The trip is over. I showed up at home at a little after 2 PM. Today went pretty much as I stated yesterday. I can definitely make good time on the interstate, but I don't need to see anymore of I-81 for awhile. Total mileage for the trip came out at exactly 5030 miles with today's mileage being 368. Only one photo for today, but it is one that I always enjoy, my bike back k in the garage after a safe and successful trip.
Today was a bit of a compromise. I've enjoyed the trip and had a good time, but now I'm ready to get back home. So I started off by riding secondary roads this morning for three hours, and then jumped on the interstate to cover some distance. I'll do the same tomorrow only in reverse. I'll probably ride the interstate to the Asheville area, and then jump on the secondary and back roads that I know in that area and arrive home tomorrow afternoon. Riding by the river in Pennsylvania this morning was nice, but I ran into a lot of small road construction projects. I like going thru the small towns, but it takes the fun out of it, when you have to make sure you don't ride into a rut, gravel, fresh oil, equipment trucks etc while heading down main street. As I have said before, pictures are difficult when you are on the interstate. I had a great view of the Met life blimp today (I'm guessing it had been in the Greensboro area for the golf tournament) as it flew by, but I didn't stop on the side of the interstate to take a picture. The semis are enough trouble for me, without giving them a standing target.
Present location: Lexington, Via.
Today's mileage: 480
Total: 4662
Today's photos: there were hundreds of these metal sculptures at one shop along the road. I really wanted to go in and talk to the owner to see if they were the ones making them, but the shop was not open yet.
I got some good advice last night, and took a scenic route southwest thru the Adirondack State Park. It was a good ride, but I couldn't help but think it was identical to northern Minnesota, or Wisconsin, or Michigan. There were resorts with cottages for families with swimming beaches, playgrounds, canoes, boats ice cream, etc. It looked an awful lot like some of the family vacations I had as a kid up in Minnesota. I guess the point is, that if you don't live there, the northern woods just seem cool and inviting and a great place to vacation. After the Park I continued thru some very pretty rolling hill country. For no particular reason, I really wanted to see some of the original Erie canal. I miscalculated my first pass, so I doubled back in order to find it. I just find it amazing what could be done almost 200 years ago with only human labor for the most part. I guess the government hadn't quite perfected it's meddlesome ways back then. Anyway, I did find a section of the original canal. As you can see by the picture, there does not seem to be a '' Save the Erie Canal Society''. It is just hard to believe what a huge commercial impact something that looks so small (40 feet wide, 4 feet deep) had back then. The other pictures show the new canal and one of the locks. This particular section is located within about a mile of the old canal. Enough of the history lesson. I had plans to basically continue south, but some of the roads leading up into the rolling hills looked too inviting. I'm really not too sure where I was or how I did it, but I ended up in the finger lakes district of the State. I'll try and do better tomorrow.
Today's location: Ithaca, NY
Today's mileage: 377
Total: 4183
Today's photos: A portion of the original Erie Canal, followed by the current canal and a lock.
I haven't posted any yard art in a few days, so here is one of what I think is a Lunar Lander, and one of a Commode Cemetery
So I took off this morning with the idea of just doing some scenic cruising with no time limits. I went thru northern Vermont and turned on any road that looked interesting, as long as it was in a somewhat westerly direction. I then crossed Lake Champlain into NY. At that point you are less than 20 miles from Adirondack State Park. It is somewhat misleading to call it a park. Other than the fact that it becomes protected property, it is not your typical park. The boundaries of the park are huge, it encompasses towns, private homes, farms, country stores, a college, ski resorts and anything else you would expect to see in a country setting. But, it also has camping areas, trails, lakes, ponds, and mountains. With an area that big, there are plenty of secondary roads, and that is where I headed. So basically, I just spent the day cruising. I then headed back up north to see good friends in Massena, NY. (So here it is day two, and I am still within 5 miles of Canada). Had a good time catching up with each other, got some laundry done (a bonus), and now I am winding down. Tomorrow, I plan on riding thru some more of the park. Not sure if I will get out of New York state, but I plan on starting to turn south.
Present location: Massena, NY
Today's mileage: 301
Total: 3805
Today's photos: The bridge crossing Lake Champlain at the northern tip.
Park scenery
My hosts Ken and Darlene
Today's observations: Sunday is a big garage sale day up here, more so than Friday and Saturday have been. Saw a lot of sales advertised and in action along the road today
All Terrain Vehicles (ATV's) , are a big recreational sport here. I've seen gas stations filled with atv's, public parking areas along the road filled with empty trailers that haul them, dealerships full of them, and lots of marked trails. I have to admit, it does look like fun.
I started off with overcast clouds and mist. This turned into a steady drizzle for about two hours. Nothing terrible, but it is annoying. Shortly after, I started to ride thru some scattered sunshine. It is amazing how quickly my attitude changes when I get sunshine on a cloudy day (I suddenly have a temptation to write a song). Here is what I don't get when you cross back into the U.S. couldn't the officials smile, welcome you back, and not treat you like a criminal once they have checked your paperwork? Anyway, I crossed back into Maine and immediately gained an hour. The route I picked across Maine was really pleasant and it had turned into a great day. I continued across New Hampshire and into Vermont. So I've traveled thru three states today, and I,m only 5 miles away from the Canadian border. Tomorrow I plan on heading into New York and do some touring in the Adirondack Mountains.
