At breakfast, we realized our pre-planned route would get us to Ottawa, so we threw out the plan. Get us to Ottawa, we told Lady Garmin. And she did.
The city is named for the Odawa of the First Nation. Somewhere along the line, the spelling was messed up.
Garmin took us Right Downtown in Toronto. Downtown.
I hate riding through major cities. I really hate riding through Downtown in major cities.
We squeezed into a spot on the curb (the parking lot guy wanted $15 minimum from each of us -- $45 total) and got photos in front of the CN Tower/Space Needle.
We mounted up and headed east.
At a lunch stop, an elderly woman welcomed us to Canada and celebrated our ride. She was in town for her high school reunion. She hadn't "seen some of these people for 45 years." I realized she finished school a year after I. Not so elderly, after all.
-- Rain? Mais certainement (close?) we would say in French Canada.
-- The farms in southern and eastern Ontario are truly beautiful -- to ward off touristy photographers, some even have No Trespassing signs at their drive.
-- Parliament plaza -- that's what I'm calling it because of the number of government buildings -- has a European feel. Massive buildings that look as if they were moved over from 17th century France.
--Tim Horton's restaurants are in every city and hamlet. And except for the apple fritters, the food is pretty ordinary, in my opinion.
-- I'm continually surprised by the amount of rust on the cars up here.
-- We've not heard from Clark since he started for home three days ago... which can only mean he's either asleep at home or still riding.
-- Tomorrow, we turn the corner. We head south. We'll take pics at the Erie Canal, somewhere in the Finger Lakes and, mais certainment, in Titusville, PA.
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Friday, May 29, 2015
Sashaying through Michigan
I'm reluctant to step on any toes, but: northern Michigan is waaay more scenic than central Michigan.
Bay City, though, is quite an attractive city -- at least, the part we saw is attractive.
Center Street reminds me of Swiss Avenue in Dallas: old, gracious homes with gargoyles and concrete lions and tidy lawns. Yes, we actually wandered around town admiring the architecture.
Perhaps it's no longer so, but Bay City in the past attracted some real money.
-- Delhi, Ontario is the center of Canada's tobacco-growing industry. (if we saw any tobacco in the fields, we didn't know what we were seeing.)
-- Across southern Ontario the trees are finally, mostly leafed out. The oats and wheat are getting close to knee high, strawberries are coming along nicely and the corn has shouldered its way through the top soil. This is a region of rolling hills and beautiful fields.
-- A first for me, we slowed our pace to ease around a young couple in a horse-drawn buggy.
-- Aimee Simple McPherson, the famous 20th century evangelist, was born just down the road from our lodgings in Simcoe, ON.
-- We are three now. Clark Langley started home yesterday.
-- Tomorrow, Ottawa.
Bay City, though, is quite an attractive city -- at least, the part we saw is attractive.
Center Street reminds me of Swiss Avenue in Dallas: old, gracious homes with gargoyles and concrete lions and tidy lawns. Yes, we actually wandered around town admiring the architecture.
Perhaps it's no longer so, but Bay City in the past attracted some real money.
-- Delhi, Ontario is the center of Canada's tobacco-growing industry. (if we saw any tobacco in the fields, we didn't know what we were seeing.)
-- Across southern Ontario the trees are finally, mostly leafed out. The oats and wheat are getting close to knee high, strawberries are coming along nicely and the corn has shouldered its way through the top soil. This is a region of rolling hills and beautiful fields.
-- A first for me, we slowed our pace to ease around a young couple in a horse-drawn buggy.
-- Aimee Simple McPherson, the famous 20th century evangelist, was born just down the road from our lodgings in Simcoe, ON.
-- We are three now. Clark Langley started home yesterday.
-- Tomorrow, Ottawa.
Thursday, May 28, 2015
I thought happiness was Ontario in my rear view mirror
In fairness, but for inches of rain, temps in the 40s and a certain HoJo motel in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario was nice.
-'Forget circadian rhythms. From Thunder Bay to the Soo, life along the Trans-Canada highway is driven by the rhythms of Lake Superior.
