Charleston West Virginia to Paducah Kentucky

The wisdom of getting across Charleston became apparent as we headed west on I-64. Traffic headed the other way was jammed solid while we highballed it out of there at 75 MPH. Today, Tom was in the lead.

We passed a Rest Area I remembered from our last trip through here. It seems like it was just yesterday, but it was two years ago. How time flies. We made it to Kentucky before stopping for fuel, hoping the prices would be more reasonable here. No such luck.

Fog bank or low lying cloud on I-64

We continued on I-64. With the exception of one localized fog bank, everything was clear. In Lexington, we took the New Circle Road by-pass around the north side of the city. The GPS makes this easy, unlike the time two years ago I had to navigate by map. It's funny that the Interstate doesn't have a direct connection to the Blue Ridge Parkway.

On the west side of Lexington, we passed Martin Castle. Quite an interesting place. Then we headed west on the Blue Grass Parkway to Elizabethtown, Tom's home. After fueling, he took us to the house he built with his own hands. It's a very nice place at the end of a road, very private and replete with three grey tabby cats like the one Sandy used to have. His lovely wife, Denise, came home for lunch and they took us out to Tumbleweeds where Ms. Ruby served us. They introduced her as the best server in the world and I have no reason to doubt them. Denise had to rush back to work but we lingered a bit with Tom. Thanks to both of you for the food.

Sandy, Denise and Tom at Tumbleweeds

Tom escorted us back to the Blue Grass Parkway west and said goodbye. We'll be back down here for the Wolfman's Wandering Rally next year. Interestingly, the BGP is marked in this stretch with "Future I-69 Corridor" signs. I guess eventually I-69, a road we often take in Indiana and Michigan, will be continuing south.

In Paducah, I looked for the Pear Tree Inn (owned by Drury) that we stayed at two years ago. That building was something else now and the Pear Tree was next door. It was a change for the better. There is a also a real Drury and a Drury Suites all at the same exit, so they have this place pretty well sewn up. We went across the street to Arby's for sandwiches and then I devoted my evening to catching up the blogs. I had an extra hour since we are now in the Central Time Zone.

It looks like we are on track to meet Sherm in Branson tomorrow. he has a room for us to share at the Ramada. Then we will head down to Eureka Springs Thursday morning.

One bad note. Last night, we heard that Chunk Keisling from Wisconsin, a great guy, had his car stolen in St. Louis. The car was recovered (with some damage) but his expensive camera and laptop computer were gone. I hate it when bad things happen to good people.

Binghamton New York to Charleston West (By God) Virginia

Ike moved past us to the west while we slept and was now gracing Ontario and Quebec with rainfall. Reports were coming in of wind damage and power outages along his path through the US.

I made my daily GPS error early. Leaving the hotel, I didn't realize that the route carried over from yesterday had a via point back along I-88, and the unit tried to send us back east. I caught that but, before I could get it straightened out, we ended up on a stretch of I-81 northbound with no exit for five miles. And a rain shower moved in on this stretch of road before we could get back. Not a good way to start.

Finally, I got us on SR 17 West, a good four lane road. Then we took US 220 south and US 6 west, very nice roads where we dodged among raindrops, never quite knowing where the road would take us as we watched the showers over the hills. South of Troy, Pennsylvania on SR 14, we got the worst shower while following a dually pickup truck with Alberta plates doing 20 MPH under the limit. A Wing's ability to keep the rider dry depends on speed, so we weren't very happy with this guy. In fact, I though "Damned Canuck, clogging up our highway". Maybe I'm spending too much time down here.

SR 14 merged with US 15 south to Williamsport, where severe rain had just passed through. Turning west on US 220, we put the bad weather behind us and continued under partly cloudy skies. In Altoona, we stopped for lunch and gas. The roads were arcane, the McDonald's was closed for renovations and the gas station was almost impossible to get to. I really dislike Altoona.

Two Tupperware Brigade Wings during a quick stop

Tom in our mirror

US 220 took us on south to I-68 in Maryland, where we went west again to Morgantown, West Virginia. There we caught I-79 to Charleston, stopping in Jane Lew for $4.05 gas. Despite falling oil prices, Ike has given them a reason to crank the gas prices up again. Motoring across Charleston, we got a Super 8 room in Dunbar to avoid the morning rush. Our window here had a screen, so we had to carry our gear around the long way. Going back to the desk for more coffee supplies, I met two CMA riders from Erie who were heading for Nashville. One was on a Nomad and said he was the Pennsylvania head of Riders of Kawasaki (ROK). I explained that we were undercover Vulcan Riders and Owners.

After some discussion and a foot patrol of Dunbar, wed decided to ride back to TGI Fridays in Charleston. Tom led and made a GPS error, resulting in a tour of the WV State Police Headquarters parking lot. Sad to say, I felt better now that I wasn't the only one to make a GPS mistake.

I led the way back in the dark and Sandy and Tom went to sleep early while I posted bills and sorted photos.

Bethel Maine to Binghamton New York

The morning weather showed that Ike had moved up to Arkansas but there was a tail of rain that circled up through the mid-west and hooked over to New England. There was no way we were getting out dry today. Although the radar showed nothing, there was a light, steady rain falling outside.

Since Tom Miller was heading home to Kentucky, we decided we would ride together. Despite all the places we have been together over the years, and the people we have both ridden with at different times, we had never actually put on any miles together.

Over breakfast, we planned a route. Tom needed to ride through Vermont since it was one of the very few states he hadn't ridden in. I suggested we head west on US 2 through New Hampshire into Vermont and then head south on Vermont 101, a very scenic route. Ol' Phart showed me a road out of Bethel, North Road, that would by-pass the construction zone between there and the state line.

After breakfast, we loaded up and suited up. The rain got heavier as we said our goodbyes and headed out. North Road was a nice ride despite the wet pavement. It brought us back to US 2 near New Hampshire. U-Turn rode with us as far as Gorham, where he headed south on 16 while we continued west.

