Category Archives: On the road

Long trips, On the road

Ice cream parlors

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Usually I’m making time to get to the ferry, but today I had time to kill. Thus:

Just another lake
More lake country

The pace is slower on the island:

From dawn to dusk
The swing bridge moves at its own pace from dawn to dusk

And because of that:

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream
Animal, vegetable, or mineral, nothing holds me back

Delicacies come in many flavors on the road. I try to sample what comes my way, whether it be vegetable, animal or mineral.

The ferry ride from Manitoulin Island south to Tobermory is always uneventful, except for the characters that populate the ship. Of course, those vary from crossing to crossing. This time it was someone who was solving a Rubik’s cube in 45 seconds — every time.

About an hour south of the terminal and I had forgotten how convoluted the county highway system is in western Ontario — but no worries! I have been reminded.

For approximately two hours, as I discovered roads closed and detours listed, I wandered aimlessly — which in and of itself is not unusual. However, I did have a final destination in mind. Thanks to a woman who pulled up beside me while I was perusing my map, I finally found myself prodded in the appropriate direction.

Eventually, I got to where I needed to be, but not before putting on an extra hundred miles and fumbling around with a map that was almost impossible to use on county roads. Oh well.

Long trips, On the road

Meandering

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Yesterday I stopped yet again for an overnight visit with a former colleague. He and his wife are camped out at a lake for the summer, so I was able to enjoy the mosquito ambiance of a northern Ontario summer. I’ve not experienced that for a long while. He does have all the comforts though. He’s not in a tent; he has running water; the roof doesn’t leak; the air conditioner works and the toilet flushes. Roughing it is a bitch.

So far, the weather has continued to be fantastic. It’s cooler today, but only because of some high cloud cover. I’ve not had any rain to date, but I think that will be coming tomorrow following my crossing on the Tobermory ferry. I’ve always liked that trip, especially when the sun is shining. On my odyssey last summer I rode into heavy summer rains after debarking. It didn’t last long and I dried out quickly, but it can be a pain on a two-lane highway.

Truthfully though, heavy rain can be a pain on any highway.

I should make my destination tomorrow also — not that that will be a good thing. My friend’s surgery is on Thursday, I believe. (As always while on a long distance ride I’ve been in a time warp, so I’ll need a day to adjust. That’s pretty typical for me. — losing track of time like that — when I’m riding.)

I’m looking forward to seeing my friend and his family, but not the reason for doing so.

Long trips, On the road

A brief note

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Those of you not in the long-distance riding part of the curve don’t care, but boxers are in and briefs are out. Why, you might ask? Or not. But I’ll tell you anyway.

Briefs have a seam that one is constantly sitting on.

Boxers, on the other hand, don’t.

Simple, isn’t it?

We have the technology, and it is boxers.

Lake Superior, Long trips, On the road

North shore bonanza

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This scares me. I may have nightmares tonight.
This scares me. I may have nightmares tonight.

The north shore is still amazing.

Why that vast expanse is not publicized as the largest pristine wilderness area in the world with unlimited public access is beyond me. The tourist operators are missing the boat on that one – but that’s typical of Canadian small business. They’re too busy concentrating on the obvious – a goddamned cement goose, for crying out loud – to see the benefits of an enhanced effort to draw people to a huge expanse of wilderness virtually untouched by anyone.

Keep ’em coming down the highway and let ’em stop at the gawk and go. Sell ’em a t-shirt that says ‘I was here’ and then shove them out the door to make room for the next. Perhaps they’ll use the washroom that reeks of urine and buy a donut while they’re here.

Yeah. That’s the ticket.

Long trips, On the road

Boring stuff

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I took a day off today to stop in and congratulate a friend on the sale of his motel. He’s had it on the block for a while now, and I think he was getting antsy about the prospect of not being able to unload it – if I can use that expression.

It’s located in a high-traffic location close to a crossroads, with plenty of traffic traveling in all directions. I think the new owners will do just fine.

I was wondering where the Red & White were heading. Apparently there’s a gathering out west.

Truckers are a biker’s friend. Thanks, guys.

Long trips, On the road, Short trips

More joy

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The wind is toying with me.

Again this morning at sunup it’s back with a vengeance, out of the south for one more day. The low that’s causing this is west of me, but the gradient is steep, thus the wind.

Finally, four hours later it subsided a bit. Once into the treeline it dissipates even more, and I’m home free.

Only 600 miles today. Two days to make a thousand.

Pretty poor sledding.

Long trips, On the road

The joy of motorcycling

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All day I’ve had a crosswind out of the south – not a bad thing, generally – but when it’s 30 gusting to +60 it can be a bit of a drag. It’s a real fight, and more than a few times I was blown from the right track to the center line. The old reflexes take a beating, to be sure.

The good thing about it is that there’s no flies when I stop for breaks – and I stop often when I’m tested with winds like that.

Later on in the afternoon the wind turned into a quartering headwind, and became somewhat steady, as in 30+40. Now that’s not so bad – but I rode only 400 miles today.

It’s all part of the joy of motorcycling.