Yesterday ended on a low note for me. We had enjoyed riding through this region of northwestern Ontario know as Lake of the Woods. It's aptly named, more lake than woods. As Grant commented, "There are lakes everywhere. Less of an 'event' than the rest of Canada."
Our detour lasted just shy of 200 km without a house to be seen. Trees and water and sky. The sky was blue for most the the ride, but on the horizon the dark clouds again had the look of the Vortex of Evil from the movies.
The thought of getting wet made me feel bad tempered. After our suit up in rain gear, my mood worsened. As the rain increased, my spirits bottomed out. When the rain came, it hit hard and nasty. I wanted to get off the bike and huddle under the tarp and have a good cry. That wasn't very mature or practical so we kept on going. It was a driving rain with strong wind gusts that skittered the bike across the road. Had to hold on tight and pray it didn't get any worse. Memories of TV coverage of the recent storms came to mind.
As Grant posted, everything ended well and we relaxed last evening and awoke in good spirits. Sun was called for and the weatherman finally delivered.
We chatted to our new friends, Clay and Yogi on the blue Harley who seem to always end up next door. They are on their way to Edmonton to see their daughter after a six year absence. Wow.
We pointed ourselves west and with the sun warming our backs, headed out to Kenora for breakfast. The traffic thinned allowing us to relax and enjoy the ride. The countryside dotted with lakes was a joy in the clear sunlit air.
Kenora seems a very pretty town set on the bank of a lake. We ate in a coffee house set in an old red brick building and enjoyed the very best granola I have ever eaten. I must try and duplicate the recipe. It kept me fueled up until our late supper.
After entering Manitoba, the landscape started to flatten. We stuck with Hwy #1, flat and straight and even. We were able to cover over 400 km today with very little fatigue.
Just shy of Winnipeg we crossed the longitudinal centre of Canada. N 49° 46.054 W 096° 48.583
I guess that's how the crow flies as it feels as though the bulk of our riding is behind us.
We missed the by-pass turn off and followed #1 through the centre of Winnipeg. I lived there for a year and remembered some of the beautiful old sandstone civic buildings. The traffic was a nuisance and it was great to be in the wind again on the four lane, pointed straight west highway. The bikes carried us along with very little effort or input. With a brief gas stop and leg stretch, we arrived in Portage La Prairie. We stopped at the Information centre for a weather update and they confirmed rain starting this evening. The decision was and easy one and Grant led us through town to a quiet fresh looking motel set back from the road. We both broke out in smiles to see that familiar blue Harley parked a few door down. It turned out to be a pleasant room with a kitchenette. The bedspread isn't as ugly as some of the others and everything is clean and homey.
My little bike has been as good as gold (touch wood), but today especially, I noticed a rattle that might have been from the chain. Grant had a look and confirmed the chain was loose. He offered to fix it if I made supper. A terrific deal from my point of view.
Rain called for tomorrow again so we have resigned ourselves to starting the day in rain gear. We've researched all the possible routes and will plan our route based on the least probability of rain. It will be what it will be.
It is good see Jill feeling good about the days ride. We had sun all day and that was great. Kenora was a delight to visit. With a population of 16,500 it is a bit bigger than Port Alberni. The downtown area looked to have a bit of funk to it. One of the things I noted about Ontario is the lakes. They are everywhere. They are like a frequent occurrence rather than an event along the highway. Of course the Great Lakes are awesomely huge. As big as the province is it is small in a way. Aside from Clay and Yogi we have encountered other people repeatedly. One of the fellows checking into the motel said that he had seen us the other day and earlier today too.
The roads of Ontario are nice to drive but could use a lot more pullouts in places that I would like to have stopped for pictures. The narrow shoulders don't really allow for photo ops. So much of the sights will have to be photographed in our memory. A resident of the province could spend years of vacations discovering their own province. Yesterday we passed a sign saying we were entering the Arctic Watershed. All rivers from that point north flow to the Arctic Ocean.
The tourist info centre here is located at a historic outdoor museum site. There are old buildings, machinery, railcars and an airplane. The site was closed when we arrived but when it is open it is staffed by people acting in period character. Portage la Prairie is quite a cool little city.
Our journey tomorrow doesn't appear to take us out of forecasted rain at all. However if we head to Saskatoon it may be nice there on Saturday.
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