FJowners.com

Hi all...

I keep reading these great ride reports...and I've been enjoying going along for the virtual ride!  The "Alaska 2013" adventure has me starting to plan a ride to the 49th state...Maybe next summer.  The "Nova Scotia or Bust" crew had me reminiscing over my ride last year when I visited the Maritimes with such fond memories.  A couple of those guys encouraged me to share my ride report...and some pictures...of my adventure last year to visit my dad for his 80th birthday.  I hope you'll come along for the ride with me and get some enjoyment out of it.  You'll need a pair of Wickers and some Gold Bond...'cause it turned into quite a long ride!   :yes:

I figure I should start with a little background.  I've owned the '92 FJ1200 since 1997.  I rode her for a few years when I lived on the sailboat and the salt air really took its toll on the ol' girl.  It only had 20,000 miles on the clock when I bought a house and parked it...always with the intention of sprucing her back up.  Well, it sat in my dining room for about five years and then I finally started to dig in.  I'd take bits apart, tag and bag them and then shift off to some other time robbing hobby.  At some point, the garage was covered in ZipLock bags with motorcycle parts I had long since remembered which section of the bike they came from.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_18_09_13_12_19_20.jpeg)

I kept finding other things to occupy my time and the FJ just stayed on the back burner for about three more years!  Well, that all changed when I realized that my dad was going to turn 80 in a few months!!!  I thought, "How great would it be to ride from Los Angeles to upstate New York and spend his 80th birthday with him?!!!"  That motivated me to get the FJ finished and get on the road!! 

This isn't meant to be a rebuild story, so I'll zip through this part pretty quickly.  Pulled the engine out:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_18_09_13_12_34_37.jpeg)

Tore it down to its last nut and bolt and powder coated the frame:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_18_09_13_12_37_52.jpeg)

Rebuilt the engine:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_18_09_13_12_39_42.jpeg)

Put it all back together:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_18_09_13_12_43_06.jpeg)

Took it for a quick test drive and packed for my trip!!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_18_09_13_12_45_34.jpeg)

I think my FJ was as excited to get on the road as I was!!!

Cap'n Ron. . .

Great post Ron, I hope to do the same to my 86' one day.

The three months before I left Los Angeles were a bit crazy.  I had never done an over-night ride let alone a 3,000 mile trip cross country!  Add to that the rebuild of the motorcycle in time for my departure and I found myself in the garage every night until around 5:00 in the morning!

For the bike...Above and beyond just getting it running, I had to get Givi hard luggage mounted, had Racetech rebuild the forks, installed a Penske Sport rear shock, mounted up Pirelli Sport Demon tires, added an RPM fork brace, bought a Cortech tank bag, put together a tool kit with some spares, wired up two 12v sockets and a waterproof switch in the dash to charge my laptop and my razor, added relays to power the headlight directly from the battery, installed a Throttlemeister throttle lock for cruise control and RAM dash mounts for the radar detector and iPhone.

For me...I bought a new textile jacket with waterproof liner, some Firstgear overpants with waterproof liner and some waterproof gloves for the times when my "summer" gloves weren't appropriate.   :lol:

For camping...I bought a Redvers tent, a Northface down sleeping bag, an exped downmat and air pillow, a Soto stove, some GSI cookware, a Petzl head light, an Alite Monarch chair and about ten backpacker meals.  I also vacuum packed quite a bit of rice and pasta and threw in about ten bottles of water.

I had gear spread out all across the living room floor trying to organize my packing.  What would I need in a hurry?  What was heavy that I could pack down low on the bike?  Is the weight balanced between the left and right cases?  I rolled out of the driveway at just over 1000 pounds.  605 for the bike, 210 for me, 140 in Givi hard cases and camping gear, another 50 pounds in the tank bag and fuel.

Feeling quite well prepared, I set out for New York ten days before my dad's 80th birthday...

Cap'n Ron. . .

Day 1:  Los Angeles to Kingman Arizona (334 miles)

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_18_09_13_2_31_13.jpeg)

Most days of the trip didn't include much route planning other than, "Head in a compass direction until I find a logical place to stop for the night."  Of course I had to keep progress towards New York...and I had to make some decent miles each day, but I had plenty of time to just "See where the day takes me."

I left the house at around 9:00am and worked my way through LA traffic.  It wasn't long before I was in the desert clicking off some miles.  All of my hard work on the FJ was paying off...she was running like a champ and I was grinning like a crazy person!  I hadn't ridden in nearly ten years and I was settling in.

I was anxious about fuel range...I had no idea what my MPG would be with the extra weight and wind drag of hard cases.  Given that, I had pre-planned a gas stop in the Mojave Desert at the 150 mile mark.

This was the first of 128 stops for fuel on the trip and I calculated 38MPG:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_18_09_13_2_54_47.jpeg)

I ran interstate 40 for the next hour or so and started realizing that the interstate was a bit mind-numbing...and looked EXACTLY like the interstate near home so, I peeled off and ran some of the old Route 66.  I stopped at this place in Goffs, CA for some lunch...but it seems to be closed:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_18_09_13_3_02_39.jpeg)

I headed on to Laughlin, NV...grabbed some lunch there, fueled up and got a hotel in Kingman, Arizona for the night.  The first day was a good one!  I had been in three states already...I was a bit hot in all my gear, but I was out on the road heading in the right direction!  :good2:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Looks like a wonderful ride, Ron!   Balancing distance/time with lack of boredom is a tricky business.  Sounds like you are doing it right!!  If you need to 'get there' the FJ is good for 800-mile days. My Corbin saddle helped, (personal experience!) immensely!   Austin is a bit south of your most appropriate route (and I won't be home this weekend, but will tomorrow) and would happily host you on your journey, if possible .  If you head south on your way back, you have a host in Texas!
Please raise  one for me for your father's 80'th!!!   He did well, obviously!

His trip was last year, he is finally getting to posting it up.

Quote from: FJmonkey on September 18, 2013, 04:59:46 PM
His trip was last year, he is finally getting to posting it up.

True, but it sounds like AustinFJ has a beer waiting for me in Texas...Might just head out there again!   :drinks:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: AustinFJ on September 18, 2013, 04:52:29 PM
Looks like a wonderful ride, Ron!   Balancing distance/time with lack of boredom is a tricky business.  Sounds like you are doing it right!!  If you need to 'get there' the FJ is good for 800-mile days. My Corbin saddle helped, (personal experience!) immensely!   Austin is a bit south of your most appropriate route (and I won't be home this weekend, but will tomorrow) and would happily host you on your journey, if possible .  If you head south on your way back, you have a host in Texas!
Please raise  one for me for your father's 80'th!!!   He did well, obviously!

Based on your "Visited States" sig, it looks like you've done your share of touring around!  This trip was last year and if you end up following the whole adventure along with me, you'll find I rarely took the "most appropriate route."  :biggrin:  My dad is a good man and is well worth the long hours...even on a stock seat!

Thanks for the hospitality offer...I may take you up on that someday!

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: Capn Ron on September 18, 2013, 01:47:51 AM
This isn't meant to be a rebuild story, so I'll zip through this part pretty quickly. 

Don't be holding out on us, Cap'n!!!. ...  Hahaha!

Great report!! Looking forward to more...

Quote from: FJmonkey on September 18, 2013, 04:59:46 PM
His trip was last year, he is finally getting to posting it up.

Congrats Monkey man......the 4000 post mark.......Impressive......most impressive...

Vader - impressive (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VWDekbIaJE#)

couldn't find one with the Red Power ranger...so you got Vader....... :blum2:

Anyways............Sailors usually move with the wind......and sometimes the wind doesn't blow at all........ :mocking: ....but I love the post...no matter how old it might be.....keep them coming Ron.... :good2:

Day 2:  Kingman, AZ to Payson, AZ (250 miles)

This was an easy day mileage wise...shortly outside of Kingman, AZ, I start to pull some altitude heading East on the I40.  This was a nice change of scenery and a welcome drop in temperature!  I definitely wanted to get off the interstate, so I headed South at Ash Fork...  My full day's ride looked like this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_18_09_13_9_49_34_0.jpeg)

It started to feel like an adventure...just pointing the bike down some road because it looked good on a map.  The big draw for me was the stretch heading up into Jerome, AZ...an old mining town with amazing roads for a motorcycle!  This is the stretch that got my attention!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_18_09_13_9_49_34_1.jpeg)

It had some really tight hairpin turns, some big wide sweepers and when you got over the summit, you could see for miles down into the next valley!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_18_09_13_9_56_16.jpeg)

I met some great folks at that stop...they were asking about the FJ and where I was from.  When I told them, they were both stunned..."You rode that all the way from Los Angeles????!!!!"  I told them I just left yesterday and would be in New York in about a week.  They thought I was a nut.   :wacko1:

Down through Camp Verde and along the 260 was another amazing stretch of road with mostly wide sweeper turns that could get you into a nice rhythm.  Pulled into Payson, AZ at about 4:00 in the afternoon for some fuel.

I started noticing that the bike wasn't idling well and would stall out at redlights.  I struggled pulling away from lights in traffic as it would sputter and stumble quite a bit.  I pulled off at a gas station and noticed fuel pouring out of my carb vent tubes!  That seemed to be a problem.  I had no idea even where to start.  I took a few minutes to let the thought of being broken down in a strange town subside and put my head back into it.  I called a Yamaha dealer in Phoenix and asked if they could get it on the bench in the morning.  he said he wouldn't have parts for those carbs if it needed anything, but would be happy to look at it.  Okay...there was one option.  I then called Wired George...He's the guy I had rebuild the carbs long before I knew about Randy.  George answered his cell phone at a restaurant where he was having dinner with his wife.  I told him the issue and he walked me through what could be causing the problem.  "Most likely sediment in the fuel tank got shook up on your first ride since the rebuild and overwhelmed the fuel filter."  Going on that, I decided to pull the carbs to have a look.

I went to an auto parts store in Payson...bought some carb cleaner, a filter, a roll of shop towels, a long screwdriver and some nitrile gloves.  The guy behind the counter was asking me where I was staying and started to rattle off the hotels in town.  I interrupted him and said, "If YOU were going to rebuild a set of carburetors in a hotel bathroom, where would YOU stay?"  He immediately understood and said, "Ohhh, the Best Western!"   :yes:

I went about removing the stock airbox and carburetors just outside my hotel room well into the night...Two girls staying at the hotel lent me a flashlight and another roll of paper towels.  That sort of road hospitality lifted my spirits and I had the carbs out in no time!  I pulled them apart to take a look:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_18_09_13_10_25_38.jpeg)

Sure enough...the seats were being held open by some residual tank grit.  Cleaned it all out, changed the filter and put it all back together by about 1:00am.  Got on the road at about 9:00am the next day and the bike ran great!

Even with the carb rebuild, it was another excellent day!

Cap'n Ron. . .

Great post Ron ! :good2: :good2: :good2: I miss those roads in Arizona.  Next year perhaps....

I spent the day cleaning my new tank and can relate to the crap after a rebuild getting in the carbs. My new tank is "pristine' on the outside, no so pristine inside  :rofl:. Thinking about a double fuel filter for a while after I get her back up and running at least for a few tank fulls.

Hope you are healing up. Hows the bike coming along ?
George

Quote from: movenon on September 19, 2013, 12:16:18 AM
Great post Ron ! :good2: :good2: :good2: I miss those roads in Arizona.  Next year perhaps....

I spent the day cleaning my new tank and can relate to the crap after a rebuild getting in the carbs. My new tank is "pristine' on the outside, no so pristine inside  :rofl:. Thinking about a double fuel filter for a while after I get her back up and running at least for a few tank fulls.

Hope you are healing up. Hows the bike coming along ?
George

Northern Arizona is completely different from the Phoenix area...Very beautiful, great roads and a LOT cooler!

I had cleaned out the tank during the rebuild, but there's just some you can't get out apparently.  It was a new fuel filter as well, but it could only handle so much crud I guess.  I think riding for a few tankfulls down some bumpy roads would get some of it flowing into the filters...change them and do it again.  Lather, rinse, repeat two or three times and you should be good!

The bike is near 100%...just waiting on a shipment of CBR mirrors.  I'm in good shape...almost ready to get out and ride!!

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: Capn Ron on September 19, 2013, 12:50:03 AM

Quote from: movenon on September 19, 2013, 12:16:18 AM
Great post Ron ! :good2: :good2: :good2: I miss those roads in Arizona.  Next year perhaps....

I spent the day cleaning my new tank and can relate to the crap after a rebuild getting in the carbs. My new tank is "pristine' on the outside, no so pristine inside  :rofl:. Thinking about a double fuel filter for a while after I get her back up and running at least for a few tank fulls.

Hope you are healing up. Hows the bike coming along ?
George

Northern Arizona is completely different from the Phoenix area...Very beautiful, great roads and a LOT cooler!

I had cleaned out the tank during the rebuild, but there's just some you can't get out apparently.  It was a new fuel filter as well, but it could only handle so much crud I guess.  I think riding for a few tankfulls down some bumpy roads would get some of it flowing into the filters...change them and do it again.  Lather, rinse, repeat two or three times and you should be good!

The bike is near 100%...just waiting on a shipment of CBR mirrors.  I'm in good shape...almost ready to get out and ride!!

Cap'n Ron. . .

That's great news Ron. I am jealous of your extended riding season.

The tank is difficult to clean. The bottom of the tank cleaned up well, the top side is the hardest. No matter what,   it's going to have some crap come out of it for a while. Glad its a fuel pump , filter model.. I would have to coat it for sure if it was a gravity feed. Right now it's out in the shop loaded with a mild acid cooking on the inside  :lol:

George

 :rofl: Ha Ha ...I love that 'Best Western" Pic.... (popcorn)

 
Loven the ride  :good2:
All ready to cast off for the next leg Capn
                 (popcorn)

Day 3:  Payson, AZ to Socorro, NM (300 miles)

After rebuilding the carburetors in the hotel room the night before, I was excited to get on the road!  I packed up my GIVI hard cases, strapped down my tent and fired up the FJ.  Ohhhh...I had fuel POURING out of one of the vent tubes!  Not to worry...I had spent most of the night on the forum boning up on the carbs and all the potential issues/solutions.  I quickly figured it might be a stuck float bowl since I just had these out and flipped over a few times during the re-install.  I got on it and rode the bike off a curb and presto!  The leak immediately stopped!  A wealth of knowledge this forum is!   :hi:

My day took me from Payson to Socorro, New Mexico...right around 300 miles:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_19_09_13_2_49_16.jpeg)

Continuing on the 260 from the day before was about the same...brilliant!  Perfect wide sweepers through the forest one after the other for 30 miles without ever seeing a car!  The kind of road that made me want to turn around and ride it again!  My excitement was enhanced on that road because I was noticing something...The FJ was running better than it had even when I first left Los Angeles.  The carb cleaning and new filter had really sorted out the fuel delivery issues and I felt like I was on a brand new bike!

At about 150 miles, I stopped at this place in the desert for a fill up:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_19_09_13_3_08_07.jpeg)

I did the math on that tank and I was now getting 50MPG!!  Sweet.  :good2:  In the desert you don't find many gas stations, but when you do they are catch-all businesses like that one.  They are a gas station, auto repair shop, hotel around back, grocery store and chain saw dealer!  Everything a weary traveler might need!   :yes:

Pressing on towards Pie Town, NM (yes...there's a place called PIE TOWN!), I dropped some altitude and picked up a HUGE tailwind!  It felt like I was coasting for around 40 miles!  I then got to the reason I picked this route...

This is the "Very Large Array" or more commonly just called the VLA...The one you've seen in the movie "Contact" and all the individual dishes work together to act as one huge radio telescope.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_19_09_13_3_20_43.jpeg)

You can see the radio dishes in the background of yet another gratuitous FJ picture!   :biggrin:  They seem small from this distance, so I rode the three miles to go check them out:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_19_09_13_3_25_26.jpeg)
(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_19_09_13_3_29_52.jpeg)

After witnessing the VLA first hand, I have since renamed it the BFA!  :biggrin:

I got back on the road heading East pretty late in the day...Short on sleep from the night before, I stopped in Socorro, NM just down the road for the night.  Hotels in the Southwest are dirt cheap!  Almost cheaper than sleeping in the dirt in my tent, so I got motel room for $28, a GREAT night's sleep and a hot shower.  Life is good on the road!

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: Capn Ron on September 19, 2013, 04:42:13 PM
GREAT night's sleep and a hot shower.  Life is good on the road!

Cap'n Ron. . .

Max Webster - On The Road (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_49M65fPPoM#)

Life is good on the road !! :drinks:

Day 4:  Socorro, NM to Aspermont, TX (430 miles)

After a great night's sleep, I was ready to pick a route and log some miles.  My morning route planning routine was becoming second nature.  I would open the navigation app on my iPhone and put in my parent's address and it would plot the most direct route.  I would then check the radar app to see if I would run into any weather and adjust as needed.  Then I would look for what appeared to be the most interesting roads and head off.  Interesting roads in order of importance to me were:

1. NOT an interstate!
2. Something that looked twisty
3. Had some sight that needed seeing
4. Took me through small towns

From where I was, most would have headed North East through Amarillo, TX, but there was some rain up there I would have ran directly into.  I looked due East and saw that Roswell, NM was on my way and decided to head there.  I heard I might run into some aliens.

This was my route for the day:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_19_09_13_4_59_42.jpeg)

And this was my view for most of the morning:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_19_09_13_5_04_04.jpeg)

Just wide open desert roads that disappear into the horizon.  There was a pull out next to some pretty interesting ancient lava flows.  I was taking a break there for probably ten minutes before I saw a single car.  They pulled over and I said hello.  They were a German couple touring the U.S. for three weeks. 

They didn't speak much English and my German is limited to what I learned on Hogan's Heroes.  I tried my best to be a polite ambassador...we exchanged some funny gestured conversation, some smiles and handshakes and I was on my way again after taking another gratuitous shot of the FJ (you can see some of the black lava in the background:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_19_09_13_5_21_57_0.jpeg)

I then found myself in Capitan, NM...A VERY small town and the Captain was in Capitan!  I just had to take a shot of this cool little building:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_19_09_13_5_21_57_1.jpeg)

Off for a quick stop in Roswell, New Mexico and I ran into this fellow...Yikes!:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_19_09_13_5_21_58_2.jpeg)

We exchanged greetings and I got the hell out of Roswell!

I finally got to Texas!  I know it's going to be a long state...parts of three days of riding probably:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_19_09_13_5_31_58.jpeg)

While riding through small Texas towns, stopping at a kid's lemonade stand, getting a wave and a nod from a guy on a riding lawnmower...I was starting to really like Texas.

Going along at about 60 in the middle of nowhere, something caught my eye just down a crossroad and I turned around to check it out:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_19_09_13_5_21_58_3.jpeg)

It was a proper OLD jailhouse!!!  Complete with iron bar cells:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_19_09_13_5_21_58_4.jpeg)

I spent about a half an hour exploring that place...very cool!  When I got out of jail, I noticed the shadows were getting long and I should probably get moving:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_19_09_13_5_21_59_5.jpeg)

It was a great day of riding...saw some fun sights, met some wonderful people and for the first time since I left Los Angeles, this was starting to FEEL like an adventure.  No more worries about the months rebuilding the bike...not thinking about miles too much...not caring about where I ended up at the end of the day.  In a word, freedom.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_19_09_13_5_21_59_6.jpeg)

Cap'n Ron. . .
 

I am loving each chapter, keep it coming Ron.....

Great report Capn Ron and I like the accompanying maps.  I'm takin' notes.  Kingman, AZ to Payson, AZ (250 miles)looks perfect to me! Carry on...

Quote from: markmartin on September 19, 2013, 08:41:03 PM
Great report Capn Ron and I like the accompanying maps.  I'm takin' notes.  Kingman, AZ to Payson, AZ (250 miles)looks perfect to me! Carry on...

If you ever make that leg. From Flagstaff drop into Oak Creek Canyon (Sedona). Then head on up to Jerome -Prescott up to Payson. Oak Creek is a must...

Keep the trip coming Ron... :drinks:
George

Quote from: movenon on September 19, 2013, 09:02:16 PM

Quote from: markmartin on September 19, 2013, 08:41:03 PM
Great report Capn Ron and I like the accompanying maps.  I'm takin' notes.  Kingman, AZ to Payson, AZ (250 miles)looks perfect to me! Carry on...

If you ever make that leg. From Flagstaff drop into Oak Creek Canyon (Sedona). Then head on up to Jerome -Prescott up to Payson. Oak Creek is a must...

Keep the trip coming Ron... :drinks:
George

Thanks for the tip George!  That area is close enough...and there's some good wine tasting to be done that I'll end up back in that area!  I'll also add that the 60 from Show Low to Globe is SPECTACULAR!  High cliffs, switchbacks and amazing scenery!

Cap'n Ron. .  .

End of Day 4:  Aspermont, TX

I rode until the sun was going down and looked for a hotel in Aspermont, TX.  No real reason other than that's where I found myself when I was tired of riding.  Since there were only two in Aspermont, I picked this one:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_19_09_13_9_33_08.jpeg)

It was called the "Budget Inn" and it certainly was at around $34 taxes in.  The hospitality was great...had a nice conversation with the girl at the reception desk about the town...She told me that oil was booming around there and because of the transient nature of oil work...and I presume the big paycheck drinking binges...they had made it a dry town.  Fortunately, I travel with wine so I was all set there.

At that late hour, most food options were closed for the night.  The room had a microwave, so I ended up at a gas station/food mart and put together a cheese, Vienna sausage and instant rice medley that would go well with a nice chardonnay back in the room!   :good2:  I topped up the tank so I'd be ready to go in the morning and headed back to the hotel.

The room was nicer than you'd expect for thirty-four bucks.  It was clean, had WiFi, a fridge and microwave and quite a nice bed!  When I parked the bike in the dirt parking lot, it was dark out, but there was good lighting under the overhang of the motel.  Now...I don't know if it was because I was in Texas...or that my room was right behind the Coke machine, but there were ENORMOUS crawling bugs outside my door.  I know everything is bigger in Texas, but if the bike broke down, I'm certain I could have ridden one of these things to the nearest service station!

Normally this would have kept me up all night thinking about the critters...Then it occurred to me...On the downside, they're huge.  On the upside, they're so big there's no way they could fit under my hotel room door!!! :yahoo:  With that in mind, I closed the door and had a great night's sleep!

Cap'n Ron. . .

I don't know if you like desert wines but if you remind me the next time we might run into each other at a rally I will get you some "Ice Wine".  Made from the grapes after they freeze (they are extremely sweet). I swear you can pour that stuff onto vanilla ice cream....

http://www.finewineandgoodspirits.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?&level0=null&level1=FbF_Dessert&level2=&level3=&level4=&catalogId=258552&storeId=10051&productId=1268012&langId=-1&prodlistCatId=Wines%20by%20Variety&parent_category_rn=Wines%20by%20Variety (http://www.finewineandgoodspirits.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?&level0=null&level1=FbF_Dessert&level2=&level3=&level4=&catalogId=258552&storeId=10051&productId=1268012&langId=-1&prodlistCatId=Wines%20by%20Variety&parent_category_rn=Wines%20by%20Variety)

George

Quote from: movenon on September 19, 2013, 10:56:13 PM
I don't know if you like desert wines but if you remind me the next time we might run into each other at a rally I will get you some "Ice Wine".  Made from the grapes after they freeze (they are extremely sweet). I swear you can pour that stuff onto vanilla ice cream....

George

I like mostly big dry reds (Pinot, Zin, Shirah, cabs)...or oakey, buttery chardonnays.  That's not to say that I don't enjoy a dessert wine now and again.  A late harvest Zinfandel or Port.  I did a fair amount of tasting on this trip (spoiler alert) and spent a good amount of time in the Niagara region.  Ice wines are king there!

I am familiar with a couple of reds from Ste Chapelle Winery.  Friends of mine smuggle it into Utah whenever they get out your way!  :good2:

I figured out a pretty good system for carrying wine on the bike that I might delve into in one of the trip reports.

Cheers!

Cap'n Ron. . .

Ste Chapelle is only 24 miles down the road.  :good2:  :drinks:
George

Day 5:  Aspermont, TX to Paris, TX (305 Miles)

Los Angeles is just a speck in my rear view mirrors by now and I'm getting into a nice routine...I've repacked and re-organized the Givi cases a few times and I can get the bike road ready in about 15 minutes. 

I left the Budget Inn in Aspermont and was greeted with another beautiful sunny day!

My route today looks like this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_20_09_13_2_48_42.jpeg)

These are more single lane roads through tiny towns in Texas.  Who knows where today will take me?  Who will I meet?  What will I learn from them?  What great things will I see?  Almost as soon as I processed these thoughts, there it was:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_20_09_13_2_54_07.jpeg)

A twenty-foot high iron sculpture on the side of the road with it's head seemingly gesturing me to keep going East.  I figured...he wouldn't steer me wrong...and I continued on my way.  (see what I did there?)  :lol: :lol: :lol:

I passed through a town that probably had a population of 50...At one of the houses, two kids were tossing a ball back and forth in the front yard and they stopped to wave to me as I rode by.  I tooted the horn and waved.  Seemed like a nice simple life to me.  That thought made me smile and got me through another fifty miles to Graham, Texas.

I had been thinking since the day before that I should start looking for a place to change my oil.  This was a completely fresh engine...at this point, I had only rebuilt it 1400 miles ago and the "break-in oil" was due for a change!  As I rolled through town, I spotted an Auto Zone store and pulled in to try my luck.  "Ummm...yeah...if I buy all the stuff to change my oil, can I do it out behind your store?"  I cringed waiting for the reply.  In Los Angeles, they would have thrown me out of there...  He says, "Sure thing mister...need some shop rags?"  Wow...more Texas hospitality!  I proceeded to fiddle with the oil change out back and poured the used oil back into the quart containers and handed them into the store.  Job done! :yes:

While I was in there, I found some tar and bug remover in a spray bottle and a pack of six microfibre rags.  This was Texas after all and my bike was covered in bugs!  I really didn't need all six rags, so I separated three from the pack and went up to a car in the parking lot...husband, wife...kids in the back seat..."Hey I don't need these...could you use them?"  He says, "Sure!!" and his wife starts pulling out some money!  "No...just take them...I don't want any money for them..."  "Are you sure??"  I was stunned...It seemed they felt they HAD to give me something for them.  I thought for a second and said, "Okay...Here's what you can do for me...I need you to give me a suggestion for a good barbeque place to get some lunch!"  They both enthusiastically said, "CLAYTON'S!!!!!"  I thanked them, they wished me safe travels and off I went to this place:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_20_09_13_3_23_56.jpeg)

Looked like a hole in the wall, but they had a stack of hickory wood out back and the smell was OH so inviting!  I had some BBQ pork...it had that "smoke bark" that the pitmasters always talk about but I had never experienced...a side of cole slaw and the best corn bread salad I have ever had...

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_20_09_13_3_28_41.jpeg)

Wow, was that ever good!  With a full belly, I got back on the road and knocked out another 100 or so miles and saw a winery.  Okay...wine in Texas???  I'm adventurous...  I went in and tasted just a few of their wines and bought a bottle for later on.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_20_09_13_3_32_19.jpeg)

We got to talking and he was confused about my route from Los Angeles to New York and why I was all the way down in his part of Texas.  He said, "You're really going out of your way...this isn't the preferred route."  I said, "It's not the *shortest* route...but it is definitely the preferred route!"

He offered to have me set up my tent in the vinyard for the night...his wife would make me dinner, we'd watch the sunset with some glasses of wine and we'd all have breakfast in the morning.  I turned him down as I thought getting in another 100 miles that day was more important.  It wasn't.

I did make it to Paris, TX later that day...On the way, I saw this old plane just sitting in a field.  It must have plenty of stories to tell...

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_20_09_13_3_41_36.jpeg)

My hotel in Paris was uninspiring...I should have been sleeping next to the grape vines.  I promised myself to say "yes" more often.

Cap'n Ron. . .

Great trip, wish you'd said yes!

Quote from: fintip on September 20, 2013, 05:38:11 PM
Great trip, wish you'd said yes!

Thanks for coming along for the ride! 

There are a lot of things you learn about yourself when you're alone in your helmet for 500 miles...for many days!  Things that you just never had time to think through get dealt with, problems get solved or if they don't, you just accept them as unsolvable and you're okay with them.  I find myself reflecting back on conversations I've had or decisions I've made and wonder if I could have done something better now that I've had time to think it through. 

Not camping out in a vineyard was definitely something I should have done differently!  :yes:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: Capn Ron on September 20, 2013, 08:08:22 PM
Not camping out in a vineyard was definitely something I should have done differently!  :yes:

Cap'n Ron. . .

And we learn that we are enlightened by each step/decision we make. The decision was not wrong, what we learn is what is important... I hope to travel some miles with you Capt'n Ron, on land or by sea.....  :drinks:

Day 6:  Paris, TX to Coldwater, Mississippi (402 miles)

Today was my third day riding in Texas, but heck, I was in PARIS!!  :yahoo: Again, I checked for areas of rain and the smart move was to keep heading east...I thought I might like to visit Memphis so off I went!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_20_09_13_2_52_02.jpeg)

Before you get too far ahead of me, remember...I'm in Paris!!  And what do people do in Paris?  Yep...visit the Eiffel Tower!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_20_09_13_2_57_59_0.jpeg)

A 65-foot tall replica complete with a cowboy hat.  :hi:  Howdy, Ma'am!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_20_09_13_2_57_59_1.jpeg)

I did about 50 miles of interstate today...sometimes you just can't avoid it.  The other 350 miles was through more small towns with friendly people.  To pass the miles, I started my own little experiment.  Turns out that in a small town, a guy on a riding lawnmower will ALWAYS wave back at you.  I will continue to gather data on this...  :good2:

I really enjoyed Texas, but was happy to cross over into Arkansas.  The scenery changed quite a bit and I could check off another state!  I did a quick check on miles remaining to get to Memphis and decided to cut over into Missisippi and camp just south of Memphis.  I have a nice app for the iPhone called CampWhere that helps me find inexpensive places to pitch a tent.  I found a place on Arkabutla Lake that looked like it had promise and sure enough...it didn't disappoint!:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_20_09_13_3_19_24.jpeg)

This was my first night camping on the trip and messing with my new tent.  This is the Redverz Series II which basically has a vestibule big enough to park the bike inside:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_20_09_13_3_24_29.jpeg)

The sleeping side is on the right and has plenty of room!  I found the vestibule to be nice when it rained as it gave me a place to hang out, cook and has standing headroom so it makes it nice getting into riding gear in the morning.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_20_09_13_3_32_09_0.jpeg)

I woke up with a nice view of the lake...had some breakfast and headed out.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_20_09_13_3_32_09_1.jpeg)

Mmmm...dehydrated backpacker eggs!

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: FJmonkey on September 20, 2013, 08:16:40 PM

I hope to travel some miles with you Capt'n Ron, on land or by sea.....  :drinks:

Welcome aboard my friend...welcome aboard...   :drinks:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Awesome story Ron!  Years ago I bought an old Jag xj12 down in Ft. Lauderdale, flew down and drove it the 2000 miles back to Cheyenne. Saw tons of our country, met some amazing people.  I want to do it again someday, maybe on my FJ.
Keep it coming!

Quote from: Bminder on September 20, 2013, 10:44:56 PM

............an old Jag xj12............ drove it the 2000 miles back to Cheyenne........... met some amazing people. 

You drove an old XJ12 2000 miles? No wonder you met so many people!

Quote from: ribbert on September 20, 2013, 11:11:18 PM

Quote from: Bminder on September 20, 2013, 10:44:56 PM

............an old Jag xj12............ drove it the 2000 miles back to Cheyenne........... met some amazing people. 

You drove an old XJ12 2000 miles? No wonder you met so many people!

Haha, yeah.
I have lots of stories from that trip. It was a blast!
One thing that shocked me was meeting people along the way that had a connection to Cheyenne. Even one guy who knew a friend of mine.
Every couple hours was a challenge of my improvisational repair skills. Before I left Ft Lauderdale I stopped at a Pep Boys and bought a cheap tool kit (that I still use,) duct tape, oil, antifreeze, and anything else I could think of.
But cool things happened the whole way.

For example, those old Jag V12's are notorious for overheating and dropping valve guides, so I was really worried about blowing a hose and losing the motor.
The 2nd day I was on I-75 north of Atlanta and I smelled antifreeze. Pulled off near Dalton, GA and into an empty lot in the woods next to an old, run down gas station.
It looked like the gas station from the movie "Deliverance."
Popped the hood and sure enough, one of the top radiator hoses had a slit in it. I thought, "Crap... where am I going to find a Jaguar radiator hose in BFE, Georgia?"
I walked into this filthy, ancient gas station that I wasn't even sure was open, and there was a lanky guy in a dirty baseball cap, greasy work shirt and pants, just sitting on a stool leaning back on the wall, chewing tobacco and swatting flies and staring at me.  Then in a slow, thick Southern drawl he said, "Kin I hep you?"
I swear I heard banjo music.
Told him my problem, we walked out to the Jag, he looked at the hose, and said real slow, "I might have somethin' that'll fit."
We walked back to the gas station, and he said, "Come back here."  And he took me back into this dark storeroom.
The banjo music got louder.
He pulled out this huge dusty box of old random radiator hoses, fished through them, and yanked one out.
"This un here oughta do the trick."
"What do I owe you?" I asked.
"Awww, nothin' I guess."
So I thanked him profusely, thankful that I didn't have to re-enact the "Squeal-like-a-pig" scene from "Deliverance," went back to the Jag, and sure enough, it was a perfect fit.
Topped off the radiator, and got back on the interstate as the banjo music slowly faded behind me.

I've always wanted to do another trip like that.

Quote from: Bminder on September 20, 2013, 11:52:33 PM
I've always wanted to do another trip like that.

Taking a cross-country trip in an airplane means you meet a ticket agent and maybe the person in the seat next to you.  Taking the same trip in an old car...or on a motorcycle...means you meet a great cross-section of people every day.  You learn from them...and hopefully, you leave some experience behind that they remember.  Either way, it's the difference between going out and absorbing life and it's experiences...or reading about it in a book.

I have a couple of future trips in the planning stages...I'd definitely like to get up to Alaska by motorcycle.  I'd like to spend some time exploring/riding/camping Australia.  I'm thinking of a four-corners ride in the states.  I'd be thrilled to ride around Great Britain for a month, but not even sure where to start on that one...

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: Bminder on September 20, 2013, 11:52:33 PM

Quote from: ribbert on September 20, 2013, 11:11:18 PM

Quote from: Bminder on September 20, 2013, 10:44:56 PM

............an old Jag xj12............ drove it the 2000 miles back to Cheyenne........... met some amazing people. 

You drove an old XJ12 2000 miles? No wonder you met so many people!

Haha, yeah.
I have lots of stories from that trip. It was a blast!

You paint a wonderful picture of the garage and it's proprietor and your exchange with him. I have an image in my mind as clear as if I had just watched the scene on a movie.

Picking up a V12 Jag you had presumeably not yet seen and driving it 2000 miles across country was truly an act of faith of biblical proportions.

I was still on the bench when they were popular. I love European cars, but what a shitbox they were. I have had and like older Jags but XJ's were shockers.

Only recently I saw a Series 1 XJ6 with interstate plates a long way from anywhere towing a big caravan. My first thought was I had just seen the worlds greatest optimist. Then I realised the caravan was probably a workshop full of spares, tools, special equipment and fluids.
There could be no other explanation for it making it that far from home.

It's funny you mention banjo's. My wife and I still use that term to describe certain places.

I don't know what would scare me more these days, breaking down in banjo country or seeing an XJ12 pull into the drive for repair.

You and Cap'n Ron are spot on about the road trips. They are mini adventures. I have always found people are way more likely to strike up conversation and offer hospitality when on the bike than in the car. Some of my fondest memories and experiences of generosity from strangers have been on bike trips.

