There & Back Again by J L Baggins

jefflthomas

Tour Pro

• Jul 31, 2011

• #1

approximately 4300 to 4400km or more with getting lost & stuff...LOL

& it's gonna take me a while to organize the pics

DAY 1 MAP

lunch at Alexandria Bay NY with my traveling companions

on their '06 + '011 GSXR750's

well... we were originally going to Lake Placid for the first night but we took a different route from last year & were riding around in circles on roads that weren't on the map around Duane (F) ...LOL

so we headed for Vermont on the ferry

we had a hell of a time finding somewhere to stay that night as it's peak tourist season

about 9pm (after a fair bit of running around in the smokin' heat) we found somewhere to stay & ordered pizza

 

Last edited: Jul 31, 2011

jefflthomas

Tour Pro

• Jul 31, 2011

• #2

DAY 2 MAP

we thought it wise to start looking for accommodation around 5pm for the rest of the trip

bit of a drag because we could probably have done a couple of hundred K more each day

so boots & saddles early......

the view from the hotel window, east i think...Vermont's beautiful!!!

of course we were staying on the side roads when practical but we stayed on the interstate first thing as the scenery was lovely

luckily a lad at a gas station in Montpelier (he used to have a GSXR) recommended a better route than i had planned...

i carry a highlighter eh...LOL

this must be close to New Hampshire...or in it...LOL

lunch at a ski-resort..."No soup for you!"

the 112 through the White Mountain National Forest was brilliant...zoom in on the map for twisties

btw i'm still too knackered to pick & choose pics so i'm chucking them all in

got some directions from these guys from New Brunswick for later

of course the Limey was riding the Kraut bike....

they used to shoot you for that didn't they?...LOL

lot's of scenic lookouts on this road

these 2 had it all figured out!

their own picnic table in the boot of their Bentley

had to have this pic...what a class act!!!

another lookout

then out of the mountains past some lovely lakes & resort towns down to Portland & up to Bath ME

put the bikes to bed

then across the street for dinner on the water

& Bass Pale Ale...BONUS!!!!

then got an ice cream & walked onto the big bridge

it was a pretty good day!!!!!

 

Last edited: Aug 1, 2011

jefflthomas

Tour Pro

• Jul 31, 2011

• #3

DAY 3 MAP

heading northeast on coastal US-1 this morning

wondering why we stopped just after the no stopping sign

didn't even get a pic of this bridge...LOL

got some pics on the bridge though

we got split up shortly after for a while so i've got no idea where this lighthouse is....

somewhere in Maine...LOL

stopped a few times just in case they were behind me

& stopped again to talk to this couple on a Nomad just at the cutoff for 189 to Canada to see if they'd seen a couple of Suzuki's blowing by...but no dice

after Customs i parked & talked to the officers so they could keep an eye out too

about a minute later these guys rolled through

& they'd flagged down my mates who rolled in seconds later

the cruiser couple & Customs guys & gals seemed more exited to see them than i was...LOL...nice folks!



minutes later we were looking at this Ferry sign in Welshpool that was pointing at what looked like someones gravel driveway...LOL

not the fanciest ferry setup i've seen & we'd missed the ferry by minutes...the Nomad had just made it though

of course stupid me parked on the ramp...then i thought about how the cars get off the ferry...what a dumb-F!!!

had to do an Austin Powers...LOL

an hour later the ferry arrived

then rode across Deer Island to the next ferry

no worries...i spotted him before he spotted me...LOL

was asking him about the ferry schedule & started chatting & it turned out his parents used to have a bed & breakfast in Canmore Alberta where i used to live too...

nice kid...but it'd be like being arrested by a 12 year old with a gun...LOL

here comes our boat

mainland New Brunswick

shortly after we were on the big highway Saint John

stopped for gas & as it was just under a 100 miles to Moncton we decided to go for it...

DID A TON TO MONCTON!!!...LOL

 

Last edited: Aug 1, 2011

jefflthomas

Tour Pro

• Jul 31, 2011

• #4

DAY 4 MAP


it was a bit cooler this morning & looking a little ominous...so broke out the rain gear

almost immediately missed a turn...& this off ramp didn't have an on ramp...LOL

so took the less scenic route to the Isle of Spuds

we'd reached the first of our 2 main objectives...the big bridge >>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederation_Bridge

8 miles of this...it's pretty cool!!!

had to get some pics on the Prince Edward Island side too

this looks like a good spot

what the hell are those 2 doing way over there!

shoulda moved a little to the left for this one...LOL

after that as we were heading southeast for the ferry behind a fuel truck that had a pretty good pace...

a Mr Potato Head lets the truck by & pulls out right in front of me....

no worries...i expect car drivers to be stupid

but shortly after the truck followed by spuds for brains got held up by some farm equipment

of course the truck passes at the first opportunity so i give the car lots of time to go too...but he doesn't want to...

until i'm right beside him of course!!!

dude was beggin' to get his spuds mashed...LOL


got to the Wood Islands ferry with 8 minutes to spare...& goodbye PEI

hello Nova Scotia

this must be Cape George

some guys off to work

dry & warming up a bit so off with the Babylon 5 uniform & some reorganization

traffic was moving at a pretty good clip across the mainland...nice road with lots of passing lanes uphill

pissed off a few dolts who couldn't understand KEEP RIGHT EXCEPT TO PASS...LOL

made good time to Cape Breton & hit the Cabot Trail (the other main objective) clockwise

there were some pic opportunities missed on the inland portion but we wanted to make sure we found accommodation on the west coast...

beautiful ride though

Chéticamp, NS

 

Last edited: Aug 1, 2011

jefflthomas

Tour Pro

• Jul 31, 2011

• #5

DAY 5 MAP

Tim Hortons in Chéticamp doesn't open 'till 6am FFS!!!

but it does have a nice view

so i knocked back 2 extra large

quick shower, loaded the bikes, got gas & heading northeast by 7am

the only other people on the Trail...from Dawson Creek BC...good thing they don't have to be back to work 'till September...LOL

i've knocked around a bit on a bike & this road is one of the best rides in Canada....eh

there'd been lots of great corners so far...bit of gravel by some steep rock faces...

but that didn't stop me taking full advantage of the lack of traffic...the bike was handling great!!!

