July 13, 2019 - Lake Ontario to Thunder Bay

July 13, 2019

We were sad to leave our beautiful campsite here at Agawa Bay. It’s a spot we could easily have settled into for a few days but alas, our itinerary is becoming more tight as we near our deadline to be home for my dad’s birthday festivities in Nelson, BC which commence on the 19th.

We pulled up stakes and hustled north, stopping in Wawa for gas and then dropping quickly into Rossport to the tiny little Serendipity Cafe we were so delighted to find 5 weeks ago on our way over. Once again, the food was fantastic and we highly recommend this little hidden gem if you’re going by. You can’t see it from the highway but you can’t miss it if you take the Rossport exit. It’s right on the only road through town.

We rode through the beautiful Sleeping Giant Provincial Park on the north shore of Lake Superior and considered staying there but the campsites were too far (35 kms) off the highway so we decided to bite the bullet and stay in the KOA in Thunder Bay again. On the upside, this KOA has probably THE BEST campsite showers ever and very friendly people. The down side, lots of people. But the site has a nice vibe and I really enjoyed all the kids ripping around on their peddle bikes, have a ball. The campsite hosted a bicycle parade for the kids tonight and some of them got dressed up. It was really cute... it made me miss our young grandsons, Owen (8), Mason (6) and Liam (3) who would have been in the thick of things had they been here. I can’t wait to see them in a few days! It’s making me excited to get home. Lynn always says that it’s exciting and great to leave (on a trip) and it’s equally exciting and great to go home. I very much felt this today... 

We went to bed early because we have a big day in front of us tomorrow. We hope to make some serious miles and get a good jump on our way back West. Next stop, Whiteshell Provincial Park in Manitoba. 

July 12, 2019 - Michigan to Lake Superior, Ontario

July 12, 2019

We headed up through northern Michigan this morning and made our way to Mackinaw City which is just south of the huge Mackinaw Bridge which takes you over to North Michigan. It’s an enormous suspension bridge that runs 8 kms and connects the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan and the point where Lake Huron and Lake Michigan join. It’s a beauty to behold and the views from the bridge itself, as you go over it, are amazing. We putted around Mackinaw City itself a bit and saw a huge ice breaker which is now on permanent dock as a museum. There are marinas to see and the downtown strip is packed with tourist shops, selling t-shirts, Knick knacks and no end of candy.

From here, we headed back up into Canada at Sault Saint Marie. For some reason, both of us were feeling like we wanted to be back in Canada for awhile (but don’t read anything into this statement - it’s not because we had any sort of bad experience in the US! In fact, it was entirely positive... the long hot border crossing notwithstanding.) Mostly, I think, we just liked the idea of doing the Lake Superior run again. It’s such a gorgeous route. 

As we made our way north, we stopped once again at Batchewana Bay, home of the world famous fritters. I was in lead at this point and hesitated about stopping but knew that Lynn would like a fritter. So - at the last minute, I pulled in. When we were taking our gear off to go in to the shop, Lynn said he wondered if I was going to stop and said if I hadn’t, he would have pulled off anyway! 

We got some fritters to go and carried on our way. The Trans Canada (Route 17) has some spectacular views of Lake Superior as you ride on along Pancake Bay, Montreal River and then into Lake Superior Provincial Park. Some of the vistas rival those of the Cabot Trail, in my opinion, and are well worth the trip to see. In the Park, our destination was Agawa Bay and the campsite there for the night. Again, we got lucky and managed to score some beachfront real estate.

We lit a campfire, made some dinner, strolled the beach a bit and watched a most glorious sunset unfold before us. It was one of those beauties where the sky ignites in fluorescent pinks, oranges, and yellows before settling into deeper tones of rose, red, and finally bruised purples. It was magnificent. Thank you, Lake Superior! It was worth coming all this way to watch this sunset from your mighty shores.

July 11, 2019 - London to Central Michigan

July 11, 2019

We decided to get up early and hit the road before the heat got too intense. The forecast was for more heat and almost 100% humidity with pending thunderstorms. Verne met us in the cafeteria for breakfast (included in our stay) which was an unbelievable buffet of everything imaginable. Seriously - if you ever need a place to stay in a university town in the summer, check out student residences. They’re not fancy but comfortable and, in this case, the breakfast was included and all for $75 a night.

We said goodbye to Verne and loaded up our bikes which was enough to make us both sticky with sweat. The weather office sure got the humidity prediction right. OY! It was like a sauna out there and it was only 7am.

