My original plan was for us to stay in Ajax, but the B&B I had my eye on was booked through AUGUST! Wow. We don't plan that far ahead. So our options were to either go beyond Ajax and then inland to find a place or find a place along our route earlier than Ajax, which is what we did when we stayed in Oshawa. That shifted some of our mileage around but also meant our last two days into Toronto would be split more evenly. So today, instead of a 32-mile day, it will be closer to 50.
We also had an increase in mileage just getting to the hotel in Oshawa, which was nearly four miles inland off our course, there being no hotels on the lakefront along this part of our tour. So this morning, in addition to going inland yesterday, we had to make our way south and back to the lake first thing this morning. This fine morning, I might add. A fine morning indeed!
Lake Ontario . . . a pleasure to see after fighting city traffic south from our hotel.
But there were times when we needed to ride on some busy roads, even while under construction. A Canadian once joked to me that they have two seasons in Canada: construction . . . and winter. The Swiss have the same problem!
Not so pleasant when riding through construction zones, but part of the trip.
Shortly after the beach, I came across this ghost bike, which, at first, didn't make much sense. We were on the lakeside of the rail line and on a bike trail . . . but there was an at-grade crossing to the other side of the tracks that led to a nearby commuter rail station just beyond the crossing. I can only imagine that the rider must have somehow been hit by a commuter train as he/she was headed on his/her bike along the trail to catch it, requiring him/her to cross the tracks. Whatever happened, it is always sad to see.
A ghost bike near the commuter rail station Rouge Hill in Port Union.
Note: Subsequent to my trip, I researched this incident. According to news reports, a 19-year-old man was riding a bicycle along the Waterfront Trail and attempted to cross the tracks when he was struck. An eastbound GO train had just proceeded through the area when the individual attempted to cross but was then struck by a high-speed westbound VIA train. It happened late in the evening, between 9:30 and 9:45 PM, on Thursday, July 14, 2016.
Then it was back into the parks. We rode a lot of trail today.
But there were still more suburban and, eventually, city streets to tackle. And one really tough hill at about MP 36. Not sure where that came from, but the grade was relatively steep! But when I saw the streetcar tracks, I knew we were getting close to the city center.
From Queen Street, I was one block from the lakefront. And here, the trail is busy enough that pedestrians and cyclists are separated. . . Pedestrians to the left and cyclists to the right.
But all is not perfect, especially at uncontrolled intersections with side streets where right-in, right-out turns introduce plenty of conflicts with trail users.
The entry into Toronto was a maze of poorly signed trail infrastructure, winding between freeway ramps and elevated highways, railroad tracks, and industrial waterfront infrastructure. So this fountain was a pleasant reprieve.
The trail followed the "downtown" part of the Toronto waterfront, which seems to be going through a renewal of sorts. Even Google is involved in planning and building a "smart" car-free sector for the city. But we needed to go north to our hotel, and the north-south bike infrastructure seemed to be really lacking . . . as in bike lanes that just end without warning! So I just took my lane and made a space for myself. But once to City Hall (the old one), I found back/side streets and pedestrian ways that made it easy, if not unconventional.
Finally I arrived at the "old" city hall, but still a half-mile from my hotel.
