Day 26 – Home!

I keep remembering that I haven’t finished off this blog yet. I’ve been home for a couple of weeks now and, was never near a computer when I remembered.

The last day on the road lasted almost 12 hours. I covered the last 800k, most of which in the blazing sun again. There as construction as I approached the Horner in Sarnia. I’m not sure what the laws re about motorcycles cutting through traffic in between lines of cars so, I just poked along in my spot the same as if I’d been in my car. I blew 2 1/2 hours getting to the crossing and another 45 minutes in line there.

It felt great to get home. I’d covered 10,000k and seen a lot of great country in all kinds of weather. I did cut the trip a bit short by not stopping in Wisconsin as I’d planned, but I think I’ll head down that way for a few days in August.

Thanks to everyone who sent me notes or comments along the way. I found it very cool to be so far away from home, but still so connected with friends that I see all the time, and some that I almost never hear from, and a couple who I hadn’t heard from in years!

I’ve done a charity bike ride with 150 other bikers this last weekend. No real adventure plans now until the July 23/24 weekend when I’m going to ride down to Lake Placid to help out a bit and watch Ironman again. If the weathers not too bad, i’m going to head down towards Boston to visit with friends there before heading back and getting ready for the walk across Spain with my Sweetie this fall.

Keep in touch, I love hearing from you.

Cheers,
Greg

Day 25 – to Michigan City

It’s a short update today. It s 5:30 am in Michigan City. I’ve got an 800k ride, 1 time zone change Nd a border crossing to do today before I get home tonight.

Yesterday started out great. The ride was very pleasant. The geography, starting to look more like home. The 700k ride was quick until I got to within 50k of Chicago. 3:00pm on a Friday of a long weekend! It took 3 hours to go 70k.

The bike is still in great shape. I can’t wait to get home.

Next update, from the man cave! YEA!!!!!

Day 24 – North Dakota to Wisconsin

I had a pretty dull ride today. It was warm when I headed out at 7:30. I had to keep my jacket on to keep the sun off of my arms. I can’t believe they aren’t blistered yet. The country side was . . . . boring. It’s great being able to just ride and ride without much traffic for hours on end.

I went to change something on the GPS this morning and, the screen just went blank. Al of a sudden I realized how much I depend on it. I have no other maps other than the iPad, but I have no 3G in the states for some reason. I use it to tell me how far i’ve gone, how far in distance and time to the next turn and the final destination. It’s my clock. It tells me how far to the next gas station, and, at night in strange towns, tells me where everything is pin town and, how to get back to my motel later.

For a moment I contemplated stopping somewhere and picking up a new cheap GPS, then I figured, in a while, I’ll hit the lake where I’d turn south to Chicago and, how hard would it be to find Toronto from there!

I stopped after about a half hour for gas and looked for the reset button (couldn’t find it). In
took the battery out, unplugged it, plugged it back in. Nothing worked. I gave up, set the unit back in the holder and headed out. Miracle of miracles, when I hit the highway, it turned itself back and and worked all day. This is just a weird trip for electronics acting weird in spots and coming back.

From some reason I have no 3G in my iPad, or my iPhone. Who knows when they’ll come back to life!

It was another 690k ride today. I hope to get to the other side of Chicago by tomorrow and then, St. Catharines to see Jordan or home to Newmarket if he’s working by Saturday night.

There wasn’t really anything worth taking pictures of today. This shot was the morning sun when I headed out this morning.

Day 23 – Billings to Bismarck North Dakota

It was another gorgeous day weather wise. It was warm when I started out and got hotter and hotter as the day went on. I ended up riding in jeans and a t-shirt. I’ve managed to burn the he’ll out of my arms and face.

They had tarred the road along the route a bit today. Every time I saw it, I cut over to the other lane but, the cars in that lane kicked a bit up I guess. When I checked into the hotel, in quickly soaked a face cloth to wipe my face and arms down. One wipe and, the cloth looks like I cleaned my boots with it. Amazing how much crap got on me.

I got emailed with a question about the crappy updates lately so, here’s my profound thought for the day. Political correctness has ruined Cowboys and Indians. Going outside to play “Bovine People and Native Americans” just doesn’t sound right.

Sorry JM – that’s all I got!

I covered a bit under 700k today. Below are some of the pictures I took along the way.

Day 22 -Spokane WA to Billing MT

I won’t be surprised if today’s ride doesn’t go down as the best ride ever. It is so far anyway. The weather was great. I left the motel at 7:00am. I was a little surprised to see Idaho! I hadn’t noticed it on the map when I was looking at the route ahead.

Non the less, there it was and, there it was gone! I just shot through the panhandle I guess. It only lasted about an hour. The countryside looked a lot like northern Ontario, but wi bigger tree covered hills.

