Day 17 – Wednesday June 16th – Quebec City to Bowmanville

Miles travelled = 440
Miles travelled since leaving home = 7272

Well that was a surprise. It looked as though it was going to be a nice day when leaving the hotel. Blue sky and clear. However, once on the road it was cold. Very cold. In fact extremely froid. Gerbing froid. I think my body must have become acclimatized to 3 digit or high temperatures and humidity. It felt like 40 degrees cooler than I was used to. I gave in and unloaded my jacket liner and Gerbing gloves (I had packed them for Alaska not Quebec), and that made it toasty.

I had hoped to beat some of the Montreal rush hour, although it seems like that all the time there. I had a good run at it, using 20 West, but eventually got caught up in the congestion. It was pretty slow going for about an hour, but once I cleared the main area, and the worker bees heading towards downtown, I had a clear run, all the way to Ontario and the 401.

It was a good run until about 100 miles from Bowmanville, when for about an hour it bucketed down. I cannot complain, I had had good weather virtually all the time I was riding, but this was a real soaker. Then it cleared, and dried, until I actually reached Bowmanville, when it did it again, so I arrived at my destination in the rain. Ah well.

So the first leg of my summer journey is complete. Total mileage was 7272 miles. The next leg is to spend a few weeks with family and friends, then head out on leg 3, west to Alberta, then Alaska.

I plan to reward my trusted steed with a good service, and really good clean and waxing. He deserves it. We are partners. I promise not to screw up and to feed him quality food. He promises to be ready to go when I hit the button, and not to drink too much. So he will change from being a mighty road warrior, to becoming a shining chariot for my granddaughters to enjoy. A different kind of role.
As for me, time to visit and enjoy the company of family and friends, and hopefully play a little golf. Maybe take a trip or two as well. If I do I intend to blog those.

When I will actually leave here is not defined, most likely the second week of July. So my faithful readers, I hope you have enjoyed my ramblings and log of my trip. Check back in a while, and we will continue this journey together.
Thanks for being there.
I have posted some photos for my visit to Ellicott City, and DC.

Day 16 – Tuesday June 15th – Wells to Madawaska to Quebec City

Miles travelled = 549
Miles travelled for 4 Corners Tour = 6642

I think the storm yesterday evening cleaned the weather out, as this morning it was clear and crisp. Very very crisp. So much so I considered using my jacket liner. It looked a great day was in store. I left the Carriage House Motel, (a nice place run by a husband and wife), and headed north on I95.

Taking I295 through Portland was a good idea as it was great scenery along the ocean, plus one avoided even more tolls. However, as the highway moved away from the ocean, the scenery became rather dull, just an avenue of trees with a highway. It was a good ride though, with very little traffic. North of Bangor I had miles to myself. About 100 miles from Houlton, the wind picked up, and did it become a bear. Very strong, with stronger gusts. You couldn’t really adopt the cruise position, so one had to focus, especially with some open areas. I think the wind was a contributing factor to the coolness of the day. I saw a thermometer with 62 degrees on it at lunch time. It was sunny all day though.

Photo of a mountain whose name I cannot remeber, from I95 north of Bangor

I took Highway 1 north from Houlton, and passed the sign saying “4 Corners Park 100 miles”. The wind did not let up all the way, and sometimes swirled in all directions. It was a pity as the scenery is quite attractive, with many small towns on the way. Again I had most of the journey to myself. I could have had fellow travelers, but didn’t see any.

So I arrived in Madawaska, Corner 4 for me. Collected my paperwork and mailed it off. I parked outside the Post Office to get the shot, and was looking for someone to ask to take one of me, when lo and behold, a Postman stopped his van, jumped out and took the photo. He knows the routine on that one.

Then it was on to the 4 Corners Park. A great idea, with all kinds of goods left from those who have completed. You can even have a stone engraved and placed there.