& when we went inland & higher the wisps of clouds were floating by about 15 feet over our heads in the sunshine...

MAGIC!

but there was Black Magic around the bend...LOL

here's the last pic of the Hideous Barge clean...LOL

i think that's South Harbour

as you can see in the last few pics that cloud rolling over the hills drops right down to the deck a little further on...

couldn't see a fookin thing...LOL

& a lot of it was real tight stuff...invisible 15K corner signs...big trucks magically appearing...

think of The Bwlch (Wales) on a real bad day...then triple it!...LOL

was in first gear for a lot of it

to top it off all that bloody coffee was in exit mode

Ingonish'ish

there was a shortcut ferry around here somewhere that would have saved us some grief if i'd remembered in time

lots of quite famous scenic spots...but you could only see this far...LOL

it was actually a relief to hit rain

shortly after that pic we were undecided on which way to go when this bloke drove up & advised us to take a shortcut ferry & guided us to the Lobster Galley Restaurant

so had a good meal & warmed up...then finally put my rain gear on for the rest of the day


we'd been inland quite a while when we stopped for a break somewhere past Truro NS

i'm sure there's water there...but it did look funny sticking out of the woods...LOL

pulled off the road for the day in Sackville NB at an Inn with a washer & dryer adjacent to a beer store & a McDonald's....

PERFECT!

 

Last edited: Aug 2, 2011

jefflthomas

Tour Pro

• Jul 31, 2011

• #6

DAY 6 MAP

well that's pretty well it for pics...the next 2 days were kinda >>>

"It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark... and we're wearing sunglasses"... "Hit it!"

it was all Trans-Canada today...4 lane divided highway except some sections when we first got to Quebec

mostly wilderness & hilly through New Brunswick

folding the map to the next section...again

how do you say "i'm a lumberjack & i'm OK" en francais ???

there was some stunning scenery when we first got to the St Lawrence....

but no place to stop....

so this isn't it...LOL

i tell ya...these bicycle paths are wasted on cyclists!...LOL

Levis QC

due to the waiter's lack of effort to communicate i ended up eating one & a half 10oz fillets....

wasn't going to say anything but the manager made the mistake of asking me how my meal was eh

but when he brought me the wrong desert too!!!!!..............................LOL

there was a summer festival happening

so off we went

 

Last edited: Aug 2, 2011

jefflthomas

Tour Pro

• Jul 31, 2011

• #7

DAY 7 MAP

up early again this morning...the night guy had to do a few things before he made some coffee....

so went outside & shot le merde with a security guard for the festival...

language is only a barrier when you let it be...& after all i did take French in Grammar School...LOL

both had a good laugh trying to communicate...good bloke...grabbed him a coffee when it was ready

then Rod Stewart's personal carpenter came out...

apparently he works on Rod's houses & goes on tour as well...as Rod didn't want to lose him to other work...

it's hard finding good tradesmen these days in the UK

interesting morning & no point rushing off only to hit rush-hour in Montreal


so Trans-Canada through Montreal then the 401 to Toronto

around the Ontario border we gassed up, ate & donned our rain gear...big storm coming!

very shortly after it started pissin' down

you'd think cars would get out of the passing lane when they see a bike behind them out in that shyte wouldn't ya!!!

it brightened slightly & i thought i could get to the other side of the storm before my companions needed gas...WRONG!

so we got split up again & i was on reserve by the time it stopped raining so the storm was over 150 miles wide

they must have got by me while i was gassing up & trying to phone them...caught them at a service centre down the road

stopped just before the 115 & got out of the rain gear...hot & sunny to Toronto

btw...the Metzeler M5 & Z8 tyres performed brilliantly in all conditions...& there was variety!...LOL

& other than having a bum that felt like it just got out of prison....

IT WAS A BLAST!!!

 

Last edited: Aug 2, 2011

glitch

Mapping the next ride...

Staff member

• Aug 2, 2011

• #8

Gosh ....just clicked through those maps.
Which loaded instantly.

While looking at one in particular (day5) for a couple of minutes.... I started to realize that there was a shitload of pics downloading !!!!!


So....who ever clicked those links and only got a map they couldn't do much with right there and then....give things a minute or so to looad.


Jeff....you perhaps could've posted a good batch of teaser pics?


EDIT: Eating my words....a million pics loading now




I LOVE THIS!!!

 

Christo

Tractor Pilot

• Aug 2, 2011

• #9

Wow Jeff! Incredible scenery, great photos, nice ride!

Good stuff!

Christo.

 

jefflthomas

Tour Pro

• Aug 3, 2011

• #10

JEEZUS!...sorting & uploading all those pics was a chore!!!

all 7 days of the trip finished...

anyone else have trouble downloading that lot???