Computer issue

Hello there! For the two (or is it three) of you following, I've had a minor computer issue and will not be able to continue this blog until sometime later this week. Rest assured that I will finish it.  BTW, home now.  Ride completed last night at 9:30pm, 11 days, 10 states, Canada, and 4000 miles EXACTLY, go figure. 

Thanks for viewing! 

Day 7 - Harbor Springs, MI to Superior, WI

Up a bit later today, 8:15am, since I need to wait for the shops to open.  Stopped at three before I found a guy that diagnosed the issue as a stretched chain.  With almost 20,000 miles on the chain and sprockets I've gotten quite a bit out of them.  This isn't an immediate issue, but should be replaced sooner rather than later, plus it's terribly annoying listening to the chain snap against the sprocket every now and then, not to mention the little jerk that accompanies it.  Called Jim and got the number to the shop he recommended, Leo's South, just a few miles down I-35W, right on the way to Des Moines.

Inside of the Camp Deli

Stopped right away at Brutus Camp Deli in Brutus, MI, just up the road.  GREAT PLACE,  with super breakfast menu and really unique decorations.  Looks a bit like a hunting camp from inside.

Lots of road,

More road,

And even more road.

Really got on my way pretty late, 11am, heading to Duluth.  We'll see how far I get.  At least I gain an hour once I cross the MN/WI border.  Rode almost non-stop to Superior, WI.  Another great day and I remember thinking how blessed I've been with the weather on this trip.  The roads to WI are good with not much in the way of towns to slow you down, but also not much in the way to keep you from getting a bit lethargic either.  Saw some beautiful colors, as the peek of autumn must have been very recent.  Was supposed to stop in Ashland, just across the border, but decided to continue on to Superior.  

Called Joe and Lori (Joe's my Cousin) about an hour out.  Great as they are, we decided to meet for dinner.  After I got settled in at the Holiday Inn Express in Superior, Joe, Lori, and Jordan picked me up in their beautiful '68 Mustang convertible.  We headed to Gronks, a local (used to be) dive that has the best burgers in town, and is the home of the Enger Tower Burger, over 3 lbs of meat along with 2 lbs of home cut fries.  Eat it all in two hours and win a T-shirt.  Had a great time catching up with Joe and Lori, and a blast  talking to Jordan.  As expected the burger, the Bacon Beer Cheese Burger was incredible, and yes I ate the whole thing!!!

After my burger and beer, it was time for some bed, and with Joe and Lori having to work, and with Jordan school in the morning, they dropped me at the hotel at about 9pm.  Thanks Joe, thanks Lori, thanks Jordan for a great, though short, visit.

Day 6 - Sudbury, ON to Harbor Springs, MI

Tuesday, 12 October

Start - 19159
End - 19491

3G miles today - 332
Total 3G miles - 1950

Mackinaw Bridge

Left late today because of the revelry last night.  Didn't feel too good until about 2:30 when I pulled into wendy's for a burger.  Needed a little grease I guess.  Rode non-stop from Sudbury to Sault St Marie, MI, 3.5 hours.  Traveled though some beautiful country and will have to come back to spend a little time in this beautiful country.  Got gas and the Wendy's burger, then continued to Harbor Springs, MI.

Crossing Mackinaw Bridge

Rode the M119, "The Tunnel of Trees," fabulous road.  JUst missed the peek colors though by I'd estimate 2 weeks.  Still, it was beautiful.  Started hearing some clinking noised from the rear tire area of the bike.  Too late to have it checked out today, but will inquire tonight and have a mechanic check it out tomorrow.  Only making noise in lower gears.

Tunnel of Trees, M119 

Got a cabin at the famous Legs Inn, great little place and the price of the cabin is right, $69.  They are closing in 2 weeks so it's the end of the year special.  The cabin reminds me of my Uncle Alan's cabin on Swan Lake.  When I was a kid, we used to go up to Minnesota for 2 weeks every couple of years to spend time with my Dad's family on Swan Lake.  Great memories of waterskiing, riding the Honda 70, pig roasts, bonfires, and just joking around with my cousins.  Great times!

