Big Guy, Small Scooter

Yellowstone Trip Part 8 - Helena, Montana to Pincher Creek, Alberta

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Dixon) — Tue, 25 Sep 2018 04:06:00 +0000

After leaving our Super 8 Motel (after an exciting breakfast of egg disks, super gristly bacon, and waffles- I actually just had toast) we headed onto I-15 which was a pretty nice road, considering that it was an Interstate highway. There were a fair number of bugs that squashed themselves on my visor but there were good curves and changing scenery as we motored along the road.

After the interstate, we took 287, which was a smaller highway, and we were blessed with more of the same, wonderful curves and interesting scenery. It was, however, quite windy. At Choteau, we took 89 and, again, enjoyed the road. There was nothing spectacular (which is why I don't have any photos of this part of the ride) but there was good scenery and it was an enjoyable ride. We would have had great scenery but there was a lot of smoke in the distance, obscuring the majestic mountains.

Smoke in the distance on a rural Montana highway

At Browning, we took the 464 diversion , which was an old highway, and then rejoined 89 at Babb. We took that until we hit 17 and saw a corner of Glacier National Park. We had originally planned to go through the park but the smoke looked pretty thick and I had already done that last year - it is much more spectacular when there isn't a bunch of smoke covering up the mountains!

We crossed the border back into Canada at a little border crossing called Chief Mountain. The border guard was OK - not too crabby - and a lot friendlier than the guard on the way down. We also entered into Waterton Lakes National Park and decided to stop.

I rode through Waterton Lakes on my bicycle several years ago but didn't recall going into the actual townsite. This time we did, and it was very nice.

We stopped for a beer at a restaurant and then went for a walk.

We saw a deer unfortunately trapped in an enclosure that was meant to keep it out. it did not look all that concerned as there was plenty to eat.

We also went onto the dock and had a great view of the lake..

The rest of the day, we headed north on Alberta Highway 6 until we got to Pincher Creek. We were pretty tired by the time we got to the motel. There was a promising restaurant called Luigi's which was recommended but, when Dale saw the cooks outside having a smoke, he nixed it and we ended up having a bland dinner at Boston Pizza. As we walked back to the motel, the smoke was thick in the distance.

But we were home - well, sort of!

Waterton Lakes Prince of Wales Hotel - we did not stay here...

Yellowstone Trip - Part 7 - West Yellowstone to Helena, Montana - 370 km

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Dixon) — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 03:45:00 +0000

Thanks to Dale's internal and external alarm clocks, we got up really, really early this morning. How early? It was so cold that there was a build up of frost on my seat. How cold? It was 2°C. when we carefully made our way to McDonald's for our breakfast.

Fuelled by an Egg McMuffin, we carefully set out for the Prismatic Lake. It was really cold. I mean, really cold. I could swear that there was black ice on the road and we kept pulling over to let cars past because we were going so slow. It was a white knuckled, thigh clenching ride.

We finally arrived at the Prismatic Lake and, surprise, it wasn't packed! That's because it was shrouded in clouds. In fact, we had hit thick fog two or three kilometres from the lake and it was pea soup until we arrived at the parking lot.

We wandered around and then sat for close to an hour as the fog slowly lifted. Unfortunately, even when it had finally lifted, there was still fog coming from the lake as there was such a temperature differential between the water in the lake and the air temperature. We did, however, see a hint of colours in that mist.

When we left, an hour later, the air, and the road, had both warmed up considerably. A biker couple that we met in McDonald's during breakfast suggested going through Bozeman rather than the park - in fact, there were reports of snowfall in one of the passes north of the park!

We took highway 181 which was a bit rough to start. As we approached Big Sky, we say a forest fire, including the helicopters battling it, from the highway.

After Big Sky, the road improved immensely with good twists and turns. This was our favourite part of the day. At Bozeman, we went on Interstate 90 which very windy - as in the wind was trying to blow us off the highway - and the traffic moved rather fast. During one part where there was construction, and there was just one lane each way, a motorhome decided to tailgate me which was frustrating as I had nowhere to go! So rude!

Our route from West Yellowstone to Helena

Finally, we got off the interstate and ended up on the quieter 287 and 12 to Helena.

Near our bed for the night, the lovely Super 8 in Helena (which had the same horrid breakfast the next day), we found a highly rated Mexican restaurant. We were extremely excited! We walked there and, of course, it was closed for renovations. We ended up going to Albertson's and I bought some baked chicken and a bottle of wine and ended back at the room watching 'Man vs Food' (Food won everytime!).

Yellowstone Trip Part 6 - Touring Yellowstone Day - 250 km

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Dixon) — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 15:58:00 +0000

Smokin' Steps at Mammoth Hot Springs

Even when we stay in one place, we move around!

Today was our 'staying in Yellowstone day'. We decided to take advantage of this wonderful park and spend the day riding and walking around the park.

We got up early as there was lots to see. It was a very chilly 4°C. to start with but, after a quick breakfast at McDonalds, it had warmed up to a balmy 6°C.

The main road in Yellowstone makes a figure '8'. Yesterday, we had done the lower left part of the 8. We decided to start off with the top of the 8 and go to the bottom right part if we had time.

As we headed up the left side of the '8', we encountered construction. The road was, just like in Grand Teton, basically a gravel/dirt/super bumpy road - this time for around 5 miles. It was torturous! We kept thinking it was going to be over with the next corner and then it continued on again.

Once we got past the construction, however, the sightseeing opened up. And it was beautiful! The temperature was a tad warmer and the road was an interesting one to ride.

There were waterfalls and hills covered in white bacteria that almost looked snowy.

When we arrived at Mammoth Spring, there was an excellent network of stairs and platforms so you could see all of the terraces with different springs and features.

According to my friend, Siri, I went the equivalent of 19 floors up and down! The only thing was, due to the high elevation, I was a bit breathless at times going up the stairs.

As we continued onto the right side of the figure '8', we went by a mini Grand Canyon as well as some big waterfalls. We were starting to head down the lower part of the '8' when the weather started to turn. We decided to beat a hasty retreat and find shelter. Five minutes into our return trip, the skies opened up and fork lightning filled the sky.

We headed back to the intersection of the '8' where there was a gas station and, after abandoning our bikes in the parking lot, we joined several other bikers huddling under the gas station canopy. We both had rain gear but Dale, unfortunately, left his in the hotel room!

While at the gas station, an older guy with a Harley had parked his bike under cover, partially blocking one lane for the pumps. He seemed oblivious to the trucks trying to squeeze by his bike, wanting to fill up. However, the worst part was when, in this gas fume filled environment, he lit up a cigarette! Dale and I decided to put the ice freezer between us and him, not that it would have helped if the gas station had become a fireball!

After about an hour, the storm receded and we made our way back to West Yellowstone. My weather app warned of more unsettled events so we decided to hang around the town - which was, by now, sunny and almost hot.

A West Yellowstone Bison

We spent the rest of the day wandering around West Yellowstone. We met a few bikers on their way to Sturgis which was about to happen, including a couple from Saskatchewan who had attached a home-made trailer to their bike which included a spot for their cooler full of beer!

In our wanderings we saw several interesting things including the town museum, a store that allowed customers with open carry handguns, a pawn shop selling guns, and a place where you could shoot a variety of weapons, including machine guns.

After an enjoyable cup of coffee outside and, later, another McDonald's dinner, we retired to our less than sumptuous accommodations in anticipation of leaving Yellowstone the next day.

Yellowstone Ride Part 5 - Idaho Falls to West Yellowstone - 350 km

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Dixon) — Wed, 22 Aug 2018 15:20:00 +0000

View from the rest stop on Highway 26

We started off with what we would soon find out was a typical Super 8 Motel breakfast. There were a variety of items but we would go for the English muffin (toasted, of course), a strange yellowish disc of egg or egg-like substance, sausages - either a greasy, gristly sausage disc or actual sausages, and a piece of super-processed cheese. This way, we could make fake Egg McMuffins which paled in comparison to what McDonald's had to offer - but breakfast was included!

Highway 26 view.

Highway 26 (ala Swan Valley Highway) had some great views!

We took secondary highways as much as we could. First we were on Highway 26 which was good and featured one of the best highway washrooms (restrooms) that we saw on the trip.

Day 5 route

Next was highway 32. This was a great highway and we really enjoyed the scenery. Unfortunately we didn't think to take any photos in that part.

Not to be outdone, highway 22 was absolutely fantastic - scenic and twisty all the way to Wyoming! I'm not exactly sure when we entered Wyoming, but the photo above, taken just outside of Wilson, is in Wyoming.

After we paid for our pass (annual pass for two - good for all National Parks - $80), the guy at the booth told us that there was some road work for 'a ways'. After a km or so, we then rode along mile after mile of basically dirt and gravel road! It was not a pleasant experience!

Grand Teton National Park (outside Moose, Wy)

We had gone to Idaho Falls the previous day so we could just head east into Wyoming .Our plan was to go up through Grand Teton Park, which we did, and then work our way towards West Yellowstone.

Wyoming selfie.

This was definitely a scenery ride - we didn't really stop a lot. It was also very hot. And, thus, we considered, yet again, our second questionable decision. We decided, after a brief consult, to actually ride, for the first time in our lives, without helmets!

Off goes the Schulberth German helmet, on goes the Cabela's hat.

Dave makes yet another questionable decision

I guess we went maximum 50 kmh on the road for about 25 minutes and felt guilty the whole time. It was kind of nice to have that coolness on my head but I was very leery of what would happen if I had an accident. To paraphrase Dale, we made a pact that if one of us fell off the bike and became a vegetable, the other had to look after him because our wives would never forgive us for going helmetless.

Jenny Lake

We did one little walk around Jenny Lake. It was a very pretty lake and the walk around it was greatly appreciated by our stiff joints.

Grand Teton panorama

The thing with Grand Teton is, like the Canadian parks in the Rockies, it ran right into Yellowstone. Our pass, of course, was good for it as well so we continued to motor on in what was becoming a very busy day!

Such beautiful scenes! And wonderful nature!

I stopped (and lost Dale for about 20 minutes) when I decided to take a photo of the Continental Divide. Fret not! If you miss this one, the highway crosses the continental divide at least two more times!

Crazy busy parking lot at Old Faithful

We finally worked our way to where all the crowds were, Old Faithful.

You need to realize that I have never been to Old Faithful before. Dale said it was no big deal but I still wanted to see it. And for me, it was a big deal!

I was impressed by how high the geyser went and the predictability of it. And I was also impressed that people didn't rush at it and try to do something stupid.

Speaking of stupid, while riding along the road, there were a bunch of cars pulled over. I asked what was going on to a woman who was standing with one kid in her arms and another holding her hand. She answered back "It's a bear and two cubs!" and proceeded to walk towards the forest, kids in tow. Unbelievable!

Our final treat that the park had to offer was a bison on the side of the road. I was ready to roar up on the opposite lane but there was no need. He (?) just walked along the side of the road and didn't give me or the other cars in front of me much attention at all.

Whew!

We ended up in a old motel in West Yellowstone and we were exhausted! Luckily, there was a McDonalds' so we went for a simple burger meal, watched a little TV in the room, and slept soundly, in anticipation of our next day which was to be a park day.

Yellowstone Ride Part 4 - Missoula, Montana to Idaho Falls, Idaho - 550 km

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Dixon) — Sun, 19 Aug 2018 18:40:00 +0000

The road to Wisdom.