Out of smoked fish? There's still ice on the lake and our supplier can't get his boat in the water.
Water sports? Well sure I know how to swim, but probably not this summer; there's still ice.
I ran ore must be shipped off-shore, where converting it to steel is less expensive; that means shipping and thar means storms and winter affect work.
-- The drive from Nipigon to Sault Ste Marie us stunning. Sharply-colored rock strata. wildlife, towering cliffs, rivers, bogs, creeks, salt-free surf, spruce, birch, fog, sun.
-- In Wawa,ON a giant canada goose sculpture was erected decades ago. The thinking was the towering goose (30 feet tall) would draw tourists and the government would decide the new Trans Canada route should go through Wawa. It worked. The Tc runs within 50 yards of the goose.
-- Entered from the north, Sault Ste Marie is new, modern, bustling. Near the border, not so much. Think rust belt, dilapidated, dingy.
-- Avoid the Howard Johnson motel in the Soo. Bad understates it by many degrees.
So long, Ontario. Hello, Michigan.
-- The Mackinac bridge, in the rain and warnings in place (20 mph for trucks and buses) is 5 miles of tense adventure on a motorcycle. Finished in 1957, the Big Mac is an engineering marvel, 200 feet above the water.
--Whitefish Point, as far north as you can go inMichigan, is home to a working lighthouse and the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. The Bell recovered from the Edmund Fitzgerald is on display here. Fascinating, time-consuming stuff. It's a shame it's so darned far out there.
-- Harbor Springs, MI --north of the flashier Charlevoix --was built by rich industrialists when they sought and could afford to seek, relief from un-air conditioned summers in Cleveland, Detroit, St. Louis, Cincinnati, even Oklahoma City. What a beautiful enclave. Even the marina is spotless.
--We can't say enough nice things about Mark and Connie Rosen. Friends from Kilgore, they own a cottage in Gaylord (first knuckle, second finger of the Michigan Mitt). The Rosens gave us dinner, a bed for two nights and a place to do our laundry.
Tomorrow, eastward for a return to Ontario, headed to Ottowa.
--Glad you're feeling better, Jerry Myers.
-'Forget circadian rhythms. From Thunder Bay to the Soo, life along the Trans-Canada highway is driven by the rhythms of Lake Superior.
Out of smoked fish? There's still ice on the lake and our supplier can't get his boat in the water.
Water sports? Well sure I know how to swim, but probably not this summer; there's still ice.
I ran ore must be shipped off-shore, where converting it to steel is less expensive; that means shipping and thar means storms and winter affect work.
-- The drive from Nipigon to Sault Ste Marie us stunning. Sharply-colored rock strata. wildlife, towering cliffs, rivers, bogs, creeks, salt-free surf, spruce, birch, fog, sun.
-- In Wawa,ON a giant canada goose sculpture was erected decades ago. The thinking was the towering goose (30 feet tall) would draw tourists and the government would decide the new Trans Canada route should go through Wawa. It worked. The Tc runs within 50 yards of the goose.
-- Entered from the north, Sault Ste Marie is new, modern, bustling. Near the border, not so much. Think rust belt, dilapidated, dingy.
-- Avoid the Howard Johnson motel in the Soo. Bad understates it by many degrees.
So long, Ontario. Hello, Michigan.
-- The Mackinac bridge, in the rain and warnings in place (20 mph for trucks and buses) is 5 miles of tense adventure on a motorcycle. Finished in 1957, the Big Mac is an engineering marvel, 200 feet above the water.
--Whitefish Point, as far north as you can go inMichigan, is home to a working lighthouse and the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. The Bell recovered from the Edmund Fitzgerald is on display here. Fascinating, time-consuming stuff. It's a shame it's so darned far out there.
-- Harbor Springs, MI --north of the flashier Charlevoix --was built by rich industrialists when they sought and could afford to seek, relief from un-air conditioned summers in Cleveland, Detroit, St. Louis, Cincinnati, even Oklahoma City. What a beautiful enclave. Even the marina is spotless.