Lobby of the Legs Inn

In honor of those memories, I had my own little bonfire when I got back to my cabin.  Would have been a perfect time to a little scotch, but because of last night's imbibing, I decided to just stick to a bottle of water and lounge about the fire for an hour or so.  Got back to the cabin, read my book for a bit, then to bed.  A good day!

View out the back of the cabin.

Day 5 - Buffalo, NY to Sudbury, ON, Canada

Monday, 11 October

Start - 18785
End - 19159

3G miles today - 374
Total 3G miles - 1618

Up at 4:30am and on the road at 5:20am.  Not too cold, but a light rain is falling.  Obviously not too much traffic.  Took I-190 straight to the border.  Crossing was non-eventful, although the border guard did ask twice the "nature" of my visit.  Seems he couldn't fathom someone just wanting to ride up to Sudbury to see what was there, spend the night and then continue on to Michigan.

Had gotten up a bit earlier than normal today because I wanted to get through Toronto before the morning rush.  Little did I know, found out when I stopped, that today was Canada's Thanksgiving Day, a national holiday.  Well, so much for prior planning.

At 2.5 hours on the road, I was near the town of Barrie, ON.  Needed gas, I was hungry, butt was sore, so it was a perfect time to pull off.  Now keep in mind that at this point I still hadn't discovered it was Thanksgiving Day here in Canada.  Barrie is a town of about 75,000, so fairly good sized by Canadian standards.  It lies on the shores of Lake Simcoe, about 50 miles North of Toronto.  So I decide to pull off and look for a good local breakfast place.  I'm riding through town, noticing everything is closed and feeling it's a bit odd.  It's still early though, and I caulk it up to the hour of day.  I spot a local cop and think, great, he's got to know of a good breakfast joint.  Do they have Dunkin Donuts up here?  Anyway, I pull along side toot the horn and ask him where to get a great local breakfast.  He says that the place he would send me is closed today (strange, just today?), but to try up Bayfield St to my left.

Okay, so I cruise down Bayfield, and again, everything is closed.  What's going on?!?  Even the chain restaurants are closed (McDonalds, Wendy's, etc).  Is Canada closed on Monday's?  Why haven't I heard of this?  Finally I find a place, Fran's.  A nice little 24/7 restaurant, similar to Denny's but a bit more upscale.  I pull in, grab a seat, and after I order some coffee, I ask the waitress about it.  She smiles and says, "You're not from around here are you?  You from the States?"  Is it that obvious? Wow!  When she finds out that I am from the States, she politely informs me that today is Canada's Thanksgiving Day and most places will be closed.  Ahhh! Mystery solved!

Muskoka Lake, Gravenhurst, ON

Back on the road about 9:30am.  Stopped at Muskoka Lake by Gravenhurst, ON.  Gorgeous place.  The day has turned out absolutely beautiful.  Got some gas, stretched, photo or two, then back on the road towards Sudbury.  Pulled into a little "Chip Shack" about 75 miles South of Sudbury.  Seems these "Chip Shacks" are quite popular up here.  They're individually run and all over the place.  You see signs on the road every few miles advertising "Chips Ahead," or "Chip Shack 10km."  Grabbed some coffee, and chilled for a bit.  Lot's of traffic heading South...Mmmm, and I'm going North?

One way to KNOW your in Canada.

Got to Sudbury about 2:30pm.  Pulled into the Holiday Inn Sudbury because it was located next to the only restaurant I found open, a little pub called Grumbler's, this should be interesting.  Checked in, Airline Rate, SCORE, got some work done on this blog and on my journal, then headed over to Grumbler's about 5:30.

