2017 Motorcycle Adventure to Alaska (Day twenty eight)

This was a day that I had been very much looking forward to for much of the past week. Not to say that I wasn't enjoying the trip but the thought of being home in my own space, in my own bed without having to set up the camper one more time was very appealing.
It was another beautiful day with lots of sunshine and no rain in the forecast. It was 545 kms. from Sault Ste. Marie so I should be home by late afternoon.
Being a Friday afternoon there was lots of traffic going north but since I was headed south the weekend traffic didn't really affect me.
When I reached Sudbury I needed a snack so I stopped at the Dairy Queen and had a small cone with a chocolate dip. It sure tasted great and was just what I needed at the time.
Then it was back on the bike for the final push home.
I arrived just before 5:00 pm and took this shot to celebrate the moment.
I had been gone for 28 days and traveled 11,775 kms. (7377 miles) and I was home at last.
My friends and house sitters, Garry and Luanne, were there to greet me and being the cocktail hour we poured our drinks and relaxed in the Muskoka room. It felt almost surreal sitting there after being gone so long but it was nice to come home to friends instead of an empty house.
I have decided that this is my last big motorcycle adventure for awhile mainly because I would prefer a travel partner and haven't found one yet. Perhaps next year I will take a more comfortable adventure with a new travel trailer.
Thank you to all those who have followed my blog and kept me motivated with their positive comments.

2017 Motorcycle Adventure to Alaska (Day twenty six)

I really hate to do this in a blog but I have to vent a little. Last night was what I could title, “The Sleep from Hell”. Now that I have your attention I will explain as simply as possible.

My camp site was situated in an RV Park, with a mix of cabins, tents and RV’s. My camper was set between two cabins and initially seemed like a perfect location. It didn’t come with an electrical hookup so I used my little 1000W Honda portable generator which is the quietest model in the industry. At 10:00 pm I shut it off out of respect for my neighbours. I read for awhile, put in my earplugs and turned out my lantern. Shortly after that a whole gang of twenty somethings came out of one of the cabins, lit a bonfire and started to party. I was initially a little annoyed but then I thought that they are on vacation, just having a fun time on a Tuesday night so I lay there and tried to calm my brain. I was drifting in and out of sleep waking when some woman’s laughter exceeded the normal decibel range. After an hour or so I must have drifted off because I was wakened again at 1:45 am and things had gotten progressively louder. I had been patient enough so I unzipped one of my windows and got their attention and asked them to notch it down a bit as I was trying to sleep. Fortunately they did quiet down without a fuss and by 2:00 am the party was done. I only wished I’d said something earlier but then I realized that they probably wouldn’t have been so understanding just after they got the party started.

Anyway, I’m very tired now and plan an early bedtime because my new campsite is very quiet for now.

My ride to Thunder Bay, about 475 kms., was very uneventful. The weather was warm but comfortable and although there were times when the clouds looked a bit ominous there was never any rain and by the late afternoon it was nothing but pure sunshine. It just occurred to me that I listen to music a lot while riding which is another reason I don't have a lot of "deep thoughts".

Just after reaching Thunder Bay I noticed a memorial scenic overlook erected in the name of Terry Fox. Terry was diagnosed with bone cancer at age 18 and lost most of one leg from the disease. He wanted to raise awareness and money for Cancer and decided to run across Canada

Terry began his Marathon of Hope on April 12, 1980 in St. John's, Newfoundland.  On September 1, after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres (3,339 miles), Terry was forced to stop running outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario because cancer had appeared in his lungs. An entire nation was stunned and saddened. Terry passed away on June 28, 1981 at the age 22.

From this lookout I got a few good shots of an island that is called the “Sleeping Giant”.

Tomorrow I plan to ride to Sault Ste. Marie.

