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I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America,
and to the Republic for which it stands,
one Nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all
Happy Halloween!
The theme for this year was:
Insects
The Bumble Bee
and
The Butterfly
Today is October 21st 2008
Log Entry #35
in search of autumn
On our trip to Nova Scotia we talked with a young man that worked in a gift shop
on the Cabot Trail. When asked his favorite part of the trail he said That he
doesn't drive on it because there is nothing there to do but look at scenery
We pledged at that moment to see more of our state and not take any of it for
granted.
So we opened the Bat Cave and off we went to explore a little
of the Catskill Mountains
and to search for the colors of Autumn.
We always stop at the waterfalls in Rensselearville. In the foreground you can see the old wooden water pipe line that ran to the mill
In the 1800s Kaaterskill Clove
was a must see stop on the American Grand Tour.
It was as famous and familiar to world travelers as Niagara Falls, Yellowstone
Park or the Grand Canyon are today.
Kaaterskill Clove scenic areas inspired America’s greatest 19th-century landscape painters like Thomas Cole who attended the famous Hudson River School
and home the highest Waterfalls
in New York State It is not as grand as Niagara Falls but higher.
The
Kaaterskill Falls
Also the birth place of the first mountain resort hotels in America. The Catskill Mountain House
The track is long ago been removed but the scar on the mountain still is visible .
The weather was perfect.
The colors were amazing
Traveling with Jim is always makes for a wonderful adventure.
Today is October 16th 2008
Log entry #34
back in time to September 2008
Our first vacation in 23 years
Day #1 Map ( 368 miles)
We point the bikes towards Rte
#7 and points east.
Wanting to get some miles behind us we dare not stop or look back until we
needed gas in Wilmington VT.
I took NO pictures of the beautiful Green Mountains of Vermont or of the White
Mountains of New Hampshire. It is filled with long sweeping turns through the
mountains. A great road to travel by bike. Absolutely beautiful.
Interesting point The New Hampshire Highway Department has signs
specifically warning Motorcyclists of grooved road sections, gravel filled
repairs and other dangers.
Thank-you for taking the
time to get those signs out DOT of New Hampshire.
We crossed into Maine still heading East on Route #9. making only a quick stop
for gas & hit the road again.
The weather was beautiful in the mid 60's Our goal was to make our destination
of Skowhegan/Canaan KOA still several hours away.
Rte# 9 /Rte #202 just west of Portland in the town of Fosters Corners we
stopped for coffee & a bite to eat.
Only to find out they serve ice
cream, ice cream, and ice cream
From the parking lot we saw a Dunkin Doughnuts so headed over
To avoid Portland it was time to turn North on Route #4 To Gray where we jumped
on the I 95 to Exit #133
Didn’t like the idea of taking the interstate but knew it was necessary. We
needed to cover a lot of miles quickly if we were to get to the campground and
set up in the day light
Set up went fast, A tent for sleeping and one for our gear.
I was awakened by rustling
noises from some little creature wandering around the outside of the tent I
figure it was most likely a raccoon or maybe an opossum
I snapped this picture of the moon and went back to sleep
I awoke early and saw this out of the tent window
Day #2 ( 327miles )
From Canaan we traveled on an
easterly route via Rte 23E to Rte #2E to route #9E
Not much to talk about the roads were good but rather boring we clicked off
about 190 of them when we stopped for gas and lunch .A neat little place in the
middle of nowhere called the Airline Snack Bar.
We ordered hot dogs. I did not Photoshop them they were really red. Yes they
scared me a first ,but they did taste like a hot dog and were quite popular with
the people in this little place.
Coffee was excellent
While we were waiting for lunch
a couple of sport bikes pulled in and got talking to Jim about the bike not his
but mine. They couldn’t believe I was riding a 250cc machine ( 29 Horse ) all
that distance.
This would happen many times over the next week of travel
Crossing the border on Rte #1 in Calais, we entered New Brunswick.
The Custom Officer was very nice and directed us to our route.
As we rode through New Brunswick we found most of the drivers to be very polite
Everyone stays in the right hand lane except to pass
Amazing how well the traffic moves when that simple rule is obeyed.