--We can't say enough nice things about Mark and Connie Rosen. Friends from Kilgore, they own a cottage in Gaylord (first knuckle, second finger of the Michigan Mitt). The Rosens gave us dinner, a bed for two nights and a place to do our laundry.
Tomorrow, eastward for a return to Ontario, headed to Ottowa.
--Glad you're feeling better, Jerry Myers.
Monday, May 25, 2015
Wet say to Nipigon
We passed through Dorion, Ontario today.... Should have been Dorian, given the color of the sky; we had no sun today. It wasn't as wet as Texas, but we left Duluth in the rain and arrived at Nipigon in the rain, 350 miles in the rain.
Leaving Duluth, a town unfamiliar to all of us, was quite a puckery experience.
I'm sure we passed some great scenery, we just didn't see it.
Christmas the year I was 10, I wanted a .22 rifle. Badly.
In those days, Rural Free Delivery meant the mailman left your packages down at the mailbox. One day on December he left a rifle-shaped box. When I opened the box Christmas morning, it was a Daisy air rifle. Obviously, I was disappointed. Today was sort of like that -- the box was the right shape, but doggone it, it turned out to be a BB gun.
Tomorrow's ride to Sault Ste Marie promises to be a rifle.
-- My First Gear riding boots kept my feet dry today, alone on our foursome.
-- Much of Minnesota apparently travels to Lake Superior for Memorial Day weekend. As we were headed to the north shore, the holidayers were coming toward us, many with canoes strapped on top of their cars. Grand Marais appears to be a popular resort; once past that touristy community, southbound traffic slowed to a trickle.
-- Canadian customs officials are apparently trained not to be friendly.
-- Dinner tonight at Sunnyside (!) Restaurant. Proprietor Brian Bannion was once Northern Ontario Junior Curling Champion. Brian explained to us the intricacies and the difference between good ice and bad ice.
Al Hockner, once a World Champion curler, is also from Nipogon and several other curling luminaries are from the Nipigon/Red Rock area. We are at the center of the curling world.
--Trip statistician Jeff says our overall average today was a puny 35.6 miles per hour. But we're at the motel in time to watch the first installment of Texas Rising on the History Channel.
Leaving Duluth, a town unfamiliar to all of us, was quite a puckery experience.
I'm sure we passed some great scenery, we just didn't see it.
Christmas the year I was 10, I wanted a .22 rifle. Badly.
In those days, Rural Free Delivery meant the mailman left your packages down at the mailbox. One day on December he left a rifle-shaped box. When I opened the box Christmas morning, it was a Daisy air rifle. Obviously, I was disappointed. Today was sort of like that -- the box was the right shape, but doggone it, it turned out to be a BB gun.
Tomorrow's ride to Sault Ste Marie promises to be a rifle.
-- My First Gear riding boots kept my feet dry today, alone on our foursome.
-- Much of Minnesota apparently travels to Lake Superior for Memorial Day weekend. As we were headed to the north shore, the holidayers were coming toward us, many with canoes strapped on top of their cars. Grand Marais appears to be a popular resort; once past that touristy community, southbound traffic slowed to a trickle.
-- Canadian customs officials are apparently trained not to be friendly.
-- Dinner tonight at Sunnyside (!) Restaurant. Proprietor Brian Bannion was once Northern Ontario Junior Curling Champion. Brian explained to us the intricacies and the difference between good ice and bad ice.
Al Hockner, once a World Champion curler, is also from Nipogon and several other curling luminaries are from the Nipigon/Red Rock area. We are at the center of the curling world.
--Trip statistician Jeff says our overall average today was a puny 35.6 miles per hour. But we're at the motel in time to watch the first installment of Texas Rising on the History Channel.
Sunday, May 24, 2015
Through the woods to Duluth
Much easier day today. Temps in low 70s, mostly, and dry until the last 60 miles or so.
The Upper Peninsula is a beautiful place; the economy appears spotty. Passed through Negaunee and Ishpeming -- hometowns of Christine and David Ameen, the couple next door when we were students at UNT. (I suspect they're no longer a couple, but then...)
