We're heading north. Way north. How far north will depend on weather and road conditions, ferry schedules and spontaneous adventures. For sure we'll make it to Newfoundland. Hopefully Labrador too, the land of fishing villages, whales, icebergs and the northern lights.
Last year Eric and I took a weekend motorcycle jaunt through coastal Maine. This year we're back to our full annual exploration, our 8th since the memorable 2009 ride through the parks and backcountry trails of Southern Utah. ( http://georgeeric.blogspot.com/?m=1 ). For the past two years my two wheel journeys ( http://roadgeorge.blogspot.com/?m=1 ) have been primarily on a 20 pound bicycle. This Honda CTX 1300 fully-loaded weighs nearly 800 pounds. I'm finding it tough to maneuver, especially in small areas and back streets. I'm sure I'll get the hang of it. I just hope it's soon.
Yesterday's ride was an easy 90 mile cruise to Durham, NH where I rendezvoused with Eric at the Northeastern women's soccer game at UNH. It was wonderful to catch-up with the all the players and coaches. They are the part of the job I miss the most. I nearly wept as one-by-one they came over for post-game hugs. As I've aged I've become more sentimental. Moments like these are why.
Our plans for this journey are loose. In fact, just yesterday we made a big change. Instead of taking the ferry from Portland, ME to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia and then riding 450 miles to N. Sydney, we decided to load the bikes into Eric's trailer and drive via Maine, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island to N. Sydney. Trailering the
Last night we met up with Drew, Eric's stepson, in a Mexican restaurant in Portland. Drew spoke of his work at a local soup kitchen and his role as a drummer in a local ska band. I was impressed with his enthusiasm for and commitment to both.
We spent the night at the Super 8 in Freeport, ME. It actually was quite nice; comfortable beds, firm pillows and a free breakfast of yogurt, fruit, raisin brand and waffles. We watched the end of "Vietnam", Ken Burns' new series on PBS. Lights were off at 9:30. I was sound asleep moments later.
On the way out of town this morning we stopped at LL Bean. I wanted a microfiber towel for what I hope will be many dips in the Atlantic, St. Lawrence and fjords of Newfoundland and Labrador. No luck. They had one but I wasn't willing to pay $25 for a small piece of cloth. I'll have to drip dry.
We then stopped at Carver Bikes in Woolwich, ME., a run down place owned by a bike enthusiast that I've followed online for a long time. It was a terrific store. He sells custom made bikes. I rattled off the things I want in an off-road touring bike (internal gears, dynamo hub, S&S couplers...). He said he could make one for a fair price and took me in the back room to show me some samples. I was in heaven. We might have to stop in Woolwich on the way back.
We've gone 320 miles today and have another 230 before reaching PEI. We just went through customs without a hitch, and are getting slaphappy. I'm singing along to Rod Stewart, the 10,000 Maniacs and others. Eric is making fun of my voice. That's just making me sing louder. He never learns.
Tomorrow, I'm really looking forward to stopping at MacQueen's Bike Shop in Charlottetown, PEI. Danny and Dayan, the two guys who led my December bike trip to Cuba, run the place. They are hard-working, fun loving, great guys. It will be terrific catch up. I'm hoping to persuade Eric to rent bikes from them for a few hours so that we can explore parts of the Confederation Trail, a 435 kilometer gravel path that traverses most of the island. Despite the expected rain, it should be fun. Hopefully Danny and/or Dayan will join us.
I hear Hurricane Jose is bringing heavy rain and winds to New England. Stay dry everyone. Here's hoping the storm veers out to sea and not to eastern Canada.Look forward to Eric's blog post tomorrow.
Cheers.
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