Last night was a warm night, even with cool breezes from Lake Erie coming through the window. At 6 am, we packed, ate breakfast, and drank coffee with Terry. After thanking Terry for his hospitality, we lugged our panniers and bikes up the steep steps to the street and biked back to town. We followed the Adventure Cycling Association route all day starting with 12 miles on CR 24 (the Dexter Line) to Dexter and Port Bruce- a modest settlement- then 12 miles on CR 42 (the Nova Scotia Line) to Port Burnell where we enjoyed breakfast at Aunt Tilly’s. We continued east on the Glen Erie Line and CR 42(Lakeshore Drive) for 22 miles to Port Rowan, a more lively town with a small harbor (see photo).
We ate lunch under a covered pavilion to escape the unrelenting sun. We could see Long Point, a UNESCO Bio-reserve for migratory birds, jutting into Lake Erie. We continued along the coast for 23 miles, mostly away from the lake. We passed by farms of corn and soybeans, fields of peppers, summer squash, tomatoes, asparagus, tobacco, wheat, and fruit orchards. The farms looked tidy and prosperous. We pulled into Port Dover tired, thirsty, and sun baked. After a chocolate milk treat, we bought groceries and began the last leg of the day- 13 miles to Peacock Point. On the way, we passed by a huge industrial complex of a coal-fired power plant, a solar farm, and windmills. We got a camp site at the Haldiman Conservation Area for $37. After dinner I poured a bottle of cold water over me to remove some of the day’s sweat and to cool off. Betsy used the normal shower. The bright sun cooked us today.
July 10, 2019 - Port Stanley, ON to Peacock Point, ON : 85.2 miles
