don’t allow photos at the border. We did have to pull over so they could go through the trailer. They asked Jim if we had a gun. He said no. The lady border patrol said. “Your from Texas and you don’t have a gun?”  His reply “No ma’am, haven’t owned a weapon since Vietnam.”

Quite a bit of construction on the highway. Because we were going slower it was an opportunity for  Doogie to enjoy seeing things by nose perspective.

Never give up a chance for a good barn photo.

We got settled in at our new campsite in North Bay Ontario. Using the good ole iPhone I found the name of a resturant close by. A wonderful description did not disappoint us. It was a lovely evening in a comfortable setting and great meal. The neon sign is from the original place. It’s sad they said it hasn’t worked for many years.

Checking for routes available in the North Bay I thought I would print up a “mapmyride” route. I printed it, made a que sheet and was not very successful in riding the course. We eventually found a path and were trying to figure exactly where we were when this gentleman rode up. He got us back on route. He gave us the impression we were miles away from where we started. We were only about 6 miles from home. We did get a nice 30 miler in.

Crossing a busy road this is some of the nicest graffiti  I have ever read.                                                                       At this intersection all these kids were crossing the road.                                                     They were out on a bicycle outing.There were about 15.

This morning we took Doogie down to a public beach where he could play in the waves. Chasing the Canadian Geese off was first on the agenda. On to the sandbar and on the atttack. Run Mr. Jimmy!

Jim studied the bike map we got from the Chamber of Commerce. We got on the             Kate Pace Trail. Named for Kate Pace, an Alpine Skier born in North Bay.  She won 6 World Cup medals, 3 Canadian downhill championships and many more accomplishments. She retired in 1998.  The trail ended at the Cranberry Trail that would take us to the city of Callander.

To watch these kids play at the water park was really fun. The blue bucket fills with water then dumps it out…on whoever happens to be brave enough to stand under it. Down the road this version of a riding lawn mower was a great photo op. The gentleman and his wife were sitting up on the porch.

Wow, another gravel road! Along the way we pass these really small ponies. They surely were not interested in us.

Down the Cranberry trail and on to the Kate Pace Trail we got a 40 mile ride in. The weather was cool with a few sprinkles. Great day!

This is Art, our neighbor in the park. He is a welder for gas pipe lines. He and his wife live about 4 hours north of North Bay. He lives in his trailer in the park while he works in this area. It is our last evening here and we invited him to join us at The Owl. We so enjoyed our first evening there. He never knew it was around. His wife is coming down in a few weeks. She will enjoy an evening at The Owl as well.

1993 brought the Heritage railway to North Bay. Rod Johnston and Barry Jacobs in 1999 wanted to add a carousel. They found Edna Scott whose passion was carousels. Volunteers along with woodcarvers, painters and engineers brought the carousel to life. 3 years and 33 horses, a spinning tub and 2 chariots later they had people and businesses that adopted and named their charges.                                                                      It opened on Canada Day July 1,2002. How beautiful it is.

I love comic strips.  It made me smile to find Lynn Johnston’s comic strip characters from “For Better or Worse” on the carousel. She lives in nearby Corbeil and contributed the drawing so the project.

Ah, a beautiful ending to the day. You can walk about a quarter mile from the beach and never go deeper than your knees. The sand bars are so much fun. Watching the families play in the water just made it right.

Tomorrow we head to Pembroke Ontario. Each place is so different, we never know what to expect.

 

It wasn’t a long drive to Sault Saint Marie this is the Michigan side. Headed to Aune Osborn RV Camp Ground.

The next morning we headed over to the Canadian side. When Pat, Shari’s husband found out we were headed here he told us his first job in 1960 and he was there for 6 years on the Canadian side beside the bridge. However the bridge was being built back then.

We googled bike shops and went to one called Velorution. They didn’t have maps of the trail they suggested we take a photo of the big one they had. Wow was that hard to follow. We eventually found a beautiful part of the trail and made our way back to the shop.

Jens owns the shop and was really pumped about it. In fact he put a pump track in beside it.

That evening we dined at a little resturant along the river. While we were eating Jim looked up and saw this ship coming right beside the road. We were actually across the street from one of the locks they have to come through. Later back at our campsite we saw the same ship pass. It is interesting people in the campsite spend the day watching the ships go by. A lot of them call to see how many and when they should be along. On our info sheet from the campsite they have the types of ships and what the signals are when the blow their horns.