To people who "don't get it" a road trip is what you do if for some reason you can't fly. They don't understand that if time permits, it is the preferred means.

Last year we went to a wedding interstate, about 1500 kms away. I managed to send my wife and children by road and plane and I got to ride. Not one person I spoke to at the wedding understood why I would do that when there was a perfectly good spare seat in the car. Nor did they understand why I would add 500 kms to the trip by choosing to come a different way when the shortest route has 1000kms of perfectly good 4 lane, straight, flat slab. "Why would you go through all those mountains and forests and windy, twisty coast roads if you didn't have too?" They just don't understand!

Noel

Quote from: Capn Ron on September 21, 2013, 01:05:15 AM

I'd like to spend some time exploring/riding/camping Australia.

Cap'n Ron. . .

The "General" could probably use his rank to arrange an honorary promotion.

"Commodore Ron" has a nice ring too it.

You would then be known as, err, Com'n Ron.   Hmmmmm.....maybe not. Rear Admiral, Rear'n.... nah, forget it, we'll stick with Cap'n and bestow some other title on you should you make it here.
Australia is a very popular destination for motorcyclists from all over the world. The Outback being of particular interest to Europeans because of it's vastness.

It's not that hard to get here Cap'n but it is one trip you would be better off doing by plane.

Noel

Quote from: Capn Ron on September 21, 2013, 01:05:15 AM

Quote from: Bminder on September 20, 2013, 11:52:33 PM
I've always wanted to do another trip like that.

 I'd like to spend some time exploring/riding/camping Australia.  
Cap'n Ron. . .

CAPTAIN RON!....FRONT AND CENTRE!

Quote from: The General on September 21, 2013, 08:53:38 AM

Quote from: Capn Ron on September 21, 2013, 01:05:15 AM

Quote from: Bminder on September 20, 2013, 11:52:33 PM
I've always wanted to do another trip like that.

 I'd like to spend some time exploring/riding/camping Australia.  
Cap'n Ron. . .

CAPTAIN RON!....FRONT AND CENTRE!

You spelled center wrong.

Quote from: Bminder on September 21, 2013, 09:21:52 AM

Quote from: The General on September 21, 2013, 08:53:38 AM

Quote from: Capn Ron on September 21, 2013, 01:05:15 AM

Quote from: Bminder on September 20, 2013, 11:52:33 PM
I've always wanted to do another trip like that.

 I'd like to spend some time exploring/riding/camping Australia.  
Cap'n Ron. . .

CAPTAIN RON!....FRONT AND CENTRE!

You spelled center wrong.

Insolant basteds them Yanks!....http://www.australia.com/explore/icons/red-centre.aspx (http://www.australia.com/explore/icons/red-centre.aspx)

             Repeat....CAPTAIN RON!.....FRONT AND CENTRE!

Quote from: The General on September 21, 2013, 09:31:09 AM
Insolant basteds them Yanks!....http://www.australia.com/explore/icons/red-centre.aspx (http://www.australia.com/explore/icons/red-centre.aspx)

             Repeat....CAPTAIN RON!.....FRONT AND CENTRE!

What did you expect from convict scum? I bet they spell color wrong as well...  :bomb:

I'm going thru withdrawals......

Quote from: Bminder on September 21, 2013, 09:21:52 AM

You spelled center wrong.

I had never noticed until now, and had to consult the dictionary to confirm, that you guys can't spell centre. I can't believe I have never noticed that.

Quote from: Capn Ron on September 21, 2013, 01:05:15 AM

Quote from: Bminder on September 20, 2013, 11:52:33 PM
I've always wanted to do another trip like that.

Taking a cross-country trip in an airplane means you meet a ticket agent and maybe the person in the seat next to you.  Taking the same trip in an old car...or on a motorcycle...means you meet a great cross-section of people every day.  You learn from them...and hopefully, you leave some experience behind that they remember.  Either way, it's the difference between going out and absorbing life and it's experiences...or reading about it in a book.

I have a couple of future trips in the planning stages...I'd definitely like to get up to Alaska by motorcycle.  I'd like to spend some time exploring/riding/camping Australia.  I'm thinking of a four-corners ride in the states.  I'd be thrilled to ride around Great Britain for a month, but not even sure where to start on that one...

Cap'n Ron. . .

Let me know if you need a travel mate Capy.... :drinks:
CanDman

Day 7:  Coldwater, MS to Wildersville, TN (150 miles)

I took one more look at the lake...soaked that in for a few minutes and headed out.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_21_09_13_1_06_07.jpeg)

I make attempts to become part of the nature I'm in...really soak it up rather than just look at it.  It takes more than the standard Griswold's quick glance at the Grand Canyon...It's more about letting yet another sense pull it in.  Looks beautiful...Wow...listen to those birds!  Did you feel that cool breeze?  I just love the smell of pine trees!  Given enough time to absorb it all, it puts you in a very nice place.

I didn't have much of a plan today except to go poke around Memphis a little.  It was definitely a "Where the day takes me" sort of a day:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_21_09_13_1_13_19.jpeg)

I headed up towards Memphis and started to think about what I'd like to see.  Hmmm...Memphis...Beale Street?  Country Music?  The Mississippi River front...Then it hit me!  I'm goin' to Graceland, Graceland...sing it with me...

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_21_09_13_1_18_07.jpeg)

I had no idea what to expect.  I just showed up...wandered around...took a tour.  I have to say, I kinda became an Elvis fan in the process!

The house:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_21_09_13_1_41_12_0.jpeg)

There was a museum of all his cars and motorcycles:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_21_09_13_1_41_13_4.jpeg)

The famous "Jungle Room"

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_21_09_13_1_41_12_2.jpeg)

The Billiard room complete with upholstered ceiling and walls:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_21_09_13_1_41_12_1.jpeg)

His private jets:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_21_09_13_1_41_13_5.jpeg)

There was a lot to see and I must have taken a few hundred pictures!!  You really get a sense of his amazing life and I'm glad I got a chance to check it all out.

Thanks for the tour Elvis...thank you vaaaary mush...

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_21_09_13_1_41_13_3.jpeg)

I spent quite a bit of time there...I didn't leave until around 6:00pm!!  I figured I needed to make at least some progress towards home, so I hit the interstate heading for Jackson, TN.  I figured I could get a hotel there pretty easily and off I went!

I got a room at the Super 8 just off the interstate.  Checked in and went to find my room.  The place was pretty empty...I thought that was a bit strange.  He put me in a room way around back and it seemed I had the place to myself.  I started unpacking my hard cases from the bike and a car parked next to me with two girls in it.  One of them starts chatting me up.  "Wow, you're from California?"  "Wow...I think motorcycles are sexy!"  "Can I touch it?"  Hmmm...where was this going?  :scratch_one-s_head:  Anyway, this was all seeming pretty sketchy when she says, "You know if you want some company, me and my girlfriend do in-room massages to help pay for our trip..."  I said, "Yeah, no...I think I'm okay thanks."  :shok:

I rode my bike back around to reception...The guy says, "Is there a problem with your room?"  I said, "The two girls you put in the room next to mine are HOOKERS.  ACTUALLY hookers.  I'm checking OUT!"  Now, I don't have a problem with the profession...Hey, if that's the way you make your living, no worries here.  My problem was my nice "sexy" motorcycle was parked outside of my room and I wanted to make sure I would still have it in the morning!  I was probably more paranoid than I needed to be regarding my "professional" neighbors, but I think leaving was the better call.  :yes:

I packed the Givi cases back on the bike in record time before I had to answer, "Hey, where are you going?" ...and rode up the interstate another 30 miles to get a hotel room without whores.  :good2:

It was a great day...Very relaxing...even without the massage.   :biggrin:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: Pat Conlon on September 21, 2013, 11:03:54 AM
I'm going thru withdrawals......

I was loving all the chatter about an Australia trip, but I'll open another thread for that.  Hope you enjoyed a little Elvis in your day...We're back on track!  :biggrin:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: Capn Ron on September 21, 2013, 03:19:51 PM
It was a great day...Very relaxing...even without the massage.   :biggrin:

I had a business trip that had a first night kind of like that, hookers all over the place, the front desk behind bullet proof glass. It was too late to change hotels. But I checked out the next morning and to hell what my company thought of the cost of the next hotel..... I did not want a cap in my ass from some drug dealer or gang banger....

Keep the chapters coming, I'm loving it....

Quote from: FJmonkey on September 21, 2013, 06:28:52 PM

Quote from: Capn Ron on September 21, 2013, 03:19:51 PM
It was a great day...Very relaxing...even without the massage.   :biggrin:

I had a business trip that had a first night kind of like that, hookers all over the place, the front desk behind bullet proof glass. It was too late to change hotels. But I checked out the next morning and to hell what my company thought of the cost of the next hotel..... I did not want a cap in my ass from some drug dealer or gang banger....

I can so relate!  I was thinking there might be an issue with the girls and the bike...They had their door open and were having a party outside their room with some guy...ohhhh, I'll call him "John"...worried about that element as well.  Even if nothing happened to the bike, I wouldn't have been able to sleep.

I didn't even care how much the next hotel cost!   :shok:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Day 8:  Wildersville, TN to Winchester, Kentucky (365 miles)

After another good night's sleep, I woke up and had to make some serious decisions.  All of the eastern seaboard was getting pummeled with rain.  I had to figure out a way to get through the next six states AND try to stay dry.  I watched the weather patterns carefully and tried to figure out the moving "dry areas" and how I could stay in them as much as possible.  This ended up being my route:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_22_09_13_3_06_25.jpeg)

The storms throughout the East were so bad that at one point, my dad called me.  He warned me about the storms and had been watching both the news and my progress on the bike for the past several days.  He told me that he called U-haul and found out that they could help load the bike in the back of a truck and I could drive the truck one-way to New York.  I took his advice in the spirit in which it was intended...but reminded him that this was a MOTORCYCLE trip...not "getting to NY in a rental truck" trip.  He cares.  :i_am_so_happy:

I was threatened with rain all day, but managed to stay dry.  Nice!

Cap'n Ron. . .

Day 9: Wildersville, TN to Hagerstown, MD (565 miles)

Today was my longest ride so far on the trip.  I wanted to head North East continuing on from my plan the day before, but weather wasn't cooperating.  While I slept, the temperatures dropped and if I kept heading in the same direction, I would have hit snow going over the Allegheny mountain range.  Yikes!  I decided to head nearly due East and then cut North and use the Cumberland Gap to cross the mountains.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_22_09_13_3_35_51.jpeg)

It was a very long day in the saddle...I got to ride the 219 up through Virginia and West Virginia and it was beautiful!  It actually runs the border of those two states, so as you're riding along, you see this giant sign that says, "Welcome to West Virginia!"...then 20 minutes later, there's another sign that says, "Welcome to Virginia!"...15 minutes later, "Welcome to West Virginia!"  It was hard to keep track of.

I only got sprinkled on briefly and after the long day, I sprung for a nicer hotel room in Hagerstown...The first place that I didn't just park right outside my hotel room door!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_22_09_13_3_42_41.jpeg)

Another fine day of riding...albeit long.  I did notice on a couple of occasions today that the FJ wasn't starting quite right.  When I stopped for fuel a couple of times it would crank but wouldn't even *try* to fire up.  I'd release the start button, try again...and it'd start right up!  Thought that was weird...Oh well, it was running like a champ so I'm not going to worry about it.  Besides, only one more day of riding and I'll have a garage and lots of downtime at my parent's place.

Cap'n Ron. . .

Day 10: Hagerstown, MD to Amsterdam, NY (401 miles)

I've been on the road for nine days and I had just one more to get to see my parents.  Even though I now live in Los Angeles, I was going home.  Just one more day of riding and I would be able to spend time with my folks.  Enjoy my mom's home cooking (an apple pie to die for!)...Work on some project with my dad out in the garage...maybe take a motorcycle ride with my brother.  There really is no place like home.

The weather issues had mostly cleared out and I was free to pick a route north that was more to my liking.  I checked out of the hotel, got some breakfast and headed out.  The only thing I had in mind was to run a section of the Taconic State Parkway on the East side of the Hudson River.  It's a most beautiful section of road...They left the trees and the curves when they engineered it as if someone on the design board back in the 1920's really enjoyed driving!  Given that goal, I set out North and my day's ride looked like this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_23_09_13_12_18_07.jpeg)

As I was going through Pennsylvania, I thought about the last few days.  Because of the weather, I really just logged miles...I knew after the first visit with my folks I would be heading down to South Carolina to see a friend of mine and wondered what would be good to see on the way back down through this area.  Many miles alone with my thoughts, I seemed to recall that Frank Lloyd Wright had designed a famous house in PA called "Falling Water"...I put it on my mental list for the next leg of the trip South in a couple of weeks.

About mid afternoon, I found myself in Orange County, NY and while having some lunch I wondered how far away Orange County Choppers might be.  It was only five miles down the road so off I went!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_23_09_13_12_28_00.jpeg)

Now, I'm not a fan of cruiser bikes...and certainly not V-twins with Harley DNA...but I am a fan of fabrication.  I wandered around the shop and there were some AMAZING bikes in there!  When I watched the show, I was a bit meh...about a bike reveal.  I wondered what all the fuss was about.  In person?  Stunning.  The amount of work that goes into a custom bike blew my mind.  I really enjoyed seeing that.  When I was gearing up to leave, some woman came up to me in the parking lot and said, "Paul Sr. just arrived and he's in there signing autographs!!!"  I thanked her for the heads up, put on my helmet and got on the road.

I crossed the Hudson River, ran a section of the Taconic State Parkway and then meandered my way home over country roads...surrounded by farmland and rolling hills...picturesque streams and small towns.  I arrived in my parent's driveway right about sunset and I was looking forward to some downtime!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_23_09_13_12_36_33.jpeg)

After nearly 4,500 miles, It's good to be home.

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: Capn Ron on September 23, 2013, 02:02:22 AM


"Paul Sr. just arrived and he's in there signing autographs!!!"  I thanked her for the heads up, put on my helmet and got on the road.


Cap'n Ron. . .

Man!!!!! You passed on meeting Paul Sr. in the flesh? What were you thinking???? AND could have got his autograph.

Quote from: ribbert on September 23, 2013, 06:25:23 AM
Man!!!!! You passed on meeting Paul Sr. in the flesh? What were you thinking???? AND could have got his autograph.

I thought that getting in another 100 miles was more important.  It was!   :good2:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: Capn Ron on September 23, 2013, 02:04:47 PM

Quote from: ribbert on September 23, 2013, 06:25:23 AM
Man!!!!! You passed on meeting Paul Sr. in the flesh? What were you thinking???? AND could have got his autograph.

I thought that getting in another 100 5 miles was more important.  It was!   :good2:

Cap'n Ron. . .

FTFY :hi:
Another "fan" ...

Day 11 through day 23:  Upstate New York (700 miles)

I spent a dozen days with my parents...getting in some great visiting and using it as a home base.  I was glad I got to be there to see my dad turn 80...he's working on projects like he was still in his 20's!!  He's been a great dad and a great person.  When I grow up, I want to be just like him!

I did another oil change since it had been 3,000 miles since the last one in Texas.  Sure was nice having a garage to work in!  I also mounted a luggage rack on my Givi top case...my girlfriend flew out for a week and was going on some rides with me...I know I'd have to do some creative packing with the extra helmet, clothing and a passenger! 

My brother has a KTM 660 that looks like this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_23_09_13_10_01_37.jpeg)

He offered to host a ride up to Tahawus, NY...an old historic iron mining town well up into the Adirondak mountains!  My girl rode on the back of my FJ for the first time ever and we knocked out 250 miles that looked like this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_23_09_13_10_12_05_0.jpeg)

It was a very cool old town...complete with a giant smelter:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_23_09_13_10_15_25.jpeg)

And old run-down buildings:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_23_09_13_10_19_18.jpeg)

A few days later, I met up with an FJowners forum member Jay Speed who lives in the Albany area.  We did a 200 mile run over into Vermont and then back over into New York on some great country roads!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_23_09_13_10_12_05_1.jpeg)

He's a great guy and even has a matching '92 FJ!!!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_23_09_13_10_24_42.jpeg)

One of the highlights of that day was going back to my home town.  All the streets looked familiar and I asked him to get this shot for me:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_23_09_13_10_28_40.jpeg)

I grew up on this property when I was a kid.  The forest you notice in the background used to be an empty lot...When I was 10 years old, my dad, my brother and I planted 3,000 saplings that is now that forest!  Unbeknown to us, long after we moved out of that town, the locals named that forest after our family.  Pretty cool!

My visit with family in New York was great...It's nice to be reminded of the stock you come from.  The downtime and home cooked meals were excellent, but I'm now headed SOUTH to Beaufort, SC to visit a great friend of mine and his family.

The Pirelli Sport Demons now have 4500 miles on them and the rear is getting pretty thin!!!  I'll keep an eye on it and at this point I'm thinking I'll get some new rubber in South Carolina while I'm there for a week.  Definitely looking forward to getting back on the road!!!  :yahoo:

Cap'n Ron. . .

First leg is finished...

I hope you're getting some enjoyment out of this...I'm having a blast reliving the miles!   :yahoo:

If you ask google to take you from my house in Los Angeles to my parent's house in New York, it'll suggest this route at 2,800 miles:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_24_09_13_12_17_55_0.jpeg)

Through the process of things I wanted to see, getting suggested routes from people I met along the way, dodging rain storms up the east coast, doing some day rides with friends and family when I arrived in New York and generally having a blast, the ACTUAL route of the first leg ended up looking like this and was a total of 4,500 miles:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_24_09_13_12_17_56_1.jpeg)

What I thought was going to be a 7,000 mile trip is looking more like it's going to be 9,000 miles!   :good2:

I'm now off on leg 2 of this trip which will take me from New York...to South Carolina...and then back to New York.  Hang on!!  :yahoo:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Keep the pics and stories coming Cap'n Ron, totally enjoying your exploits.

Quote from: ribbert on September 23, 2013, 06:25:23 AM

Quote from: Capn Ron on September 23, 2013, 02:02:22 AM


"Paul Sr. just arrived and he's in there signing autographs!!!"  I thanked her for the heads up, put on my helmet and got on the road.


Cap'n Ron. . .

Man!!!!! You passed on meeting Paul Sr. in the flesh? What were you thinking???? AND could have got his autograph.

Ok, if my humour falls flat on the other side of the world, I don't care.

But, given the embarrassment of this comment being taken seriously, which it seems to have been, I must clarify it.

I WASN'T SERIOUS!

Noel

Quote from: ribbert on September 24, 2013, 07:04:02 AM
Ok, if my humour falls flat on the other side of the world, I don't care.

But, given the embarrassment of this comment being taken seriously, which it seems to have been, I must clarify it.

I WASN'T SERIOUS!

Noel

FWIW I got it, not a knee slapper but I think most understood it. :empathy3:

Quote from: ribbert on September 24, 2013, 07:04:02 AM

Quote from: ribbert on September 23, 2013, 06:25:23 AM

Quote from: Capn Ron on September 23, 2013, 02:02:22 AM


"Paul Sr. just arrived and he's in there signing autographs!!!"  I thanked her for the heads up, put on my helmet and got on the road.


Cap'n Ron. . .

Man!!!!! You passed on meeting Paul Sr. in the flesh? What were you thinking???? AND could have got his autograph.

Ok, if my humour falls flat on the other side of the world, I don't care.

But, given the embarrassment of this comment being taken seriously, which it seems to have been, I must clarify it.

I WASN'T SERIOUS!

Noel

So, Noel, Are you apologizing to us for that embarrassment, Paul Sr.?  If so then apology accepted; otherwise no apology required or accepted.   :drinks:

Keep going with the trip details Ron.
It gives me even more reason to check in to the forum, (like that was really a problem anyways!)

I love the story! Keep it up!

Leon

Quote from: ribbert on September 24, 2013, 07:04:02 AM
But, given the embarrassment of this comment being taken seriously, which it seems to have been, I must clarify it.

I WASN'T SERIOUS!

Noel

I don't think anyone took it seriously. Not every joke turns into a corker, cobber.


Ron, LOVE the report. I'm living vicariously through you. You've even inspired me to plan a quick trip up to the Black Hills of my homeland South Dakota.

Quote from: 1tinindian on September 24, 2013, 09:31:31 AM
Keep going with the trip details Ron.
It gives me even more reason to check in to the forum, (like that was really a problem anyways!)

I love the story! Keep it up!

Leon

+1
You're spinning a great yarn, Cap'n!

Quote from: ribbert on September 24, 2013, 07:04:02 AM

Quote from: ribbert on September 23, 2013, 06:25:23 AM

Quote from: Capn Ron on September 23, 2013, 02:02:22 AM

"Paul Sr. just arrived and he's in there signing autographs!!!"  I thanked her for the heads up, put on my helmet and got on the road.

Cap'n Ron. . .

Man!!!!! You passed on meeting Paul Sr. in the flesh? What were you thinking???? AND could have got his autograph.

Ok, if my humour falls flat on the other side of the world, I don't care.

But, given the embarrassment of this comment being taken seriously, which it seems to have been, I must clarify it.

I WASN'T SERIOUS!

Noel

I was 90% sure you were being sarcastic and thought that was pretty funny...but then I thought about the 10% chance that maybe in your part of the world Paul Sr. was on a different reality show where he wasn't a complete d-nozzle.  Not a chance!   :lol: :lol: :lol:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Thanks for all the kind words...just glad to know the passengers didn't fall off a couple of miles back!   :biggrin:

Bminder...I might just join you on a Black Hills, SD ride!  Spent a couple of days there and was VERY impressed with that whole area!

Looks like someone has produced a "Harley Filter" for some of the twisty roads there!   :lol:

(http://www.southdakotarides.com/images/data/images/Black%20Hills%20Motorcycle%20Riding%20Skill%20Level%20Map.JPG)

Cap'n Ron. . .

The Black Hills sounds like a great Rally destination.
That's only 500 miles for me.

Leon

Second Leg, Day 1:  Upstate NY to Somerset, PA (403 miles)

After almost two weeks at my parent's home-base, I was well rested, well fed and well looking forward to getting back on the road!  A great friend of mine had moved to South Carolina with his family a few years back and I was overdue for a visit...so, I'm heading SOUTH!

Getting there was only half the goal and I made a plan to go see "Falling Water" in Pennsylvania.  It's likely the most famous of the Frank Lloyd Wright designed homes and if I just altered my course a bit to the west, I could stop by for a look!

The first three hours of today's ride was super-slabbing it down interstate 88 from Albany to Binghampton with a bit of rain now and again.  At about hour two, I started singing some Jimmy Buffet to myself to pass the miles.  "Mother, Mother ocean...I have heard your call...I've wanted to sail upon your waters, since I was three feet tall..."  Ahhhh, Buffet always puts me in a good frame of mind. :i_am_so_happy:

Here's a shot of today's route complete with red direction arrows as I'm now back-tracking over some of the states I've already done on the way up to NY:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_25_09_13_3_42_17.jpeg)

After Binghampton, I got off the interstate and stuck to back roads.  I saw more people on riding lawnmowers who were happy to wave back at me and smile.  It's a good feeling...That guy would probably lend me a gallon of gas or a tool if I needed it in a pinch.  :hi:

I picked Somerset, PA as a stopping point for the night because it was just North of Mill Run, PA where Falling Water is and I plan on seeing it first thing in the morning on my way south.  I got a hotel and the owner was very friendly.  He was interested in my trip and asked me if I was in the area to see Falling Water...or the Flight 93 Memorial.  "OHHHH...Is that nearby?"  He said it was about 50 miles back on my route...I must have passed it and didn't even realize.  I thought that would have been nice to go see.  Well, I'm back to focusing on my trip to Falling water in the AM.

I parked the bike in front of my hotel room and unpacked.  I then called a restaurant and placed an order to pick up and went to start my bike.  It wouldn't start.  That same issue where it would turn over, but just wouldn't even attempt to fire.  When this happened before, if I kept trying, on some random attempt, it would fire right up and run perfectly!  Not happening this time...just would not start!   :dash2:  I left the bike and hoofed it to the restaurant and back to the hotel and figured I'd deal with it in the morning.  It was a long day and I was tired, so I ate my dinner and turned in for the night.

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: Capn Ron on September 25, 2013, 05:16:31 PM
Second Leg, Day 1:  Upstate NY to Somerset, PA (403 miles)

After almost two weeks at my parent's home-base, I was well rested, well fed and well looking forward to getting back on the road!   At about hour two, I started singing some Jimmy Buffet to myself to pass the miles.  "Mother, Mother ocean...I have heard your call...I've wanted to sail upon your waters, since I was three feet tall..."  Ahhhh, Buffet always puts me in a good frame of mind. :i_am_so_happy:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Being a pirate is good for avoiding speed tickets. But as the sun rises and I first head towards the Glasshouse Mountains I like this one from jimmy: Jimmy Buffett - Brown Eyed Girl [HD] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elQlvF8I6kc#ws)
mmmm...think I might go for a ride now!

Second Leg, Day 2: Somerset, PA area tour (150 miles)

Today was an emotional roller coaster.  My riding plans were influenced by quite a few factors that I couldn't predict at the outset and that made for an excellent day!  This is the day that convinced me that sometimes life is better without a plan.  Just take whatever the day brings and roll with it...where you end up is a mystery and what you experience along the way is a gift.

I'll put the map at the end this time because it's a spoiler.  I woke up wondering if the bike would start or not.  I packed up the Givis and walked across the street to get some breakfast.  I figured if it did start, I'd want to just get moving.  I got back from breakfast and the bike fired right up first time!  Sweet.  I started convincing myself that it was heat related...the fact that it sat all night cured what ailed it and I was on my merry way.   :good2:

I headed off to Mill Run, PA...the location of Falling Water.  I rode through Laurel Ridge and Ohiopyle State Parks on the way and it was splendid!  Hilly, curvy, tree-lined roads that instantly put me in the moment...focusing on the ride and not the destination!  After all the slabbing yesterday, this was a pleasure!

I got to Falling Water and it was more amazing than I expected.  I thought I would take a quick look and then make progress south.  The place really took me...it was such a peaceful place...surrounded by nature...completely part of nature that I didn't want to leave.  I spent four hours there!!  The house is built using cantilevers and hangs over a stream and waterfall.  There's even a staircase from the living room floor down to the stream where you can go swimming:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_25_09_13_5_36_28.jpeg)

You can just see the top of the waterfall where it drops off in the background.  This is a shot looking at the house from below the waterfall:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_25_09_13_5_40_14.jpeg)

Hard to capture the beauty in a picture, but I tried...It was very overcast and every once in a while, the sun would put a spotlight on the house for just a few minutes and I'd shoot away trying to get a great picture...I did the best I could to try and do the place justice.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_25_09_13_5_43_53.jpeg)

I was so enamoured with Falling Water and Western Pennsylvania that I decided to stay in the area and go visit the Flight 93 Memorial 50 miles to the north.  I had more great roads to ride on the way there and although I wasn't making any progress south, I didn't care.  I crossed three covered bridges in around ten miles:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_25_09_13_5_51_00.jpeg)

I wasn't sure what to expect of a memorial of a plane crash.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_25_09_13_5_52_46.jpeg)

It was done very well.  From the entrance, you ride quite a way along rolling hills until you get to the site.  They had about a dozen displays outside that walk you through the timeline of events on September 11th, 2001.  It was a lot about logistics, timing, phone calls, flight paths, coming up with a plan to fight back and a map of the last few minutes of that flight when the decision was made to put it down.  The very next display was simply this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_25_09_13_5_59_10.jpeg)

Looking at each of their faces and reading their names I started sobbing...I couldn't help it and I didn't care.  Here I was taking the trip of a lifetime, really enjoying myself and the freedoms we sometimes take for granted...It hit me all at once that the dreams of each one of them ended that day.  I was overwhelmed with grief.

You then take a 1/4 mile walk out to the actual site and the memorial for each of the passengers.  It was very tastefully done.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_25_09_13_6_07_36.jpeg)

After that, I took a ride up into the rolling hills north of there.  More wide open hilly farm land to ride and I took a little break next to some windmills:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_25_09_13_6_11_51.jpeg)

It was a great place that I had completely to myself for twenty or so minutes.  It was good to reset myself from the emotions of the memorial and get on my way.

I ended up right back at the same hotel I stayed in the night before.  The bike was perfect all day...I wondered if the starting issue magically went away all by itself!  I slept great!

Definitely not to plan, but by the end of the day I had knocked out these 150 miles:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_25_09_13_6_16_54.jpeg)

Cap'n Ron. . .

 "I started singing some Jimmy Buffet to myself to pass the miles.  "Mother, Mother ocean...I have heard your call...I've wanted to sail upon your waters, since I was three feet tall..."  Ahhhh, Buffet always puts me in a good frame of mind. i_am_so_happy"

Indeed, Jimmy and some rum got me through some interesting times..... Occasionally I still drift there. Usually about mid winter......
Keep the report going  :good2: :good2: :good2: :good2: :good2:
George

Awesome stories Cap'n......................Keep them coming!  :good:

This is awesome!

:hi:

Quote from: WhiteBeard on September 26, 2013, 01:25:08 AM
This is awesome!

:hi:

Thanks for coming along for the ride...all the way from Sweden!!!  I'm humbled!   :hi:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Second Leg, Day 3: Somerset, PA  to Plum Orchard Lake, Scarbro, WV (230 miles)

As much as I enjoyed the southwest corner of Pennsylvania, I had to keep moving in a southerly direction.  I packed up the bike and walked across the street to that same place for breakfast as the day before and then got on the road.  The bike started right up without issue...I'm thinking that the problem has gone away...hopefully to never return.

I checked the navigation app on my iPhone...looked for something interesting and headed off on this route for the day:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_26_09_13_2_18_49.jpeg)

Nothing too exciting, but as I got further along in the day, I figured out that my route took me right over the New River Gorge Bridge!  Why is that exciting?  Well, back when I lived in the east, I did a two-day white water rafting trip down the New River in West Virginia and we paddled under that bridge.  It's just over 3,000 feet long and for quite a while, it was the world's longest steel single-span arch bridge...and at nearly 1,000 feet high, it's the fifth highest vehicular bridge in the world!  I pressed on heading south and as I was approaching the bridge, I saw that there was a very steep, windy road down INTO the gorge, across the old bridge and then up the other side.  I decided to take that as it looked a lot more interesting:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_26_09_13_1_30_47.jpeg)

The road down into the gorge was in rough shape with VERY tight hairpin switchbacks...I felt more comfortable on the FJ than I would have in a car! I tried to get some good shots from under the bridge:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_26_09_13_1_36_32.jpeg)

I parked the bike and walked across the old bridge:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_26_09_13_1_40_22.jpeg)

Just beautiful!  I rode up the south side of the gorge through steep switchbacks and amazing views.  When I got up and on to Fayetteville, WV, I stopped for fuel and looked at my options.  On my camping app, I saw a place to pitch the tent for the night at Plum Orchard Lake about 20 miles south.  I decided to head there for a place to sleep for the night.

About ten miles down the road, the road turned to dirt/gravel and I wondered what I got myself into.  I pressed on and the surroundings got creepier...thicker forests...deteriorating road...it was getting late in the day...I was starting to wonder if this was a good idea.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_26_09_13_1_52_38.jpeg)

I found the camping area and got myself set up.  It was WELL worth the rough ride!!  

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_26_09_13_1_55_48.jpeg)

I took a quick hike down to the lake...it was picture perfect!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_26_09_13_1_59_47.jpeg)

It was mostly set up for fishermen...I met some great folks up for the week from Georgia.  We shared some stories, some food and a few beers over a campfire...a most welcome highlight of my day!

Camping always seems like more of an effort than just grabbing a hotel, but you end up getting much more out of it.  :yes:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Second Leg, Day 4: Plum Orchard Lake, Scarbro, WV to Robbinsville, NC (330 miles)

I woke up this morning in a great campground next to a lake...I took my time packing up and continued on the dirt/gravel road so I could see the rest of the lake.  The views are amazing when you get off the beaten path!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_26_09_13_10_40_56.jpeg)

When I got back to pavement, I set my sights on Robbinsville, SC...the "Tail of the Dragon" some 300 miles to the south.  My day's ride looked like this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_26_09_13_10_45_52.jpeg)

At this point, with over 5,000 miles, my rear tire was getting pretty thin.  I was watching it very closely and trying to figure out if I could make it to my R&R location in South Carolina, three days and 800 miles from now.  It wasn't looking good.  Add to that, the starting issue that I thought had gone away was back.  Sometimes it was stubborn and took four or five attempts to get it to fire up...other times, just two.  Occasionally, at a gas stop, it would start first time.  Strange and frustrating, this.

I made great progress towards The Dragon through the day and was keeping a close eye on the weather.  It looked like today was going to be the only clear day with heavy rain coming in tomorrow.  If I was going to run the Dragon...today was it!  For those who aren't familiar, the "Tail of the Dragon" is a section of route 129 south west of Knoxville, TN.  It's in the very scenic Smokey Mountains and is a challenge with 318 VERY tight turns in just 11 miles!  It's a big draw for just about anything on wheels. 

(http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/attachments/f3/9385d1111018741-tail-dragon-run-dragonmap.gif)

I have to say I was a bit nervous going in not knowing what to expect.  I wondered if I would get stuck behind a rabid pack of slow-moving Harleys that would suck the joy out of my ride.  I wondered if I...rolling at over 1000 pounds...would be the one who would suck the joy out of the ride for a pack of superbikes.  I didn't want to be THAT guy!  All that in mind, I headed in and got ON it!!!   :yes:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_26_09_13_11_08_44_0.jpeg)

The Pirelli Sport Demons (what was left of them) were sticking like glue!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_26_09_13_11_08_44_1.jpeg)

I got into quite a rhythm knocking out turn after turn.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_26_09_13_11_07_09_0.jpeg)

I was having a blast pushing myself and the bike...had the road to myself...nearly redlining it in 2nd gear, drop the throttle, push the bike over hard left, then fully upright and push it back over hard to the right...try to peg the apex and back on the throttle!  Over and over and over again...  Damn this is hard work, but major fun!   :yahoo: :yahoo:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_26_09_13_11_08_45_2.jpeg)

I was just getting to the last mile and three guys on supermotos were starting to show in my rear view mirror.  I edged over to the right and they buzzed me like flies.  I figured they knew this road well and got on the rear wheel of the last guy matching him turn for turn.  I know I had the advantage of following and was making full use of that.  Two minutes later it was over.  I followed them to the gas pumps and pulled up next to one of them.  With the biggest grin on my face, I said, "You guys are fucking nuts!"  He took off his helmet and shouted, "YOU'RE the fucking nut!  We were trying to catch you for the first TEN miles!!!  What IS that...a fucking 1200???!!!"

I felt good about my run and felt like I was a better rider for it.  There's a lot of carnage on the Dragon.  My brother wrecked there last year on his R1 and it tore him up pretty good!  Just a small sample of plastic on the tree of shame:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_26_09_13_11_26_23.jpeg)

Fortunately, I didn't leave anything behind.  I grabbed a damn good burger at the restaurant there and then headed to Robbinsville for the night.  The hotel where I stayed was very accommodating...they had shop towels for working on your bike, lots of maps of other roads in the area to go check out and they lit a campfire for the motorcyclists.  I met a group of guys on Hayabusa's that rode in non-stop from Michigan!  We chatted around the campfire over a few beers well into the night.  Good times!

I'm a little concerned about the rain that's coming, but I'm wiped out...turning in for some much needed rest!

Cap'n Ron. . .

Wow what fun!
Who snapped the pics of you in the turns?

Quote from: Bminder on September 27, 2013, 10:50:39 AM
Wow what fun!
Who snapped the pics of you in the turns?