Crossed the bridge in Saint John and ended up in the wrong lane
We did not have the exact 50cent fare Major OOPs and no turning back.
What to do? Just as we are about to panic a worker comes over and made change
for us out of his pocket .Can you imagine that happening on the thruway?
We continued our trek north. The first time I saw 110kph sign I laughed and
using my com. said “Jim just remember that is NOT miles per hour”
Traveled through road construction, grooved highways, loose gravel, and pot
holes big enough that my bike could disappear in & crossed over a few steel
plates loosely covering who knows what.
There were 100’s of miles of work being done. Up and down huge rolling hills I
could see miles in the distance. Not that there was much to see other than more
rolling hills and highway.
We jumped off of Rte #1 for gas at the Hynes Esso in Penobsquis
Made it to City Campground in Moncton, New Brunswick It is located minutes to
Rte #1.
SIDE NOTE: After talking with the manager I would not recommend this place
summer time for bike touring. It sounded like they cater mostly to families with
children and it would tend to be noisy.
The tent spaces are VERY close together . No campfires without renting fire ring
for $9 per night
On the up side Look it was a Gated community
Yes that is our tent you see
What you can not see is all along the perimeter are huge campers
"No one tents this time of year" everyone that walked by our site kept
telling us.
We had just finished setting up when a bike rolls in and starts to set up.
It was a couple from Australia on a major adventure they called the
600 Day Weekend by D & S
We gabbed until it was dark. He had lots of interesting stories to tell.
They had just come across the US from Prudhoe Bay D told us about a couple from
Alaska they almost came to stay with but it didn’t come together. (Yes that
couple would be friends of ours ) Small world isn’t it?
They were on their way to Nova Scotia in the morning but did not know anything
about the Cabot Trail or the Cape Breton Highland National Park. Darrel said it
sounded like something they would check out
We slept well but when I awoke I hear the sound of rain It was a cold &
dismal morning.
We made coffee and debated what
to do.
With no heated gear we decided it would be best to wait for the rain to stop. D
& S headed out. D had heated gear and S was driving a van. No wet tent to
pack up. They would be fine.
We exchanged email addresses snapped a few photos and invited them to stay with us when they come through on their way to Florida.
The rain did not stop until 2PM
much too late to break down so we stayed put
Day #3 ( 125miles)
The sun came out and we went for a ride
JT wanted to buy a knitted hat, a fleece jacket & a few other things he
didn’t pack
We scored at Mark’s Work Wear House. Everything he needed was even on sale
Back at the campsite I start dinner while Jim enjoys a cup of coffee
Staying in Moncton turned out to
be a BIG MISTAKE. A HUGE ERROR on our part.
The sun set through the trees behind our tent
I was so very cold I got up and
headed to the rest room figuring it would be warmer but the windows were open
and it was just as cold if not colder in there. As I walked across the grass I
could hear it crunch under my feet
When I returned to the tent JT gave me his knitted hat which helped keep some
heat in. but not enough to allow me to get more than about an hour’s worth of
sleep for the whole night
When the sun came up this is what we saw
We booted up the computer in the
morning and saw why we were so cold. It had dropped to -1 C ( we quickly
converted that number and discovered it was 30 degrees Fahrenheit YIKES
That is really cold
Then if we were not feeling cold enough they said with wind it felt like -2
degree Celsius = 28.4 degree Fahrenheit
A few miles north of where we were camped had gotten 5 inches of snow.....
Yikes
Day #4 ( 173 miles )
Welcome to Nova Scotia the sign
read...Hurray we were out of New Brunswick. Crossing the Chignecto Bay
The landscape change was radical. It was wonderful to see such a change in
scenery. The temperatures would continue to rise. It was a beautiful sunny day
in the high 60’s
We saw lots of kettles boiling advertising fresh steamed lobster & or
steamed clams. Snack shops advertising the best Lobster rolls in town (Funny
thing is they all said that)
It was too early to stop for lunch so we bypassed all of them and kept moving,
Jim's right hand mirror was broken before we left but now the electrical tape
holding it in position at the high speeds wasn’t keeping it in place.