Crossing into Vermont, it became obvious that the ride down 100 would be neither scenic nor enjoyable. Instead, we turned south on I-91 at St. Johnsbury. We followed the big road down to White River Junction, where the rain let up and we swung onto US 4 west. We made a quick stop at the Visitor Center at Quechee Gorge and then continued the fun ride along 4 to Rutland.

Lunch in Rutland was Mickey D's. We fueled and continued on to Lake George, where I took Tom for a cruise up through town so he could see where Americade took place. Then we got on I-87 and headed south towards Albany.

I hadn't realized that we needed to get on the New York Thruway, a toll road, to get over to I-88. This did, however, give us a chance to use our new EZ Pass transponder. It worked like a charm. Then I screwed up, taking the incorrect road as soon as we got through the toll booth. This resulted in a ten mile trip to Albany and back, along with a second toll, before we finally got ourselves headed west on I-88.

We made a gas stop in Oneonta where I found out that Hess is another one of those gas companies who require a Zip Code to be entered when paying at the pump. That takes them off my preferred list. Then we went on to Binghamton, where the GPS led us to a non-existent Super 8. Then it led us to another that was actually there. The pretty blond teenager working the desk said the Lamborghini and Porsche parked outside belonged to her boss.

We parked outside our room and passed the gear in through the window. Then we rode over to Cracker Barrel for supper. Returning to the room, we checked the weather. Ike was moving swiftly and was expected to pass west of us, heading north, overnight. It's amazing how fast it has traveled today after how slowly it came ashore. Before long, we all turned in early.

The Maine Ride

Room 21 at the Sudbury Inn in Bethel, Maine

We were up at 5:30 AM studying The Weather Channel for any information on Hurricane Ike. It was moving ashore very slowly in the Galveston/Houston area and our concern was that we might encounter it early in the week as we move across the country to Arkansas.

I spent the early part of the morning working on an analysis of the Freedom Rally financial results to send to Terry so he would have it for tomorrow's meeting. I took the computer down to breakfast where the early crowd commandeered the big round table in the middle. I had a carnivore omelet (lots of meats) and Sandy had blueberry pancakes. Both were good but she wasn't able to finish hers because of the size of the serving.

After the rain yesterday, and the washout of the ride last year for all but the most determined riders, the good forecast today was welcome. We were supposed to depart from the Irving gas station on US 2 east of town. Keith K was the ride leader, as usual, and we were only a few minutes late getting underway.

Sixteen bikes set out on the ride. Amazingly, sixteen bikes returned after seven hours and almost 220 miles.

The group conducted itself quite well. I tried to do a map, but I accidentally wiped my trip log on the GPS and there is no way I can figure out where we did go except to say that it covered a lot of Maine back roads. Many of the roads showed severe frost damage, which was what caused me to start looking at after market suspensions two years ago. The ride on Traxxion was a lot better this time around. On the plus side, I did see evidence of a lot of road rehabilitation. Certainly a lot more than I see back home in Sudbury.

Near the end of the ride, we all stopped at what they call Height of Land overlooking Mooselookmeguntic Lake. Maine names are even better than Northern Ontario names.

In this beautiful spot, I said a few words and cast some of Kilo's ashes (brought by Steve C) to the wind. Since this was my first time scattering ashes, I'll share a tip with you. I was chagrined but I'm sure Kilo would have laughed out loud when I neglected to check which way the wind was blowing. Sorry about that, Mark. And Ray. And Chris.

Back at The Sudbury Inn, we found a large gathering of people preparing to celebrate a 60th anniversary. Multiple generations. It's a good thing that, while on the road, we had phoned to make dinner reservations that we forgot to do first thing in the morning. I'm not sure how the anniversary crown felt about seeing the horde of bikers pull up, but we were on our best behaviour.

We killed some time at The Suds Pub and then were ready for our seating at 6:45. Brother Bear and Laurie, their nephew Rick, Brad and Judy, Don (new guy), Sandy and I made up our eight. Sandy had a chicken dish while I selected the sirloin steak. Food was good. Unfortunately, we were all put on one bill. Rather than fuss with it, we just divided it by eight.

While dining, Don told me that he wasn't a Donald. It was Don as in Spanish nobility. Or, I countered, Don Corleone. So I christened him The Godfather. I think it's a fine nickname. We'll see if it sticks.

It was apparent that the ride must have tuckered out most of the people. A few of the regulars set up a poker game in the breakfast room, some of us talked bikes for a while and the rest disappeared. I was one of the last to turn in at about 11:00.

Cornwall Ontario to Bethel Maine

We were up before 6:00 AM. The radar showed that the rain from the west was almost upon us. We had a quick breakfast next door where the Jazz Magnolia restaurant used to be. Fruit and a muffin despite the full hot buffet laid on for both the guests and the you hockey players, but we have to watch our weight. Then it was on to The Border.

I stopped first on the Canadian side to see how to enroll in the Traveller Declaration Card Program so that we could still use a Canuck NEXUS lane if we had something to declare. Cornwall has no NEXUS lane and so, while they had heard of the program, they could not help me. On to the US side.

We entered a regular lane and presented our shiny new cards. After a moment, the agent asked me if I crossed the border a lot. I acknowledged that I did. Then he asked if I ever had trouble crossing. I told him not until last Tuesday. He said they would have to do some things to clear the alert my name had generated and directed me to the side while he took our ID's inside. Once inside, I had to fill out a written declaration and then I opened the various luggage containers while an agent did a cursory search. Then they set us free. In fact, they seemed almost apologetic about having to bother us.

It looks like this stop and search thing is going to be a regular feature of our border crossings from now on. The CNN article last month referred to James Robinson's having trouble flying. It looks like that data has now been connected to the land crossing terminals as well.

