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Motorcycle Journal 2004
Bar Harbor, Maine and Nova Scotia
August 1, 2004
Day 1
Dear Friends and Family,
First I want to announce that we were #1 in our section on the Chicago to Mackinac Race. The gun sounded and our section crossed the starting line on Saturday at 1:20 pm. We crossed the finish line Tuesday morning at 1:30 am. Talk about a slow race. It took us 4 hours to finish the last 5 mile from the Mackinac Bridge to the finish line.
I arrived back in Chicago on Wednesday night, and I left on the bike on Thursday at 9:30 after a nice breakfast with my son Patrick.
What can I say about my first day? I rode 400 miles on I90. What did I see? I watched numerous trucks and cars weaving around me. Not much for scenery because every exit looks the same. I hate the Interstates, but they are a necessity sometimes. There was only one redeeming quality. It was a tollway so there were fewer trucks which make me feel much more comfortable. I rode until 5:45 and was 50 miles from Erie, PA.
Despite the need to make time, it was fun to be back on the bike again. It was the first time in a long time that I was alone with just my thoughts to distract me from the growing numbness in my butt. I must admit I certainly am going to sleep well. Not much more to report. Good night!
Mike
August 2, 2004
Day 2
Dear Friends and Family,
I am back on the road again. I once again covered about 400 miles, but I am on the back roads. At this point you should hear a sound of relief. I am writing to you from Booneville, NY. It is a small town tucked away in the mountains. For some reason I thought today would be easier. Unfortunately I was wrong; I am even sorer than I was yesterday. My butt has not stopped vibrating since I left and my hands are a little stiff from gripping the handlebars so tightly.
Continued
I was planning to spend the night in Booneville but there were no rooms because of the county fair. I was told there was a motel about 22 miles away. That didn’t work because they had no rooms, but the proprietor told me there was another motel in the next town which was 25 mile further up the road. I was three miles from the town when the sky just opened up, and I was drenched by the time I found the motel.
I went to a bar after drying out. It was a nice quiet little place. I started up a conversation with several people who were teachers. For the next hour or so it was teacher talk. It always amazes me how so many of the problems and the joys are the same, no matter the state. We discussed how state tests drive the curriculum. I also met a salesman whose main product is those little air freshening trees that people hang on their mirrors in cars. They are made in Watertown, NY which is the name of the town I ended up staying. The people were very friendly.
Mike
August 3, 2004
Day 3
Dear Friends and Family,
I woke up at 6 am to rain – lots of it. I couldn’t go back to sleep so I packed the bike during one of the lulls in the storm. With all of the rain gear on I looked more like a snowman than a biker. It drizzled on and off during the 50 miles it took me to get into the Adirondack Mountains. At least there were no downpours. Believe it or not the roads are dry even though it looked like it would rain at any moment. The dry roads made going into the curves a lot more fun and certainly safer. I had the road to myself most of the time until I went through Lake Placid. The place was jammed. There were people and cars every where. As I rode out of town, I could see a huge structure. It was a ski jump. Wow was it impressive. When I headed out of the mountains, I turned toward Essex, NY. I had to take a ferry across Lake Champaign. I met a guy on a bike from Vermont on the ferry. He was coming home from vacation. He was an air traffic controller in Burlington. He showed me a short cut to Highway 2. I followed him for 30 mile of really twisting back roads. When he was ready to turn off, he stopped and he told me about some of the places I should visit in Vermont.
The rain has continued to follow me. I am afraid to stop for very long. Every time I take a break, it started to sprinkle. When I stopped for the night in Lancaster, NH, the rain caught me. I have the bike pulled up on a sidewalk next to my room. The overhang is keeping it from getting wet. I hope the ride tomorrow will be dry.
Good night.
Mike
August 4, 2004
Day 4
Dear Friends and Family,
Last night it poured so I was confined to the motel. It was boring but I need the rest.
I am riding in the White Mountains. The roads were a little damp for the first 30 miles but then dried out. I wish you could see these mountains. The clouds are covering the tops of the mountains. The light, fluffy clouds are a hopeful contrast to the dark and angry clouds of the last 3 days.
At last I see the sun. It has warmed my spirits as well as my body. In fact I needed to peel the leather off. I can’t tell you how much my mood has lifted. I will be close to Bar Harbor, my destination, tonight. I am going to slow the pace down and enjoy the sun and the ride.
