- 23 days
- 4,516 miles
- 2 countries
- 13 states
- 44.6 mpg
Thursday, June 19, 2014
day 23
As I pulled out of the last toll booth in Indiana, I could see the top of the Sears Tower popping out of the horizon. After a few minutes of slow traffic near downtown, I was pulling into home. I was expecting Seamus to be the happiest to see me, but it was Blanca who was jumping all over me. Alex was pretty happy to see me, as well.
This was the first time I arrived somewhere and still had time to go out for a morning coffee and bagel (at least whatever the dogs didn't get).
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
day 22
All of the highways that I thought of taking from Cleveland to Mishawaka were all merged just west of Cleveland, so I ended up riding on an interstate for the first hour or so. Since I hadn't been riding on this type of highway, where the speed limit was 70 mph, for much of the trip, I forgot how it could be a bit monotonous. Luckily, highways 2 and 20, and a few intermediate county roads, eventually split off from the interstate.
The hilly terrain around Cleveland eventually gave way to flatter farmland. The horizon went from being the next hilltop to being miles and miles of cornfields. After crossing into Indiana, it became slightly more hilly, but the roads were just long and straight.
Since it was Sunday, I passed many Amish farms with 20 to 30 horse drawn buggies parked in the yards with their passengers congregated near the farmhouses.
The timing of my trip worked out well as I ended up arriving at my parent's place on Father's day. My dad took a break from the yard work as I pulled up the driveway. We spent to rest of the afternoon visiting and watching the end of the US Open. My younger brother Stephen was in a good mood, as the Cubs won.
The hilly terrain around Cleveland eventually gave way to flatter farmland. The horizon went from being the next hilltop to being miles and miles of cornfields. After crossing into Indiana, it became slightly more hilly, but the roads were just long and straight.
Since it was Sunday, I passed many Amish farms with 20 to 30 horse drawn buggies parked in the yards with their passengers congregated near the farmhouses.
The timing of my trip worked out well as I ended up arriving at my parent's place on Father's day. My dad took a break from the yard work as I pulled up the driveway. We spent to rest of the afternoon visiting and watching the end of the US Open. My younger brother Stephen was in a good mood, as the Cubs won.
Saturday, June 14, 2014
day 21
No motorcycle riding today, but I did go mountain biking with Chris on a 5 mile circuit just south of Cleveland. The last time I had gone mountain biking was almost 20 years ago in Springfield, IL, but there weren't many mountains there. It was definitely a different experience compared to riding in the city. I only ended up with a scraped ankle from one of the pedals, but will likely be sore tomorrow. As Chris rode one of the other circuits and I called it a day, a small leafhopper with interesting markings landed on my hand.
Later that day, my nephew Will, who is normally smiling or giggling most of the time, decided he didn't like wearing my baseball cap.
At least he was smiling later when his sisters were around.
day 20
After deciding to take the 407 ETR (Electronic Toll Route) out of Toronto this morning, I began to get a little nervous. I saw no fewer than five motorcyclists pulled over to the side of the road, apparently having issues with their bikes. I wondered if I should pull over and offer to help, but it was a little difficult to do so when going 70 mph on an expressway. Thankfully I made it without any issues.
Today was my sixth and last border crossing of the trip, and the first one where I had to wait for more than one car in front of me. After about 25 minutes of waiting, it was finally my turn. After answering the same typical questions, the border patrol agent's ears perked up when I told him I lived in Chicago. He quickly stated how much he liked going there for the Lalapalooza and Pitchfork music festivals, to which I stated that I lived about three blocks from where they hold Pitchfork. He then asked me if I knew this cool Mexican restaurant, but he could only remember the last part of the name -- "star", to which I replied "Big Star". After this, I think he knew I wasn't making up any of my answers. When I was finally done with all of the questioning, I asked him if there was somewhere I could pull over to put my helmet and other gear back on. He said to just do it right where I was, even though there were about 30 cars in line behind me, so I did.
