8/18 - oh, canada

today i start the final two weeks of the trip.  as usual, i'm anxious about it.  i almost always feel better once i get going, but until then i worry.
i'm planning on leaving around noon today.  i'd like to make it to the border, the st. claire river, which flows from lake huron to lake st. claire on the north side of detroit.  60 mi. ride.  my plan is to take the ferry at marine city.  this should be a much simpler crossing than the heavily travelled bridges in detroit or sarina.  the ride there is partly on bike trails, which will help with these god awful michigan roads.  don't know weather i'll cross this evening or wait till the morning.
from there, i'll ride to port stanley (90 mi.) on the north shore of lake erie. 
two options are in my head from that point:  1) ride along the north shore to buffalo, then along the river to niagara falls, or 2) ride partly along the coast, then cut inland to brantford, and from there to niagara below the falls.  i'll decide after i get to port stanley and see what the coast is like.  it will take two days, either way.  i have no idea what ontario will look like, but i'm thinking it won't be too much different than michigan.
i tried to arrange a warmshower at marine city, but i've gotten no response.  i've also had no luck at port stanley, where both options are not available on monday night.  i have been able to make arrangements in niagara, ontario for wed night.  that's good.  I'm also hopeful about brantford, if i go that way.  but it looks like the first two nights i'm going to have wing it and see what fate sends my way.
weather looks good for the week, though it's going to start getting warmer.  my luck appears to be continuing to hold on that front.
this will be the last 4 days of riding solo.  on thursday, i will meet paul in niagara.