To Cape Breton and the Cabot Trail

After the wet ride into Dartmouth (near Halifax) the following morning was overcast but dry, despite the predicted rain. We rode in fog along the Nova Scotia coast to Sherbrooke, where we stopped for a break and found a great cafe with excellent coffee. The waitress, a tall lady in her 50's or so, has a son who lives in San Francisco and she's visited there many times, once to run the SF marathon. We also met a couple from South Carolina on cruisers (a Harley and a Kawasaki). The weather gradually cleared and we crossed the causeway to Cape Breton Island and spent the night in North Sydney.

This morning (Thursday, August 15) was chilly, a bit overcast, and very windy. As I was packing the bike I spoke with two guys on bikes who live in Newfoundland and were heading back on the morning ferry. I couldn't wait to put on my fleece jacket liner, and they were in t-shirts. The Cabot Trail around Cape Breton is named after John Cabot, an Italian explorer (real name was Giovanni Caboto), who landed on Cape Breton in 1497. It's a beautiful ride through rugged highlands and along the coast. There are quite a few crafts shops - pewter, pottery, quilts - along the way and Cape Breton is also known for a distinctive style of Gaelic music. Breakfast was at a small bakery/cafe and I had a delicious blueberry scone that was warm from the oven. The day became sunny, but it was very windy. We stopped quite a few times for pictures, although since I live near the northern California coast the scenery was somewhat familiar. We got off the Cabot Trail to ride to Bay St. Lawrence at the very tip of the island, and then rode down the other side, stopping in Cheticam for lunch, which for me was a lobster roll and strawberry/rhubarb pie. I will probably gain 5-10 pounds on this trip. We are spending the night in Port Hawkesbury - still on Cape Breton Island.
Tomorrow we'll ride back into New Brunswick and take a ferry to Prince Edward Island, setting for the Anne of Green Gables books.

Beanie's Bistro in Sherbrooke.

I'd already had breakfast, but I couldn't resist the warm scone.

Dan checks out the coast.

Looking back towards Bay St. Lawrence from the road to Meat Cove.

As far as we can go at the northern end of Cape Breton.

The harbour in Bay St. Lawrence.

The coast on the other side of Cape Breton is more rugged.

View from the Le Gabriel restaurant in Chetticamp where we stopped for lunch.

Acadia's Shore

Yesterday morning (Monday the 12th) we spent an hour at a viewpoint on the St. John river to watch the tide go out. The tides on the Bay of Fundy are famous for being very high, and the river actually reverses direction at high and low tides, creating large eddies and mini-whirlpools. We had time for a quick tour of old St. John before we went to the wharf and got on the ferry from St. John to Digby, Nova Scotia, the ferry ride being smooth and uneventful. From Digby we rode down towards the western end of Nova Scotia and stayed in Yarmouth for the night.

The next morning was foggy, but we still kept to the small roads near the water for a couple of hours and the fog gradually lifted. This part of Nova Scotia is called Acadia after the original French settlers. When the English came in they drove many of the French out - they ended up in New York and other parts of New England, and many went all the way to New Orleans, where they were (and are) called Cajuns, a corruption of Acadians. In Liverpool we stopped and toured the Hank Snow Home Town Museum.

We tired of the slow pace after awhile, and eventually got back on the 103 "expressway" - a nicely paved two-lane road with limited access. We exited at Luneberg, which was originally settled by Germans. It has a fishing fleet and a very touristy downtown of old buildings, restaurants, crafts stores, etc. We had a late lunch there, and just as we got back to the bikes the rain started. It got heavier by the time we were back on the 103 expressway, so we arrived in Halifax at rush hour in the rain. Halifax looks like it might be a nice place, but we rode on through to Dartmouth where we found a motel for the night.

We are a day ahead of our schedule, since we didn't ride back across the center of Nova Scotia to visit Kejimkujic National Park. We inquired as to the attractions in the park, and were told that there are scenic lakes, good camping, hiking trails, and kayaking - none of which we were interested in. Tomorrow we will head east and will probably get started on the Cabot Trail around Cape Breton.

The bikes are fine and so are we, if a little wet.

Who would have thought that St. John would be so kinky?

The Hank Snow Home Town museum in Liverpool, Nova Scotia.

Into the wilds of Canada

After two very pleasant days of good eating at Alden Camps we left this morning (Sunday) after breakfast and rode to the coast and up highway 1. We stopped for lunch in Ellsworth, and then again at Sullivan to take a picture of the house. We split off Highway 1 just after Mathias to take a shortcut to Calais and the border crossing. Highway 1 goes along the ocean and is probably prettier, but we will be seeing nothing but water for the next four days. The border crossing was quick, and we are now at a motel in Saint John, New Brunswick. Tomorrow we will take a ferry to Digby  in Nova Scotia. The title of this post is ironic, since this part of Canada was settled hundreds of years ago and is hardly wild anymore.

The chickens at Alden Camps are unimpressed by Dan's bike and helmet.

Pete's Barbeque just outside of Oakland, ME.

The Putnam house at Sullivan, which overlooks Bar Harbor.

