August 31 - "Final Destination" - Home

Don't let the title freak you out - this won't be like the movie.

A lot of things come to mind after an adventure like ours - you forget a lot of things too because we've covered so much ground and have done sooo much in those 18 days - some of it is such a blur.

Highlights / Lessons Learned:
Not in any particular order...

- needed to add this...
"Dysart's!!!"  How could we forget about "Dysart's Truck Stop" in Bangor, Maine!  Great food - great folks!

- Bike problems...  cam shaft, tires

- Peggy's Cove...  This place is a post card everywhere you look.

- Lake Placid...  a busy, commercial and beautiful place.

- Pictou... our Scottish Heritage lives here.

- "The Trail"... "Oooooo", "Ahhhhhhh"

- lobster and seafood dinners - all you can eat mussels :)>

- The Jacuzzi in Gananoque.

- Fred and Shirley Plourde - their gentle spirits and generosity, lifted our spirits.

- Mark and Alton from Dave Sports Centre - our cam shaft was replaced and we were on our way in 26 hours.

- Jim MacKenzie (MacKenzie Motorsports) - our new Michelin Tires




Billy Graham
"Comfort and prosperity have never enriched the world as much as adversity."

Jeanie and I have to agree with old Billy on this one.  If it weren't for the tribulations of the trip we would  have kept following the itinerary - ad nauseum.  The trials and adversities werer the best things to happen to us.  We had to re-arrange our schedule.  Eventually we were "winging it" while still on course to see the places we wanted.  Next time we will book the first 3 nights and then see where the adventure takes us.  Flexibility is the key - adversities were the means!


Bill
"Laziness is the Mother of Invention"

After a few days on the road we got packing every morning down to a science.  The trick is to keep a low centre of gravity.  Bill already has an idea for an aparatus that keeps luggage low. 


Dirty Harry
"A man's gotta know his limitations."

On Day 9 you will recall we met four sister and brother bikers on the Cabot trail.  One of the guys said that a rider must only attempt to make moves that he or she is comfortable with.  Good advice - something we experienced over and over again.



From Jeanie and Bill

We want to thank all you who so faithfully followed our adventure.  You encouraged us with your comments and emails and diligence.

We really do hope that you were able to feel like youi were riding with us enjoying the beauty that surrounds us in our vast and wonderful Canadian home.

So we leave you, for now, with lyrics from one of our great Canadian poets...



Bryan Adams
"18 'til I die."

I wanna be young the rest of my life
never say no - try anything twice
til the angels come and ask me to fly
I'm gonna be 18 til I die - 18 til I die


BCINGU, 

Jeanie and Bill

August 27 - Final Blog Delayed

Hi everyone!

Sorry for the delay of our final blog and wrap-up.  We've been "up to our arses in alligators" since we got back and we want to do justice to you, who have followed this blog faithfully, by putting some real thought into it.

We hope to have the final chapter written August 31 by the end of the day (hopefully sooner).

Please check again in a day or so.

BCINGU,

Bill and Jeanie

Day 18 - August 24 - Home! Sweet Home!

Well we made it home this afternoon at 3:43 PM.  Just one day longer than expected.  No accidents, no moose collisions (although Jeanie saw one watching us as we rode past) so we are quite thankful.

We would have been home earlier but we stopped to eat, rest, talk to a biker who was taking his Harley in for new shocks..., you know the drill.

No blog tonight  - we're just getting used to being home right now.  So tune in tomorrow for the complete blog plus thoughts on this trip and some ideas for the next adventure (Newfoundland???).

Bill and Jeanie

BCINGU

Day 17 - August 23 - Gananoque - Good advice DJ...

So on the advice of Dave Johnston we stuck to our original plan and we are spending the last night of our adventure in Gananoque.  After the long trek from St.Johnsbury V.T. to get to Burlington in time for the 9:30 AM ferry ride across Lake Champlain, then ride up through New York State into Ontario we just didn't want to end things in a frazzle.  We checked into a suite in a nice hotel (complete with separate jaccuzi), grabbed a "local" Cabernet Franc from Sandbanks Estate Winery and had a greek dinner delivered.

Jeanie has been floating around the jaccuzi all night while I fixed the internet connection for the hotel (they've been having problems for weeks).  The young man at the hotel desk was sooo thankful because he's been inundated wth complaints all night.  I didn't have the heart to point out that my efforts were not completely altruistic and were, at least, partly self-serving in that I wouldn't be able to get this blog completed if I hadn't figured it out.

No that's not smoke - it's low lying fog

in the mountains in Vermont.

Waiting for the ferry in Burlington V.T.

 

 

 

 

 

Approaching Lake Placid.

 

 

 

Bill trying to figure out if you have

to pay for parking in Lake Placid.

Fantastic shops and restaurants

here in Lake Placid - we had lunch here. 

View of Lake Placid from the Cottage Restaurant.

 Taking a break.

Having a quick nap, or prayer.

Not sure which

Back in Ontario.

 

We'll be home on Wednesday in the early afternoon.  Our thoughts and lessons learned in the next and final blog tomorrow.

BCINGU

Day 16 - August 22 - St. Johnsbury Again??? So we liked the hotel...

We woke up in Bangor M.E. to a torrential downpour!  So Bill moved the bike to the front of the hotel where they have a large covered arrival/departure area.  That way we could load up the bike and stay relatively dry - until, of course, we went to leave.

About 90 minutes later the sun shone through

and we stopped for a break and to dry off our gear

 in the sun before putting it away.

Just trying to take a break at an ?-Infor stop

but it was closed!!!  It's only open

Thursday to Sunday   AND  HOLIDAYS ?!? 

