The day began very cold, and as good as breakfasts are everyday, Ed Gringhuis (from Hamilton) and I decided it was time for a bacon and egg hot breakfast. So we skipped out early, rode 8 kms out of our way into Grand Haven, and had us a sit down hot breakfast - delicious! Sitting in the same restaurant was a fellow who immediately identified us as being part of Sea to Sea, and who showed us the way to get back on the tour track by an alternate and shorter route. Not only did he show us the way verbally, he drove his pickup truck and led us for 25 kms. We rejoined the tour in Eastmanville, just in time to reach Lamont and our first refreshment stop. Shortly after that first stop, I passed an older gentleman selling small baskets of peaches, and knowing how much Diane loves fresh peaches, I bought a number and carefully packed them in my bike bag.
A second refreshment stop was hosted by Westview CRC once we reached Grand Rapids, a third was hosted by one of the individuals who was forced to leave the tour due to injury, and a fourth was hosted by some folks along Fulton Ave. At the end of the trip we arrived in a school parking lot just 1 km from Calvin and waited until all the riders were in,
then we rode en masse in a media event onto Calvin's campus. It was a lot of fun, with people lining the roadways on the campus and cheering us on. Among those gathered there was brother Peter and Marja, as you can see below.
Diane and I are booked into the Prince Conference Center for the weekend, and we are grateful for a king size bed and our own personal shower and not having to put up a tent and blow up our air mattress, etc. Does it sound like we're getting ready to go back home? We do look forward to this weekend, however, as we have a relaxed evening watching the Olympics in our room tonight, and we hope to see more of Peter and Marja tomorrow, along with all the other events, especially the mass celebration service. And we especially look forward to seeing daughter Alicia & Arie and our 4 lovely Lise grandchildren this week. But right now, we will simply enjoy a weekend of rest.
Today's stats:
Distance: 82.80 kms
Average speed: 22.7 kph
Maximum speed: 49.6 kph
Time in saddle: 3.38.39
# of flat tires on tour: 9
3 comments:
All of us in Kitchener are looking forward to seeing you on Sunday Bert!!
Keith Oosthoek
Glad you made it to GR and such a welcoming environment. Keep going, You have just 2 weeks to go. Think King-sized bed in Whistler!! We had a lovely warm weekend here at home. And we're glad to be back from H. Looking forward to seeing you again F to F. A hug from us.
Hi Bert & Diane
We didn't know you you were both part of the tour and stumbled onto your blog when checking out the sea to sea website. What a pleasant surprise! We enjoyed reading your comments and looking at your photos. Congratulations to you both for what you have accomplshed so far. We wish you a safe and enjoyable journey on the last part of the tour.
Ray n Grace
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