It was GREAT fun!  The East Coast Rally is just up the road in Boone, NC about 175 miles...I'm sure a lot of those guys have done the Dragon...I know 1Tinindian (Leon) has done the deed as well.  It definitely lives up to all the hype!

Killboy has been taking action shots on the Dragon for years.  He actually has about seven corners covered and just snaps away as you ride by.  He then puts all of those pics of you together on his website and you can download them for around $7 each.  I don't know how he sorts all that out...on the day I went through, he had over 20,000 pics on his site!  He separates them by calendar date, then by vehicle type (Sport bikes, touring bikes, cars, etc...), then by time of day (early, afternoon, late).   http://www.killboy.com/ (http://www.killboy.com/).

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: Capn Ron on September 27, 2013, 02:56:34 PM

Quote from: Bminder on September 27, 2013, 10:50:39 AM
Wow what fun!
Who snapped the pics of you in the turns?

It was GREAT fun!  The East Coast Rally is just up the road in Boone, NC about 175 miles...I'm sure a lot of those guys have done the Dragon...I know 1Tinindian (Leon) has done the deed as well.  It definitely lives up to all the hype!
Cap'n Ron. . .

I broke my Rally cherry on the Dragon with the great guys from the East Coast.
It was an awesome start to what has been a great journey, and meeting so many great new friends and riders!

I just wish I had done it years earlier!
My FJ wears its "Dragon" decal with pride!

Leon

Second Leg, Day 5: Robbinsville, NC (85 miles)

I woke up this morning to some pouring rain.  I checked the weather reports and the radar maps and it looked like it was going to just soak the whole area...all day long.  So far on this trip, I've only been sprinkled on now and again and wasn't looking forward to riding in a soaking rain.  I couldn't decide what to do...

I still had two hours until checkout time at the Phillips motel...I know I needed tires and everyone around the campfire last night was raving about this motorcycle shop called "Wheelers Performance" so I decided to make some phone calls.  I called them...and three other shops in the area and none of them were answering the phones.  I wondered if it was because it was a Sunday?  That seemed odd to me.  I put on some riding gear and rode the 3 miles up to Wheelers in the rain.  Sign on the door:  "Closed, raining."  I guess they figured it was the only day they could get some rest so I decided to do the same.

I went back to the hotel and extended my stay for another night.  It was only $50, the bed was nice, I had a TV, WiFi and a heater to dry out my wet clothes.  The only thing I didn't have was wine for later on.  Robbinsville is in a dry county (Graham) and if you want wine, you have to ride 40 miles to Cherokee County, so out the door I went.  An 80 mile round trip in the rain.  I was soaked...I guess my "Waterproof" gloves really aren't waterproof!"   :lol: :lol: :lol:

Not too exciting, but this was the extent of my riding today:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_27_09_13_3_03_32.jpeg)

If you take a close look, you can see a lot of lakes and all the twisty roads in that area.  Next time I go there, I want to spend a whole week!

I had a nice relaxing (dry) day of rest, but I was itching to get riding again!

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: Capn Ron on September 27, 2013, 02:56:34 PM


It was GREAT fun!  The East Coast Spring Rally is just up the road in Boone, NC about 175 miles...I'm sure a lot of those guys have done the Dragon...I know 1Tinindian (Leon) has done the deed as well.  It definitely lives up to all the hype!

FTFY.

The East Coast Fall Rally was just last week in Tellico Plains, TN (much closer than Boone), and we rode those same roads (and many more!).    :good2:

Wow...I just looked up Tellico Plains...PERFECT location for a rally!

I missed the 2012 East Coast Spring Rally (Boone) by just a few days.  I tried to work out the timing and I had never been to a rally.  Now that I've attended the 2013 WCR and had a blast, I should have made the ECR happen!!!

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: Capn Ron on September 27, 2013, 04:48:58 PM
Wow...I just looked up Tellico Plains...PERFECT location for a rally!

I missed the 2012 East Coast Spring Rally (Boone) by just a few days.  I tried to work out the timing and I had never been to a rally.  Now that I've attended the 2013 WCR and had a blast, I should have made the ECR happen!!!

Cap'n Ron. . .

Now you have a reason to come back...      :pardon:

Leon has his 1st Dragon ride posted up on YouTube.

Second Leg, Day 6: Robbinsville, NC to Trenton, SC (250 miles)

I woke up this morning and it was just sprinkling here and there so I packed up all my gear, checked out of the motel and got on the road!  I didn't want to pass up the opportunity to explore more roads in the area so I headed back up the 129 towards the Dragon to check out Fontana Lake.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_27_09_13_5_46_13.jpeg)

That was the plan anyway.  Since I was riding right past Wheeler's Performance, I decided to pull in to see if anyone was around...sure enough, they were open and servicing bikes!  That back tire of mine was nearly a slick and I was hoping they'd have at least *something* in my sizes.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_27_09_13_5_52_19.jpeg)

Definitely a chicken strip...but that's 5500 miles since I pulled out of the driveway in Los Angeles on mostly straight roads.  I didn't want to trust that rear tire in the wet.

I'm still running the stock wheels on my '92 so my choices are limited.  The Sport Demons are pretty easy to get ahold of so I was hoping he'd at least have those and I *might* be able to make it back to California on them.  When I bought tires in LA, I was really looking for a high-mileage touring tire...the Metzeler ME880 Marathons...in MY sizes.  Four shops in LA told me they don't make them in the FJ sizes anymore.  A couple even made some phone calls and it was a no-go.  Alright, Wheeler's HAD the Sport Demons in my sizes in stock and he brought them out.  I was about to tell him to mount 'em up but thought I'd try my luck asking for the Metzeler 880s.  HAD THEM IN STOCK!!!  Are you kidding me?  :shok: Easy choice...we set to work getting them swapped out.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_27_09_13_6_01_19.jpeg)

Excellent!  Now I shouldn't have to worry about another tire change on this trip!  :good2:

I rode up to the intersection and contemplated running the Dragon once more...With wet roads and brand new tires, I thought I shouldn't push my luck.  I took the right and rode Fontana lake.  More twisty roads and great scenery!  Once I got to the end of the lake, I checked my navigation app for more interesting roads heading southeast.

I saw this one that looked like it would be interesting right alongside a river that was called "Needmore Road."  As I was riding down it, I thought that was a strange name for a road...It was plenty wide enough...The pavement was in good shape...Then this happened:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_27_09_13_6_08_43.jpeg)

The road turned to dirt!  Need more road!  I get it.  :yes: It was beautiful running alongside the river and I just took it slow...well worth the effort!

The total route for the day looked like this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_27_09_13_6_13_08.jpeg)

I purposely picked a route around all those lakes and reservoirs...the route criss-crossed the South Carolina and Georgia border several times through the day.  I took a side road to go check out a dam overlook.  About a half-mile from the damn, I saw this sign:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_27_09_13_6_17_12.jpeg)

WTF??  Sure enough, if you just kept driving, you would have ended up IN the river below the dam!  :shok:

I thought about camping, but decided to call the only motel in McCormick, SC to see how much it was.  $25.  Whoa...Definitely not going to camp if the motel is that cheap!  About an hour later, I was at the McCormick Motel.  It looked like the Bates Motel...and there wasn't a single car in the parking lot...sketchy as it was, I figured, how bad could it be?

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_27_09_13_6_23_08.jpeg)

You had to go into this cinderblock cage in front of the middle room.  Inside there, there was a sliding window covered in chicken wire.  The owner told me it was $25 plus $5 deposit for the remote.  He wasn't very nice and I could barely understand what he was saying.  This is a place I definitely wanted to pay cash!  I went to start the bike and it wouldn't start, so I pushed it up to the room.  Once inside, I figured out why it was so cheap...70's paneling on the walls, bathroom floor was peeling up, the carpet was questionable, the door had NO deadbolt or chain to lock it and the fridge still had 1/2 a six-pack of Coors Light from the last guy who stayed there.  Classy place.  I checked for bedbugs and it was all clear.  I had to get some food and call my buddy in Beaufort to let him know I'd be there tomorrow.

Okay...so this town had NO cell phone reception.  I got the bike started and rode 5 miles in every direction looking for a signal...nothing.  I then went back to town to find some food and the bike wouldn't start again.  I then saw four guys rolling in a slammed Honda Civic with the bass blasting and checking out my bike.  As I was trying to get it started...figured I wait a bit to let it cool down...they drove by three more times.  I was getting worried.  The bike finally started and I decided to get the hell out of that town!

I went to the motel and told him I wasn't staying.  He started screaming at me to give him back his key and his remote!  I told him I had to go to the room to get my gear and I'd be back in a minute.  He kept screaming at me in some language I could barely understand.  I walked back up to the room and got my hard cases loaded up and approached the owner.  He yelled again for his key back.  Now, I'm getting angry.  I said, "Not until you give me my money back!"  He yelled some profanities at me and I said, "Well, then you're not getting your key."  He handed me some bills and grabbed for the key...I saw that it was five one-dollar bills and I backed off.  I said, "I want my $30 back!"  At this point, it was no longer about the money...I mean, it's only $30...it was the treatment I was getting and I just didn't want to reward him for that behavior.  He then handed me a $20 bill, but took back his $5.  I gave him his key back but then told him the remote is going to cost him another $5.  He gave me the wad of singles and I went to the bike to leave.

It was getting dark and the four guys in the Civic were back!  The bike would NOT start!  I cranked it a dozen separate times and it wasn't going to start.  I pushed the bike out to the edge of the road to get some distance between me and the motel owner.  Still would not start.  The Civic kept circling around.  The owner of the motel was watching me through an open door.  I wondered if he had a gun.  I wondered if he thought I had a gun.  I was cranking the bike more just hoping for a start!!!  I could smell fuel...More cranking...I was out there with him watching for 20 minutes!!  Then...KA_BANG!!!  The bike back-fired and the guy ducked for cover!  It was just a backfire, but he didn't know that...Things were getting dire.  A few more attempts and KA_BANG!!!  Another back-fire!  One more attempt and it started up!!!  Holy smokes, I jumped on and got out of there!

I just rode like someone was chasing me for about 50 miles and pulled into a motel in Trenton, SC.  I didn't care how much it cost...it was clean and safe.  My standards for what is acceptable in "just a place to sleep for the night" had been put to the test.  Lesson learned...that will NOT happen again!

After my heartbeat returned to normal, I slept like a log!  It was a very long day with more action than I prefer...I'm happy to be back on track.

Cap'n Ron. . .

What? No wine that night?  :empathy:

Quote from: FJmonkey on September 27, 2013, 08:10:00 PM
What? No wine that night?  :empathy:

Oh...yes!  I actually broke out my tiny Soto backpacker stove, set it up on the bathroom counter in my hotel room and boiled me up a Mountain House sweet and sour chicken backpacker meal.  I had that with a glass of wine while I contemplated the events of the day.  I also wondered if the bike would start in the morning, but all things considered, that was a small problem.   :yes:

Cap'n Ron. . .

MORE MORE MORE!!!!
Sleep later!  :wacko2:

Second Leg, Day 6: Trenton, SC to Beaufort, SC (150 miles)

After the excitement of yesterday, I was happy to be on the last day of this leg.  By this afternoon, I knew I would be at my friend's house along the coast of South Carolina for a week of R&R!!   :good2:

I knew I had an easy mileage day today so I slept in.  I'm certain I left the hotel room less than five minutes before checkout.  I got some breakfast and started off on what would be a casual 150 miles:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_28_09_13_1_38_40.jpeg)

I looked up a local Yamaha dealer in Beaufort and figured I'd stop there and see if they had any ideas on my starting issues...I also was in desperate need of a new chain.  Ironically, the bike started right up this morning and I pulled into the dealership less than three hours later.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_28_09_13_1_46_57.jpeg)

I went in and talked to the guy at the service/parts counter...  He really didn't have a decent chain in stock and certainly didn't have the FJ sprockets either.  We moved onto the starting issue and I ran the symptoms by him.  We went through all the standard questions...Is it getting fuel?  Is it getting spark?  He then came out to the parking lot to see for himself.  Sure enough...it didn't start.  Just kept cranking with out a single cough of firing up.  Over and over...Nothing.  Now I had time to kill sitting under that big tree in the parking lot.

I put in a call to our own RPM Randy to get a new front and rear sprocket on their way...Done.  I called an EK ZZZ chain distributor and got the new chain on the way to my friend's house.  Now back to the starting issue.

I called my friend Chris and told him my situation.  He said he'd come out and get me...or rent a trailer and haul me and the bike to his house...Or whatever I needed.  Wow...friends are great to have in good times and in bad.  The guy from the Yamaha dealer thought all that was silly and offered to put the bike in the back of his pickup truck and take me to my friend's house just for a "thank you".  I forgot about Southern hospitality...It was very refreshing!  Just before trying to load the bike into his truck he suggested I try and push start it.  I had plenty of power in the battery for cranking and didn't know what this would accomplish, but as they say, "I'd piss on a spark plug if I thought it would help!"  :biggrin: We got a nice push going, popped the clutch and it started right up!  I was thrilled!!!  I offered the dealer guy $20 for some beers and he wouldn't have it.  He just said, "Welcome to South Carolina!"  :hi:

I jumped on my now-running FJ and rode the four miles over to my buddy's house.  I was greeted by him, his wife and their four kids...This was going to be a great week!  Their second oldest wanted to sit on the bike...after letting him know where the hot parts were to avoid, he jumped on.  Looks like a future FJOwners member to me!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_28_09_13_2_09_29.jpeg)

Chris made space for the FJ in the garage and promised we'd start some serious troubleshooting in the morning.  We had a great dinner and I retired to the guest room.  This would be my home for a week and I was loving it!  I didn't have a clue what the problem was with the bike, but I knew Chris and I would get it solved.  In the meantime, I had this view out my window and all was good....

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_28_09_13_2_14_15.jpeg)

Cap'n Ron. . .

R&R #2: Beaufort, SC (0 miles -garage bound)

I woke up in my friend's house with the place nearly to myself...My buddy Chris and his wife were at work and 3 out of the 4 kids were in school.  The only ones left were their 2 1/2 year old daughter, Ella and the nanny.  I made myself some breakfast and headed out to the garage to do some serious trouble shooting on the FJ.  I knew it was getting fuel, so I focused on electrical issues.

I pulled a spark plug and cranked the bike.  I was seeing a spark, but it looked weak to me.  I started thinking that there wasn't *enough* spark to fire the engine.  I checked the forum, scrounged up some parts and added relays to the coils to up the voltage.  I got a noticeably stronger spark, but it still wasn't starting.  It was nearing the end of the first day and I was getting frustrated with these confounded machines!  Ella wandered out to the garage.  "Whatcha doin?" she asked.  I told her I was working on my motorcycle.  She said, "Can I help?"  Awwwww...I nearly melted.  She's 2 1/2!  I said, "You already have!!"   :yes:

The next day was more of the same...checking systems to make sure things were working as they should and then moving on to the next system.  Ella kept me company and I'd have her hand me things...Not that I couldn't get them on my own, but I knew that made her feel like she was helping me...and that made for a great day.  The chain and sprockets arrived in the mail, so I installed them...even though I was still baffled as to why the bike wouldn't start.   :scratch_one-s_head:

Just about wanting to give up, I slept in on day 3.  I woke up at around 10:00am...made myself breakfast...and had a VERY meaningful conversation with Ella about coloring books.  This was going to be another good day.  :good2:

I finally worked my way out to the garage and Chris was already working on the bike!!!  He had taken the day off work and was out there since 8:00am poking at it!!  He had hooked up an old-school timing light to plug 1, had the side cover off and was shooting the light at the rotor.  He says, "Hit the starter."  We do this several times and it sure looks like the spark is 180 degrees out of phase.  Could that be right?  We did several more tests and a fair amount of head-scratching.  Sure enough, the bike timing was 180 degrees off!!!   :shok:

I do some digging on the web, I learn that the FJ uses a "wasted spark" system of ignition.  That's where there is a spark provided on both the compression and the exhaust strokes, but only the spark on the compression stroke does anything meaningful.  Based on our timing light test, MY bike was firing on both the intake and power strokes and therefore, NOT doing ANYTHING meaningful...like starting!  Further digging reveals that it's the ignitor's task to determine proper ignition timing.  Do I have a bad ignitor?

...To be continued....

Cap'n Ron. . .

R&R #2, Part 2: Beaufort, SC (0 miles -Waiting for parts)

So...We suspected a bad ignitor.  Do those even GO bad?  I mean at this point, we've tested all we could think of over the last three days...what else could it be???  I put in a call to Randy...I told him that the timing was 180 degrees out and we're suspecting the ignitor and asked him what he thought.  He asked me two or three questions about what else we've checked and concluded,  "Yeah...that sounds like a bad ignitor!"  I should have called Randy three days earlier!  Anyway, with that bombshell, I said, "Okay...so  that's good to know, but how to I get my hands on one of those 3,000 miles from home?  Randy tells me to hang on and puts the phone down.  A couple of minutes later, he comes back and says, "I've got one for your bike on a race car I'm not using...I'll ship it out to you...just return it to me when you're done with your trip."  Is this guy for real?  WOW...just wow.  :shok: :shok: :shok:

I'm now on an island just off the coast of South Carolina with nothing to do but wait for an ignitor to show up in the mail in a couple of days.  I made the best possible use of my time.

Took a boat ride:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_29_09_13_2_44_52_4.jpeg)

Saw a red bird:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_29_09_13_2_44_52_2.jpeg)

Made a salad:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_29_09_13_2_44_53_6.jpeg)

Had a beer:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_29_09_13_2_44_52_3.jpeg)

Saw a cool house:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_29_09_13_2_44_51_0.jpeg)

Visited a Civil War cemetery:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_29_09_13_2_44_52_1.jpeg)

Saw an alligator:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/5/697_29_09_13_2_44_53_5.jpeg)

That was a fun two days!!!  I checked the mail and sure enough...there was an ignitor from Randy!  I was like a kid on Christmas morning...I unwrapped it and plugged it into the wiring harness.  Bike fired right up!  Over and over again!  We verified our timing theory with the strobe light and it was dead-on TDC.  My starting troubles were OVER!!!  I'm not sure how I could have solved this problem without my friend, Chris.  I can't thank Randy enough for salvaging this trip for me with a loaner part in short order.  Wow...Thank you, thank you, THANK you!!!  :hi:

Just one more day here and I'll be heading north to New York again...

Cap'n Ron. . .

I"m so jealous. :dash2:

Third Leg, Days 1-5: Beaufort, SC to Upstate, NY (1,400 miles)

My girl flew into Savannah, GA to join me on the third leg of this trip.  Having sorted out the starting issues with the bike, installed a new chain and gears, put on a fresh set of tires and had a week of great visiting with my buddy Chris and his family, we were off to Upstate New York.

The five days of riding took us through these 1,400 miles:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_01_10_13_2_18_18.jpeg)

Again...not the most direct route but that's really not the point.  I had a goal before I left on this trip to ride the entire 470 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway and the entire 105 miles of Skyline Drive.  The roads and the scenery are amazing.  You basically run the ridge of the Appalachian Mountains all the way from the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina to Front Royal, VA.  On the upside, the roads and views are just about perfect!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_01_10_13_1_30_25_1.jpeg)

On the downside, the max speed limit for the entire 470 miles of the BRP is 45MPH and the 105 miles of Skyline Drive is 35MPH!  Yikes!  This is going to be a long few days, but we get to see the Mabry Mill:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_01_10_13_1_30_25_0.jpeg)

Enjoyed the view from many pull-outs:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_01_10_13_1_35_25.jpeg)

Camped next to this lake:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_01_10_13_1_37_57.jpeg)

Stayed dry in the "Taj Mahal" while the FJ got a good wash!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_01_10_13_1_40_36.jpeg)

Spotted a rainbow:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_01_10_13_1_45_27.jpeg)

And even hiked a couple of miles down to a waterfall:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_01_10_13_1_48_00.jpeg)

Both of those roads were great...at 35MPH, we rode right up on a black near cub bumbling across the road!  It took me a second to realize it was a bear...usually don't see them up that close and personal.  I was able to stop in time to watch him bound over the guardrail and up the hill into the woods.

I did my best to stay within the 35MPH speed limit...At one point, I got behind a car that was going 20MPH!!  There wasn't anywhere to pass for five solid miles and I was looking for any opportunity.  The center line finally became a dashed line, and the road dropped, but I couldn't quite see because of an overhanging tree blocking my long-view of the road ahead.  My girl yelled, "Go for it!!!"  I waited until I thought it was clear and began to pass this guy.  Right as I got next to him, a truck was heading at me and I had a decision to make...commit...or get back behind the car.  I dropped a gear and twisted the throttle.  I pulled in front of him in with plenty of road to spare, but as the truck passed, I saw it was a park ranger!!!  :shok: :shok: :shok:  Doh!  He wrote me a ticket for going 70 in a 35...  It's a "Park only" ticket and wasn't too bad at $135.  My girl split it with me.  Nice.   :good2:

On the last day of this leg to New York, we stopped off at Gettysburg to say hello to Mr. Lincoln:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_01_10_13_1_44_05.jpeg)

He's much taller in person!  We rode the "Auto Tour" of the battlefields...well worth the stop on the final stretch of this leg!

We got to New York and I dropped my girl off at the Albany airport so she could fly back to Los Angeles.  My folks were out of town for the weekend so I was completely on my own for the first time in two weeks.  Well, almost...I had this critter staring me down:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_01_10_13_2_06_50.jpeg)

Apparently she was hungry.  I kept her well fed and she was great company!

I'm not sure where I'm heading next, I'm thinking of going north up into Montreal after a few day's rest here.  I have time to figure it out, in the meantime, I have another oil change to take care of and some more riding with my brother...

Cap'n Ron. . .

Nice. That one would have taken me forever to figure out.

People say the list is "Fuel, Spark, Air" around here, but they forget to mention the other two small things that are equally essential--compression and timing. Temperature could be said to be another one.

Kudos to your friend! And I'm not even the least bit surprised by Randy. Not even one little bit.

Keep it up, my friend.   :good:

Quote from: fintip on October 01, 2013, 03:42:56 AM
Nice. That one would have taken me forever to figure out.

People say the list is "Fuel, Spark, Air" around here, but they forget to mention the other two small things that are equally essential--compression and timing. Temperature could be said to be another one.

Kudos to your friend! And I'm not even the least bit surprised by Randy. Not even one little bit.

Yeah, Chris is a great friend and one of the best troubleshooters I know.  When I was getting frustrated on day two, he calmly said, "The answers are here, we just haven't figured out the right questions to ask."   :yes:

Y'know it's funny...one of my favorite expressions is, "Timing is everything!"  Mostly as it applies to life...Odd it's the last thing I checked!   :blush:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: fintip on October 01, 2013, 03:42:56 AM

People say the list is "Fuel, Spark, Air" around here

My check list is "Fuel, Ignition, Compression at the right time in the right quantity and it must run"

Quote"...and it must run"

Haha.

R&R #3: Amsterdam, NY (500 miles)

Well, I was back at my parents house in Upstate New York enjoying about five days of down-time.  Since I had a nice garage to work in, I did a full maintenance on the bike...changed the oil and filter, new fuel and air filter, adjusted and lubed the new chain, checked the tire pressure and gave it a good wash and wax.  A full PM and she was like new again!   :good2:

In the interest of "when am I going to get a chance to do this again?", I went on another ride with my brother.  We did this route around the reservoirs and it was a most enjoyable 300 miles!!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_02_10_13_6_43_31.jpeg)

It was beautiful!!  Most of New York is rolling hills, green pastures, lakes and farmland.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_02_10_13_6_50_11.jpeg)

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love New York City...but it's a completely different world than the rest of the state!  We went to visit the neighbor's horse ranch...This is one of their mares and her newborn foal.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_02_10_13_7_16_35.jpeg)

With another 200 miles of riding around to visit my old haunts in Albany and Saratoga, I brought the total so far for this trip to 8,000 miles.   

I have just a couple more days here and I still haven't figured out which direction to head to get back to Los Angeles.  I know what you're thinking...WEST!!!  ...but that just seems too obvious.   :biggrin:

Cap'n Ron. . .

I'm just blown away by all the scenery and adventures you are having Cap'n. As far as that "Bates" motel goes, I wouldn't have gone anywhere near it unless I had 5 other people with me, safety in numbers I reckon,  :good2:

Quote from: X-Ray on October 02, 2013, 11:24:25 PM
I'm just blown away by all the scenery and adventures you are having Cap'n.   :good2:

Thanks X Ray!

Y'know...I just jumped on the bike to go see my dad.  The farther away from California I was, the more people I met were just raving about how EPIC this adventure must be.  The stoic in me just kept replying with, "Really?...I'm just riding to New York for my dad's birthday."  I had a very utilitarian view at the outset.  At about the 3,000 mile mark, it was the culmination of all those comments...the well-wishers...the people I met who SO wanted to join me for the ride if only they could...A few people who did join me for a leg...the wealth of what I had seen thusfar...the accumulation of miles and smiles...that completely straightened out my thinking on all this.  I WAS on an adventure!  I was on the journey of a lifetime!  ...and this IS epic!   :yes:

This is the perfect segue for my thought process in picking a route for leg 4 of what is no longer a "trip", but indeed a "journey."   :good2:  Hang on tight...we're not even half-way there!   :yahoo:

Cap'n Ron. . .

R&R #3: Amsterdam, NY (Route planning)

Over the last few days, I've been studying maps...Mostly on-line...where you type in where you are and where you want to end up and it grinds out some uninspired amalgam of interstates that will get you there in the "shortest time."  Some maps have the option of choosing "Avoid Highways" or "Prefer Scenic Routes" but their idea of "scenic" wasn't aligning with my idea of scenic.   :nea:

The most direct route was tossed almost immediately.  I was, afterall...in the "While I'm here" mindset and the thought of super-slabbing it 3,000 miles from New York to Los Angeles was depressing.  Before I left LA, it occurred to me that I'd be close to Canada on this trip and went to find my passport.  It had expired!!!  I scrambled around between reinstalling the engine and buying camping gear getting a new passport.  I even paid the "expedite fee" to make sure I had it in my hands before I left home.  After all that effort, it seems like I ought to use that, don't ya think?  :yes:

With visiting Canada now in my head, I plotted a few more routes where I would pop north over the border and check things out...then come back down into the states.  Niagara Falls perhaps?  Toronto?  Hey, maybe Montreal!  These would all add some miles, but when would I EVER get a chance like this again?   Some of my initial ideas looked something like this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_03_10_13_12_42_11.jpeg)

As a bit of background, my dad drove a tractor-trailer all over New England for thirty some odd years and knows every road up there with shocking accuracy!  I asked him for some advice and interesting roads up into Montreal to help me sort this all out.  He suggested I avoid Canada altogether!!!  :shok: I think he had a run-in once with the French-speaking folks in Quebec and vowed to never return.  This solved it.  I was going into Canada for CERTAIN and riding as much of it as I could!  With that in mind, I set my sights not to the West...but to the EAST.  I'm going to ride NOVA SCOTIA!!  :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo:

When I woke up the next morning, I started looking at the maps and it turns out that Nova Scotia was VERY out of my way!!!:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_03_10_13_1_02_19.jpeg)

On the other hand, when I commit to something, I make it happen!  Tomorrow morning, I'm heading east...I have a LOT of packing to do!

Cap'n Ron. . .

Forth Leg, Day 1: Amsterdam, NY to Bangor, ME (400 miles)

"So, I met this girl at a diner in the capitol of Maine."  "Bangor?"  "No...we just had coffee."   :lol: :lol: :lol:

I was sad to be leaving my folks...we got a lot of nice visiting in, but I knew it would be a while before I could get back to New York.  With a lot of good route advice from my dad, I headed northeast...  I was excited to be moving towards Canada, but first I had to knock out some miles through New England.  Today's ride would be just around 400 miles and take me through parts of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.  Four states in one day!  :good2:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_03_10_13_10_14_36.jpeg)

Every mile I rode was another mile further from my home in Los Angeles, but that was in the very back of my mind...I kept my goal of Nova Scotia in the forefront and picked Bangor, Maine as my destination for the day.  Once you get out to the big cities like New York, Albany, Boston...New England is VERY rural.  Most of it is rolling hills, mountains, maple trees and a smattering of small towns.  I intentionally picked roads that I had never been down and saw some great scenery!

The Quechee Gorge in Vermont:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_03_10_13_10_00_57.jpeg)
The White Mountains of New Hampshire:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_03_10_13_10_19_47.jpeg)

As I was riding along through the White mountains, I had one of the great wildlife sightings of my life (so far)...about 30 feet in front of me, a cougar (Mountain Lion) lept across the road.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_03_10_13_10_32_54.jpeg)

It was very graceful taking just three bounds...from the shoulder to the center line...from the center line to the right shoulder...from the right shoulder up into the woods and she was gone.  I guessed nearly 9 foot leaps each time.  I was awe struck!  :shok:

I got to Bangor, ME pretty late.  It was a nice relaxing day of riding and I got a room at the Motel 6.  The room was just fine, but the highlight is that it was right next to THIS PLACE!!!!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_03_10_13_10_46_54.jpeg)

Holy crap!!!  They just print that stuff up here!!!   :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo:

The 400 miles today seemed long, I took a quick look at some maps and turned in early.  Looks like I'll be crossing the Canadian border tomorrow!!!  :yes:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: Capn Ron on October 04, 2013, 12:03:10 AM
(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_03_10_13_10_46_54.jpeg)
Holy crap!!!  They just print that stuff up here!!!   :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo:

Yup! Just ask "Dan The Bacon Guy" :sarcastic:

Quote from: Firehawk068 on October 04, 2013, 09:25:48 PM
Yup! Just ask "Dan The Bacon Guy" :sarcastic:

Would that be Dan Filetti with his 3/8" thick slices??   :good2: :good2: :good2:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Forth Leg, Day 2: Bangor, ME to Saint John, NB Canada (275 miles/442 km)

I left Bangor, Maine this morning and as usual, figured out the least direct route to get to my destination!  I immediately headed towards the coast of Maine for no other reason than it looked interesting.  I rode 275 miles today...or for my Canadian friends, that's 442 kilometers.  Now THAT was something I had to get used to...to be honest, I STILL can't do the miles/kilometers conversion in my head.   :scratch_one-s_head:

My ride looked like this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_04_10_13_10_54_51.jpeg)

Getting back to my theme of "sometimes it's better to not have a plan". I just rode along the coastline...taking in the sights.  I knew I wanted to go see a proper east coast lighthouse.  I saw a sign, hung a right and took a detour to Quoddy Head State Park:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_04_10_13_11_24_16.jpeg)

Being a sailor, I find myself drawn towards lighthouses...The lighthouse keeper has much the same task as the helmsman on the night watch.  Just one job that seems mundane, but has the utmost importance in keeping sailors safe.  A bonus for going out to the point to see this particular lighthouse was that it was in Lubec, ME...the easternmost town in the U.S.!!  This made me feel far from home...but in a good, adventurous sort of way!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_04_10_13_11_33_05.jpeg)

I enjoyed the little side trip, but I needed to make progress towards Canada...I kept going along the coast and I ran into this!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_04_10_13_11_40_34.jpeg)

It was a small bay with the tide out.  It's on the Bay of Fundy which has huge tidal swings.  I had heard about this, but had never seen it up close.  The sailboats have twin keels so as the tide is going out, they just settle into the mud while still remaining upright.  This is a boat with a solution engineered into its design specifically for these type of tide swings.  Just amazing!  

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_04_10_13_11_45_42.jpeg)

I proceded to the border crossing at Saint Stephen.  I wasn't sure how long it would take and I was a bit nervous at first...after all, I hadn't been out of the United States since I was a teenager!  As I queued up in line, a guy on a motorcycle went to the third of three booths and was only there for maybe twenty seconds and rode through to Canada.  I was hoping I got that same booth and sure enough I did!  I figured this would be quick and simple.  I had nothing to hide, short of a bottle of wine in my Givi topcase, but ended up getting the third-degree.  After I presented my passport, I got my picture taken.  I was then asked a series of what I thought at the time were very odd questions.  How long will you be in Canada?  What is your purpose?  Do you have a job?  What is your profession?  Do you own a house?  Are you married?  Is anyone expecting you back home?  When are they expecting you?  Do you know anyone in Canada?  How much money are you carrying?  Can you completely fund this trip?  Do you have a means to defend yourself?  Are you carrying any weapons?  Are you transporting any alcohol?  Wow.  I answered each of the questions honestly (except that last one) and he sent me on my way.  As I was riding along heading north, I kept going over those questions in my head.  At some point it occurred to me that they wanted to make sure I wasn't planning to stick around for the rest of my life living off the good Canadian taxpayers.  Satisfied that I had solved that mystery, I rode on to Saint John, NB.   :good2:

The first speed limit sign I saw said 100!!!  I am going to LOVE this country!!  :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: I picked up the pace and was making good time.  Oh...wait a minute...is that in kilometers?  OHHH!!!  I had to look down at my speedometer and see that if the needle was at 100 KPH, that was like our 60MPH.  I backed it WAY down!!  Everytime I saw a new speed limit sign, I had to look at the speedometer, do the conversion and say out loud, "50 is 30...50 is 30!!!!"  I never got used to that.

The other disturbing thing was that my navigation app didn't have any detailed road information for Canada!!!  It just had the major highways.  That was enough to get me to Saint John, but I had to ask some locals for directions from there.  Met some nice folks!  With a few map downloads, I'm going to enjoy Canada!

I stayed at the Hillside Motel which is...you guessed it...up on the hillside overlooking the town.  As I pulled in, two women on motorcycles started chatting me up.  When I told them I was heading over to Digby on the ferry in the morning, they started rattling off all the things I needed to see when I was in Nova Scotia!!  I scribbled down a few, but I really couldn't keep up with how many things they were throwing at me!  I was getting excited about my adventure!

It was getting late, so I went to a pub just up the road to get a burger.  I was the only one in the place and the bartender asked me what I'd like to drink.  I knew what I wanted, but I felt like a silly American tourist asking for my favorite Canadian Ale.  I sheepishly asked, "Well...I dunno...uh...would you happen to have any Moosehead?"  She smiled, but didn't answer my question.  She just pointed and said, "Go look out the window!"  Litterally...right across the street was this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_05_10_13_12_19_18.jpeg)

Boy did I feel silly...AND thirsty!  She had six on tap and was the perfect end to my first day in Canada!!!   :yes:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: Capn Ron on October 04, 2013, 11:04:28 PM

Quote from: Firehawk068 on October 04, 2013, 09:25:48 PM
Yup! Just ask "Dan The Bacon Guy" :sarcastic:

Would that be Dan Filetti with his 3/8" thick slices??   :good2: :good2: :good2:

Cap'n Ron. . .

I wondered that too, but then I thought, naaah couldn't be...  Having some of that fine, 3/8th thick, apple wood smoked bacon this am, as a matter of fact.

Dan

Dan

Ron, when I crossed the Canadian border in Manitoba for the first time, I was grilled the same way.  I'd never been out of the US before, and as an American it really ticked me off because I kept thinking "It's none of your business where I'm going, how much money I have on me, and why I'm here!"  But I had enough sense (barely) to keep those thoughts to myself.
But it was a weird experience.

WOW......this trip just keeps getting better and better......lol......Captain ......I am blown away.....I love reading about your trip.......I was in White Mountain at last years NESR.....and 2 years b4 that when I did my big ride out to the Cabbot trail  in Cape Breton and back........AMAZING ROADS !!!!   :good:..one of these days I will post that run....... In the meantime I want to enjoy the rest of your journey  (popcorn)

Quote from: Bminder on October 05, 2013, 08:30:33 AM
Ron, when I crossed the Canadian border in Manitoba for the first time, I was grilled the same way.  I'd never been out of the US before, and as an American it really ticked me off because I kept thinking "It's none of your business where I'm going, how much money I have on me, and why I'm here!"  But I had enough sense (barely) to keep those thoughts to myself.
But it was a weird experience.