A four state day, and then another

Sorry for the late posting - it was a combination of a motel with no wireless access, and a late arrival in Maine in the midst of a rainstorm.

We got an early start out of Auburn, IN on Tuesday and picked up US 6 a few miles north of town. I used to ride this road all the time from Cleveland to Chicago and back. There was a light rain in the morning, then gradual clearing in the afternoon. There was little traffic, and what there was moved along as fast as we wanted to go. I'd warned Linda that we'd be coming through, and she invited us to stop for lunch, which we did. I also got to see Kristen and Mariko, who is teething and not in the best of moods, but managed a few smiles, which I think I caught with my camera.

It was beginning to cloud up as we left Linda and Peter's house, but gradually cleared again and became a very nice afternoon. We rode the rest of the way through Ohio, across the narrow, northern part of PA, and into  NY -- so that's four states for the day. We exited just before the NY Thruway onto state road 3, which goes directly east across NY.

The next morning we continued on 3 until it joined US 20, and stayed on that until afternoon, when we went northeast through Adirondack park on state road 8. US 20  was pleasant, but somewhat slow, with small towns every 10 or 15 miles. The towns showed signs of  previous prosperity, with impressive stone churches, large brick houses, and stately public buildings, but many of the towns looked a bit run down. The ride through the park was good with lots of trees, little commercial activity, and sweeping curves and hills. We ran into a problem when we looked for a motel at the eastern end of the park - racing season at Saratoga was on, and the local motels were all booked. We rode south into Glens Falls, NY and found the Crestview Motel, which was a dump, but serviceable for our needs, although without Wi-Fi.

The next morning we were on the road before 7 AM and rode for an hour to Rutland, VT, where we stopped for breakfast. On the road again on state route 4 we passed through one darling little town after another until we were thoroughly sick of them - the first couple were cute, but after about a half dozen in the space of 20 miles I was ready for an Interstate. We finally did get on the Interstate heading north, and John dropped off after a few miles to head east to Portland, ME where he was meeting his wife, Celia, who was flying in from San Francisco. He's having tires put on his bike in Falmouth, ME today (Friday) and they will drive/ride up to camp this afternoon.

Dan and I exited at route 2 to St. Johnsbury, and rode across New Hampshire and into Maine (another four state day, although in New England that's not much of an accomplishment). We stopped in Bethel, ME to visit Adele, a classmate from Northwestern with whom I've kept in touch over the years. She has a great old house and a large, separate studio that houses the many looms for her weaving. Like me, Adele was also Dan's student at NU, although she hadn't seen him since 1967 or so. Her sons and grandchildren live fairly close by,  and she winters in Lincoln, MA, where she has a condo. After lunch with Adele, and catching up on the last few years since we'd last seen each other, we left at about 5:30 - plenty of time to get to camp before dark. Unfortunately, I had it in my head that Alden Camps was located on route 11 (it's actually on route 137) and I very carefully wrote directions down for route 11 from route 2. We stopped in Belgrade Lakes for something to eat, and when we left it was getting dark and beginning to rain. Not a problem, I thought, because camp is just up the road on the left. It began raining harder, and we rode into Oakland having seen no sign of camp. I thought that I  must have blown right by it, so we turned around and headed south again. By this time the rain had become a downpour, it was full dark, and it was all I could do to follow the center of the road, which being freshly paved didn't even have painted lines. I finally called Nikki at camp, who put me straight on which road camp is on. We rode back into Oakland, got on route 137, and found camp with no more problems.

Nikki was waiting for us and she got us into the Beehive cabin. This morning it was still raining when I took my bike to a motorcycle shop in Oakland for an oil change and fresh tires. The tires I ordered won't arrive until late this afternoon, so the bike won't be ready until tomorrow, which is fine with me - the rain shows no sign of abating anytime soon and we aren't leaving until Sunday. John is not going to have a pleasant ride from Falmouth this afternoon.

Right now we are hanging around camp, reading, catching up on business, and waiting for mealtime. Since I was here last the dining room has been remodeled - the attic above it was taken out and the ceiling was raised - it has transformed the look and feel of the room.

Kristen and Mariko in Linda and Peter's patio.

Two days, three car museums

We left Dyersburg, TN early on Sunday morning to be at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts by noon. It was a perfect morning with no traffic and clear weather and no detours or road construction on the back roads we took, so we arrived early. We had lunch at the museum cafe and were in line when the exhibit opened at 1 PM. There were a couple of dozen cars exemplifying the art deco period and the show is very popular, so there were a lot of people. The cars were gathered from museums and private collections from the US and Europe, so it is a one time gathering. Most of the cars were very limited production or one-off examples of the coachbuilder's art - they were expensive when new and would sell for millions today. We spent a couple of hours there, and then visited the nearby Lane museum, which I hadn't heard of before I saw a flyer for it at the Frist. This museum is an entirely different concept than the Frist exhibit. There are mini-cars, prototypes, many odd-ball Eastern European models (many Tatras for example), a small collection of motorcycles, and military vehicles - apparently whatever caught Mr. Lane's fancy. We spend another couple of hours there, and as a consequence didn't get as far out of Nashville as I'd hoped.