For those who are not aware of US geography, the state of Idaho is skinny at the top (it's called the panhandle) near Canada and gets wider as it goes south. As a result, we ended up go in and out of it during the trip.

The route from Missoula to Idaho Falls

Day four was a big day in terms of kilometerage (is that a word?) or mileage as we did well over 500km. What better way to start at the day then a substantial breakfast? Well, the hotel had Costco muffins, cut in half, for breakfast and coffee with whitener. Not the best.

I don't know if it's an American thing or just a cheap American motel thing but every motel we went to did not have cream - they had whitener - you know, that Coffee Mate stuff that my parents thought was cool because astronauts could take it to the moon. I don[t know anyone that uses it except for, possibly, camping. Luckily, most of the motels had cereal as well so I just used the cereal milk (which I think I got funny looks for doing!).

Anyway, after having our exciting half muffin (Dale had three halves), we got on highway 93 which was a good highway. It just got better as we gained elevation with really nice scenery. Unfortunately, it had twisty, edgy roads that were an absolute blast to ride but without any pullouts to take photos.

At the top of the elevation gain, there was a rest stop where we had a break. We spoke to a couple of locals and asked them the best route to Idaho Falls, They told us to take Highway 43 to Wisdom and then 278 down to Dillon where we would finally get the Interstate to Idaho Falls.

Folk art in Wisdom

Coffee stop in Wisdom

Highway 43 was another excellent route and we stopped in Wisdom for a coffee. The woman behind the counter of the coffee/gift/hunting shop was really nice. Her Dad had returned to his childhood town of Wisdom and, after she had gone t culinary school, decided to support her family for a couple of years while they got their business off the ground. I really enjoy how you hear different people's stories on trips like this.

Highway 278 t the Interstate was also a picturesque highway - highly recommended.

Just outside of Dillon

But then we got to the Interstate. It was windy - not just a bit breezy but super gusty - like trying to throw you off your bike gusty! All the way to Idaho Falls there were strong gusts. In one particularly nasty moment, we were in a construction zone and a motor home was behind me in a single lane. He was going close 0t 100 mph (160 kmh) and riding my butt in a 65 mph (100 kmh) zone. I had no where to go and the wind was constantly trying to shove me off of my bike!

Eerie evening in Idaho Falls

Eventually, we were blown into Idaho Falls and our motel.

We asked what was good to eat around the motel and were told that it was prime rib at the local bar. We ordered it and it came in about 10 minutes - not a particularly good sign for fine dining. It was quite chewy and required a fair bit of salt to make it palatable, but the baked potato was nice.

After the high of great scenery and riding and the low of the big blasting gusts of wind, we were pretty tired and, after a quiet beer, I fell into a dreamless sleep.

Yellowstone Ride - Day 3 - Spokane, Washington to Missoula, Montana - 350 km

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Dixon) — Sat, 18 Aug 2018 21:26:00 +0000

The sun beaming on Wallace, Idaho.

After an OK breakfast in Spokane, we packed our stuff, checked out and headed up the road.

Today was a three state day - Washington to Idaho to Montana. There were a few different ways to go but we decided to take I-90 because we wanted to visit Wallace, Idaho. Luckily, the first half hour or so was on a secondary highway which was mostly pleasant although it was quite bumpy.

Taking the Interstate is always a difficult choice. The Interstate highways are meant to move people quickly and efficiently and are great if you are in a hurry or if you are in a car. They are the opposite of what you want to be on if you are on two wheels. Unfortunately, the only way to Wallace was on I-90 so we had no other choice.

Wallace has a long and chequered past and we were eager to explore this pioneer town. This excerpt whey our appetite for an interesting Western town:

"A mining community with a "work hard, play hard" attitude, Wallace became well-known for a permissive approach toward drinking, gambling and decriminalized prostitution. From 1884-1991, illegal yet regulated brothel-based sex work openly flourished because locals believed that sex work prevented rape and bolstered the economy, so long as it was regulated and confined to the northeastern part of town. Between 1940 and 1960, for example, an average of 30 to 60 women came into town to work in one of the five well-established brothels. The town currently continues to honor these historic roots, with its Oasis museum dedicated to the history of sex work: housed in a former brothel, curious tourists or nostalgic former patrons can tour the upstairs, which has been preserved as it was when the women left."

Wikipedia

However, when we got there, instead of seeing something like Barkerville or Winthrop, it seemed more like a town that had assembled buildings to look like a pioneer town. I'm not saying this is what actually happened, but it did have that feeling.

Perhaps we were there too early in the day but it didn't have that feeling of notoriety that we were expecting. Still, it was a welcome escape and we did have a good coffee on the main drag.

Dale ponders another questionable decision

It was shortly after having Wallace that we began to notice all of the other motorcycle riders without any helmets. It was another smoking hot day and we were sorely tempted to join them but allowed our law abiding nature to take the high road.

We arrived in Montana to the Brooks Street Motor Inn which was a rather old, slightly dilapidated motel but was actually located near some good places. It was also clean and it was cheap.

Our first stop was Great Burn Brewing where we were able to get a nice shady table outside. I tried a flight and then followed that with two Rum Infused beers which definitely put me in a great mood. It was an amazing craft brewery and we really enjoyed our time there.

After our beers, we stumbled over to Fiesta en Jalisco for an amazing Mexican food meal. I had an asada burrito which was perfect. I find it is always quite hit and miss to find good Mexican food in Canada but is much more reliable in the US.

After that, we ended up in Cabela's so I could purchase a 'Cabela's Missoula, Montana' baseball hat and then went back to the room.

Despite thundering down the Interstate, I ended up having a good end to the day and slept very well.

Yellowstone Ride - Day 2 - Penticton to Spokane - 350 km

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Dixon) — Sat, 18 Aug 2018 01:05:00 +0000

The American Okanogam

After a lovely breakfast at Granny's of freshly baked scones and cut up fruit (a breakfast that would stand head and shoulders above anything else for the rest of the trip), we got on our bikes and headed south.

It was a very enjoyable ride - but it was already hot - and I eagerly joined Dale in his questionable decision to strap his jacket to his Honda rather than wear it. We headed down Highway 97 which is a scenic ride through Oliver and Osoyoos until we got to the US border at Oroville.

Day 2 route

I have had friendly border guards, I have had nasty border guards, and I have had bored border guards, but I have never had such a rude, mean spirited guard as the woman at the US border. She was abrupt with me, sarcastic and sounded angry - all things that added to my regular border crossing angst. Not only was she rude to me, my friend, Dale, had the same, negative experience. I did, however, drop a wax covered ear plug on the ground in front of the guard when I took off my helmet and I left it there. Hah! Take that!

We rode past similar scenery and filled up at Tonasket in the American Okanogan. While we were there, we spoke to a state trooper. Dale asked him the best route to Spokane - most scenic and free of state troopers! He laughed and suggested Highway 155 and then Highway 2.

A rest stop on Highway 155

We turned onto Highway 155 in Omak. It was hot and sticky out but there was little traffic so we could get going nicely.

Highway 155 was very scenic, and went all the way to the Grand Coulee Dam. We stopped there and went to the excellent (and free) visitor's centre which told us the whole story about the dam. Although not as tall as the Hoover Dam, for example, the Grand Coulee Dam is almost 5 times wider and is lost to a mile wide!

I was surprised at how many places have been dammed on the Columbia River.

From there we made our way to Spokane. Highway 2 was pretty boring, especially after the previous leg, and Spokane itself was not that pretty either - at least the areas that we saw. There was a lot of concrete in terms of buildings and highway overpasses that were not attractive.

Our hotel (the Ramada Downtown) was in an area that had seen better times. Probably in the sixties or seventies, the freeway came through and altered the area. Although the hotel was a bit sketchy, it did have a pool which was greatly appreciated and we met a guy (Everett?) that was riding across the country on a 2006 BMW 1200. He had bought it second hand with 110, 000 miles on it!

One place that has been there since before the changes was Dick's Hamburgers. Looking at the sign, I read 'Dick's' and then 'Buy the Bagfull'. All I could think was 'Grab a bagful of Dick's'!

We did have dinner at Dick's. When we get off our bikes, the last thing we want to do at the day's destination is get on the bikes again. Well, Dick's was it for restaurants and I have to say that their burgers were some of the best. I had a Whammy (double cheese burger), onion rings, and a salted caramel shake.

Delicious!

Yellowstone Ride - Day 1 - Maple Ridge to Penticton. - 360 km

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Dixon) — Thu, 16 Aug 2018 00:07:00 +0000

Dale, outside of Princeton, makes a questionable decision...

Time to dust off the blog....

So after I had the 20, 000 service on my BMW C600 as well as new tires and new brake pads (all in, more than $2000!), I was ready for a new challenge. My friend, Dale, and I decided to head out to Yellowstone National Park in the US.

Trip Overview

The scooter was sounding and performing well after throwing all that money at it. We had booked our motels in advance and picked out a probable route. My top case was stuffed with clothes and under my seat were things like my rain gear, tools, and other riding essentials.

I met up with Dale at 8:15am and we headed out on the quieter number 7 highway. It was a hot ride but very enjoyable in terms of scenery. We've done this part a few times before so there weren't any real surprises waiting for us.

Maple Ridge to Penticton - Route 7, 3, 97

At Hope, we got on Highway 3, the Hope-Princeton, and made our way past Manning Park and Doug's Homestead (home of amazing beef jerky and pepperoni). We continued on, finally heading south on Highway 97 and rolled into Penticton in time for dinner.

It was on the Hope-Princeton that Dale made his first questionable decision of the trip. The temperature was well into the 30's - over 100° in the old Fahrenheit scale - and he decided to ride al fresco... well, maybe not quite, but certainly in his t-shirt.

And, I have to admit, after feeling extremely soggy and a bit punchy in the heat, I joined him.

We arrived in Penticton in time for dinner with Dale's mother-in-law (aka Granny).

La Frenz vineyard

First we had an excellent wine tasting at La Frenz winery in Penticton. Instead of the usual stand up at the bar style which is prevalent in most other wineries, we got to sit at a table, like we were going to a wine bar. This was a very comfortable way to try wines! We then went to Hillside for a tasting and despite having to stand up at the bar, we all really enjoyed their wines and each bought a bottle!

Wonderful food at the Hooded Merganser

After that we went to the Hooded Merganser for dinner - one of Penticton's fancier eating venues. There was a bit of confusion over our table and we were finally seated outside with a beautiful view of the lake. I had the Arctic char which was an absolutely amazing meal. The timing of our meal was French style - unhurried - which I liked but we did feel, at times. that the server had forgotten we existed. View - A, Food - A, Service - C.

Tasty Penticton wines!

Appetite satiated and enough wine in my system, we headed back to Granny's and, after chatting a couple hours, headed to bed, anticipating new adventures the next day.

"THE ride!" Going to the Sun Scooter Trip - Day 3 - Libby Montana to Lethbridge, Alberta

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Dixon) — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 00:10:00 +0000

400 km

View from the Goring to the Sun Road

Around ten years ago, I went with five other guys on a cycling trip where we started in Fernie, BC, rode to Alberta, down to Montana, through Glacier National Park, and then back up to BC again, ending back in Fernie. It was a fantastic ride and I wanted to see it again, but this time on my scooter.

After having a fairly nice breakfast at the hotel, I checked out and headed on the road.

