I rode about 38 miles today, 10 in Ontario from my motel in Wallaceburg to the ferry landing, and then about 28 miles from Algonac, MI to a bike shop in Macomb County, MI. The ferry from Canada to the U.S. leaves from Walpole Island, an island and First Nation reserve in Ontario that is at the mouth of the St. Clair River on Lake St. Clair.

Less than a mile from the ferry landing in Canada is a statue of Chief Tecumseh, the famous early 19th century Shawnee chief of a large Native American confederacy which allied with the British during the War of 1812. In 1813, Chief Tecumseh was killed in a battle with American forces led by future U.S. President William Henry Harrison. The inscription at the base of this statue reads “the bones of Chief Tecumseh are entombed in this cairn.”

The rate schedule for the ferry is quite favorable for bikes, as you can see from the price list below. As it turned out, I got an even better deal. I only had two singles, and the ferryboat man didn’t have change for a twenty, so he let me ride for only $2 rather than the normal $3 fare for bicycle passengers. He also put me first in line, ahead of the cars, to talk to the American border official. I was on my way about two minutes after landing, at about 10 a.m.

This is what the deck of the small ferry looks like. I learned that there are two ferry boats in operation, and together they make 14-16 crossings a day. The trip only takes about 15 minutes.

Here is an American flag marking our landing as we approached the American shore.

This was the other ferry boat, which we passed as it headed back to Walpole Island.

My ride from Algonac to the Trek Bike Shop in Macomb County went very fast. I was generally able to cruise along at 10-15 miles an hour. There was a long stretch along Lake St. Clair to my left and the 3,000-acre St. John’s Marsh and Wildlife Preserve to my right which was quite beautiful. As I got deeper into the metropolitan Detroit area, however, urban sprawl and traffic got progressively heavier, and there was a stretch along 21-Mile Road near the end where the shoulders were also quite narrow. Detroiters like to drive fast, and narrow shoulders and lots of traffic do not create an ideal biking experience. I am glad my route on this cross-country trip generally avoids big cities.

I got to the bike shop around 1 p.m., but about an hour beforehand couldn’t resist pausing at an ice cream shop, where I sat at a picnic table and enjoyed a banana split. Here is one of the many signs they had posted on the property.

Tonight, I was fortunate to be able to arrange a chance to get together with my old pal Rick, who I’ve known since the second grade. Rick lives in Brighton, MI, about 90 minutes’ drive from where I am staying. He knows my mother was Polish and brought me to a great Polish restaurant he likes near my hotel. Detroit has a large Polish American population.

Here is a “before” and “after” on my combination plate dinner.

After dinner, Rick and I stopped for a drink at my hotel. Amazingly, the waitress/bartender recalled meeting him at an event more than a year ago. Rick retired several years back after a long career as a glazier but now works part-time. Any guess as to what his new job is?

Yup! Rick is one of Santa’s helpers. (This is how his young granddaughters understand his role.) Our waitress insisted on serving him a peppermint schnapps holiday drink to help prepare him to put on the red suit again later this year. Here is a photo of Rick’s business card:

I hope to get a favorable report on my bike soon and plan to be on my way to Romeo, MI tomorrow, on my way northwest out of the Detroit metro area.