So after almost 4,000 miles, I have finally seen the fifth and final of the Great Lakes, Lake Erie.
It felt like a minor accomplishment and I knew I was finally nearing the end of my trip. Before that, though, I still had some riding to do through many New York vineyards and deal with some more annoying intermittent rain showers.
As I approached Cleveland and passed the 4,000 mile mark for the trip, the weather finally cleared and the sun came out. I continued on past many large lakefront houses on my way to my brother Chris's home. I had never been to his new house, nor met my new nephew Will. After everyone arrived home, we had a nice dinner on the back porch then went to the beach to see the sun set over Lake Erie with some ice cream.
Today was my sixth and last border crossing of the trip, and the first one where I had to wait for more than one car in front of me. After about 25 minutes of waiting, it was finally my turn. After answering the same typical questions, the border patrol agent's ears perked up when I told him I lived in Chicago. He quickly stated how much he liked going there for the Lalapalooza and Pitchfork music festivals, to which I stated that I lived about three blocks from where they hold Pitchfork. He then asked me if I knew this cool Mexican restaurant, but he could only remember the last part of the name -- "star", to which I replied "Big Star". After this, I think he knew I wasn't making up any of my answers. When I was finally done with all of the questioning, I asked him if there was somewhere I could pull over to put my helmet and other gear back on. He said to just do it right where I was, even though there were about 30 cars in line behind me, so I did.
So after almost 4,000 miles, I have finally seen the fifth and final of the Great Lakes, Lake Erie.
day 19
The day started out with Mike and me running through the parking lot to make the train to downtown Toronto so that he could make it to work on time. As he went to work, I found a coffee shop with free wifi. I had an idea of a few things I wanted to see, and Mike and his wife had suggested a few others.
I ended up circling and criss-crossing most of the downtown area as I saw the new and old City Hall buildings, the old Maple Leaf Gardens, the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum), some of the University of Toronto - St. George Campus, the St. Lawrence Market (for fried bacon sandwich), and the Hockey Hall of Fame.
There were several other things which I did not see, so I'll have to come back here with Alex. One thing which I noticed in Toronto was that there was an interesting mix of old and new architecture, sometimes even in the same building, such as the ROM. In the picture of the old City Hall, you can see modern skyscrapers in the background.
Later that night I attended one of Mike hockey games at one of the newer rink complexes in Toronto. I had never been somewhere with four sheets of ice in one building. Unfortunately his team wasn't able to hold on and lost in the last few seconds of the game, even with Mike's two goals.
I ended up circling and criss-crossing most of the downtown area as I saw the new and old City Hall buildings, the old Maple Leaf Gardens, the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum), some of the University of Toronto - St. George Campus, the St. Lawrence Market (for fried bacon sandwich), and the Hockey Hall of Fame.
There were several other things which I did not see, so I'll have to come back here with Alex. One thing which I noticed in Toronto was that there was an interesting mix of old and new architecture, sometimes even in the same building, such as the ROM. In the picture of the old City Hall, you can see modern skyscrapers in the background.
Later that night I attended one of Mike hockey games at one of the newer rink complexes in Toronto. I had never been somewhere with four sheets of ice in one building. Unfortunately his team wasn't able to hold on and lost in the last few seconds of the game, even with Mike's two goals.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
day 18
It started out rainy and overcast, and I thought my trip to Niagara falls would be foiled; however, it turned out well. Below are some pictures, as well as a video.
After visiting the falls, I went to the Niagara Botanical Gardens (and School of Horticulture). I thought my uncle Bob would enjoy it.
While in the parking lot getting ready to leave, a fellow rider, although he pulled up in a car, started talking to me about my bike. He rode a Triumph (more comfortable than a Harley-Davidson), but liked my BMW. When he found out I was from Chicago, he lamented about how bad the traffic was there. He told me about the time he was going through Chicago after leaving the Studebaker museum in South Bend, IN (which I told is where I grew up) and it took him 4 hours to get through the city. I told him that is why I normally ride a bicycle.