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More of Jeanie's award winning photos (next 3)

in New Hampshire and Vermont...

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Jeanie was experimenting with video

in these next two offerings.

Hope you enjoy...

We will leave St. Johnsbury early Tuesday to catch the ferry from Burlington V.T to Port Kent N.Y.  When we get to Gananoque we will decide whether or not to keep heading for home or take our time and arrive Wednesday AM.   (Either way - Levi is a go!!!)

BCINGU

Day 15 - August 22 - Back to Bangor...

We took our time leaving St. Andrews today as the weather looked at little "iffy" and we didn't have a very long ride.  But the sun eventually shone in abundance.

St. Stephen N.B. is only about 20 minutes away from St. Andrews and there is a Canadian Tire there we needed to visit.  Why, you ask?  Because I absent-mindedly left my rain jacket insert at Fred & Shirley's place and I needed to pick up something to wear under my body-armour in case it rains.  Fred is sending my rain insert home - he says it will be there before I get there (salt of the earth or what?).

Anyway the Canadian Tire doesn't open until noon so we have an hour and a half to kill.  Which is good because without our visit to St. Stephen there would be no pictures for this blog (not much really to see that you haven't seen before).
So here are a few photos from St. Stephen...

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Jeanie want you to know that St. Stephen is, apparently, 

the Chocolate Capital of Canada.

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 This little surprise is "Carmen's Restaurant" in St. Stephen.

A favourite local breakfast spot - we concur!

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On the way to the US border...

Well that's it for Day 15 - and that means we're all caught up, blog-wise (is that even a word?  an oxymoron?)

We have a marathon day of riding tomorrow so we'll call it a day so we can hit the road early tomorrow.


Bill and Jeanie,

BCINGU

Day 14 - August 20 - St. Andrews...

As you know we are a day behind with the blogs.  Therefore this blog is actually yesterdays events after leaving Fred & Shirley's "estate".


In a nutshell the trip was from the F&S ranch to Digby N.S - then a 3 hour ferry trip to St. John N.B. - then searched for Jeanie's mother's childhood home in St. John - then on to St. Andrews N.B.


Yes it was another full day!

This is a picture of Fred on his Victory motorcycle leading the way into the ferry terminal at Digby.  He took us on a scenic route at 6AM all the way from his place near Annapolis Royal - about a one hour ride.  Can't thank him enough for leading us there so we would be on time for our reservation.

 This is a shot of the ferry but it is being obsured by the terminal - it is actually quite large.  We would have taken pictures from the ferry deck but once out into the Bay of Fundy we were totally engulfed in thick fog - you couldn't see more thant 100 feet.  Too bad because the frequent travellers told us that often you can see whales, dolphins and porpoise.

This is a picture a church near Jeanie's mom's

childhood home in St. John.

Jeanie took a movie of her mom's house and street

and the video file size is quite large.

 I will post it to this blog when I can

figure out how to make it more manageble.

The view from our deck in front of our room

 at the Tara Manor Inn in St. Andrews. 

The ocean in the distance is actually

much closer than it appears.

Just a couple of minutes down the road into the town

 and you are right beside the water.

 The docks in St. Andrews.

 

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The next three photos are views from the

patio of the Harbourview Restaurant.

One of the best seafood meals of the trip!

Day 15 Blog coming up - Back to Bangor...


BCINGU

Day 13 - August 19 - Fred & Shirley...

We can't say enough about our hosts, Fred and Shirley, F&S.   They graciuosly opened their home to us and lifted our spirits during our long journey.

You may recall that on Day 8 we struck up a conversation with Fred and Shirley in a MacDonalds parking lot.  Before we parted ways they asked us to stay with them and their daughter, Stacey, at their rural home near Annapolis Royal.

The following pictures testify to a GREAT time of kinship...

 But first Jeanie with Cocao - resident at our previous hotel.

 Then lunch at a winery on the way to Fred and Shirley's place.

Dinner is served complete with edible flowers.

 Eating the flowers.

Look off near F&S.

Admiring the horses

 Shirley feeing her chickens and rooster.

 Stacey greeting the horses at the door.

 Tide is out.

 Shriley preparing a wonderful meal,

Fred is tending

the BBQ.

Edible flowers - who knew?

We were too busy yesterday to enter this blog.  We hope to catch up tomorrow.

BCINGU

Day 12 - August 18 - Peggy's Cove...

We decided to stay another day in Halifax because we wanted to spend the day in Peggy's Cove (which is only a 35 minute bike ride away from our Hotel..

Peggy's Cove is small - no doubt about that - but so beautiful you that yoiu would want to live there - not just spend the day.

The following photos will give you just a taste of life in this peaceful town...

 This is the only real restaurant in town where we enjoyed a late lunch....

Butternut squash soup, lobster roll, seafood cakes and

topped it off with the best Ice Cafe Mocha!!!

 Jack Sparrow decided to make an appearance - kind of looks familiar.

This memorial was cut out of a solid rock in the village

of Peggy's Cove. The left half is showing the helmsman

and wheel and then a guardian angel looking over the men at sea.

The remainder shows fishermen in their activities at sea. The central part shows the lobster men, of course, and a long line of fishermen hauling in the huge nets from the ocean.

By the way - only 35 people live in Peggy's Cove!

We will be on our way tomorrow to stay with some aquaintences near Digby.  The next morning (early) we will be taking the ferry over to St. John and then move on to our Hotel for that day.  It will probably be a very long day for us so we may not do a blog that night .  If so look for a double-blog Saturday night.  However if there is free internet on the ferry we may do the Friday blog then.

Thanks for following our blog,

BCINGU... Bill and Jeanie