Today we had several significant changes in our
adventure. First, we moved out of the
urban environment that we been in since our trip began. Our rural cycling brought less trails and
some of the trails we cycled were very rough in comparison to those in the
cities. We even experienced one trail
that was a single tract. Second, the
weather changed. We went from
temperatures in the 80s to the low 50s.
This morning we had to dig deep in our panniers to find warm
clothing.
What hasn’t changed is the abundance of lilac bushes that
are in full bloom. They are everywhere
and many are very large and put forth a sweet smell that fills the air. The other constant is the abundance of
red-winged black birds. However, these
birds continue to be camera shy and have avoided our attempts to get a good
picture.
After we left Whitby
we cycled 40 miles before we arrived in the next town, Port Hope. The town is named for Colonel Henry Hope, the one time lieutenant
governor of the Province of Quebec. An interesting side note about the town is its
having the largest volume of historic low-level radioactive
wastes in Canada .
These wastes were created as a result of the refining process used to
extract radium from
uranium ore. Radium was used in "glow-in-the-dark" paint.
We arrived in Port Hope “aglow” with thoughts about
food. We soon found Basel ’s
Deli and stopped for lunch. This was the
first “mom and pop” type restaurant that we found on this journey and well
worth the wait. We had great sandwiches,
hot tea, and cookies before heading toward the Canadian
Firefighters Museum
After a tour that included some early 1900 fire engines we
headed to our motel in Cobourg, about 5 miles further along the trail. Perhaps
this is a good time to define our route’s structure. We are following the “Waterfront Trail” that
is a compilation of marked trails, side streets, and highways. Between Port
Hope and Cobourg was the first time that we were on a highway. It had only 2
lanes but was busy. However, it had very
wide shoulders marked for cyclists. The
Waterfront Trail is very well marked and documented on the internet and in a book. The trail goes along the Canadian side of the
lake and up the St. Lawrence River .
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