Winnipeg to Richer
Off to a late start today as we decided to take advantage of our Hotel courtesy breakfast and it was well worth it. Full bacon and egg breakfast not just the usual Continental that most places give you. So between breakfast and a grocery stop we were on the road by 9:45. The sun was shining and the shoulder was good on the 'Ring Road' around 'The Peg'. Unfortunately we were soon greeted by an EAST wind. That was a surprise as we often associate such winds with lousy weather. And now that I mention that it is beginning to cloud over! The Trans Canada today provided a really nice wide freshly paved shoulder to accompany the brand new concrete highway for the first 30 km. Again it appears that the Manitoba Government is trying. It is mysterious, though how the highway is better the closer you are to Winnipeg. Sound familiar to where the road dollars are spent in Ontario?
Our ride took us through flat, good looking crop land again today. As you got further east of Winnipeg the crops were not drowned like they were on the west side. At 50 km the flat road continued but the agricultural land ended and the swampy bushland began. Must be getting closer to Northern Ontario!
One of the things that has been a constant for us as we have taken this journey is the ever present train. The highways and the train tracks have been our constant companion. Today was no exception as it seemed like we were constantly being 'met by' or 'overtaken' by a freight train. Unlike Ontario, it is a part of the landscape and the train whistle is a constant reminder of its presence. I suspect Ontario was at one time the same way until progress taught us that 'trucks' were king!
We are camping outside of Richer tonight in the Wild Oaks Campground, a park that has a good looking outdoor hot tub just waiting for our tired muscles.
Daily Distance = 68.19 km. Time on the bikes = 4 hours 39 minutes. Average Speed = 14.51 km. Maximum Speed = 25.60 km. Wildlife Sightings = Deer, Cat Bird, Phoebe.
Kevin = 3 Sue = 0.
P.S. We crossed the longitudinal centre of Canada today but we sure as heck are not half way finished our adventure. Roads ignore longitude and latitude lines. One wonders if the statistics were ever updated after 1949 when Newfoundland joined Canada???