Across the border, we ran east under grey skies. Between Chateauguay and Champlain NY, there was a guge new wind farm. I saw at least 50 large wind turbines where, only a tear ago, there had been none. We continued on to Rouse's Point, crossed Lake Champlain into Vermont and then worked our way over to I-89 south.

From 89, we went across country on Vermont 104 and Vermont 15. This road wound across the countryside in a most pleasant fashion. The only problem was a minimum of places one could pass, especially since the green Vermont license plates mean that the driver is in no hurry. Vermonters are very polite but they never seem to hurry.

Just before we reached US 2, the rain started. It had been cool and damp all morning, but we were lucky up until now. We stopped at the intersection at Joe's Pond Cafe, a small operation with gas pumps that said "Pay First! Unless we know you." While getting the rain gear out, we had grilled cheese sandwiches and coffee. Fed and suited up, we continued on.

The rest of the ride was wet, but uneventful. US 2 when you enter Maine is the worst pavement I have seen in a long time but, as you approach Bethel, major roadwork is underway. We road some wet, greasy mud for a little bit but I'm sure it will be very nice when it is done.

There were no bikes at the Sudbury Inn in Bethel when we arrived at 2:00 AM. I checked the date, went inside and found we were the first to arrive. Joe and a group arrived soon after, while U-Turn and Tom Miller weren't far behind.

Steve Cifra, U-Turn and Brother Bear outside the Sudbury Inn

More arrived as we adjourned to The Suds Pub downstairs for "fruity rum drinks" and some food. This will be out home for the rest of the evening.

Sandy, Brother Bear, Laurie, Rick, AC and Morrey in The Suds

Sherm called from Holbrook Arizona as I was typing this. He's with the Foree's and will be planning a route to Eureka Springs around Hurricane Ike.

Time to go back to the party.

Sudbury Ontario to Cornwall Ontario

The first day of the last trip of the season.

The day started off with some thoughts back to this date in 2001 and how the world changed on that day.

I started early and posted the Freedom Riders books. I've been putting the job off for no particular reason but, if they are posted, I can generate the statements while I'm on the road, perhaps getting them out before the meeting Sunday morning.

After getting the books done, I packed in my usual five minutes and then checked the bike. The tires were both reading low, probably a result of the 8C temperature. I topped them up in any case. While I really like these Avon Cobra tires for grip, they look like they won't last all that long. That will make for a tough decision when it comes time to replace them.

Leo called while I was checking tires. He'll ride with us for a ways. Mattawa, he thinks. That's 120 miles east.

We left at 9:15. The temperature had climbed to 13C and we faced a rare east wind. Whichever way I go will determine the (head)wind direction. Riding was good and, in Mattawa, Leo decided to continue on another 60 miles with us to Deep River.

Highway 17 between North Bay and Deep River is a mixed bag. There are a lot of stretches of new pavement that is excellent. Between these, old pavement isn't broken but it is very rough and choppy. Makes for an interesting ride.

In Deep River, we fueled at the Petrocan and then decided to eat in the attached restaurant, which none of us remember seeing before. Toasted westerns, fries, and I had chicken gumbo. Thanks for getting the tab, Leo.

After lunch, the red BMW headed home and we pushed on. Immediately, we found the first one lane construction zone. This was the first of many, all the way to Arnprior. I guess if we want the roads improved, this is what we have to put up with for a while. I did notice that the attractive young ladies who usually flag these stretches were missing, replaced by much less attractive guys. Maybe they went back to school?

The O.P.P. have started patrolling highways with aircraft again. They have marks painted on the highways, but only in very limited sections. Today, I realized that each one of these sections has "Patrolled by Aircraft" signs at each end. That will make it easier to know where they are and adjust speed accordingly.

Ottawa was busy. I almost got clipped on a lane change when a car sped up right into a spot I was moving to. Other than that, we got through without incident. On 417 east of Ottawa, we noticed they have moose and deer crossing signs displayed together. This is the only place I've seen this.

We got off 417 near Casselman and too 138 south to Cornwall. All the road work in town is now done and is it ever nice. The Days Inn had a room, but the Jazz Magnolia, the restaurant next door, had closed. It was now a training facility for three high school hockey teams who attend boarding school and live on the second floor of the Days Inn. Things never stay the same.

Luckily, Casa Paolo was right across the street. It is well furnished, the staff are efficient and friendly and the food is good. A bit pricey but, in this case, you get what you pay for.

We had rolls (light enough to float off the table), Caesar salad (just the right amount of bite) and home baked lasagna (superb) which Sandy is enjoying above. This was followed by one lemon mousse, which we shared.

There were a lot of bugs today, so I wiped down the bike. Then I posted the bills. For those into numerological portents, I fueled twice today. I Deep River, I had covered 300.2 kms and took 18.528 liters. In Cornwall, I had covered 300.1 kms and took 18.528 liters. I spent a few moments looking at the bills, thinking my eyes were playing tricks on me.

Then it was an evening of paperwork, blogs, photo cataloging, bike club books, route planning, etc. I'll try to get to bed as early as I can. Tomorrow, we get to try out our new NEXUS cards.

NEXUS and The Watch List - Redux

I mentioned earlier that I had applied on-line for NEXUS cards for Sandy and I to facilitate our border crossings. I also mentioned how, the day after, I found out in a CNN article that James Robinson was on the US Terror Watch List.

I found out last Friday that our applications had been tentatively approved. Yesterday morning, I tried to book appointments at the Soo, Michigan, NEXUS Centre on-line, but the system was down. I phoned and got us appointments for today at 2:00 and 2:30.

We took the van and headed out early, just missing Rabbi's departure for Edmonton when we got to Mom's. There was ample visiting time and I set her up on Facebook before we had to leave for the border at 1:00 PM. I left early because, the last time, we were stuck on the bridge for 45 minutes. Today, no line. None. We pulled up and had a choice of three empty booths, so I took the middle one.

