greetings from the hat

This post finds me in Toronto, a super rad city which has officially won me over. Bikes almost out number cars (they certainly run the show) good coffee shops and neat bars everywhere. Not to mention incredibly great people. We arrived here Friday afternoon and were planning on leaving today, but we're having too much fun. Our host Jon (who stayed with us in Arcata when he was touring the west coast) has been more than great to us. The day we arrived his kitchen was filled with fresh peaches which he was caning for winter. It is nice to be eating good, fresh, local, and organic food, not from a gas station. Toronto is massive, in our four days here we've hardly scratched the surface of what there is to explore. It is the most diverse city I've been to, second to London. Walking down the street you're bound to hear several different languages, and there are endless options for eating out. As we predicted, Toronto has more than made up for the rest of Ontario, which for the most part has been rather disappointing from a cycle tourists perspective. The roads have been some of the worst, most without shoulders and a lot of construction. Worst of all, you can only get beer from government run shops which have incredibly high prices (6 packs of PBR are about $12) and lame hours. However, who are we to complain, life is great and in the city there are endless drinking holes each with their own personality.
We are about 700 miles away from Maine, with a stop off in Montreal it looks like we'll be riding for another two weeks. It is a little crazy to think that we're this close, but at the same time being (somewhat) stationary is starting to appeal to me. As is seeing friends and family back home and riding my bike in the woods and back country roads of Humboldt County. Needless to say I am excited to know I'll be swimming in the Atlantic very soon and then heading back West.

Toronto skyline from the spit ride

I forgot how much fun it is to ride in the city

where else can you find a coffee shop/art gallery with bike art?

Ted during a hot and sweaty dinner

some quality micro brew during yet another hobo dinner

really nice rail to trail we stumbled upon in the Bruce Peninsula

we camped in Owen Sound during the start of a long running folk festival.
we met some really cool people who have been going for over ten years,
they treated us to some stories and great music at their fire.

you wouldn't know form looking at him, but this guy is CRAZY. he sat down with us as we were cooking dinner in the parking lot of a grocery store. we became more and more uncomfortable as he drank more, and talked about how violent he gets when he drinks. it was sad because he is a good person, just troubled. possibly one of the most memorable dinners we've had.

this guys was just hands down spectacular

The Beer Store..... I can only guess this is what is is like to buy beer in North Korea

Ted drinking a birthday beer in Lion's Head, ON

this guy was from Arizona and was stoked to see some fellow Americans. he had been drinking all day and for Ted's birthday treated us to a round to "passed out cowgirls." he was hilarious.

Lake Huron from the ferry

did someone say Rapha?

this is an Ontario bike lane, thanks Ontario!

as Ted says, summer vacation is about getting away from it all.

Lisa and I on Lake Superior, which is like the ocean, its crazy.

crossing over into Canada on the Sault St. Marie bridge

we were treated to some nice riding in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

the beauty of being on bikes, when you see a sign saying "Road closed, Bridge out" you can just go ahead and disregard it.

I don't know what to say to this one.

a typical breakfast, oatmeal coffee and a baked good from a gas station.

while we did ride through the Porcupine Mountains, the only porcupines we saw were on the side of the road, dead.

Marquette, MI was definitely a highlight of the trip. We stayed with tome incredible people, and relaxed for four days in a town very similar to Arcata.

catching a pint at the local brew pub with our hosts, friends of our good buddy JB who went to school in Marquette.

Ted and I eating pasties, a local favorite which miners used to eat. kind of like a calzone, or (don't tell this to a Yooper) a nicer version of a hot pocket.

and.......single track, miles of glorious single track.

me just getting done shredding the gnar.

the ecology is different than that of the west coast, but beautiful nonetheless. also much less climbing so you can ride for hours.

just another healthy breakfast

apparently this was a job created out of the New Deal to provide folks income and improve the neighborhoods..?...

Marquette has a really good coffee shop, which we went to every day we were there.

Canada's Budweiser, but much better.

endless sunset at Lake Superior in Ontonagon, MI. Felt like being out at the ocean.

whats left of a train trestle which was used to load giant ships up with iron ore. the ships cross the lake and bring the ore down to cities like Pittsburgh and Milwaukee where its made into steel.

a cool rail to trail which quickly became an uncool ATV trail.

the bridge form Duluth to Superior, MI which had a separate and protected bike lane.

it's been some time...

This was a place for cyclists to crash along Highway 2 in Montana

kids selling junk

now thats what I call a tractor

one good thing about North Dakota, pretty

sunsets and thunderstorms

just one of many dead animals we see on a daily basis

Bonnie and Luke

Cars-R-Coffins velo cafe

cool artwork along the greenway

Bonnie and 9 month old June

at the velodrome

tall ships in Duluth

best micro brew I've had this summer

since the last time I updated. We pushed through North Dakota with a fury. Everyday in North Dakota felt like the day before, wheat, soy, corn, grain mill, oil field repeat. In addition it proved itself to be the hardest state to buy beer. As soon as we crossed into Minnesota, we felt a change in scenery and were releived to see other cyclists. There are also a lot of bike paths and trails in Minnesota which we have been taking advantage of. Getting off the highways is refreshing. On rail to trails you can see areas not accessible to cars, and you can't help but imagine what it would be like if you could travel freely this way without having to be on the roads.In Fergus Falls Chris bought a little am/fm alarm clock radio which pumps out the jams like you wouldn't believe. I never thought that riding my bike across America listening to Journey and Rod Stewartwould make me feel so patriotic. We spent a few days in Minneapolis, which rivals Portland for most bikeable city. There were bike paths everywhere, in fact we we able to enter the city on the greenway, a path that cuts through the city keeping us away from the interstate. We stayed with my friends Bonnie and Luke, who own a rad old vicotrian house which they are fixing up in all the spare time that they have since having their first kid, June (adorable). It was fun to spend some quality time with them. Minneapolis left agood impression on me, I don't know if I can handle the winter, but with all the bike shop/coffee houses and good food, it definitely made me want to check it out again. After Minneapolis we heded up to Duluth, after stoping at the velodrome outside the city where we wathed some racing and caught some beers with some of the local racers. Duluth has been great too, with lake (Superior) just down the street and Fitger's brewery close at handwe've been enjoying ourselves emmensley. Not to mention the fact that Peter, a friend from Arcata who recently moved back here has been giving us the royal treatment. Duluth is a point of depatrure for the group. Ted and Tessa are headed out to do some backpacking in the Apostle Islands, Chris is pushing ahead, and Lisa and I are mosie-ing our way along the Upper Peninsula towards Toronto where we most likely will rendezvous again. At this point, life on the road is feeling less like a vacation and more of a lifestyle. And yet I just want to continue. I hope you are all enjoying the summer and doing fun and exciting things.