The bike was to be at Lane's Riding & Repair Shop (formerly Adirondacks and Beyond, but Mark sold the business to Barry) for 8:00 AM, so we left the motel at 7:30. The bike would probably be finished after lunch and checkout time was 11:00 so we left our things in the room.
McGowan Way was a heavily treed little cul de sac off Bloody Pond Road (love the names) that we missed the first time around because a road crew was digging the road up to install what looked like a gas line. We practically went off-road to avoid the trench.
Work crew digging up the entrance to McGowan Way
Barry greeted me and, after I unloaded the bike, he took it down to the shop. Mark, the previous owner and guru, was there as well. The front end service included new fluid, new seals and new bushings. We discussed the steering head bearings and decided to replace them as I had originally intended. With the work last week, the bike will now have been completely serviced.
Mark and I also discussed the bikes we have had, guns, the US Constitution and a few other things while Barry started to work. Then Sandy and I left them to it, unhooked the trailer and went out for breakfast.
Meeting Barry
Will we be able to get in when we come back?
Looks like a good day
Mark recommended the Prospect Mountain Diner on US 9 in Lake George Village. It was a very shiny 50's themed place and wasn't too busy when we got there. Sandy and I each had two scrambled eggs with bacon and I had a side of ham. She got my caraway rye toast. As we were finishing, business picked up. That and the increased traffic on the street led me to believe that Lake George must wake up about 9:00 AM.
From the diner, we went back to the motel room and relaxed for an hour or so. Finally, about 10:30, we checked out and headed to the Walmart near Glens Falls. I navigated I-87 and US 9 right to Wally World without using the GPS. On the way, Highway 9 went right through the Great Escape & Hurricane Harbour amusement park which was now a Six Flags property.
The obligatory WalMart visit
At Walmart, I bought four boxes containing 10 each of 5 Hour Energy drinks. I go through a lot of these when traveling and the US price was so much better than ours, so I chose to lay in a supply. Sandy and I also picked up a few snack things. As we were leaving, I got a text from Barry saying the bike was done. Wow, it was only 11:30. We hustled over to the shop and found the gas line crew had demolished the last bit of asphalt. It was fun driving in over loose, unpacked dirt.
The bike was parked behind the trailer. After connecting, we went down to the shop and settled the bill. Mark told me that they are also doing Traxxion upgrades to the new 1833 (2018 and newer) GoldWings. After saying our goodbyes, we went back up to load the bike.
Mark and Barry
Ready to load
After saying several times that the antennae must be folded down before loading the bike, I got distracted and loaded the bike with the left antenna still up. This was an embarrassing rookie move. After untangling it and tying the bike down, we went back through the loose dirt and headed home.
Of all the days....
Million Dollar Beach - Lake George New York
Parasailing
The cruise is about to depart
Lake George Rapid Transit
Have I mentioned Sandy likes flowers?
Faced with multiple ways home, I decided we would go to Massena, New York tonight. A Super 8 room there (we have spent several nights in the past) was about 40% less expensive than Cornwall, Ontario (even allowing for exchange rates). I made a reservation using my Wyndham Rewards app and accidentally booked a smoking room. A phone call corrected the error. Who knew that smoking rooms even existed any more?
We drove up I-87 (aka the Adirondack Northway) and exited at NY 73. This took us up over a ridge and then through the scenic Keene Valley, followed by the High Peaks Scenic Byway to Lake Placid.
I-87
New York 73
St. Hubert
Keene Valley
Keene New York
High Peaks Scenic Byway
A fun road...
...regardless of vehicle
Hikers parked along the highway
Clouds came and went
All we could photograph of the Lake Placid ski jumps
From Lake Placid, we caught NY 86 to Saranac Lake (the capital of the Adirondacks). Saranac was a retreat starting in the 1870's for people suffering from tuberculosis and then became a hub of Adirondack resort activity.
Some of the old stately Saranac Lake residences
Main Street - Lake Saranac
A vintage feel
From Saranac, we followed 86 to its end at State Route 30. That took us north out of the mountains and into the flat farmlands. In Malone, we switched to NY 37, which took us past the bridge to Cornwall and into the village of Massena.
Something is gaining on us
Copilot/photographer
The Raquette River one more time
We arrived at the Super 8 in Massena at 4:30 PM. The skies were now clear and the mercury was pushing 83 F. The motel had a small parking lot, so I scoped out where I would like to park. Coincidentally, that is also where the desk clerk suggested, so it worked out all right.
Ready for a morning escape
I offered to take Sandy across the road to the King's Buffet for supper, but she said she still couldn't taste anything and settled for some Sargento snacks in the room. I had some Slim Jim's with beef and cheese as I did the bills and blog routine.
Tomorrow, we will cross at Ogdensburg and head home via Highways 416 and 17. Google maps says it is 373 miles and should take us 6.5 hours on the road.
Today's Route (172 Equinox/Trailer miles):
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