Yeah, for me it was just an odd set of questions.  As Americans, we can take our privacy and freedoms for granted.  "I should be able to just go anywhere and do anything I want without being questioned."  After reflecting on that experience, I realize what element they're trying to filter out...  They were just trying to figure out if I was that element.   :wacko3:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: CanDman on October 05, 2013, 11:43:32 AM
WOW......this trip just keeps getting better and better......lol......Captain ......I am blown away.....I love reading about your trip.......I was in White Mountain at last years NESR.....and 2 years b4 that when I did my big ride out to the Cabbot trail  in Cape Breton and back........AMAZING ROADS !!!!   :good:..one of these days I will post that run....... In the meantime I want to enjoy the rest of your journey  (popcorn)

Glad you're along for the ride CanDMan!  Stick around, I'll be in your neighborhood soon enough!   :biggrin:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: Capn Ron on October 05, 2013, 04:45:04 PM

Quote from: CanDman on October 05, 2013, 11:43:32 AM
WOW......this trip just keeps getting better and better......lol......Captain ......I am blown away.....I love reading about your trip.......I was in White Mountain at last years NESR.....and 2 years b4 that when I did my big ride out to the Cabbot trail  in Cape Breton and back........AMAZING ROADS !!!!   :good:..one of these days I will post that run....... In the meantime I want to enjoy the rest of your journey  (popcorn)

Glad you're along for the ride CanDMan!  Stick around, I'll be in your neighborhood soon enough!   :biggrin:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Looking forward to being in yours......(6 months  :gamer:) .....Kurt...it is my Jubilee Year and my brother said it was going to be a beauty....!!!!!   :yahoo:
Kev

Forth Leg, Day 3: Saint John, NB to Bridgewater, NS (409 km...that's 255 miles for us metric challenged Americans!)

So, this was my first morning waking up in Canada!  I was on my own...in a foreign country with only my wits and my trusty FJ to see me through all this.  I had downloaded all the detail maps for Canada on my navigation app last night while I had a solid WiFi connection.  I adjusted my cell phone plan for the next thirty days to try and avoid some shocking roaming fees, but the bottom line is...if I can find a free WiFi connection...all the better!   :good2:

I had already pre-purchased a ticket on the ferry from Saint John, NB to Digby, NS a week earlier...all I had to do was find the ferry terminal and be on time!  This would end up being my route for the day:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_05_10_13_11_14_27.jpeg)

Since this was the first time EVER putting the bike on a ferry, I headed over there first thing to ask a lot of questions.  They were very matter-of-fact about the whole deal and put my mind at ease.  "Just go to the front of the line at 11:00am.  Ride onto the ferry and we'll help you get it tied down."  Oh.  That's it?  I guess they've dealt with this sort of thing before.  Now I had about an hour to kill and I was still in Saint John.  I had passed a sign for a Martello Tower a few blocks back so I went to check it out.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_05_10_13_11_21_59.jpeg)

Not even sure what this is supposed to be, but I wandered up and took a look inside:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_05_10_13_11_24_34.jpeg)

It's basically a round fortification with very thick walls.  This particular one was built in 1815, but they've been around since the 15th century.  Apparently easy to build, extremely strong and easily defendable, you can find them all over the world!  There was a guide there and I just walked in and said, "I'm sorry, I only have about fifteen minutes before I have to leave for the ferry...can you just give me the quick tour?"  He started to tell me about the construction with a main central pillar that gave the tower its strength:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_05_10_13_11_33_46.jpeg)

All the canon around the tower that could defend with a 360 degree view:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_05_10_13_11_36_06.jpeg)

The safe storage of gunpowder well below ground level:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_05_10_13_11_39_00.jpeg)

The mortise and tenon construction of each of the floors:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_05_10_13_11_41_32.jpeg)

I was in awe!  I realized I had been there for a half an hour and I wanted to stay and see more!  I thanked my guide for giving me some insight to a Martello Tower...something I had never heard of an hour earlier!  This was a big part of this trip...going to see life...history...nature...in places I had never been to enrich my understanding.  My head was filled with more questions than answers about the history of Saint John, but I had to get on a boat!

I rode down to the ferry terminal and all went pretty much as described.  I rode up to the bow and parked the FJ athwartships in my lane.  There were plenty of deckhands directing me to ratchet straps to tie down my bike.  With a little fiddling, I was satisfied my ride would remain upright in the roughest of sea conditions!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_06_10_13_12_12_33.jpeg)

I then settled in for the three-hour ride across the Bay of Fundy to Digby.  I met another motorcyclist (Richard) on a Honda ST1300 from Connecticut.  He was visiting friends in Nova Scotia and helping them out with installing some custom cabinets in their kitchen.  He had ridden up into Canada quite a bit and the conversation seemed to focus on how to stay dry on a motorcycle.  Being from Southern California...riding in the rain was a foreign concept to me!  Within a few hours, we approached Digby:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_05_10_13_11_59_21.jpeg)

Rich and I grabbed some lunch in the small town of Digby...swapped some more stories, wished each other well and went our separate ways.  I had it set in my mind that I wanted to ride all the way around Nova Scotia so I headed south towards Yarmouth.  About thirty minutes down the road it started to POUR!!!  I mean the kind of rain that hurts...bigger drops than I had ever seen...with a 30 knot accompanying wind to boot!  I could hear Richard in my head:  "There's no such thing as a waterproof glove!"  Boy, was he right!  I was SOAKED to the bone!

Going up the east coast, the rain finally let up and I pulled over to take a shot of the bike at the farthest east I had ever been:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_06_10_13_12_08_13.jpeg)

I noticed all those gray clouds and assumed I'd be in for plenty of that these next few days if Rich knew what he was talking about!

I found a little mom and pop motel right on the water near Bridgewater and was happy to be warm and dry for the night!!  I'm hoping for better weather tomorrow...

Cap'n Ron. . .

Wow, just wow,  :good2:

I'm sitting here having a couple of cold beers reading this, how do you get such a fantastic cougar shot?? Tell you what, when your journey is finished Ron I'm going to go back and read it right through again, this is fantastic.

Ray, I'm going out on a limb here; that's is a 'stock shot' of a cougar.  Ron may spin a good yarn, but he's (probably) not that good of a pho-tog.  I could be wrong, but I don't think so.

Quote from: X-Ray on October 06, 2013, 03:50:22 AM
Wow, just wow,  :good2:

I'm sitting here having a couple of cold beers reading this, how do you get such a fantastic cougar shot?? Tell you what, when your journey is finished Ron I'm going to go back and read it right through again, this is fantastic.

Ed's right, I'm a decent photog, but not that good!  I was going around 40mph when I first saw the cougar...I hit the brakes and watched her leap from my left to the other side of the road and up into the hills.  Enjoying the moment was all I could manage while still riding!

I took around 2,000 pics on this trip and they really help me recall where I was on a particular day.  On a rare occasion, I'll use a stock photo in case someone thinks my idea of a cougar is a middle-age housewife leaping across the highway.   :biggrin:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Middle-aged housewife leapt out in front of you??  I'd do more than slow down  :dance2:
Actually, when we went to Willits in 2010, I saw a puma (black cougar) bound across Hwy 20 in about 2-3 'steps', just outside of Ft Bragg, near sunset.  My wife was looking over my shoulder, down the road & missed it.  Big Kitty!!!  You wouldn't want that cat to take a bite out of your hand.  It'd take your hand, wrist and part of your forearm.

I saw a 2 black bear (one dead one bounding across the road) and a bald eagle recently.  I also saw a grizzly mom and her cubs in BC a few years back.

Dan

Heh Heh, alls good. I did say I was having a couple of beers pondering this! I'm thinking, thats is the shot of a lifetime,  :wacko3:

Quote from: Dan Filetti on October 05, 2013, 06:35:38 AM

Quote from: Capn Ron on October 04, 2013, 11:04:28 PM

Quote from: Firehawk068 on October 04, 2013, 09:25:48 PM
Yup! Just ask "Dan The Bacon Guy" :sarcastic:

Would that be Dan Filetti with his 3/8" thick slices??   :good2: :good2: :good2:
Cap'n Ron. . .

I wondered that too, but then I thought, naaah couldn't be...  Having some of that fine, 3/8th thick, apple wood smoked bacon this am, as a matter of fact.

Yes Dan, I was referring to you......................and your 3/8" thick slices!  :good:

Forth Leg, Day 4: Bridgewater, NS to Sheet Harbour, NS (312 km/195 miles)

Today was a very relaxing day...I didn't really need to be anywhere at any particular time.  The ladies I met back in Saint John put "Peggy's Cove" on my list of things to go see, so I set out!  My meanderings today ended up looking like this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_06_10_13_11_24_14.jpeg)

Now, Peggy's cove was just up the road and I figured I'd go check that out right after breakfast.  Well, I packed up all my gear on the bike and fired it up.  Hmmmm...I was getting a LOT of what I imagined was valve clacking noise.  So much that it concerned me.  I shut it down and thought for a bit.  When I did the oil change in New York less than a week earlier, I used a motorcycle-specific synthetic 20w-50.  The fact that it's cold in Nova Scotia hadn't even entered my mind!!!  To test this theory out, I re-started the bike and let it warm up...sure enough, quiet as an FJ1200 engine could be!  My plans now included another oil change ASAP.  I found an out of the way auto parts store...I popped in and they stocked Royal Purple 10w-40...Not a motorcycle blend, but I'll take it.  The owner was very accommodating, telling me he'd take back the used oil and let me do the change in the parking space in front of his store!  I walked next door to a hardware store and found an aluminum turkey roasting pan for $3.  Drain pan?  check!

Life would be a lot easier if I had a socket and extension to pull that drain plug, so I went to another nearby store...this one serviced chain saws.  They were happy to lend me their tools and I was in business!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_06_10_13_11_37_55.jpeg)

Clearly, by the look of that parking space, I wasn't the first to do an oil change there!  About 20 minutes later, I was all cleaned up and back on the road.   :good2:

As a side note, the folks in the Maritimes are extremely nice.  The hospitality I received from everyone was so over-the-top that I thought I was on a hidden camera show.  The owner of that shop took some time to educate me on how to read the clouds in Nova Scotia.  There are only two conditions...patchy:  This is where you can clearly see light and dark patches...not to worry.  Gray:  This is where the sky is SOLID dark gray and you had better pull over and put on the rain gear!  This knowledge proved to be extremely helpful over the coming miles!!

I left there and headed to Peggy's Cove.  It's a very rocky coastline village with a lighthouse.  It spit rain on and off, but was cool to check out: 

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_06_10_13_11_46_19.jpeg)

Then I went to the lighthouse:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_06_10_13_11_48_46.jpeg)

Some nice folks I met from Quebec took my picture:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_06_10_13_11_50_56.jpeg)

Who the hell is that photobomber in the green jacket?   :shok:

I spent about an hour just watching the waves crash in...this was the North Atlantic!  The same waters that took down the Titanic...that sunk the Andrea Gail during the "Perfect Storm"...It seemed to have a feel all its own and I was happy to just soak it all in for a while.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_06_10_13_11_54_03.jpeg)

I then moved on to Halifax.  A city that reminded me of parts of New York City...In many ways, a very modern city....but with a storied history.  I rode up to the Citadel...complete with drawbridge!!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_07_10_13_12_03_41.jpeg)

I then went to the maritime museum.  One of the best I've been to.  I saw the original blueprints for the sailing schooner "Bluenose" (Check the back of a Canadian dime).  I also saw a piece of a deckchair recovered from the Titantic sinking!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_07_10_13_12_00_17.jpeg)

History was coming to life for me...Things were starting to click...Not just something you read about in history books, but you start to put the pieces together and it hits you that the Titanic sinking was nearby...that Halifax lobster boats were actually finding pieces of the doomed ship in 1912.

As much as I was enjoying Halifax, I grabbed a slice of pizza in the downtown area, stocked up on more backpacker meals at a sporting goods store and headed out.  It was raining off and on all day and the ride north of Halifax was no different.  At some point it started pouring in buckets and I was drenched!  I mean down to the skivvies soaked!  I needed a warm place to sleep for the night and I found what I was after in Sheet Harbour.  I laid all my gear out over the heater and went to sleep hoping all would be dry by morning.

It was another great day.  Amazing scenery, friendly people and learning some history of the area...I would LOVE to get back to Halifax some day!!

Cap'n Ron. . .

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_07_10_13_1_53_46.jpeg)

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Forth Leg, Day 5: Sheet Harbour, NS to Port Hawkesbury, NS (292 km/182 miles)

I woke up this morning and all my gear was dry...the night on top of the heater did the trick!  That's the good news.  The bad news?  It's raining again today!  Well, I'll be dry for the first hour at least.  My gear is all rated as "waterproof."  Seriously.  The gloves, the jacket, the overpants...I even saw the little hang tags off the sleeves when I bought them!  :yes:  So here's the deal...I'm quickly learning that there's no such thing as a waterproof glove.  The search is still on, but in the meantime, I've accepted pruney fingers.  For the jacket, I have a longer-cut touring style job...when I sit on the bike, it forms...for lack of a better term...a "belly pouch."  This will fill up with water while I'm riding and despite the claims of the prominent hang tags, will then leak down into my nether regions.  The moment this happens, I imagine my face looks like this:   :shok: :shok: :shok:

I only did around 182 miles today that looked like this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_08_10_13_12_29_10.jpeg)

This just looked like a fun route along the eastern coast and I thought I could knock out some real miles today.  Turns out, the rain also hampers my progress.  You just can't do as many miles in the rain as you can on a sunny, dry day.  Want to know what else can hamper your progress?  How about this?

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_08_10_13_12_34_42.jpeg)

The road just ended in the water!  A small detail on the map I overlooked:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_08_10_13_12_39_24.jpeg)

Well, I waited in the rain for this guy to ferry me to the other side:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_08_10_13_12_42_04.jpeg)

There was a cable from one side to the other that the ferry pulled itself along on...pretty cool!  I loaded up the bike and paid the ferryman!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_08_10_13_12_45_48.jpeg)

Having successfully crossed the river Styx, I rode northward in the rain.  I was noticing something...there weren't many houses around...very rare indeed in this part of Nova Scotia, but when I did see a house, they almost always had one of these in the front yard!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_08_10_13_12_48_48.jpeg)

I guess it's their version of a lawn ornament.

I visited another lighthouse...sort of a theme at this point.  It looked much like the other lighthouses I visited, but had a map of the STAGGERING number of them in Nova Scotia!!!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_08_10_13_12_54_58.jpeg)

If you like lighthouses...THIS is the place to be!

I made it as far as Port Hawkesbury and got another dry hotel room for the night.  Hawkesbury is on the south end of Cape Breton...the ladies in Saint John also put the world-famous Cabot Trail on my list and I'm working my way there!

Now if only I could figure a way to stay dry!   :lol: :lol: :lol:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Forth Leg, Day 6: Port Hawkesbury, NS to Baddeck, NS (300 km/185 miles)

I woke up to more rain today, but there's riding to be done rain or shine!  I'm looking to do the Cabot Trail tomorrow so I had an easy day riding up and around to Baddeck.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_08_10_13_4_37_39.jpeg)

I've mentioned before that my goals of riding to places I've never been are to meet people, see interesting things and learn something in the process.  Today was a highlight of the trip as I stumbled onto all three in Glace Bay!  First, I was struck by how far away from my home in Los Angeles I had come so far:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_08_10_13_4_57_38.jpeg)

Mapping the shortest route back to LA, I was over 4,000 miles out.  From this point, no matter what direction I was going, I was getting closer to home!

So I rode into Glace Bay to get some fuel and some lunch...it was a very small town and as I rode around, I saw a sign for the Marconi National Historic Site.  Hmmm...Marconi.  Invented the radio.  That's about all I was taught by the grade school public U.S. education system.  My first question was, "What is this doing in Canada??"  It was raining and I needed an interesting place to get warm and dry for a while.  I went to check it out:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_08_10_13_5_09_53.jpeg)

I spent hours there!!  I was really the only one in the place for that whole time and I got to know and learn a lot from the two docents and a volunteer shortwave radio operator.  Turns out Guglielmo Marconi (We're guessing he's Italian  :lol:) sent the first wireless transmission across the Atlantic to Cornwall, England in 1901 using a "Spark Gap Transmitter" and the first wireless message in 1902 from this site!  Cape Breton Island now made a lot of sense to me as it's about as close as your going to get going across the Atlantic.  At that time, trans-Atlantic telegraph cables had been transmitting stock information and news between the U.S. and the U.K. and Marconi wanted to compete for that business.  He was already well established in the radio business and wireless would eliminate the need for costly sub-marine cables.  He built a giant antenna array in Glace Bay:

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0d/MarconiTowers.jpg)

You can walk out to the original footings that remain on the site and looking out over the ocean from them, I could almost picture England 2500 miles away!  They had a scale model of the original antenna in the museum:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_08_10_13_5_32_01.jpeg)

I was also able to see a piece of history in an original Marconi Spark Gap Generator:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_08_10_13_5_35_00.jpeg)

It was all very interesting...to be able to tie together the place that history happened, the equipment used, the lucrative information market of the time that sparked immense investment in this business and the sheer size of the effort put in to solve what we today consider a simple problem.  Amazing.  All the time I was there, the volunteer ham radio operator was clicking away in Morse Code to people all over the world..."dah-di-dah-dit dah-dah-dah dah-dah-dah di-dah-di-dit di-dah-di-dah-di-dah"  That was Morse Code for "C-o-o-l Full-stop (period)"

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_08_10_13_5_45_19.jpeg)

As much as I was enjoying myself, I needed to make some progress toward Baddeck...in the rain.  I spent the night at the "Telegraph House and Motel"...how fitting!  Warm and dry, but ever since I got into Canada, the prices of things went pretty high.  So far, I haven't been able to find a room for much under $100 (Canadian and U.S. dollars are basically on par with each other), fuel is well over $5/gallon when you do the conversion and food on the road is noticeably higher (Paid $18 for breakfast at a Denny's!!!  :shok:).  I haven't yet figured out if prices in the U.S. are always less or it's just that I'm in the remoteness of the Maritimes.

Another outstanding day!  I feel like I'm learning and liking Canada more each day!

Cap'n Ron. . .

Awesome ride! Awesome report! Thanks for having us along, Ron! Enjoying every bit of it..... :good2:

Forth Leg, Day 7: Baddeck, NS to Pictou, NS (500 km/310 miles)

I woke up to more rain this morning...   :shok: :shok:  I was hoping to have nice clear weather for the Cabot Trail today but there was a steady drizzle.  People I've met along the way have really built up riding the Cabot Trail as an experience of a lifetime!!  Report after report regarding the trail built up my expectations...so much so that I thought about delaying the ride until tomorrow in the hopes of better weather.  I went to breakfast at a local diner to plan out my day.  My server asked me if I was in Baddeck to visit the Alexander Graham Bell Museum...  Huh?  I had another, "What would that be doing in Canada?" moment and decided to find out.  Besides, the weather may improve in a couple of hours.    :lol: :lol: :lol:

My ride today looked like this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_09_10_13_4_47_48.jpeg)

Before I was to start logging miles, I went just down the road to check out the museum.  About all I knew about AGB is that he invented the telephone sometime in the late 1800's...but an entire museum?  Turns out the guy had been inventing most of his life...His Grandfather, father and brother had all been involved with elocution and speech and his mother and wife were both deaf.  This led him to work on hearing devices...out of that came this little guy in 1876: 

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_09_10_13_5_52_26.jpeg)

That's a replica of the phone that Bell invented to say those famous words to his assistant, "Can you hear me NOW?" Turns out, that little invention allowed him to fund other work and inventions.  He invented the "Photophone" in 1880 that transmitted speech over light waves!!  He used the sun and this device to capture light and transmit voice:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_09_10_13_5_57_56.jpeg)

I still can't get my head around that...and I spent years in telcomm!  Using Baddeck Bay as a testing ground for new ideas...in the winter, it would be frozen over or a calm waterway in summer.  Utilizing it as a runway, he worked tirelessly to develop motor-powered heavier-than-air aircraft:

(http://storage.canoe.ca/v1/blogs-prod-photos/9/7/d/0/9/97d0984490402422d7ea27a8e14638eb.jpg?stmp=1355587560)

He studied propeller pitch and design:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_09_10_13_11_36_35.jpeg)

Developed a counter-rotating propeller system:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_09_10_13_11_38_41.jpeg)

...and even worked on hydrofoil boat design:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_09_10_13_11_40_21.jpeg)

The above is a full-scale replica of his H4 hydrofoil...Here's an actual picture of it abandoned on Baddeck Bay in the 1950's...a bit sad really.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_09_10_13_11_42_49.jpeg)

I again spent WAY more time than I originally planned for, but I was fascinated by the life's work of a man I was simply told "Invented the telephone" and was then taught some other less-than-indepth factoid to memorize.  I highly recommend visiting the museum as I only touched on maybe 10% of it...

It was still drizzling outside, but I needed to press on...I headed up to the "WORLD FAMOUS CABOT TRAIL!!!"

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_10_10_13_12_02_11_4.jpeg)

I took yet another ferry across a small section of water to the Cabot Trail...That makes three in the last four days...I'm getting good at putting the bike on a boat!  The Cabot Trail was pretty good...Had some nice views:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_10_10_13_12_02_11_2.jpeg)

Parts of the road went along the cliffs:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_10_10_13_12_02_11_3.jpeg)

Very nice indeed!  Riding back along the west coast, I ran into "The Lone Sheiling"  Apparently Scottish immigrants settled this area in the early 1800's.  That would explain why all the roadsigns were in both English and Gaelic!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_10_10_13_12_02_10_0.jpeg)

The forest here had the brightest green ferns I had ever seen!  I guess all the rain was worth finding this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_10_10_13_12_02_11_1.jpeg)

As far as roads and scenery were concerned, I rate the Cabot Trail as a close second to the Pacific Coast Highway in California.  If you're in Nova Scotia, it's a "must ride"...If you only have a chance to do one, Run the PCH through Big Sur, California.  EPIC!

That being said, I enjoyed my day in the highlands!!  I grabbed some lunch in Iverness (just WHO is this Tim Horton guy anyway??) and rode on to Pictou, NS.  I'm going to catch the ferry over to Prince Edward Island in the morning!

Cap'n Ron. . .

 (popcorn)

Loving it. :)

 Tim Horton was a hockey player. Got killed trying in a high speed car crash. Anyone else have more details?

Quote from: fj johnnie on October 10, 2013, 04:50:20 PM
Tim Horton was a hockey player. Got killed trying in a high speed car crash. Anyone else have more details?

Yes It was in 1973  he was playing for the Buffalo Sabres...was a long time Leaf before being traded....but he started his coffee shop franchise way back then.....and ended up selling..

Anyway...can't remember the date but he was killed when he lost control of his Corvette in the early hours of the morning along the QEW highway after a hockey game.....he was either driving from Buffalo to Toronto or vice versa........sad ending for Tim  
*Tim Hortons is the Canadian version of Starbucks in Canada

The happy ending to the story....was the fact that Tim Hortons daughter eventually grew up and ended up marrying the son of the new owners and the franchise is massive.....

Now I am happy mon capitan....that you found Baddeck.....what a night I had there......wooooooohooooooo  :yahoo: and the Cabot trail...unforgettable ....I will post my adventure later on when you are done with yours...please....continue...I am loving this  

(popcorn)

(http://i1071.photobucket.com/albums/u517/photocandman/2010EASTCOASTBIKERIDE087_zps3e0df557.jpg)

(http://i1071.photobucket.com/albums/u517/photocandman/2010EASTCOASTBIKERIDE081_zps05021b9f.jpg)


here's Tim

(http://i1071.photobucket.com/albums/u517/photocandman/TimHorton_zps69b268d3.jpg)
(http://i1071.photobucket.com/albums/u517/photocandman/Tim-Horton_zpsf1bc3084.jpg)
(http://i1071.photobucket.com/albums/u517/photocandman/HORTONTOPSTORY_zpsb17ec78e.jpg)

Forth Leg, Day 8: Pictou, NS to Prince Edward Island! (329 km/205 miles)

I'm in Pictou this morning and it is...wait for it...wait for it...SUNNY!  I had almost forgotten what sunshine looked and felt like!  It has been seven days since I've seen the sun and it is glorious!  :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo:

My ride today looked like this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_10_10_13_11_34_51.jpeg)

I rode down to the PEI ferry terminal and tied down my trusty FJ for the fourth time on this trip.  Every ship is a little different.  Some provide just some length of rope, but this one had some nice ratchet straps and deck cleats to make the task easy.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_10_10_13_10_39_32_0.jpeg)

Here's a shameless plug for the RPM fork brace.  Not only does it make the front end nice and solid, it also makes for a great tie-down point!  :good2:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_10_10_13_10_39_32_1.jpeg)

With the sun shining, I had a nice crossing over to PEI.  Once there, I headed east with the intention of running the coastline as much as possible.  I was only around 20 minutes out and I saw a sign for the Rossignol Winery!  You know me by now...I had to stop:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_10_10_13_10_39_33_2.jpeg)

I tasted a few wines, had a great chat with the woman who was pouring and picked up a bottle for later on.  The island is very pretty...the soil is a bright reddish-orange color and there is a LOT of farming.  I was soaking all this in as I approached the north east corner and saw a sign for "Lighthouse Road."  That looked promising so off I went!  This is the WOODEN lighthouse!!!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_10_10_13_10_39_33_3.jpeg)

It looks like it needs maintenance and sure enough, for a $4 donation towards paint, you could climb up into it all the way to the top.  Lighthouses these days don't really serve the function they used to back in the day.  With modern GPS systems, chart plotters and well-established routes, sailors don't just sail blindly until they see a light.  Lighthouses are still on navigation charts, so most of them still shine a (modern) light to use in taking a position fix.  This one was no different, but had something there that just floored me...the ORIGINAL Marconi radio from the early 1900's!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_10_10_13_10_39_33_4.jpeg)

This is the radio that would receive distress calls from ships at sea...This one received the "May Day" distress from the Titanic on the night of April 14, 1912!!  With my education about Marconi three days ago still fresh in my head, here I was standing in front of one of his original radios.  It was surely in rough shape with over 100 years exposure to the salt air...the girl taking donations told me that some local ham radio operaters had offered to restore it.  I encouraged her to leave it as is...with all it's rust and original patina.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_10_10_13_11_10_42.jpeg)

I left there and rode west along the north shore of PEI.  Along the way, I passed some of the famous PEI oyster beds:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_10_10_13_10_39_34_6.jpeg)

Lobster boats all secured for the night:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_10_10_13_10_39_33_5.jpeg)

I was enjoying the scenery...and certainly the weather!!!  I knew I had to figure out sleeping arrangements and stumbled on the Stanhope Provincial Park Campground and decided to camp there for the night.  I set up camp and unloaded the bike.  With some time left before sundown, I took a little ride up to Covehead harbour:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_10_10_13_10_39_34_7.jpeg)

With the sun going down, I hiked over to the beach to watch the sunset.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_10_10_13_10_39_34_8.jpeg)

It was very peaceful.  I stayed there for nearly an hour until the last bit of light.  Part of me wondered if I would get to see the sun tomorrow, so I was soaking it all in!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_10_10_13_10_39_35_9.jpeg)

It was a great end to another great day!

I headed back to camp and had a nice dinner with some of the wine I bought earlier.  I have no idea what the plan is for tomorrow...I will take it as it comes.

Cap'n Ron. . .

Ron, you really need to post more than one of these reports a day.
You're like an evil drug dealer who gets us hooked and then doles out the meth in tiny increments when we need MORE MORE MORE!!!!!!!  :biggrin:

Quote from: Bminder on October 11, 2013, 03:00:50 PM
Ron, you really need to post more than one of these reports a day.
You're like an evil drug dealer who gets us hooked and then doles out the meth in tiny increments when we need MORE MORE MORE!!!!!!!  :biggrin:

The first one is free...tell all your friends!   :biggrin:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Forth Leg, Day 9: Stanhope Campground to Charlottetown, PE (32 km/20 miles)

Yep...you read that right!  I did a grand total of 20 miles today!

I woke up in my tent and checked the weather radar as I do every morning.  There was rain all around me and heading in fast!  It was still dry where I was, so I decided to get packed up and moving.  I figured there must be something down in Charlottetown to visit indoors if it was raining, or get some riding in if it cleared up.  My ride today looked like this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_11_10_13_2_56_32.jpeg)

I broke camp and got everything loaded on the bike just before the mosquitoes carried me out of there!  :shok: Man, they were THICK!  I started riding and it started raining!  Not too heavy yet, but by the looks of the radar map, it was going to get bad!  I found a motel and convinced them to let me check in at 11:00 in the morning!  The room was more like a small cabin complete with a full kitchen...nice!  I figured I'd hang out for a couple of hours and then go exploring when the weather cleared.  It never did.  It continued to rain heavily all day.  I watched TV, looked out the window, checked my email, looked out the window some more and made some phone calls.  Still raining. 

It got to be around 6:00pm and I was getting cabin fever, was hungry, tired of backpacker meals and had a full kitchen at my disposal!  I put on all my gear and rode over to the nearest market and picked up a nice rib-eye steak, some red potatoes, an onion, some mushrooms, a bottle of cabernet and the makings for a salad.  It was a wet ride, but worth it!  I had a nice hot meal and did some serious thinking about this rain issue and my lack of progress today.  I resolved to ride tomorrow rain or shine and then turned in for the night.  I dreamt I was somewhere sunny.   :yes:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Forth Leg, Day 10: Charlottetown, PE to Kamouraska, Quebec (757 km/470 miles)

After the near-zero mile day yesterday, I was determined to get going this morning!  My plan was to go check out the very north east corner of Prince Edward Island and headed up towards Cavendish.  When I got there...Are you sitting down?...it started to rain!  Okay...I've had about enough of this...I checked the radar maps and it looked like it was clear to the south, so I made quick progress towards the Confederation Bridge.

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_eFSZLa2_jww/SxR9QHBxfiI/AAAAAAAAACQ/WEXnMet2z3U/s1600/3.Confederation+Bridge+westbound.JPG)

As cool as it was to motorcycle across the 8-mile bridge, it marked the end of my tour of Nova Scotia.  The people, the history, the scenery, the food and the over-all warmth (even in the rain) I felt over the last eight days will be missed.  I'm truly sad to be leaving Nova Scotia.

Wanting to make some good mileage today, I got down to business.  As you all know, the FJ1200 can click off mile markers like no other bike and I was merrily covering the width of New Brunswick.  My ride today ended up looking like this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_11_10_13_8_29_31.jpeg)

Not long after I set my wheels in New Brunswick, I saw off in the distance the longest train trestle I had ever seen!  I took a detour to go check it out.  Right when I got there, parked the bike and got the camera out, a train came by.  PERFECT timing!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_11_10_13_8_40_48_0.jpeg)

I was enjoying the detour as it took me through some rolling hills and a few houses.  Guys on riding lawnmowers always wave back...even in Canada!  I got back to the main road and in about four hours, found myself in Grand Falls, NB.  Thinking..."well, there must be some falls in this town", I rode around to check it out.  Wasn't long before I found this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_11_10_13_8_40_48_1.jpeg)

Yep...they were grand!  They had a nice little park where people were eating lunch alongside the falls.  They even had a zipline across, but it was closed for the day.  I would have definitely done that!  I hung around for a while and took some more pictures.  It was a nice break.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_11_10_13_8_40_49_2.jpeg)

My thinking at this point was I'd like to make Montreal tomorrow, so I rode to the St Lawrence River at Riviere-Du-Loup and hung a hard left running along the south side of the river.  I went about 50 miles and found a great little hotel in a small town called Kamouraska.  I parked the bike and went into reception.

The girl at the desk greeted me with "Bonjour!!!"  OH...I'm in Quebec now...I'm not exactly sure how this works.  All the road signs had instantly turned to ALL French when I crossed into Quebec, but I figured  folks spoke both English and French.  I was very wrong.  In rural areas such as this town, there were very few people who spoke any English and I hadn't taken any French since high school!  I said, "Hello, I'd like a room" and she looked at me as if I was from another planet.  We got that sorted out and I then had to pay her.  She said, "Cinquante-cinq."  I thought I was going to be lost and then my high school French kicked in!  I started reciting numbers as if I had just cracked some international code, "Une, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf, dix!!"  I thought it was a miracle I had remembered any of that and she just looked at me and said, "Cinquante-cinq."  Okay...Fifty-five dollars.  I got to my room and unpacked...it was the nicest room so far in Canada and very reasonably priced!  

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_11_10_13_8_40_49_4.jpeg)

It was right on the St Lawrence and the views were amazing!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_11_10_13_8_40_49_3.jpeg)

I looked on my navigation app for somewhere to eat.  I found this little house/restaurant that was still open.  It was perfect.  I was looking for something with local flavor and this seemed to be ideal.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_11_10_13_8_40_50_7.jpeg)

My server came over and said, "Bonjour!" ...and handed me a French menu.  Uh oh.  I have to figure this out quickly!  I downloaded a French-English dictionary and started putting words together.  When she came back, I bumbled through something like, "Vin rouge s'il vous plait" and a glass of red wine appeared before me!  I was well out of my comfort zone, but that's the way I wanted it.  I was in their Province...where most of the population speaks French...when in Quebec, do as the Quebeckens!  Quebecites?  Quebeckers?   :scratch_one-s_head:

Having survived my first menu translation, I rode back to the hotel along the river.  I stopped to watch this little sailboat as the sun was going down.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_11_10_13_8_40_50_6.jpeg)

While I was there, a man approached me..."Bonjour!"  I sheepishly said, "Bonjour" in return.  He then rambled off a paragraph in French and I must have had a confused look on my face.  He said, "Oh...you only speak the English?"  I said, "Oui!...er...I mean YES!" He laughed and told me that if I reply to a greeting with "Hello", most folks from Quebec will try to communicate in English.  Nice tip.  He also told me that my ride to Montreal would be much more scenic on the North side of the St Lawrence and that involved going 50 miles back to Riviere-Du-Loup and taking a ferry across.  Okay...that's the plan for tomorrow!  I went back to my room and had a glass of wine as the sun set.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_11_10_13_8_40_50_5.jpeg)

It was a great day!  I am now a foreigner in a foreign land and was loving it!  Time to bone up on my French!   :good2:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Fantastic post!  :good2:  Thanks for taking the time to post all of this and let us follow along... I'm enjoying it!

Quote from: Marsh White on October 11, 2013, 11:49:33 PM
Fantastic post!  :good2:  Thanks for taking the time to post all of this and let us follow along... I'm enjoying it!

Nice to have you along for the ride Marsh! ...and thanks for providing a place for me to re-live the miles and experiences!

Cap'n Ron. . .

Cap'n Ron, this story has got me totally hooked, loving every minute of it, keep it coming. Patiently waiting for every new episode :yahoo:
I'm about to set off on a trip down the south west of Western Australia, just me and Effy. Looking like about 6,000 kms over 2 weeks. Gonna try and take lotsa pics and write it up when I get back, although I reckon I'll be battling to do as well as you have. You have a great way of recounting the trip.

Keep it coming Cap'n Ron

Dazza

Quote from: Capn Ron on October 11, 2013, 12:42:45 AM
  This is the WOODEN lighthouse!!!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_10_10_13_10_39_33_3.jpeg)

Candyman, is this one of yours?

pas moi, je ne connais pas assez français pour y vivre et travailler. Bien qu'il était obligatoire pour nous d'apprendre.