The Border Agent took our ID's and asked the purpose of our visit. I told him we were going into his office for NEXUS interviews and he told us we'd have to go through the toll booth and park around back. But we didn't because, just after he said that, some kind of warning tone started to go off in his booth and he said that someone with my name was wanted.

A second agent entered the booth, looked at the screen and commented that I wasn't black. I told them I had seen my name in conjunction with the Watch List on CNN and had an idea what was going on. The second agent, with a third one for backup, walked beside me to the impound area where he politely asked us to get out of the vehicle, leave the doors unlocked and go inside the building. He told me to take our NEXUS paperwork.

The folk inside were friendly. I told them we were there for the interview but that my name had come up on the list as well. One officer said that wasn't so good, but they were still very pleasant. After about ten minutes, one of the outside agents gave me the thumbs up and told me we were free to go. I asked if I could leave the van there and then head back afterward without paying the toll. He said he wouldn't have a problem.

There were two NEXUS windows. The first one was manned by a Canadian agent who checked our papers (passport, birth certificate, DL and a utility bill to prove residence), filled out some forms and took our pictures. She gave us all the rules for the Canuck side. The second window was manned by a US agent who gave us the US rules, scanned our index fingers and prepared our cards. The computers weren't being co-operative, but they got the job done and we thanked them profusely.

The cards will allow us to use dedicated NEXUS lanes when they are open, usually at rush hours, as long as we have nothing to declare. We hold the card up in front of a grey box as we approach the NEXUS booth and, by the time we get there, our photos and details are already on the screen. If we have declarations or the lanes are closed, we can still use the cards as ID at the regular booths, eliminating the need for birth certificates or passports. They are also good at airports (where equipped), although we need to stop by one of them to get our iris scans done. She was clear, though, that if we ever have our cards seized for breaking the rules, we would never get another one.

New cards in hand, we made a U-turn on the bridge plaza, short of the toll booths, and headed back to Canada. We couldn't use the NEXUS lane because our data wasn't uploaded yet and it wouldn't be open for another 15 minutes. The bored border agent was singularly unimpressed with our cards and sent us on through without even looking at them.

We drove straight back to Sudbury, arriving about 7:00 PM. We'll see on Thursday or Friday at Cornwall if the card will trump the watch listing, or if we will be invited to the impound area again for another search. The agents in the Soo weren't sure.

Sudbury to the Soo and Back

My brother Dave (Rabbi) has been visiting Mom in the Soo for the last month and I still hadn't gotten down to see him. Also, Mom hadn't had her motorcycle ride yet this year, so it was time to go for a ride.

Despite prior good forecasts, the weather radar last night had shown a squall line approaching from the west. Luckily, by morning, it appeared to have gone through. Despite a solid headwind, the 300 km ride down Highway 17 to Sault Ste. Marie was uneventful. The only point of interest was a brush wolf (Algonquin or eastern wolf) that walked across in front of me near Walford.

I arrived at Mom's at about 11:15 AM. Rabbi and I spent some time visiting. He's looking good, and a whole lot better than back in 2005 when he was suffering from undiagnosed Addison's Disease. The meds that make up for his dysfunctional adrenal gland seem to be doing the job. We talked politics, work (his, not mine), fishing, golf and other things.

Then it was time to take Mom out for her ride. We got her installed on the back seat of the Wing and got Sandy's helmet on and headset connected. It was brisk as we went up the Second Line, Old Garden River Road and Landslide Road to the Sixth Line. I never even knew there was a Sixth Line. Then we took a short jaunt up Highway 17 to Heyden, where we saw a good-sized pair of delta wings on a flatbed truck. Back down 17 (running to the red-line in the first two gears, we went home via Fourth Line and People's Road. Mom seemed to enjoy it and I really like getting her out when I can.

After a bit more visiting with Rabbi, I headed for home about 3:00 PM. Again uneventful, but I caught up with those delta wings, escorted by two of the most professional pilot car drivers I have ever seen, near Spanish. I raised them on the CB and found the wings were destined to become part of a brand new Challenger jet. I never knew the wings were assembled elsewhere since this is the first set I've seen on the road.

I got in about 7:00 PM, dry all day.

29th Annual Cyclefest - West Montrose Ontario

The 29th Annual Cyclefest. Who would have thought, at that first gathering the Waterloo County Touring Club organized at Chicopee Ski Club in Kitchener back in 1980 that it would still be going on after all these years.

Sandy and I only missed one over all the years. In 2000, I headed to Colorado for VROC V2K while Sandy was helping the kids move into residence at Wilfrid Laurier University. There are a couple who haven't missed any. Back in 1998, the event moved from Chicopee to West Montrose, near Elmira and, somewhere in there, the WCTC folded up and the Waterloo Wings (with some carryover members, took over.

Thursday

We left about 9:30 AM under grey skies towing the camper trailer. Yesterday, I changed the bike oil and put new tires on the trailer. We stopped at McDonalds in Parry Sound for lunch and then continued to West Montrose via Highway 89, down through Orangeville and Fergus. It spit a little as we neared our destination.

Fred from London (remember he helped Heather practice for her licence) had his trailer already set up so we moved in next door. Fred is the fittest 80 year old I know.

Tom came out and we set up camp in our usual location, right next to Fred. It's still pretty quiet since the rally doesn't officially start until tomorrow. It started raining later so Heather brought her car and took us to supper in town. They forecast clearing for tomorrow as we turned in about 9:30 PM.

Friday

Heather was working today. Fred fed us breakfast, a concotion of tomatos, eggs and bacon all done in one pan. Then Tom came out and Fred and I took him on a ride through the Hockley Valley and back through the Forks of the Credit. We stopped at the bike accessory shop in Erin on our way back.

It started raining as we neared camp, so we stopped at Tim's in Elora. So much for the clearing forecast. Tom went to his office and home, while I rode to the campground with Fred and Sandy. Then I went alone to Tom and Heather's place, where I helped him ferry bikes over from his mother's garage. I returned to camp and Heather and Tom arrived later. So did Kim and Mike and our friend Maggie.