Present Location: Newport, Vermont
Today's mileage: 407
Total:
Today's photo's: An old train station in Canada that I thought looked interesting
A stack of logs at a lumber mill. This photo doesn't really show how amazing this thing looked. I don't know how or why they stack them like this. This thing was huge.
some roadside scenery in New Hampshire
Canadian Observation: I enjoyed my time there, but don't think I could put up with the winters they endure. And no matter what, it is always nice to get back in the U.S. where I know the little things, like the money dominations, speed limits (I caught myself going way below the speed limit a couple of times because I would see the sign, think kilometers and immediately start to slow down.). So Canada is over, but not my trip.
So this morning I left PEI, and headed back to NB. I decided to take one more scenic drive further up the coast before turning south. Actually, I found this to be one of the better routes, I was constantly by the water and had great views across many of the bays. I've also decided that people don't like taking these scenic routes. They are definitely not the shortest or quickest way to get anywhere, so I think people just ignore them. I think this is great for me, because it means very little traffic. I will go an entire stretch between two small towns, and never see another vehicle on the road. So as I was continuing on, I was about to start z stretch thru a National Park. A posted sign warned of construction ahead. When I talked to the lady to buy my pass she said they were telling motorcyclists to turn around and not enter. They couldn't force you to not enter, but stated there had been motorcyclists loosing control in the thick gravel, and the rocks were so sharp that they were puncturing tires. So I didn't get to finish the route. I'm sure it is best I didn't go, because about 20 minutes later it started to pour. Gravel is bad enough, wet gravel up here (it has some sort of lime in it), gets really slippery. So I rode in rain for about 45 minutes but things cleared up after that. I've turned south and will exit Canada tomorrow. I just can't quite figure out how to come thru Maine yet. As I mentioned earlier, it is difficult to get across Me. I don,t want to go south because I want to stay away from the metropolitan areas that follow after Me. I'll figure something out.
Today's location: Fredrickton, NB
Today's mileage: 370
Total: 3106
Today's photos: Many of the churches up here are painted in this white with black trim. Denomination doesn't seem to matter. I've seen a lot of them pained this way, but don't know why
I saw a lot of these bouys and floats out in the water today I thought they might be fish farms, but when I got a chance to ask, found out that they are oyster farms.
Went thru a town today that says it is the capital of Canadian lobster fishing. Lobsters must pay better than tuna fishing, because yesterday I rode thru a town that is the capital of Canadian tuna fishing. The last picture is one I took of that Town. That is the entire town that you are looking at.
Canadian comparison: Judging by my toast in the morning, store bought bread here is sliced thicker than store bought bread at home. I don't have a clue why that is, but aren't you glad to find that out.
So I headed out this morning intending to do a ride up the coast of New Brunswick. Very early into it I came upon the longest bridge I have ever seen. I couldn't pass it up, and 8 miles later (yes, the bridge is eight miles long), I was on Prince Edward Island. I decided that I might as well make a day of it, so here I am. As long as I stay away from the few main roads, there is very little traffic and good riding. I made it out to East Point which is as far east as you can get without a rowboat. There's a lot more agriculture than I would have thought. One of the main crops is potatoes, and they have potato stands along the roads, just like we have fruit and vegetable stands along the road. Things are starting to look a lot alike. Pretty country and a lot of water. I'll head back towards NB tomorrow, and see what happens from there. That is if I don't get sidetracked. Mileage was a bit down today because I stopped earlier than usual, because I had to get a load of laundry done before it walked away on its own.
Present location: Kingsboro, PEI
To gay's mileage: 253
Total: 2712
Today's photos: The confederation bridge
The light house museum at East Point
More yard art, you can actually buy this one if you want
Canadian observation: I don't know what personal or property taxes are up here, but I am continually surprised at how much sales tax is on things.
If you are a touring motorcyclist you have probably heard about the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia. It is one of those bucket list rides, kind of like the Pacific Coast Highway, or riding Route 66. So that is what I did today. I'm not sure if it would have been on my bucket list, but it is a very good ride. There is a lot of coast and a lot of ocean, and you ride thru the coastal mountains also. You can check out the pictures and see what you think. After the trail, which is a 180 mile loop, I headed back the way I came and then jumped on another scenic route. Tomorrow I'll leave NS, and then decide where to go from there.
Present location: Parrsboro, NS
Today's mileage: 408
Total: 2468
Today's photos: All from the Cabot Trail, except for the boat. I took that earlier just because I liked the way it looked.
Some more Canadian observations: Road kill is different here. I have yet to see a dead racoon or possum, but I can't tell you how many dead porcupines I've seen along the road.
