EAST COAST USA 2015 (DAY ONE)

This is the fourth year in a row that I have set out on my bad motor scooter to explore a few more hidden treasures in this big world we all share.

Most people who know me would probably expect that I would plan my route and have at least a rudimentary plan, if only in my head, on where I was going each day. NOT!!!

I didn't actually get going till 10:00 AM this morning. It was a gorgeous sunny day and the forecast looked very good for the next few days. 

I find that when using a GPS for guidance on a trip like this where it's all the unknown, it helps to pick periodic way points instead of entering your final destination. This way you can't be led too far off the track if your GPS has a mind of it's own like mine. This seems to work most of the time but certainly isn't fool proof.

I headed east on Hwy. 118 to Bancroft and then cut south to Belleville where I picked up Hwy. 401 to Gananocque. My very close friend, Penny Burns, had packed me a lunch so around 1:00 pm I found a rest stop and enjoyed a delicious ham and cheese wrap. I decided to keep the second wrap and the home made apple crisp for dinner.

Being that it was Saturday the 4th of July I had expected some insane traffic especially at the border crossing into the US. To my surprise there was virtually no traffic and I was able to make the crossing at the Thousand Island Bridge in no more than ten minutes.

Because of my late departure it was already pushing the "cocktail hour" so I decided to look for a camp ground.

I found one at the Wellesley Island State Park right on the mighty St. Lawrence River.

It was a huge park with over 400 campsites but regrettably no WiFi so I wasn't able to do my blog until now.

I think I must of snagged the last spot because it was jammed with campers. I got registered and found my site. As I was pulling into the campsite on the wet grass I actually got stuck. There was a slight grade and with the heavy camper behind me my rear wheel couldn't get any traction and and I had to ask another camper for a push. Slightly embarrassing  but no biggy. Fifteen minutes later I was all set up and preparing a nice cold vodka tonic. With that many  people there was the usual crying baby and barking dogs but because it was the big American holiday we also had fireworks which finally ended about 11:00pm

II had ridden 427  kms and it was time to hit the hay..