I was then on my way to my friend Mike's place Toronto. I never realized how big the Toronto metropolitan area is, nor how bad traffic could be. After a nice dinner with his family, we then hung out and watch the Rangers finally win a game.
I was then on my way to my friend Mike's place Toronto. I never realized how big the Toronto metropolitan area is, nor how bad traffic could be. After a nice dinner with his family, we then hung out and watch the Rangers finally win a game.
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
day 17
As it would take too long to go from Cape Vincent, NY to Toronto, ON (my next stop) and see Niagara Falls, today was going to be a shorter setup day of riding. This was nice, given the long day of riding yesterday. I slept in a bit and had nice breakfast with Joanne and Ken before leaving in the late morning.
The weather was pleasant, but quickly became overcast. It's been over a week since I've ridden by the lakes, and I forgot how much cooler it is to ride by them. As I passed through Rochester, there was a light fog rolling in off the lake over the river.
It never fails that I get some comments or questions about my bike whenever I stop. At the first stop today, a guy told me that he only learned a few days ago that BMW made motorcycles. At the second stop, another guy asked me if I was on my way back from the Americade motorcycle rally in Lake George, NY and then started telling me about his motorcycles, including his BMW Rockster (similar to mine). I guess the camaraderie of motorcyclists goes beyond the traditional wave.
The weather was pleasant, but quickly became overcast. It's been over a week since I've ridden by the lakes, and I forgot how much cooler it is to ride by them. As I passed through Rochester, there was a light fog rolling in off the lake over the river.
It never fails that I get some comments or questions about my bike whenever I stop. At the first stop today, a guy told me that he only learned a few days ago that BMW made motorcycles. At the second stop, another guy asked me if I was on my way back from the Americade motorcycle rally in Lake George, NY and then started telling me about his motorcycles, including his BMW Rockster (similar to mine). I guess the camaraderie of motorcyclists goes beyond the traditional wave.
Monday, June 09, 2014
day 16
I had a long ride from Hartford, CT to Cape Vincent, NY, right on the Saint Lawrence River where it meets Lake Ontario. It wasn't really that long in terms of miles, 350, but they were all going to be on winding back roads. I got an early start to avoid the morning rush through some of the smaller towns and was making good time, in spite of the rain. The are some of the roads I was riding on.
Eventually the rain ended, but the curvy roads did not.
I finally arrived at Ken and Joanna's (friends of my aunt Karen and uncle Dan) place on Cape Vincent. After a tour of their property, all the way down to the river, they gave me a tour of the 1000 Islands area, providing detailed history and background based on their years in the area.
After a nice dinner, there was a beautiful sunset over the river.
day 15
Not much going on today. After coming back from the beach, I just did some laundry, aired out my tent, and got things packed up for an early start tomorrow.
Yesterday I mentioned to Mike that I hadn't had any Mexican food since I left Chicago. Given that, we went to a local Mexican restaurant with Mike's friends John and Dawn. He kept saying that it might not be as good as something I would get in Chicago, but it ended up being very good. The hardest part was choosing from the ten different hot sauces they make in house.
Yesterday I mentioned to Mike that I hadn't had any Mexican food since I left Chicago. Given that, we went to a local Mexican restaurant with Mike's friends John and Dawn. He kept saying that it might not be as good as something I would get in Chicago, but it ended up being very good. The hardest part was choosing from the ten different hot sauces they make in house.
day 14
After a good night's sleep at Mike's place, we decided to go down to their cottage on Long Island Sound. Halfway there, we realized we were finally hungry after the big dinner the night before, so we detoured to New Haven for some Pepe's pizza. It was very good, and we had leftovers for later that night.
We finally made it to the beach and hung out there for the afternoon.
We then ended the night ended the night watching the Stanley Cup final game outside near the beach, having the leftover pizza during the intermissions.