He needed a new one so we stopped at the first cycle shop we came to A Kawasaki
dealership called Roy Duguay Sales LTD. In Amherst He set Jim up with a new
mirror.
As we were leaving we got talking to a woman who rode in on a 24 year old Suzuki She was thinking about maybe getting a new bike...Sorry I didn't get a better picture It was in beautiful condition
We chose to use Rte #6 it kept
us off the main road Hurray ..... we really like side roads.
It was beautiful. Lots of farms & small fishing villages skirted the coast.
It combined rolling hills with a few twisties for good measure.
At the Palmerston Cemetery we pulled over here to set a new waypoint on the GPS
At New Glasgow we decided it was time to kick it up a notch. That meant getting onto Hwy #10 to Port Hastings. It is the first town on Cape Breton where we opted to get off the highway and take route # 19 up the coast.
Since I was going on under an
hour of sleep and Jim not much more than that we decided to get it would
be best to get a room for the night.
At that moment we realized how hungry we were getting. The reason was that we
hadn’t eaten since 5PM the night before and it was going on 6PM Atlantic time
In Port Hood we pulled into the Manitou
Restaurant & Bakery at 123 Main Street.
Looking around we noticed no
seats near a window looking towards the parking lot.
The Waitress assured us with only 714 people in town she knew every one of them
our bikes & gear were quite safe.
We each order the special of the day” Baked Haddock” It came with a cup of
soup, homemade biscuits and a tossed salad
And look what we had for dessert
As you can imagine we ate way
too much and was now getting really sleepy.
Bonnie (Our Waitress) recommended The Hebridean Motel.
The place was WARM clean & comfortable $93.79
After we unloaded the bikes then JT ran to the co-cop for a bottle of wine
Looking out the door to our room this was the last thing we saw before we went to bed
Day #5 (145 miles)
Since dinner was so good and we
were in no hurry we decided to try the Manitou for breakfast. Our waitress from
the night before was there only this time she was enjoying breakfast with her
family
The woman that checked us in to the Motel was also having breakfast. She came to
the table to say good morning, ask us how our room was & thought we might
enjoy a scenic side trip on our way north. She suggested Rte 219 from Dunvegan
to Margaree Harbour
It would keep us in view of the ocean and loop us right back onto Rte #19 T a
few miles down the road. We thanked her and decided that it was something we
would definitely do.
Erica came to the table for our order. We went with the house specialty We
ordered the specialty in many places
A Manitou Burger consisting of a
Fried Egg with a slice of baked ham, a slice of bacon with melted cheese on a
fresh baked roll it was yummy. The home fries were deep fried. Coffee was
excellent
On a whim we pulled into The Whale Cove Cemetery. No locks no gates Just a sign
asking you to not camp overnight and to please keep the place litter free
Our first ride on a questionable dirt road with all our gear. I was a bit
nervous, but the bike responded well and up the steep hill on loose dirt and
stone we went. It was so worth it What a view.
As we pushed north we were seeing more bikes
groups of 10 or more would come up behind us. We let them go by when ever there
was room. Nova Scotia is very bike friendly
As we enter the fairly large town of Cheticamp we are very impressed with
the number of bikes lining the streets. JT hits the com and says” Wow if this
is the number of bikes off season can you imagine what it is like during the
summer months” We were very impressed
We start to notice that not one of these bikes has any gear tied on.
We round a corner and start up a small hill and off to the right JT says “Did
you see all of the bikes in that parking lot
No exaggeration there had to have been over 400 of them
There must be a bike show going on I thought
Arriving at the ranger’s station to buy our pass, a 24 hour pass came to
$15.60 for both of us
The Ranger tells us that in about ˝ hour we will have an excess of 750
motorbikes coming up behind us.
It was the annual Ride 4 the cure
click on RIDE
4 THE CURE to see the video
Record number of bikers won’t go hungry
during annual Ride 4 The Cure
RANNIE
GILLIS
The Cape Breton Post
Question: How do you feed approximately 600 hungry bikers?