After helping Maggie set up her day tent, we all went out for our traditional Friday dinner at The Gorge Restaurant in Elora. Heather, Tom and I were on bikes, the rest in a van. While we were eating it started to rain quite heavily. After supper, in the dark, the rest left while the three of us suited up. About the time we started out, the rain eased so it was only wet, warm and dark as we rode carefully through the deer crossing zones. We heard after that the Ice Cream Run to St. Jacobs got drenched.

The bonfire, corn and hotdogs went on throughout the evening. About midnight, Terry, Ed (from the Waterloo Wings) and I were the only ones left at the fire as the fog descended so we called it a night. Then I got lost in the fog looking for the outhouses. It was that thick.

Saturday

We started the day with coffee in the big tent, visiting with various people. The weather had improved. Then Tom, Heather, Sandy and I started out on the poker run.

Rather than follow the route, we checked the directions on the GPS and went cross-country. Campground to Elora for water tower pictures (Tom and Heather's current quest), to Checkpoint #1, to the Black Forest Restaurant for buffet brunch, straight to Checkpoint #2, to Tom & Heather's condo, to Mrs. Sittler's (Darryls' Mom) bakery in Conestogo to camp.

The Poker Run checkpoints involve games of skill. Here, at Checkpoint #2, Jack Matheson gets us to throw things in a strong wind. It didn't work so well for most of us. I'd be happier drawing cards.

At the campground, we skipped supper because of the brunch but got into corn and hotdogs later on.

How can we go wrong with Superman as our corn cook?

Again I was up at the end, as the bonfire was abandoned about 1:00 AM. We don't party the way we used to.

Sunday

Dawn broke clear and sunny, albeit with a heavy coating of dew. Today is games day. Kim and Mike (sleeping at home) brought us all breakfast from McDonalds.

The campground looking first towards the big tent and game area and then back towards the Kissing Bridge.

It got hotter and hotter as the games progressed. Slow races, hoop throws and a new thing with a barrel and a rope tested the riders' and passengers' skills. We watched and visited. Then, while they were still dry, we took down awnings and screens.

Robinson Clan Cyclefest Group Photo

The big supper got underway at 6:30 in the big tent. It consisted of rolled ribs, turkey, mashed, gravy, veggies, cabbage rolls, cake and coffee. Excellent meal. Then the awards. Heather got her 25 Year Pin (one year behind Kim due to a trip to the Azores). Terry & Amber tied for first in the Observation Run and Terry and Patsy won the Hoop Toss. The Southern Cruisers, with 31 attendees, won Large Canadian Club and Terry and Patsy also won furtherst travelled in Canada.

There was some concern about continuation since the Waterloo Wings are burning out, but it looks like the SCRC are stepping up to ensure that Cyclefest continues.

There was some singing around the fire tonight. Eileen plays and watches Howard pick the banjo while Leo strums in the background. I sang more than I should have. Then, about 1:00 AM, I once again found myself one of two people left at the fire. Partyers Were Us.

Monday

Heavy dew this morning. We folded up camp, said goodbye to all and headed out about 9:45 AM.

Thanks to Ian, Kevin & Maysey, Ed, Mitch & Jane, Butch & Rose and all the others who made this another outstanding success. We are looking forward to the 30th.

We stopped for lunch at The Haven restaurant in Pointe Au Barile, 75 miles south of Sudbury. The food wasn't bad.

Normally, we'd be headed to Indiana from Cyclefest but that isn't happening this year and wouldn't have fit our budget if it was. Instead, we got home, set up the camper to dry out and stowed all the gear for winter. The remaining travel this season will be by bike alone.

Ride to the Wall - The Day After

We accompanied the kids back down to Parry Sound under clear, sunny skies. At Tim's we found Terry and Normie, on a day ride to somewhere. Norm said that I scared off a local rider who had been bending their ear about his exploits. Apparently, i looked rough enough coming in the door that he bolted. I'm not quite sure how to take that.

We visited a bit and then headed our separate ways. Sandy and I considered riding out with Norm and Terry but, in the final analysis, decided to go right home. We accompanied Heather and Tom one more exit south and then came back north on Old Highway 69.

The ride back to Sudbury was pleasant and uneventful. Heather called later in the afternoon to let us know that they got in safely.

Ride to the Wall

Some Freedom Riders decided to gather at a New Sudbury Tim Horton's so we could ride over to the starting point at the Copper Cliff Legion together. We met Biker, Normie, Andrew (fellow S.T.O.P. Officer) and Charlie (Andrew's Dad and longtime snowmobile volunteer). Charlie is a new rider.

We rode over as a group, arriving at the Legion around 9:00 AM. The riders were gathering, as were the four Greater Sudbury Police escort Harleys and one cruiser. Many of the police were the same ones we work with on sled patrols in the winter. We registered inside as more and more bikes arrived. Near departure time, the blockers and police had a quick meeting. Then the group lined up with two police bikes in front, Butch and Cindy next, all the blockers (in orange vests) followed by the cruiser, the regular riders, the SCRC school bus and the other two police bikes.

Tom, Heather, Andrew, Charlie, Gary and Norm wait patiently as the line forms

Finally, at 10:00 AM, the group rolled out. We took a spot near the rear because of the novice riders we were escorting. We left Copper Cliff and headed west on Regional Road 55 before turning onto the by-pass and proceeding back east south of the city. At each intersection, blockers dropped off and held traffic while everybody passed. Then they fell in at the rear.

Some of the group ahead of us on the by-pass

Someone counted and said we had 125 bikes. Seemed like more to me. We continued east of Sudbury on Highway 17, holding the entire highway at about 100 KPH. Blockers kept the other traffic under control all the way. In Sturgeon Fall, we stopped for a comfort/fuel stop while many who rode last year commented on how much better the weather was this time.

