Port Stanley, ONT

Today seemed to be filled with benchmarks for me, whether it was crossing the border into Canada, my parents having their first day, or finally being able to say “I’m full” at dinner (that was a big one). It seems that with everyone one of these benchmarks, we are getting closer and closer to the finish, which for me is very bittersweet.

As I was cuddling up on the pews of St. Mark’s Church last night in Marine City, I was wondering if I would be able to sleep. The pews were narrow, hard, and it seemed as though it was going to be another long night… Eight hours later, I was woken up to Parker’s frantic calls of “It’s 6:20! It’s 6:20!”. I guess those pews weren’t so bad after all!

After a delicious breakfast at the church, we headed down to the ferry to cross into Canada. While waiting for the boat to arrive, we spotted the newspaper stands. “Guys! That’s us!” someone exclaimed, and we all jumped on the papers. We were on the cover of the Times Herald from Port Huron, featuring three pictures of us and a great article about the trip… very exciting stuff. We also were joined by a reporter named Dave from The Voice, who gave us some great advice and even a donation. Thanks, Dave! While going through customs on the other side of the river, my dad was showing off the newspaper to the customs officer (even after Mrs. Richardson had warned us not to be sassy at the border! Oh, Dad…) and he said, clearly uninterested, “Wow, you guys really hit the big time, huh?”. Whatever, we still thought it was cool.

The best part of the day for me was that my little brother Angie got to ride with us for the first sixty miles. Angie, you are awesome. You kept up like a champ, and we were all very impressed with you. I can’t wait for you to keep riding with us! I hadn’t seen Angie in months, and it was awesome to chat with him and catch up. Hopefully, he will be riding whole days with us soon and we will have even MORE time to talk.

Today, while taking a quick water break on the side of the road, Parker went into the woods to pee. We were all waiting around, when suddenly, we heard noises coming from where Parker was standing. It seemed as though he was talking on the phone. We couldn’t believe it! “Parker!!! Let’s go!!” Sarah yelled (very bold, Sarah). Parker finished up his chat and emerged from the woods, seeming as though nothing was wrong. When we asked him what had happened, all he had to say for himself was “Sorry guys... I had to take that call.” Very smooth, Parker. Next thing we know, you’ll be wearing a suit on the rides and asking us to step into your office.

We spent the rest of the day winding along the border of Ontario, getting glimpses of the massive Lake Erie over the fields of corn and wheat. Now we’re in Port Stanley, Ontario. We’re staying at a church here in town, and were treated to a delicious perch dinner courtesy of the Optimist Society here in Port Stanley. Thanks, Optimists! Personally, I am very excited to be in Canada, as that brings us closer and closer to the Niagara Falls, Stowe, and finally Maine. It’s all coming to an end so much sooner than I thought it would! But it’s not over yet…