At the house you can see the river behind the trailer. A busy morning of hiking and swiming called for a nap.

This afternoon we went on a tour of the Soo Locks. The building above is the Edison Hydropower Plant. Building started in September 1898 finished June 1902. It houses 74 generators under one roof. It is 1,340 feet long. Made of sandstone, the pillars along it’s wall look like lighthouses. One of the oldest plants and still works. The  top floor is empty. For it’s time they they envisioned shops  there. However fear of the electrostatic waves nothing ever came of shops. They only used it once for a large dinner.

Any non U.S. or Canadian ship traveling through the locks are escorted by Tug Boats. The big concrete structure lifts ships out of the water. Every 6 years the hulls of ships are to be inspected.

This our campground from the water.

This is the big lock the ships go through. Fill ‘er  Up!

On the Canadian side there are locks for smaller boats.

 

This house and several along the river are made of sandstone brick. Really very pretty.

Ah yes another sunset. Two for the price of one. Amazing what patience can get you.

Up early Jim is taking Doogie for a morning run.

Taking the ferry over to Sugar Island it’s just about 10 minutes to get there.Not much goes on there only residents. While riding we saw several business that didn’t make it.

Let’s see the vehicle had “Emergency Unit” written on it. The saw blade was huge! The pier had seen better days and best all a gravel road we get to ride on, Yippee!

OMG. I thought it was Dumledore! He was a sarcastic old fellow,funny but sarcastic. There was a reenactment happening on there town square. These people actually camped 3 days recreating the period between 1668-1840.

Today we are going back to Mackinac Island. We land and are ready to take off when a bike patrol guy rode up and told us we could not ride our bikes because they were electric assist. He said the island had not come to a decision on them . He said we could ride them as long as we didn’t use the battery. Okey Dokey.

The carriage house had beautiful carriages. The first harness was from the Vanderbilts and the second was from Anheuser-Busch.

We finished our ride with a great lunch. Back to the main drag to shop around. Jim was locking up the bikes when out of nowhere the bike patrol guy shows up with another patrol fellow and says to Jim, ” I saw what you did.” Jim ask what? He said he saw him turn the bike off. Jim said he couldn’t have because it wasn’t on. Well at one point the other patrol said he could impound our bikes. We told them we would go ahead and leave. He said we would know next time we came. I said not to worry that won’t happen again. Bye Makinac!

Tomorrow we head into Canada and won’t be back in the U.S. till mid September. Jim has been collecting stickers for the inside of the storage door. We hadn’t gotten one for Sault Saint Marie. Into town we finally found one. When we returned to the trailer a cruise ship was traveling by. First one we’ve seen. They go up river to the Indian casinos.

Our last night here we are packed up and ready to travel. Into Canada, Eh?!

 

Iron Mountain MI.  Jim with his Cousin Chris. They haven’t been around each other much, Jim was was 14 when she was born. As we got to know her she was a facinating woman. Quite the horse woman, she’s owned horses most of her life. Riding trails in Montana, Colorado and parts unknown.Also she is the real deal when it comes to hunting. Deer and Elk, wow. Out to dinner with her the night before and then a tour of the city and an iron ore and glider museum.

The Pine Mountain Ski Jump is one of the highest artificially created jumps in the world. It holds the U.S. Records for the longest jump in World Cup competition at 143.5m(459 ft.). In February it host annually jumpers from around the world!

The great iron ore deposits were discovered here in the UP. The Chapin mine was the largest however it had water seeping into it. The largest pump was designed and it pumped 3400 gal. a minute or 5,000,000 gal. a day. The Chalmers plant where it was built is right along the bike path in Millwaukee we would ride into town. Chris told us about the plant. It would be interesting if the plant would erect a sign about their history along the path.

Behind the mine museum is the World War II Glider museum. The Airborne division of the army began with the airdrop on D-Day. Jim’s warehouse manager with Schwinn, Erve Pesick was one of the 101st Airborne paratroopers He has passed, we will always remember his smile and stories. Jim was also part of the 101st in Vietnam Nam.

