Day 18

Today I started off from Digby, NS with a ferry ride at 8 am. I had to check in an hour early, so the wake up was even earlier. The sun was shining as I rode to the ferry which was a welcome sight after the day I had yesterday. The ride to St. John, NB was 3 hours, so I had a breakfast on board and wandered around. I met a fellow from Rochester, NY while tying down our bikes and we got to talking and he bought me a coffee.

When I arrived on the other side, I stopped in to see the reverse falls on the St. John River. That is a pretty neat thing to see. I left following the NB-1 highway. I did take one side trip along the Bay of Fundy and found an old covered bridge. I crossed into Maine at St. Stephens and carried on down the #1 highway. I checked into the little motel in Ellsworth and then went for a ride to the Acadia National Park. I rode up to the lookout at Cadilac  Mountain and there you overlook the straits and bays and below is Bar Harbor. What a neat place. I rode through Bar Harbor and that is one busy place. The sailboats in the water are a sight to see..

Pictures are at the link,
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150383420332306.431978.574812305&l=f04adf8818&type=1


Todays Km = 481, Trip total = 10124 km

Day 17

I left Dartmouth this morning to rain.... so I was orange again. Dartmouth and Halifax have got to be the worst ever places for directional signs. I was trying to find my way across the Macdonald bridge and there is no signage whatsoever and once you get over the bridge there is still no signage to let you know how to get to the hwy...

Anyway, once I got onto Hwy 333, I was on my way to Peggy's Cove. What a cool place! Again, every time  you turned around, you want to take another picture. I met a family there from Switzerland and they were here to visit the memorial which is just down the road for SwissAir flight 111. It kind of personalized for me when I stopped there just moments after leaving the cove. I then followed Hwy 3 which winds its way in and out of the bays and harbours down the south coast of NS. After leaving Lunenburg it meets the 103 and it was at this point it started to pour... I really mean POUR! For the next hour and a half I rode into driving rain. I can honestly say that it was the worst I have ever ridden in. About 50 km from Yarnouth it stopped but I didn't even realize it because the road spray and my windshield and glasses were so wet... you get my drift. In Yarmouth I found the Tim Hortons and warmed myself up with a hot bowl of chili. When I came outside.. what is that bright thing in the sky? My goodness, The Sun!! So I decided to head down Hwy 1 which follows the north coast throught the Acadian area. This side of the province is much different with pastures and sandy beaches. The homes are all of the same type and I took a couple of pictures. A lot of people have the Acadian flag out front some with very many of them. I made my way as far as Digby, where I will spend the night.

Pictures at the following link,
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150382291872306.431541.574812305&l=632cd731d8&type=1

Km today =  513, Total for the trip = 9643

Day 16

The sunrise this morning in Western PEI was wonderful and it shone right in my room. I took a picture and it did the real thing no justice whatsoever! I left at around 8 and rode down the South side of the island on Hwy 14. The second town I got to was Skinner's Pond and this is the place where the Canadian singer Stompin Tom Connors grew up. There is even a street named after him. I also rode past the PEI Potato Museum....I can only  imagine what they would look like, preserved, so that we can enjoy them in perpetuity? :-) Do they keep one from each year of production for the display?... I'm just kidding of course.

I left PEI via the Confederation Bridge after paying a $17.25 toll. Pretty cool to see that marvelous piece of construction. You can't see a lot as the wall is about the height of your shoulders. On the NB side I turned onto Hwy 970 which turns into NS 366 when you cross the Tidnish Bridge. This is part of the Sunrise Scenic route which winds it's way along the coast of NS. At Pictou, I got back to the Trans Canada and went a little south to New Glasgow where a got onto 347 and this took me through the forested middle part of the province. It wound along the rivers and got me to the coast where I turned onto Hwy 7. This again winds its way in and out of the harbours, out onto peninsulas, and through many quaint little towns which were once booming fishing centres. I had a great Haddock dinner at one of these places.. great food. I am staying in Dartmouth for the night.