We rode the Neweemaw peninsula to Copper Harbor. You can't go any further north in Michigan (without swimming) than that stunning, rocky, tiny, touristy community.
Nice lunch. I had fish sandwich and slaw. they assured me it wasn't Gulf Coast fish.
we've seen some nice towns. Houghton looked like a fun place to spend some time.
-- Michigan maintains quite a network of ATV/snow mobile trails. very impressive.
-- The mosquitoes on the UP are dangerous.
-- Lake Superior is huge. You knew that. But I'm telling you it is HUGE. 400 miles long, 80 miles north-south.
Duluth is a remarkably busy port -- even without the showy private yachts, this would be a busy waterfront. The piles of iron ore were a surprise.
-- In Texas, when we think Native Americans, we think of Apache or Cherokee or Choctaw, a half-dozen others. we forget about the Ojibwa and the Ottowa and the Brule and the scores of tribes that lived around Lake Gitchegumi. BTW, a lot of stuff here is named Hiawatha.
The Upper Peninsula is a beautiful place; the economy appears spotty. Passed through Negaunee and Ishpeming -- hometowns of Christine and David Ameen, the couple next door when we were students at UNT. (I suspect they're no longer a couple, but then...)
We rode the Neweemaw peninsula to Copper Harbor. You can't go any further north in Michigan (without swimming) than that stunning, rocky, tiny, touristy community.
Nice lunch. I had fish sandwich and slaw. they assured me it wasn't Gulf Coast fish.
we've seen some nice towns. Houghton looked like a fun place to spend some time.
-- Michigan maintains quite a network of ATV/snow mobile trails. very impressive.
-- The mosquitoes on the UP are dangerous.
-- Lake Superior is huge. You knew that. But I'm telling you it is HUGE. 400 miles long, 80 miles north-south.
Duluth is a remarkably busy port -- even without the showy private yachts, this would be a busy waterfront. The piles of iron ore were a surprise.
-- In Texas, when we think Native Americans, we think of Apache or Cherokee or Choctaw, a half-dozen others. we forget about the Ojibwa and the Ottowa and the Brule and the scores of tribes that lived around Lake Gitchegumi. BTW, a lot of stuff here is named Hiawatha.
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Loess is more than I expected
We're not in Nebraska anymore.
700 miles, or thereabouts, later, we're in Escanaba, Michigan. The UP, where pasties is a polish food. Seriously.
-- Iowa is not flat. It's not mountainous, but the loess left by an early climate change makes for nice scenery.
-- Dubuque is probably an interesting place. They call it America's River. Nice waterfront, great bridge. Terry and I agree it calls to mind Butte, Montana for no other reason than the historically-significant (maybe) dark red brick buildings downtown.
--At least one A&W restaurant in Wisconsin has cheese curds on the menu. I kid you not.
-- There is a town in Iowa named What Cheer. Nobody knows where the name!e came from -- according to Jeff.
--It's lilac season... Almost intoxicating.
--Lambeau Field is impressive. The visit to Curly Lambeau's frozen tundra was fun and photogenic, though not a spiritual moment for this Broncos fan.
--had a good budget at Brett Fabre's restaurant. No sign of Brett but we're told Green Bay (the city) has forgiven his brief tenure with the Vikings.
--Deer here are large and many of them are dead beside the highway. Not enough, I say, after a tense 60 miles through Michigan's dark and deep woods.
--1500 miles in three days is a new experience for Clark. his shutter finger still works, though.
Still working on that picture thing. I'll get there.
700 miles, or thereabouts, later, we're in Escanaba, Michigan. The UP, where pasties is a polish food. Seriously.
-- Iowa is not flat. It's not mountainous, but the loess left by an early climate change makes for nice scenery.
-- Dubuque is probably an interesting place. They call it America's River. Nice waterfront, great bridge. Terry and I agree it calls to mind Butte, Montana for no other reason than the historically-significant (maybe) dark red brick buildings downtown.