First stop was Bad Rock Canyon. I absolutely loved this sign because the language on it is like it was written in the times of the Old West.

The photo of the canyon was ok but not as exciting as the sign.

Finally, I reached my trip destination - THE road - the Going to the Sun Road! After paying my $25 entrance fee for Glacier National Park ($5 cheaper than a car - whoopee), I entered the West part of the park. I took several photos of Lake MacDonald - and have included a few of them here.

Well, all that gorgeous scenery worked up an appetite!

I stopped at Lake MacDonald Lodge and, after squeezing my scooter between a couple of Harleys, I went into the lodge. I remembered, on our cycling trip ten years ago, we stopped at the lodge (I forget the reason) and ended up talking to some of the young people that worked there - I believe that there is a dorm building beside the lodge where summer workers, usually students from all over the US, stay while they work there. I think they have a lot of fun, if you know what I mean!

The restaurant was wonderfully 'lodgy" inside, my elk burger was very tasty, the beer I had was refreshing, and the service was, well, rather indifferent. I was really surprised with the lack of enthusiasm and friendliness that I experienced in many of the places I stopped at this trip. It was a stark contrast to my previous trips to the US. Perhaps a result of the new government?

There was a bit of haze in the air for most of this leg of the trip but it wasn't bad and didn't really detract from the beautiful scenery of this ride. It was as pretty and as breathtaking as when I took this road ten years ago. I stopped several times, drove fairly slowly, and had only one problem - as I rode past an overlook, a van pulled out without warning right in front of me! I was wearing all of my gear so I know that I was visible. I did say a mild curse at the driver (nothing too nasty as there might have been kids in the car) but I was mostly relieved that I hadn't hit him. The ABS did engage, though.

As from before, here are some of the nicest photos from the Going to the Sun Road:

Luckily, today was a bit of a shorter distance ride as I stopped so many times to take photos and appreciate the wonderful views. I made my way across the border back into Canada after a 25 minute wait and headed up to Lethbridge, Alberta.

I stayed at the Ramada and it was fantastic! The room was very spacious, clear and comfortable - and cheap! It was the best room of the trip and was the best price as well!

I was tired after all my touring so I went to the local Subway, ordered a foot long sandwich, grabbed a couple of beers, and headed back to the hotel for, you guessed it, some Netflix. I do have to say that the girl at Subway (I think her name was Sierra), was very friendly and enthusiastic - I expected this kind of welcome in the US but was happy to see it at home in Canada.

"Bug Off!" - Going to the Sun Scooter Trip - Part 2 - Omak, Washington to Libby, Montana

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Dixon) — Thu, 17 Aug 2017 04:12:00 +0000

470 km

Clark Fork, Montana

I woke up to smokiness which matched my own fuzziness in the morning. Maybe that second beer was a bit strong...

I checked out rather late (about 9:00) and headed to Starbucks for a latté and then to McDonalds for an Egg McMuffin. I just couldn't face the 'continental' breakfast available '24/7' in the hotel.

Off I went - to more smoke.

Happily, as I ventured towards the Eastern part of Washington state, the smoke began to lift - a little.

A photo at the overlook seconds before the 'bug incident'

At one point, I stopped at an overlook on Sherman Pass (I figured out that in BC we call a scenic view a Viewpoint but in the US they call it an Overlook). I took some nice photos and then noticed a bunch of little flies buzzing around my head. I flailed my hands around my head and then shoved on my helmet. Unfortunately, a fly was stuck in my ear. I whipped off my helmet and stuffed my finger in my ear, hoping to encourage the bugger out.

At this point the bug went the wrong way. How did I know? The bug sounded like the alien form the Alien movie series - and it was right... in....my.....ear! And it was loud!

After trying a few different techniques at the Overlook including whacking the opposite side of my head, shaking my head at an angle, and stuffing a rolled up napkin in my ear, I decided to find a doctor or hospital.

It was a full 45 minutes of me freaking out on the scooter while Siri calmly directed me to the nearest hospital. This was supposed to be a scenic ride but I was only aware of the weird squelching noises in my ear as I zoomed towards hopeful salvation. It was not fun.

Awaiting my fate at the hospital - bug was still in my ear at this point.

Siri finally directed my to the Providence Mount Carmel Hospital in Colville. As a Canadian, we are sometimes a bit smug about how good our medical system is but when I arrived at this hospital, which was clean, empty of other patients, and staffed with friendly people from the receptionist to the doctor, I was very impressed by the service I received.

The giant creature, now removed.

Basically, the bug had become stuck in my ear was and I was hearing it trying to break free. After an ear irrigation, the bug and the wax came out of my ear. It was pretty small for such nightmarish sounds.

After the ordeal, I did spend some time in the financial part with a very sweet young woman who, I think, was a new employee. She took and copied my Carecard and my Blue Cross card and said that they would try to collect from the insurance themselves and send me a bill for any outstanding fees. They didn't ask me for a credit card or any deposit - pretty nice! Apparently they don't get very many Canadians in Colville, Washington!

The rest of the ride of the day was pleasant - and even euphoric without the bug!

I sped though the panhandle of Idaho (the top, skinny part) and did see some nice scenes.

Albeni Falls description

Albeni Falls dam

One of these was Albeni Falls. There is a dam there that provides electricity for the surrounding region.

I was then headed on the Panhandle Historic Rivers Passage Scenic Byway. Nice name! During one of my stops, I ended up watching this guy in a speedboat zoom by. I believe this is Priest River.

Here's another photo from the same stop. Although it is clearer, you can still see that it is smoky in the background.

Pondering my Ponderay Starbucks

After my bug ordeal, I treated myself to a nice, cool iced latte at the Starbucks in Ponderay, Idaho. It is comforting that even after my disturbing incident, and far away in a foreign country, I was still able to get a satisfying Starbucks - and use my Canadian Starbucks card!

By this time, the river had opened up into a lake and, outside of Hope, Idaho, I took this photo of a nice little island in the lake. Things were getting a bit clearer.

I particularly liked this photo from Clark Fork Idaho - it might be worth painting.

Finally, I entered Montana. Unfortunately, I overshot this sign so I had to take my life in my own hands to pull a U-turn on the highway in both directions. What can I say, anything for the shot!

Train bridge near Yaak Falls - how near? No idea!

My last stop of the day was Yaak Falls near Troy, Montana. I was exhausted by this point, and I hoped that the falls were near the road. After a bit of a hike, I came across this bridge which crossed railway tracks. There were about three flights of stairs on the other side and I was too hot and too tired to check it out. I turned around, satisfied that I had already seen Albeni Falls in Idaho, and headed to my destination for the night.

I rode into Libby, Montana, and stayed at the Country Inn which doesn't look that great from the outside but had a very nice room from the inside. I wandered around and found a grocery store - some chain that I didn't recognize - but seemed like a Safeway. I went there and got a two piece chicken dinner from the deli as well as some Chex snack stuff that was really good and useful for road food. I also grabbed a couple of beers and headed back to the hotel to watch some Netflix.

It was not too wild a night and I hit the hay about 10 o'clock, looking forward to the scenic part - Going to the Sun!

"When Smoky Sings" - Going to the Sun Scooter Trip - Part 1 - Maple Ridge to Omak, Washington

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Dixon) — Tue, 15 Aug 2017 04:19:00 +0000

430 kms

A smoky view from the Diablo Lake Overlook - on the North Cascades Highway

After last summer's trip to California, I thought I'd scale back my annual scooter trip. My friend, Dale, was unavailable as he was holidaying in Europe with his family, so I decided to do a trip that, all told, would last five days but would include a five day stay at Jasper National Park in Alberta.

The first day was a carbon copy (do you think Millennials understand that phrase?) of the first day that I did n my Cascades Loop Tour two years ago. When I looked at that trip, I noticed that it was so packed with things to see in 2015 that I took two posts to describe day one.

Not so this time.

Things started out a bit poorly on day one. I had packed my stuff the night before so I took my helmet electronics off the charger, grabbed my top case off of the counter and headed down to the underground parking. After loading up everything, I put on my jacket (despite the hot temperature) and turned the key.

Agh!

I peered at the display of my BMW C600 and noted the word "LAMP!" and the yellow warning light lit up.

I grumbled to myself that I wasn't going to ride with a warning the next few days so I went upstairs, rummaged around the utility closet, and found the second replacement light for the burned out low beam bulb.

The interesting thing is that the low beam bulb is on the right side of the scoot. You can access it by taking off the right panel.

Wait! If you take of the right panel, the battery is in the way. So I removed the battery.

Wait! If you remove the battery, there is still a bunch of other stuff in the way.

Wait! I remember! If you reach up from the front tire you can actually squeeze your hand in there and feel around to replace the bulb. Problem was, my hand must have gotten a lot fatter than last year because I could barely squeeze it up the front of the bike....

Wait! If I turned the handlebars, there's tons of room!

After this unfortunate start, I was drenched in sweat so I took a brief shower, changed my shirt, and then actually embarked on my tour.

I took the Aldergrove border crossing as there was less of a line up there. It was smoky leaving Maple Ridge (from wildfires in the interior of the province) and that continued after I crossed the border. I took Interstate 5 until Sedro Wooley and then headed on the North Cascades highway.

A bit smoky - but not overly so - at a rest stop near Rockport WA on the North Cascades Highway

Another view from the rest stop near Rockport, WA.

Unfortunately, it was smoky. And as I got closer to the more scenic aspects of the ride, it became smokier. I took a few photos, but mostly to show how the smoke basically ruined the view. It was disappointing.

An acceptable photo near Marblemount, WA on the North Cascades Highway

A terrible view of Diablo Lake - sooo smoky!

I stopped in Winthrop for lunch (again, like last year) and after deliberating, ended up at the Old Schoolhouse Brewery once again and had a great blonde beer and a pretzel (which was OK). The heat and smoke combined to reduce my hunger. When it came time to pay, and I handed over my credit card, it compared interestingly to two years ago, or even last year - the US has really embraced chip technology on credit cards (rather than swipe technology), and it showed in the restaurant as well as the fill ups at gas stations. How times have changed!

The Old Schoolhouse Brewery in smoky Winthrop

I continued on to Omak which is in the American Okanogan (not the Canadian Okanagan. Interestingly, Canada, we have an area called the Okanagan but the US has a town called Okanogan. Also, we have another areas called the Kootenays but the US has a town called Kootenai! I stayed at a different hotel called the Omak Inn. It was a bit nicer than the Rodeway Inn I stayed at two years ago and was in a part of the town that I didn't recognize. I didn't feel like a giant Mexican meal like I had the previous visit so I just bought a deli sandwich at Safeway and had a couple of large craft beers while I watched Netflix on my iPad.

At least it wasn't smoky in the hotel room....

To Tofino..... and Back! In One Day!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Dixon) — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 05:18:00 +0000

This is one for the books.

Last week my friend, Dale, and I decided to go for a bike trip this weekend. My only caveat was that we had to do it in one day.

We looked at a few different locations including the Olympic Peninsula (too far, too long) and some others. We finally decided to go to Tofino, on Vancouver Island, have lunch, and then come back.

You have to understand that not only would this be over 500 km - but also included two ferries.

We thought we'd be home by dinner.

Nope.

Dale met me at my place at 6:50am. It was a beautiful day, sunny, warm, and promised to be a great trip. We took off from Maple Ridge and, within 20 minutes, we were on the freeway.