Grumbler's is a locals pub, although I don't think there's too much tourism here, so maybe they're all locals pubs.  Right away I met an older gentleman named Claude.  A French Canadian who had been in Sudbury for over 35 years.  He was pretty colorful as were most of the guys around the bar.  Everyone knew everyone, so when a stranger walks in, he's noticed.  I have to say though, I didn't feel like a stranger very long.  Everyone was very friendly and I became somewhat if a celebrity for the night.  Everyone wanted to here my story.  Where was I from?  What did I do?  Military too? Mostly though, they couldn't understand my coming to Sudbury "Just because."  They truly seems to appreciate my making the effort to come see there town.  After a while, I couldn't by a beer.  Everyone wanted to get me a drink.


Left the bar after 10pm, and in a bit of a fog, not surprising.

Day 4 - Orrtanna, PA to Buffalo, NY

Sunday, 10 October

Start - 18366
End - 18785

3G miles today - 419
Total 3G miles - 1244

Left Brian and Lori's right at 6am as planned, go figure.  Rode non-stop Orrtanna to Benezette, PA, elk watching capitol of the East, 3.5 hrs.  Was chilled to the bone though so before I went elk spotting, it was time for some breakfast and some, make that lots of hot coffee.  Slow service, high school girl who obviously wanted to be elsewhere, but I was in no hurry.

Cool one lane bridge.

Saw one bull elk on my ride into town, but didn't stop as I was soooo coooold.  Upon leaving I stopped at one of the "viewing areas" and caught a glimpse of another bull foraging near the tree line.  Pretty cool.

The Elk

Pressed on through more beautiful country side.  Passing the NY State Line, I took a small break, stretched and had some water.  As I continued on, I noted how different each state seems, the houses, landscapes, even the feel...Interesting.
Got to the Millennium Buffalo Airport Hotel (same one we stay in with AirTran) right at 3pm.  They offer a great discount for AirTran employees, so score!!!  Took off right away and headed for Niagara Falls.  Did the Tourist thing till about 6pm then headed back to the Millennium.  One side note...As I got in line to get a ticket for the "Cave of the Winds" exhibit, a guy walked up and handed me a ticket.  Said he wasn't going to use it and just handed it to me... Again, score!!!  Took lots of photos, but the sun was at a bad angle.

Example of the scenery
I rode through, beautiful.

On my way back to the hotel, noticed a lot of noise coming from my chain.  Thought it just needed to be cleaned, so I got a wash clothes from the the desk clerk and while I was wiping it down, I notice it was very loose.  Though I've never tightened a chain, I was thankful that my dad had instilled, for lack of better words, that can do attitude, and got out the tools and figured out, in the dark, how to tighten the chain and align the back wheel.  Then test rode the bike, heated up the chain a bit and waxed it.

Horseshoe Falls

Headed to the room, washed up, then hit the bar downstairs for a much earned beer and some dinner.  Realized I hadn't eaten since 9am in Benezette.  Got to the room, set the alarm for 4am, ugh, but want to get through Toronto before rush hour.  In bed at 1030pm, a long but great day!

Day 3 Orrtanna, PA

Saturday, 9 October

Start - 18366
End - 18366

3G Miles Today - 0
Total 3G Miles - 825

Spent the day with Brian, Lori, Logan, and Trevor.  Started with a trip to the PeeWee Football field.  Trevor, 6, had a game starting at 9am.  Another great day.  Sun shining and about 55F by the time we left for the the game at 8:15am.  The match up this day was the Gettysburg Warriors Vs. the Shippenburg Greyhounds.  What a great way to start the day.  PeeWee Football, hotdogs, hamburgers, coffee, sodas, parents and friends on lawn chairs, just great.  Temp up to 70 by 10am.

At the hilltop overlooking
Pickett's Charge

After the game (they don't keep score at this age btw, but Trevor's team won by one touch down) we went home for some lunch and while Lori headed out to do some errands and stop by the hair dresser, Brian and I did a little work on the well water system and got Lori's Harley ready for me to ride.  Chores complete Brian and I headed out on the hogs for a few hours.

The field.
The site of Pickett's Charge

There's some great riding in that neck of the country, and we explored quite a few roads throughout the local area and some National Forests nearby.  We topped off the ride with a tour though the Gettysburg Battle Field stopping for a photo on the hill over looking the site of Pickett's Charge.