--At least one A&W restaurant in Wisconsin has cheese curds on the menu. I kid you not.
-- There is a town in Iowa named What Cheer. Nobody knows where the name!e came from -- according to Jeff.
--It's lilac season... Almost intoxicating.
--Lambeau Field is impressive. The visit to Curly Lambeau's frozen tundra was fun and photogenic, though not a spiritual moment for this Broncos fan.
--had a good budget at Brett Fabre's restaurant. No sign of Brett but we're told Green Bay (the city) has forgiven his brief tenure with the Vikings.
--Deer here are large and many of them are dead beside the highway. Not enough, I say, after a tense 60 miles through Michigan's dark and deep woods.
--1500 miles in three days is a new experience for Clark. his shutter finger still works, though.
Still working on that picture thing. I'll get there.
Friday, May 22, 2015
Oklahoma City to Jeff and Amber's place in Elkhorn, NE
Oklahoma rain is serious rain.
Clark and I left his mom's house in a light rain. We met up with Terry in deluge on the north side of OKC. And we rode in 55 degree rain well into Kansas
At Billings, OK we stopped so Clark could wring the water out of his socks. Literally.
He had to do it again in Kansas. I'll figure out how to load the pix from my phone.
Eventually, somewhere south of York, NE it cleared up -- in time to appreciate the pretty town of Concordia, KS.
Got to Elkhorn about 5:45. Jeff grilled steaks, Amber made cupcakes and homemade icecream. (Again, I'll figure out the picture thing soon.) Jeff is a wine guy, so we've had a really nice red Zim from Seghesio vinyard.
Early start tomorrow... scheduled to sleep in Escanab, MI tomorrow night.
Clark and I left his mom's house in a light rain. We met up with Terry in deluge on the north side of OKC. And we rode in 55 degree rain well into Kansas
At Billings, OK we stopped so Clark could wring the water out of his socks. Literally.
He had to do it again in Kansas. I'll figure out how to load the pix from my phone.
Eventually, somewhere south of York, NE it cleared up -- in time to appreciate the pretty town of Concordia, KS.
Got to Elkhorn about 5:45. Jeff grilled steaks, Amber made cupcakes and homemade icecream. (Again, I'll figure out the picture thing soon.) Jeff is a wine guy, so we've had a really nice red Zim from Seghesio vinyard.
Early start tomorrow... scheduled to sleep in Escanab, MI tomorrow night.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Heads up -- we're changing the name
At the request of Jeff G.R. Myers, the name of the Great Lakes Tour as been changed. Official vacation wear, should there be any, will bear the official title:
Great Lap of the Great Lakes Motorcycle Tour of 2015.
All insurance card problems have been resolved. Langley got his, Jeff's company gave him a handful of cards, Terry's got his worked out. Foremost sent cards both to me AND to Laird Insurance. If you need extras, Jeff and I can take care of it.
Great Lap of the Great Lakes Motorcycle Tour of 2015.
All insurance card problems have been resolved. Langley got his, Jeff's company gave him a handful of cards, Terry's got his worked out. Foremost sent cards both to me AND to Laird Insurance. If you need extras, Jeff and I can take care of it.
Leaving tomorrow.
Clark and I will be heading out tomorrow on the first leg of the Great Lakes trip. He has a bum hip, otherwise the first leg would have been from here to Omaha on Friday. So, we'll overnight at his mom's place in Oklahoma City tomorrow then leave for Omaha early Friday. There, we'll meet up with Terry and Jeff, spend Friday night at Jeff's place and head for Lake Michigan on Saturday.
It's taken a while for everyone to get pumped about this trip -- the Rockies are probably a bit more scenic -- but, based on phone text activity the last few days, we're all now in the right frame of mind.
Insurance all squared away, at last. Tonight I'll fuel up and rinse the Camelback. given the weather forecast I might even give the Aerostitch a good coat of Scotch Guard.
It's taken a while for everyone to get pumped about this trip -- the Rockies are probably a bit more scenic -- but, based on phone text activity the last few days, we're all now in the right frame of mind.