You have to understand, Dale does not like the freeway. I don't like it all that much either but, thanks to my wine course in Vancouver, I have been taking it more often lately. I have gone from squeezing the life out of my handgrips to actually enjoying the ride a bit. Dale, on the other hand, has not had a lot of experience on the busy, fast freeway and was not exactly thrilled with that part of the trip.

Less than an hour after we left, we arrived at Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal. We spent the next 20 minutes in the line and then, after paying for our ticket, loaded onto the ferry.

The nice thing about BC Ferries is, if you are a two wheeler, you make it on without a reservation. Interestingly, there were probably 30 bikes of different makes and models, all lined up on the top vehicle deck.

The ferry ride itself was a couple of hours and was fine. I had a coffee and bagel and figured that would suffice until lunch.

Arriving in Nanaimo, we all roared off the ferry (before the cars, heh - heh) and headed east.

Cameron Lake

After leaving highway 19, we got on the scenic highway 4. Our first stop was Cameron Lake in MacMillan Provincial Park. It was a very nice little stop and the weather was warm but not outrageous at that point.

The traffic was light and we could sit back and enjoy the ride. We went through Cathedral Grove, a forest of giant trees that rivals some of the Redwood forests that I saw in California. There were nice twists and turns on the highway and I really enjoyed the ride.

Kennedy Lake

After we gassed up in Port Alberni, next up was Kennedy Lake in Kennedy Lake Provincial Park. Again, we really enjoyed this stop. It was lovely!

Somewhere around here, it became exceedingly hot. I was now just wearing my shell and I was not very positive that I would be able to stick with even that.

Wickaninnish Beach

Closing in on Tofino, we took a side trip to Wickaninnish Beach along a heaved up road. The tricky ride was definitely worth it as we ventured down to the beach and enjoyed the scenery. It was definitely hot at this point. And it was at this point that I stuffed my day-glo green jacket, with all of its armour, into my top case.

The argument, of course, is that even on a quiet highway, like we were riding, you can have an accident or crash. However, we found that the temperature was in the 30s and the heat was making us groggy. Removing our jackets gave us a little bit of refreshment that kept us alert.

Speaking of refreshment, we found going both ways on Highway 4 that there were certain areas where we crossed a river or creek or went near a lake that the air cooled really noticeably. It was like someone pointed an air conditioner at us as we rode by certain parts. Very nice!

We finally made it into Tofino around 1:30 or 2:00pm.

After checking out the Farmer's Market (couldn't find a scarf for my wife), we looked for a place to eat lunch. After careful consideration (we looked at two restaurants) we selected the Schooner due to its patio and variety of menu besides fried fish.

Dale awaiting his beer and halibut burger

Ah, that was a great lunch!

We both ordered the halibut burger and it was very tasty. It was served on a brioche bun and had cole slaw, mayo, pickles and a lovely grilled halibut chuck that had some sort of cajun seasoning. It was accompanied by a mountain of fries.

Outside Tofino Brewing

Along with the meal, we split a large beer from he local brewery, Tofino Brewing, and, after we left the restaurant, we hunted down the brewery in the industrial section of Tofino (about 6 buildings). We each bought a couple of bottles to take home and then headed back up the highway, west, towards home.

Our last touristy stop was the radar hill in Pacific Rim National Park. The views were spectacular and I have included just a few of the many photos that we took there. Apparently during WW2, this was where a radar post was located to protect our fair nation from incursion!

Only bikes in the lineup!

The ride back on highway 4 was just as enjoyable although the temperature was really heating up. We stopped for some gas and an urgently needed vitamin drink in Port Alberni and, thanks to rehydration, stayed alert all the way back to Nanaimo.

We thought about going to Duke Point and taking the ferry to Tsawwassen, but, unfortunately, the last ferry from there was at 6:15 and that's about what time we arrived in Nanaimo. Luckily the ferry runs later from Departure Bay so, after about an hour wait, we took the ferry back to Horseshoe Bay.

Another beautiful west coast sunset

It was pretty hot, even on the ferry, so we ended up on deck. I took a few photos of the setting sun - I love these photos and really enjoy painting sunsets!

After arriving in Horseshoe Bay, we took the freeway back to Maple Ridge, this time in mostly darkness. I am becoming more comfortable with the number 1 highway and this was the first time I was comfortable at night. It was a bit crazy when all the ferry traffic disembarked but traffic did thin out as we got farther away from Vancouver.

We finally arrived back shortly after 10:30 - it was a long day. Unfortunately, one of the beer that I bought (the stout! oh no!) leaked in my top case (yes, that's right, leaked!). After mopping up the beverage, I headed toned.

In future, I would probably do this ride in two days but there was certainly some satisfaction in finishing such a scenic ride in the time that we did.

Mind you, I spent most of the next day (Sunday) just lounging around the house!

Spring Touring! Part 2 - Whistler to Penticton

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Dixon) — Tue, 23 May 2017 00:05:00 +0000

Day 2 - Whistler to Penticton - 450 km

We both woke up with just a touch of a sore head in the morning, but after a coffee and a light breakfast, we were ready to head on the road.

Leaving Whistler was a lot easier than getting there, as we continued North on highway 99. The first stretch is to Pemberton, where I had never been before. There were some nice mountain vistas but, unfortunately, I did not take any photos. We were both waking up a bit as we rode, and it was quite cold (6° C.) so there was a bit of an urgency to keep going.

Dale taking a break at Joffre Park

We gassed up in Pemberton and then continued on the next leg toward Lillooet. This part of Highway 99 is known as the Duffy (or Duffey) Lake Road. It was a dirt road for a long time but was initially (mostly)paved in 1991 and then upgraded and completely paved in 2009. I had never been on the Duffy Lake Road but it is rated one of the best highway drives in BC and it is easy to see why.

Joffre Park view.

The highway is quite twisty with lots of elevation changes. It also has lots of breathtaking scenery that forces you to stop at times and just take it all in. There are some great hiking trails that we saw many people taking advantage of. Overall, it is a glorious ride.

Mountains from Joffre Park

Our first stop was Joffre Provincial Park (not named after the Game of Thrones boy-king, I hope) and was a spot for hikers to congregate and set out from.

Duffey Lake View

We continued on Highway 99 North until we reached Duffey Lake. It was a beautiful lake and a perfect, almost cloudless, sky. The temperature by now had increased dramatically and we were quite warm.

Reflected hills in Duffey Lake

A feathered friend mistakes me for Dr. Doolittle

It is interesting trying to determine if the spelling is Duffey or Duffy for the lake and the road. Apparently, there was a sapper (military engineer) named James Duffy who was surveying in the area and, in 1861, froze to death. I assume that the lake is named after him, so it should be spelled without the 'e".

However, all of the official Government websites have it spelled with the 'e' so, there you go! Maybe someone in the government bureaucracy way back couldn't spell very well and screwed up!

Dale taking a photo near Duffey Lake

There was some traffic on the road - everything from other bikes to giant motorhomes - but it really wasn't that busy at all and, on the few occasions we got stuck behind someone, it wasn't long until a passing opportunity presented itself.

We continued on towards Lillooet which is the end of the Duffey Lake Road portion of Highway 99. I snapped this photo of the trees and mountains as my last photo on that scenic road.

When we arrived in Lillooet, our goal was to find the winery. Fort Beren's has been running for a few years but its slick tasting room has only been open since 2014. It is the only winery in Lillooet and has a beautiful location.

For a full accounting of the wine tasting, head over to my other blog, Wine And Then Somm, and read the blog entry for Fort Beren's wine tasting.

Tasty lunch at Fort Beren's Estate Winery

After our wine tasting, we headed outside to the nicely shaded bistro area and had a fantastic lunch. Sipping on my wine, enjoying the sunshine, and eating my sandwich, I felt that this was the pinnacle of the day!

The day, however, was far from over! We rode south along Highway 10 through pleasant scenery until we arrived at Lytton. There were some very nice views and some curves as well but not nearly as exciting as the Duffey Lake Road. It was a lot hotter, as well, so we did need to stop and remove as many layers as was safe to do so.

Once we got to Lytton, we were in familiar territory. We rode down Highway 1 until Spences Bridge and then Highway 8 to Merritt, with no repeat of the near empty gas tank that Dale suffered last year when we went on this part. Still feeling nice and toasty, we then headed up the Okanagan Connector, Highway 97C.

I had been on that very highway the previous weekend and it had been very cold (1.5° C. from inside the car). However, the sun was shining and we thought it would be nice an warm on the connector.

Not so.

As we approached the summit (Pennask Summit) it became colder and colder. Stubbornly, Dale refused to stop and add some layers and, stubbornly, I refused to stop as well, opting to crank my heated grips and seat. It was quite an experience! Happily, as we headed down the other side, the temperature began to rise again.

We stopped to gas up at Peachland and I had an interesting experience. I had gassed up and was waiting to leave a busy gas station. A guy with a truck and a big boat was backing up towards me so I gave him a toot on my horn to warn him that I was there. He glared at me and asked me why I honked my horn to which I replied, "Just so you can know that I'm here."

"I saw you," he replied.

Then he muttered something about how I shouldn't be honking my horn at him as I rode off. Interesting.

From there we road on Highway 97 towards Penticton, an easy ride on a good highway that was nice and warm as well. We stayed with Dale's mother-in-law where I had a nice bed, a great dinner, some enjoyable conversation, and a wonderful view of her back yard.

Tomorrow, back home!

Spring Touring! Part 1 - Maple Ridge to Whistler

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Dixon) — Mon, 22 May 2017 22:47:00 +0000

My friend, Dale, has been desperate to go on an long ride.

And lately, so have I!.

The weather here has been so wet and rainy all winter and spring that there just haven't been many opportunities for a nice, sunny ride.

But that changed this weekend!

This weekend was a long weekend in Canada because of Victoria Day so we decided to go for a two night trip, still giving us some time with our respective spouses. We both screamed out of school Friday and met up in Maple Ridge.

Day 1 - Maple Ridge to Whistler 170km

The weather was mostly sunny when we left on Highway 1, heading west towards Vancouver. We were travelling against the rush hour so we both sat in the HOV lane and made good time as we rode. Once we hit Vancouver, there was some traffic, especially through the North Shore (North Vancouver and West Vancouver), but it thinned out again as we cleared the Metro Vancouver area.

The scenery is pretty nice on the way to Whistler. Once you pass Horseshoe Bay and get onto Highway 99 North, the highway hugs the coastline with vistas of ocean water on one side and climbing mountains on the other. No wonder it has the moniker, the "Sea to Sky Highway".

We had no difficulties as we rode past Lions Bay and Britannia Beach. Outside of Britannia Beach, however, there was a speed trap that had snared several of the cars that had blown past us on the highway. Dale and I had decided to not push it on this trip so we just zoomed by the trap, unaffected.

Things continued to go smoothly until we reached Function Junction (Cheakumus Lake Road). A mere 8 kilometres from the village turn off, the road turned to a parking lot. Apparently this is a rather common event as the area just does not deal well with the traffic flow. We slowly lurched our way into Whistler village, but it took a while.

Once we checked into our AirBnB ($201 for a self contained room, much like a hotel room with a kitchen, queen bed, sofa bed, a little tired and old but clean and serviceable), we made our way to the Village Square. This Friday marks the beginning of GOFest, a new, weekend long, festival to mark the beginning of the summer outdoor season at Whistler. What was important for us was that 5440 was playing!