No moose sightings, but I did see a bear and two cubs on the road ahead of me today. They were gone way before I got there, so no photos
They don't use pennies in Canada. The totals still come up as if they are needed, but they just split the difference with you. Sometimes you pay one or two cents more than the total, sometimes you pay one or two cents less, depending on if the total ends in a 3 or 4, or if it ends in 1 or 2. Or 6/7 or 8/9. You figure it out.
I didn't think it would be snowing, but I did think it would be cooler in Canada than it was in South Carolina. Turns out they are having an unusually hot period right now. I will admit that I would rather be hot than cold or wet, but these continuous 90 degree days on the bike are starting to wear me down.
I took off today for a scenic coastal ride in New Brunswick this morning, I am sure it was lovely, but when you are going in and out of sea fog, you really don't see much. I continued on and entered Nova Scotia later today. Right now I am on the lower portion of Cape Breton Island which makes up the northern portion of Nova Scotia. I plan on riding up a d around the northern part tomorrow. I know I haven't done a very good job of keeping my mileage totals up to date, so I will try to remember to do that.
Today's location: Wycomouth, NS
Today's mileage: 330
Total: 2060
Today's photos: The tree with the shoes on it was out in the middle of nowhere. I have no idea what it means, and there certainly wasn't anyone around to ask.
When I entered Nova Scotia, I stopped at the information center and was serenaded by a bagpipe. Actually, I don't think you re allowed to use the words serenaded and bagpipes in the same sentence.
I had a little trouble figuring out what this sign meant, until I noticed it came just prior to all the bridges
A few observations before I sign off:
coming up to Canada, I never even. Considered that I would be in a different time zone, but I am. Atlantic time zone.
The reason the advertised price for gas initially seems so cheap, is because it is priced by the liter, not by the gallon.
Pleasantly surprised to find out that my GPS automatically converts kph into mph. I don't need to know that 110 kph is 68 mph. No mental gymnastics required
So after dropping Jim off at the airport this morning, I headed over to Calais, Me. where I crossed the border into Canada. It was pretty hot there, but it has cooled down some as I get further north. Once I got my bearings, I started following a recommended scenic route. It is interesting, sin e we are on the coast, you head out toward a bay on the water, and then you head back inland, go north a while, and then head back out towards the water again. Every time you do this, there is a temperature change of almost 20 degrees. It is a scenic ride, and the roads really aren't very highly traveled which makes it nice. The bad part, is that some of these secondary roads are pretty rough. Between the frost heaves and the snow plowing, I guess that is to be expected. I have to tell you though, it doesn't seem like they spend much money on the repairs they do. Most of the repairs are worse then the beat up roads. That just means I have to take it a little slower, but it isn't going to stop me.
Today's photos: in no particular order
Some photos along the coast on the Fundy Trail, a gas station that I can't figure out why it hasn't gone national, some yard art. I always find the yard art I see along the way interesting, but you gotta love the Flintstone cars.
Present location: Old Town, Maine
Today's mileage: 340
Total mileage: 1402
After two days of interstate, I needed a day like today. I stayed on secondary roads through the Green mountains in Vermont and the White mountains in New Hampshire. After the sun burned through and burned off the morning fog, it was a great day. Unfortunately, I did not make it to the coast today. Traveling west to east thru Maine is pretty slow going. There are numerous small towns, and you rarely get above 40 mph. Nothing wrong with that, but since I had not planned on it, I came up short of the coast. Jim was already there, so he flew back in this direction and we met up just north of Bangor. There is a learning curve to meshing two modes of transportation, but we're getting there. One thing we've learned, is that we need two separate rooms due to a snoring problem Jim had. In all fairness, it was not his snoring that kept him awake most of last night. Tomorrow, Jim heads home and I'm headed into Canada. More to come.
Today's photos: in the northeast they don't have deer crossing warnings, but there are plenty of warnings for moose crossings. I was on the lookout, but the only bovine creature I saw along the road, did not look like a moose.
Went by a glider port and stopped hoping to see some activity, but I guess the thermals weren't good enough yet, since everyone was just sitting around.
Jim may travel faster than I do, but I think I have more room to stretch than he does.
The truth is, I really don't know how far it is from SC to Nova Scotia, but I know that it will take at least three days to get to northern Maine. Because of this , I decided to bite the bullet and ride interstates for a few days in order to cover some ground. This is my least favorite type of riding, but it will allow me more time to enjoy the roads in Canada. Additionally, by coming up this way, I was able to drop in on my friends Jim and Jean. A long time ago, Jim lost a bet, and he owes me "beer for life", so I am always happy to come by and collect. Additionally, the plan is for Jim to fly his plane and meet me for the next couple of nights. This is pretty much a seat of the pants operation, so we will see how it works. Nothing really interesting to relate since it was all interstate. There are interesting sights along the way, but you really can't stop and take photos. The two photos attached are in Jim's hangar. Two things to pass along about them. Boys never outgrow toys, and men's garages are like women's closets, they will always fill them up, no matter how big they are.