(not me, I don't know enough French to live and work there . Although it was mandatory for us to learn it).  :biggrin:

What I love about your trip Ron is you and I took almost the exact same routes....it's amazing !!!
    Just for those whose Latin is a bit rusty Nova Scotia ...means "New Scotland" and thus the huge contingent of Scotland. My ancestors made their way through the east coast before finally settling in the Toronto area.
  Toronto means "the meeting place"  which is translated from the Huron (Indian) word "Toronton" . some argue that it came from the Mohawk word "Tkaronto" which translates to "where the trees are standing in the water".....traditionally the locals have always referred to Toronto as "The place where people meet" ....it was heavily favoured to being the capitol city however John A MacDonald chose Ottawa in an attempt to unite the colonies of French Acadians throughout New Brunswick and Quebec with the rest of the English settlers. The Quebec border is on the other side of the Rideau canal so Hull Quebec is literally across the bridge from Ottawa...(all French speaking)
Anyways.....thought I would throw this in.....seemed appropriate for this journey.....


This is so awesome......I am loving this.... :good2:

please......keep going !!!!

(popcorn)        

Forth Leg, Day 11: Kamouraska, Quebec to Repentigny, QC (500 km/310 miles)

So, I woke up this morning as an English-speaking motorcyclist in a French-speaking world!  :shok: I will try my best to get through this and probably learn a few things in the process.  After my conversation with the guy down by the river...sorry...fleuve Saint-Laurent, I decided to backtrack around 50 miles to Riviere du Loup to catch the ferry to the north side.  My ride today looked like this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_13_10_13_8_58_53.jpeg)

I first rode up to the main road and I saw a Subway.  I thought, this would be easy...I could get breakfast without first learning French.  I was wrong.  The entire menu was in French and the girl working there didn't speak any English.  Okay...opened the translator app on my iPhone.  I'm sure I butchered, "Saucisses et oeufs sur pain plat"  I was trying to order sausage and eggs on flat bread...This language barrier is really difficult.  We worked it out...Ordered a coke.  What size?  Ug...back to the app.  Do you have any ketchup?  Ug.  We really take communication for granted.  She handed me a receipt that had my entire order printed out.  Perfect!  I'm keeping this so I can just hand it to the next employee if I find another Subway!

I had my breakfast and headed up to Riviere Du Loup to load the bike on another ferry.  For those of you counting, this will be my fifth!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_13_10_13_9_11_12_0.jpeg)

I'm now starting to enjoy the ferry crossings.  It's some good downtime, I get to relax and check out the scenery:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_13_10_13_9_11_13_1.jpeg)

About halfway across, we saw a young Beluga whale and it's mother just breaching the surface of the water!  I knew I was witnessing something special, so instead of fiddling with the camera, I just soaked it all in.  I also met these two guys who were transporting new tractor-trailers to a factory in Montreal.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_13_10_13_9_11_13_2.jpeg)

The spoke both English and French and gave me a crash course in how to communicate in Quebec.  They went out of their way to make me feel comfortable and welcome...they also convinced me to visit Quebec City as a "Must do!!!", so I put that on my plan for the day.

Once on the north side of the St Lawrence, I rode towards Quebec.  My headlight had burned out...again...This was the second time since I left LA...I pulled up to a store that sold pieces of automobiles:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_13_10_13_9_11_15_9.jpeg)

Car parts.  I didn't need the app to figure that out and I went inside.  A guy working there spoke a TINY bit of English and helped me to "Mettre en lumiere" my FJ.  He kept saying "eeeeef geeeee" and gave me the thumbs-up  :good2:  Turns out he had an FJ1200 as his first motorcycle!  He was very excited to see my bike and brought a few other employees out to the parking lot to see my setup.  The FJ1200 knows no international boundaries!

At this point, I was getting good at feeling my way through a headlight bulb change and was on my way to Quebec City!  The city was amazing!  The cobblestone streets:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_13_10_13_9_11_13_3.jpeg)

Impressive architecture:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_13_10_13_9_11_14_7.jpeg)

The Citadel:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_13_10_13_9_11_14_4.jpeg)

A river-side view of the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac Hotel:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_13_10_13_9_11_14_6.jpeg)

They say it's the most photographed hotel in the world and I tried to do my part:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_13_10_13_9_11_15_8.jpeg)

What a beautiful City!!  I walked all around just snapping pictures and soaking it in.  I came upon this place:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_13_10_13_9_11_14_5.jpeg)

I thought it odd and did a bit of research.  Turns out that at some point, property owners were taxed on the number of windows their house had!  The common reaction to this taxation was to simply brick up most of the windows!  I found examples of this all around the City!

I had an excellent meal, a nice glass of wine and some great broken-English conversation at this place:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_13_10_13_10_07_38.jpeg)

I was there for about an hour and one of the locals even picked up my tab!  I wanted to stay and visit Quebec City more, but I had to get on the road towards Montreal...The next City on my plan.

As I rode towards Montreal, there was a short, but heavy rain storm heading right at me.  I kept a close eye on it and rode as long as I could until I started getting wet.  I pulled into a McDonald's to wait out the weather.  It took a bit over two hours, but I was dry, had free WiFi to catch up on email and banking, food, free refills on the soda and a bathroom to use (free refills on soda  :shok: ). 

While I was in there, people came and went and all the French conversation just became background noise.  I couldn't understand a word of it and my brain was getting good at just tuning it all out.  I was in my own little world in my booth and a mother and her son sat in the booth right next to mine.  The boy says, "Wow, they must really be celebrating in Los Angeles!"  WHAT?  Not only were these words in English, he was talking about LA!  I had to talk to them...  He was referring to the LA Kings just winning the Stanley Cup that day.  I was learning that in Canada...it's ALL about the hockey!  We talked for about a half an hour...They told me that there were small areas within Quebec that spoke primarily English...I very much enjoyed their company albeit brief.  The storm passed and I found myself a motel for the night. 

Tomorrow, it's Montreal!

Cap'n Ron. . .

This is just awesome!!!!!!!!!  :good2:
I love to travel....................or even dream about travel through someone else's adventure....................
I'm gonna be sad when this trip ends  :sorry:
Glad that you are giving it to us a little at a time.......................letting it soak in............... :drinks:

Thanks Alan!

Glad to have you along!  I hope this isn't too much of a spoiler, but Quebec City was my favorite place to visit!  I can't believe I was just going to ride by it on my way to Montreal!!!  It's just another example of how one conversation can add miles and richness to a trip!

Happy you're enjoying it!

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: Capn Ron on October 13, 2013, 11:35:13 PM
I thought it odd and did a bit of research.  Turns out that at some point, property owners were taxed on the number of windows their house had!  The common reaction to this taxation was to simply brick up most of the windows!  I found examples of this all around the City!

That form of tax originated in Europe (figures I guess) and I believe is the origin of the saying "Daylight robbery".

Quote from: Capn Ron on October 13, 2013, 11:35:13 PM
I decided to backtrack around 50 miles to Riviere du Loup to catch the ferry to the north side.  My ride today looked like this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_13_10_13_8_58_53.jpeg)


I had my breakfast and headed up to Riviere Du Loup to load the bike on another ferry.  For those of you counting, this will be my fifth!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_13_10_13_9_11_12_0.jpeg)

I'm now starting to enjoy the ferry crossings.  It's some good downtime, I get to relax and check out the scenery:



.  The boy says, "Wow, they must really be celebrating in Los Angeles!"  WHAT?  Not only were these words in English, he was talking about LA!  I had to talk to them...  He was referring to the LA Kings just winning the Stanley Cup that day.  I was learning that in Canada...it's ALL about the hockey!  
Cap'n Ron. . .

I took these pics when I took the same Ferry from Riviere De Loup

(http://i1071.photobucket.com/albums/u517/photocandman/2010EASTCOASTBIKERIDE167_zps04c34593.jpg)

(http://i1071.photobucket.com/albums/u517/photocandman/2010EASTCOASTBIKERIDE162_zpsae981cd4.jpg)

You're right Captain....it really is all about Hockey....... :drinks:



(http://i1071.photobucket.com/albums/u517/photocandman/2010EASTCOASTBIKERIDE188_zpse755f7e8.jpg)

(http://i1071.photobucket.com/albums/u517/photocandman/2010EASTCOASTBIKERIDE186_zps4b211307.jpg)

did you stop at all in La Ville Baie St Paul ?

more Quebec city...

(http://i1071.photobucket.com/albums/u517/photocandman/2010EASTCOASTBIKERIDE195_zps0a92e206.jpg)

(http://i1071.photobucket.com/albums/u517/photocandman/2010EASTCOASTBIKERIDE197_zpsbe6a0b56.jpg)


It is so cool to relive my trip again through someone else's perspective.....this is so awesome  (popcorn)

CanDman,

That's amazing that my FJ was parked on nearly the same five feet of deck as yours was two years earlier!

I did not get to see La Ville Baie St Paul...There is SO much to see and only so much time to do so...  Quebec City wasn't even on my plan until I met those guys on the ferry.  It added another day to the trip...but completely worth it!

Managing time, miles, visiting people, money and sights is a real balancing act.  The motorcyclists I met in Saint John turned my planned one or two day jaunt over to Nova Scotia into an 8 day adventure!  As much as I experienced there, I should have taken another day to visit the ship building yards in Lunenburg!!!

Maybe on my next trip!   :biggrin:

Quote from: Capn Ron on October 14, 2013, 02:32:13 AM
CanDman,

That's amazing that my FJ was parked on nearly the same five feet of deck as yours was two years earlier!

I did not get to see La Ville Baie St Paul...There is SO much to see and only so much time to do so...  Quebec City wasn't even on my plan until I met those guys on the ferry.  It added another day to the trip...but completely worth it!

Managing time, miles, visiting people, money and sights is a real balancing act.  The motorcyclists I met in Saint John turned my planned one or two day jaunt over to Nova Scotia into an 8 day adventure!  As much as I experienced there, I should have taken another day to visit the ship building yards in Lunenburg!!!

Maybe on my next trip!   :biggrin:

HAHAHAHA......the next trip I'm coming with  :drinks:

RON STOP TOYING WITH US!!! POST MORE!!!!!!  :ireful: :mad: :ireful: :mad: :dash2: :diablo: :ireful: :dash2: :mad: :diablo: :dash2: :ireful: :mad: :ireful:

 :biggrin:  I'm working on the Montreal leg now...it is another page-turner...at least for me anyway!  A big ride report takes about two hours to put together...So, for the action-packed days, I can just about get one done each day.  Wait until we get to the plains...You'll get three days of riding in each report!   :yahoo: :yahoo:

Thanks for hangin in there!   :good2:

Cap'n Ron. . .

OK lets see... so 2 hours for one day's report and there's 24 hours in a day... That means you could be doing 12 reports a day!!!!
Stop slacking!!!!

Quote from: Bminder on October 15, 2013, 12:05:32 AM
OK lets see... so 2 hours for one day's report and there's 24 hours in a day... That means you could be doing 12 reports a day!!!!
Stop slacking!!!!

That is funny, I called him a slacker for different reasons just the other day..... Or was it Lightweight???? I don't remember, I just got off a 16 hr (inventory) day and the beverage and decompression is kicking in....

Forth Leg, Day 12: Repentigny, QC to Perth, ON (375 km/233 miles)

Repentigny is a strange sounding town, but it's basically just about 30 miles outside Montreal...My planned city to visit for the day!  When I woke up this morning, I was greeted with SUNSHINE!!!  Ohhhh, this is going to be a wonderful day!  I wanted to get the most out of it, so I packed up the Givis in record time and I was off!  I would later figure out that I left two of my favorite flat bungee cords in that hotel.  Maybe I packed too quickly!  My ride today looked like this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_14_10_13_11_16_11.jpeg)

I grabbed a quick breakfast and headed towards Montreal!  I went on a field trip here when I was in sixth grade, but didn't remember any of it!  I knew that the Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada had just been run two days earlier!!!  If I had planned things better, I could have had a track-side seat for the race.  Regardless, I had heard great things about the road circuit and decided to ride down and check it out.  It's called the "Circuit Gilles Villeneuve" and it's on an island in the St Lawrence River.  When I got there, they were just starting to break down the infrastructure for the event...This was great timing as technically, the road was open to the public, but the race track was still set up!  I took the opportunity to run ten laps of the 4.36 km road course on the FJ!!!   :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_15_10_13_1_09_37_5.jpeg)

It was pretty amazing!  I had the entire track to myself and lap after lap, I tried to commit the 13 turns into my memory as if I was racing it!  You can see the skid marks from a race crash just two days ago on the pavement in front of me!  Having soaked that in, I started riding around just looking for anything interesting...I found this odd looking structure:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_15_10_13_1_07_20_0.jpeg)

This is "Habitat 67" from the the Montreal Expo in 1967.  It's was a visionary solution to the "inevitable population problem" as perceived back then.  It's made up of 354 identical pre-made cubes that are then stacked in place to create 148 apartment units.  The idea was to create efficient, high-density living spaces each with a sense of privacy.  Very cool!

I then rode over to the Montreal Biosphere.  A very futuristic looking sphere that is now an environmental museum.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_15_10_13_1_07_21_3.jpeg)

The engineering that went into the structure is amazing!!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_15_10_13_1_07_21_2.jpeg)

I delighted in the juxtaposition between the past and the present...a Martello Tower as seen from inside the Biosphere!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_15_10_13_1_07_21_1.jpeg)

I rode around Montreal some more and...satisfied with my tour, I headed out of town.  I ran into quite a bit of construction and the ensuing traffic jams.  Due to the rough winters, Canada has a small time window to get roads repaired or bridges built.  I worried about the FJ's engine overheating and did some creative lane splitting to keep the air flowing.  Once on the Trans-Canada Highway, I set my sights on Ottawa!  I just rode into the city and saw these really cool looking buildings...I parked and walked around to check them out:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_15_10_13_1_07_21_4.jpeg)

I had a great view of the river from there:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_15_10_13_1_07_22_6.jpeg)

Turns out...Ottawa is the capital of Canada!  I had no idea!  This is the Parliament building where all things government take place!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_15_10_13_1_07_22_5.jpeg)

The buildings were amazing and had some great details:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_15_10_13_1_07_22_7.jpeg)

I signed up for a tour and really enjoyed all of it!  The neo-gothic architecture:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_15_10_13_1_07_22_8.jpeg)

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_15_10_13_1_09_36_4.jpeg)

The room where all the debating takes place:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_15_10_13_1_09_36_1.jpeg)

What laws were made from these seats?

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_15_10_13_1_07_23_9.jpeg)

The curious onlookers:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_15_10_13_1_09_35_0.jpeg)

I then went all the way to the top of the "Freedom Tower" on the front of the building for some great views:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_15_10_13_1_09_36_2.jpeg)

...And marveled at the giant gears in the clock mechanism:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_15_10_13_1_09_36_3.jpeg)

As the day was getting late, I got on the road and set Perth, Ontario as my goal for the night.  I found a great motel and a nice Irish pub for some wings and a beer at the end of another great day!!  Today, I left the province of Quebec and was now in English-speaking Ontario.  I enjoyed being a fish out of water for a few days.  Tomorrow, I've got my sights set on Toronto!  Look out CanDman...I'm on the way!!  :good2:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: Capn Ron on October 15, 2013, 02:36:18 AM
As the day was getting late, I got on the road and set Perth, Ontario as my goal for the night.
Cap'n Ron. . .

Ahhhh, thanks Ron! Got my fix for the day and the jitters are gone for now!  :yahoo:
I've always wanted to go to Perth... AUSTRALIA!

Quote from: Bminder on October 15, 2013, 09:40:24 AM

Quote from: Capn Ron on October 15, 2013, 02:36:18 AM
As the day was getting late, I got on the road and set Perth, Ontario as my goal for the night.
Cap'n Ron. . .

Ahhhh, thanks Ron! Got my fix for the day and the jitters are gone for now!  :yahoo:
I've always wanted to go to Perth... AUSTRALIA!

I know how you feel Bindy

Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit smoking... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmW-ScmGRMA#)

Quote from: CanDman on October 15, 2013, 05:35:02 PM

Quote from: Bminder on October 15, 2013, 09:40:24 AM

Quote from: Capn Ron on October 15, 2013, 02:36:18 AM
As the day was getting late, I got on the road and set Perth, Ontario as my goal for the night.
Cap'n Ron. . .

Ahhhh, thanks Ron! Got my fix for the day and the jitters are gone for now!  :yahoo:
I've always wanted to go to Perth... AUSTRALIA!

I know how you feel Bindy

Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit smoking... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmW-ScmGRMA#)

Let's go!

Forth Leg, Day 12: Perth, ON

Whenever I'm in a new location, I like to to learn something about that area...Was it a hub for trading?  Was it near some natural resource?  Was there some event in history that put a town on the map?  I started to do some digging in my motel room while enjoying a nice glass of Niagara region wine.

Turns out that Perth, Ontario not only produced a 22,000 pound wheel of cheese in 1893 known as the "Mammoth cheese", it was also the first town to have an installation of the telephone!  Apparently, a local dentist, Doctor J.F. Kennedy was a friend of Alexander Graham Bell...AGB personally installed a telephone between the doctor's office and his home.  By 1887, the town of Perth had 19 telephones installed with a switchboard in Dr. Kennedy's office.  Can you hear me now???

I may be wrong, but I think this whole telephone thing may catch on... :good2:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Forth Leg, Day 12: Formula 1 track, Montreal

I'm working on the next leg...in the meantime, here's some porn.  Another gratuitous shot of the FJ on the Formula 1 track in Montreal:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_16_10_13_3_41_48.jpeg)

What a great day to be on a motorcycle!!!

Cap'n Ron. . .

Forth Leg, Day 13: Perth, ON to Barrie, ON (600 km/373 miles)

I woke up this morning in Perth and the sun was shining with a clear forcast to the west!  This would be two days in a row of actual sunshine...I almost didn't know how to handle it!  :yahoo:

Well since I have been covering a lot of ground since Nova Scotia a dozen days ago, I realized that I had been mostly focusing on getting to specific places and hadn't been thinking about finding fun roads.  Today, I'm out for some twisties!  Instead of sticking to the Trans-Canada Highway, I headed up and found some great winding country roads!  My day's ride looked like this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_16_10_13_5_38_32.jpeg)

I really only had Toronto in mind, but today was all about the riding!  I was having a blast!!  Now, I want to zoom into a section of that map to show you just how MANY lakes are in that section of Canada!!!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_16_10_13_5_45_36.jpeg)

Holy smokes!  There is more water than land up there!  Shocked at just how you could weave a road through all that, I rode right up to and alongside a lot of beautiful lakes!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_16_10_13_5_49_24_0.jpeg)

The roads were great, the scenery and weather were perfect!  After my morning rush of throttle, I got back to the business of making progress towards Toronto.  I did have to stop and soak in the shoreline of Lake Ontario:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_16_10_13_5_49_24_1.jpeg)

I rolled into Toronto much like I have been doing in each city so far on this trip.  I have about enough time to ride around, get a feel what a particular city is like, see an attraction or two, get some food and then get back on the road to the next destination.  When I got into Toronto, I saw this place and decided to check it out:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_16_10_13_5_49_24_2.jpeg)

This is Casa Loma, the former 98-room private home of Canadian financier Sir Henry Pellatt.  It was built from 1911-to the onset of World War I.  For an $18 admission fee, they just set you loose in the house.  You are free to stay as long as you want and explore ANYwhere on the property!  The interior is gorgeous!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_16_10_13_5_49_25_3.jpeg)

This is one of the many fireplaces in the house, but this room was of particular interest.  Take a look at the mahogany panels on either side of the fireplace:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_16_10_13_5_49_25_4.jpeg)

The one to the right is a secret passage and when you figure out how to open that panel, you are led to these stairs:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_16_10_13_5_49_25_5.jpeg)

Which take you into the basement and my favorite of all the rooms...The wine cellar!  :good2:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_16_10_13_5_49_25_6.jpeg)

While I was in the basement (Complete with swimming pool and a bowling alley!!!), I walked through this 800-foot long tunnel!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_16_10_13_5_49_26_7.jpeg)

That went under the public street to another property on the other side of the road.  On that property was the full time mechanic's garage for their vehicles:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_16_10_13_5_49_26_8.jpeg)

Complete with spare parts.  Kindof looks like my garage!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_16_10_13_5_49_26_9.jpeg)

There were lots of examples of products from that era.  This is axle oil for your coach.  Apparently it has "matchless lasting properties!":

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_16_10_13_5_51_43_0.jpeg)

...And if there is any doubt, this sign pretty much says it all:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_16_10_13_5_51_44_1.jpeg)

This was also the location of the custom herringbone tiled horse stables!!  Immaculate!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_16_10_13_5_51_44_2.jpeg)

I returned to the house through that same tunnel and climbed a series of about six of these staircases:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_16_10_13_5_51_44_3.jpeg)

I was climbing to the top of this pointy tower:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_16_10_13_5_51_44_4.jpeg)

Where I was rewarded with a great view of Toronto!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_16_10_13_5_51_45_5.jpeg)

Having spent many hours at Casa Loma, it was time to go visit the waterfront area:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_16_10_13_5_51_45_6.jpeg)

I'm always drawn to the water and spent a couple of hours there snapping pictures and enjoying the scenery:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_16_10_13_5_51_45_7.jpeg)

It was getting late in the day and I grabbed a meal from a local hot dog vendor before I headed out of town.  This guy kept me company while I ate...Pretty sure he was expecting some table scraps!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_16_10_13_5_51_45_8.jpeg)

I got on the road with a real appreciation for Toronto...a very beautiful city with more friendly Canadians!  Is EVERYone in Canada this friendly?  ...so far, I'd have to say yes!

From there, my only goal was to ride up and over the Great Lakes over the next few days.  I headed due north and landed in Barrie, ON for the night.  There was a nursing school called Georgian College that ran one of their dorms as a hotel in the summer.  Today was a lot of miles and a lot of being a tourist...I checked in and had a great night sleep!

Another perfect day in Canada!

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quite cool, I had lunch with a Seagull once at Duke's in Malibu.... Buggerme!! I can't find the pic...

WHAT?
No visit to the top of the CN Tower?  :shout:

Quote from: Capn Ron on October 16, 2013, 07:51:01 PM
It was getting late in the day and I grabbed a meal from a local hot dog vendor before I headed out of town.  This guy kept me company while I ate...Pretty sure he was expecting some table scraps!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_16_10_13_5_51_45_8.jpeg)

I got on the road with a real appreciation for Toronto...a very beautiful city with more friendly Canadians!  Is EVERYone in Canada this friendly?  ...so far, I'd have to say yes!



Another perfect day in Canada!

Cap'n Ron. . .

LOL..... :rofl: Good thing I read on mon Capitan ......... for a second there....I thought you ran out of money  :mocking:....Toronto is pretty expensive.....and I know that Duck is pretty reasonable.....especially if it's free  :lol:

......now as far as skipping the CN Tower.....I can forgive that....sort of.....but what I can't excuse....is coming all this way and not coming to visit me...... :ireful: ....no good



Planet Toronto (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi0UYr2EKV8#ws)


Toronto is the 5th largest city in North America......so I thought I might post this little chaser with your shot...... :drinks:


The one thing I think I love the most about your trip......is the fact that you are focused more on the dark corners and hidden gems of an area rather than the neon lights......I am so blown away by the golden nuggets you seem to dig up sifting through the nooks and crannies of every town.....just awesome..... unlike most people in this city, I was born and raised here so I am affectionately partial to her.....that being said, I do love the countryside more than the inner city.. I love natural beauty and you are capturing it all ..... (popcorn)    

Quote from: Firehawk068 on October 16, 2013, 08:48:34 PM
WHAT?
No visit to the top of the CN Tower?  :shout:

I had a chat with someone about the CN Tower...he said it was anywhere from $35 to $90 depending on what you wanted to experience while you were there.  I considered it...I even rode right up to the base and as I was still considering the cost and the time it would take...and how many hours of daylight were left, I couldn't find a parking space.  There were parking garages that were another $20.  I made an in-the-moment decision to go check out the waterfront instead.

This is as close as I got to the CN Tower:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_16_10_13_10_03_15.jpeg)

Now I have a reason to return to Toronto...well, that...and visiting CanDman!!!   :biggrin:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: CanDman on October 16, 2013, 09:30:57 PM

The one thing I think I love the most about your trip......is the fact that you are focused more on the dark corners and hidden gems of an area rather than the neon lights......I am so blown away by the golden nuggets you seem to dig up sifting through the nooks and crannies of every town.....just awesome..... I love natural beauty and you are capturing it all ..... (popcorn)    

Well, on the other end of things, I did capture this while I was in Toronto:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_16_10_13_10_08_05.jpeg)

Not sure it qualifies as a "natural beauty", but as far as creepy, psychotic unicorns, it rates right up there!   :good2:

Cap'n Ron. . .

You know I was thinking about your visit to Castle Loma.....I remember doing that as a field trip when I was in grade 5......for a 10 year old it was pretty cool.....and now you have cattle prodded me to do it again mow that I am 12..... :mocking:....looking forward to more...this is the best travel report ever !!!  (popcorn)

This is just simply amazing to look at. Photos of the FJ on the F1 track, how cool is that.

One thing I will be doing on the way down or back on our Jindabyne 2014 Anniversary trip, is take a detour to do a couple of laps around our fabled Bathurst (Mt Panorama) track. Just had the big race there last weekend, was another good one. But a few photos at Bathurst with the FJ is going to be great!

Cap'n Ron,

I never comment on anything here except bikes and occasionally riding (OK, I did once, but I don't now)

Your trip report is an absolute ripper. I can't take a photo to save myself but I can certainly appreciate a good one when I see it, and your photography is fantastic. Subject, compostion, technical skills and possibly the most difficult, knowing which ones to use.

The same could be said for your writing. The combination of words and pictures is enthralling. Nothing to skip through, it's all great reading.

CanDman says it well:

Quote from: CanDman on October 16, 2013, 09:30:57 PM

The one thing I think I love the most about your trip......is the fact that you are focused more on the dark corners and hidden gems of an area rather than the neon lights......I am so blown away by the golden nuggets you seem to dig up sifting through the nooks and crannies of every town.....

And then of course, there's the trip itself. I remember you posting a couple of times with some bike drama and only making the briefest of mentions about your trip and I always wondered why we never heard anything about it. It certainly sounded interesting at the time.

You're a late bloomer and thank goodness for that, it's a terrific read.

That smile on your face in the selfies speaks volumes.

A couple of years ago my brother rode around Australia. He also wrote a very entertaining account accompanied by great photos (also a crack photographer, when we ride together we stand in the same spot, take the same photos, mine look like shit, his look like they should be hanging in a gallery somewhere, bastard, I don't get it)

When he returned he invested a modest amount of money in an on-line photo book from the USA. He ordered two. One with words and smallish photos, and a second one with just the pictures (same ones only bigger) and a brief description. All done over the net.
We joked about how it would finally turn up, and when it did, not a single error and way exceeded our expectations.

What was most amazing was the quality. The cover, binding, paper, layout, photo reproduction etc. It was as good as any store bought book. He initially had one each done for himself but was so impressed he ordered more an sent them to people who had accompanied him on legs of his ride and anyone else who was interested.

It is a high quality coffee table book and pretty cool seeing yourself "published"

Your trip report deserves this.

YOU MUST DO IT, not only for yourself in years to come, but for posterity.

It is a brilliant account of an epic ride that deserves to be recorded appropriately. (I've read some serialised trip reports in motorbike mags. that were obviously deemed good enough to publish that were terrible by comparison. There's a thought!)

Noel

Quote from: ribbert on October 17, 2013, 07:31:15 AM
Cap'n Ron,

I never comment on anything here except bikes and occasionally riding (OK, I did once, but I don't now)

Your trip report is an absolute ripper. I can't take a photo to save myself but I can certainly appreciate a good one when I see it, and your photography is fantastic. Subject, compostion, technical skills and possibly the most difficult, knowing which ones to use.

The same could be said for your writing. The combination of words and pictures is enthralling. Nothing to skip through, it's all great reading.

And then of course, there's the trip itself. I remember you posting a couple of times with some bike drama and only making the briefest of mentions about your trip and I always wondered why we never heard anything about it. It certainly sounded interesting at the time.

You're a late bloomer and thank goodness for that, it's a terrific read.

Noel

Wow Noel...thank you for all the kind words!  :hi:  Don't know if I'm deserving of all that, but it means a lot to me that someone is enjoying the report!

On the photography, I'm okay at it...there are some great photographers out there that just defy a fitting description.  I use my iPhone quite a bit...mostly because it's always at the ready...and a Canon SX40 HS camera.  The latter makes it easy to frame up a subject and it has decent optics.

I really wanted to write the report "live" while I was on the trip and thought quite a bit about how best to do that.  With the full rebuild (another write-up?), crazy amount of prep for the trip and shaking out some issues on the bike, I never got around to it.

I'm enjoying the day-by-day recalling of all this!  I was just plotting out the next few maps and remembered a town and a conversation and a plate of chicken wings I had forgotten all about.  It put a smile on my face.   :i_am_so_happy:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: Capn Ron on October 17, 2013, 06:12:29 PM

I really wanted to write the report "live" while I was on the trip and thought quite a bit about how best to do that.  With the full rebuild (another write-up?), crazy amount of prep for the trip and shaking out some issues on the bike, I never got around to it.

Cap'n Ron. . .

My brother had the luxury of no bike prep and was able to settle on a good way to do this. He took his laptop and set up a blog. He did his write ups and photos and posted nightly while things were fresh in his mind and no detail was lost. Some of that detail being what made it interesting.
It also allowed people to comment which only added to the entertaining read and we could "join" in the ride in real time.

Noel

Forth Leg, Day 14: Barrie, ON to Tobermory, ON (240 km/150 miles)

So, I've just completed a tour of the major cities along the St Lawrence River...Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto.  This was primarily the reason I rode up into Canada and feel I have a basic understanding of each of those places.  Now what to do??   I had lots of choices at this point.  I could just pop back down into the states and head for home...or I could go ride up and over the Great Lakes!  Sounding like fun, that's what I decided to do!  Now, being in Barrie, ON, the sensible person would have just headed north like this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_17_10_13_6_11_52_0.jpeg)

The other option would be to head over to the Bruce Peninsula and take a ferry across Lake Huron.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_17_10_13_6_11_53_1.jpeg)

Any guesses?  I thought, "At this point, what's ONE more ferry ride?" and headed to the ferry terminal at Tobermory!  This was my ride for the day:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_17_10_13_6_11_53_2.jpeg)

Once I got within an hour or so of a destination, I would start calling a few hotels to secure a room for the night.  I called three places in Tobermory and I was quoted $150/night!!!  I asked if there was something going on in town and was told there was an annual car show and everything was pretty well booked.  Yikes!  I was committed at this point, so I looked up some camping options and found the Tamarack campground just before Tobermory for around $24.  When I was checking in for a campsite assignment, the girl at the counter asked me, "Well, are you going to hike out to the Grotto?"  I had a confused look on my face and some other campers jumped in and said I HAVE to go see the Grotto!  Okay...I guess I'm going for a hike!

I set up my tent and then started heading down the trail.  I was hiking along the shoreline of Cyprus Lake:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_17_10_13_9_30_46_0.jpeg)

Just beautiful!  The trail went on for a couple of miles through some creepy looking forests:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_17_10_13_9_30_47_1.jpeg)

After a while, I was rewarded with this view:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_17_10_13_9_30_47_2.jpeg)

This is the beach at "The Grotto" on Lake Huron and it was a bit surreal.  There were huge caves to go climbing down into:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_17_10_13_9_30_47_3.jpeg)

With some of the clearest blue/green water I had ever seen!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_17_10_13_9_30_47_4.jpeg)

I hiked all along the cliffs and it was easy to find a place all to yourself where you could imagine there wasn't anyone else within miles:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_17_10_13_9_30_48_5.jpeg)

I sat there with my camera looking out over Lake Huron and the islands in the distance.  Just incredible!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_17_10_13_9_30_48_6.jpeg)

I was a bit hungry, so I hiked back to my campsite and jumped on the FJ to head into Tobermory.  I found a restaurant with a rooftop bar that had live music in the form of a dude on a guitar:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_17_10_13_9_30_48_7.jpeg)

I sang along as he played some Johnny Cash and had a nice meal:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_17_10_13_9_30_48_8.jpeg)

That wine glass sure looks empty!   :biggrin:

I hung out there for a couple of hours watching the activities in the small town and conversing with some of the locals.  Very enjoyable!

I rode back to the campground and took a quick hike down to Cyprus Lake for a sunset:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_17_10_13_9_30_49_9.jpeg)

Another great day in Canada, but this seems to be the norm!  I have to catch a ferry in the morning so I'm turning in.  Who knows what tomorrow will bring?

Cap'n Ron. . .

 Excellent report Cap'n. I find it most interesting that you ended up at the Grotto. I too have been. It is a beautiful spot to see and worth the hike. I live  in the Niagara area and most people here have never heard of it!!! ( within 200 K )
I believe Neil Young once said " I have travelled down the middle of the road, but quickly headed for the ditch. The people there are much more interesting". You are doing an excellent job of finding the things that aren't in the middle of the road. Keep it up!

Forth Leg, Day 15: Tobermory, ON to Sault Ste Marie, ON (450 km/280 miles)

I enjoyed my stay on the peninsula, but it was time to go see what the rest of Canada was all about!  I broke camp, got the FJ packed up and was on the road!  My trip today looked like this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_18_10_13_2_11_35.jpeg)

I arrived at the ferry terminal in plenty of time so I had a nice sit-down breakfast at a local diner.  There's almost always some sort of food on the longer ferry crossings, but it's nothing to write home about.  "Dear Mom, I had the most wonderful pre-made turkey sandwich in a triangular shaped plastic shrink-pack!"  Can't see it happening.   :nea:

Motorcycles are filtered to the front of the line when getting on a ferry.  We're the first on and the first off and take up spaces that are usually too small for cars.  This ferry only provided rope to tie the bike down.  Even though it was just a lake crossing, I spent quite a bit of time fiddling with the lines and checking the bike for stability.  I used double trucker's hitch knots to compress the front suspension a bit and keep things nice and tight.  My dad calls this knot, "The Flying Dutchman" and I find a lot of uses for it!  Here I am all secured up in the bow:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_18_10_13_2_28_59_0.jpeg)

It was a little overcast, but not too bad.  I'm hoping it clears up!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_18_10_13_2_28_59_1.jpeg)

Lake Huron was pretty calm as we left the peninsula and I wandered around the deck taking in the view and taking some pictures.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_18_10_13_2_29_00_2.jpeg)

This was pretty cool...growing up in New York, I had only experienced Lake Erie and here I was on my motorcycle, on a ferry and ON Lake Huron!  I knew that the great lakes could get rough from all the stories I've heard over the years and that Gordon Lightfoot song.  Sure enough, the chop started to build:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_18_10_13_2_29_00_3.jpeg)

Once we got away from the protection of the islands, we got into some pretty good swells and the ship was doing some nice steady rolling.  I've been in much rougher seas in sailboats, but didn't have a motorcycle tied down with not much more than twine to be concerned about.  I head a loud bang and headed below decks to check on my precious cargo:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_18_10_13_2_29_00_4.jpeg)

It was fine and the lines were still secure.  Turns out the steel plates on the bow of the ship were buckling under the stress of the swells...every once in a while, it would make a loud bang as it popped in and back out.  I had a nice chat with some folks who had a house on the island.  I was telling them about life on a motorcycle and they were telling me about life on an island.

