Oh, Canada!

We marched into Canada this morning. It was quite a sight with 70 riders all in ABB jerseys and attire. As Mike mentioned in his post on the ride site last night, we enter as a group. The bridge is closed (both ways) when we arrive and we're escorted across by a Michigan support vehicle.

The U.S folks were really enthusiastic, cheering and waving as we crossed (maybe they were glad to be rid of us). The Canadians, however, were a bit more reserve -- you know, that stiff upper lip thing.

The bridge was actually a bit tricky to navigate because, as you can imagine, it has some elevation to it and that equates to climbing. In addition, there are two HUGE expansion joints (almost like cattle guards) on each end that you must stop and walk the bike across. The king pins are so large, that if your foot slipped because of the metal cleat on the bottom of your shoe your foot might actually become entangled in the bridge bed.

Once across the bridge, we were met by Canadian customs. Mike shared some his strategy on the timing of our entrance before we left this morning. He wants the "guy" that is just getting ready to get off, rather than the "guy" that is just starting his day. Some riders were questioned individually, while many were processed en mass. Everyone got through in quick order, and we were on our way to tonight's overnight in London, Ontario.

It's funny, Canada looks a lot like Michigan, although crops are not as varied here. It sounds like we'll see more variety tomorrow. The primary crops in this area appear to be corn, soybeans and wheat.

As we ride we see loads and loads of straw being hauled to farms. While we have seen some cattle, including dairy, I have not noticed any hogs.

I find it interesting to see all of this straw, but don't see any hay?

I've also been seeing a lot of wildflowers since Michigan. I wish I were better at identification. The only one I know is "Queen Anne's Lace." There seems to be fields of it everywhere. Is there a market for this stuff?

There are also many small purple / blue flowers along the road and in the ditches. They resemble an Aster. There are many other native flowers that dot the landscape. They are beautiful and a nice distraction as you ride along.

We entered Canada in Sarina, Ontario; and also rode through Watford, Strathroy, Mt Brydges and Delaware.

A small group of us stopped in Delaware for lunch at a small market, and were able to get excellent sub sandwiches at the deli there.

This Canada thing is a little confusing for some of us. As we rode in Delaware today, there was a sign indicating it was 21 km to London. How far is that?

Tomorrow morning the weather station says it will be 18 degrees. That seems a little cold. I didn't bring enough clothes!!

Currency, of course, is also going to be a little bit of a challenge for the next couple of days. While you're able to spend US currency without exchanging it, you will not receive the exchange rate when paying in cash. So, since the US dollar is worth more than Canadian, it makes the credit card advantageous wherever possible.

I finally found Popsicles at the market where we had lunch. Unfortunately, I was already stuffed from eating a sandwich, so I had to pass. Jennifer, the 8 year old rider that is with us, is on the lookout for me after she told me she had found Popsicles at the Shell station at today's SAG. I wonder if it's inappropriate to use my credit card to buy a Popsicle??

~ Lisa