As it was still early afternoon, I hit the border into New Brunswick, and headed west on the Trans Canadian, H185, then H20. The Quebec Provincial border is only a few miles from the crossing. I had got real used to paying <$3 a gallon for premium, basically since leaving California. So now it is getting used to Canadian prices. One thing about gas prices, is how some States manage them better than others. Travelling from New York to Connecticut, the price of Premium jumps from about $2.89 to $3.45 a gallon. Then back again in
Massachusetts, all the way to Main.Go figure.

It is highway most of the way to Montreal now, so as there was little traffic, and as the wind actually died down, I made the most of it, and reached Quebec.
The highway runs close to the south shore of the mighty St Lawrence River, and when you can see it, it is quite impressive.
It was starting to be rush hour near Quebec, and so it was time to try for a motel. Whoops, all booked on the south side, so I was advised to cross the bridge into Quebec City. All booked there, until a receptionist in one knew of vacancies, so I asked if she could book one for me. So I ended up in Hotel Quartier, amongst all the business travelers with their rolling suit cases and laptops. Hey, when you are tired, in an unknown city (and cannot even speak the language), you grab what you can. Beggars cannot be choosers.

So we head west again tomorrow, through Montreal, then onto the wonderful, scenic, and whatever else I can lie about it, 401.

Day 15 – Monday June 14th – Ellicott City to Wells ME

Miles travelled = 528

This is Willie Nelson calling. “Back on the road again….”

Left about 0700, after a great relaxing weekend with old friends. It was going to be another warm day in Maryland, but as I rode east, it became cloudy later in Pennsylvania, with low clouds through New Jersey and New York. It started to clear in Connecticut, and was a nice day through Massachusetts and New England. However, rain appeared in New Hampshire, and I could see a storm coming, so bedded down in Wells, Maine, just as a storm hit. I cannot complain as it is been mainly a dry tour, all be it a hot and humid one. To-day was the coolest for riding since I was in Northern California.

I actually passed the Harley Davidson factory in York, PA

The ride today was fairly interesting. Maryland is a very nice state, very rural with some attractive scenery. I had planned to head slightly north of New York, but missed a road and so ended up heading east on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. I think I gapped and associated US76 with I76. Anyway, once on the turnpik there was nothing for it but to ride it. It feeds into the New Jersey Turnpike, (I95), so I went with the flow. Actually traffic was not bad, the only hold ups were a couple of slow tolls, and a real mess at the toll for the George Washington Bridge.

The roads through New Jersey and New York are in bad shape, especially for a fully loaded Harley. So despite my planning, I ended up hitting Manhattan. The view was pretty good though, even with the low clouds.

Once clear of New York and into Connecticut, the roads were better, and the scenery great when along the coast. I decided I wouldn’t chance Boston, so headed up I395, picked up I90 (where have I seen that road before), and then I495 around the upper limits of Boston. That was a trip down memory lane, as when I was working for a large US computer company, some of the places and roads I passed were regularly frequented.
And so onto I95, and New Hampshire,

then Maine.

So far in these two States, I95 is a toll road. I feel as if I have done nothing all day but give money to people in little wooden huts. The George Washington Bridge was a rip off, $8 for cars, I got it for $7.

So tomorrow I head for Madawaska, and Corner 4. With reasonable travel, I should make it tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully I will have continued good luck with rain. Today was the first real downpoor I have experienced since leaving Seattle. I had to ride a mile down the road this evening in it to get a meal. Horrors.

Day 14 – Sunday June 13th – At Ellicott City - visit to Washington DC

Miles travelled = 0
Travelled by Metro to downtown DC (take note Seattle, this is how it is done). Visited the Wall, and Korean War Memorial, and walked part of the main area. Visited Union Station (a fantastic job of modernizing and restoration), and caught the train back. It turned out very hot and humid again.

Some photos of places visited during our walkabout:

Archives

Navy Memorial

Washington Monument

WWII Memorial

The 'Wall' - still quite an awesome place to visit - a magnificent tribute

Three Serviceman Statue (under restoration)

Korean War Veterans Memorial - just an incredible lifelike representation of a unit in the filed during the Korean War. The mens' expressions and perceived actions are amazing.

Lincoln Memorial

Union Station

Capital Building

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