Answer: With a great deal of advance planning and a lot of volunteers
On Saturday, Sept. 20, the fifth annual Ride 4 the Cure will set out for a
one-day motorcycle tour around our Cabot Trail. With Gord MacDonald supervising
the whole affair, the owner of Gord’s Sport Centre in Sydney will certainly
have his hands full.
The ride will undoubtedly set a record as the largest group of motorized
vehicles to navigate our world-famous highway at any one time. It will also mark
the completion of a long period of planning and preparation, dating back to
shortly after last Christmas
For the first four years all funds raised went to the ‘CIBC Run for the
Cure’, a Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. This year pledge funds may also be
specified for the Cancer Centre at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital.)
The rally will actually get underway on Friday, Sept. 19, at the splendid
Membertou Trade and Convention Centre. Registration for participants will be
followed by a social evening and a chance to meet and greet fellow bikers from
all over Atlantic Canada. The party, however, will not go on into the early
morning hours, as everyone will want to retire early, in anticipation of an
early morning start to the next day’s tour. But, how will you feed them all?
This is how it was handled last September
participants started with a hot breakfast at the Membertou Trade and
Convention Centre. It was not an easy task, however, as Gord and his fellow
organizers, based on advanced registration, had expected less than 400 to show
up. Imagine their collective surprise when the final count approached the 500
mark. However, the volunteers at Membertou and the other venues were more than
up to the task and no one started the day hungry
I should mention that the 500 bikes that took part last year did not all head
out together down the Sydney by-pass. Rather, they were broken up into much
smaller groups and their start times were staggered. This also meant the various
venues would not have to deal with a massive amount of motorcycles at any one
time.
Their first rest stop was at the Inverary Inn in Baddeck, where the staff and
community volunteers offered light snacks and other refreshments. Then it was
off to Cheticamp, and the All Aboard Restaurant, which like the other venues
along the way was marked by pink balloons. Restaurants sporting such banners
were indicating they were making donations to the Ride 4 The Cure
The next stop after Cheticamp was Ski Cape Smokey, tucked away at the foot of
this massive mountain. Here the local volunteers had prepared a delightful
barbeque. Then, in the early evening, as the tired riders and their passengers
returned to Membertou, they found another healthy barbeque waiting for them. Is
it any wonder that up to 600 motorcycles are expected to participate this year.
So, a tip of the hat and congratulations to Gord MacDonald and his many
sponsors and volunteers. You have taken a noble cause, combined it with a superb
organization and reduced a very complex undertaking to a fun-filled day of
motorcycles on the Cabot Trail
We thought about just camping at the base for
the night but then she told us many of them had reservations already
Since we don’t like crowds we decided we would camp up the trail.
We stopped at the pull offs to snap pictures of the breathtaking vistas and in
no time the riders started to catch up
Well it was a little white
knuckled for me some of the ride I never liked riding in groups I was always one
to say I'll meet you there rather than ride with a pack.
Many of the great vista pull offs were so packed we had to pass them up. When we
did get a chance to stop some of the riders came right over and started up
conversation with us. Everyone was very friendly
We accepted the idea that our ride was going to be more crowded than any given
day during the normal season and that every rider was there to support a good
cause. My sister is a 5 year Survivor
Every make and model bike took part in this run. Amazing turn out I applaud you
all.
It started to become annoying
because we were missing out on the reason we made the trip so we got off the
Trail and headed towards Meat Cove
The road there was nice and we got a chance to enjoy the ride. The final 8 miles
to Meat Cove was sand
It was starting to get late and we needed to find a campsite before dark.
Passed little churches like this
one along the way. They all seemed to have no windows in the front & always
3 windows on the side
Saw a sign for the Hideaway Campground and Oyster Market in
South Harbour and pulled in.
We thought about staying in one of their cabins but of the ones available they
were all too far away from the rest rooms, no electricity or WIFI
Surprise This one is called
“The light house” It is facing North towards the ocean
Walking around the cliff area we
saw eagles on the hunt. It was moving to see such grace in motion.
We were too far away for any good pictures, but I was very happy I remembered to
pack the binoculars.
Looking North from the Lighthouse Cabin
On our way back to our tents we
met a couple from Alaska. They were curious if we were part of the group of
bikes they had seen all day long. (They were afraid that it might be a rowdy
campsite that night we just smiled and assured them we were looking for quiet
also.