I was the first bike off the ferry and onto the island...I figured I should top off the tank and spent a few minutes at the gas startion before getting on my way.  As I was filling my tank, the other motorcycles that were on the ferry flew by on their way to the bridge to the north.  When I caught up to them, they were ALL pulled over for speeding!!!  Luck and timing just seem to find me all on their own!   :yahoo:

I set Sault Ste Marie as my destination for the day.  I was told that "Sault" was pronounced like "Sue"...now I'm not going to sound like such a tourist!  I'm watching the weather closely as storms seemed to be all over between Canada and south of the U.S. border.  I wanted to hit the border crossing towns so if I had to duck south back into the states to avoid a storm, I had that option.  So far today, weather wasn't a problem!  I saw these critters on the shore of the lake taking in the sunshine!:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_18_10_13_2_29_01_5.jpeg)

I took a few detours to explore bits of Lake Huron...I couldn't believe how blue that lake is!  Just beautiful!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_18_10_13_2_29_01_6.jpeg)

I had a nice dinner at a very small family restaurant near the lake.  I just kept to myself as I ate and checked my email.  My server asked if that was my motorcycle out front and where I was from.  I told her that I rode from California and she started tapping other patrons on the shoulder..."This guy rode his motorcycle from CALIFORNIA!!!"  There weren't many people in the place...maybe twenty all together...but quickly, they were all firing questions at me!  "How long did that take you?"  "How many miles a day do you ride?"  "What have you seen?"  It occurred to me that before I walked in, most of those people knew each other in some way.  Over a plate of fried chicken, I got to know them a little bit too.

I found a motel in Sualt Ste Marie for the night.  I turned in early...tomorrow's weather doesn't look good and I'd like to knock out some miles.  Dodging the rain is going to slow me down a bit, but I'm up for it!

Cap'n Ron. . .

Gordon Lightfoot - Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6DUFPNILvM#)




Fuck Ron...I want to punch you in the head !!!! Tobermory ?? Gotto??? that's Goddo with a D.......... are you kidding me???????????you are doing the  low ways and the no ways........I can't believe you did Tobermory and Gotto (Goddo)......

GODDO - Sweet Thing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2GK1jxvroE#) ....you better have a good So Cal itinerary ready for me...cause I ain't coming for the fowl.......quack quack....

Quote from: fj johnnie on October 18, 2013, 07:27:02 AM
Excellent report Cap'n. I find it most interesting that you ended up at the Grotto. I too have been. It is a beautiful spot to see and worth the hike. I live in the Niagara area and most people here have never heard of it!!! ( within 200 K )
I believe Neil Young once said " I have travelled down the middle of the road, but quickly headed for the ditch. The people there are much more interesting". You are doing an excellent job of finding the things that aren't in the middle of the road. Keep it up!

Thanks Johnnie!

I truly believe that there is more to be found in the less obvious places.  Frank Bama once said, "The best navigators are not quite sure where they're going until they get there!"  I set out each morning with that in mind!

The Grotto was a true surprise as was Tobermory.  There is so much to experience out there!

Cap'n Ron. . .

Let me rephrase my last post (was a bit buzzed last night  :crazy:) I was so floored as I am with every post how you seem to visit all the coolest spots.... I remember from my youth.... I went to camp over the summer we would go on one weeks canoe trips throughout central Ontario and Tobermory , Killarney and the Magnetawan River...were places I have seen.....I just can't believe how many places you and I have experienced (at different times of course) but I am simply amazed.
Punching you is only a silly way of expressing my overwhelming enthusiasm.... :praising:       

Forth Leg, Day 16: Sault Ste Marie, ON to Thunder Bay, ON (725 km/450 miles)

The weather was off and on today...Had some great sessions of riding in perfect sunshine...and then hard downpours!  It was difficult to figure out what gear to put on and at exactly what time.  If I was heading into some weather, I'd swap my gloves out for the better insulated, "waterproof" ones...and then they would get soaked through.  When the sun came out, I'd use the gauntlet Velcro to attach them to the rack on my Givi topcase to let them flap in the wind to dry them out.  With the crazy weather, I must have repeated this five or six times today!

I rode north from Sault Ste Marie on my way to Thunder Bay:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_19_10_13_9_40_37.jpeg)

After spending some time on Lake Huron yesterday, I was excited to see Lake Superior.  Apparently it's the lake that thought it was better than all the other lakes!  Had some sort of complex, but I can't remember what it's called...  :biggrin:

I rode along the eastern shore of Lake Superior on my way up to Wawa, ON  

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_19_10_13_9_49_55_0.jpeg)

I pulled into Wawa and found a Subway to grab some lunch.  I was happy to get out of the rain...for a short while anyway.  I ordered my usual:  6" BMT on wheat, provalone, lettuce, tomato, pickles, salt and pepper and some oil.  Even though I said I was eating there, she put my sandwich in a to-go bag.  I never know how to feel about that.  I clearly stated that I wanted to eat it there, but they packed it as if to say, "yeah...no...we'd rather you left, thanks."  I sat down and had my lunch.  While I was tidying up to leave, I noticed the very specific size and shape of a Subway to-go bag.  Hey...wait a minute...  I went up to the counter and asked the girl if I could have a few more of those bags.  Turns out they are about foot-shaped and I proceded to don them between my socks and my leather Timberland boots.  I have SOLVED the wet foot issue!  I wish I had thought of this sooner!

Going up over the north side of Lake Superior was quite nice.  There's a significant altitude gain there and the scenery changed from forest and coastline to rocky and steep.  I even rode up into the clouds and the fog made everything seem very surreal.  It was a welcome change.

Shortly before I arrived in Thunder Bay, I saw a sign for a waterfall down some road.  Of course, I had to go check it out...The road quickly turned to dirt/gravel and I pressed on.  The waterfall was...just okay...I probably wouldn't take a motorcycle down that road again!  When I got back on the FJ to leave, this grouse was blocking my way!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_19_10_13_10_09_46.jpeg)

She just kept walking back and forth in front of my path as if to say, "None shall pass!!!"  I was entertained enough to take another picture:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_19_10_13_9_49_56_1.jpeg)

She probably had some young ones she was protecting.  I then headed into Thunder Bay...again...a town on the U.S./Canadian border just in case I had to duck south to avoid weather.  I rode the FJ down onto a dock that supported a seaplane operation.  I found this to be pretty cool.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_19_10_13_9_49_56_3.jpeg)

They had an entire yard with seaplanes that I suppose were deployed depending on the specific task they were hired to do.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_19_10_13_9_49_56_2.jpeg)

I found a great little efficiency apartment for the night that is typically rented out to students when college is in session.  I met the owner who took the place over from his mother and father who started it as a motel back in the 1950's.  There were lots of pictures from the early days as an homage to his parents.  I felt like I was staying with family.

I got in a lot of miles today and I feel good about that.  Not sure if I'll stay in Canada or not due to all the rain I've been dealing with.  By the end of this trip, I'd really like to be able to claim I rode Canada from Nova Scotia to Vancouver Island, but my fingers are getting pruney!  I'll take a look at the weather patterns in the morning and determine a coarse of action.

A very wet but scenic day today...Well looking forward to what tomorrow brings!

Cap'n Ron. . .

Forth Leg, Day 17: Thunder Bay, ON to Kenora, ON (563 km/350 miles)

Today, I slept in a bit...all the rain yesterday wore me out!  Looks like I'm in for more of that routine, so I headed due west towards Fort Frances/International Falls.  Again, sticking close to the U.S. border to keep my riding options open depending on the weather.  When I got to the border crossing town, there was a huge storm coming in from the south west of me so I hooked a hard right and headed due north!  This was my ride today:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_21_10_13_12_00_09.jpeg)

I was very happy to still be in Canada and my route took me through an area known as "Lake of the Woods."  WOW!  I thought there were a lot of lakes a few days ago...just take a look at this!   :shok:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_21_10_13_12_22_50.jpeg)

There were lakes everywhere and absolutely beautiful!  There was a lot of sport fishing going on and with many water-runways at their disposal, this is the very cool form of transport for the fisherman:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_21_10_13_12_27_50_0.jpeg)

That's a 1958 de Havilland DHC-3 Otter!  And I'm excited my 21 year-old motorcycle is still running!   :shok:

It was docked right behind this BEAUTY!!!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_21_10_13_12_27_50_2.jpeg)

This is a 1953 (!!!) Beechcraft 18, C-45H.  It was a former USAF plane (C-45G) that was converted to hydro service (thus the "H" designation).  Just look at the polish on this one!  (Leon, Pat...are you paying attention?)   :biggrin:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_21_10_13_12_27_50_3.jpeg)

I'm a bit of a plane nut:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_21_10_13_12_39_06.jpeg)

I really wanted to go up in that Beech seaplane, but I need to beat the incoming storm!  I was having pretty good luck with dodging the rain, but it's still a lot of stress for a guy who normally rides in SoCal!

I made my way up to Kenora and had a nice fresh fish dinner in town...I am now very used to the Canadian accents and mannerisms.  The "Yah, that's true, eh?"  Well, my server came up to my table and said, "Howdy, y'all...are ya fixin to get some supper?"  Struck me as odd, but as we talked, I found out she was from Arkansas and we had a nice chat about the states.

I found a VERY old motel just west of town for the night.  It was called Gayles Motel...more like a tiny cabin really:

(http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/02/37/14/ab/outside-nice-flowers.jpg)

This place definitely did not meet my admittedly low standards!  It was safe and inexpensive and I got a good night's sleep.  Turns out that when you close your eyes, you can imagine you're staying at the Ritz!  :good2:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Forth Leg, Day 18: Kenora, ON to Brandon, Manitoba (539 km/335 miles)

I've been in Canada for more than two weeks now and am happily clicking off the (wet) miles.  It's nice getting to know a place by visiting the sights and talking to the people.  While I've been riding some of the longer stretches, I kept repeating in my head the provinces from east to west:  Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario...and today I will cross over into Manitoba!  I took a long-view of the rest of Canada and decided that I'd like to ride a bit to the north and go see Edmonton in a few days.  Something like this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_21_10_13_8_37_57.jpeg)

I set out to ride north of Winnipeg, then west just beneath Lake Manitoba and pick up the 16 towards Edmonton.  That worked for the first part of the day, but I found myself dodging heavy rain again.  When I got to Winnipeg, the smart choice was to avoid storms coming in from the north west, so I headed to Brandon instead.  My day's ride looked like this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_21_10_13_8_21_28.jpeg)

Nothing too exciting and I managed to not get too wet.  :good2: I found a hotel in Brandon and settled in for the night.  I'll take a look at my options tomorrow for a possible run to Edmonton.

Cap'n Ron. . .

Forth Leg, Day 19: Brandon, Manitoba to Regina, SK (468 km/290 miles)

I woke up in Brandon, Manitoba determined to eventually get to Edmonton.  I rode due north to the 16 and I was on my way.  I knew I'd run into some weather, but hey, I've been wet before.  I worked my way as far along the 16 as Yorkton and I couldn't take it any longer.  I was battling 40 knot winds and VERY heavy rain.  :shok: It was a challenge just to keep the bike upright as the winds were doing their best to knock me over!!  Okay, I know when to stop being stubborn and just give up.  I looked at the radar and it seemed like I could snake my way through this weather if I headed south west.  My day's ride looked like this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_21_10_13_9_31_00.jpeg)

As I rode, the weather kept pushing me farther south and, by the end of the day, I ended up deep in Regina!

Josh Gardner live on the Adam Carolla Show "I Love Regina" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmzFMqstga4#ws)

Yep...I love Regina!

When I pulled into the city, It started to freakin POUR!!!  I pulled under the protection of a very nice hotel's reception area to get out of the rain.  I was almost a broken man.  There is no way I wanted to ride out in that again...It was dark, I was soaked to the bone...shivering cold...and was longing for the sunshine of home.

I pulled up the nearby hotels in my navigation app and made some phone calls.  "Yes, I'm checking on a room rate and availability for this evening?"  "We're booked solid."  Okay...that's weird.  Next hotel?  Same answer.  And the next...and the next.  Well, I'm actually AT a hotel, but I can't even imagine how much this place must cost!!  I went inside, dripping all over their nice marble flooring.  "What are the chances you have a room available?"  "We're booked...and so is everyone else in town...Don't you know that this is the weekend of the Western Canadian Farm Progress Show?  We've been booked for a year!"  She said it with such conviction and a ferve in her voice...as if she was saying, "Don't you know that CHRIST himself is in town??!!"   :shok:

Ug.  I gave her a look that must have said, "Please don't make me go back out in the rain!"  :flag_of_truce: She told me to grab a seat in the lobby and she'd make some phone calls.  The assistant manager got me a glass of red wine, some hot hors d'œuvres and a towel.  The manager came back after about 15 minutes and said she found a room for me!!  It was in THAT hotel and they saved it for special circumstances.  OH, YES!  :yahoo: Wait, how much is this going to cost???  She said she'd work out the lowest corporate rate for me and it was right at $100.  Sold!  This place was normally around $180/night!  Having contemplated pitching my tent in a muddy field somewhere, this is what I ended up with:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_21_10_13_9_52_13.jpeg)

I almost felt guilty sleeping in that bed!  The hotel also had a laundry room and I did a full wash of all my clothes...Perfect!  Now I have even MORE reason to love Regina!  :biggrin:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Ron,
Looks like an awesome trip!  I grew up south of Brandon and now live west of Calgary near Bragg Creek....going to be interested in seeing how close you came to riding by my place!

Jeff

We shoulda just invaded Canada and annexed it.
Would only have taken a couple days, eh?

Quote from: Bminder on October 22, 2013, 10:29:48 AM
We shoulda just invaded Canada and annexed it.
Would only have taken a couple days, eh?

Hollywood already did that.

http://www.imdb.com/rg/em_share/title_web/title/tt0109370 (http://www.imdb.com/rg/em_share/title_web/title/tt0109370)

Quote from: Bminder on October 22, 2013, 10:29:48 AM
We shoulda just invaded Canada and annexed it.
Would only have taken a couple days, eh?

Uh....actually you tried...and were humiliated.  (and yes I have the hook in my  mouth...pull harder!) 
http://www.lutins.org/1812.html (http://www.lutins.org/1812.html)

Jeff

Quote from: FJmonkey on October 22, 2013, 10:48:41 AM

Quote from: Bminder on October 22, 2013, 10:29:48 AM
We shoulda just invaded Canada and annexed it.
Would only have taken a couple days, eh?

Hollywood already did that.

http://www.imdb.com/rg/em_share/title_web/title/tt0109370 (http://www.imdb.com/rg/em_share/title_web/title/tt0109370)

I loved that movie.
John Candy, RIP.

Quote from: FJmonkey on October 22, 2013, 10:48:41 AM

Quote from: Bminder on October 22, 2013, 10:29:48 AM
We shoulda just invaded Canada and annexed it.
Would only have taken a couple days, eh?

Hollywood already did that.

http://www.imdb.com/rg/em_share/title_web/title/tt0109370 (http://www.imdb.com/rg/em_share/title_web/title/tt0109370)

UH.....I think it was the other way around...... :blum1:

Happy Canada Day, Los Angeles! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKOfB9dfE-U#ws)

Quote from: Bminder on October 22, 2013, 01:33:12 PM

Quote from: FJmonkey on October 22, 2013, 10:48:41 AM

Quote from: Bminder on October 22, 2013, 10:29:48 AM
We shoulda just invaded Canada and annexed it.
Would only have taken a couple days, eh?

Hollywood already did that.

http://www.imdb.com/rg/em_share/title_web/title/tt0109370 (http://www.imdb.com/rg/em_share/title_web/title/tt0109370)

I loved that movie.
John Candy, RIP.

I miss the CanDman  too.....was one of the funniest men this country ever produced......




Uncle Buck (8/10) Movie CLIP - Moley Russel's Wart (1989) HD (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEt5dEOcW0I#ws)

Quote from: jscgdunn on October 22, 2013, 11:39:19 AM
Uh....actually you tried...and were humiliated.  (and yes I have the hook in my  mouth...pull harder!)  
http://www.lutins.org/1812.html (http://www.lutins.org/1812.html)

Jeff

Yes, yes, you marched, unopposed, to the White House and Capitol building burned them down...  (but we did get Florida...)

4 words for ya buddy:

Try that shit again....

:)

I'm pretty sure my dad can beat up your dad!   :biggrin:

Sure do miss John Candy!  RIP

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: Dan Filetti on October 22, 2013, 03:45:31 PM

Quote from: jscgdunn on October 22, 2013, 11:39:19 AM
Uh....actually you tried...and were humiliated.  (and yes I have the hook in my  mouth...pull harder!)  
http://www.lutins.org/1812.html (http://www.lutins.org/1812.html)

Jeff

Yes, yes, you marched, unopposed, to the White House and Capitol building burned them down...  (but we did get Florida...)

4 words for ya buddy:

Try that shit again....

:)

Since we are peace loving people, we now only kick your ass where it really matters, in hockey at Olympics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_hockey_at_the_Olympic_Games (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_hockey_at_the_Olympic_Games)

Please note the medal count.  Especially sweet was 2002 Salt Lake and more recently 2010 Vancouver.

You keep coming, we'll keep schooling.

:yahoo: :yahoo:

Quote from: jscgdunn on October 22, 2013, 04:03:17 PM

Quote from: Dan Filetti on October 22, 2013, 03:45:31 PM

Quote from: jscgdunn on October 22, 2013, 11:39:19 AM
Uh....actually you tried...and were humiliated.  (and yes I have the hook in my  mouth...pull harder!)  
http://www.lutins.org/1812.html (http://www.lutins.org/1812.html)

Jeff

Yes, yes, you marched, unopposed, to the White House and Capitol building burned them down...  (but we did get Florida...)

4 words for ya buddy:

Try that shit again....

:)

Since we are peace loving people, we now only kick your ass where it really matters, in hockey at Olympics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_hockey_at_the_Olympic_Games (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_hockey_at_the_Olympic_Games)

Please note the medal count.  Especially sweet was 2002 Salt Lake and more recently 2010 Vancouver.

You keep coming, we'll keep schooling.

:yahoo: :yahoo:

NOW.....BACK TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAM

Quote from: jscgdunn on October 22, 2013, 09:37:53 AM
Ron,
Looks like an awesome trip!  I grew up south of Brandon and now live west of Calgary near Bragg Creek....going to be interested in seeing how close you came to riding by my place!

Jeff

Thanks Jeff!

Working on the ride report now that will take me into my seventh Canadian province...Alberta!   :yahoo:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: CanDman on October 22, 2013, 04:05:15 PM


Since we are peace loving people, we now only kick your ass where it really matters, in hockey at Olympics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_hockey_at_the_Olympic_Games (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_hockey_at_the_Olympic_Games)


You keep coming, we'll keep schooling.

Hockey?  Hockey??!!  That's the measure of your metal?  A bunch of toothless, frustrated ice-dancer, thugs with a combined IQ of 18?? 

You look at the medal count and feel proud, OK, but take a step back.  Look at the TOTAL medal counts for all Olympics to date:

Canada:      423
US:            2653

The US has the most gold silver and bronze medals of ANY country in all of the Olympics, across a wide spectrum of events, winter and summer.  At the aggregate, the US ROCKS the Olympics.  Whereas, Canada sort of, well, 'pebbles' them -Hockey and curling notwithstanding. Oh, and it look like the US bested Canada in hockey in 1960, and again in 1980.    :yahoo:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All-time_Olympic_Games_medal_table (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All-time_Olympic_Games_medal_table)

All that trash talking said, as neighbors go, you folks are all right. Certainly better than Mexico and Russia :)

Dan     

...our regularly scheduled program...   :biggrin:

Forth Leg, Day 20: Regina, SK to Lethbridge, AB (627 km/390 miles)

I got in some good miles today...nearly 400...and in this wet weather, that's doing pretty good!  Since the heavy weather yesterday pushed me farther south than I wanted, looks like Edmonton is no longer an option.  I've heard great things about Calgary, so that's my goal for today!

Well, that *was* the goal anyway.  Rode through Moose Jaw, then onto Swift Current and the rain started up again!  It was hanging in there just to the north of me with really strong winds to go along with a good soaking!  By the time I got to Medicine Hat, I needed to make a decision regarding my route.  This is what it ended up looking like:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_22_10_13_3_18_03.jpeg)

Yep, I made the call to just keep heading west...This would mean I'd have to visit Calgary on some other trip, but I might stay dry.

I stopped at a gas station in Medicine Hat to get a little fuel, but mostly to get a brief respite from the rain.  I was taking my time under the roof at the pump.  As I was fiddling around, two older guys rode up...one on a Harley and the other on a Can-AM trike.  I was thinking...The Harley definitely wouldn't be my choice of touring bikes and WHO the heck picks a freakin' trike for touring???  What do I know?  They got off their rides and came over to ask where I was coming from and what I knew about the weather.  I showed them the radar on my phone app and exchanged some fun riding stories.  Then I just had to ask... "How is it touring on that Can-AM Spyder?...Do you like it better than a motorcycle?"  He then rapped his leg with his knuckle and said, "I lost this leg in Vietnam and really don't have much of a choice."  OHHHHH...I never thought of that!  I first felt like an ass for passing judgement without getting to know the guy...Then I was thrilled that he had a solution to get out and ride!  :good2:

Turns out they had started in San Diego, rode to Key West, then up to Maine and were on their way to Washington...Yep...They were on the last leg (poor choice of words there...sorry) of the four-corners ride.  Wow.  Respect.  :hi:

I also spoke with a girl who worked there and she suggested taking highway 3 over the Canadian Rockies.  These last few days have been a little rough with the weather and lack of variety in the scenery...I'm well looking forward to getting up into the mountains!  I set my sights on Lethbridge for the night and it was a dry run to another hotel.  I learned a few things today, but you always do when you get to know people.

Cap'n Ron. . .

I also spoke with a girl who worked there and she suggested taking highway 3 over the Canadian Rockies.  These last few days have been a little rough with the weather and lack of variety in the scenery...I'm well looking forward to getting up into the mountains!  Cap'n Ron. . .
[/quote]

Yes now you might actually get to lean the ol fj over!

Quote from: jscgdunn on October 22, 2013, 05:03:02 PM

I also spoke with a girl who worked there and she suggested taking highway 3 over the Canadian Rockies.  These last few days have been a little rough with the weather and lack of variety in the scenery...I'm well looking forward to getting up into the mountains!  Cap'n Ron. . .

Yes now you might actually get to lean the ol fj over!
[/quote]

I actually started weaving in my own lane over the past couple of days to break the monotony!   :morning1:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: Dan Filetti on October 22, 2013, 04:42:06 PM

Quote from: CanDman on October 22, 2013, 04:05:15 PM


Since we are peace loving people, we now only kick your ass where it really matters, in hockey at Olympics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_hockey_at_the_Olympic_Games (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_hockey_at_the_Olympic_Games)


You keep coming, we'll keep schooling.

Hockey?  Hockey??!!  That's the measure of your metal?  A bunch of toothless, frustrated ice-dancer, thugs with a combined IQ of 18??  

You look at the medal count and feel proud, OK, but take a step back.  Look at the TOTAL medal counts for all Olympics to date:

Canada:      4231
US:            2653

The US has the most gold silver and bronze medals of ANY country in all of the Olympics, across a wide spectrum of events, winter and summer.  At the aggregate, the US ROCKS the Olympics.  Whereas, Canada sort of, well, 'pebbles' them -Hockey and curling notwithstanding. Oh, and it look like the US bested Canada in hockey in 1960, and again in 1980.    :yahoo:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All-time_Olympic_Games_medal_table (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All-time_Olympic_Games_medal_table)

All that trash talking said, as neighbors go, you folks are all right. Certainly better than Mexico and Russia :)

Dan    

OK .....ok.....you guys are way better than us .......but thank you for the compliment......I hope you will have the same pleasure to come here that The Captain had when he flew through Town....I am only sorry that I did not have the pleasure of his company when he did.... :cray:.
  I am itching to visit Pennsylvania.......according to Zwarty...the best roads in Ontario are over there in Pennsylvania.......I have a younger brother who drove through that beautiful state many times and confirmed Ben's observations....one of these days....who knows :pardon:...it might be in May...when The Leafs beat the shit out of the Penguins in the conference finals... :mocking: (I am assuming your not a Flyers fan !!!! :sarcastic:)

CanDman
PS.......thx for the history lesson... I almost forgot how much you folks love fighting..... :mocking:

Well, hockey really is the only sport that matters and of course we would rather play the USA than anyone.  We love to get one up on our big brother once in a while...1812 and 2002/2010 for sure. 

We are the best neighbors in the world and we in the great white north hope the US can continue to be the rock for the world to anchor on.   :good:

Jeff

Quote from: jscgdunn on October 22, 2013, 05:17:52 PM
Well, hockey really is the only sport that matters and of course we would rather play the USA than anyone.  We love to get one up on our big brother once in a while...1812 and 2002/2010 for sure. 

We are the best neighbors in the world and we in the great white north hope the US can continue to be the rock for the world to anchor on.   :good:

Jeff

Nice sentiment to end the great "who's better" debate Jeff!   :good2:

On the rare occasion when the sun did come out, I used my dash mounted iPhone to take some selfy videos.  Wow, was I bored with all the slab work!   :morning1:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_22_10_13_4_13_27.jpeg)

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: Capn Ron on October 22, 2013, 04:57:16 PM
Then I just had to ask... "How is it touring on that Can-AM Spyder?...Do you like it better than a motorcycle?"  He then rapped his leg with his knuckle and said, "I lost this leg in Vietnam and really don't have much of a choice."  OHHHHH...I never thought of that!  I first felt like an ass for passing judgement without getting to know the guy...Then I was thrilled that he had a solution to get out and ride!  :good2:

Turns out they had started in San Diego, rode to Key West, then up to Maine and were on their way to Washington...Yep...They were on the last leg (poor choice of words there...sorry) of the four-corners ride.  
Cap'n Ron. . .

I dated a girl with a wooden leg once.
Her name was Eileen... or maybe it was Peg... I can't remember.
Anyhow after awhile I broke it off.
She tried to take me to court over it but she didn't have a leg to stand on.
:sarcastic:

Have not seen where you mentioned it, but you must have been travelling in July....we had one of the wettest summers in a long while. If you had pics of the prairie it would have been pretty green.  Usually brown by end of July.

Jeff

I dated a girl with a wooden leg once.
Her name was Eileen... or maybe it was Peg... I can't remember.
Anyhow after awhile I broke it off.
She tried to take me to court over it but she didn't have a leg to stand on.
:sarcastic:
[/quote]


.....just curious....what did you use to break it off with......an axe.....a chain saw....or a wood splitter??   :biggrin:

Quote from: jscgdunn on October 22, 2013, 05:27:45 PM
Have not seen where you mentioned it, but you must have been travelling in July....we had one of the wettest summers in a long while. If you had pics of the prairie it would have been pretty green.  Usually brown by end of July.

Jeff

I crossed the border into Canada around the 1st of June (2012) and rode a total of 22 days before crossing back into the states. 

Cap'n Ron . .

Cap'n Ron, you're not the first to do the esses down the straight roads to break the boredom. Do it up here in the NW of WA all the time. The only corners don't even start to get interesting til about 220kph  :good2:
Keep up the great story, absolutely loving it. You have an amazing way with words :drinks:

Cheers, Dazza

Quote from: Capn Ron on October 22, 2013, 07:46:05 PM

Quote from: jscgdunn on October 22, 2013, 05:27:45 PM
Have not seen where you mentioned it, but you must have been travelling in July....we had one of the wettest summers in a long while. If you had pics of the prairie it would have been pretty green.  Usually brown by end of July.

Jeff

I crossed the border into Canada around the 1st of June (2012) and rode a total of 22 days before crossing back into the states. 

Cap'n Ron . .

Yes definitely the rainy season here in Alberta.  In fact the costliest natural disaster ever to occur in Canada (the Alberta floods) was the third week of June.  Being on highway three was just south of the big wet, but it was still wet!

Jeff

So when is the best time to tour Canada?

Quote from: giantkiller on October 23, 2013, 07:06:52 PM
So when is the best time to tour Canada?

Same time as Nebraska... at night.  :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Quote from: giantkiller on October 23, 2013, 07:06:52 PM
So when is the best time to tour Canada?

That's a great question!  I'm sure there's a good weather window in the summer when it's less likely to rain.

What about it Jeff?  Late July/August maybe?

I'd tour Canada again if given just the slightest excuse (I'm getting low on Molson?)...it'd be great to know the best month!

Cap'n Ron. . .

Forth Leg, Day 21: Lethbridge, AB to Castlegar, BC (534 km/332 miles)

Today would be the day I finally ride into the Canadian Rockies!!!  After a few days of riding through the plains of Canada, this will be a welcome change!  I think this map shows it well as I go from a straight line to the much sought after squiggly lines!!!   :yahoo:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_23_10_13_9_46_51.jpeg)

After I woke up this morning, I started riding west with a clear plan of the next couple of days in Canada.  I'd make my way over the Rockies and onto Vancouver island.  The suggestion to take highway 3 I got back in Medicine Hat was a great one!  As I started gaining altitude and leaving the plains behind, the scenery changed and the roads were garnering my attention!

I was no longer just trying to log the miles, I was wanting to soak it all in.  The mountains, the trees, the twisty roads...  I was riding along well into the mountains and something caught my eye.  I hit the brakes and did a u-turn to get a closer look.  I haven't seen much that was picture-worthy for the last few days, but this was different... I parked, took off my helmet and broke out the big camera.  Up on the hill alongside the road right across from me was this critter:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_23_10_13_9_58_12_0.jpeg)

Whoa!  This was a black bear no more than 50 feet away!  I was just thrilled to be that close to such a powerful creature...I stayed there for about ten minutes before another car came along to see what I was taking pictures of.  It continued to sniff around and I assumed look for something to have for lunch.  Mr. Bear lost interest in that wild flower and started to look around and move down the hill closer to me and the woman that had pulled over in the car.  I was thrilled...I would be able to get even better pictures!!  The bear made a move and the woman in the car locked her doors and rolled up her windows.  I thought that was funny because a bear probably couldn't operate a car door handle anyway...DUH!!  Then it hit me...I'm sitting here on a motorcycle!!!  :shok:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_23_10_13_9_58_12_1.jpeg)

I quickly packed up my camera, put on my helmet and proceded down the road!!!  Definitely a good stop, but I didn't want to become lunch.

I kept riding along and stopped at a Subway for my usual 6" BMT on wheat.  While I was there, a trucker came in and sat at the booth next to mine.  He told me he came in from the west and I was happy to be able to ask someone what the road conditions were like where I was headed.  I asked what altitude the passes were...  He said, "Ohhh, the pass about an hour your way is around fifteen."  "Ohhh...thanks!"  My head started to process this...In Colorado, I've done 12,000 foot passes and they were almost always snowed in, but 15???  In California, we have a few mountain peaks over 14,000 feet but 15???  That's just crazy...I should have planned this out better!  I nervously got on the road and continued west bracing for the worst.  I went up and over the pass he was talking about and I had this face-palm moment...it was 15 hundred METERS.  Or about 5,000 feet!  :blush:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_23_10_13_9_58_13_2.jpeg)

I wanted to go back in time to slap my eighth grade teacher who told us the U.S. was converting to the metric system...or the people who made sure we never did.  There must be someone responsible for this!  It also really sunk in with all the snow at just 5,000 feet that I was at a higher latitude than I had ever been...very cool!  I enjoyed being up on the snowy pass and loved being in the mountains!!!  

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_23_10_13_9_58_13_3.jpeg)

I met a guy on a blue FJR1300 while I was there taking pictures...I checked out his bike and had fuel injection and heated grip-envy!

I knocked out almost 350 wonderful miles today and got a place in Castlegar, BC for the night.  In less than three-week's time, I am now in my eighth Canadian province.  Before this trip I was only able to name two.  More mountainous terrain tomorrow...I'm loving this!!!

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: Capn Ron on October 23, 2013, 07:44:26 PM

Quote from: giantkiller on October 23, 2013, 07:06:52 PM
So when is the best time to tour Canada?

That's a great question!  I'm sure there's a good weather window in the summer when it's less likely to rain.

What about it Jeff?  Late July/August maybe?

I'd tour Canada again if given just the slightest excuse (I'm getting low on Molson?)...it'd be great to know the best month!

Cap'n Ron. . .

IMO, for the "Prairie Provinces" (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta) it is typically less wet after July 15.  Out on a limb a bit here for British Columbia it is quite variable depending on where you get to, so I would let the BC boys chime in.  My favorite is September after most of the tourists and traffic dies down.  As Ron will attest, it is a big place with a lot of straight roads until you get into BC. 

Jeff

This year we had a pretty good summer. I started riding at the end of April and my ins. runs out on the 25th. of October. The weather can be a funny thing here,o week will be great and then you get a hiccup and a couple of days of rain. I was so damn busy this year that I didn't get to many miles on the FJ. So, you can cunt ont on good to bad weather in the summer months. I find that August is generally the best month. Big R

Forth Leg, Day 22: Castlegar, BC to Hope, BC (469 km/291 miles)

I did just under 300 miles today through more twisty mountain roads!  Got hit with some brutal rain off and on...accompanied with the kind of side wind that has you leaning the bike over 20 or so degrees.  As much as I'm enjoying Canada, I'm looking forward to being back in fair weather.  My ride today looked like this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_24_10_13_7_23_57.jpeg)

I ended up in the town of Hope...Seemed appropriate!  :good2:

I got a motel that catered to mostly workers staying in the area.  The owner was very nice...I told her about my trip and that I was heading to Vancouver Island in the morning.  She goes there quite a bit to visit relatives and gave me a ferry schedule to help plan my day.  Each room had a BBQ grill right outside the door and if it weren't still raining, I would have taken advantage of that!  I looked up a pub/grill within walking distance and headed over.  I sat at the bar and had a great plate of fish and potatoes with a glass of wine.  People were coming in and introducing themselves...they must not have seen a new face in a while.  A few of us shot some pool, had some laughs and chatted about life.  It was very nice.  Seems you can round up new friends pretty quickly in a small Canadian town!   :hi:

I had just ordered another glass of wine and as the bartender was setting it on the bar, there was a bright flash of lightening and booming thunder!  The power went out!  It was really coming down out there and that seemed to bring people together.  We all stayed there for about another hour using candles for light.  It was a great night and since the registers were down, everything was on the house!   :drinks:

The rain subsided, I said my goodbyes and walked back to the hotel.  I felt so welcome I wanted to stay another day.  Maybe if it was sunny.  Tomorrow I head for Vancouver Island!

Cap'n Ron. . .

From what you described The town of Hope sounds like Cicily on that TV show Northern Exposure.

Quote from: Bminder on October 25, 2013, 08:39:52 AM
From what you described The town of Hope sounds like Cicily on that TV show Northern Exposure.

I love those small towns. Northern Exposure was filmed (exterior shots) in Roslyn Washington. Northern Exposure: Short walking tour of Roslyn Washington (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgFhfmCBIwI#). Located that one also on a motorcycle ride one find afternoon while looking for a slice of apple pie and coffee. Always a sucker for good apple pie.....
George

Quote from: Bminder on October 25, 2013, 08:39:52 AM
From what you described The town of Hope sounds like Cicily on that TV show Northern Exposure.

If you can remember back as far as 1982, First Blood (Rambo) was filmed in Hope.

Wow, Cap'n Ron, I am really enjoying reading about your trip.  I am very jealous but am living vicariously through you!

Thanks for investing the time. It has been very much appreciated,

Dean

Quote from: movenon on October 25, 2013, 10:17:28 AM

Quote from: Bminder on October 25, 2013, 08:39:52 AM
From what you described The town of Hope sounds like Cicily on that TV show Northern Exposure.

Located that one also on a motorcycle ride one find afternoon while looking for a slice of apple pie and coffee. Always a sucker for good apple pie.....
George

Just love the small towns!  There's a town east of San Diego that's famous for their Apple Pie.  It's called Julian and is up in the mountains...just a perfect destination drive in the Roadster or ride on the FJ...Can take in Palomar Mountain on the way there or back.  At the end of the day, though...it was all about the apple pie!   :good2:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Forth Leg, Day 23: Hope, BC to Port Angeles, WA (585 km/364 miles)

I have been riding across Canada for 23 days now...seeing some amazing places, meeting some of the nicest, friendliest people anywhere...taking in the miles and the experiences has been nothing short of wonderful.  Thank you Canada!!!   :yes:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_26_10_13_1_05_13.jpeg)

Today will be the day I finally reach Vancouver Island!  I would have liked to spend some time getting to know the city of Vancouver, but I had a ferry to catch!  I got to the ferry terminal well before my departure time, but it was packed!!  I queued up and the first ferry was full.  While I was waiting for the next ferry, I got some food...played Frisbee with some other folks waiting...and met two policemen who were also motorcycle riders that lived on the island.  They told me a lot about the terrain and some good rides.  We commiserated about riding in all the rain and parted ways once we got across the Strait of Georgia.