Insurance all squared away, at last. Tonight I'll fuel up and rinse the Camelback. given the weather forecast I might even give the Aerostitch a good coat of Scotch Guard.
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Jessica's sending a SPOT on the trip
Jessica just couldn't stand not being able to follow the bikes, so she rented a SPOT tracker.
If you want to follow us, too:
Just follow this link to see my location updates:
If the link doesn't work, try copying and pasting it to your browser's address bar.u want to track us, too,
If you want to follow us, too:
Just follow this link to see my location updates:
If the link doesn't work, try copying and pasting it to your browser's address bar.u want to track us, too,
Friday, May 15, 2015
Prepped for the 2015 Great Lakes Tour
It's Time!
In seven days I'm off on The Great Lakes Tour.
With Terry Summers, Clark Langley and Jeff Myers, we're riding up the west side of Lake Michigan, around Superior, across THE bridge and down the east side of Lake Michigan. From there, we'll go east on the north side of Lake Ontario and Erie (south of Huron, of course, but I have to include the name here or it's not the Great Lakes Tour, it would be the Tour of Four of the Great Lakes) over to Ottawa.
We'll lose Clark in Michigan -- we'll spend two nights in Gaylord with Mark and Connie Rosen, from there Clark will ride home by himself.
After an evening in Ottawa we'll turn south through the Finger Lakes region of New York and down to Titusville, PA.
Somewhere along there, Jeff will head west to Omaha.
Terry and I will come south through Appalachian Kentucky, through Tennessee and into Alabama before turning west to Texas. The final day, we'll hot-foot it from Gadsden to home.
Total for the trip will be in the neighborhood of 6500 miles in 15 days with -- as always -- the longest days getting out of and back into Texas.
Preparation has seemed easier this time. Maybe I've finally figured it out.
New tire on the back -- the front should be fine -- and the final drive has new fluid. New brake fluid, air filter and valve check.
And I've borrowed Skip's Air Hawk.
All that's left is to change the oil and run the Super Tenere through the car wash.
Clark and I will leave here after lunch Thursday, May 21 and spend the night with his mom in Oklahoma City. Friday we'll head for Omaha where we'll link up with Jeff. Terry will ride from Plano to Omaha on Friday and meet us there.
Motel rooms are booked. Tourist destinations are mapped. Jessica has agreed to hold down the fort.
Saturday, May 23, the next adventure begins..
In seven days I'm off on The Great Lakes Tour.
With Terry Summers, Clark Langley and Jeff Myers, we're riding up the west side of Lake Michigan, around Superior, across THE bridge and down the east side of Lake Michigan. From there, we'll go east on the north side of Lake Ontario and Erie (south of Huron, of course, but I have to include the name here or it's not the Great Lakes Tour, it would be the Tour of Four of the Great Lakes) over to Ottawa.
We'll lose Clark in Michigan -- we'll spend two nights in Gaylord with Mark and Connie Rosen, from there Clark will ride home by himself.
After an evening in Ottawa we'll turn south through the Finger Lakes region of New York and down to Titusville, PA.
Somewhere along there, Jeff will head west to Omaha.
Terry and I will come south through Appalachian Kentucky, through Tennessee and into Alabama before turning west to Texas. The final day, we'll hot-foot it from Gadsden to home.
Total for the trip will be in the neighborhood of 6500 miles in 15 days with -- as always -- the longest days getting out of and back into Texas.
Preparation has seemed easier this time. Maybe I've finally figured it out.
New tire on the back -- the front should be fine -- and the final drive has new fluid. New brake fluid, air filter and valve check.
And I've borrowed Skip's Air Hawk.
All that's left is to change the oil and run the Super Tenere through the car wash.
Clark and I will leave here after lunch Thursday, May 21 and spend the night with his mom in Oklahoma City. Friday we'll head for Omaha where we'll link up with Jeff. Terry will ride from Plano to Omaha on Friday and meet us there.
Motel rooms are booked. Tourist destinations are mapped. Jessica has agreed to hold down the fort.
Saturday, May 23, the next adventure begins..
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