They were also shocked at how bad the mosquitoes were, by mid September they
were gone for the year back home.
They also mentioned seeing a Black bear and her cub back down the trail earlier
We didn't see any big 4 legged critters. Although we did see a chipmunk run
across the road.
We gabbed long enough that now the sun was setting. Worked out great another
photo op Sunset.
Day 6 (376 miles)
Early the next morning we
quickly packed up and hit the trail
It was a Sunday Morning
I Love riding on Sunday mornings.
We would cover 376 miles Our longest distance in a day
Even with my Alaska Butt Pad. My butt was really was sore at the end of the day.
It would be the only day I truly was shifting around in my seat & standing
up when possible to relieve my discomfort I did not care what people thought
You have to remember I am doing this trip on a stock seat.
Our First Stop had a walking trail out to the point
The sun had not completely burned the morning haze off.
Saw this sign and figure they are very serious about the lobster business.
The next overlook was a long way down.
This pull off had a small group
of 15 from Sydney parked when we wheeled in.
No pictures Sometimes my mouth engages and my brain disengages
One of the women in the group just took her test and was looking for her first
bike .She was very excited about getting off the back of her bf's bike.
Another one liked the safety of riding pillion with her husband, especially on
such a twisty road
The 3rd one was wearing my jacket She was as happy with it as I am.. We both
have the same comment. At times it would be nice to have one a little longer.
They told us they hadn’t been up the Cabot Trail in many years & were
enjoying a wonderful morning ride
One woman said “It is too bad that sometimes we forget & take for granted
the beauty in our back yard.”
We agreed they had a beautiful backyard
We hung around enjoying the sun and the view as it warmed up and burned off the
haze.
a closer look at that mountain.
As we were getting ready to leave a couple of
guys on vacation pulled in in their hybrid
We noticed a lot of hybrid cars on this trip
Canadians are much " Greener" in their thinking than most of us
Americans.
Besides JT & me the only one in this over look was the guy that picks up the
trash
Our only picture of the 2 of us
We talked with him about the event the day before. He said the trash cans were
full but that was to be expected The overflow of garbage was placed next to the
trash cans. The group was very good about not littering.
He told us that the Membertou Trade and Convention Center had served over 1,500
people breakfast for that ride.
When he told his Grandpa this, Grandpa ( who had had a few ) said That’s a big
demand and a lot of eggs from them poor hens
A little further down the trail the sun is a little higher in the sky and looks
like it is shaping up to be another glorious day
Heading down the East side "The Highlands" had some serious twisties
In Green Cove we Stopped to snap a few photos.
No vacation would be complete
without a few souvenirs so we stopped at the Blue Gull Gift Shop and got a few.
Since no one was in the store
but the Kid on the counter we tried to strike up a conversation with him.
I mentioned we had not seen any moose on the trail. He was not surprised He
hadn’t seen one in over a week. (the things you take for granted)
I asked him his favorite spot on the trail and he said I quote ”I don’t go
on that road…. Nothing to do but look at the scenery”
We left there with our purchases and wondered if we took our area for granted. I
guess we do a little, but that is going to change we are heading to the
Catskills for a weekend trip before the snow flies
We had to decide what to do. Do we push to get closer to Yarmouth and take the
CAT to Bar Harbor ME on Monday (The CAT only runs 2 days a week this time of
year out of Yarmouth to Bar Harbor) or go on Tuesday which they were predicting
a total washout with rain
Or head east to Loch Lomond to check out property we were very interested in at
one time. And cover a few more of the trails
Which would mean to get home we would have to go back through New Brunswick add
2 days to our trip and freeze our butts. And a good chance of getting soaked or
snowed on.
We decided on The CAT on Monday
In order to make the CAT on time we headed south quickly. Stopping only for gas
or to stretch our legs and an occasionally to take a picture.
We got to take our first ferry
ride once out of ”The Highlands”.
It was on the Englishtown Ferry.
You rode on, stayed on the bike for the short ride across and rode off the other
side. Water was calm which made for a smooth crossing. There were a dozen other
vehicles on the ferry with us.