Rode home, put the bikes away, then enjoyed a fabulous meal of elk steaks and crab cakes, potatoes, green beans, and a salad, while watching Bones.


Then it was time for bed.  Great day, but tired and ready for some much needed sleep.

Day 2 - Roanoke, VA to Orrtanna, PA

Friday, 8 October

Start - 18032 miles@ 8am
End - 18366 miles@ 4:30pm

3G miles today- 334
Total 3G miles - 825

Breakfast downstairs at the Quality Inn Roanoke.  Nothing to write about so I won't, but the price was right.  Planned on jumping right on I-81N then east on I-64 and jumping on the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) where the Southern end of the Skyline Drive starts.  It's the only part of the BRP I haven't ridden, so it was kind of a mission.  Got out the door right at 8am an plans changed right away.  I was about 8-10 miles from I-81 and rush hour traffic was in full swing.  Since I was only about a mile from the BRP, I decided to ride it for a bit until I was north of Roanoke, then jump over to 81.  No one on the parkway this early, so I made great time and got to I-81N fairly quickly.

Another great riding day, sunny and about 60 degrees already made even 81 a pleasure.  Funny, but I never realized just how panoramic the view from 81 are.  That's one of the beauties of riding, everything is somehow different.  Your more in the experience than in a car.

Skyline Drive

Got to Skyline Drive fairly quickly and was shocked to find that it was a $10 entrance fee.  It was very worth it though.  It truly is the Skyline your riding/driving on.  The almost constant curves also make it great for motorcycling too.  Once the trees start to turn, it will be absolutely breathtaking.  Though the trees were beautiful, one of the most unexpected and unique sites was the mountain pasture someplace near the middle of the ride.  Up at about 4000ft it reminded me of photos I've seen of the African Savanna.

High Pasture

This reminded me of the African Savanna.

After about 1pm Skyline Drive became a bit like Skyline Park as more and more cars, busses and mini vans (ugh!) clobbered the road.  To make it to Orrtanna and my friend's, Brian and Lori, place, I had to for go some photo ops, but I think I got some of the better ones anyway.

Tree lined BRP

Exiting the northern end of the BRP (I have now ridden the entire BRP), I had the misfortune to pass through the town of Front Royal which was a front royal pain.  Congested, slow-moving, dusty, with at least a dozen traffic signals that were, you guessed it, not even close to being timed.  I must have hit at least 8 reds in about a 2 mile stretch.  Following the GPS out of town I continued my misfortune by getting stuck on a road totally torn up from construction.  To make matters worse, I ended up behind a flat-bed truck carrying a huge cistern full of water that was sloshing out and over the side as the truck encountered pot hole after pot hole.  Oh, and it was only moving about 5 mph.  I was now on a road of dust, gravel, pot holes, and spontaneous mud puddles.  Once though that, I finally got passed the water truck and things improved immensely.

Cool one lane bridge across the Shenandoah.

Got onto a great road (340N) and enjoyed good speed and more great views passing through some horse country as I crossed into W. Virginia by Harper's Ferry.  Good roads and great conditions continued all the way to Brian and Lori's, and I arrived with about 45 minutes to spare.

After a quick shower, it was time to head to Logan's Baseball Picnic.  I got to tag along and enjoyed pizza and sodas while I hung out and caught up with Lori.  Brian and the other parents went out on the ball field and played a quick game of wiffle ball with the kids.  Got back to the house about 8:30, watched a bit of the tube, caught up in my journal, then bed about 10pm.  Pooped out!

Day 1 - Smyrna, GA to Roanoke, VA

Thursday, 7 October

Start - 17541 miles@ 6:20 am
End - 18032 miles@ 7:20 pm

3G miles today- 491
Total 3G miles- 491


Got out of the house and on the road right at 6:20am.  Cold clear morning and crowded with lots of angry, hurried, commuters and plenty of trucks.  The beginning of a trip is always a little tough, but with Atlanta morning rush to contend with, all I could think about was that I can't get north fast enough.