Dale and I first saw 5440 almost 20 years ago at the Arts County Fair at UBC thanks to some student teachers we had that year. After that, we were hooked, seeing them at the Commodore in Vancouver a couple of times, a club in Abbotsford and locally in Maple Ridge, that last time being an unplugged concert a month ago.

This was a free concert and was definitely not unplugged. We had great outdoor seats at the Beacon Pub and Eattery (Beacon Burger and Truffle Fries - tasty!) and enjoyed the concert immensely. The pints of beer did not harm our mood or our overall satisfaction that night and added to the concert experience!

After we stumbled home, we slept soundly until our next ride.

Beer number ?

Sunny Sunday Ride!

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Dixon) — Mon, 08 May 2017 02:31:00 +0000

Today was the first sunny weekend day in a long, long time!

I had originally made plans with my youngest but she had to work, so all of a sudden, I was free. I decided to take a ride out to Harrison Hot Springs.

When the kids were little, we used to go to Harrison - usually just for a couple of nights. The Harrison Hot Springs Resort is a wonderful place to stay but is not inexpensive. On some of these occasions, I would ride my bicycle from Maple Ridge (about 75km) and then ride back a couple days later.

Today's ride on my BMW C600 was a lot faster and a lot less exhausting!

It seemed as if everyone with a motorcycle was out on the road today. I saw everything from big Harleys to Gold Wings to CanAms to a guy on a little 50cc Piaggio Fly. I gave the motorcyclist wave so many times, I thought my hand was going to fall off.

Interestingly, not everyone reciprocates. I can understand if you are on a curve or otherwise distracted but here's what I noticed with the non-wavers. First of all, guys wearing bright green anti-smash up jackets like me always waved. Second, most old farts waved as well. A group of around ten older bikers all made sure to return my wave. Young guys on crotch rockets, they all waved.

It seemed that the non-wavers were the Hells Angels types with ape hangers (how could that be comfortable) or with a front fairing. Not always, mind you, but more often then not. Maybe it's because they recognize I'm on a scooter? Or because I am wearing a bright green jacket? Or maybe the just don't wave at anyone else at all?

The ride to Harrison Hot Springs was very sunny and enjoyable, It was a bit cool, despite the sunshine, and I was glad to have the heated grips to take off the edge.

Once I got there, I had to find parking. It's been awhile since I've been to Harrison (excluding the freezing cold trip last fall where Dale and I basically saw the lake and then turned back). The community has really done a nice job of rejuvenating the lakefront area and, as I drove past the many cars, I was pleased to see a dedicated motorcycle parking area which had room for six or seven bikes to angle park. There were lots of other motorcycles parked in car slots as well, most doubled up.

I took some nice photos, did a watercolour sketch, and then headed back home. There were no near death experiences, no terrible incidents with vehicles or people, and no complaints. I did feel a bit regretful that I hadn't asked my friend Dale to come along, especially when I drove by the Sasquatch Inn - it's a great place to stop for lunch and a beer, but probably best to be with another person.

The one issue that I did have was, after I stopped at Silverdale for gas, often when I stopped at a light on the rest of the way home, the damned check oil warning would go on again. Not every time, mind you, but enough to drive me crazy. I think another trip to Vancouver BMW Ducati is in my future.....

Despite the oil warning, it was a great ride - sunny, peaceful, and invigorating. Maybe the riding season has actually begun in earnest!

Oil light drama!

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Dixon) — Sat, 15 Apr 2017 23:25:00 +0000

I had a terrifying experience this week. After a disgusting winter where I have had little opportunity to ride because of below freezing temperatures or torrential rain pour, I took advantage of the sunshine and was riding around after school.

I was on my way home when I stopped at an intersection to wait for a red light.

I looked down at my cluster and noticed the dreaded CHECK OIL light was on!

Just two weeks before, I had had a service done at Vancouver BMW Ducati. I had had an oil change, two new tires, and lots of checks and adjustments (to the tune of $900!). It seemed shocking that I was down on oil.

Once I was home I went through the annoying procedure of checking the oil.... on the centre stand, take of a bunch of parts, flip up the side stand, and then check. It was PERFECTLY between min and max.

What the heck?

My research online showed me that this has happened to others. Some people have added a little more oil while others have just had the problem go away on its own.

I will continue to monitor the situation.....

By the way, if you are interested in wine, I have started a new blog. It's here!

Winter is done.... or is it?

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Dixon) — Sat, 21 Jan 2017 17:18:00 +0000

To start things off, understand that I insure my scooter year round. On the west coast, we pride ourselves in our year round mild weather and I do ride my scooter locally a couple of days each week, regardless of the rain or fog. We don't let mere rain stop us from going outside and doing stuff!

Then, about six weeks ago, the temperatures dropped and the snow came. And stayed. And my scooter has been parked. And parked.

It has been an icy, snow covered walk to school in the morning, especially since Christmas Break ended. Although I haven't had a big spill walking this year, I have had some exciting moments as I trudged though the snow and then navigated the thick ice on the sidewalk where homeowners had neglected to shovel.

Then, wonder of wonders, the rains came! Hallelujah!

That was a couple of days ago.

Thursday, after school, I hurried home after reffing a volleyball game and suited up, hoping that the BMW scooter would start after six weeks of inactivity. I was not to be disappointed - it started with ease. I probably should get some sort of battery trickle charger but, damn, it started nicely!

I went for a 30 minute ride, taking the back roads to Pitt Meadows and then turning around and riding in the stop and go traffic of rush hour. The scooter performed very well and it was an exhilarating feeling to be on it after such a long absence. Yes, I know it was only six weeks, but it seemed like an awfully long six weeks!

Friday morning, I thought it would be great to ride to school on my scooter - I often ride on Friday because it is my 'lazy day' of the work week. I made sure I had my high visibility jacket on and, after warming up the engine, headed out of the underground.

Luckily, I had lots of time so I proceeded rather slowly across the parking lot in front of the condo building. When I stopped at the end of the parking lot to turn onto the street, my feet had a difficult time finding the road. I suddenly realized that the parking lot was a giant sheet of black ice! Maybe the frosty roofs of nearby buildings should have clued me in?

I continued on, figuring that the ice sheet was constrained to the parking lot. However, once I got to the stop sign at the intersection of two main roads, I realized that the main roads were icy too!

I was now half way to school - the point of no return - so I pressed on. The main road was mostly good but I was slow and cautious. The tension of riding slow but safe was giving my abs quite the workout.

When I turned into the subdivision where my school is, I again could see the sparkle and shine of black ice. I slowly made my way until I turned into my school parking lot, another giant sheet of black ice. I carefully parked, legs hanging off of either side in case I slipped, got of the bike, and headed inside.

After a full day at school, after the sun had warmed the roads, and it was time to leave, I got on my scooter and headed home.

Next time, I think I'll check the temperature (like I usually do - not sure what came over me in the morning) instead of riding out into the ice.

First Ride of Fall- Canyon to Coke

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Dixon) — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 02:25:00 +0000

My friend Dale had been bugging me to go on a nice day ride. He only insures his bike for six months and his time was running out. As luck would have it, I had a fairly open weekend so a day ride was just the thing.

The weather reports leading up to the ride were a bit iffy but, as Saturday morning unfolded, the weather looked fairly good and it promised to be a dry day.

We had chatted about several options for our ride including up to Whistler and then over to the Duffy Lake Road and then home but were worried that might take a bit too long and the evenings are just not that warm. The ride we had decided on was along the Number One Highway until Spences Bridge, over to Merritt and then return home.

The weather was a bit chilly when we left Maple Ridge ('F' on the map) - around 10°C. I had a T-shirt, long sleeved shirt, fleece sweater, hoodie, and my jacket with liner. I also wore my neck warmer and motorcycle shoes. And pants (AKA trousers), of course! I do not like being cold and did my best to prevent it!

After gassing up in Silverdale, we headed towards Mission, hoping to take Highway 7 to Hope, but it was closed due to an accident, just outside of Mission, in Hatzic. We turned around, headed over the Fraser, and onto Highway 1.

This part of the ride was not that exciting - it was basically slab driving with a fair amount o traffic.

Home Restaurant in Hope, BC (not my photo)

Once we got to Hope (''D' on the map), we had breakfast at the Home Restaurant. It was very much appreciated as I hadn't eaten anything yet. It also gave us a chance to warm up although, as usual when Dale and I ride, I wasn't quite as cold due to my heated grips and seat.

After topping up my tank, we left Hope, taking Highway 1 along the Fraser Canyon. There is nice scenery but we were more on the hill side than on the river side. We had talked about reversing our trip at breakfast but just forgot to do that once we got on the road!

The sun came out in places on this leg of the trip. It's an enjoyable route with not a lot of traffic and some nice curves as we rode north.

Confluence of two rivers in Lytton

Finally we arrived at Lytton. Lytton is famous for being the place where the Fraser and Thompson rivers meet. You can even see the different colours of water in the photo. The cloudy, turbid river is the Fraser and the clear one is the Thompson.

It was also a nice place to get a photo of the two of us.

When we left Lytton, Dale said that he needed more gas. There was only one gas station that we saw a sign towards and it was going the wrong direction so he decided to wait it out. We even passed a "next gas 94km" sign, Dale thinking that Spences Bridge ('B' on the map) had to have gas as it was at the junction of two highways.

As we continued along the highway, we had some wonderful views, including this series of photos that I took from the side of the road.

Finally, we arrived in Spences Bridge. Spences Bridge has many things including accommodations and stores but it does not have a gas station. Our only recourse was to continue onto Merritt.

We took Highway 8 which was wonderful! Lots of twisties, hardly any traffic, good weather, and nice scenery. Ahead of me, I saw that Dale kept crouching forward on his bike. I thought his back was bothering him. As it turned out, his back was fine. He was trying to make himself more aerodynamic as he was almost out of gas!

Johnny's Gas Station on the Rez (not my photo)

Finally, just outside of Merritt, we stopped at Johnny's Gas Station on the Rez. Dale put in $2 worth of gas (they only had regular) and was able to make it to Merritt.

When we got to Merritt ('C' on the map), we didn't really feel like lunch so we just had a refuel and headed towards home.

From Merritt, we took the Coke - the Coquihalla Highway. It was built back in 1986 (for Expo) and was a toll highway ($10 each way) for years. It's a good highway but is so straight that it can be rather boring. We made pretty good time, though, probably because during the downhill parts we tended to go a little fast. Still, it was very nice weather, although it was quite cool again as the Coke is high in elevation.

Arriving in Hope, we thought we would try Highway 7, assuming that it was now open. Luckily there was one of the giant highway information signs that informed us that the highway was still closed. Later, we found that a VW Jetta had drifted across the line and smashed into a logging truck. Unfortunately the driver of the Jetta was killed.

With Highway 7 blocked and neither of us really wanting to take Highway 1 home, we took a parallel route from Hope to Chilliwack. It was well marked in some areas and then just disappeared so we had to make some U-turns and try a few different roads. When we got to Chilliwack (letter 'E' on the map) we finally ran out of road and decided to take the freeway.

Mission Springs Pub and Restaurant (not my photo)

It was rather uneventful from there and we decided to stop for dinner at the Mission Springs Pub. It is located in, you guessed it, Mission. They brew their own beer and we had some chicken wings and pizza to finish up the meal. The beer was good (Big Chief Cream Ale) and we both appreciated the chance to warm up as we had become quite chilled.