We bolted from London and caught the freeway to Sarnia where we crossed the border back into the US, this time into Michigan. It was another hot crossing but at least this time, not as long... We hopped onto Route 25 which took us north up The Thumb, a peninsula on Lake Huron. We stayed on The Thumb to Bay City. A lot of the road is inland a bit from the water because most of the waterfront has been bought up and developed so, what you actually see, are a lot of driveways into spectacular waterfront homes but there are bits, here and there, where you actually get good views of the lake and there are some public access points where you can get onto the beaches. Most of the eastern edge of The Thumb is this way but, as you start to come southwest, from Port Austin, it becomes more scenic and there are more points on the road that run along the shore. Saginaw Bay is a big summer holidaying place and there are no end of boating shops, marinas, storage facilities, launches etc. Along with lots of resorts and summer homes. Bay City is a very pretty town and the downtown core is very old with lots of beautiful heritage buildings, many of them brick. We decided that we had seen enough of the coast and wanted to make some better time so we bounced onto the I-75, the interstate that runs up the central part of Michigan. What a NICE ROAD!!

Bay City

(Creative Commons)

Bay City

(Creative Commons) 

Lake Huron - The Thumb, Michigan

After leaving the urban area of Bay City, it quickly enters rural and then wilderness areas. It runs through the Huron National Forest and there are a number of State parks along the way. The road itself is a beautifully smooth, divided highway so it’s easy going and the traffic was very light. We hoofed it up to Higgins Lake and found a campsite for the night.

July 10, 2019 - Niagara Falls and London, Ontario

July 10, 2019

This morning, we packed up and braced ourselves for big traffic and heavy crowds. Neither Lynn nor I are big fans of hordes of people and we tend to avoid crowded areas and big cities wherever possible but sometimes, you have to bite the bullet and this was one of them. We know Niagara Falls is a major tourist trap that, according to many, is highly over-rated but we were here and neither of us had seen it so we decided we would just buck up, muscle our way in there and check it off the list. 

We followed Lake Ontario to Youngstown, a quaint little town on the banks of the Niagara River and just down from Fort Niagara, one of the sites of the famous War of 1812. Across the river sits Fort George on the Canadian side, and housed the Brits. Lots of history here, in this region, and so many of the towns have preserved a lot of the heritage buildings so there is a lot to see...

(On the far right in the distance is Fort Niagara on the US side. On the far right is Fort George on the Canadian side.) 

(Sailing School in Youngstown, NY. Across the river is Fort George in Ontario.)

Finally, we came down to Niagara and we stopped off to look at the hydro dam, Devil’s Hole Rapids and the Whirlpool Rapids before heading to the Falls themselves.

Given that we were anticipating a bit of a teeth-gritting experience, I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised! Yes - it’s touristy. For sure. No question. But that doesn’t take away from the beauty and intense power of these falls and, in the end, both of us were very impressed and glad we came.

(Looking across to Canada from  Goat Island on the US side.) 

There are a number of ways to see the falls from both the Canadian and American side. We decided to run down to Goat Island (on the American side) where you can literally stand right next to the edge of the famous Horseshoe Falls (about 20 feet away) at Terrapin Point. The mist is so thick that you almost immediately get drenched which was fine because it was 35 degrees by the time w e arrived. We were grateful for the reprieve from the heat. From here, you can also get a very good look at the Bridal Falls which come down between Goat Island and the Rainbow Bridge which links Canada and the US.

Some people say the view from the Canada side is better but it was also a whole lot more crowded over there so we were quite happy with our vantage point. As we stood and took in the immensity and pounding roar of these magnificent falls, we pondered the event, two days prior, when a young man decided to go over the falls and somehow managed to survive. Authorities found him sitting on some rocks down below and he sustained only minor injuries. Looking over the falls, it truly seemed miraculous that he made it. 

From here, we rode over the Rainbow Bridge and back into Canada which went without a hitch but, by this time, it was about 37 degrees and, with the Humidex, it felt like about 45. And we had to sit out in the sun in the lineups to go through customs. Which took forever. And by forever, I DO mean forever. I had the same luck in this line up as I usually do in the grocery store - inevitably, I have the rare talent for sniffing out the slowest line ups on the planet and today, I was on point. GAH!!! By the time we got through, I was on Cranky Level 10 which didn’t bode well for the the next 3 hours of intense traffic in Southern Ontario, trying to get our melting selves over to London to meet our good friend Verne, who happened to be there at Western University for a conference. We hoofed it along the QEW and then the 403, both major trucking routes which really suck for motorcyclists. Transport trucks are so huge and go ridiculously fast, creating thundering turbulence in their wake and we get buffeted around like butterflies in a hurricane. Plus it was super busy and super hot and I was already super cranky so the whole thing added up to a fairly annoying afternoon. The one bonus is that they have these huge truck/traveller stops at about 30 km intervals along the freeway with lots of eating and shopping options so we were able to get off a couple of times just to get a break. I discovered they also have banks of massage chairs!! Best $3 I’ve spent the entire trip! 

