Day 71: Guelph, ON -> Grimsby, ON

Date: Tuesday, July 25, 2023
Start: Guelph, ON (Staying with a friend)
End: Grimsby, ON (Staying with a friend)
Distance: 81km

I woke up early because I had promised French toast for breakfast.  I set about whipping up the ingredients and once everyone came down I set to cooking.  I don't want to toot my own horn, but it was pretty great :D

Once breakfast was over it was time to start saying goodbye.  First it was Patrick leaving for work.  Once I'd packed, it was Mireille off to an appointment.  After they'd both left I bundled all the gear onto the bike and it was my turn to be off.  I stopped and admired their home and all they've accomplished.  With a deep sigh - sorry for another parting - I set off down the street.

I didn't get too far though.  I think to help soothe my sadness I stopped in for one last stop at With The Grain (that bakery from a few days back).  I grabbed a jelly donut and something else that must have been forgettable....because I've forgotten what it was IT WAS A PECAN TART!  The jelly donut was - again - something else!

Snacked up, I set off.  I rode through Guelph and admired all of the beautiful stone buildings and parks.  Known as "The Royal City" it doesn't disappoint for parks and beauty.

The goal for the day was Grimsby, Ontario and another reunion with an old university friend.  It would mean about 80km of biking through countryside and city.  I was happy to do both!

After heading down a busy road I turned off onto a country road and bounced through the countryside.  Primarily fields of corn and wheat went by, and they were punctuated by old stone farm houses.  This is a more densely populated part of the country though, and the further South I rode the more that fields gave way to newer and larger homes on beautiful properties.  I'm sorry to say that I didn't take many pictures of this section.

I crossed several highways and through small towns and counties.

At some point I emerged just north of Burlington, Ontario which is one of the many cities that extends off of Toronto.  A pretty serious storm has just passed over because everything was utterly drenched.  It was so recent that the water was still draining off the streets and a thick steam was rising as it evaporated.  I hadn't felt a single drop where I'd been and must have missed it by less than a minute.  The sun shinning down, I biked on...

Google took me though residential areas, new suburbs, and sprawl.  But this led me to a regional pathway that spit my out at the edge of Lake Ontario and the waterfront of downtown Burlington!  From here it was all paved paths to Grimsby!

I stopped to appreciate Lake Ontario.  This is the third of the five Great Lakes that I've had the privilege to cycle beside and enjoy.  I stared out at the horizon and saw nothing but water.  I promise you, that view never gets old.

Just to the South I could see the Burlington Skyway, a major artery for traffic between Niagara and Toronto.  A ship has just passed under, and it was one of those perfect Great Lakes scenes.

I started South towards Grimsby along beautiful paved pathway with beaches and Lake Ontario to my left.

I stopped to snap a picture at a lift bridge that had just opened for a ship to pass though, I crossed on this bridge and continued South.

In the distance I could see flames shooting out of stacks and smoke coming from chimneys.  These were the famous steel mills of Hamilton, a town known for it's heavy industry.  I took a moment to admire them, and pushed on.

Down more paths I eventually reached the end of Hamilton and the edge of Grimsby.  The pathway pushed me onto a service road that paralleled the major highway, but at least it had a bike lane!  It kept crossing me into the nearby neighbourhoods and back onto the service road.  I did this for about 20km until I reached Grimsby proper.

I quickly found my goal for the day, the home of my university friend Jon and his wife - a whole human being in her own right - Heather!

I met their family and they welcomed into their home.  Fun note: Almost as soon as I pulled in one of the kids ran into the house and ran back out with a box of Toppables crackers for me.  They know what I like here!

I showered and changed and set about catching up with Heather and Jon and meeting the family.  We had dinner, where more stories were shared and good times were had.  After dinner we went to a nearby park that was filled with soccer fields and watched a soccer game.  Jon is a coach for his son's team and while I told myself I was there to catch up on blogging...I actually spent a lot of it playing with Jon's daughter who had insisted on joining us to the field but was far less interested in soccer than figuring out new ways for me to spin her around and do acrobatics!  If that sounds like complaining, it's not.  I rarely get to see and interact with kids and I had a blast!  (Jon's team won the game 2-1)

We went back to his house where the kids were going down for bed.  Jon and I snuck out for a walk and to take some time to catch one another up on the last 6 years (the last time we had seen one another).  We stayed up chatting but at some point it was time for sleep.

It had been another big day!  I'd made it to the Niagara region and reunited with another great friend and his family.  The parting with Mireille and Patrick was dulled by the reunion with Jon.  This section of reunions had been such a focus and through Northern Ontario, it was what got me through those long solitary sections.  To have it finally happening was a great relief and a welcome comfort!