It's not very often on a trip like this that you can leave home in the morning and arrive there again by day's end. Today we made our way out of Toronto and into Cobourg, the town where I dwelled in my youth. My brother, Brandon, also accompanied us for half the ride --only half because he had to turn around after lunch in Oshawa to bike back to Toronto. We loved having him with us but we regret that he had to do the worst part of the ride twice! Toronto to Oshawa is high traffic with frequent stop lights, but despite these features the route east along Kingston Road/highway 2 was surprisingly smooth. After entering the city with multiple bangs across the Bayview potholes we were expecting a nightmare out of the city but the road was generally in good shape with enough lanes for cars and bicycles to share space.
Nevertheless, the riding becomes strikingly more relaxed and expedient around Newcastle, as highway 2 moves into more rural areas. The Oshawa/Newcastle to Cobourg ride is one we've done a few times, including this past spring as we were preparing for our trip. Repeat routes tend to serve as a barometer of our progress. Happily we found today's ride much easier than before we left, despite that the bikes have put on far too many pounds in the last few months!
Tonight we're cozied up at my sister Tanya's house. Unfortunately, she's away at a wedding so we miss out on seeing her, our two nephews (Dylan and Izaak), and niece (Maiah). Dylan turns ten on Tuesday so we are disappointed to miss that celebration (happy birthday to Dylan!); we will have to ride back to see them in September. Even though we can't visit with Tanya she has left the house at our disposal and Daisy (the dog) for our amusement.
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