Later in the evening
I met a couple that are staying in the same motel. They are both riding Harleys and are from West Virginia. We went out for a couple of beers and had a great time. Harlan is a foreman in a coal mine. Gwen his wife works as a computer analyst for the Department of Justice. Harlan was warm, friendly and very talkative. Gwen was quieter.
We talked about motorcycles, places we have traveled, and places to see in the future. When we got to the bar there was no one in the place. Shawna the bartender was going to close at 10 pm. Harlan had all of us in stitches and it was midnight before Shawna closed the place up.
When we got back to the motel, we talked outside for another hour. They were by far the nicest people I have met on this trip so far.
Talk to you later.
Mike
August 5, 2004
Day 5
Dear Friends and Family,
Well, it is a beautiful day. I am near Bar Harbor where I am going to meet Francie. She is flying in this afternoon. This is such a beautiful area. Arcadia National forest is here. I hope to get some riding time in before we take the ferry to Nova Scotia. I can’t wait to look around.
Later
It has been an exciting day. Found the motel, rode around the area, and more importantly did my laundry. I had a little time to ride around Arcadia. I am now sitting at the airport near Bar Harbor and thought I would drop you a line. One of the unusual features of this area is the abundance of lobster stands. They are everywhere. Each stand has a huge kettle of boiling water and you pick out the lobster of your choice. It is sure better than eating at my usual staples – Burger King or Subway. I am astounded at the beauty of this area. The only thing that mars its loveliness is all of the people. I rode up Cadillac Mountain. I could see the sea shore, surrounding mountains and valleys. It truly is breathtaking. I just sat for about 20 minutes trying to take it all in. The earlier numbness in my butt, trucks on the highway, wet roads, and crowded towns just melted away as I gazed toward the horizon and smiled.
Mike
March 30, 2018
I was a bit surprised when I discovered that most of the journal for 2004 was gone. As you may have guessed, I write the journal on paper and then find a place to email it. When I returned home, I copied the emails and made a complete journal. In the ensuing 14 years it disappeared or never existed.
This trip was going to be different than my past motorcycle rides. I wanted Francie to have a chance to discover Nova Scotia as I had in 2001. She was not going to ride the bike so we agreed to meet in Bar Harbor and rent a car in Canada. We had a wonderful time together exploring Nova Scotia for a week. It was fun for me to share the places I had been and discover new places together. Several days during our week it rained. When I saw bikers riding, I relished the fact that I was dry. I knew from experience what they were feeling. Before Francie left for Chicago, I remember commenting to her that my ride to Bar Harbor was so short that I never develop the rhythm that made other rides so enjoyable.
Several Years Later
I had planned to take a couple of weeks exploring the east coast. The trip home was hampered by a hurricane, even though it was quite a few miles off shore, it created lots of weather issues. It rained and rained everywhere I went. Finally I decide to head west and go home.
I am not sure that I wrote much, if anything at all on the return trip. Returning home, I was disappointed that the ride was not like others in the past, but savored the fun that Francie and I had together in Nova Scotia.
I was a bit surprised when I discovered that most of the journal for 2004 was gone. As you may have guessed, I write the journal on paper and then find a place to email it. When I returned home, I copied the emails and made a complete journal. In the ensuing 14 years it disappeared or never existed.
This trip was going to be different than my past motorcycle rides. I wanted Francie to have a chance to discover Nova Scotia as I had in 2001. She was not going to ride the bike so we agreed to meet in Bar Harbor and rent a car in Canada. We had a wonderful time together exploring Nova Scotia for a week. It was fun for me to share the places I had been and discover new places together. Several days during our week it rained. When I saw bikers riding, I relished the fact that I was dry. I knew from experience what they were feeling. Before Francie left for Chicago, I remember commenting to her that my ride to Bar Harbor was so short that I never develop the rhythm that made other rides so enjoyable.
Several Years Later
I had planned to take a couple of weeks exploring the east coast. The trip home was hampered by a hurricane, even though it was quite a few miles off shore, it created lots of weather issues. It rained and rained everywhere I went. Finally I decide to head west and go home.
I am not sure that I wrote much, if anything at all on the return trip. Returning home, I was disappointed that the ride was not like others in the past, but savored the fun that Francie and I had together in Nova Scotia.