JT snaps one of me as I am taking one of the Ferry
Down through the center of Cape
Breton passed St. Andrews Channel & the huge Bras d” Or Lake and several
scenic trails (we hope to do them another time) the temperature was warming up I
think it may have reached the 70's
Pushing on only stopping for gas we fly down the 102 to RTE #14 where we take it
out of hyper-drive for awhile.
Another little church across the street from the gas station.
Then back on to RTE 101 to
Middleton for the night
We find a room at the Best Western in Kingston. Even with our AAA discount it
came to $115.74 OUCH
I guess it is because it had a blow dryer in the bathroom and carpet on the
sidewalk ??????
Day # 7 (127 miles )
The bikes are packed up and we
are ready to hit the road.
Our trip to Yarmouth will be an
easy 120 plus miles so we can take our time and take some pictures along the
way.
We reach Yarmouth lunchtime and
decide to park at the pier but, not one space is open We ask the security guard
what we should do He says and I quote "Park in that spot"
JT says but it says 30 minute parking only.
The guard smiles and says "I can't read so well go ahead and park it there
that way I can keep an eye on it for you"
We parked the bikes and then approached him again. How about a nice place to
eat. He sent us to his favorite place on the pier It was called Rudders. We said
Thank you and headed in the direction of the tavern
Lot of interesting buildings
and then we spotted it
Old plank floors and lots of
rustic charm. Sorry no pictures of the inside except our lunch
We ordered the special. It included a cup of Chicken Vegetable Soup with a
“Captain’s Fish Sandwich” Fried Fresh Haddock with Tartar sauce and a
slice of red onion and a side of coleslaw
Excellent
We walked slowly back and
snapped off a few more pictures.
They were closed for the season.
When we returned to the pier The
Security Guard said he should of told us to order a beer. They make is some of
the best tasting in Yarmouth.
Made a mental note to myself that the next time we are there to check out the
beer.
In the distance we can now see the CAT coming
The covered walkway was for the passengers on the tour buses to embark. Yes there big tour buses and Motor homes on board also.
The Captain swings the boat around and head out of the harbor.
This picture does not really
tell the story Those rooster tails are over 5 feet This boat sits up and flies
across the water.
CAT specs:
This picture does not really tell the story Those rooster tails are over 5 feet
This boat sits up and flies across the water.
CAT specs:
Length Overall: 319 ft
Speed: 36 knots @ 750 tonnes deadweight & 40 knots @ 375 tonnes
deadweight
* Note – All speeds quoted at 100% MCR (4 x 7080kw @ 1030 rpm) and
excluding T-foil.
Maximum Deadweight: 750 tonnes
Passenger Capacity: 900
Vehicle Capacity: 240
Built : 4/2002
Design: Two slender, aluminum hulls connected by a bridging section with
center bow structure at fwd end. Each hull is divided into nine vented,
watertight compartments divided by transverse bulkheads. Two compartments in
each hull prepared as short-range fuel tanks and one as a long-range fuel tank.
Welded and glued aluminum construction using longitudinal stiffeners supported
by transverse web frames and bulkheads.
Main Engines: 4 x resiliently mounted Ruston 20RK270 or Caterpillar 3618
marine diesel engines, each rates at 7080kw.
Water Jets: 4 x Lips 120E waterjets configured for steering and reverse.
Transmission: 4 x Reintjes gearboxes, with reduction ration suited for
optimum jet shaft speed.
It would be a 3 hour ride
We could have dinner, enjoy a cocktail in the lounge, go to the casino or watch
a movie. We opted for the New Indiana Jones movie. and to watch people getting
their sea legs or not .
Even some of the crew got walking a little sideways as they went by.
Back at the information center in Nova Scotia we decide to make a reservation
for a motor lodge in Bar Harbor for the night.
With up to 900 people on the CAT we didn’t want .to try find one at 9PM or
later. The woman on the counter was very nice She told us she had the perfect
place It is where she stays when in Bar Harbor. The Robbins Motel on Rt#3 www.acadia.net/robbins
$42 a night
It is an older Motor Lodge The rooms are very clean, it was very quiet and very
comfortable. He reminded us that in the morning he served a great cup of coffee
and his Mom would be there to answer any questions we might have. She knew
everything about any place you would want to see in Bar Harbor. A fountain of
information.