One of the topics of conversation was about riding together. We both do enjoy riding by ourselves but riding together is certainly more fun, especially when you stop.

After our break, we headed home, gassing up one more time with the cheap gas in Silverdale before heading home. In all, about 580 km - total time was about ten hours including breaks.

I'm not sure if I will have many more chances for day rides this year. Although I insure all year, I mainly depend on my scoot as a commuter vehicle in Fall and Winter. We shall see what the next couple of weeks bring.

Big Guy rides the Left Coast - Day Eleven - Kelowna, BC to Maple Ridge, BC

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Dixon) — Fri, 05 Aug 2016 23:27:00 +0000

Day 11 - 370km - 3 and a half hours

After a rest day in Kelowna, visiting my daughter, I headed home from Kelowna.

I've done this journey once before, when I had first bought my BMW, and I was looking forward to the trip.

The first part was along the Okanagan Connector - Highway 97C. I enjoyed this part as there was some wind which made it a bit exciting but not too much traffic and two lanes each was so it was easy to pass other vehicles.

The next part of the journey was along the Coquihalla Highway. It used to have a toll booth but that was removed several years ago. It is an easy riding highway although a little boring so I did find my self pulling over a couple of times to make sure I didn't do the sleepy nod on my bike. Sunshine was the order of the day as I rode along the well kept highway.

At Hope (the jinx-y place where I dropped my bike getting off it for the third time ever in a McDonald's parking lot) I continued on Highway 1, encountering some traffic, and then, finally, home.

4800 km - close to 3000 miles - in 11 days.

So, upon reflecting, what did I decide?

Did I need to bring everything I did? It was pretty tight once I had packed everything. Did I need to pack it all?

Things I was glad to take. - The SRC system was excellent - I really liked being able to listen to some music - and to the navigation instructions - through the speakers in my helmet. I used the different chargers every night to make sure I had enough juice for everything. I had the right amount of riding gear - I used my rain pants, fleece sweater and even my rain jacket and was glad I had them. I was also very happy with my bright green jacket. I threw in my winter gloves and I was glad to have them on the hail day. The packing bags were a great idea - the larger one was a real help in making sure I could get everything in the top case. Sunscreen was a good thing - and the day that I forgot to put it on served as an excellent reminder. Windex was a life saver - especially on the buggy day. I'm glad I brought flip flops and runners - depending on the weather. I also was really happy to get out of my scooter boots at the end of the ride but appreciated them while on the BMW.

Things that I sort of needed - The hydration kit was ok - I kept it in the under seat compartment but I did drink from it on most breaks and, because I filled it with ice every morning, it helped make things like the cheese last longer. I used earplugs the first couple of days but, really, once I was off the Interstate, I didn't feel I needed them.

Things I didn't need but glad to take - I am glad I brought along the tire repair kit and even happier that I didn't need it. Ditto for the space blanket - it hardly took any room but was good to have. The toilet paper was not needed for its intended reason but was helpful when checking the oil. I didn't use the handy wipes but I was glad to have them just in case.

Things I didn't need and just took up room - My watercolour set was not a great idea - I'm just too tired after a long ride to put the creative effort needed for painting. The iPhone holder (looks like an X-Wing craft) was something I never used. I had pretty good confidence that the phone would stay in the holder but I just didn't want to take a chance of looking down at it instead of at the road. Besides, voice navigation was sufficient most of the time. My iPhone tripod was a waste of space since I never took it but, on the other hand, it took very little room.

App of the trip - CoPilot. I have mixed feelings concerning this app. It was usually spot on in directions and one thing it had over Siri was that it gave warnings 2km, 1 km, 500 m and 250 m away from where I had to turn. That way I didn't have to look at the map as I was riding. It also allowed me to download the maps needed which meant it only had to connect to data for traffic updates. It also tried to vector me around traffic. I was able to select which route I wanted, thus overriding the route that CoPilot chose.

On the other hand, it occasionally took me through some interesting side routes which seemed to not make sense. Also, it would sometimes stop giving me directions, seemingly out of the blue, and when I was in more urban areas. Sometimes, due to traffic or some other reason I found my self taking a different route than I had originally planned.

I would probably stick with it until I see something better come along.

The route of my trip - I loved going down the coast and, if anything, I would try to do even more of it. That means staying on Highway 1 instead of 101 in California. I also would try to cover less ground on the coastal highway so that I had more time to stop.

Coming home through Reno and the middle of the western states was a good call. The amount of travel was absolutely fine and, although there wasn't that much to see, I made good time.

Overall it was a great trip and I was glad I had the time to do it! Now, where to for next summer?.........

Big Guy rides the Left Coast - Day Ten - Yakima, WA to Kelowna, BC

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Dixon) — Thu, 04 Aug 2016 23:32:00 +0000

Day 10 - 530 km - 7 hours

If yesterday was Buggy Day, then today was Insane Weather Day.

I left Yakima after a great breakfast at the motel and had a fairly early start. That gave me lots of time to cope with my day.

Beautiful view near Ellensburg, WA

It was beautiful when I left Yakima and I thought that it would be a wonderful day. Pictured above is a view near Ellensburg.

I made a brief stop at Cashmere - the same place I had stopped last year, and picked up some Aplets and Cotlets (Liberty Orchards) - basically fruit mixed with gelatin and sugar - what's not to like! The nice weather continued as I headed north.

It was a bit windy, though.

Now, usually I like a little wind. The wind on the Okanagan Connector, for example, creeps up on you and gives you a wind smack that certainly gets the adrenalin going. When that happens, I usually exclaim, "Whoa!" or "Wow!" and continue on, albeit with a stronger grip on the scoot.

The wind I started to encounter was stronger than that. I found myself being pushed in the direction of the wind. Instead of staying on the left or right side of the road, I planted myself right in the middle so when the wind hit, I ended up on the side of the lane, not off the road or in incoming traffic.

The wind was bad enough as I struggled with my riding (and my hands started to cramp after all of the death gripping) but then, up ahead, I saw lightning!

Ahh! I didn't think stopping was a good idea as there was no ground cover. I continued on, battling the wind, and keeping an eye on the lightning storm.

Then the rains came. I first put in my liner as I thought that it would probably pass fairly quickly. Within minutes, the rain turned to a monsoon, and I pulled over to put on my rain pants.

While I struggled to put on my rain paints, the rain turned to hail - thankfully not golf ball sized but still big enough to sting and lots of it! I then reached into my under seat compartment and brought out the rain jacket that I had packed for just an eventuality. The hail beat down harder and I was terribly exposed.

I got back on that scooter and slowly rode - about 20 km/hour - along the side of the highway with my emergency flashers on. I could barely see anything at all but I was extremely exposed and there wasn't anywhere to wait out the storm on the side of the road. I had to keep on doing my slow ride.

Some time later (it could have been five minutes, it could have been fifty minutes), I came upon a town - sorry, I can't remember which one - that had a couple of restaurants. The McDonald's was closed to walk-in traffic but the Subway, part of a supermarket, was open. It was packed with people and, after I had ordered a sandwich, I was stuck standing up and eating beside the napkin dispenser as there were no seats. However, it was dry and warm and that's what I needed at that point.

Finally, the rain started to let up and I continued to make my way north.

Drag racing in Tonasket

By the time I got to Tonasket, it was better weather! There I saw a short drag racing demo right on the highway! They had closed about three blocks of the main highway and drag race cars were slowly burning up their rubber. I watched for a bit while I refuelled and had a nice chat with an old-timer (with a very long beard!) about my BMW.

I continued on north until Oroville - the last stop before the Canadian border. After making a small purchase at the duty free store, I headed to the border - with a line up of two cars! The border guard was quite friendly and it took all of two minutes to get through.

From the border was the last two and a half hour blast up highway 97 until Kelowna.

Fun fact - did you know that the highway in the US is called highway 97 and is still called highway 97 in Canada? That's interesting! I don't think that it is that common! Usually the name changes over the border. I wonder how the two countries could agree to that - maybe there is hope for NAFTA continuing, after all!

View from Brian's patio near UBC Okanagan

I arrived in Kelowna and met up with my daughter who was house sitting for a relative. I took this photo from the balcony before we sat down to a nice dinner and some story telling on my part of my trip.

One more day - then back to Vancouver!

Big Guy rides the Left Coast - Day Nine - Klamath Falls, OR to Yakima, WA

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Dixon) — Wed, 03 Aug 2016 19:48:00 +0000

Day 9 - 600 km - 8 hours

Today was Bug Day. I had so many bugs on my helmet, on my windscreen, in my gloves, in the vents of my helmet… It was horrible!

At the start of the day I wore my jacket without the liner because it was a sunny day and I thought it would be quite warm. Unfortunately it was about 18 or 19° C. but with the wind it was actually quite cool and I got a bit chilled in the morning which surprised me.

The Whistlestop farm - lots of plants and flowers but, alas, no cheese!

An interested llama at the Whistlestop farm

At one point I thought I'd hunt down one of the exciting things that I saw on the highway - the Whistlestop farm and florist, which I had hoped would sell cheese - but when I got to a farmhouse it only sold flowers. I took advantage of the time to have some of my last bit of Hilman cheese and was welcomed by a llama which observed me very closely as I nibbled away.

Off I went again and the next stop that I made I actually overshot. It was P.S. Ogden Rest Stop and I thought, "Meh, I don't need a rest," so I kept going . Mere seconds later I crossed a fantastic canyon which broke up the otherwise extremely flat land. I went back to the rest stop and took a closer look.

Bridge over the Crooked River - bungee jumping, anyone?

Another bridge over the Crooked River.

Hang on to your dog, or else they might plunge into the canyon!

In the middle of all these flat fields was the The Crooked River canyon and it is amazing! It was definitely worth the stop and, what's more, people were bungee jumping off a famous bridge (the Crooked River High Bridge) built in 1925 - now closed to traffic but open to pedestrians) overlooking the canyon that was built many years ago.

There was a warning sign about the cliff - also reminding people to watch their pets - dogs have been known to run right into the canyon.

I continued on driving at a great pace and enjoyed passing trucks and semis! I am still getting the hang of exactly how fast I can go when I'm passing and I did unfortunately 'thread the needle' a couple of times when I overestimated my speed or underestimated the oncoming vehicle but there was nothing ever really that close - really.

I stopped for lunch at a small town called Moro which had a couple of cafés and one gas station and some scattering of houses. I thought, instead of going to Subway or McDonald's or somewhere boring for lunch, that I would try somewhere local and I was happy with his with the result.

The young lad that served me was probably a high school student and he was very polite. I ordered a half of a sandwich that I could build myself because I didn't feel like having a hamburger or hotdog and the sandwich was quite tasty and went well with my Diet Coke. The person cooking might have been his dad but another person came into the café at the time so I didn't get a chance to ask him.

Stonehenge war monument off in the distance

The next stop I made was one that I had read about. It is the Stonehenge Memorial – an actual Stonehenge made of concrete – that is war memorial. It was built between 1918 and 1929. Unfortunately I could only see it from far away on the highway and couldn't figure out how to visit it without making a massive detour. Unfortunately the bugs and oppressive heat (as opposed to the morning cool) deterred me from exploring. It had warmed up considerably during the day. The temperature had risen from around 18° C. to 35°C. and when I finally got into Yakima it was 40°C.

