Michigan 26 Day 4 - Sault Ste. Marie to Thessalion

 First things first, I have replaced the dead Macbook Neo. It is in the mail home in case it is fixable.

The new lappie is an Acer something or other. It's slow and clunky, but it fits in the hard case I got for the Neo, which means it fits in a pannier. It cost $400 of Canadian Monopoly money.

That issue is resolved. But if it's not one thing it's another.

Today I learned in Canada, they just decide they will let everyone have a three day weekend each month. For no reason, other than it's nice to have a three day weekend. And this weekend is one of them. Monday is the "August Civic Holiday". I am not making this up.

Which means everyone in Canada is driving off to go camping or stay in a lakefront hotel this weekend. Which means there are no campsites or motel rooms or any form of lodging whatsoever on Sunday night on Manitoulin Island. Looks like I'll be stealth camping in the woods somewhere.

Monday night is looking real bad too, so I've booked my ferry ride off the island and a room at a grossly expensive dive motel a couple miles from the ferry terminal. This should be interesting.

I do have a camp site for tomorrow night, thank goodness.

Tonight I am in this cheap motel in Thessalian, Ontario.

I am here because:

1. I need to get this laptop set up and working.

2. It's pouring down rain all night, with severe thunderstorms, which have already begun.

3. There aren't actually any camp sites anywhere nearby because August Civic Holiday.

4. I was off to a late start due to a visit to the post office to mail my bricked Neo home, and a detour to Best Buy for the new laptop. I had to wait for both these places to open.

4. The motel includes an awesome Indian restaurant next door. RDOQ FTW BABY

I am full of butter chicken and very happy.

This motel is quite a find. It's right on the waterfront!

Check out the knotty pine paneling!

The restaurant has an amazing view too!

Today was a really nice day of bike riding though. First, I got to see this weird site in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

This is the "Tower of History". WTF. It's huge. It's weird. I can't imagine who thought this would be a good idea.

This was followed by three miles of terror riding over this bridge to Canada. In the fog, with drizzle all over my glasses.

Bikes get to ride in traffic, there is no shoulder, there are only two lanes, and there is barely a center stripe. Luckily, there was very little traffic, and there is no passing on the bridge. So that giant semi truck right behind me got to follow me over the bridge at 7 mph on the climb part. I'm fine with that, because I know he sees me, and if vehicles could pass me, I have to worry about whether each new vehicle sees me.

My other terror was that the border guard in Canada would decide I can't come in, and I'd have to ride back across that bridge. But he was super friendly and I zipped right through. 

Border Guard: "Where your from?"

me: "Elkridge, Maryland outside of Baltimore."
Border Guard: "Where are you headed?"

me: "Home to Elkridge!"

Border Guard <jaw dropping on floor>: "No way! Have a great ride!"

The Best Buy detour only added a couple miles to the ride, and I was out of there with my new laptop by 10:30 with 50 miles to go. I got in at 4:00, which is pretty much when I always aim to get in. 

Weather was great, there was a high of 80, a bit humid, and some headwinds, with thunderstorms off it the distance for the last couple hours.

There's a nice bike trail heading out of Sault Ste. Marie, ON, Then some highway with nice shoulders through First Nations land, then about 20 miles of this fabulous desert back road through farms and forests.

I rejoined the highway in the tiny town of Johnson, which is definitely in the middle of nowhere, but unbelievably, has an African/Caribbean restaurant, Ije's Place Cafe and Bakery!  

I had some tasty jerk chicken!

The bad news was the remaining 20 miles were all on the Trans-Canada Highway, which is the biggest highway there is around here. This means sometimes it's two lanes, sometimes 4, but more often than not no shoulder whatsoever. So you get to ride in the traffic lane and get passed by lots of semi trucks. 

The next town is Bruce Mines, where they still have mines. This is the biggest gravel pit I've ever seen. It's like a mile long.

Everything is fine. I'm sure the lack of lodging in two days will all work out. 

Here's the Strava Track for today: https://www.strava.com/activities/19546950977