Day # 8 ( 228 miles)
The Robbin's Motor Lodge
Cute little place.
After coffee we were ready to go
It was about 9:30 and the rush hour Ha HA Ha traffic was gone so we headed out
RTE #3 towards our morning destination of Arcadia National Park. Cadillac
Mountain and lunch at The Jordon’s Pond House. We had not done a bike trip to
there since 1977
Our route for this morning was to follow Rt #3
My favorite kind of "High Tech" map
Our first stop as we heading up
Cadillac Mt the haze had not quite burned off. When we stopped JT was on a bit
of a down hill so he decided to put the Wee Strom into first gear, apparently
when the bike rolled forward his side stand was pushed off the lock position and
like a series of snap shots in slow motion I watched him and the bike tip over
and there was nothing I could do to prevent it or help him lay it down.
I quickly got off my bike and ran up to him He was fine except his for his pride
and we quickly hoisted it back up on to the kick stand. Good thing for that old
"Adrenalin Rush". His bike was very heavy with all gear on it .
No I didn't snap a picture It wasn't funny until after we had righted the bike
and got it restarted with no problems
Thus photo is taken looking
towards Bar Harbor
The drive into the park is uneventful No traffic and we are able to stop at any
and all scenic parking areas.
Taking our time I decide to do a panoramic view I set my tripod and ready myself
when an Ollie’s Trolley wheels in 40 people jump off take a hundred pictures
and they are back on the bus and gone quick in a blink of your eyes. It was
funny, almost like a Chinese fire drill I don’t think one of them really
appreciated what it was they were snapping pictures of.
This is what we saw "Eagle
Lake"
The
road snaked its way to the top.
It was fun
The Cranberry Islands
Newer Trail Markers
The old style trail markers
Life clings to every little crevasse on the mountain. Dwarfing the plants that you would almost think they were Bonsai
JT in 2008
JT in 1977
It was starting to get crowded so we head back down the mountain and towards Jordon's Pond
We did NOT stop at the Jordan
Pond House
It has become so commercial They were bringing them in by the bus load. Much too
crowded for us. We would grab a bite to eat later
Decided not to set a waypoint in the GPS, we would just travel along RTE #1
south along the coast for awhile.
We were hoping to find a snack shop and grab a Lobster roll for lunch. What we
did discover is that all restaurants are on the left side of the road when
heading south.
We try not to make a left for food or gas.( Not sure why just an old habit)
We were getting very hungry and not one restaurant on the right side of the road
so JT decides to make a very quick left into the "Rockport Diner" I
miss the turn and have to turn around and come back OOPS
The Soup of the day was Corn Chowder It was delicious
After our lunch we continued south on RTE #1 to Yarmouth
and to crossed this amazing bridge
It was built to replace this one
North to Gray to catch RTE #4W
.Avoiding Portland we traveled .South to RTE# 25 which we took right into New
Hampshire at this point we checked on the Garmin for a place to stay and headed
towards it.
It would be the "Saco River Motor Lodge" on RTE # 302 in Center Conway
New Hampshire. Owned and operated by Linda and Gordon
Linda was originally from Wales and an avid gardener It showed everything looked
beautiful. Nice folks quiet, clean rooms hot showers and comfortable beds. What
more can you ask for
Bonus it had a refrigerator and microwave in the room Time to buy a few beers
After we unloaded the bikes we headed about a mile back down the road to a gas
station we had passed on our way We wanted something to hold us over for the
night and a few ice cold beers. for me
We lucked out there was a "Subway" inside the place so we each ordered
a Turkey with Swiss Cheese wrap and I got my first Amstel Light beer since we
started the trip
Day #9 ( 272 miles )
Woke up and the checked the
weather for MT Washington.
The high for the day would be 40 degrees The winds were already at 27 MPH so we
decided not to chance it only to find out it was too windy & or to cold to
ride to the top.