Ford motor company had a plant here, they started building the “Woody.” Because of the availability of the birch and maple forest.  Then in 1942 production of CG-4A gliders for the war started. They built 4,190 gliders from 1942 to 1945. Only 7 exist today. I always thought of the gliders we see individuals fly around.  The  CG-4A was 48’8″ in length,wing span 83’8″. It could carry 13 troops or quarter-ton truck and 4 troopers. Loaded it weighed 7,500lbs. That’s a whole lotta gliding.

Touring the city with Chris was fun. We invited her to dinner at the trailer. We we thrilled that Paul her husband was able to join us. We got to know him, really a nice fellow. Best part we found out he loves chocolate ice cream!

Heading into Munising MI. That is Lake Superior down the hill.

Wandering Wheels RV Park is where we are camping. We will move around a few times during our stay. Right now we are at the front of the park. Wide open spaces. The evening brings lots of rain, by the morning our rain guage shows 2 1/2 inches.

After a few days we move to another sight back in the trees. Doogie likes to walk out the back window and stand on the tool box and supervise Jim.

A few days after got to Musining we drove around. Jim found a place that rented pontoons. What a great choice he made. A beautiful boat and we packed up a lunch, drinks and dogs in tow and off we were off to see the famous Pictured Rocks. Jim promised Doogie he could drive the pontoon.

Diggity is always just chilling out. Which was easy to do into the wind we traveled.

The rocks come in all colors and shapes .

This arch is probably the most popular place. Jim wanted so much to go through it. However we saw blond water which meant rocks. I’m talking really big rocks under the water. When we were leaving the dock the guy told us ” dark water, green water good, blond water bad. He says you can try it but the boats motors are expensive.”

When we got back to camp these two trailers were there. Boy howdy these People were  serious about their Packers and partying. Anyone who passed they enjoyed inviting them to join them and take a tour of their interesting trailer. It was a little bit of sensory overload. Really nice people.

The next day we hopped into the truck and drove some of the small roads to different hiking areas. The falls are called Miners Falls. We saw the end of it from the pontoon. They outcropping is called the Miners Castle.

Friday Night Fish Fry at the American Legion in Munising.

We moved on to a town called Newberry. We checked it out earlier in the week and decided we would stay as long there. We extended our stay in Sault Saint Marie. Newberry did get us closer to White Fish Point. There is a shipwreck museum there. It sank on November 10,1975. It was the last major ship lost and all on the ship perished.

Up to the top of the lighthouse. Lake Superior doesn’t look all that inviting especially after going through the shipwreck museum. It is on e big lake and you cannot see land out there. Jim makes it to the top and now he gets to go down. Did I mention  he is not fond of heights? Hey the guy jumped out of helicopters in Nam!

Just how deep does the snow get here?!

These are the Tauguamenon Falls. Back in the day the loggers would send logs down this river. A fellow named W.D. Flatt who was a partner in the logging company came out to the falls made a comment that they were losing $2,500.00 a minute in broken timber here, As he watched the logs that were 2 feet square break like match sticks.

We are up early to go to the Oswald Bear Ranch. Right now there are 39 bears there. From Cubs to adults. The ranch is quite large and the Bears have a lot of space. To do all their bear stuff.

Our last night dinner out Dave at the campground told us about the Haywire restaurant. Turn right out of the park go to the blinking light 4 miles out on your right. It was Well worth the drive. Our favorite Walleye, a homemade ice cream sandwich we shared and fresh made pasties to take home. Pasties you ask? Like a pot pie. Back in the mining days it was meat and veggies rolled into a pastry. The miners would keep it under their hard hats to keep it warm for lunch.  The resturant was named after a train that actually ran through this area. Not it’s track is a Snow Mobil multi use track. It runs right beside the resturant. Definitely stop by next time you are in that literally neck of the woods.

Headed back home to the trailer and we will be off to Saulk Saint Marie Michigan. It will be our last stay in the U.S. and we will head into Canada, EH?!

 

Each day I get a daily thought from Real Simple. Traveling keeps more happy thoughts going on till you get set up and get the news on. Whew, there is crazy stuff going on out there. It would be easier to pay forward a kind  gesture or smile.

Whew, that said we have made it to the Millwaukee State Fair Grounds RV Park.

Chris met us the afternoon and off we were to explore Millwaukee. Last year we were here and the one place we didn’t get to visit was Hoyt’s Park. It is so much fun to ride with Chris. I always tell him I so enjoy riding my bike and being totally lost while he guides us through the city. OMG, Hoyt’s Landing! It is a beer garden in the park. How cool is that. Through out the city some of the parks have these beer gardens. Tonight in Hoyt’s Landing there is a fellow playing and lots of people and families enjoying hanging out. A couple of beers and we are on our way.

