Cyclostravaganza 2008: White River ON to Toronto ON

Tonight I set out on my next big cycling trip. I am taking this easy, so I aim to complete the approximately 1000km in just under 3 weeks. I will have lots of rest days, plus visits with friends and family along the way.

First I take the bus from Montreal to Sudbury. Some of their tourism copy says, "Whether you're seeking solitude, a little romance, or perhaps some quality time with the kids, Sudbury offers adventure that is within eveyone's reach. In a few hours, you'll see - Outdoor Adventure is in our Nature!" ...and what copy that is! I never equated Sudbury and romance before, but I guess I just haven't lived yet; I do have "a few hours" on my stopover - I wonder if that's enough - but I guess if the romance part doesn't work out, I can enjoy Sudbury's solitude.

From Sudbury I take the train to White River, Ontario, and after an overnight stay, there begins my cycling adventure. I ride down to Wawa, where I will stay with a friend from a Montreal choir. Next stops are Lake Superior Provincial Park and Pancake Bay Provincial Park, en route to Sault-Ste-Marie. I've heard that this stretch, along Lake Superior, is very hilly but also very beautiful, so I'm quite looking forward to this.

From Sault-Ste-Marie, I'll take a day-trip on the Agawa Canyon train. This is supposed to be one of the nicest train rides in Canada, and it will be a rest-day for my legs.

Next, a short ride to St. Joseph Island to visit another friend at his cottage. I'll have another slack day visting him before cycling east along Lake Huron, then south through Manitoulin Island. After the ferry to Tobermory comes exploration of the Bruce Peninsula, then a visit with family before continuing on to Toronto, from where I'll take the bus or train back to Montreal.

Here is a map of roughly what I plan to do. Follow this link for a larger map, showing many of my planned stops.