Began seeing the first hints of light at about 6:45 as I cruised up I-85 with traffic beginning to thin.  Turned up I-985 and then up 23 where I caught the first rays of the sun as I passed the Tullulah Gorge. Shortly after I passed a bank sign that showed the temp at 36F.  Thank goodness for heated grips and my heated vest.


Stopped in Sylvia, NC for a well deserved hot cup of coffee and some breakfast at Hooper's which I would highly recommend.  Great food and nice folks.  Sat at a table next to Tracy and Jennifer whom I said hello to.  Tracy had a knit cap on and Jennifer had an a breast cancer awareness shirt on.  Since my Mom went through chemotherapy, I knew Tracy was in the middle of her treatments and felt compelled to at least say something.  They were great and Tracy was indeed in Chemo with just 2 treatments remaining, but had a good prognosis.


By 3pm I had made it to Mountain City, TN and looked for a local place to get a bite and hydrate, but had to settle for McDonald's and a medium fry and sweet tea.


Leaving Mountain City I took Rt. 209 into VA, where I stopped to get a photo of the Welcome to Virginia.  I have to admit that when I got into Virginia, it felt like home.  Miss this state.  For some treason it seems just a bit greener.  Great road by the way 209, as was Hwy 58.  But whoa, don't take  Rt. 321.  Ugh, small town after small town, VERY slow going.  Decided to press today figuring I'll have an easier time tomorrow.  I have to get to Orrtanna, PA by 5pm.

Finally got to Roanoke, VA and pulled into the same hotel I stayed in when I came South just over 2 years ago when I bought the bike in NJ.  Walked into the lobby at exactly 7:20pm, making my day 13 hours, 491miles, almost all back roads.  Rode through some amazing country roads - 209 (NC, VA), 58 (VA), 211 (VA).  Just after getting into VA there had to have been at least 30 miles of Christmas Tree farms, not something I expected.


Got a steak at Outback, which I wolfed down, guess I was a bit hungry.  Had a waitress who reminded me of my good friend Jennifer Zoner.  I should write to say hi.  Haven't spoken to her in quite a while.


In bed by 10pm.  Plan to get on the road tomorrow by about 8am.

The Worst Day Begins

Okay, so here (6:30am) I am getting ready to start what's probably the toughest day of the trip.  T - 1, the day before the trip begins.  Sorting and packing day.  This is the day were I have to pair down what I want to take to what I have to take.  On a motorcycle (hither to referred to as simply "the bike") it is even more important to carry only what you need and take very few "extras" along.  Space is at a premium and packing must be done with forethought.

Today's chores include running to REI to pickup a waterproof bag to strap to the back of the bike.  Although I have recently installed heated grips, I still need some winter riding gloves (waterproof also).  Gotta sort and pack:  Clothes, camera gear, and electronics.  Can't forget my passport and AirTran ID.  The former incase I go into Canada, the later to hopefully get some discounts on hotels.  Then there will be the actual packing of the bike, always a good time.  What goes where....The phrase, "Mmmm, this just isn't fitting," comes to mind.  As always, no matter how carefully I pack, I'll always have to leave something behind, and I'll always forget something.
Okay, so here was the proposed route.  That was before my car decided to throw a fit and chew up it's serpentine belt yesterday.  Pretty aggressive route, but doable I thought. The longest day was scheduled at 490 miles.  That's a LAD (long a$$ day) in a car not to mention a bike, but what else am I out here for anyway.  Ah, perhaps another time.  The trip now has been shortened to allow me to get back and start shopping for a new (at least new to me) car.  Not sure what I'll be getting. Any suggestions?


So now for a route I'm thinking about  cutting south through the lower Michigan peninsula hitting the area around Mackinaw and through Saugatuck Dunes State Park.  We'll see what happens.


Outbound to run those errands.  Stay tuned to this same Bat Channel.