Biker, Sandy, Heather & Tom in Sturgeon Falls

From Sturgeon, we continued on to North Bay, where we received an assist by NBPS in getting to the Legion in one piece. We parked across the street in a large lot and walked over.

Riders file in to the Cenotaph

The Wall

North Bay has a very nice Legion and the Cenotaph and Wall are beautiful. After all were assembled, they piped in the colour guard. The Master of ceremonies introduced several speakers, including the Chaplain, we sang O Canada, some wreaths were laid, the bugler played the Last Post and we took a moment of silence to remember the brave souls who sacrificed everything for us.

After the service, we were served a fine lunch of soup, sandwiches and cookies inside the Legion. Then we headed back as a smaller group, some other having already left. The escort stopped again in Sturgeon, where phone calls told us that Sudbury was getting beaten by a severe storm. So much for better than last year.

We continued on but, because the sky suddenly looked very angry, we stopped again in Verner to put on rain suits. All was well until we were about 20 miles out of Sudbury, where the skies opened up on us. Some people stopped at the Kukagami Lake turn-off, but there was no shelter so I continued, following the leaders, and Heather, Tom and Biker followed. I had to keep the speed down, though, and lost contact with the leaders. The rain eased as we got to town.

We could see the leaders as we hit town, but couldn't catch them. Exercising discretion, we went straight home and got on dry clothes. Actually, I didn't need to change because the new Elite II suit worked perfectly. Then we took the van over to the Copper Cliff Legion for hmaburgers and hot dogs. Since the kids were tired, we gave Biker our door prize tickets and went home early to watch the NASCAR night race at Bristol.

This was Heather and Tom's first experience with severe rain. They need to fine tune their rain gear and figure out how to keep their face shields from fogging (air flow), but they did quite well and learned some important things.

Ride to the Wall - The Day Before

The Southern Cruisers Riding Club (SCRC) Chapter #418 Nickel Centre, under the guidance and leadership of their First Officer, Butch, have organized the Annual Ride to the Wall for several years. The ride proceeds from Sudbury to the Cenotaph and Wall in North Bay.

We have usually been out of town for this in past years. This year we're here. Further, Heather and Tom, members of SCRC #270 in Kitchener, decided to make the ride up here in support of #418. This is their first long distance ride alone.

Sandy and I decided to ride down to Parry Sound, 100 miles south of Sudbury, to meet the kids. It was hot and humid for the ride down and the new Tim's south of PS is the slowest I have ever encountered.

Apropos of nothing, rock cuts around Parry Sound are interesting.

Heather and Tom arrived on time. The last 50 miles had been their first extended ride on a four-lane divided highway. They had lunch and then we stopped at the gas station before we headed out. While they were fueling, I met another group of SCRC in the lot. They were from several chapters in Southern Ontario and were meeting Butch (SCRC First Officer) at the French River Trading Post, 60 miles further north. They headed out first.

Tom set the pace northbound while I brought up the rear. The ride was uneventful except for the part where I got annoyed at a car dogging it along at 90 KPH leading a line of cars (and us). Except for the passing lanes, where he accelerated to about 115 and limited the number of people who could get by. I finally jumped the line and got ahead of him as he hit the next lane. I got in front of him and slowed to 90, allowing all the other traffic to pass. Then I ran hard to catch Heather and Tom, who were at the front of the line that had passed.

At the Trading Post, we pulled in. The other SCRC riders were there as well as Butch (well known from the Freedom Riders) and his Second Officer, Cindy. We hung out with them and then, when it came time to ride, we followed the group back to Sudbury.

Heather (right) and Tom follow the other SCRC riders near Burwash.

When we reached town, Butch led the group into the city while we turned off on the Southeast Bypass and headed home for the night.

NEXUS and the Watch List

The last time we crossed at the Soo, the Border Agent on the US side let me know that the had established a NEXUS office on the Michigan side. I had been considering NEXUS for a while since, at some crossings, it provides dedicated lanes during busy time. At other times, it is a secure piece of ID that will let the Border Agent know that you have been screened and approved for entry and is a valid alternative to the passport.

So, two evenings ago, I sat down and opened an account each for Sandy and I, filled out the voluminous application forms and submitted them along with our non-refundable payments of $50.00 each. Now we have to sit back and wait for them to let us know if we will be granted and interview, the next step in the approval process.

So, with this in the works, it dismayed me when several VROC friends were good enough to send me the following CNN article. James Robinson on the Terror Watch List? Wow! I wonder how this will affect my NEXUS application. Or, if approved, whether the NEXUS card will make it easier if I fly in the future? Only time will tell.

Frozen North Meet In The Middle Ride

After we got back from the west last month, we were visiting the kids down in the Waterloo area when future son-in-law Tom told me about something his Southern Cruisers Riding Club (SCRC) did. It was called a Meet In The Middle and members from various areas converged on one central spot for a meal and some shared camaraderie. I remembered that Texas VROC does the same thing. Tom though the Ontario Frozen North VROC might like to try the same thing.

I posted the idea on the VROC Newsgroup and got favourable responses. Based on a relatively central location and excellent roads, Minden looked like a good "middle". We were pondering the Tim Horton's there but Guns suggested his home, a few miles north on Twelve Mile Lake. The meeting was set for noon.

Sudbury had a good contingent. After canvassing local VROCers, we ended up with five bikes meeting at the south end Timmy's at 8:00 AM. In addition to the usual culprits, Bob and Irene joined us. Bob and I worked at INCO and were active in USW Local 6600 and then 2020 back in the day. He rides a pretty 2000 Nomad outfitted with Premeux fairing and trunk.

Irene & Bob, Me, Normie, Leo and Gary in Parry Sound
(Sandy behind the camera)

The ride to Parry Sound down Highway 69 was the usual. Straight down the road, nothing special. We stopped at the new Tim's south of town for a bit. Then the roads got more interesting. Horseshoe Lake Road to Old Highway 69 to 169 to 118 to 35 to Red Umbrella Road. The roads twist and wind and have more than their share of 70 and 60 KPH curves, with a few 50 KPH thrown in for good measure. Unfortunately, there were a few slow drivers out and, with limited places to pass, some sections weren't able to be enjoyed as much as they could have been. On one occasion, we met a cruiser right after a round of passing and playing catch-up, but luck was on our side.

