Up and breakfasted and out the door by 8:00. I'm really eager to get going. I head west on Rt. 2. I liked this a couple of weeks ago, and it's just as nice now. Nicer, in fact. It's less than 20oC. I'm actually a little cool. That's a joy. The sun is directly behind me, throwing my shadow directly in front, and spreading warmth across my back.
About 75 Km west of Cornwall,
in Johnstown, I had noticed a
fort and a windmill on the way up. I stop at the windmill - which has been
converted into a lighthouse - and read the plaques. In 1839, a small group
of "Canadian Rebels" were confronted and defeated at this tower. The
plaques are very informative - luckily, since the tower is closed "today
only", and wouldn't open until 10 anyway. I head further down the
road to Fort Wellington. It, also, opens only at 10. I shoot a small
cannon, and a bad exterior, and head off down the highway.
I enjoy the good road from Brockville to Gananoque, then get on the 401. Past Kingston, I turn down Hwy. 6 to Rt. 33 - the "Loyalist Parkway". More important than the history to me is the fact that the road is scenic (right next to the water), well-maintained (not a main road), and has only a tiny amount of traffic. More enjoyment of cool breezes.
After a gas
stop, and half an hour of driving, I come to another
reason that there is very little truck traffic. There's a ferry across a small
sound. It's quite lovely, but there's a half-hour wait. And a twenty-ton weight
limit (not an issue for me). Across the sound, I drive on into
Picton. It's almost lunchtime. I call some friends who live in the area.
One of the problems with having no schedule is that you can't call ahead and
warn people you're coming. There is no answer at their house.
Through Picton, I stick on 33 West which follows the Prince Edward County
coastline, and then turns north towards Trenton. In the town, I pick up an
army guy on a Honda Goldwing named "Battlestar Galactica". He leads me
to the 401, and I head west.
I figure I've got about 200~250 Km to go. A moment later, I see a sign saying "Toronto 160". I'm closer than I thought! I stop at the next rest stop and have lunch. A few minutes later, on the road again. The sun is warm, the air is cool, there's a headwind and lots of traffic. The road widens to three lanes each way. I stop at the last stop before Toronto and stretch a bit. Only about 90 Km to go.
Traffic starts building around Oshawa, to scary city levels. It's bumper-to-bumper at 120 Kph, even though the highway is now four lanes each way. I would have liked a slower ramp-up to this. When the split for express/collectors comes, giving us 7 lanes, traffic eases.
Spotting traffic buildup ahead, I get off at Kennedy, and take surface streets. And that's it. I'm home. Time for another quote from Road Fever (remember, from the first day?) - the end-of-trip quote from Gary Sowby -"Another triumph for man and machine over time and the elements".