By the time we hit London, we were in the heart of rush hour traffic and there was also a fair amount of road work going on so we ended up embedded in stop and start traffic for the last 5 kms into the city. And the pavement was like a broiler. Sweet Mother of God. I was so overheated by the time we got to Western, I was almost frantic. Finally, we came to the address of Ontario Hall, the student residence we were meeting Verne at and also staying in and, in the way only the Universe can find humour in, it turns out the street address entrance is blocked off to traffic. Who builds a GD residence with an address you can’t access (because, of course, everyone and their dog, including us, is going to USE that GD address in the GPS to find the GD place!!) What a gong show. Anyway - we finally found our way in after circling the block a few times, getting separated from one another, refinding each other and then finding Verne. By then, I’m pretty sure my core body temperature was somewhere around 56 degrees C. BRUTAL.

Verne hustled us into the Residence, got us checked in and settled and I stood in a cold shower for 20 minutes. For some reason, Lynn isn’t affected by intense heat in the same way I am. Anyway - I managed to cool off and get myself together for dinner. Verne took us to The Ceep (a London landmark pub from his University days back in the 70s) and then he took us for a tour of the city which he still knows well from having lived here for 8 years. We had a great visit and it was fun to meet up with him (he’s from Vancouver) there. We spent a comfortable night in Residence although Lynn’s last words to me, as we were drifting off to sleep, were... “remember when we did that tour of Alcatraz in San Francisco? This place reminds me of that...” ha ha ha... 

July 9, 2019 - Eastern New York

July 9, 2019
(Pics to follow)

The first part of today was a long wait for Lynn’s bike. The Utica Harley dealership was amazing and they had their service people on it all morning and, considering they squeezed us in to their already busy schedule, they did a great job getting it done. We largely hung around in their lounge and I caught up on some emails etc. By 2pm, we were loaded up and back on the road.

We hopped onto the I-90 because we wanted to try to make some good time and catch up for the loss of the day. We weren’t sure what to expect by way of traffic but, for the most part, it was really light. Most of Eastern New York State is rural and this interstate runs straight through the heart of stunning farm land. There are many dairies here, along with corn and other farm crops and really, it was a beautiful run. We were able to sit at a good highway speed on butter smooth pavement (a major bonus for bikers) and we ate up the miles. We bombed past Syracuse and skirted Rochester and finally pulled north off the Interstate on Route 98. We wanted to get up to the shore of Lake Ontario and find a State Park campsite on the beach.

We came through Albion and it’s such a gorgeous little heritage town with many of it’s old buildings intact. The Erie Canal runs through the town and we stopped to take a look at some of the canal barges and boats.

While we were there, one of the women who runs two of the locks came by in her car and stopped to chat about the bikes. She, like a lot of people, have always dreamed of learning how to ride and getting a bike but it’s intimidating if you don’t know someone who can help show you the ropes.

We told her how we did it - in 2011, we were both keen to get into riding but neither of us knew where to start so we decided to sign up for a motorcycle training program which, in retrospect, was probably the smartest thing we did in this whole venture. Not only do you learn the right way to do things from the start, you aren’t picking up other people’s bad habits and we learned defensive driving strategies that a person may not ever learn by learning on your own. A major bonus for us is that, in our region (British Columbia) they also give you a discount on your bike insurance if you’ve taken the program! We did ours through the Kelowna and District Safety Council but they offer it all over the province. By the time we finished our chat with our friend in Albion, she was stoked to check out the offerings in Rochester. I sure hope she buys a bike.

One of the things she told us is that you can rent boats and go along the Erie Canal. Along the Canal, you can tie up at the side when you come into towns and go exploring and you just radio to the locks to let them know you’re coming and will need a ride up or down. What a fun holiday to do! It was completed in 1825 and runs for almost 600 kms from the Hudson River near Albany to Lake Erie near Buffalo. In 2000, it was deemed a heritage corridor in the US and, in the past 10 years, there has been a rise in commercial traffic as well as recreational use. I’m seriously going to look into what it would entail to rent a boat and do the canal. What a hoot!