The Sudbury contingent on the road

We arrived at Glenn's right on High Noon. Gary V., Marker and Ralph from southwestern Ontario were already there. Then people started to roll in. RCAF from Ottawa, Bob (new guy) from Collingwood, Zever and Donna, ET and Heather and, last but not least, The Mighty Stonewall. Finally, our host Guns (delayed by a meeting in the City) showed up.

It was a good visit. We got a few photos of the gathering. Guns fired up the BBQ and brought out burgers, sausages and corn on the cob which the gang tucked into.

Due to a Freedom Riders engagement back in Sudbury this evening, our crew was forced to leave a little earlier than we would have liked to. The return trip went north on Highway 35 past Dorset to Highway 60, west to Huntsville, down Highway 11 a short way and across Highway 141 to Old 69, stopping at the same Tim's as on the way down. Then we road back up the last 100 miles the same as always.

The loop (not counting Highway 69)

The ride was great. It covered some of my favourite Ontario roads and we got to see some old friends and make a few new ones. It was nice riding with Bob and Irene.

Thank you, Glenn, for opening up your home to all of us.

I can see this becoming a regular Frozen North event in the future.

Interlochen Michigan to Sudbury Ontario

It was dry this morning as we packed up and folded the camper. The only problem with camping at Interlochen is that the sand is pretty much everywhere. We waved goodbye and were on the road early, retracing our route home.

The Big Mac

The border crossing was easy. No line, so we rode right up to the booth. No ID requested. I declared three bottles of root beer. It was the best I could do. Welcome home.


Taken near Blind River, Ontario. 161,034 kilometers appears to be the true equivalent to 100,000 miles, but the 160,000 makes a nice, round number.

OK, it was dry almost all the way home. But, as we followed the by-pass around Sudbury, we knew we would get caught before we got home. Home, BTW, is under that black cloud. And we did.

All in all, it was an excellent weekend with fine companionship.

Interlochen Photos:

Mine

Scotty's

Tomcat's

Stewey's

Chuckster's

Lugnut's

Interlochen Michigan - Day 2

It rained overnight. It rained again this morning. Some of us put on our rain jackets and walked to Dilbert's, where we found the place packed. After standing around looking lost, a man saving a large table for regulars who weren't showing up gave it up to us. I tried the short stack of blueberry pancakes and Polish sausage today and, unlike Furhead, was able to finish it. It rained hard on us on the way back.

After sitting in the shelter visiting for a while and checking the weather radar on Stewey's phone, Sandy and I took a nap in the camper. By the time I woke up, the rain had moved off to the south. A group of us decided to head over to The Cherry Hut in Beulah for supper.

They set up a table for us in the closed section. Service was excellent. I had a cherry bacon cheeseburger and cherry pie with ice cream. Quite tasty.

On the way back, I led up Crystal Lake Road to M-22 and took M-22 with its curves north to Deadstream again. I was careful on the turn and saw the sand. Not quite sure how black sand got here since all the local stuff is sand coloured.

In Honor, Scotty wanted to check out a lookout and I found my GPS was useless in this village. It twice tried to have me turn onto dirt roads, thinking they were paved. Then it tried to have me turn onto a road that wasn't there. Finally, with a little dirt, we found a high spot and took some photos.

Scotty's lookout

From Honor, we ran straight back to camp. The sunset played off the low-lying clouds, making a pretty picture. We took down the awning before sundown so it would be stored dry and packing up would be easier in the morning.

Sunset on the clouds at Cyclemoore Campground

The evening was subdued. We spent much of the time talking about then upcoming WWR '09 which had just been decided would be in Kentucky next June. There was a lot of enthusiasm and most planned to attend. Then it was off to bed in anticipation of an early departure by most of us tomorrow morning.

Interlochen Michigan - Day 1 - The Leelanau

It seemed to be a slow morning in the campground. Finally, Tomcat, Furhead, Sandy and I rode over to Dilbert's for breakfast. I had a meat lover's omelet with mushrooms added to it. Furhead had a short stack of blueberry pancakes and a Polis sausage. There was so much that he couldn't finish it.

There were no plans for the day so a few of us decided to ride the Leelanau Peninsula counterclockwise and put the word out. When it came time to leave, there were 17 bikes and I was the leader. I took a different route to get to M-22 in Traverse City, avoiding two trick left turn traffic intersections. It worked because the group ended up heading north on 22 without getting split up.

The group in the mirror

Traffic was surprisingly light. The only annoyance happened when we went through Northport on our side trip to Leelanau State Park at the tip of the Peninsula. Line painters had the main street blocked with their truck for no apparent reason, making it difficult to get through town. At the State Park, they hit us up for $6.00 per bike for Michiganders and $8.00 for out of state riders. The lighthouse and park were nice but, in retrospect, we probably could have skipped this stop.

Wrong Turn's new riding garb

Lighthouse sign in Leelanau State Park

The actual lighthouse

Chunk and Jim left us at the park, opting to stop more for photos than we could handle as a larger group. The rest of us took the excellent section of M-22 southwest of Northport and reveled in the 30, 35 and 40 MPH curves. OK, some of us did. I didn't speed but I didn't slow down for the curves, either.

In Glen Arbor, we took SR 109 through Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park. It cost us another $5.00 each to take the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, but this was worth it IMHO. The drive is one-way and winds past several lookouts and picnic spots. Dee, Evan and Paul had done this yesterday, so they took their leave at this point.