Hard to see, but there are literally hundreds of wind turbines in the distance.

What other very cool thing that I don't think photos do justice to was the wind power farm I went through. There were literally hundreds of wind turbines at one point, which was very impressive, but when I passed closer to one, it was kind of creepy as they are so large!

The CoPilot app decided that I should go onto Main Street in a suburb south of Yakima and go along Main Street through that town and all the way out to the other end of Yakima for some reason. Possibly the freeway was busy or traffic was bad or CoPilot just has a weird sense of humour but I did eventually make it to the Best Western Motel.

The Best Western was a 'plus' hotel which means that it was probably the nicest hotel I stayed at on the trip. The room was big with a separate seating area, a desk with a nice office chair, a fridge, a microwave, a good modern TV, king size bed, nice clean bathroom… it was overall a great room. So, of course, I forgot to take a photo of it.....

I was happy to make use of their pool after I checked in. There was a family there (which is absolutely fine) but they were the noisiest family I've ever seen or heard! The pool was an indoor pool so that with all of the kids screaming it actually hurt my ears! Also I noticed that the dad had a ice bucket full of bottles of beer by the pool - maybe to help him cope with his own kids screaming! I left the pool, ears ringing, a bit sooner than I would have liked.

Next up was figuring out dinner. I found what I thought was the Yakima Thai Restaurant on my map app so I decided to walk there despite the heat because it's great to get the legs stretched every night. I managed to cross the highway without getting killed and ended up walking into basically a ghetto area looking for the restaurant. I followed Siri's instructions exactly and I ended up in a vacant lot beside two sketchy looking drug houses. I was not happy and at that point I thought, time to bail and get out back to the main highway, which I did.

What's missing here?

I walked the other way up the highway and found a Chinese restaurant. You could tell that it was not an authentic Chinese because - number one, I didn't see a Chinese person there - not even cooking and number two, there was not a chopstick in sight! I decided to order some prawns, sweet-and-sour pork and almond chicken. I was kind of surprised when all three were deep fried and the only difference was the different sauce on each one. I ate what I could and then left the rest because I just couldn't eat all that deep-fried food. The accompanying rice tasted like some sort of nasty Uncle Ben's rice rather than true Asian rice so I left that behind as well. I hate being wasteful with food but I can't take it with me on the scooter and, to be quite honest, it's just too much food for one serving.. If I tried to eat it all I would feel ill afterwards.

The restaurant did have a very nice girl who served and a very nice woman who I chatted with who I assume was the owner. They were very lovely people.

Tonight would be my last night in a hotel and while it had been fun staying in different motels / hotels I was looking forward to talking to somebody else besides my iPhone in the evening. Sorry, Siri, you're just not that much fun to talk to!

Big Guy rides the Left Coast - Day Eight - Reno NV to Klamath Falls, OR

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Dixon) — Tue, 02 Aug 2016 21:01:00 +0000

Day 8 - 409 kms - 5 hours

Was it all a dream?

I quickly checked my wallet and there they were - 2 crisp 100 bills (name of president?) and various 20s.

I felt pretty good - luckily they seriously water down the casino drinks- and I actually made an earlier start - up at 6:15. After a muffin and coffee in the hotel I packed my bag and headed for the parkade.

The ride was fairly uneventful as I left Reno. The little city seems so small now but was a lot bigger to me when I was 21 - a couple friends and I went down for a few days for an impromptu break from classes. Of course, that was before I had done any serious travelling but, still, I was surprised that there were 4 or 5 casinos on the main drag and not much else.

I did walk by a place yesterday afternoon selling $2 jello shooters and when I peered into the darkness for a second, a chorus of very drunk voices encouraged me to join them. I declined.

I left Nevada fairly early on. I noticed in Reno that scooter riders on, what looked like 50cc scoots, did not require a helmet. I later confirmed that on the Nevada DMV website. Interesting variation.

A scenic California view

Another scenic California

Scenic California desert - Modoc Forest

Today's ride was a lot like riding in the Okanagan - scrubby bald desertish landscapes with greenish brown vegetation and trees. The roads were enjoyable to ride - some straight, some curvy, and not too crowded. I had a blast passing the occasional truck, cranking up the speed, just to pass safely, of course.

Then there was the interminable wait for road work.

Waiting for roadwork

And another.

Waiting for roadwork - again!

And another.

Other than gas and road works, I rarely stopped. I filled up in Susanville and was a bit worried as the next gas station I saw was not until Tulelake, where I was forced to put $3 of regular (gasp!) in my premium baby.

Finally I entered Oregon and , shortly thereafter, Klamath Falls.

Nice big hotel room. Suitable for a maverick!

I booked a room at the Maverick Motel which was downtown but in sort of the scuzzy part of downtown. The room was the biggest so far and it has a nice king bed and a super shower. Unfortunately there is no pool - a mistake I will have to remedy in the future. I was getting used to my daily dip after a hot ride.

An interesting pedal-less bicycle outside the Leap of Taste coffee shop

I was there a lot earlier than I, or CoPilot, thought I would be. I used the extra time to have a giant nap (close to an hour) and had a really hard time motivating myself to get up. I was successful, however, and strolled down Main Street until I found a coffee shop (A Leap of Taste) where I ordered an ice coffee and sat in the shade, enjoying the coolness.

Gun shop for big shots

I continued down the street and spotted something I don't think I've seen before - a gun shop with a giant gun attached to the side of the store. Only in America?

Pretty, but with rules..

It was a very picturesque main street with flower pots, nice sidewalks, and a variety of stores. Interestingly, most of the flower pots had this rule list right below the pot.

Young lads playing croquet

At the end of the downtown was a nice city park. I was surprised - in a good way - when I saw a group of teenage boys playing croquet in the park! Kind of heart warming.

Lake Uwauna shot from city park in Klamath Falls.

Park selfie!

The park fronted onto Lake Ewauna which provided some scenic shots. Overall, it was a nice walk.

Back at the motel, I noticed there was a craft brewery next door that also served food. I decided to head over to the Klamath Basin Brewery and check it out.

Patio of Klamath Basin Brewing

There was a country band tuning up on the patio and, though I'm not a huge country fan, I thought that I would enjoy listening to them in the warm evening. I was not disappointed.

I wish that I could remember the band's name but I can't. The singer did a great job and I had fun listening to them.

Giant plate of risotto - it was tasty but way to big! Left 3/4 of it behind.

At one point I ordered dinner - chicken and mushroom risotto. Now, when I make risotto at home, I server a scoop of risotto (and turn whatever leftovers there are into risotto balls). I was served a giant playful of risotto with a chicken breast on top! There was no way that I could finish it! I might have had a quarter of the risotto but could not finish eating the rest.

Ahh, beer samples!

I did, however, order their sampler. It was a tray of ten of their beers in sampler size - and it was only 12 or 13 dollars! Unbelievable! And tasty beers!

It was such an enjoyable evening that I thought that this was the perfect opportunity for the trip T-shirt. The pub had a couple different designs and I chose this one - the Klamath Basin logo was on the front (in white) with the 'state of Jefferson' breweries on the back (pictured). By the way, the state of Jefferson is a movement to create a new state from part of Northern California and part of Southern Oregon.

After the beer and food that I did eat, it was time to ample back to the motel and have a nice, comfortable sleep.

Big Guy rides the Left Coast - Day Seven - Lodi, CA to Reno NV

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Dixon) — Tue, 02 Aug 2016 02:50:00 +0000

Day 7 - 310 km - 6 hours

So you might have been wondering, why did I go to Lodi in the first place?

I had decided to make my trip into a circle trip so I went south on the coast and the return journey through, basically, the middle of the western states - although that took a slight detour when I headed for today's destination, the biggest, littlest city around - Reno!

I left Lodi this morning not feeling very sad about leaving the city. It's OK but, as far as food went, there were so many taqueria to eat and that' was about it. Luckily, there was a breakfast of sorts in the hotel and I had some toast before I left town and then headed on the quieter route, avoiding the interstate, onto Reno.

Unfortunately the first quiet highway I went on was Highway 50 which seemed like a massive interstate as it had six lanes each way leaving Lodi. Luckily it became quieter and thinned out into a smaller route as I went along. It actually turned out quite nice as there were a number of parks, nice trees and gentle landscapes that were very enjoyable to go through.

When I stopped for gas there were a group of girl guides or girl rangers (not sure what it's called in the US) with their leaders that were at the gas station on their way to a camping trip. I smiled as I thought of my kids going to camp when they were younger.

Lake Tahoe through the trees

Nice view of Lake Tahoe

Finally we got to South Tahoe and I took some nice photos of of Tahoe Lake while we were there. It seemed like it had a nice beach from what I could see.

Forest near Carson City

Nice bike! near Carson City

Then I pressed on and went through more forested areas and had some nice curves and twists and swooping curves that I really enjoyed riding on my BMW scooter. It was a nice enjoyable ride and it was warm – the thermostat on my BMW said it was around 30 to 32°C most of today and that was quite tolerable.

Rose between two thorns - or Harleys - in Virginia City

Nice sign!

My first real stop of the day was in Virginia City. Virginia City has been restored or preserved as an old cowboy town or old frontier town. It has some beautiful buildings but they're all quite commercial. In fact I found after a while once you've walked a couple blocks the actual stores started to repeat. For example there was a photo place every block and a half where you dressed up for photos and there were numerous saloons and places selling leather chaps.

Lunch stop in Carson City

Having a cold one (don't worry, it's a light beer) at the Silver Queen saloon!

I ended up stopping at one of the saloons and had a enjoyable light beer and an acceptable taco salad (more Mexican food).

I did look for a acceptable T-shirt but nothing seemed that good so I pressed on in my search for the perfect trip T-shirt.

I then continued down the road and then made my way to Reno. I parked in the free parking at the El Dorado hotel and checked in.

Front entrance of the Eldorado hotel.

Nice, King sized bed at the Eldorado.

My room that I booked for $53 US was the best of the trip so far. Clean, spacious, and not A bit grotty. It was a great deal and I'm very happy that I decided to stay here 36 years after I stayed here before, way back when I was in university.

Twisting by the pool...

I checked with the pool which was the same as it was 36 years ago – a rather small pool but not overly used so it was easy for me to sneak by the group of little girls playing in the shallow end and loll around the deep end of the pool. I really enjoyed being in a clean the pool with no bugs all over the surface and it was very enjoyable if not a little hot. After my dip which lasted about half an hour I sat in the shade by the pool and listened to a podcast which was very relaxing and needed at this point in the trip.

Ravioli Porcini at La Strada

After consulting some reviews in my room I decided to go to La Scala which is an Italian restaurant inside of the El Dorado. It is an Italian restaurant and I know that Cath and I had a just OK experience at an Italian restaurant in Las Vegas four years ago but this one was excellent. I asked for some prosecco to start then ravioli porcini accompanied by a Chardonnay which was amazing. The sauce and the filling of the ravioli rivalled our best dinners in Rome! It's too bad Cath wasn't there to share the meal. I topped it off with an espresso/ gelato combo and a limoncello. Bueno!