This morning we were on the road before 7 AM and rode small state roads north into Indiana, but not before making a quick stop at Abraham Lincoln's birthplace in Kentucky. The weather was perfect for riding - a few clouds, temperature in the mid-70's to 80. As we got further north in Indiana, it became partly cloudy and cooler. We stopped for breakfast and once for gas, but  that was it - we'd arranged to meet Dan in Auburn, Indiana and I didn't want to be too late. As it was we arrived at the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg museum at 4:20 PM, just a little before Dan showed up. Vanya and Andrew and I visited the museum about 15 years ago, and I could only spend an hour there before they dragged me away. This time we closed the place up at 7 PM. It's a good museum with a lot of history of the cars and company in addition to the amazing cars. We are spending the night in Auburn, and will ride across Ohio tomorrow and probably spend tomorrow night somewhere in New York.

The courthouse in Trenton, TN, near which a Civil War battle took place

A 1936 Delahaye.

An 1929 L-29 Cord, purchased new by architect Frank Lloyd Wright and painted in his signature Taliesin orange. He owned the car until he died in 1959.

A 1938 Talbot-Lago.

The Talbot-Lago from the front

A 1935 Chrysler Imperial Airflow.
None of the Chrysler Airflow line (Chrysler, DeSoto, Imperial) found acceptance by the public.

Escape from Kansas

Kansas (Friday, August 2) didn't want to let us go. There was road construction, a long detour, and when we were two miles from the border we got stuck at a RR crossing - the train was dropping cars at a station, so it would back up and go forward, several times and very slowly. We finally escaped, however, and found a good motel in Nevada, Missouri. I should say, however, that Kansas was not without its charms. Riding into Mullinville from the west we were surprised to see a field of quirky sculptures along the road. When we stopped at a small cafe and I asked about the sculptures, I was told they were made by a local who put the names of townspeople on some of them, and the nature of the sculpture was a sign of whether he liked you or not.

There were several thunderstorms overnight, but this morning was dry for awhile. Just after breakfast the rain began, and we rode for a couple of hours in off-and-on rain. After  the 95-100 degree heat of the day before the cooler temperature was quite pleasant. We stayed on back roads all across Missouri with only one 30 mile detour. In the afternoon we headed south through the Missouri Ozarks, and just before Arkansas we headed east to Dyersburg, Tennessee, where we are staying tonight.

Tomorrow we visit the Frist Museum for the Visual Arts in Nashville to view a special exhibit of cars from the Art Deco era. Should be fun.

Roadside artworks in Mullinville, KS

Utah, Arizona, New Mexico

See the picture below of the vanity light at the Sun 'n' Sand motel in Kanab, UT. To the motel's credit, all three bulbs worked.

About 15 minutes out of Kanab (near which many western movies and TV shows were filmed) the next morning we came upon an accident scene with an ambulance pulled off the road and all lit up. As I rode slowly by, I could see a BMW in the ditch, so we turned around and went back to see if we could help. The rider was up and gathering his scattered belongings, and he'd already been patched up by the medics. He said that the front wheel blew out and that the bike was unrideable. He would get a lift back to Kanab and arrange for the bike to be picked up. We continued on for another half hour or so and pulled off to take pictures at a particularly scenic area. As we were getting ready to leave, a couple pulled into the parking area on a big Yamaha Star cruiser loaded up and with camping gear piled on the back. We talked a bit, and turned out they were from Colorado Springs and their house and everything in it was lost in the recent fires there. They had just bought the Yamaha, and were on their way to Santa Barbara the the San Juan Islands in Washington. The guy said he had ashes from the house and his four motorcycles and he was going to scatter them in the ocean - a romantic gesture. After that somber beginning the rest of the day was uneventful, except for an 80 mile detour that took us way south instead of through Page, AZ and a very long wait for road construction. US 160 across Arizona is very scenic with red cliffs and striking rock formations. US 64 across northern New Mexico does not start out well - the 60 or so miles between Shiprock through Farmington and  Bloomfield is heavily traveled, and built-up with ugly roadside businesses, chain stores, and fast food places. Once past Bloomfield it is beautiful again with high desert scenery, little traffic, curves, and trees. We entered the lovely Chama valley and spent the night in Chama at 7800 feet. The next morning (August 1, Thursday) we were up early, stopped at the railway station in Chama to take picture of the narrow gauge steam train, and rode over two 10,000 foot passes (joined by picturesque valleys) to Antonito, CO where we had breakfast at the dining car restaurant, the terminus of the Chamas and Tolpec scenic railway - picture below.

Old steam engine used on the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad

 We went north to Alamosa, then turned east and picked up CO 10 which joins US 50. By this time we are in the Colorado plains, which are not unlike the Nebraska plains and the Kansas plains. We picked up a fierce crosswind in the afternoon, which carried with it the fragrances of the Kansas feedlots and a Tyson slaughterhouse. We are in Garden City, KS, and will continue on US 50  tomorrow. The weather was cold this morning at high altitude, but became hotter as we descended out of the mountains. It has been dry so far, but that is supposed to change tomorrow afternoon - thunderstorms are predicted along our route.