We docked in Nanaimo and my only task was to not hold anyone else up on this busy ferry route.  I got the bike ready well ahead of landing and rode up the street and hung a right.  I pulled off at a gas station to get a grasp of my day and where I might like to ride.  Being an island, I would normally like to ride its entire coastline.  Unfortunately, Vancouver Island doesn't really work that way...There is a main artery going up the east coast and then spurs that go over to the west coast.  Any exploring on my part would be an out-and-back affair.  As much as I wanted to ride out to the west, the weather was coming in again...  This ended up being my ride for the day:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_25_10_13_11_04_37.jpeg)

I worked my way along some very picturesque coastal roads all the way up to Courtenay and was considering a run over to Gold River.  Then the rain started.  Okay...I give up.  I hated the thought of leaving the country with the conclusion that Canada=Rain, but maybe I can catch the last ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles, Washington.  I pulled a u-turn and headed south with a purpose.  I rode around Victoria looking for the ferry terminal and got there as they were closing the gate!!!  Being on a motorcycle, they let me through and I just made the last ferry out!  :good:

I secured the FJ in the bow the best I could...There were no deck cleats on this ship and just some rope and a wooden wedge to stuff under the bike to keep it stable.  I was a little nervous with this setup, but it did just fine.  Top tip:  If you're touring by motorcycle through Canada, you WILL end up on a ferry eventually...eight of them in my case...bring your own ratchet straps that you're comfortable with.  :yes:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_26_10_13_12_19_37_0.jpeg)

Feeling good about the bike below decks, I took a shot as we pulled out of Victoria:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_26_10_13_12_19_37_1.jpeg)

We started making good headway and I was sad to be leaving Canada:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_26_10_13_12_19_38_2.jpeg)

Up ahead of us was Port Angeles, Washington and the mountains in the background are part of Olympic National Park...just beautiful!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_26_10_13_12_19_38_3.jpeg)

The sun was setting as I was about to cross the international border and I talked a couple into taking the last picture of me in Canada!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_26_10_13_12_19_38_4.jpeg)

I can't say enough good things about my time in Canada...but I got a bit emotional returning to the United States...

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_26_10_13_12_19_38_5.jpeg)

We pulled into Port Angeles as it was getting dark...I found a hotel in town for the night.  It was an emotional day...nearly 400 miles...two countries...dodging weather...leaving behind all the friends I made in Canada.  You will be missed.   :hi:

I've never spent any time in Washington outside of the Seattle airport.  I'm really looking forward to tomorrow!

Cap'n Ron. . .

Ron....on behalf of all us Canadians I would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude for such a warm and affectionate display ...of not only your heart ........but the Beauty and Majesty this land holds in all of her children. I am humbled by such an amazing adventure and inspired by your courage and a desire to experience the essence of what the real Canada is all about. I am convinced beyond any measure of doubt, that your great nation was founded and forged by the spirit of adventure and the souls of the brave. I am personally honored to share this great continent with the best brothers and neighbors the world has ever know. God Belss America....God Bless Canada....... :drinks: 
Can(a)D(a)man         

Cheers my brother to the north...well said!   :drinks:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Fifth Leg, Day 1: Port Angeles, WA to Aberdeen, WA (208 miles)

So today is my first day back in the states after more than three weeks in Canada.  Things are immediately more familiar...the speed limits are in miles per hour, there is no thinking about exchange rates, my breakfast was under $6 and fuel is delivered in gallons instead of litres! (at about 25% less cost)...nice!

I want to go explore the state of Washington a bit...My first thought is to ride the coast along the Pacific Ocean.  Turns out that Canada doesn't have exclusive rights to rainy weather!  There are storms to the west, so I'm heading inland!  My ride today looked like this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_27_10_13_12_30_34.jpeg)

One of my favorite wineries is in Woodinville, WA...I looked up their address, plugged it into my CoPilot App and off I went!  Of course...between me and a fine glass of wine was another body of water that I had no choice but to cross by ferry!!!  This is becoming a habit!  I arrived at the Kingston to Edmonds ferry terminal just in time to see the ferry pull away, so I had a little time to kill.  I walked around the marina enjoying the sailboats and the peaceful harbor:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_27_10_13_12_55_48_0.jpeg)

Fast forward around forty minutes and I was loaded up on the ferry for my crossing (I promise...this is the LAST ferry on my trip!):

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_27_10_13_12_55_48_1.jpeg)

I found my way to the Chateau Ste Michelle winery and was looking forward to a flight of wine to taste!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_27_10_13_12_55_48_2.jpeg)

The grounds are amazing!  Built on an original 1912 Washington estate, the winery's roots date back to the repeal of prohibition.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_27_10_13_12_55_49_3.jpeg)

I quickly sorted out that there was a winery tour about to start, so I jumped in on that...There was a lot of history on Washington's founding winery, information on what grape varietals were grown in different parts of the state, an in-depth look at the process of bottling and a little background on barrels and their influence on the final product:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_27_10_13_12_55_49_4.jpeg)

At the end of the tour, we were given four wines along with a beginner's lesson on what to look for while tasting.  I thought this was very well done as most people feel intimidated on their first visit to a winery.  Don't be shy...belly up...and find something that suits your palate!  I moved on to a full flight of wines and found a few I enjoyed.  The girl pouring my wine keyed into my "daily-drinker" preference for a buttery-oakey Chardonnay (I'm drinking one as I write this! :biggrin:).  She let me know that they were clearing out 2008 Ethos Chardonnay by the case to make room for the 2011 vintage.  I bought two cases and had them shipped to the house.  As a side note after tasting these at the house, I should have purchased four cases!!!   :yes:

I also took time to pick through some of their other varietals:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_27_10_13_12_55_49_5.jpeg)

I bought a few bottles to stuff in the Givi cases for the coming days and got on my way.

The weather was clearing up, so I headed out to the coast.  I ended up in Aberdeen, WA for the night.  Today was a great day of riding...getting to experience a bit of Washington...tasting some amazing wines...and I'm just generally happy to be back on American soil!

The weather report looks great for tomorrow...I should be able to do a coast run!   :yahoo:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Fifth Leg, Day 2: Aberdeen, WA to McMinnville, OR (210 miles)

I woke up this morning in Aberdeen, WA...just 1,100 miles from home.  I could easily knock that out in three days without breaking a sweat and this adventure of a lifetime would quietly come to an end.  While talking to my girl, I found out she was flying out to Utah to visit family in seven days and she'd like me to go with her.  Hmmm...So, let see if I have this correct.  I could rush through the last leg of this trip to get home to Los Angeles...then get on a plane to fly to Utah?

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_28_10_13_12_01_36.jpeg)

Why don't I just spend some more time on the road and ride the motorcycle to meet her in Utah!!!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_28_10_13_12_05_43.jpeg)

So, that's the plan...I now have an entire week to go just 900 miles!!!  Since I now had days to burn, I called my sister in Boise, Idaho and planned a visit with her on the way to Utah...In the meantime, I have more of the coastline to explore!  My ride today looked like this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_27_10_13_10_31_05.jpeg)

I'm working my way down PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) in Oregon...

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_27_10_13_10_41_29_0.jpeg)

I'm definitely taking my time and taking in all the beauty that is the west coast of the U.S.:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_27_10_13_10_41_29_1.jpeg)

Just gorgeous!  The sun is shining, it's warm and it's a perfect day to be out riding the FJ!!!  I started thinking about something fun to see in Oregon...I know they are highly regarded for their Pinot Noir wines, so some more wine tasting is a possibility...hey, wait a minute...I got thinking that the Howard Hughes-built "Spruce Goose" got moved up here somewhere.  It used to be in Long Beach until around the time my FJ was built, but I missed it.  With a little research, I found that it's in an aeronautical museum in McMinnville, OR...so that's my plan for the day!  I put that town in my navigation app and continued south along the coast.  On my way, I pulled off for some cheese!   :yahoo:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_27_10_13_10_41_30_2.jpeg)

This is the Tillamook cheese plant in...you guessed it...Tillamook, OR.  If you look at that picture above, you'll see the front wheel of a Harley.  He pulled into the parking lot right behind me with his wife on the back.  As she was securing the bike, he saw my touring setup and probably my California license plate.  He said enthusiastically, "Hey there...I see you're a motorcycle touring guy too...we rode here all the way from Arizona...put almost twenty-four hundred miles on this trip so far...How about you??"  I looked at my odometer so I could be accurate and said, "Ummm...Just under fifteen thousand miles so far."  He said, "Oh...I didn't mean how many miles were on your bike, I meant how many miles on this trip you're on?"  I said, "Yeah...I'm nearing fifteen thousand miles this trip."  He just nodded, said, "Oh" with a confused look and walked away...I couldn't tell if he just couldn't process that number or he thought I didn't understand his question.  Either way, I was hungry for some cheese!  :good2:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_27_10_13_10_41_30_3.jpeg)

They had entire assembly lines cranking the stuff out and huge vats of cheddar in the making:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_27_10_13_10_41_30_4.jpeg)

These are those Costco-sized blocks of medium cheddar that I always keep on hand...Mmmm...this is making me hungry for a quesadilla!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_27_10_13_10_41_31_5.jpeg)

Having had my fill of good Tillamook cheese (they had a sampling room!!!), I got back on the road.  I followed the coastline south for a while and saw this very cool looking squiggly road due east to McMinnville.  I put it in my navigation app and it routed me WAY around this road.  I even dragged my route in the app to include this road and it tried to work another way around it.  Hmmm...I finally kept dragging my route line enough that it did the calculations and off I went.  The road was amazing!  Perfect pavement through rolling hills, horse farms, then forests, then alongside a river for quite a while...then...it turned to dirt...then to mud...then to loose gravel!  Now I know why the nav was trying to steer me away from it.  I kept plugging on...albeit slowly and eventually got to the other end and some pavement.  I clearly disagreed with the navigation app this time...it was the PERFECT route!

I got to McMinnville by around 5:00pm and the local winery tasting rooms were closing up.  One winery suggested a place in the old downtown section that was open until 8:00pm, so off I went!  I was there for a couple of hours tasting wine.  I knew that the Willamette Valley of Oregon is well known for their Pinot Noirs, and found a winner in this tasting room!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_27_10_13_10_41_31_6.jpeg)

Almost every wine was a Pinot!  When you taste just one varietal from several wine makers...and from several different vineyards, you really get to know that varietal.  If you're looking to get to know your Pinot Noirs, Willamette Valley is a darned good start!

I got a hotel room in town for the night and plan on getting to the aeronautical museum in the morning!  I only did 210 miles today, but I'm not in any sort of hurry...Besides, my day was filled with riding PCH along the coast of Oregon and tasting wine and cheese.  What more do you want out of a day?  :yes:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: Capn Ron on October 28, 2013, 12:39:55 AM--snip-- My day was filled with riding PCH along the coast of Oregon and tasting wine and cheese.  What more do you want out of a day?  :yes:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Bastard!  :good2:

Quote from: simi_ed on October 28, 2013, 01:05:03 AM

Quote from: Capn Ron on October 28, 2013, 12:39:55 AM--snip-- My day was filled with riding PCH along the coast of Oregon and tasting wine and cheese.  What more do you want out of a day?  :yes:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Bastard!  :good2:

+1   :good2:

Quote from: Capn Ron on October 28, 2013, 12:39:55 AM
Fifth Leg, Day 2: Aberdeen, WA to McMinnville, OR (210 miles)

.....

Having had my fill of good Tillamook cheese (they had a sampling room!!!), I got back on the road.  I followed the coastline south for a while and saw this very cool looking squiggly road due east to McMinnville.  I put it in my navigation app and it routed me WAY around this road.  I even dragged my route in the app to include this road and it tried to work another way around it.  Hmmm...I finally kept dragging my route line enough that it did the calculations and off I went.  The road was amazing!  Perfect pavement through rolling hills, horse farms, then forests, then alongside a river for quite a while...then...it turned to dirt...then to mud...then to loose gravel!  Now I know why the nav was trying to steer me away from it.  I kept plugging on...albeit slowly and eventually got to the other end and some pavement.  I clearly disagreed with the navigation app this time...it was the PERFECT route!

Sounds like somebody found Nestucca River Road.  :good2:

Just so that you know, there is a paved detour around the gravel section.  :empathy2:

You are somewhat in my backyard. If you need any tools or garage time, your welcome to stop by. My schedule is real flexible & I'm available most any time. 

I'm about 17 miles east of the 205 & I-84 interchange. My zip is 97060. Just send me a PM & I'll send you my contact info.

Sounds like you are having a great time!

~JM~

Quote from: FeralRdr on October 28, 2013, 09:23:11 AM
Sounds like somebody found Nestucca River Road.  :good2:

Yep!  That's the road!!!  I loved it...

Quote from: FeralRdr on October 28, 2013, 09:23:11 AM
Just so that you know, there is a paved detour around the gravel section.  :empathy2:

Ohhh so NOW you tell me!   :biggrin:  Actually, I enjoyed the challenge of the road.  Sometimes being forced to slow down makes you take a look around at things you would have surely missed.

Cap'n Ron. . .

Fifth Leg, Day 3: McMinnville, OR to Redmond, OR (156 miles)

My intention today is to get over to the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum here in McMinnville.  It was just a few miles from the hotel and I got an early start.  I spent WAY more time at the museum than I intended, but it was THAT good!  My day's ride ended up looking like this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_28_10_13_11_52_49.jpeg)

As a bit of background, I'm a bit of a plane nut.  I attended Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, FL where I was surrounded by planes and people who knew about everything there was to know about planes.  By this point in my life, I have been to more aeronautical museums than most sane people and was really just intending to see the "Spruce Goose" and get on to more riding.  There is plenty written about the amazing life of Howard Hughes and even a few movies on the man...What I wanted to see was his famous 800-ton H-4 Hercules flying boat...the "Spruce Goose."

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_29_10_13_12_00_25_0.jpeg)

These are shots of its one and only flight over Long Beach Harbor in 1947...just a few miles from where I have my sailboat.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_29_10_13_12_00_25_1.jpeg)

I pictured the museum as a large building and the H-4 with a few other planes to look at...boy was I wrong!!!  This museum was quite an eye-opener.  The property is huge...there were three enormous buildings and the sign actually said something to the effect of "Wings and waves waterpark."  Waterpark???   Huh?  So, I started walking around and saw this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_29_10_13_12_00_26_2.jpeg)

For the observant aeronautical buff, that's a Boeing 747 on the roof of a building!!!  If you take a closer look:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_29_10_13_12_00_26_3.jpeg)

They have turned it into a giant waterslide!  Whaaaat??  :shok:

I stayed mostly in the main building, where they had the most amazing and often rare planes on display.  A Ford Tri-motor:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_29_10_13_12_00_26_4.jpeg)

Restored to the same state that air passengers would have experienced it back in the late 1920's!!!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_29_10_13_12_00_26_5.jpeg)

They had plenty of polished war-birds:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_29_10_13_12_00_27_6.jpeg)

Modern aircraft like the F-15 and drones:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_29_10_13_12_00_27_7.jpeg)

A Lear Jet on static display:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_29_10_13_12_00_27_8.jpeg)

An extremely rare 1957 Hiller XROE-1 Rotorcycle (one of only 12 ever produced):

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_29_10_13_12_00_28_9.jpeg)

And a beautiful example of the much admired Douglas DC-3!!!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_29_10_13_12_14_59_0.jpeg)

What a great plane that is with a nearly 100-foot wingspan!!  Now, if you take a second look at that picture above, you might pick up that it is parked UNDER the wing of the "Spruce Goose"!!!  :shok: :shok: :shok: You almost can't get a grasp of how huge this plane is:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_29_10_13_12_15_00_1.jpeg)

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_29_10_13_12_15_00_2.jpeg)

I was able to manage a private tour of the flight deck:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_29_10_13_12_15_00_3.jpeg)

The shear number of controls and crew required to fly such a plane boggles the mind:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_29_10_13_12_15_00_4.jpeg)

This is the pilot's seat:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_29_10_13_12_15_01_5.jpeg)

Where Howard Hughes himself famously flew the plane for one mile about 70 feet above the water of Long Beach Harbor:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_29_10_13_12_15_01_6.jpeg)

I was honored to be able to put my hands on the same eight throttle controls and yoke as the great Mr. Hughes:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_29_10_13_12_15_01_7.jpeg)

I felt like I was a tiny part of aviation history.  :hi:

There was a third building that is an Aerospace museum...complete with lunar rovers, entire rockets, Russian launch vehicles and the like.  I spent nearly the entire day there and knew that I left so much more to see.  If you're even remotely interested in flight, the museum is a must see!

I got on the road and ended up in Redmond, OR for the night.  No other reason than it's on my way towards Boise, ID and it was getting dark.  What a great day!!!  :good2:

Cap'n Ron. . . 

Quote from: ~JM~ on October 28, 2013, 10:45:31 AM
You are somewhat in my backyard. If you need any tools or garage time, your welcome to stop by. My schedule is real flexible & I'm available most any time. 

I'm about 17 miles east of the 205 & I-84 interchange. My zip is 97060. Just send me a PM & I'll send you my contact info.

Sounds like you are having a great time!

~JM~

Mighty kind of you JM!!   :hi:

Next time I'm in the area, I might just take you up on that!

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: ~JM~ on October 28, 2013, 10:45:31 AM
You are somewhat in my backyard. If you need any tools or garage time, your welcome to stop by. My schedule is real flexible & I'm available most any time. 

I'm about 17 miles east of the 205 & I-84 interchange. My zip is 97060. Just send me a PM & I'll send you my contact info.

Sounds like you are having a great time!

~JM~

Back in the heyday of the old Yahoo Group, we had a directory of kind-hearted members who were willing to offer such help.   :yes:

Fifth Leg, Day 4: Redmond, OR to Boise, ID (350 miles)

Today, I'm on my way to Boise, Idaho to visit my sister.  Due to no other reasons than distance, timing, life's adventures and the fact that Boise isn't on the way to or from anywhere else I'd be going, I hadn't seen my sister in a long time.  It has been, as near as makes no difference, twenty years.  :shok:  Well, on this trip, I've taken multiple 300-mile detours just to see some waterfall or a recommended city...I had NO excuse to not get myself to Boise!  :good2:

This was my ride for today:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_30_10_13_2_38_47.jpeg)

I decided to ride up through Prineville as I once had a coworker who grew up there and had heard a lot about the town.  It was only thirty or so miles from Redmond, so off I went.  I'm sure Prineville has something to offer, but I was just passing through...a quick stop for fuel and I was off.  On a side note, Oregon is one of the states where customers aren't allowed (by law) to pump their own fuel.  I had a standoff or two with gas station attendants while in the state about filling my own motorcycle.  I always prevailed and pumped my own, but they would have to stand next to the pump and push the buttons, hand me the nozzle, select my fuel grade, take back the nozzle, re-hang the nozzle, etc.  This seems highly inefficient and other than that minor annoyance, I really enjoyed Oregon!  :yes:

Looking for an interesting route out of Prineville, I found this squiggly line:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_30_10_13_2_54_52_0.jpeg)

It was a 45-mile "shortcut" over to highway 20.  The first thirty miles were amazing!  Good pavement, rocky canyon walls and nice views of the Prineville Reservoir!  Then the pavement ended.  The road surface turned into dirt and very loose, 1-3 inch deep gravel in places.  That was a white knuckle ride for 15 miles all the way to the highway.  I just kept thinking, "Well, they must have paved it IN from the other side...how long can this last?"  I kept that in mind and kept going...Then by the halfway point, it was easier to keep going than to turn back.  I stopped to get my "Long Way 'Round" shot:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_30_10_13_2_54_52_2.jpeg)

As shakey as that ride was, it offered great views...even on the desert side:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_30_10_13_2_54_52_1.jpeg)

The rest of the ride had pretty much that same view and I rarely saw another car.  I checked into a hotel near the Boise airport and am planning on staying a few days.  I'm looking forward to visiting my sister and getting to know Boise, ID!

Cap'n Ron. . .

All right ! My neck of the woods. In Oregon if you take charge of the pump they will leave you alone. They don't like refueling bikes anyhow to many potential owner related problems  :good2:.  But they will hang around while you refuel and that's OK.

My my hats off to you Ron.  :hi: You traveled all across the U.S. and Canada on a older bike relying on your own abilities to navigate, problem solve, do your own repairs and servicing. That is no small feat. That tells me a lot about you and your character. Glad to know you.  :good2:

I hear on the news that there is an international wine shortage now ? More is being consumed than produced . Better stock up...... :rofl2: :rofl2:
George

Quote from: movenon on October 30, 2013, 05:16:49 PM
I hear on the news that there is an international wine shortage now ? More is being consumed than produced . Better stock up...... :rofl2: :rofl2:

Ron IS the reason for the wine shortage...  :shok:

Quote from: FJmonkey on October 30, 2013, 07:35:39 PM

Quote from: movenon on October 30, 2013, 05:16:49 PM
I hear on the news that there is an international wine shortage now ? More is being consumed than produced . Better stock up...... :rofl2: :rofl2:

Ron IS the reason for the wine shortage...  :shok:

I'm workin on it!!   :biggrin:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: FJmonkey on October 30, 2013, 07:35:39 PM

Quote from: movenon on October 30, 2013, 05:16:49 PM
I hear on the news that there is an international wine shortage now ? More is being consumed than produced . Better stock up...... :rofl2: :rofl2:

Ron IS the reason for the wine shortage...  :shok:

Oh, I will notify CNN and FOX so we can get the full story.  :rofl2: :rofl2: :drinks: Satellite trucks will probably be headed his way for an interview.... :lol:
George

[/quote]

Just love the small towns!  There's a town east of San Diego that's famous for their Apple Pie.  It's called Julian and is up in the mountains...just a perfect destination drive in the Roadster or ride on the FJ...Can take in Palomar Mountain on the way there or back.  At the end of the day, though...it was all about the apple pie!   :good2:

Cap'n Ron. . .
[/quote]

I have ridden to Julian, CA. It was in August and all along the I-15 area it was brown and ready to be fire kindling. Got into some curvy roads and ended up in the town of Julian with lush green grass and trees looking more like Ohio than California.

Fred

Quote from: aviationfred on October 31, 2013, 07:34:51 PM

Just love the small towns!  There's a town east of San Diego that's famous for their Apple Pie.  It's called Julian and is up in the mountains...just a perfect destination drive in the Roadster or ride on the FJ...Can take in Palomar Mountain on the way there or back.  At the end of the day, though...it was all about the apple pie!   :good2:

Cap'n Ron. . .
[/quote]

I have ridden to Julian, CA. It was in August and all along the I-15 area it was brown and ready to be fire kindling. Got into some curvy roads and ended up in the town of Julian with lush green grass and trees looking more like Ohio than California.

Fred
[/quote]

Great apple pie there  :good2: :good2: When in Yuma we try to make it over there a couple of times during the season.
George

Just love the small towns!  There's a town east of San Diego that's famous for their Apple Pie.  It's called Julian and is up in the mountains...just a perfect destination drive in the Roadster or ride on the FJ...Can take in Palomar Mountain on the way there or back.  At the end of the day, though...it was all about the apple pie!   :good2:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: movenon on October 31, 2013, 08:21:21 PM
Great apple pie there  :good2: :good2: When in Yuma we try to make it over there a couple of times during the season.
George

Quote from: aviationfred on October 31, 2013, 07:34:51 PM
I have ridden to Julian, CA. It was in August and all along the I-15 area it was brown and ready to be fire kindling. Got into some curvy roads and ended up in the town of Julian with lush green grass and trees looking more like Ohio than California.

Fred

At very different times, Fred in Kansas, George in Idaho and I in Los Angeles have all bonded over the apple Pie in Julian, CA...nice!  :good2:

Cap'n Ron. . .

R&R Boise, Day 1-3: Boise, ID (50 miles)

So, I spent a few days in Boise, Idaho...I had passed through the town around twenty years ago on a road trip with my old college roommate, but we didn't see much.  I was looking forward to seeing more of Boise and did I ever! :good2:

My sister was a great host, showing me around the different neighborhoods...taking in some of the history and some of the great food!  I never would have pegged Boise as a town where there was a fervent night life and great restaurants!  My sister does a lot for the community and is well known around town.  It was rare that we could walk somewhere without her being recognized and this allowed me to meet a LOT of interesting people!  One of her great friends was a 76 year old woman from the Basque Country.  I was fascinated to hear her speak of her childhood, the struggles back in Europe and what brought her and her family to the United States.  As it turns out, there is a very large Basque community in Boise and I got to enjoy the culture and the amazing food!

I did a little bit of riding while I was there...Mostly short trips up into the mountains to the north.  The Boise area is very pretty...certainly in the summer!  We took an afternoon to go visit the Old Idaho State Penitentiary...Originally built in 1872, it was a true relic from the old west!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_31_10_13_9_42_00_0.jpeg)


(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_31_10_13_9_42_00_1.jpeg)

There's a very ominous feeling when you're in an old prison:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_31_10_13_9_42_00_2.jpeg)

I dare say, I'm the only person EVER to smile when behind those bars!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_31_10_13_9_42_01_3.jpeg)

I was fascinated by all the old belt-driven machinery...this is the original laundry room:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_31_10_13_9_42_01_4.jpeg)

Cell #3...Looks rough, but a little nicer accommodations than that motel in McCormick, SC!!!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_31_10_13_9_42_01_5.jpeg)

There were a couple of riots at the prison in the early 1970's over living conditions and a fire that ultimately closed the prison down after 101 years.  They have done their best to keep the buildings structurally sound:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_31_10_13_9_42_01_6.jpeg)

It was a great place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there!

We went to a Basque restaurant that evening that was really just someone's house outside of town...we were treated like family!  Before we ordered, we were introduced to the owner...and the chef who would be preparing our food.  In the standard Basque tradition, we were served enough food for five very hungry people!!!  Not wanting to insult our hosts, we happily stuffed ourselves on salad, fresh soups and lamb shank.  We waddled out of there and walked around downtown Boise for a bit.  My sister was interested in learning a bit about wine, so we went to a nice tasting room in town.  They had suggested Hors D'Oeuvres pairings with select wines, but being as stuffed as we were, we just tasted the wine.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_31_10_13_9_42_02_7.jpeg)

The '09 Duckhorn Decoy Zinfandel from Napa Valley was SPEC-TACULAR!  Highly recommended if you like your reds big and bold!  We spent the evening chatting about life, our perspectives on things and how fortunate we both are to have great parents and a solid upbringing.  It was great catching up with my sister...She's done amazing things for the city of Boise and it's easy to see why she has so many friends.

The last three days seemed to have gone by in a matter of hours and I need to get heading to Utah...I took a quick look at the maps and it seems like there's a lot of slab work for me tomorrow.  I'm itching to get riding again and I'll do my best to make the miles interesting!!

Cap'n Ron. . .

Boise has repeatedly popped up in articles on "The Best Places To Retire". Of course those same type of articles can often ruin a town.

I have also been to Julian, Ca. & enjoyed some apple pie on several occasions. That & Palomar Mountain road were two of my favorite rides when I lived down that way in the 80's. That area is awesome for recreational opportunities & riding!

~JM~

Sixth Leg, Day 1: Boise, ID to Utah (360 miles)

As much as I enjoyed my time in Boise, I needed to be moving on to Utah.  Looking at the maps, there doesn't seem to be any option other than hitting the interstate...the very thing I've been avoiding on this entire trip.  About the only way to get from where I am to where I'm going is to run interstate 84...My day looked like this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_01_11_13_11_18_39.jpeg)

Nothing too exciting...a LOT of slab work to be sure, but I did try and take the lonesome desert roads south of I-84 whenever I could.  Even then, it was long stretches of open desert and straight roads that really start to get into your head.  You start looking forward to a left turn onto some other desert road fifty miles out...Hey, at least there's a stop sign and a chance to rest for a moment...reset your thinking...and continue on until your next turn an hour or two later.  I kept this up for most of the day...about six hours of riding and I made it to my destination.

I would be spending a week at my girlfriend's mom's farm up in the mountains east of Salt Lake City.  The moment you get there, your perspective is reset...In this case, it's all about the destination.  After a tedious day of riding...I was welcomed by the view of their horses in the pasture:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_01_11_13_11_35_15_0.jpeg)

My girl and her brother working the water turn to irrigate the farm:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_01_11_13_11_39_39.jpeg)

And the horses reaping the benefits of a job well done:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_01_11_13_11_35_15_1.jpeg)

Life really doesn't need to be any more complicated than that...I'm looking forward to my week of visiting...relaxing...helping out on the farm where I can...maybe going for a ride...and generally realigning my perspective on what's important.

Cap'n Ron. . .

Utah R&R: Evanston, WY loop (217 miles)

So, I'm here in Utah for a week and WOW is it relaxing!  I don't have to plan any routes, I don't have to figure out new sleeping arrangements every night and I'm generally in "follow mode" in regards to what's for dinner.   :good2:

First order of business, another oil change!  This will be my fifth one on this trip and I have a garage to do it in.  Much nicer than the parking lot behind the auto parts store in Texas!  I also had plenty of time to get the 10w-40 Mobil 1 synthetic motorcycle-specific oil that I prefer and a new filter to go along with it.  I also did a more thorough job of wiping down and lubing the chain since I had plenty of time to fiddle.

My girlfriend's brother in-law has a bike and was itching to go for a ride.  With me in town, he had the perfect excuse!  He led the ride and my girl came along with me.  We did a 217 mile loop up through the Uinta mountains and down through Evanston, Wyoming.  The mountains were gorgeous and we rode up over 10,000 feet:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_02_11_13_11_03_10.jpeg)

A very nice ride and I got to check off another state!!   :yes:

On the way back we saw a moose on trapper's loop:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_02_11_13_11_30_01_0.jpeg)

A freakin' moose!!!  :shok: I spent three weeks riding across the entire country of Canada and not a SINGLE moose sighting!  The first ride in Utah and sure enough...moose!

The next day, we went out to Promontory Summit, Utah...the place in Utah, where in 1869, the Union and Central Pacific Railroads joined rails completing the first transcontinental railroad!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_02_11_13_11_30_03_7.jpeg)

They had replicas of the original trains there on display:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_02_11_13_11_30_02_4.jpeg)


(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_02_11_13_11_30_02_5.jpeg)

It was pretty cool to be in the exact spot where the golden spike was driven to symbolize the completion of an amazing effort!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_02_11_13_11_30_03_6.jpeg)

On the way out there, we stopped by the ATK Missile Systems location:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_02_11_13_11_30_01_1.jpeg)

Inside the nozzle of a missile!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_02_11_13_11_30_01_2.jpeg)

It's pretty amazing what goes on out in the desert!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_02_11_13_11_30_02_3.jpeg)

That was a nice day out.  If you've never spent time in the desert, give it a try...there's beauty in just about everything...even in the complete silence of the desert.

On my last night in Utah, we stayed in a 100 year old cabin up in the mountains and had this view:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_02_11_13_11_30_03_8.jpeg)

It was beautiful!  We all sat around the campfire and grilled up some food.  I'll be getting back on the road tomorrow heading west.  I'll miss Utah...I always enjoy myself there.

Cap'n Ron. . .

Utah has some real spectacular scenery in the Eastern part of the state. Another good run is to down to Furita (Capitol Reef N.P.) , Hwy 12 to Bryce N.P. then on to Zion N.P.. And if you have time shot on into Las Vegas-Grand Caynon N.P.-Oak Creek AZ-Jerome-Prescott......... Maybe next year  :good2: Never gets old...
George

Quote from: Capn Ron on November 03, 2013, 01:11:48 AM


(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_02_11_13_11_30_01_0.jpeg)

A freakin' moose!!!  :shok: I spent three weeks riding across the entire country of Canada and not a SINGLE moose sighting!  The first ride in Utah and sure enough...moose!

Bill Bryson, a travel author whose writings I enjoy, in perhaps his most famous book "A Walk In The Woods", describes a moose as "a cow, drawn by a 3 year old". Always struck me as funny.  

Dan

Seventh Leg Day 1: Morgan, UT to Carson City, NV (600 miles)

I set off this morning riding down through East Canyon State Park...Just amazing scenery and beautiful winding roads!  Getting through the Salt Lake City area was much as expected...Lots of interstates, finding exits and traffic...  I was looking forward to getting west and into the solitude of the desert.  I rode just south of the lake on interstate 80 and although it was easy going, the temperatures were rising quickly!  By around noon, it was 106 degrees!!!  I was ROASTING!  I knew I wanted to get to Carson City at some point...maybe tomorrow...to then head up into Lake Tahoe.  As hot as it was, I did NOT want to roast for two days of riding and decided to do the 600 mile run in one day!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_03_11_13_11_28_58.jpeg)

It's interstate 80...Not a whole lot to report here.  Just a lot of VERY hot slab work for hours on end.  I would pretty much ride until the tank was low, fill up and ride again until the tank was low.  Repeat, repeat, repeat...  Today was ALL about the destination and I was missing those cold rainy days in Canada!!!

The slab work really bores me...I needed to do something to pass the time.  I started poking around with my dash-mounted iPhone...I pulled up the weather...checked my e-mail...looked at Facebook...sent a LAT/LON location to my girl to let her know where I was...and even took a selfy in the hot sun!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_03_11_13_11_40_24.jpeg)

Did I mention it was HOT???

As I got closer to Carson City, I dropped south and took highway 50...which is best known for being the "Loneliest Highway in America."  It was even more dull than the interstate.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_03_11_13_11_48_40.jpeg)

Towards the end of the day, I did take a short detour up to Virginia City...a proper old mining town in the Nevada Hills

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_03_11_13_11_52_16.jpeg)

I'd like to get back there one day and really spend some time!

By this point in the day, I was hot, a bit dehydrated and very tired of riding.  I was also noticing decreased brake performance...I only had about thirty miles to get to my hotel in Carson City, so I just took it easy.  When I got to the hotel, I did my typical routine of wiping the bike down, looking for anything out of the ordinary and lubing the chain.  While I was at it, I got a good look at the brake pads.  The fronts were PAPER thin!!!  The rear wasn't much better.  I had installed brand new pads when I left the house close to three months ago...I just never considered that I'd go through an entire set of brake pads on ONE trip!  I'll have to sort this out tomorrow...right now, I'm just happy to be in a nice cool air conditioned room for the night!

I'm looking forward to getting up into Lake Tahoe tomorrow!

Cap'n Ron. . .

Seventh Leg Day 2: Carson City, NV to Santa Rosa, CA (250 miles)

So, I woke up this morning knowing I only had a wisp of brake pad left on the front end and I was heading up into the Sierra Nevada Mountains!  :shok: I started the day by making a bunch of phone calls to motorcycle shops and Yamaha dealers.  No luck at all.  Certainly nothing in stock for the ol' girl and ordering something would take a couple of days.  Well, it looks like my ride will include a LOT of aggressive downshifting and looking FAR ahead!  With that in mind and a little brake pad left on the rear end, I set off.  This was my ride for the day:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_04_11_13_10_23_12.jpeg)

Climbing up the east side of the Sierra Nevadas was nice.  I was making gains in altitude and very welcome drops in temperature!  Once you get about fifteen miles up highway 50, you are rewarded with spectacular views of Lake Tahoe.  Seriously...I used to ski Tahoe years ago and forgot how beautiful it is up there!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_04_11_13_10_44_25.jpeg)

As I worked my way down the west side of the mountains and into Sacramento, the heat picked up again...nearly 100 and I again was missing the cool air and rain in Canada!  As soon as I could, I got off interstate 80 and rode north of Napa along route 128.  It was quite pleasant...with very few cars and some nice views.  I pulled off in the shade of some California Oak trees to check the navigation app and figure out where I'd end up for the night:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_04_11_13_10_47_07.jpeg)

Hey...those are some fine looking grape vines!!!  I made the mental note to plan a trip back to this area to taste what Napa and Sonoma have to offer!  In the meantime, I headed further west to Santa Rosa.  I knew there was a Yamaha dealer in town, so I went by there to see if they had any brake pads.  They had ONE set.  Basically, the two pads to do just ONE caliper in the front and they could order the other side.  I guess I'll just have to keep planning well ahead and downshifting a lot over the next few days.  I got a hotel in Santa Rosa for the night and cranked up the air conditioning!