Pictures are at this link,
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150381307817306.431245.574812305&l=50949ae7c1&type=1

Km today = 682, Trip total = 9130 km

Day 15

Got up this morning to wet roads but no rain falling.. Rushed out to catch the 8 am ferry from Pictou to Wood Islands, PEI. It's a 1 hr 15 min ride. I had a great Islander's Special breakfast on board. I find people here are so friendly, especially when they see the MB plate. They want to know where you are going.. etc. Being shy, I have a real problem talking to them.... lol

When I got off the ferry I made an imediate right and followed the highway that runs along the shoreline. It's a really neat ride with lots to see. Lighthouses are in abundance as are fishing harbours. You could fill up a memory card on your camera extremely fast. Eventually, I ended  up at the East Point which is the furthest east you can go. Then I rode down the north coast where the ride is off the water. Lots of potato fields were on this side. By the way, everything turns red here that sees a dirt road so never take your white car down a dirt road here. There are lots of them and some sights I could not see because I don't want a red Harley. I eventually rode the Gulf Shore Parkway that takes you through the PEI National Park along the Dalvay Beach. A very nice place. I rode through the highlands where you see names of towns like New Glasgow, New London, Kensington... I take it this was a British area at some point? When I got to Summerside, I turned onto Hwy 2 and went pretty well as far as you can go to Tignish. Just beyond the town I checked into the Islands End Motel. After checkin I went up to the North Cape where there is a wind generating test site and visitors centre. In this centre there is a restaurant... Steak and Lobster, Oh So Good.

pictures are at the following link,
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150380384852306.430983.574812305&l=b6372f065c&type=1



kms today = 535, Trip total = 8448 km

Day 14

This morning I was awakened by the announcement that the MV Blue Puttees would be docking in Port Au Basques in 60 minutes. This was at 6:30 am. I got up from my chair and went to the restaurant and got myself a cup of coffee, went back to my seat and waited. Eventually I was allowed to descend into the lower decks and unstrap the motorcycle and wait until all the motorcycles were allowed to disembark the ferry. Since all the motorcycles were near the back of the ship, I knew we would be in a seemingly endless line of traffic. I took the first exit and found a Robins Donuts where I was able to get a better coffee and some breakfast. It was a cloudy, dreary morning so I waited as well to see if it would clear up. It seemed to have so I got on the bike and headed out. As I rounded the corner to head off toward the Cabot Trail.... rain started to fall very heavily. Again I had to wear my trusty Harley Davidson rain gear. It rained and was foggy for the first half of the Trail but when I descended into Pleasant Bay, the skies cleared up and the sun shone bright. The view from the switchbacks just after this was fantastic and you could see the clouds that had impaired the first part in the distance over the mountains. I continued through the Cabot Trail with fantastic weather.

Eventually, I was back on the Trans Canada headed west toward causeway that takes you off the island of Cape Breton and onto the mainland. The rain came ever so slightly the closer I got to Antigonish. At Big Tracadie I turned off here and followed the NS Hwy 4 through towns off the beaten path.  This eventually joined back up with the main highway. At Antigonish, I turned off again and turned onto a rural hwy 337 that follows the coast of Northumberland Strait. At it's furthest point I was at Cape George and then it takes you back to the Trans-Canada. I then followed 106 to Pictou where I am staying for the night.

Pictures can be found at the link,
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150379294662306.430692.574812305&l=57082e1dad&type=1



Today = 580 kms, Total trip = 7913 kms

Day 13

I got up this morning at 6:30 and left the hotel at 7 because I wanted to do a fair bit of riding today. It was recommended to me by the staff at the hotel that I venture up into the Gros Morne National Park. I went west to Deer Lake and turned north on Hwy 430 which brought me right into the park. The scenery on this route was incredible. There was so much to see and you just can't take a picture of everything but I still took a lot of them. After you go past the high mountains you go down to the shore of the lake and ride along it past many small fishing villages. I only went as far as Port Au Chois but apparently if you go farther you can actually see the icebergs coming down the coast from Greenland. The lighthouse at the end of the road at Port Au Chois was on a peninsula of what they called Barren Limestone. Very small flowers and small amounts of grass were growing there. I turned around there and rode back the way I came to the turn off for the "Tablelands". This is another sight to see....large mountains with no vegetation. On this road I found the town of Trout River where I had a delicious cheeseburger platter. At the turn in the road the village of Woody Point had what to me was a surprise visitor... The Holland America cruise ship Maasdam. After supper I went back out of the park to Deer Lake and did the little over 200 km trip to Port Au Basque where I boarded the ferry for Nova Scotia and where I am currently sitting in the reserved seating.

The pictures can be found at the link:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150378548662306.430460.574812305&l=ffb715e250&type=1

Total Kms today = 1085   Total trip = 7333 km

Day 11 and 12

Yesterday was an off day... we just sat around and ate, talked and listened to Newfoundland music. At supper time we rode down to the Captains Table and had a great fish meal with some even trying cod cheeks. I had eaten Capelin earlier... head and all... salty but otherwise not to bad at all. They had been heated on the BBQ.

