A voyage of spiritual and personal discovery for Rev. Ray Goodship, of the St. Andrew's United Church, is nearing the end. Within a few weeks, he'll be dipping his bike into the waters of the harbour town of Sydney, N.S. Yet you get the impression he's in no particular rush for that day to arrive.

"There's been lots of amazing sights. Every day has been great; lots of perfect little moments. That’s what’s been most important to me," says Goodship.

"Everyday I’m so excited to get out and see what’s in store."

On Monday, he cycled into Quebec and finished the day's travel just west of Montreal. He was over 5,000k into his 7,000k journey and his spirits remain high. He's been fortunate to have his wife Chris travel along with truck and trailer in support, tending to many tedious details to keep the journey on track. Hanna, their Jack Russel Terrier dog, rides shotgun and has proven to be a bit of celebrity during their many stops.

Ray and Chris Goodship at the beginning of the cross-country journey.

Daily, Goodship has been pedalling an average of 100k and has been following a regimented timetable in order to meet commitments made in advance. He's preached every Sunday but one since heading out from the B.C. coast on June 4.

The Goodships are taking off this weekend, though. Tomorrow they arrive in Quebec City and are looking forward to touring the city.

"The preaching, and all the study and all the work around that, I’ve really enjoyed. It’s given me a lot of discipline and kept everything on schedule. But I’m glad to have a weekend off to slow down mentally. I'm ready for a bit of a mental break."

Physically, Goodship, 58, has been pleasantly surprised and believes his winter training paid off.

"I’m amazed at how well my body is doing. I feel like I’m getting stronger. That’s been kind of a surprise."

"Other than my butt," he adds, chuckling. "The butt is just staying the same. It isn’t toughening up and there’s nothing you can do about it. So when I'm finished riding for the day I'm happy to get off the seat."

Shot during the Goodships current travels through Quebec.He's utilizing two bikes and he switches them to suit the terrain for the day ahead. Knock on wood, they haven't had to replace any components or tires so far. Nor have they had any major problems to overcome and the few challenges they have encountered occurred in convenient locations. The weather, too, has been ideal for the most part.

"It really feels, so far anyway, kind of guided. It’s been a charmed summer."

Cycling the country has given him a unique view of our vast and diverse nation seldom, if ever, seen when you travel by vehicle. His routes vary and while he's forced to take some major highways, like Hwy. 17 through Northern Ontario, most of his time is spent along lesser travelled roads.

"It really doesn’t add any time to my ride, it just makes it more peaceful and quieter and it gives me time to really appreciate the sights, the smells and the sounds. Because I can only travel as quick as my legs will carry me. Most of it has been really somewhat even relaxing."

The Goodships have made many acquaintances along the way while camping but especially at the churches they have visited.

"You’re automatically connected, you’re automatically family at a certain level. At least once a week we seem to be having dinner with somebody or are going to somebody’s place for a birthday party. We seem to be to be included in people’s lives as we come along."

They've also had a chance to catch up with relatives and had an especially enjoyable a stop in North Bay, where they grew up, to spend time with family and friends.  They've even caught up with some holidaying members of the St. Andrew's congregation, some of whom attended services where he preached.

Along the way, the Goodships celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary and while Chris has rolled her eyes whenever Ray mentions he wants to do it all again after he retires, it's been a special trip for the couple.

"For her and I to be able to share this together has been really something."

Next weekend's they're scheduled to be in Woodstock, NB. A week later he will be preaching in Antigonish, NS and two days later they'll reach Sydney.

"I don't want to wish it away," he says of the few remaining weeks. "I'm not sure how I'll feel when I'm done."

One thing for certain, he appreciates Cochrane.

"I miss everybody in Cochrane. As much as this has been amazing and it has been beautiful—the Ottawa Valley is so beautiful—I haven’t found a place I’d trade for Cochrane. Cochrane is still the best place we’ve been."

It will be a relaxing trip back and when they do return you can be sure he'll be pulling out his guitar to jam with his son Bob, and there's a good chance you'll see them at the Cumbrian Arms, a westside pub that has a proud heritage of hosting a Tuesday night open mic for over 15 years.

"Bob’s is sort of missing that and so am I. That’s a big piece we had to give up for the summer--no gigging--and so the first chance we get we’ll be finding someplace to play."