After a brief nap in the room, I decided to hit the tables. Earlier in the day I had gone and lost $20 at the slots in about five minutes. I wasn't feeling really positive but I thought I would take another $80 and see where it went. No more, of course, because I have a limit of $100 a day if I do go to Reno or Vegas.
I remember way back when the tables were only two dollars for betting. Now they are five dollars or even $10 for a minimum bet. You can crank through a lot of money pretty fast at five dollars a bet! However I did my best and I started off with $60 US.

I lost the first $30 fairly rapidly and was a little worried that my initial betting would not go well. However, aided by some bourbon and cokes (still free), I slowly start to build up my reserves. While chatting with the gentlemen at the table I steadily increased my reservoir of money until I was about double at $120. At that point I realized that if I made a side bet (special casino rule for that table) - the bet was if I could get a 20 in my first two cards, I could make a fair bit of extra money as that was the "lucky ladies "part of the table. I did this a few times and because I had 20 I got either 4 times or 10 times my side bet. This lucky lady bet combined with some success in my actual black jack play ended up with me taking that $60 stake to $275! I was worried that my $50 dinner was too much but as it turned out, it was more than covered from my gambling!

I had to quit the table because I have to go to the bathroom so badly and I took that as a sign to stop gambling for the night because I was well ahead and anything further would probably result in me getting less money rather than more. I retired to my swank hotel room feeling a bit fuzzy from the numerous water downed bourbon and Cokes that I had received from the waitress while I played and kicked back to watch some TV before tomorrow's long ride to Klamath Falls.

Big Guy rides the Left Coast - Day Six - San Luis Obispo, CA to Lodi, CA

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Dixon) — Sun, 31 Jul 2016 03:03:00 +0000

Day 6 - 470 km - 5 and a half hours

Today was a bit of a slow start after last night's beer fest - can't tolerate the brewskis like I once did!

I had planned to take the longer, but quieter, route - by avoiding the interstate and taking a secondary highway. Early on, I ended up on this three digit highway ( I think it was 229) that I call the "Disney Highway". Parts of it were single track - in other words, there was only one lane and pull outs for cars to get by each other. No big trucks or motorhomes were allowed on the road. There were pretty trees and animals like rabbits and squirrels that scampered across the highway as I rode past. For the entire time on that particular highway, there was not another vehicle!

For brunch I stopped at the McDonald's in Kerman - interestingly the staff was almost all Hispanic - and not young kids either - lots of mom aged women which is not what you see around my home. The crew chief, however, was a young, white woman which gave me pause....

Waiting for the train to pass - lost looking for the Nut Factory in Le Grand

Found it! Tasty nuts!

The next exciting stop I made was near Le Grand. I was looking for the Buchanan Hollow Nut Factory (interestingly, it was not named after hollow nuts, it was named after Buchanan Hollow - sort of like Sleepy Hollow). It took forever to find it! I knew it was in Le Grand which was an 11 km detour but when I got into the town there were no signs saying where the nut factory was. I did find it on my Google maps and it was actually in the other end of town and it was another 8 km out of my way! There were no signs that I could see that told you that the factory was even there until you were right on it.

A shady tree for my BMW near the Nut Factory

I got out and went into the factory shop and a nice old lady offered me several different samples of all of their different products - mostly flavoured pistachios but there were other nuts and figs - and I ended up buying a big bag of salted pistachios. They were very good and I knew it was going to be a challenge to keep the bag intact until I returned to Canada.

A lot easier to find - especially with a big truck outside!

Another shady spot for my BMW

Front view of the waterfall

The other stop I made was Hillman's Cheese Factory which was the opposite of the nut factory. This place was made for tourists! There was a fancy parking lot with a beautiful walkway including a waterfall that you go walk under and picnic tables in the shade. It was a great place to just walk through!

Once inside there were was a mini tour including how cheese is made and how the factory works. Once inside the actual retail part, there were a ton of cheeses but only a few were actually made at the factory. I ended up buying a corn salad and a small block of garlic jack cheese and I must confirm that it is very tasty cheese.

So, that's how milking works!

Corn salad, garlic cheese, and Squirt - lunch of champions!

I also bought a Squirt thanks to my friend Mike's suggestion and it was actually a very flavourful drink but not too sweet and not to grapefruity.

Best Western - comfy room!

Finally I made it into Lodi and the motel room at the Best Western Royal Host was super nice. The bathroom was clean and the shower had nozzles that squirted a forceful jet of water as well as a big rain shower fixture. The room was well appointed and clean and fresh and was better then any of the motels I had stayed in so far. The only complaint was that the pool. It was the first one of the trip and it was literally covered in bugs - dead bugs. Maybe it's some sort of natural thing that's happening right now that is difficult than control but you think somebody would use the skimmer every so often just to get the bugs out. Actually, the skimmer was broken.

Buggy pool - ugh! Don't drink the water!

I did go for a swim and just pushed the bugs away as they were on the surface so I could enjoy a little bit of the pool to myself but I did not put my head under the water as I was worried about getting some weird disease.

For dinner there were the choices of Mexican, Mexican, or Mexican. I think the area that I was in was a predominately Hispanic neighbourhood. Unfortunately I didn't really feel like Mexican, even though I was in a really Mexican area so I went to a place called Hawaiian Barbecue and got take out. I went back to my room and tucked into a nice meal (but was way too big so I left quite a lot) and then watched HBO as it was included on the TV.

It was a rather early night and I did feel that I was stuck in Lodi again.

Big Guy rides the Left Coast - Day Five - El Granada, CA to San Luis Obispo, CA

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Dixon) — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 21:23:00 +0000

Day 5 - 380 km - 6 and a half hours (excluding visit to Hearst Castle)

The real Day 5 was a rest day so I will call my next day on the road day 5 to avoid confusion.

After a nice coffee and breakfast I left my friends in El Granada and headed south on picturesque Highway 1. It was a bit moist and misty but I thought the clouds would burn off and I would be immersed in California sunshine. I even turned on both my electric seat and grips.

An hour later and I was freezing - I even started to shiver. Time for the polar fleece! I warmed up a little but had become chilled so it was a bit of a pain! Finally the sun started to peak out and I was warm! I also started taking some photos of the gorgeous sea coast!

I was a bit pressed for time as I had a reservation for Hearst Castle for 3pm and didn't know how accurate the CoDriver app was. As a result, I didn't stop as often as I would like for the incredible number of photo ops but I was pretty happy with the ones I did.

Carmel City Beach

Big wave at Carmel Beach

After consulting my list of 'must sees', I made a detour and went to the beach at Carmel. From my brief visit, I would definitely spend more time there in the future. Lovely shopping area and a nice beach.

Sea Otter State Refuge near Carmel

I don't look that impressed - but I am!

Just outside of Carmel, I stopped at a scenic viewpoint and was rewarded with some more gorgeous views of the ocean.

Big Sur Beach

My BMW parked on the side of the road by Big Sur

Big Sur Selfie

Further down from Carmel is a stretch of the highway that is known as Big Sur. I managed to stay on the road during this part but the scenery was absolutely beautiful.

The next place I decided to visit was Pfeiffer beach. I first went to Pfeiffer National Park but the friendly ranger told me it was a mile down the road. I almost missed it and had to back up the bike past a carful of smiling teen girls but eventually made it to the beach.

The road was basically single track with pullouts - much like Scotland. I finally made it to the beach without too much problem because it was very little traffic. It was $10 to park at the beach but only $5 for my scooter.

Purple tinged sand at Pfeiffer Beach

Pounding surf at Pfeiffer Beach

Not all of Pfeiffer Beach had people around.

Pfeiffer Beach rocks

Pfeiffer Beach - you can sun, you can relax, but you can't go in the water!

One of the reasons I went to the beach was because it was known as a purple send the beach. Well, the sand had a slight purple tinge to it but it wasn't like great Barney purple. After that I looked around at the beach and watch the surf. Unlike most beaches this when you couldn't swim in or get too close to basically but it was a nice place to just chill out in. Sadly after pay my five dollars to go there, I only spent about five minutes at the beach because I had to press on toward Hearst Castle.

Another Big Sur shot south of Pfeiffer Beach

I continued on and finally made my way to wards the Hearst Castle visitor center. It reminded me a little bit of the Icefield Parkway in the Rockies in that there is a giant Centre which sells tickets and has food and has the gates be for buses that take you up to Hearst Castle. I was early but luckily the girl that at the ticket counter asked me if I want to go right away and of course I said yes so I got in a half an hour early!

The bus tour up to Hearst Castle included an interesting narration by Alex Trebek (of all people - did you know that he is actually Canadian?) who told you about Hearst Castle and the first family. It was interesting and formative. On the way to the bus actually I made a connection with a guy and his daughter who's name is Emily. We chatted on and off before the bus ride and on the bus and I was actually looking forward to doing the tour with them. Unfortunately after the first little bit of the tour they felt that the tour guide behind our tour guide would be better it would be a better choice so I lost contact with them.

Outside Hearst Castle - very beautiful!

Coffered ceiling in Hearst Castle

Um - choir stalls used to decorate rooms in Hearst Castle - what?

Flags representing different families from the Palio in Siena, Italy decorations the Hearst Castle dining room.

Outside Hearst castle - note the gold statue behind my shoulder.

Beautiful indoor pool of Hearst Castle.

My overall impression of Hearst Castle is it's got some interesting stuff in it but it's a bit garish inside. The outside of the castle is very nice and there are some interesting statues scattered around the grounds. But then there are things like choir stalls that are used as decoration in the house. They belong in a church! And there were some beautiful things such as the tapestries and some of the paintings but it seemed a little , no, it seemed a lot over the top. We did get a good tour of the main rooms in the downs in the main floor but it just doesn't meet the standards of a place in Europe for example,. It all seems a bit disjointed because there are different eras in different styles that are mixed within each room. However he had a lot of money and I guess he could do whatever he wanted with it!

The Brown Butter Cookie Company in Caucus

The cookies were amazing. Unfortunately they only lasted a couple of days.

After I left the Hearst Castle I continue riding along looking for a couple of places that I had read about. One was a restaurant called Robin's in Cambria but unfortunately I couldn't find it. However I did find the Brown Butter Cookie Company in Cayucos and had some awesome samples… In fact each sample was half a cookie… And I ended up buying six cookies for my trip. The problem is they will be hard to keep with me because they are so darn tasty!

Finally I arrived in the San Luis Obispo. The motel called Los Padres was a nice little family run motel. The woman at the front was friendly although a little distant and she had everything I needed ready for me. She let me park the bike in a carport and gave me all the information about SLO.

Tahoe Crunch Roll at the Naked Fish

Tahoe Crunch Roll description

After settling in I walked to the downtown area and went to the Naked Fish and had some amazing sushi. Some of it was sushi that I had never even heard of before as they had made up their own interesting combinations.

While I was there, a young couple with their daughter was seated outside. We struck up a conversation and I found that they were from Fresno. We spoke of several things but what stuck with me was that they had just returned from Nice a few days before the bombing! We all agreed that the chance of something like Nice happening can't stop you from travelling. It was awful but it was an isolated incident! I also had a couple of nice beers to accompany the sushi so I was feeling content when I left the sushi restaurant.

Tasters at the Central Coast Brewery Company

From there I went to the Central Coast Brewery Company as I had spotted it on the way to dinner. It was close to my motel which is a good thing because I tried some tasters and some little samples of their stronger IPAs. The place was full of younger people out for a few beers and it seems like the craft brewery culture is quite alive in the San Luis Obispo.

After my tastes of beer, I headed back to the motel and had a really good sleep!