Day 78 Owen Sound-Orangeville

I wanted to get an early start today as it was going to be another scorcher. So after saying goodbyes to a new friend I hit the road.

Right outside Owen Sound, I took the road less traveled (by cars) and got on a nice trail.

After about 40km the trail started to turn to large rocks and soft sand which were my cue to get back on the highway. It was busy with car traffic but luckily most people seemed to be heading north. I stopped for lunch in Markdale and
was caught by the Ruru’s again. It’s always a welcome sight to see a familiar face, as we touerers heading east are on the same route it happens pretty often.

If you need to make a call to a distant time this would be the place to do it.

It was another hot but nice ride, passing trough some cool little towns that I wish I spent more time in after the fact. Orangeville is not in that same boat, not interesting and more of a Walmart kind of town. I say that because the Walmart is right up the road from my unfortunate choice in accommodations. It’s interesting the decisions you make with your dehydrated and half deleterious from the heat. I threw reviews out the window and picked what seemed to be the only room left in town and it just so happened to be a run down motel, the kind of place that attracts a certain type of degenerate. But, it’s clean and air conditioned so it was fine for this guy for a night.

Some of you might be asking why stay in a place like Orangeville and not on of myriad of quaint little towns along the way, and you would be right to question my thinking. Hell, I’m questioning my thinking! Intially it was to split the distance to Toronto. But it seems in the heat I got my math wrong (not my best subject on a cool day) and after 111km to Orangeville I now only have 50km to Toronto. The reason I write this is so when I’m on the road decided where to stop I will remember this and choose my rest more for the experience instead of purely practical reasons.

So today is Toronto where I will be till Thursday. Besides rest I have lots to do: Get a new seat, chain and cassette for the bike; tour the city; go to Niagara Falls; rest more; Art supplies; and some other things I’m forgetting at the moment.

Should be fun!