Day Six Leamington to Welland Ontario

Today was our longest route 104 miles. That's a long way to go in one day on a bicycle. To make it harder there was strong eastery head wind most of the day. The guys worked hard to keep the group together and maintain a steady pace throughout the day. We stopped every 15-20 miles to rest and replenish.

The landscape along the route was mostly farmland. Similar to midwest farms this time of year workers could be seen plowing and planting. I noticed a few covered flat green houses with early season plantings well underway.

Our destination was Welland. This is a town that once thrived on industry. One such was six paper mills. One of them previously owned by the Chicago Tribune which milled and shipped rolls of newprint from here to Chicago via the great lakes. All but one of those mills are gone today.

We had dinner at the Welland Firehouse who's members came to greet us and opened their house for the evening. Desert was served compliments of the ice cream parlor next door.

Detour. It pains us to do this but today for eight miles we had to load our bikes into the vans and portage a construction zone. Traffic on route 3 was heavy and the paving work left no shoulder for us to ride on. Pat Brennon, Greg P and Mike Sequin make light of the situation.

I see a lot of this here. Farmland with mixed energy and communication substities. Wind generators, cell towers and oil wells.

Nice house rest stop along the road today.

On some occasions riders having a mechanical or tired day may have to use the van draft up to the main group of riders on windy sections of road.

Rider Pat Brennon

The Welland FD prepared a great feast for us. 

 Inside the Wellend Firefighter house hall with the Ignite the Spirit and 41&9 riders and support crew.