Day 37 – Oshawa

Day 37 – Oshawa, Ontario (Friday, June 12, 2015)

A number of things didn’t work out today.

1. My breakfasts and all my mixed nuts (3 pounds) were eaten by a raccoon. They had carefully un-buckled my  front pannier which is not so easily done.
2. It started to rain when I was packing up after my tent was down.
3. I lost one of my water bottles.
4. I had to take immodium for the very first time on the trip.
5. It rained.
6. The rides through the city were especially unpleasant with heavy traffic.

And… it was one of the most enjoyable days on the trip.

There are waterfront trails running from Oakville all the way to Pickering that are about the best bicycle riding that I have seen anywhere.   Each of the cities (Oakville, Mississauga, Port Credit, Toronto, Pickering)  have done a great job with their trails. In almost every case they are paved with a center line.

I met Lois for lunch at 11:30am at one of the beaches by Leuty Street. After the beaches the route took me through part of the city before the trail picked up again.    Although ride trails is slower and you have to give more attention to the route, the beauty and the frequent curves make the time passes quickly.

After a while on a trail for a while I stopped to take stock of my surroundings and was surprise to find myself at Frenchman’s bay beside Auntie Ida’s cottage. The panorama of the bay was taken from that vantage point.

I was reminded again how close the bay is to Pickering Nuclear Power Station.   Somehow, as big as it is, it remains hidden from view from the bay.

Because it was overcast and raining all day it kept the ambiance of an early dewy morning even into the late afternoon. Even the birds seemed tricked. It made riding tranquil.

The approach to Oshawa was not pleasant. I rode past the Oshawa assembly plant at a shift change.   There were no provisions for bicycles either on the roads or in people’s minds.

I stayed at the Quinto Inn in downtown Oshawa.