Day 74: St. Clair, MI to Ridgetown, ON

Aug 18 blog

59 miles

3,098 miles so far

We started the day with a quick coffee and a danish (for me..sadly no gluten free) at the St. Clair Inn before heading out for our 59 mile ride to Ridgetown, Ontario. We would be crossing the St. Clair River into Ontario by way of the Algonac - Walpole Ferry.

Slightly down the rode, we found the the Marine City Grill for a “proper breakfast!”

We rode another 7 miles or so down to Algonac where we caught the ferry across the St. Clair River to Walpole Island which is a First Nation Reserve. It was a beautiful 8 minute ride across the river. Again, the aqua blue color of the river is amazing to me.

As we disembarked the ferry to check in with the customs agent, we were greeted by two friendly local dogs who welcomed us to Canada.

According to my research, Walpole Island is unceded territory and is inhabited by the Ojibwa, Potawatomi, and Odawa peoples of the Walpole Island First Nation, who call it Bkejwanong, meaning "where the waters divide" in Anishinaabemowin. In addition to Walpole Island, the reserve includes Squirrel Island, St. Anne Island (surrounded by Syme and Johnson Rivers), Seaway Island (except a small U.S. portion), Bassett Island, and Potawatomi Island. The river or creeks that separate these islands provide the area with its other commonly used name, Swejwanong or "many forks of a river."

As we rode out of the customs area we came to the end of the road and a very recognizable red sign with the word “Nookshkaan” which I assume means “Stop” in Anishinaabemowin!

We stopped in Dresden and had lunch at Burns Restaurant where I couldn’t resist the fish and chips - maybe a little too much for lunch!

Sunrise on the St. Clair River