From Albion, we shot straight north to Lakeside Beach State Park and we were lucky enough to score a spot right on a little cliff that looks out over the water. The park was very quiet because it was a week day so it was a lovely little retreat for a night. As the evening descended, mist rose up from the water, obscuring the division between water and sky and making the sun a fluorescent orangey-pink fireball in the sky. We watched the sun set over the water as we enjoyed our nightcap. What a great end to a beautiful day of riding.

I can’t say enough about what a wonderful experience we’ve had in Upstate New York. When one thinks of New York, the city tends to pop into mind, that bustling metropolis that never sleeps, but really, the entire northern part of the State is stunning rural farm land and, of course, beautiful wilderness in the Adirondacks. I would come back to this region for more exploring in a heartbeat and would highly recommend it for your bucket list.

July 8, 2019 - Upstate New York

July 8, 2019
(Check back for more pics later!)

From Plattsburgh, we started our day today heading south on Route 3 towards the Adirondack Mountains. Route 3 is another FAT highlighted route in the Harley Tour Book and we thouroughly enjoyed this ride as well.

The north end of the park is relatively sparse as far as population and towns. We followed the Saranac River for quite a long way and it’s a bucolic area through Cadyville, Redford and down through to Saranac Lake. The river is lazy and the thick trees and bushes along the shores reach out over the water. A perfect paddling river.

Saranac Lake is a gorgeous little town and one we would love to come back to and stay for awhile. It was first settled in the very early 1800s and today, the village boasts a very large number of historic buildings in the downtown core. It turns out, it was once an international center for treating tuberculosis and it was the place where a cure was eventually developed. Who knew?

Today, it’s a very artsy little town on the banks of it’s namesake lake and there are lovely little cafes, art gallerys and other delightful little shops to mooch around through. And, of course, it’s nestled in the middle of the stunning Adirondack Mountains. The park itself is over 2.5 million acres of preserved land that is State owned.

From Saranac, we headed over to Tupper Lake which was also interesting. While not nearly as picturesque as Saranac Lake, when you first come into the town of Tupper Lake, you are immediately met by an ENORMOUS set of white buildings that look like either a military compound or a small university. Turns out, it’s a hospital for people with mental illness so, without knowing much else about it, I imagine it must be a central hospital for people from across the State given that Tupper is just a tiny town.

Heading south on Route 30, we came to Blue Moutain Lake and, at this point, things started to get very touristy. What they call Central Adirondacks is a massively popular outdoor recreation area and there are hundreds of beautiful resorts and a plethora of lakes everywhere. Around every corner is another lake and some of them are very large. They form a group that people come to paddle and, like Saranac River, these lakes are idyllic. It is truly a paddlers paradise here. In many ways, this area is, to New York State what the Muskoka area is to Ontario - major cottage country and some of them are jawdropping, matching Whistler Mountain Village chalets in their splendour. But, in between some of these huge cottages are many smaller cabins that have stood the test of time...

Over to Old Forge, we stopped again and had a look around. As the story goes, back in the early 1800s, an iron mine opened here and a fellow built the first forge in the area which quickly became a meeting place for locals and then the center of the first European settlement here. The old forge itself is long gone but the name remains.

Continuing south, by the time we passed through Woodgate, the mountains subsided and the terrain flattened out. All day today, Lynn’s engine light was coming on and his volt meter was low so we decided to high tail it to the closest dealership in Utica, NY. We were grateful we didn’t end up stranded in the mountains! We made it in by 3pm and Doug, the service manager, was awesome. Harley dealerships almost always prioritize people who are travelling through and Doug got Lynn’s trike on the diagnostic machine ASAP. Turns out he needs some electronics replaced but they didn’t have time to finish the job today so we booked into a hotel (TOO HOT TO CAMP!! About 35 in the city...) and managed to get a couple loads of laundry done and some of this blog caught up.

I went on Trip Advisor and saw that there was a Delmonico’s right next door and it’s rated the #4 restuarant in Utica (a small city of about 65,000 people.) Delmonico’s has a long and storied history, beginning in New York City in the 1800s and it has morphed and changed hands over the years. At one time, it was a speakeasy during prohibition in NYC. There are now several other locations throughout NY State, with Utica being one of them. They are world famous for their Delmonico Steak - a 24 ounce Rib Eye. We shared one and it was still a huge meal. We also shared their legendary Tiramisu and seriously, it was probably the best I’ve ever had. Perhaps the best part of Delmonico’s is the decor. It’s sort the peak of 1970s Italian Rube with shiny gold stuff everywhere (vases etc.) and gold plastic bead curtains adorning the walls. There is a special dining room encased  in glass walls which is the show piece of the restaurant - designed by the owner’s wife. A golden table surrounded by golden upholstered chairs and a behemoth crystal chandelier.  It is absolutely breathtaking in all it’s kitschy glory... Delmonico’s completely made my day. Hands down the best meal we’ve had this entire trip and the ambiance was perfection. Next time you’re in Utica, NY, do yourself a favour and hit up Delmonico’s.   Your NY mafia boss alter-ego   will be delighted. And buy the steak.

