Quebec...hot,wet and delicious

After eating our way through Montreal, we rode only 25 miles, staying in Bay Motel in the suburban town of Repentigny.
Thursday featured a prolonged period rain storms midday.
We holed up in a bar in Berthierville for three hours.  Continued to L'Auberge du Lac Saint-Pierre for a lovely dinner overlooking the lake , then rode the six miles to our hotel in Trois-Rivières in the dark.  Fortunately cousin Billy had brought a decent headlight along.

Duck breast appetizer at LèAuberge du Lac St. Pierre

Cousin Billy about to enjoy his main course - duck breast with escargot

Duck appetizer with soba noodle, lentil, dates and a bunch of other amazing stuff, at l'Auvergne du Lac Saint-Pierre.

My dessert:  Marble pound cake with espresso ice cream and raspberry sauce.à

Next morning we went for breakfast at Tutti Frutti, one of my favorites.
To avoid getting drenched around noon we ducked into a restaurant in the town of Champlain.
Then rode another 20 minutes with more dark clouds gathering.

A strawberry crepe at Tutti Fruitti in Troix Riveres

Billyès eggs benedict at Tutti Fruitti in Troix Riveres

Just as it was starting to come down we managed to duck under the porch of an abandoned duplex.  We waited  for two hours for the rain to stop. Billy called our host, Clar, at the B&B  we were going to stay at in Portnuef, who came to our rescue with her car and bike rack.

Clyde the kitty at Clareès B&B in 

Clar and Pasquale at Clarès house (B&B)

French Canada...Let's eat!!

Back across the border at Cornwall.
Total of 80 miles riding to salaberry-de-valleyfield.  Pulled up in front of our hotel, and less than two minutes later my cousin Billy pulled up behind me.
He had come from Vermont and just by dumb luck arrived at almost exactly the same time.

Canadian geese in Canadia!

HydroDam outflow on bike path to Salaberry-de-Valleyfield

Breakfast at Restaurant L'Eggs-Tasse, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield.  Crepes with nutella, creme fresche, and fresh berries.

Arriving in Montreal to a street fair.  Rue St. Denis jammed with people and closed to traffic.

Tight-rope walker as we approached our hotel on Rue St. Denis in Montreal.

Then out to a fine dining experience:

.

Scallops and Shrimp in Vanilla Sauce at Restaurant Bonaparte

Billy got a different kind of scallops

and I got the duck breast in berry sauce.

The Wed. Morning Croissant Crawl

Patisserie Au Kouign Amann.  Iève been trying to visit this one since 2012, but theyère always on summer vacation when I get here.  This year I got here 5 days before they shut down

Patisserie Au Kouign Amann

Patisserie Au Kouign Amann.  Affordable

Fous Desserts - Excellent croissants - and best Palmier ever

My cousin Billy (The Kid) Klein.

Fous Desserts

Pulled Pork at Poutineville

Smoke Meat over Jullienne fries

Back in the USA

After an uneventful ride and stay in Hamilton Ontario, rode to Niagara Falls to rendezvous with my friend Dave, who I've known since freshman year college , and his wife Joy. Wings, Pizza, hand-cut fries , at micro Brewery Taps on Queen followed by a nice walk along the river and viewing of the falls at Twilight.
Up early the next morning to cross back into the u.s.
Spent the night in Batavia New York.  Then rode to Pittsford, a suburb of Rochester, to visit brother-in-law Dave.

Then onward to Oswego , Fort Drum, and now Potsdam.

Across the lake through Michigan into Canada

From Madison made it almost to Milwaukee , about 85 miles.

After my mandatory butter pecan Frozen Custard stopped at Leon's, boarded the ferry to cross Lake Michigan and then biked to Grand Rapids.

Enjoyed the kind hospitality of my cousin Steven and Shira in Ann Arbor.
After a wonderful breakfast at Angelo's consisting of deep-fried French toast, visited my Aunt Barbara before continuing on my journey.
The rest of the day consisted of bicycling through Detroit, through some of the worst Urban Decay that I've ever seen.
Finally settled for the night in Chesterfield, about 25 miles from the ferry in Marine City.  Continued into Canada the next morning and settled at The Clocktower hotel in Strathroy Ontario.

Smooth and flat bike trails run along power lines starting about 35 miles West of Milwaukee

Leon's Frozen Custard in SW Milwaukee.

Angelo's (Ann Arbor, MI) deep fried french toast with homemade cinnamon raison bread.

Angelo's

Alexandra Park in Strathroy, ON

Oh Canada!!! No frozen potatoes here. Maymo's Fry,  London, ON.  

Small-town church between London and Ingersoll

Elm Hurst Spa Restaurant in Ingersoll, ON.

Hot and humid, then clearing with ice cream

After totally groovy donuts in Red Wing, proceeded 2 the town of Winona fighting 10 mile an hour headwinds for about 70 miles with increasing heat and humidity.

But oddly enough comma this small town had a very nice fine dining restaurant.

The next days ride to Viroqua was the toughest day that I've had on this trip so far. 95% humidity 95 degrees, 15 mile an hour average headwinds.

Flatlands

Got on Amtrak in Shelby, MT.  Got off in Grand Forks, ND.  Then on to Fargo and Detroit Lakes, where I got to watch our boys choke in the final game against the Cleveland Cadavers.  :(

From there, stayed in the tiny town of Motley (the name says it), MN, then on to St. Cloud, and then Minneapolis.  Hotels downtown were > $300/night, so I stayed in the burb of Brooklyn Center, about 10 mi. N. of the city.  That made today's ride to Redwing (after 2 bakeries in Minneapolis) total at 83 miles.  Midway, through the ride, stopped for Sri Lankan food at the Curry Village in Rosemount.

Mild headwinds today wore me out.

Full Moon at twilight, Lake Detroit, MN.

Kitties

My Bank in Ostego MN, on the way to Saint Cloud

Back to my old habits at Heights Bakery (old school)  in NE Minneapolis.

The State theatre-Downtown Minneapolis.  Former home of  a Prairie Home Companion

Minneapolis from a distance from bridge over the Minnesota River near Fort Snelling

Across the Great Divide

After a full day (Wed) cooped up in the Tamarack Lodge (a lovely place) waiting for the rain to pass, I headed out to cross the Continental Divide.  Unfortunately, Going to the Sky road was still not completely open (still some snow to plow), so I had to take Hwy 2.  The day's ride was 65 miles, and 3500 ft of climbing.  Scenery is very nice along US 2, but not as spectacular as Going to the Sky.   2 days after I passed through, I got a notice that Going to the Sky had opened.   Better luck next time.

Thursday was an easy downhill downwind ride to Shelby, MT.   Friday was spent on Amtrak to Grand Forks, ND.  Tonight, I'm in Fargo.

Middle Fork, Flathead River along US 2 in Glacier

A roadside waterfall

It's all downhill from here

Great Northern dining hall inside the 100-year-old Glacier Park Lodge