Montana opened up to huge cattle ranches with massive snow cover mountains off in the distance.

I ended up in Billings Montana for the night. I rode a total of 890k today. Te roads were great. There were tons of twists and turns early in then day. God knows I need practice with them. It’s coming. A little quicker, a little sharper. Looking further ahead and leaning the bike more. (thanks John)

I’d planned to ride for an hour or two and grab a bagel like I’ve been doing most days but, nothing showed until noon. I was STARVING by then! Headless to say, I had lunch for breakfast today!

By lunch time, the weather was hot and sunny. I ended up taking off the riding jacket and ring in a long sleeve T shirt pushed back to my elbows. Tonight I have a cool sunburn from my elbows to my wrists, with white hands because I kept my riding gloves on! Too funny. Sorry, no picture!!

With 890k out of the way today, I’ve got less than 3,000k left to get home.

I was planning on stopping in Wisconsin to visit a few friends there but, I think I’ll put that off until August and do another trip for a couple of days.

The weather is looking great for the ride tomorrow. It’s looking like I made the right decision in heading south rather than north. I haven’t checked the weather from the original Prince George / Edmonton route but, nothing could have been better than what I had today.

Tomorrow is my friend Sharon’s birthday. Sharon is old now, still beautiful, but old! Not as old as me but, welcome to half price movie theatre tickets Sharon! you’ll have to wait until I get home for those paddy-whacks!

Day 21 – Sechlet to Spokane

It was a big riding day today. I caught the 8:30 ferry from Sechelt, rode through Vancouver and into the Washington State. Down to Bellevue and across to Spokane. 735k, my longest ride yet.

Although my brain is telling me, I may never do this again and I should take my time to see everything Incan along the way, I’m not listening. I’m pushing for all I’m worth to get my ass home again. I suspect that I will do this trip again, probably on a bigger heavier bike. For the moment, I’m glad for the time, I’m happy to have seen everyone that have seen along the way and, it’s time to be home again.

The mountains through Washington sort of sucked. There were a couple of snow covered ones, buy most were just tree covered, not too high. They don’t hold a candle to the Canadian Rockies. In no time at all I was in the flat land of the prairies. Not too exciting but, easy to make time on!

It’s kind of fun pointing the GPS to “Home” and seeing the milage. It was 4466 just after I crossed into the US earlier today. Now it’s 3788. It’s conceivable at I’ll break under the 3000k mark tomorrow. It sort of depends on how much my ass hurts but, I’m pointing the bike to Billings Montana when I leave in the morning. I have to break the journey down like that on the GPS because, when I detour for gas or anything, the GPS takes forever to figure out the revised 3000 – 4000k route!

I was traveling for almost 12 hours today. I was dead tired when I checked into this motel. I was just way too tired to go out and get real food. Thank God at least there were vending machines in the lobby!

Day 20 – Nanaimo to Sechelt

It’s Monday as I am writing this now. I’d ended up in the land of Oz last night and couldn’t get online at all. Barry and Kim told me that, rather than just take the ferry from Nanaimo to Vancouver, the ride up to Courtney, across to Powell River and down from there was a much more interesting ride. They were right.

I was lucky with the weather. It was a beautiful sunny day. The roads were good with tons of twists and turns. A fun ride for sure. There’s a ferry from Courtney to PowellRiver, and other from Saltery Bay to Earls Cove, and another from Langdale to Horseshoe Bay. I’m on that last ferry now. I spent the night in Sechelt.

I’d stopped in that town about 7:30 last night for gas and asked about a cheap motel. There are only 2. I plugged one into the GPS and rode, and rode and rode. About 18k later, I was back, at the hotel, which was 2 blocks from the gas station! I have a new understanding of those folks who drive off the main road and get lost in the wilderness.

The motel turned out to be OK, but, no Internet. There was supposed to be, but it didn’t work. No phone service. I guess we were in a weird spot in the mountains. They TV worked though, as did the stove at the burger place! I think I was asleep by 10:00, and out the door this morning by 7:15.

One of the nice things about being on a bike and taking a ferry is that they push you up to the front of the line. They like e bikes lined up in the front corner so, it doesn’t matter how many people have been waiting for how long, they tell you to ride past them all. Firsts on also means first off. I like that.

I looked at long range forecasts through Canada and the northern US and the US route looks warmer and dryer. I’ve plugged home into the GPS. The route it gives me is south to Seatless, then traveling across Hwy 90 through Washington, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan to Sarnia and home. Wow, that really feels like a long way just typing out!

I don’t know if, later on, I’ll be sorry that I didn’t really take my time but, I’d like to get my butt back home and to my Sweetie sooner rather than later. They only thing I don’t like about this route is that I don’t get to stop in Calgary to see Christine and Aidan again.