2017 Motorcycle Adventure to Alaska (Day twenty seven)

It was a quiet night at last so I got a bit more rest. It was another beautiful day and I was another day closer to home. Hooray!
I entered Sault Ste. Marie into my GPS and realized that it was going to be a long day, about 700kms. worth. At one of several rest stops I visited I ran into a woman who was headed west and had driven through heavy rain the previous day between Sudbury and the Sault. Fortunately it looks like I have nothing but clear skies and sunshine for the last couple of days of my adventure.
Besides the maximum speed limit on the Trans Canada of 90 km/h the real impediment to laying down some fast miles were the roughly eight (8) road construction stops which took between five and twenty minutes each.
I took a few photos at various scenic spots that looked out on the mighty Lake Superior. The lake is so huge that if you didn't know better you might easily think you were looking at the ocean.

I got into Sault Ste. Marie around 6:30. I had reserved my campsite at KOA so I drove straight into town and wound up having dinner at Boston Pizza.
I was just getting used to the land of the midnight sun and now I'm back to sundown at 9:00 pm so it was getting dark by the time I was getting the camper setup.
The wifi here is very slow as it is at all KOA's so I may have to wait to post this because uploading photos takes forever.
This is my last night on the road and I couldn't be happier knowing I will be home by this time tomorrow.

2017 Motorcycle Adventure to Alaska (Day twenty five)

All the rain I got last night had dried on the camper by morning and although it was another windy day it was clear blue skies and plenty of sunshine.
My plan today was to ride from Brandon to somewhere in Ontario roughly half way between Brandon and Thunder Bay. It felt great crossing into Ontario as it felt like home was just around the corner. Naturally I just had to get a couple of pics to celebrate the moment.

It was a nice easy day, not too much traffic and I covered about 450 kms. (279 miles). The one thing I noticed as soon as I crossed into Ontario was the single lane highway and the 90 km/h (55.9 mph) speed limit. It sure makes a difference when you've been doing 110 or 115 km/h in Saskatchewan and Manitoba for the past few days.
I stopped a little early around 4:00 pm as I found the Redden's RV Park and Campground just east of Kenora. It was a great find because it's situated on Long Bow Lake in gorgeous cottage country much like Muskoka.
After getting setup I poured myself a V&T and headed down to the marina for some photos. Overhead I couldn't resist taking a couple of shots of the massive cumulus clouds that were building. Fortunately they were headed east to rain on somebody else's parade. Being down on the dock reminded me of standing on our old dock on Lake Joseph as the waves gently lapped against the aging wooden structure.

2017 Motorcycle Adventure to Alaska (Day twenty four)

I woke to the sounds of the trucks going by on the nearby highway and the wind shaking the camper. The sun was out and it looked like the perfect morning. The wind was very strong and blowing in a southerly direction so that meant a nice easy ride with the wind at my back.
Not being in any particular hurry I walked to the shower and bathroom building for some personal grooming. When I was done and opened the door to leave the whole picture had changed. The sky was dark and I could see rain clouds descending on me from the north. It was time for a new plan. Instead of the relaxed breakfast I had planned I leapt into action and packed up and hit Tim Horton's for breakfast. I hate packing up a soaking wet camper tent.
The wind was ferocious which made for some tricky riding whenever it shifted directions. At times it was so strong I had to actually lean into the wind when going down a straight highway. It must look strange from behind.
I reached Regina by noon and found a McDonald's so I could use their wifi to post my blog. I had a quick Greek salad and was back on the bike headed east toward Brandon. Manitoba.
My friend Wendy has challenged me to take an award winning photo of the Canola fields with a dramatic sky in the background. All day I kept an eye out for that perfect shot but to no avail.
As I rode further east once again it looked like I was headed straight into a big storm. I got a few drops of rain on my face shield but the storm moved off to the north and bypassed me all together.
The day was somewhat uneventful, just a lot of riding through the plains surrounded by seemingly endless acres of Canola, hay and corn.
I lost another hour as I crossed into Manitoba so now I'm only one hour behind home time.
I did a search for campgrounds in Brandon, Manitoba and Meadowlark RV Park came up. This place was one that I had stopped at back in 2014. I remember it well because after paying for my site I rode to it, parked the bike, took off my helmet and was immediately swarmed by mosquitoes. I went back to the office, asked for a refund and rode across the street and booked a room at a hotel. Meadowlark RV Park still had all my records on their computer. Fortunately no mozzies this time.
I rode to Safeway and picked up some groceries and cooked up a delicious shrimp over brown rice dinner along with a refreshing V&T. It's extremely hot and humid here so I'm really hoping it cools off later so I can get some well deserved sleep.
I'm not sure about tomorrow. I may just ride a few hours and stay in Winnipeg but I will decide then.

