Small Town Stuff

I think this is what summer was meant to be. Just a small town girl on a ride from small town to small town. 

Westport ... 

A small tourist town with too many things going on and way too much traffic for me today.

 But I'd promised to stop by the annual show and shine event

to meet up with Ken and his shiny Lotus.

Though the heat dome has lifted and temperatures of 20 C have me running for my sweater, standing around in full riding gear under the sun still felt too hot. I needed to catch a bit of breeze and headed up Foley Mountain. Instead of stopping at Tims for coffee in Perth I turned right.

Rideau Ferry...

(another small town on the Rideau River) for a bit of a walk along the public dock.

From Rideau Ferry it was on to Smith Falls and a quiet county road that lead me to

 Athens... 

I haven't been to Athens in a very long time.

 Athens is a small town famous for its murals ...

 all depicting life a century ago.

Delta. 

The Old Mill is now a bakery and museum.

Lyndhurst

BMW Triumphant and I stopped at this same park last fall with a view of the single lane, historic bridge.

 On my way home I had to stop in 

Seeley's Bay 

another small town on the water...

And back in time for a walk down the road to catch the sun setting through the trees over the lake.

It's amazing how many small towns you can find if you head out to nowhere and take 250 km to get back home. 

(Thanks Dave: it has happened to me!)

Positively Balmy ...

We reached body temp (37) here today ... and you know what? It didn't feel all that bad - of course not being dressed in full riding gear helped a great deal. I'm going to savor this picture when it's minus 20 next January.

... Home Safe and Sound.

Mission accomplished and now the Star and the Deer are back together again. I think she's happy to be home safe and sound. I'm happy but at the same time I still totally miss life on the road (or maybe I just like living in an alternate dimension where I am able to pretend I don't have a million mundane chores to do.)

A look around tells me everything here is dying of thirst; not a drop of rain since I left and long before. 7 o'clock and still nearly 30 degrees with a forecast for more of the same.

And I think she'll forgive me ... in a couple of days.

Sault St. Marie, Bruce Mines, Iron Bridge, Blind River, Sudbury ...

Travelling along hwy 17, I was glad the Star didn’t succumb 'on the long decline.'  The road still winds along the Mississagi River but it's not the same as it was in '62 when Young wrote about his car ... that is except for the gas stations. Every gas station along the route was vintage and getting to them became an off road adventure. Blind River and 'her chromes still shining' and she's still running and tonight we're in Parry Sound.

I stopped to take a photo of the beautiful, twisting waterway when I heard the rumble of loud pipes slowing at the construction behind me. I turned to look at a group of riders advertising a possible involvement in organized crime on their vests. Not the first group I met today, so from there on I decided to wave only at brightly coloured sport bikes or cruisers hauling trailers. I’m pretty sure they won’t be sporting colours.

Now when I'm camping I expect to worry about bears, but this close to home and after 8 hours on the road I decided to hotel it (once again) and what did I find? My window faces the nice wooded area behind the hotel so maybe I'll get to see him. I'll have to keep the camera handy but I'll be keeping the window closed and sleeping with one eye open.

And for the last dinner on the road I was incredibly lucky to stumble on the award winning Food Truck Moose On The Loose - unbelievable! My only regret; that I didn't have three friends to help me eat it. (If you're ever in Parry Sound check them out - no moose on the menu.)

Neil Young

Long may you run.

Long may you run.

Although these changes

Have come

With your chrome heart shining

In the sun

Long may you run.

Well, it was

Back in Blind River in 1962

When I last saw you alive

But we missed that shift

On the long decline

Long may you run.

Michigan's No Dream To Me Now ...

A very  long time ago I met a boy from Escanaba Michigan. I passed through there today. I couldn't remember his name...I rode on...past Green Bay ...

Finally Lake Michigan and a beach, one mile from the northern most point of the lake. Warnings on the road, watch for sand as I rode through the dunes.

St. Ignace - Thanks for the tip about the bridge Erik.

St. Ignace harbor. It was a beautiful little town. I couldn't help myself. I had to stop.

And more than a few frustrating internet moments. Oh, well.

The Ride Home: Day 1

It felt a little strange and a bit lonely to pack the bike this morning and not fasten the little scoot to the trunk. We rode over 2,600 kilometers together and I can’t help but think a bit of Bob’s spirit rode along with us. Coop made an early stop to leave a note while I languished indoors waiting for River Valley Powersports to open.

By 9:30 I had the oil topped up and was crossing the Mississippi one last time. Goodbye Minnesota, Red Wing and the Little Scoot.

Mission accomplished, I’m headed home.

(But while I’m in this neck of the woods I might as well have a gander at the shores of Lake Michigan.
After all I have a bonus day ... since I thought all day today it was already July 19.)

Marinette and the Menominee River that empties into Green Bay on Lake Michigan.

And Now You Know ... The Rest of the Story.

In memory of Bob Leong -Bobskoot:WetCoastSkooting

The Diary of Little Scoot and His Travels with VStar - Day 5

The Diary of Little Scoot and His Travels with VStar - Day 4

The Diary of Little Scoot and His Travels with VStar - Day 3

The Diary of Little Scoot and His Travels with VStar - Day 2

The Diary Of Little Scoot and His Travels with VStar, Day 1

Now You Know ...

I had a beautiful ride through the mountains of Vermont and headed into New Hampshire with a stop at Starbucks just to savor the day.

Well, well … who might that be pulling into the parking lot in the blue mini cooper?

It’s Matt … Meet Matt.

Oh, right ... and look what Matt brought with him.

Continuing its journey, the little wooden scoot was my perfect excuse for this summers adventure; now you know. (So very nice to meet you Matt, thanks for the delivery.)

And There Ahead Lies Vermont

Freezing cold and drenched to the core I’ve arrived in Vermont. If it hadn’t been for Big Al’s Eatery and Gas Bar on the Military Turnpike I surely would have perished on-route. Who could have guessed that temps of nearly +40 C with the humidex would turn to bone chilling, shiver inducing, wondering, “what the ‘hell’ am I doing riding in this,” weather overnight. But after a warming coffee and wonderful hospitality, and with only about 60km to go for the day I crossed

the ferry from Cumberland Head to Grand Isle where a causeway lead to the mainland; there ahead was Vermont and a very welcome motel at last.
Once again, I had planned on taking the scenic route but once again I gave in to the fastest way there and gave Dan his head. No time for pictures and no desire to dig everything out of the dry bags and otter boxes.
Stops today (not counting stopping on the ferry which confused Dan to no end: mute!), 2 to add clothing and heated clothing, one for gas and one for gas and coffee. Kilometers, 387 but it seemed like a whole lot more.

The Beginning

Summer holidays and the beginning of a new adventure; a chance for some closure.

The sky was ominous for most of the day with on again, off again showers. I'm not complaining, we needed them. It gave me the chance to pick up my new sunglasses, fine tune the first couple of days plans and try to coordinate my growing collection of geekie toys (if iOS, android and Microsoft can work in harmony perhaps there is hope for the rest of the world.)

Packed and ready to go ... weather permitting.