This morning I left St. John's and headed back the same way I came. The weather was beautiful.... again. We were told over and over that it rains here a lot.... where is it? I think they say that to scare us all away!

This time I was able to take more pictures since I was riding solo. I did stop for about an hour to visit with the parents of a friend in Winnipeg. They live in Port Blandford, just outside of Clarenville. She made me a wonderful cod fish dinner... Man, was I spoilt! Thanks Mike for sending me that way.. It was great!

I also took a side trip down the highway toward Eastport. Some really nice scenery and some really nice riding. I arrived in Grand Falls - Windsor and got into the same hotel I stayed at on the way up

pictures can be found at link
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150377279122306.430063.574812305&l=9673e074ac&type=1

by the way... I fixed the links on the previous posts....

Kms today - 547, Total for trip 6248 km.

Day 10

Beautiful weather, great food, great ride... That's what can characterize Saturday the 23rd of July. We started off to getting up to wonderful sunshine and a homemade breakfast. While eating we watched about 3-4 whales breaching out in the bay in front of us. It was gorgeous. I did take one picture of a whale but it is a speck in the middle...

In the afternoon  we went for a ride... Our hosts picked out a ride along the water on the way to St. John's. We went through the small town of Petty Harbour. Words can't describe the picture. You know the magazine pictures we have all seen of Newfoundland fishing villages.... It's TRUE! That is exactly what they look like. This is the place where they filmed the movie "Orca". We then went on to Cape Speers which is the most easterly point in North America. From here you are closer to Dublin then you are to Winnipeg. There are armaments left over from WWII and plenty of hiking trails. From here you could also see our next stop across the bay in St. John's.... Signal Hill. We rode down into St. John's, through the old streets and on to the Hill. From here you look down onto the city and if you look closely, you will see the row houses all painted different bright colours. The tower is the spot where Marconi sent those first signals... I could still hear them while standing on this spot. We then headed back toward our cabins.... made the obligatory Tim Hortons stop enroute. The fog was starting to roll in and the temperature dropped each time we came over a hill into a small bay town. It was an awesome ride... something like this is so memorable.

Supper was a time for steak... barbequed... It was a tasty treat.

Pictures are at this link
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150375609547306.429461.574812305&l=84c5159deb&type=1


Km today = 136, Total for trip = 5701

Day 9

We left Grand Falls at about 8 to mist and fog so I had to put on my rain gear. Unfortunately that also means that picture taking was out of the question because the camera had to be placed where it would not get wet. A brief stop for breakfast at the crowded Timmies in Gandor was very welcome. The rain subsided but it was always looking like it could start again so the rain gear had to stay on or the whole trip. The drive along Hwy 13 and then 10 to Witless Bay was impressive. The terrain is incredible. It just about looks unnatural as there is few if any trees in spots. Hwy 10 is part of the Irish Loop and winds along the coast. We pulled into Celtic Rendezvous at around 2:30. Many of the others were already here and it was great to see them again and meet new faces from here. The hosts had a fantastic supper for us which included the oath to Newfoundland and swearing in to become honourary Newfoundlanders. The view here as you can see in the pictures is fantastic. It was interesting to watch the fog roll in in the evening.

Pictures from today are at;
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150374793282306.429152.574812305&l=1380a05888&type=1

Kms today = 435   Trip total = 5565

Day 8

We had to get up at 4 am so we could be at the ferry for the 5 am check in for the sailing at 7. On board they had us tie down our motorcycles in case of rough seas. It is a 5 hr sailing to Port Au Basques and it went without any issues. I had a good hour sleep on board in the very comfy reclining seats not unlike airline seats, only with more legroom... :-)

Once off the boat the scenery is wonderful. Table Mountain is an incredible sight on the right and the Atlantic Ocean on the left. We thought we would be tied up in traffic but we must have gotten off near first because we only encountered any for the first little bit and there were passing lanes. We stopped in Corner Brook for gas and the other guys topped up in Deer Lake as we were told there were no stations between there and Grand Falls and they could only go 200 km comfortably on their VTX motorcycles. There turned out to be a few stations so the necessity was not really there.The forecast had been for rain today but in the end we rode in sunshine most of the way and some cloud near the end. Temps are cool though with the high around 18c.

Checked in to the hotel in Grand Falls and went for a great steak dinner with some Turtle Cheesecake for dessert... It was good!