Today another Chris adventure. Heading downtown to look at the activity for the 4th of July. The Hoan Bridge was too short for the big boats to go up the channel. Jim’s going to scamper up the lighthouse. Oops., it’s locked!

We made it down to the waterfront. These people are serious about setting up camp for the fireworks tonight. They use all kinds of ways to stake their claim on a spot. This kite shop is really a great place and that is the biggest wind sock I have ever seen.

Another park beer garden. This one has a dog park too!

This is a neat area of a town Wauwatosa. It was a little like a European village. The sign really meant it. The bars came down and sure enough here comes the train. Jim and I started pumping our arms up and down. The lady waiting behind us said they can’t blow their horns in town. Well, by golly the conductor did it! Yahoo, I love trains.

We had talked about riding downtown to watch the fireworks. Everyone had obligations for the evening. So Jim and I loaded up chairs, drinks and snacks and road into town. On the lake there are lots of beautiful boats and people wandering around looking for a spot to watch. Summer fest is going on so music fills the air.We met a couple sitting on the bench next to us. Geeze, I wish I could remember their names. As we talked we found out they lived near where we are staying. We asked them if we could follow them out of town we were not sure on the turns to get out of town. The fireworks were wonderful, lots of “Oooh’s and Aaaah’s.” Riding at night the air is cool and there is a peacefulness as we rode home. The kids went on and we stopped at the Twisted Fisherman for a beer. What a great evening.

We did a ride on our own and somehow got back to town. It is official Stephanie and Julian are the proud owners of the restaurant. We are excited for them. It has a great history and really beautiful place. Oh and really good Duck and awesome Old Fashions!

That’s the police boat in the harbor. Bicycles in the flower beds a beautiful.

Suzanne we saw over in Grand Haven. She lives here so we got together and she took us on a ride along the south end of the lake. What a wonderful day. The upper right photo is the set up for the fireworks that were used along that end of the lake.

We were looking for a lunch spot and we told Suzanne about a place we ate with Chris and Mary last year. We come to this intersection and there it was… Groppies! It’s one of those neat old shops where you find things you never knew existed. Their Panini’s are huge. We ate 1/2 of a 1/2 and took the rest home.

This house you just stop and look at it. Every little knook and cranny has something unusual in it. Lot of people stop to take photos. Me too!

We always love to come to Millwaukee to hang out with all the Kegel’s. This year Chris and Mary enticed us with tickets to see and hear Paul McCartney at Summerfest. The venue was small compared to the great big arenas he usually plays. This made it quite special.

Hey Paul! He was soo close. The stage design was all digital and changed constantly. It was quite a show. In rankings it was in our top 3. He talked and brought up a lot of memories with John, George and Ringo. Also his wife Linda who passed and his new current love and wife Nancy. We smiled all the way home. Thank you Chris and Mary for letting us be a part of your evening.

Off to the Coullies to see John,Nance, and Maybell their dog. I love going to their place. You can walk and look and constantly facinating things around their home. Everyone is hanging out at their beach Cay. Their 100+ log home is awesome. A great way to do nothing for a couple of days.

This beach area is called Bubba’s. Music and cool breezes. You learn how to sit still.

Diggity was was our coach on how to chill out. That dog can sleep anywhere. He was changing locations all the time.

We went to dinner with Stephanie and Julian the night before we went to see Paul McCartney. After dinner we stopped by the Swinging Door Tavern. It’s official opening was  December 6, 1933. The day after Prohibition ended. Of course speaking easy it was open before that. We shared stories and drinks and played a bar game with several people who were there that the kids new. There was one fellow there they didn’t know. Seems he is one of the sound techs for McCartney. How cool is that?

Leaving  Millwaukee we are headed to Iron Mountain MI. To visit a cousin of Jim’s, Chris. Still heading north. Bye to everyone in Millwaukee hopefully we will see you next year!😘

 

 

On Thursday getting to South Haven was an easy drive. We got settled in at Jellystone Campground the rest of the family will catch up with us on Saturday. Tonight we will meet some of the family at a bowling alley for a dinner. Uncle Don was there with all of his kids. Others that live in South Haven and Pam from Arizona and Mary Ann were there as well.

