Day 42 Brantford ON to Niagara Falls NY

Day 42
Brantford ON to Niagara Falls NY
Miles Ridden 74.4
Climbing 1072 Ft.
Total Miles Ridden 3049.7
Miles To Go 542.1


The big assignment this morning was to wear our red, white and blue jerseys and make sure we had our passports with us before the luggage was loaded in the van. We are crossing the border at the end of the ride and will be going through customs individually. Riders have been stuck for hours at the border without identification in the past.

Tom outside Brantford

Another fine riding day with the same great conditions. Early Sunday morning traffic was very light as left Brantford and headed back into farm country. As we got closer to the more populated  exurbs of Toronto and Hamilton there were a number of what looked like trophy horse farms that would have fit in well in Kentucky. We skirted the fruit and wine district along Lake Ontario and then turned south and east for Niagara Falls.

Staffers Pam, Karen,Deana and Robin with Gary photobombing

Niagara Falls Ontario on a Sunday in July is packed with tourists from all over the world. English speakers were in a distinct minority. We dropped down the last hill and got a full view of the Falls and stopped for a few photos and lunch.

Wonder how many of this picture was taken today?

Evin and I at the Falls

We crossed the Rainbow Bridge into the U.S. with the cars as bicycles can't make it through the security doors pedestrians use. On a busy day traffic backs up off the bridge onto the Canadian streets. I had us use a short-cut that got us on the bridge right away. We moved with the cars and spent about 25 minutes on the bridge. I took a lot of ribbing when we found out later that a guard on the Canadian side that we bypassed told all the other riders to squeeze past the cars on the right and get off the bridge ASAP to avoid exhaust fumes.

Waiting our turn at Customs

The contrast between the busy but well kept and organized Canadian side and the dirty, forlorn American side with abandoned buildings and construction debris everywhere was embarrassing.
We checked into a large but seedy hotel a block from the Falls.

Evin and I scheduled a walk over the bridge to the Canadian side to coincide with the fireworks display over the Falls.

Fireworks viewed from the Rainbow Bridge