The last two days have been a lot of dull riding in some pretty hot conditions...I'm planning on heading straight for the coast in the morning...that will make for some cool temperatures, fun roads and some great views!

Cap'n Ron. . .

I feel pretty certain that some website that sells brake pads (sixity, perhaps?) would have fed-ex as an option, if not just some ebay seller.

Looks beautiful indeed!

Seventh Leg Day 3: Santa Rosa, CA to Watsonville, CA (250 miles)

With just a few more days left on this adventure, I wanted to take in as much as I could today.  I checked my nav app to see if there were any wineries between the 101 and the ocean.  I made a rough plan for the day and set out.  My journey today looked like this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_06_11_13_3_48_55.jpeg)

I was thrilled to be heading west to the Pacific Coast Highway.  I have ridden every mile of it south of San Francisco, many times...but this section would all be new to me.  First order of business though was a stop at Martinelli Winery just north of Santa Rosa on River Road: 

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_06_11_13_4_21_17_0.jpeg)

I'm a big fan of zinfandel wines and Martinelli is well known for these.  I had a great tasting experience there and picked up an unfiltered chardonnay and a "Jackass Vinyard" zinfandel.  Those grapes were from truly "Old Vines" having been planted in the late 1800's...Very nice!  :good2:

I took River Road through the Russian River Valley all the way to the coast and was rewarded with great motorcycle roads and nice cool temperatures...about 40 degrees cooler than my ride yesterday!  The views of the ocean were nice even with a bit of fog:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_06_11_13_4_21_17_1.jpeg)

The next attraction I put into the nav app was the Point Reyes Lighthouse, so off I went.  On the way, I stopped off in a tiny town for some lunch.  I met a couple of other motorcycle riders there on 1960's BSAs...very cool!  I also met a couple that pulled up in a 1967 Datsun Roadster...I have a '67 1/2 Roadster, so I started up a chat about their car.  While he went into the store, I was talking with his wife.  She asked about my trip and I told her I had just crossed the U.S. and came back across the entire width of Canada.  She said, "WOW!!!  Have you ever thought about any international motorcycling?"  I paused for a second..."Um...Canada IS another country."   :yes:

I rode all the way out to the Point Reyes Lighthouse only to find it was closed on Wednesdays.  The ride was nice and the hike out to the point was pretty cool.  I just loved these trees!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_06_11_13_4_21_17_2.jpeg)

I'll definitely go back if I'm in the area!

I then rode to the Golden Gate Bridge...I parked the bike at the visitor's center and walked across the bridge.  This is from mid-way looking north towards Sausalito:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_06_11_13_4_21_18_3.jpeg)

I watched the sailboats for a while and the fog rolled in:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_06_11_13_4_21_18_4.jpeg)

I spent a little time just soaking it in and snapping a few pictures:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_06_11_13_4_21_18_5.jpeg)

That was very enjoyable and highly recommended!

I got back on the bike and headed south hugging the coast as much as possible.  As I was nearing Half Moon Bay, it was getting late, so I started calling hotels to check on rates.  "Oh, yes, we have two rooms left and they are $258 for tonight."  Whoa!  :shok: Next place was the same...and the next...and the next.  The least expensive I found was $150/night and it was booked solid.  WOW...I forgot that I'm in the San Francisco area...in the summer season.  I decided to just keep riding south to get farther away from the city...maybe that would help.  As far down as Santa Cruz and it wasn't much better.  I rode further to Watsonville and spotted a hotel with a lot of work trucks in the parking lot.  They usually get a hotel with a good rate if they're working in the area.  The girl at reception told me the rooms were $138/night and I felt defeated.  I think she picked up on this...she smiled and said, "You're in the military aren't you?"  It took me a second and I said, "As far as you know..."  :biggrin: She gave me a $105 rate and I thanked her as all the hotels were really adding up!  :hi:

I rode over to a place to pick up some Chinese food to have back at the hotel room with the chardonnay I picked up this morning.  A perfect end to a near perfect day!

Cap'n Ron. . .

Awesome adventure Ron  :hi:. Truly one of the motorcycle trips of a lifetime. I would like to ask what your camera did you use? As I am up for a new one before the next riding season.
George

Quote from: movenon on November 06, 2013, 07:07:09 PM
Awesome adventure Ron  :hi:. Truly one of the motorcycle trips of a lifetime. I would like to ask what your camera did you use? As I am up for a new one before the next riding season.
George

Hey George!

About half of the pictures I've posed here, I took using my iPhone 4S...mostly because it was always at hand and takes surprisingly decent shots!  The real shortcoming of the iPhone as a camera is in the fixed optics.  If I needed a wide shot (the Spruce Goose in McMinnville, OR), a close-up shot (Black bear in the Canadian Rockies)...or if I had a difficult light situation (sunset shots on Prince Edward Island), I broke out the "big" camera.

I call it the "big" camera, just because it's bigger than the iPhone...  In the past, I've carried both film and digital Canon SLR cameras and a slew of lenses and flash units (WAY overkill and prohibitively cumbersome).  I've also carried pocket sized point and shoot digital cameras (disappointed with the features/performance and resulting shots).  The camera I now carry is considered a "bridge" camera...somewhere between a point and shoot and a full SLR.  It's a Canon SX40 HS

(http://www.usa.canon.com/app/images/more_photos/large_image/camera/large_sx40_3q_black.jpg)

You can can just shoot it full auto or control every aspect of your shots like an SLR, but has a single lens that will zoom from 24mm wide angle to 840mm telephoto (film equivalent).  It's light, doesn't require constant lens changes and feels good in the hand.  Well worth the cost (around $400) and it makes the decision to throw it in your tank bag easy.  :good2:

The SX50 HS is out now and it has slightly better specs...(higher ISO and goes to 1200mm telephoto) and hovers around that $400 price point.

(http://www.usa.canon.com/app/images/cameras/powershot/PS_SX50HS/morephotos/large_sx50_3q.jpg)

Amazing little cameras!!!

Cap'n Ron. . .

Thanks Ron. I have a Pentax Digital SLR but it is bulkier than I like just to pack around. Nothing perfect :). Not to impressed with any of the point and shoot cameras that I have had. They pack well but that's about it.
I am going to hate to see your trip report end, maybe you can do it clockwise now and see it from a different angle  :rofl:..
George

Quote from: movenon on November 06, 2013, 11:30:50 PM
Thanks Ron. I have a Pentax Digital SLR but it is bulkier than I like just to pack around. Nothing perfect :). Not to impressed with any of the point and shoot cameras that I have had. They pack well but that's about it.
I am going to hate to see your trip report end, maybe you can do it clockwise now and see it from a different angle  :rofl:..
George

Yeah, I'm going to be sad to end the "couch touring" I've been doing during this ride report!  I've still got a few more entries to go with a few of my favorite pictures of the trip!

I just looked over some of the SX40 vs. SX50 specs and the SX40 has a faster lens (better light gathering), so I'm in no rush to upgrade to the SX50.  In fact, the SX40 HS is a real bargain now...New from B&H, no taxes, shipped for $314!!!   :good2:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=822123&is=REG&A=details&Q= (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=822123&is=REG&A=details&Q=)

Cap'n Ron. . .

That is a good price on the SX 40. That's about where I fit in. I generally find myself buying CPU's and the like at the financial "sweet spot". I like the spec's.
Over the years I have bought from B&H before always good prices and service.
Thanks for letting us digitally ride along with you. Its going to be a long winter..... Keep posting..  :good2: :good2:
George

Hey Ron...I didn't realize how beautiful SoCal was......sad to see this trip winding down.....when I head down there for my stop over in April....10 days won't days won't even scratch the surface..... :scratch_one-s_head:....that water in Lake Tahoe is incredible !!!!
Kev

Seventh Leg Day 4: Watsonville, CA to San Simeon, CA (125 miles)

Today was a short riding day for a couple of reasons...The roads and the views on Pacific Coast Highway in the Big Sur area are simply amazing!  No need to rush through here and today was all about taking it all in.  You are first greeted with this most welcome sign:  :yahoo:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_07_11_13_10_39_28.jpeg)

I wanted to camp in San Simeon just 125 miles south for a couple of nights so off I went on a nice liesurly ride!  This was my route for today:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_07_11_13_10_30_51.jpeg)

For anyone who has ridden the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton, I highly encourage you to give PCH a try.  For nearly seventy miles, you're committed to the coastal route and are frequently rewarded with views like this:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_07_11_13_10_33_42_0.jpeg)

I rode about another twenty miles and pulled over to get some shots of the amazing coastline:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_07_11_13_10_33_42_1.jpeg)

I was gazing out over the ocean watching the birds circle and snapping a few pictures:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_07_11_13_10_33_43_2.jpeg)

I suppose I was there around fifteen minutes or so and turned around to get on the bike when I saw this on the cliff right above me!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_07_11_13_10_33_43_3.jpeg)

For the very observant, that's a California Condor!!!  :yes: They are the largest of any North American bird and can have a wingspan of nearly TEN FEET!  :shok: This is one of only 237 known living in the wild.  It was a very rare sighting...I took as many pictures as I could:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_07_11_13_10_33_43_4.jpeg)

In the above picture, you can see the radio tag on its left wing.  It was happy to pose for some close-ups...

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_07_11_13_10_33_43_5.jpeg)

I rode further south and pulled over to check out the sea lions.  There's one cove where the beach has hundreds of them!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_07_11_13_11_01_20_0.jpeg)

A mom and her pup taking an afternoon nap:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_07_11_13_11_01_21_2.jpeg)

And this Jabba-the-hut lookin' creature!!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_07_11_13_11_01_20_1.jpeg)

I was only a few miles from the campground at San Simeon State Park and I had no problem getting a tent site on a Thursday night.  I set up my Redverz tent under the shade of a pine tree for the last time on this trip:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_07_11_13_10_33_44_6.jpeg)

I'm planning on doing some riding around in the hills in the area tomorrow and doing some wine tasting in Paso Robles (about 30 miles east).  I'm only 200 miles from home now and I don't want this trip to end...I figure a day of wine tasting will be a great way to wrap this all up.

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: movenon on November 07, 2013, 08:52:38 AM
Thanks for letting us digitally ride along with you. Its going to be a long winter..... Keep posting..  :good2: :good2:
George

Thanks for coming along for the "digital ride"...I sort of forget that most of the country puts their bikes up for the winter!  If'n yer after another good yarn, I've been thinking about posting the full rebuild saga...Call it the prequel to this trip.  It took me about three years on the calendar, but I imagine I could sum it up in about a month.   :biggrin:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Ron, I look at the times you post your stuff, and I have to ask, when do you sleep??

Please do the rebuild story. It will be great reading the way you present the story!
1st rate, mate!

Leon

Quote from: 1tinindian on November 08, 2013, 11:14:51 AM
Please do the rebuild story. It will be great reading the way you present the story!
1st rate, mate!

Leon

+1   :good2: :good2: :good2: :good2:   
George

Quote from: movenon on November 08, 2013, 11:28:53 AM

Quote from: 1tinindian on November 08, 2013, 11:14:51 AM
Please do the rebuild story. It will be great reading the way you present the story!
1st rate, mate!

Leon

+1   :good2: :good2: :good2: :good2:   
George

+1  :good2:

Quote from: Bminder on November 08, 2013, 10:40:07 AM
Ron, I look at the times you post your stuff, and I have to ask, when do you sleep??

Well, it's now 2:00 in the afternoon and I just woke up... I'm bit of a night owl.   :biggrin:

Cap'n Ron. . .

R&R Paso Robles: San Simeon, CA to Paso Robles (96 miles)

I've been to Paso Robles on many occasions over the years, but never on the FJ.  There's something about riding a motorcycle that puts you closer to your surroundings.  Maybe it's the unrestricted view...maybe it's the feel of a twisty road...maybe it's the feeling of freedom that makes everything seem just a little bit better.  I was enjoying the thought of exploring the hills around Paso Robles and San Simeon and set out to see where the day takes me.  My day's adventures had me running this route:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_08_11_13_3_42_22.jpeg)

I first went north up the coast to San Simeon Bay...San Simeon is best known as the location of Hearst Castle.  The William Randolf Hearst castle was built starting in 1919 and continued through 1947.  It's technically not considered "finished" even to this day.  I've visited the castle on many occasions and enjoyed every one of them.  Today, I was treated with a sighting of some of the direct descendants of the original Hearst Castle zoo:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_08_11_13_4_01_37_0.jpeg)

Yep...Zebras in California...Pretty cool!

I rode back down PCH and took the road that runs behind the campground just to see where it goes.  It was very nice...tree-lined with lots of rolling hills and ranches.  I stopped to take a shot of these hay bales that seemed to be put there just for my picture taking:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_08_11_13_4_01_37_1.jpeg)

The road started gaining altitude and gave me a nice view out to the ocean:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_08_11_13_4_01_37_2.jpeg)

As I worked my way east, I found myself at Justin Vinyards.  This was no accident...I have been enjoying Justin's wines since my first trip to the area in 1999.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_08_11_13_4_01_38_3.jpeg)

This time, I wanted to take a tour of their caves:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_08_11_13_4_01_38_4.jpeg)

I could definitely spend some time in here!  The caves lead to a gated tasting room:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_08_11_13_4_01_38_5.jpeg)

Behind the gates, there's a tasting area set up for around twenty people:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_08_11_13_4_01_39_6.jpeg)

This is where people put together tasting notes on the different vintages of Justin's flagship wine, "Isosceles"  They keep every vintage stored in the cave as wines will have different tasting notes as they age.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_08_11_13_4_01_39_7.jpeg)

This is a magnum (1500 ml) of the 2001 vintage:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_08_11_13_4_01_39_8.jpeg)

This is what's left of the 1999's...I would LOVE to get a taste of that!!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_08_11_13_4_01_39_9.jpeg)

I thoroughly enjoyed my Justin Winery visit!  I picked up a couple of bottles and had a case shipped to the house.

It was getting late in the afternoon and I wanted to get back to camp well before sunset.  I found more back roads that jut begged to be explored!  On the way, I ran into these three gals and a young buck who didn't seem a bit bothered by a curious traveler on an FJ1200!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_08_11_13_4_04_59.jpeg)

What a great day!  Paso Robles is always memorable, but the FJ made it even that much more special.  One more night of camping on this trip...I'll have a nice fire and grill a steak I picked up for dinner.  Tomorrow, I'll run the 200 miles to home.

Cap'n Ron. . .

Just how many cases of wine were waiting for you when you got home?  :sarcastic:

Awesome adventure! I've enjoyed every bit of it.......

Quote from: Firehawk068 on November 08, 2013, 08:37:22 PM
Just how many cases of wine were waiting for you when you got home?  :sarcastic:

Awesome adventure! I've enjoyed every bit of it.......

Ummm...errrr...Let's just say, I'm well stocked up!   :good2:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Eighth Leg - home: San Simeon, CA to Los Angeles (216 miles)

With just a little over 200 miles to go, this trip was coming to an end.  I was sad it was almost over, but was happy to be getting back home!  Today's ride would be a very familiar one...heading down the 101 south through San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and finally, to my house in Woodland Hills.  Today, I know where I'll be sleeping at the end of the day...and that was nice for a change.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_09_11_13_1_37_31.jpeg)

I was still nursing the bike along with little to no brakes, but that proved to be uneventful.  The miles came easy...I stopped off for lunch in Buellton and my last fuel stop.  In a few hours, I rolled into my driveway and backed the bike into the garage.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_09_11_13_1_38_00.jpeg)

What started out as just a way to get myself to New York for my dad's 80th birthday, turned into a truly epic journey.  What was originally intended to be a 6,000 mile bike ride grew into so much more.  I met amazing people...I saw places that I had never even imagined...tasted some great food...drank good wine...rode through wind and rain and perfect sunny days...  I learned what the FJ1200 is made of...and learned what I'm made of.  Through the events and experiences of nearly three months on the bike, I developed a relationship with my FJ.  I always looked after her...and she always came through for me.  I couldn't be happier with my choice of motorcycle:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_09_11_13_2_13_54.jpeg)



I have been posting daily maps throughout this ride report, but at some point after I returned, I sketched out a rough map of the entire trip.

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_09_11_13_1_39_01.jpeg)

Some of the statistics of the trip:

* What started out as a 6,000 mile idea, ended up totaling 17,286 miles (27,819 kilometers)
* I spent 85 days away from home (54 riding days and 31 R&R days)
* I spent 345 hours in the saddle averaging 326 miles per riding day
* I stopped 128 times for fuel with an average of 44.5 MPG
* I boarded 9 ferries
* I weighed in at just over 1,000 pounds (bike, gear and me included)

I Went through 389 gallons of gas, 2 sets of tires, 5 oil changes, 3 oil filters, 2 fuel filters, 1 low-quality chain, 3 headlight bulbs, 1 ignitor, 1 full set of brake pads and a "few" bottles of wine.  :biggrin:

I visited 26 States:  California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Wyoming.

I rode through 8 Canadian Provinces from east to west:  Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.

I woke up every morning wanting nothing more than to ride SOMEwhere each day...what I miss the most about the trip is not really knowing where that would be.

:hi:

Cap'n Ron. . .

That is truly epic and awesome...  :drinks:

Quote from: FJmonkey on November 09, 2013, 07:53:45 AM
That is truly epic and awesome...  :drinks:

+1

The pictures and reporting are amazing, Ron!  Thankyou for having us along!!

Well done Ron! :hi:

You definitely had an adventure.  :good2:  :good2:

I really were living the life, Ron.
Good that you took us along for the ride!
Thanks.
Leon

The ultimate personification and embodiment of why I joined this site......great report brother and truly an incredible journey .......thank you  :good:  :drinks:

CanDman

Thanks Ron!  You put many, many hours into telling us your journey, and it was awesome!  It was inspiring! Thanks again!

Ron, thanks so much for.....The Journey, the effort, the adventure, the narrative, opening us into a little of your personal life, the excellent summary and pics, ...for being you!...and for so modestly and unintentionally, giving this global campfire a conscise snapshot of what really makes your Country great!   Congratulations!

Quote from: Capn Ron on November 09, 2013, 02:33:40 AM

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_09_11_13_1_39_01.jpeg)

Some of the statistics of the trip:

* What started out as a 6,000 mile idea, ended up totaling 17,286 miles (27,819 kilometers)
* I spent 85 days away from home (54 riding days and 31 R&R days)
* I spent 345 hours in the saddle averaging 326 miles per riding day
* I stopped 128 times for fuel with an average of 44.5 MPG
* I boarded 9 ferries
* I weighed in at just over 1,000 pounds (bike, gear and me included)

I Went through 389 gallons of gas, 2 sets of tires, 5 oil changes, 3 oil filters, 2 fuel filters, 1 low-quality chain, 3 headlight bulbs, 1 ignitor, 1 full set of brake pads and a "few" bottles of wine.  :biggrin:

I visited 26 States:  California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Wyoming.

I rode through 8 Canadian Provinces from east to west:  Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.

I woke up every morning wanting nothing more than to ride SOMEwhere each day...what I miss the most about the trip is not really knowing where that would be.

:hi:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Ron....you may find this interesting....but your journey took you almost 3/4's  of way around the planet at the equator.........what do you say we plan a ride around the globe starting from Scotland and head East to Australia.......then over to South America...then home.......3 months......40,000 miles......I'm in !!!!   

Wow...I'm humbled by all the kind words!

It was fun doing this write-up...and it has changed the way I think about taking pictures on a trip.  As I was writing about a particular day, I realized there was something great I saw, but didn't take a picture of it.  I remember with utter clarity conversations I had with people I met, but I should have asked if I could take their picture.  I think I should come up with a guideline like, "If I'll smile about this tomorrow, I should get out the camera!"  As it is, I have over a thousand shots...just not enough!  :nea:

CanDMan...when I got home I realized I was only a couple thousand miles short of the "Long Way 'Round" trip.  Really puts that into perspective.  If you have the desire to do something great...just go do it.

Many thanks to all who came along for the ride!   :hi:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Hey Ron....I do hope you do the rebuild !!!! :hi:

Quote from: Capn Ron on November 09, 2013, 04:49:28 PM
It was fun doing this write-up...and it has changed the way I think about taking pictures on a trip.  As I was writing about a particular day, I realized there was something great I saw, but didn't take a picture of it.  I remember with utter clarity conversations I had with people I met, but I should have asked if I could take their picture.  I think I should come up with a guideline like, "If I'll smile about this tomorrow, I should get out the camera!"  As it is, I have over a thousand shots...just not enough!  :nea:

Ron,
You did awesome with the pictures...........................but it was your story that held me till the end :good:

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, however sometimes the back-story is better than the pictures........................Don't worry about taking more pictures!
The photos are nice, but the time spent on your journey, just soaking it all in................those memories will be with you forever................. :drinks:

Quote from: Firehawk068 on November 11, 2013, 01:15:14 PM
Ron,
You did awesome with the pictures...........................but it was your story that held me till the end :good:

The photos are nice, but the time spent on your journey, just soaking it all in................those memories will be with you forever................. :drinks:

Thank you very much!   :hi:

You know since I've been home I will have these "memory moments" of the trip.  Some smell...someone's accent...some reference in a song and I'm instantly taken to that hot dog vendor on the waterfront in Toronto, the winery owner in Tennessee, the bartender in Saint Johns, NB, sitting on the dock in South Carolina enjoying a Corona or any one of a thousand other great memories!

I'm sitting here having a glass of Zinfandel from the last winery on my trip...  Man...I need to start planning the next one!   :biggrin:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Quote from: Capn Ron on November 11, 2013, 10:54:03 PM
Man...I need to start planning the next one!   :biggrin:
Cap'n Ron. . .

If you want a travel companion....................Count Me In !  :good:

It's been a blast.

Absolutely brilliant ! Happened on your trip accidentally this afternoon and have just finished reading it in one sitting, (well the odd time out to do some housework) great photos and a very well written !  :drinks:

Quote from: Mick1164 on February 25, 2014, 02:35:32 PM
Absolutely brilliant ! Happened on your trip accidentally this afternoon and have just finished reading it in one sitting, (well the odd time out to do some housework) great photos and a very well written !  :drinks:

Cheers Mick!

Thanks for coming along for the three-month ride...and all in one sitting???!!!  Impressive!  :good2:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Just spent the last two nights reading your own Walkabout (or to coin a new term Rideabout?).  You were blessed with the most rarest of commodities these days : Time.  But also the ability to make the most of that time while it lasted.  While reading, it brought up a lot of interesting points of discussion and memories (for me) along with your observations.

When I did my trip to the MotoGP in Texas last year (almost exactly a year ago), I didn't have the time to really have any "days off" to re-charge, which is just as important as finding those roads less travelled.  My experience, though still enjoyable for the most part, lacked some of that leisurely quality I was seeking in the first place.  Outside of the race days, I barely took any photos, despite videoing almost the whole 4,000 miles.  I saw roadsigns like Bucksnort, Tennessee (Really!), which I normally would have made a right turn and followed it just to see what a Bucksnort looked like.

Your travelogue has shown (though maybe not intentionally), that a little extra time - even a few hours or an extra day or two can turn something enjoyable to something truely memorable.  Most of us find it difficult to take more than two weeks off at a time, but this shows what a little creativity can do, and how to make it more enjoyable.  Maybe one day before I'm no longer able to ride, I'll be able to take 85 days and go "thatta' way ===>>".  Hopefully much sooner than that!

Growing up in the 60's - 70's road trips were the way to travel.  The annual trek of families going to Florida from Canada for Spring Break in March was usually by car/van/camper.  My memories of vacations were the station wagon packed, and heading out to somewhere - with no AC - camping or the luxury of a cheap motel with a slimey pool.  Air travel has virtually killed that off.

Nowadays with cheap air travel (at least in the US) - you can't experience anything in a tin can 30,000 ft up.  All of those things you experienced would have been missed - the good and the bad.  The bad is just as important to make you realize just how good it can get.

Case in point:
- the cougar and the condor -

The eastern cougar was thought extinct about 100 yrs ago.  It's only been in the last 10-15 yrs or so that it has been confirmed they are not, though unconfirmed sightings have persisted for decades previously, and are making a very slow comeback.  That was an extremely rare sighting that wildlife biologists would give their hind teeth for.  There is the slight possibility that it was an escaped captive or "pet", but highly unlikely.  Wouldn't see that from a plane.

The California Condor - you said it yourself, only 200-something in existance and there was one staring you in the face!  Wouldn't see that from a plane either.

In fact you could probably ride those two bits of road everyday for the rest of your life and those two events would never happen again.  The fact you were there at that place, at that time is what make these journeys memorable (for you and us).

Even that shithole in SC is what make these journeys memorable - though maybe frightful at the time.  If that was the only truly scary event on this whole trip, then it's not such a big scary world out there after all.

So for all of us out here, get out, get riding - a day, a week, a month - whatever you can do.  I have just sat on my ass through six months of winter and am itching to get out.  I may not for another month or so, as the bike needs some TLC (no garage to work in).  For those of you who have the envious position of year round (or close to it) riding, don't take it for granted.  It's a gift.

Anyhow, just thought I'd share some thoughts that your journey has brought out of me as I was reading it.  Before reading it, I had already mapped out a trip to Nova Scotia, and one to Laguna Seca for the WSBK event.  The east coast - maybe this year - the west coast - maybe next year.  Eventually they will get done, and your travelogue is just the kick in the ass I need to make it happen.

Thanks for letting us in the door.  Cheers!   :drinks:

Paul...

You have an excellent grasp of the balance between time and money.  A great friend of mine (the guy I visited in Beaufort, SC on my trip) and I used to live in San Diego.  We both enjoyed sailing, but had little to no money to even think about buying a boat.  Fast forward ten years and he was involved with a great startup opportunity in Los Angeles...which he convinced me to join.  I enjoyed the work and we both did well there.  We were having lunch one day and he reminded me of our old conversations about being able to buy a boat.  He said in almost a defeated tone, "I no longer have to wish for enough money to purchase a sailboat.  I now only wish for enough time to ever be able to use it."  It's rare in life that we ever have both at the same time, but if I was forced to choose I would prefer to be loaded with free time.  It's far more valuable.

With a little extra time, you can just wander about without aim and discover things you could never have imagined.  When I told my dad that I decided to head up into Canada and start by exploring Nova Scotia, He said, "Why?  What are you going to see up there?"  My response to him was exactly my reason for going. "I really have no idea...I won't know until I get there, but for certain, I know I will return with some great memories and stories."  At some point, on my way down to Toronto, I'm sure I passed pretty close to Scarborough.  Would have been nice to have joined up for a ride!

I loved your MotoGP report and found myself watching some of your videos that just put ME on the bike riding down those roads!  Some of the areas looked familiar to me as you rode along and they stirred up great memories.  Memories that don't happen in a cubicle.  You do what you can when you can, but the idea is to get out and enjoy more.  Experience more...  These things don't happen from seat 27F on an airliner!   :yes:

Thanks for sharing your thoughts...I had no idea how rare my Eastern Cougar sighting was!  I was pretty awestruck at that moment and was a highlight of the trip for sure!  If you do get out to the West Coast and hit Laguna Seca, let me know.  I did a few Formula Ford track days on that track and would ride up there for about any excuse!   :good2:

Cap'n Ron. . .

Yes - time and money, or money and time - the age old question.  Who invented money anyway?  We waste so much time trying to make it, yet never enough time to use it.  Mind you, mine is sucked into the mortgage etc., so it usually takes care of itself.  Out one hand into someone elses.

Yes the Laguna Seca trip is one of those bucket list thingys.  If I skip the east coat this year and keep saving (I've been down there twice by bike and car), the Laguna Seca trip for 2015 would be a definite probability.  This is the "planned" route (a screenshot from the website myscenicdrives.com)

(http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz315/pgirard005/LagunaSecaTrip_zps7fc1ab86.jpg~original) (http://s839.photobucket.com/user/pgirard005/media/LagunaSecaTrip_zps7fc1ab86.jpg.html)

Estimate about three weeks give or take

3 days slabbing out to midwest - then tour through SD - Mt Rushmore - Black Hills - Yellowstone - southern ID - northern NV - Ebbets Pass into Cali - to Laguna - then back east through the Central Yosemite Hwy/Tioga Rd - central NV - south/central UT - Rocky Mtn Nat Pk CO - to NB - then slabbing 3 days home - my wife's cousin lives in Fresno and I have an open invitation to stay there so thats an option maybe to rest up before the trip back.

He said he wanted to go next year also, and tickets go on sale in Jan (?) and sell out fast.  I would think any grandstands would, but theres always gen. adm. available I would think.  Actually he has an FJ also, but altered into a streetfighter (when its running).

I guess I will have to start forming a plan by the end of this year... of course theres that wife thing to placate too... she could always fly out a week after I leave ...

Stay tuned

Just an update on one of the "highlights" of the trip 5 years ago.

Traveling to the Smokey Mountains of North Carolina yesterday, I found myself riding through McCormick, SC and decided to check up on that flea-bag motel I had issues with on the first trip.  Well, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it had vacancies!   :good2:

 :rofl: Looks like they were a victim of there own "success".  Did you pick up any souvenirs while there - that wouldn't give you a rash?   :lol:

Ha!  I thought the place was sketchy before...

I briefly stayed in one of these rooms!!!

Was happy to see this.  Call it "closure". :)

Looks like the set for Pappillion.   :shok:

Hey. You could put in a bid. Sale is only 3wks away. Be a hotel owner, next thing you know you could be president. Can't be that difficult.  :sarcastic:

If it's on a popular m/c route, it *may* not be a bad investment if you could pick it up for pennies on the dollar.
I see masonry walls....no worries about termites or dry rot.

Looks like a FREE FLEA Place to stay

sc

Quote from: Pat Conlon on September 10, 2017, 12:51:47 AM
If it's on a popular m/c route, it *may* not be a bad investment if you could pick it up for pennies on the dollar.
I see masonry walls....no worries about termites or dry rot.

Definitely have NO interest in that mess, but it put some "closure" on a very bad experience by seeing its closure first hand!

thank you for all the hard work, in putting this together, what a trip! 8 years ago

Ron,

Do you have this whole story in a more easily digestible format?  I've been slowly putting this whole post into a word document and I'm up to 184 pages so far.  I'm trying to put it together for my dad mostly.  He's been saying for years how he wants to take off on a motorcycle trip and not come back until his second set of tires needs replacing.

Have you looked into making this a book?  "People on a Riding Mower Will Always Wave Back and Other Thoughts From Inside a Helmet"

Quote from: GhostMerc on June 17, 2020, 06:34:15 AM
Ron,

Do you have this whole story in a more easily digestible format?  I've been slowly putting this whole post into a word document and I'm up to 184 pages so far.  I'm trying to put it together for my dad mostly.  He's been saying for years how he wants to take off on a motorcycle trip and not come back until his second set of tires needs replacing.

Have you looked into making this a book?  "People on a Riding Mower Will Always Wave Back and Other Thoughts From Inside a Helmet"

I would buy it.

Quote from: giantkiller on June 17, 2020, 07:33:41 AM

I would buy it.

Same here. I'm pretty sure Amazon makes it fairly easy to "self-publish" a book, as well

Quote from: GhostMerc on June 17, 2020, 06:34:15 AM
Ron,

Do you have this whole story in a more easily digestible format?  I've been slowly putting this whole post into a word document and I'm up to 184 pages so far.  I'm trying to put it together for my dad mostly.  He's been saying for years how he wants to take off on a motorcycle trip and not come back until his second set of tires needs replacing.

Have you looked into making this a book?  "People on a Riding Mower Will Always Wave Back and Other Thoughts From Inside a Helmet"

GhostMerc,

Sounds like your dad and I would get along just fine!  Honestly, my OWN dad (the reason for this trip in the first place) never knew that I did a write-up on it until just a couple of years ago.  He's SO not a computer guy, so my mom printed out the posts for him to read through.  A few years ago, I started doing just as you are...pasting text into Word...I actually didn't get as far as you have.  I wanted to edit the posts for better "book" flow and started inserting original picture files for better quality.  Right about a month into it, I jumped on my motorcycle to go visit my dad again as I do every year and never got back to it.  Your interest has re-stirred my interest, but in three weeks, I leave for another 15,000 mile trip..so, it'd be October before I could get back to it.

Thanks for the interest...I love that my moto time on the road can help others, stir up some riding ideas or even just put a smile on someone's face...

Quote from: GhostMerc on June 17, 2020, 06:34:15 AM
Ron,

Do you have this whole story in a more easily digestible format?  I've been slowly putting this whole post into a word document and I'm up to 184 pages so far.  I'm trying to put it together for my dad mostly.  He's been saying for years how he wants to take off on a motorcycle trip and not come back until his second set of tires needs replacing.

Have you looked into making this a book?  "People on a Riding Mower Will Always Wave Back and Other Thoughts From Inside a Helmet"

Cap'n Ron's epic Ride Report is a classic and I reckon it's about time I did the whole thing again. His eye for a photo and knack for an entertaining narrative make for a great read.

I was very disappointed at missing the opportunity to meet him, and for a short time, be a part of his trip down under last year.

Noel

Quote from: Capn Ron on June 23, 2020, 08:56:00 PM

Quote from: GhostMerc on June 17, 2020, 06:34:15 AM
Ron,

Do you have this whole story in a more easily digestible format?  I've been slowly putting this whole post into a word document and I'm up to 184 pages so far.  I'm trying to put it together for my dad mostly.  He's been saying for years how he wants to take off on a motorcycle trip and not come back until his second set of tires needs replacing.

Have you looked into making this a book?  "People on a Riding Mower Will Always Wave Back and Other Thoughts From Inside a Helmet"

GhostMerc,

Sounds like your dad and I would get along just fine!  Honestly, my OWN dad (the reason for this trip in the first place) never knew that I did a write-up on it until just a couple of years ago.  He's SO not a computer guy, so my mom printed out the posts for him to read through.  A few years ago, I started doing just as you are...pasting text into Word...I actually didn't get as far as you have.  I wanted to edit the posts for better "book" flow and started inserting original picture files for better quality.  Right about a month into it, I jumped on my motorcycle to go visit my dad again as I do every year and never got back to it.  Your interest has re-stirred my interest, but in three weeks, I leave for another 15,000 mile trip..so, it'd be October before I could get back to it.

Thanks for the interest...I love that my moto time on the road can help others, stir up some riding ideas or even just put a smile on someone's face...

I finished putting the whole thing into Word.  I had to compress the pictures in order to get it into a size that could be emailed.  200 pages for around 9mb.  Could use some work with the formatting though.  Each day flows right into the next; i think it should look more like a journal where each day starts a new page.  Word also isn't the most fun for dealing with pictures in the middle of text.

Ron,
I know I found this several years after you made this trip. I have to thank you for the story and the inspiration you have given this community. This was an epic adventure ride.
It was what could be the modern day "Easy Rider" for the sport touring group only with more of a lone adventurer twist. The film teaser line.
"An epic motorcycle adventure through the land and history of two countries, a true journey of self discovery".

In all seriousness, Thank you for sharing it.