View of Glen Lake from Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive

The Lake Michigan Overlook in Sleeping Bear Dunes

From Sleeping Bear Dunes, we moved a couple of miles south and stopped in Empire for a bit to eat. The food was OK but the kitchen at the Empire Village Inn was very slow. Some were still waiting for food when the first of us to order were finished and ready to go. Mouse and William took a shortcut back to get some food for Tomcat, who was watching Ruby the dog for the day. This brought our group down to 10.

I planned to take another shortcut but it looked pretty straight so I followed winding M-22 to an old favourite, Deadstream Road. The left onto Deadstream was about 130 degrees and looked good. There was a car coming but I figured a few of us could make it. I was almost through the turn when the back end suddenly kicked out from under the bike like it hit oil. I'm not sure what I did but my left foot dabbed and I think I steered right (into the skid). The bike came upright and I continued on, slightly shaken. In my mirror, I could see Boomer going wide in the turn.

Boomer later told me that it was a small patch of black sand on the black asphalt that almost gathered me up. It wasn't apparent until he looked closer after I slipped.

The rest of the ride back was pleasant and uneventful. There were a very large number of summer homes along Deadstream that had For Sale signs out front. I guess second homes are being sacrificed in these troubled economic times.

The Ride Map

We kicked in more money for firewood this evening. Maybe we kicked in too much because they ended up starting THREE fires. Nothing like overkill:-)

Stewey arrived from Illinois after dark, telling us about two near misses with deer. He had a new tent that had never been set up before, so a few of us assisted. Red from Bemidji, Minnesota stopped by with a couple of friends on their way to a motel. It was a nice evening.

Around 1:30, Wrong Turn and I found ourselves calling it quits along with a very small group of others. Amazing how the party breaks up so early these days, but I guess it's a sign of the times.

Sudury Ontario to Interlochen Michigan

It was time to leave for Interlochen this morning and my bike chore list wasn't near complete. The trailer tires were in poor shape but hadn't been replaced. The oil wasn't changed. About all I got done was fix the malfunction of the Bushtec trailer plug, where I found a small rock stuck in the bike side plug. The other stuff would have to wait because it was time to go and see the folks in Interlochen, Michigan.

Sandy had the trailer packed yesterday so all that needed to be done this morning was to hook it up and leave. This put us on the road before 8:00 AM, running ahead of an east wind. Despite the tail wind, I have never been a fan of east winds because they always seem to bring bad weather.

We got to The Soo dry. When I phoned Mom, she suggested we stop in on the way back so we headed straight to the bridge. Wellington Street remains torn up and impassable, so I took side streets down to Queen. I was surprised to see that secondary streets in the Soo are substantially worse that those in Sudbury.

The border crossing took about 45 minutes. The line-up on the bridge extended back across the border, almost to the second peak. When we did get to the booth, the officer spent an exceptional amount of time punching things into the computer even though he didn't ask many questions. He did give us a document detailing the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative and what US ID is acceptable at the border (not much use to us). He also gave us information on NEXUS, which is now in place at this crossing and has a new office here. It looks like it's time to enroll.

The ride to St. Ignace was interesting. There were two storms on the horizon ahead of us. Looking at the GPS vector, it was clear we would miss the one to the right but the one to the left was coming in from the west and looked like it might get to the Big Mac (Mackinac Bridge) about the same time we did. I checked out places we could hold up in St. Ignace for a while so it could pass, but we beat it there. Not by much, though.

Rain moves towards the Big Mac as we beat it across

We caught a few drops as we reached the south shore and opted to skip US 31 in favour of riding straight south on I-75 to give the rain a wider berth. As we proceeded the 60 miles to Gaylord, another cell came into view. This one looked worse with all the manifestation of a severe thunderstorm. We slid by it on the west side, wet pavement and the smell of wet vegetation testifying to its recent passage.

Storm cell east of I-75

After a quick bite in Gaylord, we headed west and southwest to Interlochen. We did get a few miles of solid rain from a cloud I didn't even suspect between Mancelona and Kalkaska on US 131, but otherwise got to the campground just fine. As we stopped at the one Interlochen traffic light, a red 800 Vulcan pulled up to the light from the south. Scotty! Good timing.

The campground had been rained on recently but the sand soaks it up immediately. There was a good crew there already when we rolled in and set up the camper. One very pleasant surprise was Jim (Wrong Turn), who decided to make the trip up from West (By God) Virginia at the last minute.. This was when we learned that Grandma's Kitchen, our usual breakfast stop, had closed down. Fortunately, Dilbert's Cafe opened up almost right next door to the campground. This was where we had supper before making a booze run to Ric's back at the intersection.

Another surprise when Chunk arrived from West Virginia. Jim and I helped him set up in the failing light. The bonfire was well laid out and the stars overhead were bright as we sat around and swapped tales. Many regulars and a few new faces. Sandy turned in earlier and I made my way to bed about 1:00 AM after Jim, Flip and I found ourselves to be the last ones up.

Freedom Rally

The 15th Annual Freedom Rally, hosted by the Freedom Riders Motorcycle Association of Northern Ontario, has just wound up. Approximately 150 riders from around Ontario, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Vermont camped in the Mine/Mill Campground by the shores of Richard Lake, just south of Sudbury for the long weekend. In fact, many showed up on Thursday, a day early.

Daytime rides and field events were complimented by nightly music provided gratis by Shirley and Mark of Spyder's Web. Food included a modified continental breakfast laid out by the club, free hot dogs every night and a Sunday dinner served under the Big Top by Classic Catering. No one went away hungry. Throughout the day, food was also available from the concession.

Many thanks to Rally Chair Shirley Bailey for pulling this all together. The Club members worked as a team and work shared was work halved. Unfortunately, Shirley was afflicted Sunday night by a kidney stone attack and was not able to share the victorious moments as we finished up on Monday morning.

Proceeds from the Rally will be donated to the Sudbury Burn Scar Garment Fund for the third consecutive year.

If you are anywhere near Sudbury on the Civic Holiday Weekend (first Monday in August) next year, please feel free to join us.