Kms today = 503  Total on trip = 5130

Pictures are at this link
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150373634057306.428788.574812305&l=bcb68f6e75&type=1

Day 7

We left Cabano at the early hour of 6 am mainly because we knew that once we crossed into New Brunswick the time would then be one hour later. The highway through NB is under construction in many places but that did not delay us too much. The speed limit is 110 kph... so we did around the 120 to 130 range. This route is very scenic as well and runs for the first part right along the Maine border. The towns on the right look like one place but the border is in the middle. We entered Nova Scotia and stopped for lunch at the birthplace of Anne Murray, Springhill, NS. Surprisingly we did not see any sign indicating this... the fact just came to our mind while we were sitting there... why? I don't know!....

At Truro, the highway goes east towards Cape Breton and at the causeway we were greeted with a 20 minute wait for a barge going through.... it had a submarine on it... There is a swing bridge and locks there as the height of the water on either side of the causeway is not even...

We now had to rush it so that we would not be greeted by moose... and we made it to the motel at 8 pm, before it got dark. We have to get up at 4 am as we have to check in for the ferry at 5....

Total kms today...1019, total for the trip 4627 km

pictures can be found at...
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150372369722306.428425.574812305&l=c73d9670bd&type=1

Day 6

This morning we left Randy's home at 6:50 am. We went around Toronto and entered the 401 at Whitby. We rode east.... east.... and more east. This becomes Autoroute 20 and then 40 through Montreal and on toward Quebec City. It stays on the south side of the St. Lawerence River and at Riviere du loup we turned south toward the New Brunswick border. We checked into the Royal Motel in Cabano, Quebec.

I did take a few pictures enroute and they are at this link. Please note that it is hard to take pictures at 120 kph....
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150369779292306.427606.574812305&l=96d8353ab1



Total km today 1076! total trip - 3608

Day 5

This morning I left Paul and Aina's at around 9 am and had a route all planned that we had researched on the internet. We wrote it out on a small piece of paper. Well, after the first 3 or 4 turns I found myself reading signs saying that I was heading toward Stratford. I was shocked because that was not on the directions that we had written down. I took out my cell phone and used google maps to get myself some new directions that did not take me through any major urban areas where I would just have to sit at traffic lights. I made my way through St. Mary's, which is a neat small town with may older homes. I did manage to take one picture while I sat at one of their traffic lights. I also did go through Stratford, where their big attraction is the Shakespeare theater. It really is another really neat place that I know my sister would love because of the old victorian style homes. I also ended up going through Fergus, another extremely picturesque town. My first destination was Orangeville, where I was trying to meet up with an old friend and business associate. I did find his home but was informed that he and his wife were on a vacation which I know he would have deserved. I knew that the Interstate distributor from the area lived right next door so decided to see if they were home and did manage to have a short visit with them.

From there I used my phone GPS to get my directions to Newmarket where was to stay with a fellow rider, whom I would be joining for the next few days of riding to St. Johns. I did make it there after having to stop a number of times to confirm I was making the right turns.

Total kms today - 280  Trip - 2532 kms


I added some pictures to the previos days album found here
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150369779292306.427606.574812305&l=96d8353ab1

Day 4

I left Cheboygan early this morning when it was 16c and 100% humidity... it was not raining. Everything was wet. The seat on the Harley was clammy, the windshield would not stay clear. It was like riding in a constant chilly mist without the mist.  I followed Hwy 23 all along the east coast of Michigan,through many resort towns. The scenes were so many.. picturesque... I could not take pictures of them all. I did get my morning coffee at a Subway in Rogers City... but it was not a great cup. When I got to just past Standish, the  highway automatically becomes M-13 heading south toward Bay City. At Bay City, I turned to follow M-25 east. It follows the edge of the "thumb" of Michigan up the west side and around and down the east side. The first part is agricultural, not unlike the Fraser Valley outside Vancouver. Lots of dairy farms and corn crops. Once you get past Caseville it becomes a resort area with many expensive "cabins". Winding through the trees and with the beaches on the left was very nice although by this time the temperature had gotten up to the 40c range. When you're wearing all black riding a black bike...You get the picture.