July 7, 2019 - New Hampshire & Vermont

July 7, 2019
Having gained an hour coming into Maine yesterday, we woke up early this morning to a beautiful, sunny day. We packed up camp and hit the road, excited to be heading into the White Mountains here in New Hampshire.

We have our Harley Touring Handbook which, among other things, highlights the best riding routes on all the North America maps. The roads through the White Mountains got FAT yellow highlights and we weren’t disappointed.

We started off by doing a loop through Berlin, Milan and then over to Groveton which was a twisty, windy road that wove through small little settlements with lots of little camps buried in the thick forest. They’re mad for “camps” up here and they’re hidden away all throughout the trees. There are also over 20 covered bridges in this area which have been restored and are whimsical to come across!

We headed south to Twin Mountain and then east to Glen which took us up and over the Kancamagus Pass through Crawford Notch where we had a spectacular view of Mount Washington. The Pass is about 3000 feet - not super huge by our BC Rockies standards back home but it was quite a bit like Cape Breton - green wooly hills crushed together forming some spectacular valleys. The ride was beautiful and it was a steady 28 degrees C which is about perfect in our books. From Glen, we headed south to North Conway and then Conway. These are well built up tourist towns that cater to motorcyclists and outdoor enthusiasts in the summer and skiers and snowmobiles in the winter. Suddenly, we found ourselves in bumper to bumper traffic for several blocks, trying to get through town and there was a hustle and bustle of folks on the streets, shopping and sitting in sidewalk cafes. Lots of bars, cafes, restaurants, gift shops and other tourist fare.

From Conway, we headed back west on the Kangamagus Highway which skirts the southern edge of the White Mountain National Park. It was another beautiful, scenic leg of the trip today, filled with lovely mountain vistas. From Lincoln, we decided to make some time so we shot up the I-93 interstate to St. Johnsbury where we cut down Route 2 to Montpelier, in Vermont. This smaller route took us through some stunning farmland (quite a few dairy farms) and we stopped in Marshfield for some lunch. Boy did we hit the jackpot.

Marshfield is a tiny hamlet with just a handful of houses on the main drag and only a couple of small businesses. If you blink, you would miss it but I caught a sign for the Rainbow Sweet Bakery and Cafe so we pulled over. Bill Tecosky is the owner and he’s been here for over 40 years. He specializes in European style pastries, some savoury, many sweet. He’s got a fast talking schtick he does with everyone who walks in - he’s his own one-man comedy show and his love for his craft and for the people who come for his delectables shines through. We had some pasties for lunch with a Greek salad and then we had a couple of desserts because you really couldn’t be here and not. Lynn had a chocolate ganache cake that was like velvet and I had the profiteroles which were divine...

Bill loves to talk and, for the time we were the only ones in the shop, he chatted with us and we covered a lot of ground. It didn’t take long for things to move to politics (which I have been adamantly avoiding here in the States - I don’t want to end up in a brawl!) but, thankfully, we were of like mind. He’s a staunch Democrat and, in fact, he says Vermont is probably the most liberal of all the States and home to Bernie Sanders. We love Bernie!! Bill said he’d say hi to him for us... If you ever happen to run through Vermont on Route 2, stopping at the Rainbow Sweets in Marshfield is a MUST. You won’t be disappointed, I promise.

From Montpelier, we carried on to Burlington and over  to Grand Isle where we caught a small 15 minute ferry over to Plattsburgh, New York. Just off the ferry was a gorgeous state park right on the shore of the enormous Lake Champlain where we camped tonight. As soon as we arrived, our neighbours from Iowa (who we had only met for 2 minutes) poured us a Jack and Ginger so we sat and visited with them for awhile. Turns out they used to ride as well so they didn’t mind “the riff raff” showing up.

On our other side were a large group of youth and it turns out, they are on a bicycle trip from New York City to Montreal through a youth trekking organization. Some of the kids were only 14 years old and there were about 10 of them with two “counsellors” who were in their early 20s. Lynn helped them with their fire which they were having issues with (green wood) so we visited with them for awhile as well. With all this visiting, we didn’t get to bed until 10:30! It was a great day.