2017 Motorcycle Adventure to Alaska (Day twenty three)

Waking up in a different place every day might bother some but with the exception of the two nights I spent with Bob in Canmore that’s what my experience has been.

It looked like a nice day but some hazy clouds came in from the west which was a blessing as it was really starting to heat up.

Once I had left Elk Island, Alberta there’s not a whole lot of things going on to distract me so it was just put the pedal to the metal and keep an eye out for something interesting.

Here’s a shot I took just as I was leaving the campground. I promised some Canola pics so this is the best of the day.

  

Like most major cities, Saskatoon has a loop or circle road that allows you to get past the city without dealing with the traffic. Being a Sunday it wasn’t busy at all and I had no problems getting on down the road. By this point I had ridden out of the clouds and into the blistering prairie heat. My dash thermometer registered 34C (93F) and by late afternoon it had climbed another few degrees. I had taken off my jacket by the first gas stop and rode much of the day with a t-shirt to stay a bit cooler. I had slathered my bare arms with 60 FPS sunscreen but after two hours I was getting concerned about frying my arms. I stopped for a little hydration and put on my “bug shirt” with nothing under it. It’s white cotton and has big netting panels down each side so lots of flow through ventilation.

I know I said that I wasn’t going to push myself but with seemingly endless miles of nothing and very few campgrounds I just kept riding and logged 650 kms. (403 miles) by days end.

I finally found a spot in the tiny town of Davidson, Saskatchewan somewhere between Saskatoon and Regina.

As I entered the town I noticed a little town park and the “world’s biggest teapot and cup” so naturally I had to take a photo.

The campground is right next to the freeway but I have some really good ear plugs so no problem. Sunday night traffic should ease up so I only have the big transport trucks to listen to.

Sweet dreams all and thanks for reading. 

2017 Motorcycle Adventure to Alaska (Day twenty two)

Well, I apparently didn't quite sleep like a baby last night because I only rode 72 kms. today and I was starting to nod out.
True to my word I had decided yesterday to take a slower relaxed pace on the balance of my return home.
I didn't get going until 10:30 am and stopped three times, once for coffee, once for gas and once just to take a break.
It's funny but it seemed like a much longer ride. I did have a long chat with a couple on a Harley outside Tim Hortons where I was getting some coffee. They were headed into Edmonton to do some shopping.
At the rest stop I saw a guy sitting on a little folding chair next to his bike, head leaned back against the seat and he was sound asleep. I tried reclining on my bike which wasn't that comfortable and after a while the guy woke up and we spoke for some time. He was coming from Alaska, where he lives, and traveling down to the big annual bike rally in Sturgis, SD. We swapped stories because I was there for last year's rally on my way to Mount Rushmore.
After taking the loop highway that skirts around Edmonton I started my daily search for a campground nearby. Just 45 minutes out of Edmonton I found Elk Island National Park but it's Saturday night in July and they were full. The attendant suggested a small private campground back a few kilometres towards Edmonton. I pulled into this very nice campsite but they too were full. I guess the woman must have felt sorry for me because she looked at the size of my camper and said she had a small spot (too small for an RV) with water, electricity, picnic table, fire pit and free wifi all for just $15. Needless to say I grabbed it.
Right now it's 7:00 pm. It's a lovely warm sunny evening and I'm typing my blog while enjoying a refreshing vodka tonic.
I didn't see anything worth photographing today but perhaps tomorrow I will get another shot of those incredible Canola fields for you.