Suitcase stand with my stuff
We will definitely come back for
a weekend to not only see MT Washington but explore more of the high peaks of
the White Mountains and take a look at the Flume Gorge.
Looking at the map and thought we would head toward home and maybe hit the
Adirondack Mountains for a day or so.
We stopped for lunch at the Dishn'
It out Diner The locals have
a lot of fun with the waitress and cook. They dish it out as well as take it.
For lunch We ordered of course
the Special
It was a simple Turkey With Swiss wrap & a Great cup of coffee
Crossing into Vermont No way could we not stop here & snap off a few
Looking up stream we saw this.
A little further on Rt #4 We
came into the town of Quechee .
All the signs in the village looked like this
and look we got to go through
another covered bridge
They even had small cut outs in the wall of the bridge for children to be able
to see
Looking up stream on this bridge
was quite interesting.
A restaurant hanging out over the dam
The falls was so mesmerizing I took a few more
pictures
We stopped for one last photo op on Rt #4 in Vermont
It would be our last stop for
pictures on our trip.
From here we rode on Vermont's Rte #4 to Queensbury NY. At that point we decided
to head south instead of extending our trip, so we hopped on to the Northway,
kicked it into hyper-drive and headed for home.
Total of 2,081 (s) miles in 9 days.
Today is July 23rd
Log entry #33
After a long day of installing Mashatti husband's office last week (in 94 degree humid weather) We were exhausted.
Her sister Mana generously offered us a couple of Shish Kebobs she was preparing.
The few times we have been to their home taking measurements for different projects Mana is always in the throws of making some dish that smells yummy.
.Wednesday was no different. She was preparing food for the celebration of the Birth of Imam Ali.
we were delighted & very grateful for her offer. We took them home to grill for dinner.
I served them with rice. we both agreed that they were wonderful. Thank you Mana
in Iran they use a flat skewer ( not unlike the swords that desert travelers would have used when on the road many years ago..
Today is June 1st
Log entry #32
. we were shocked by the price of oil. My neighbor paid the other day. it was $4.39 gallon.. We can not afford to heat both buildings at that price and as of now I can not even lock in for the coming season So We decided to take our oil monies and buy a wood splitter ,and wood burning units. to heat our home and the woodshop
We will need to purchase some oil for our hot water
about 8 cord will carry us through this coming heating season .So every chance we get we grab a tree or two from our forest, spit and stack it so it can be drying
We have 4 cord in as of today.
Today is May 26th
Log Entry #31
Memorial Day Weekend we took a 1/2 off and went to my sister Kim's home for a bar B que.
This is Christina & my great nephew Matthew. Kim dragged out the old rocking horse we had as kids
Matthew is still a little young to ride it by himself but with some help from his Mom he enjoyed it
My Niece Tara Always the ham
At the end of the day We sat around the fire pit and enjoyed coffee and raspberry pie
it was relaxing afternoon and so good to visit with everyone.
Today is April 28th
Log Entry #30
It has been a whirlwind around here with trying to catch up on projects and maintain some sort of life outside of work..
I can officially say We are finally up to date with our projects and are finishing up a few of our own.
I am so lucky to have a husband that can, will and did build me my dream kitchen. It is great!
Still have a few loose ends to do but I have a wonderful working kitchen again
There is an Oak Cap to install on the half wall. Base board is primed and sanded ready for top coat in the shop & I still have to finish up painting the rest of the wall and the windows
Today is January 9th
log entry #29
It has been a long 2 months. Jim's Mom passed away on Christmas Day after complications from a surgery she underwent earlier in the month.
We can only hope to be as active & productive as she was at 82.. She always worked hard but made time to enjoy life, We miss her very much and our Thursday night dinners.
I know you all must have enjoyed our January Thaw Monday the 6th and Tuesday the 7th. It was the first breath we have taken since early December,
We are behind schedule in the shop but just really felt we owed it to ourselves to enjoy at least one of these days so we closed up the shop noon time Tuesday and headed out on the bikes for a 100 mile trip in search of evidence of our January thaw
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We enjoyed our afternoon very much. We feel regenerated, relaxed. and ready to attack our work schedule with a Big smile..
