June 6, 2025
Day 26 Port Rowan to Port Stanley
Average speed: 12 mph
Today was smooth as silk.
I got moving at about 7 am. I said goodbye to Phil - he was one of the highlights of the trip. I rode through the now familiar Port Rowan “downtown” and was on my way. The thing about rest days in these small towns is that spending a whole day can seem long because there just isn’t much to do. But it was a very pleasant place to relax.
It was back into farm country, following the lake to my left with farms in between the road and the water and the similar farms to my right. I’m not sure what was being grown, but did see some cornfields cut down from last harvest and something new. There were workers, in small gas powered carts, slowly going along the rows of small sprouts of something and I think picking out weeds. That is hard work. And I thought I had it rough.
The weather cooperated fully. No rain. A cool breeze. No hot sun. It was overcast with the sun peaking through and the roads were flat - a good flat. The Erie Canal was flat, but it was on gravel making the push a bit harder. Today it was asphalt, mostly smooth. There were some main roads with a rough gravel shoulder forcing a ride in the travel lane, which means you can’t fully relax, even with light and polite traffic. That lasted about 12 miles, but after that, it was smaller side roads with even less traffic. After entering Elkin county, the shoulders turned from gravel to asphalt, and there was even a bike lane. That puts your mind at ease. Overall though, this was the easiest stretch of miles for the whole trip so far, and I think that was reflected in the higher than average speed.
Wind farms are big here. Like I said yesterday, it reminds me of the Midwest. It’s just smart to take advantage of the winds coming off the lake, but today most of them were slowly turning, and I’m not complaining.
I came into Port Burrell, a very small port town with a couple of restaurants, a convenience store, school, small houses. A one- or maybe two-intersection town. I took a break at the local convenience store and the cashier (maybe owner?) was very friendly. Convenience stores in these small towns are the daily hub of activity. Like Port Rowan, everybody knows everyone and stops to talk to catch up on the goings-on of the day. It’s like one big Cheers.
Coming out of Port Burrell, which is along a river jutting out from Lake Erie, I saw a submarine. What??? No idea.
A few hills, a couple of climbs, but overall this was the smoothest ride of the trip. Just pumping away, taking in the farms, the lake and closer to civilization, the homes and businesses.
I made it Port Stanley. It just popped up after a steep downhill. I came to the main intersection, almost by surprise. I stopped the apps, Strava and Garmin, and began to look for the hotel. It was across the street. I was in the heart of the town already. It was only 11:30, so I had some time to kill.
Over the bridge to the convenience store for a quick snack. Back the river to check out some of the boats, and then to a coffee shop to have a cup and watch the world go by.
By the way, I’m watching the Stanley Cup as I’m typing. (Fubo does not work in Canada, so can’t get the Red Sox, which probably is a good thing). Port Stanley is connected to the Stanley cup. From Wikipedia:
"Port Stanley was named after Lord Edward Stanley, later the 14th Earl of Derby, who visited the area in 1824. Lord Edward Stanley was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the father of Lord Stanley of Preston, the Governor General of Canada who donated the Stanley Cup."
I’m rooting for Edmonton. Enough of Florida, even if they have Marchand.
I’m staying at the Kettle Creek Inn. Fantastic place. In the heart of town, with a great restaurant and outside patio. I had pickerel for the first time. Another mild white fish. I can’t tell the difference among the mild white fishes, but this meal was excellently prepared.
Tomorrow on to Ridgetown, moving inward away from Lake Erie. There are some complications after that, since the ferry I was supposed to take over the St. Clair River back into the US is no longer operating. Ad (Command Central) and I discussed it, and we think we have a solution. She’s a huge help.
Today's ride: 46 miles (74 km)
Total: 1,007 miles (1,621 km)
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