Eventually the trees became farmland again with fewer beaches on the left. The quaint small Michigan towns were about every 30 km where you had to slow to 25 or 30 mph each time. At Port Huron I turned onto the Ambassador Bridge where I had to budge my way into line to pay the $3.00 toll to get back to Canada. One hour later, I arrived at the Canada Customs booth... remember the temperature? The bike was radiating this incredible amount of heat and the heat in the air was incredible. Once through customs, I entered the Ontario Raceway also known as the 402. The limit was 100 kph but I don't think anyone does that. I was doing 130 and still getting passed. At the Komoka turnoff I found my way to my cousins house. Great people! Yes... they are my relatives! Got to go for a swim and have a great meal. The Harley even gets a garage tonight! Pictures can be found at the following link
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150369779292306.427606.574812305&l=96d8353ab1


Km today 686.... total 2252

Day 3

Left Ironwood, MI in the sunshine and followed Hwy 2 all the way through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. What a gorgeous day!  It mad up for all the rain yesterday. The first part of the ride is pretty none populated but then you get into the small towns of the U.P. I found this great little place to have a cup of coffee in Florence. The people there were extremely friendly. Eventually I got to Escanaba where you begin to follow the northern shore of Lake Michigan. In Manistique, there was a really nice park where I was able to stop and stretch my legs. There is a lighthouse that you can walk out to if you want. All along the lakeshore there were vactioners stopped and on the beach, which is very sandy. Apparently there is lots of wood chips in the sand because the loggers of decades ago used to take the chips from the mills and dump them out in the lake. These have now washed ashore over the years and are mixed in with the sand.

At St. Ignace, I turned south onto I-75 and paid my $3.50 to cross the Makinac Bridge. What an experience. I have done it before and was very pleased that the curb lane was open this time, which allowed me to ride on the pavement at 45 mph instead of the metal grating on the inside lane. The wind is always an experience and you don't really notice it until you go by a pillar. Suddenly you move over a couple of feet and the bike goes upright. Then it goes the opposite a second later... Gotta stay  on your toes.

I took the exit to Cheboygan on MI-23 and in 15 minutes I was at my motel for the night. I have posted the pictures in the facebook page linked below.

Total km today...566. Total 1566.

By the way... Kyle Busch won his 100th Nascar race today and I was able to listen to the race in its entirety on my Sirius radio... Go Kyle #18!

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150366109547306.426475.574812305&l=fc6f7e31dd

Day 2

Today I left Gosh Dam Place with a small amount of misty rain happening. I went north on 46 and turned right on County Road 35 which gave me some really nice twisty turns. Unfortunately it started to rain pretty heavy and I ended up stopping to put on my new Harley Davidson bright orange rain gear. So, even though I didn't get to ride hard in the corners, I did look pretty spiffy in my new gear as I went through Big Fork and down to Grand Rapids, MN. I Took 169 to Virginia, MN and that took me through the mining country. Too bad it was so cloudy and bleak because I would think that on a nice day it would be beautiful country to see. I did go through a small town called "Taconite" and wondered if every night was Taco night in Taconite, MN. Coming down US-53 to Duluth it looked like it might clear up but at Duluth it was just a big fog. I've been through Duluth about 3 or 4 times and I don't think I've ever seen  it sunny and clear. Riding over the bridge to Superior, I was glad I still had on all those layers of clothing as the wind was strong and brrrr, it was cold.

I came around the corner at the bottom of the bridge and there it was... A big Interstate Battery sign on a large building. I had to stop and say hi to the distributor there. Chrissy and Bobby (sister and brother) showed me around and Chrissy and I talked about business stuff. Bobby was in the midst of employee evaluations... sounds like fun, eh.

Proceeding east on US-2 it finally cleared up and warmed up considerably when I got to the rest area just east of Superior. I was able to shed my soaking wet rain gear (it still looked good though) and enjoyed the rest of my ride to Ironwood, MI, just inside the MI line from WI.

Today 512 km. Total 998 km.

I only took a few pictures today and I added them to the album attached to the Day 1 entry.

Day 1

Left Winnipeg this morning and went south on Hwy 59 crossing the border at Lancaster, MN. It's a pretty straight forward ride initially past fields of canola and flax. Then you get into the short, stubby trees just after St. Malo, MB.

I turned east onto US-2 and headed  east toward Bemidji, where I stopped for a really nice cup of Caribou Coffee. It was needed as the skies had clouded over and it had cooled down. I rode through Bemidji and back onto Hwy 2 on the east side. Just past Cass Lake the highway goes through the Chippawa National Forest. I took a little side road... Norway Beach Rd... through the winding forest. It kind of reminded me of Vancouver Island but only smaller trees. I continued down Hwy 2 and turned left onto County road 9 which took me to Lake Winnibigoshish where I checked into the Gosh Dam Place.

Total Km... 486 today

Pictures of Day 1 can be found at
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150366109547306.426475.574812305&l=fc6f7e31dd