Sunday, June 08, 2014
day 13
I knew today wasn’t going to be a day to see the sights nor enjoy the scenery. I was going from southern Maine to central Connecticut, cutting through the heart of Massachusetts, just west of Boston. The first part of the ride should have been interesting; however, with the rain and early morning traffic, it took me one and one-half hours to go 30 miles. Thankfully, the Maine Turnpike (tollway) ended at about the same time as my patience, so I was able to get on the highway to get some miles completed.
I stayed on the highway all of the way through Massachusetts and into Connecticut before hitting the back roads again. The roads open up through the rolling terrain for about an hour before I had to ride through Hartford, CT. Luckily I was passing through well before the Friday afternoon rush.
By the time I rolled up to my friend Mike’s (met in Chicago while playing hockey) place, it was already sunny and in the 80s. After some tense moments with the dog introduction, I was finally able to relax knowing I’d be here for a few days. After unloading my gear, Mike helped me wash off the two weeks worth of accumulated road grime, especially the heavy stuff picked up during the last few days while riding through he wet construction zones and campgrounds.
Afterwards, I joined Mike and his mother for nice dinner to celebrate her birthday before calling it a night.
I stayed on the highway all of the way through Massachusetts and into Connecticut before hitting the back roads again. The roads open up through the rolling terrain for about an hour before I had to ride through Hartford, CT. Luckily I was passing through well before the Friday afternoon rush.
By the time I rolled up to my friend Mike’s (met in Chicago while playing hockey) place, it was already sunny and in the 80s. After some tense moments with the dog introduction, I was finally able to relax knowing I’d be here for a few days. After unloading my gear, Mike helped me wash off the two weeks worth of accumulated road grime, especially the heavy stuff picked up during the last few days while riding through he wet construction zones and campgrounds.
Thursday, June 05, 2014
day 12
I got up early to get to Acadia National Park before the forecasted rains began.
Although it was pretty foggy, I still go to see much of the park before the rain started.
I know some people wanted to see exactly what my route has been so far, so here it is (2,882 miles in 12 days).
And I'm sure you will notice, as aLex pointed out to me, that it is a lot more than just the Great Lakes.
Although it was pretty foggy, I still go to see much of the park before the rain started.
I know some people wanted to see exactly what my route has been so far, so here it is (2,882 miles in 12 days).
day 11
I decided to change my route a bit and head to Maine, skipping Quebec. My friend Craig recommended Acadia National Park in Maine, which wasn’t part of my original route, and I also needed to time my route with visits with friends and family for the remainder of the trip. So, instead of heading northeast, I headed south to cross the border back into the USA. As usual, they asked me all of the same questions, which I was prepared for. They then suggested I go to some nearby motorcycle rally (not Laconia) the upcoming weekend. I told them I wasn’t into those type of rallys (unless it was like Rockerbox), and was on my way.
I didn’t realize when I planned my route that I would be going through four states today (New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine). I passed through the islands of Lake Champlain in northern Vermont, then took the Grand Army of the Republic Highway east into New Hampshire. I ended up getting on Highway 2, which is the same highway I took during my last trip out in Washington between Spokane and Seattle. It was weird being on the same highway at opposite ends of the country.
The weather and roads were good, except for the slow zones through all of the small towns.
As I headed into Maine, the weather worsened as I caught up with the front that passed me they day before. It was a cold and wet remainder of the ride, but the misty covered mountain tops were nice to look at for a while.
I didn’t realize when I planned my route that I would be going through four states today (New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine). I passed through the islands of Lake Champlain in northern Vermont, then took the Grand Army of the Republic Highway east into New Hampshire. I ended up getting on Highway 2, which is the same highway I took during my last trip out in Washington between Spokane and Seattle. It was weird being on the same highway at opposite ends of the country.
The weather and roads were good, except for the slow zones through all of the small towns.
As I headed into Maine, the weather worsened as I caught up with the front that passed me they day before. It was a cold and wet remainder of the ride, but the misty covered mountain tops were nice to look at for a while.
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