Pure Michigan, No Salt, No Sharks! Uncle Don, he is very special. Cousin Kathy’s hip locked up so Uncle Don let her use his  walker to get out to the car.

 

On a program on TV a old guy was talking about the last thing he needed to see was another photo of a sunset. I just don’t get it when I find one like this.

Group photo includes Cam and Jennifer with Maidson and Macy, Jeff and Denise with Amaya and Owen. Tim and Susan enjoying the food. The reunion was at Finville State Park.

Cousin Donny with his wife Patsy        Cousin Pammy and Mary Ann.

Jim’s Sister Shari and brother Mike, Eddie and his son Rylan, Grant and Tracy.

Jim and Donny playing “cornhole” while Amaya, Macy and Owen are spellbound by the competition.

Owen is back to snacking and Boomer, who is Tim and Susan’s Fur Baby of 4 months.

The immediate Hoyt’s stayed over and on Sunday and gathered at the trailer for dinner and breakfast on Monday morning. Cruising and window shopping in South Haven was fun. It is a beautiful lake town.

During our stay at the camp grounds we kept hearing strange calls and all of us said it sounded like a peacock. Jim and I rode down to a house on the corner and found sure enough this pen full of peacocks.

Off to Grand Haven MI. Larry Thon who we know as a great customer and rode with us across the states in 2013 has a summer home there. We look forward to visiting and riding with him and his wife Joy.

The campsite is awesome. We are right along the Grand River. Morning sun, Doogie Dog, a cup of coffee a great way to start the day.

We went to Larry and Joy’s home the night before. The cottage is stacked on the dunes along with others. It is quite a little maze to get to their home with a really steep climb. The next morning Larry, Suzanne, who also rode across the States with us and her husband met up with us and and we had a great ride, 42 miles worth.

After a great ride lunch at Snuggs Harbor! Along the way there were wild turkeys and some high flying tennis shoes on the power line.

The cottage was bought by Larry’s parents in 1959. It is a delight. Each room was an adventure to wander through.

Diggity really doesn’t enjoy having his photo taken. Along with being 15 years old he doesn’t see too well so occasionally I’m able to catch him off guard. On the bed with our dream catcher making sure he only has happy dog dreams.

After dinner we walked down to the beach to watch the sunset. Joy,Suzane, and I walked all the way to the jetty with the light house. There is a catwalk that the light house keepers used to get to the light house during icy,snowy days and also high waves. After the sunset there is a rush hour traffic of boats coming in for the evening.

Jim and I rode again with Larry after a good 30 mile ride we split up. Larry went on home and Jim and I found wonderful gravel roads to get us back to camp. For the last few days Joy got excited about the electric assist bikes we have. Jim went over with our bikes and he taught her how to use the bike I had. Also he tought  her how to get it into her storage area and into her car. She did great! Jim let her know if she would like the bike I had it would be glad to let her have it.

Our last evening we had them over for dinner. It was a perfect evening. Even better yet Joy has decided she wanted the bike! YAY! We struck the deal loaded the bike at the end of the evening and they were on their way home.

The night before Jim realized he had forgotten to get a GH (Grand Haven) sticker. The next morning here comes Joy on her new bike with a sticker in tow. What a great sight to see her “Joy riding” off on a whole new adventure. We are still smiling.🙂

Now we are on our way to se Murph outside of Chicago. Chicago highways are always under construction.

Murph has been Jim’s mentor from the time he worked for Murph at Schwinn Bicycle Co. They go back to the 70’s. At 82 he his still on his bike. We always enjoy getting a ride in with him.

A cool wind chime in Mike’s shop made of bike parts.

When we sold my bike to Joy, Jim contacted our good friend Mike Farrell who owns Prarie Path Cyclery. By golly he would have a bike for me. We met up with him at Murph’s and here rode with us. He ran the Schwinn/Icy Hot cycling team back in the day. That is when Jim first became friends with him. Mary is his partner in the bike business. Out to dinner with them.

Jim was thrilled we got Murphy and Marlene to come out to the trailer and visit. Off to dinner we went to Marango Illionois. It was a wonderful little restaurant. Jim is so good at keeping in touch with family and friends.  Love him for that qaulity. We were ready to get to Millwaukee and visit with the Kegel family and settled down for 12 days.