Took the DL1000 Vstrom to Alaska last year and decided at that time that the next trip should be to Halifax. Why? I have no idea. So, Tom and I left Alliance on the 4th of July and mostly followed US20 from Hay Springs to Buffalo. No plan. No reservations. Stuck to Lake Ontario until Oswego and then cut down to Syracuse (got Tom's Triumph Tiger a new chain there at Micro Bore). Angled up through the Adirondacks and then took highway 2 through Vermont and New Hampshire to Bangor, Maine. Then highway 9 to Calais and around the Bay of Fundy to Halifax. Up the east coast to the Cabot Trail and then ferried over to Prince Edward Island. Met a local at Montague, PE, who rides an SV1000. He said PEI is Canada's urinal. People take the ferry over, take a leak, and leave via the bridge. Spot on. Cut back across Maine on highway 6 until we stumbled back onto highway 2 and retraced some steps until cutting north on I-91. Went through Montreal, Ottawa, and Sault Saint Marie. Crossed there into Michigan and over to Duluth to visit the Aerostich store and down to MPLS to visit family. Got home the 19th. 6700 miles in 16 days. Learned that highway 20 through Chicago and Cleveland is a really bad idea. Did a lot of heat soaking at stop lights. Tented every night other than the MPLS stay with family except for one wet evening we moteled in Whycocomagh, Nova Scotia. Pretty proud of that for an old bastard. I should have brought my mosquito net hat that I bought on the Alaska trip. The mosquitoes were just as bad. Forgot my electric vest but never needed it. On the ferry from Port Kent NY to Burlington VT across Lake Champlain we shared the front of the boat with some Canadian ladies who were going to a sidehack meet in or near Burlington. Met several more sidehacks as we headed east. Taking a long motorcycle trip for no reason in particular is an outstanding idea.
(http://ancientmariner.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Toms-Nova-Scotia/P7070014/941740664_3Wbh8-L.jpg)
Sheridan Bay, Lake Erie, Dunkirk, NY
(http://ancientmariner.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Toms-Nova-Scotia/P7070026/941742070_ZDa8s-L.jpg)
Hell of a waterfall, ain't she?
(http://ancientmariner.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Toms-Nova-Scotia/P7080042/941743668_6nVb7-L.jpg)
This Kaw Drifter was hauling a gorgeous sidecar. Passenger wasn't much for conversation.
(http://ancientmariner.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Toms-Nova-Scotia/P7080043/941743795_d4ubC-L.jpg)
This Goldwing had a sidecar AND a trailer. Both sidehacks were piloted by ladies. One's husband was riding a Kaw Nomad pulling a trailer.
(http://ancientmariner.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Toms-Nova-Scotia/P7100069/941746773_9auUe-L.jpg)
Ain't this cute? Halifax harbor.
(http://ancientmariner.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Toms-Nova-Scotia/P7100074/941747258_zqTec-L.jpg)
The Bay of Fundy has some freakin' serious tides!
(http://ancientmariner.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Toms-Nova-Scotia/P7120104/941750771_awnEi-L.jpg)
Meat Cove at the top of Cape Breton. We were promised whale sightings. It wasn't to be.
(http://ancientmariner.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Toms-Nova-Scotia/P7130146/941755761_fmRK4-L.jpg)
This lighthouse was just next to the ferry landing on Prince Edward Island.
(http://ancientmariner.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Toms-Nova-Scotia/P7160172/941758758_JzjBf-L.jpg)
Point Iroquois Lighthouse, Lake Superior, west of Brimley, Michigan.
(http://ancientmariner.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Toms-Nova-Scotia/P7160177/941759434_cbqeH-L.jpg)
They've got some T-shirts that aren't in the catalog that say "I rode there."
(http://ancientmariner.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Nova-Scotia-2010/IMG1099/941883994_cHW52-L.jpg)
The proprietor of this Adirondacks restaurant let us camp in his parking lot just for being customers.
(http://ancientmariner.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Nova-Scotia-2010/IMG1138/941705311_kSG2f-L.jpg)
Brimley State Park, Michigan.
the end
That looks like a fun trip. Thanks for sharing it with us!
I've really got the itch for a long trip, but I don't think it will happen this year.
I'd love to see your route if you can post a map image.
It's official, I'm jealous.
Jason, this probably isn't what you meant, but I don't know how to do those pretty maps that I see other guys post. This is from a print screen of my MapSource tracks for the trip.
(http://ancientmariner.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Nova-Scotia-2010/NovaScotiaTrack/949442662_6zhdB-L.jpg)
The southern track is the eastbound one.
Thats awesome! Lubec, Maine, on the Bay of Fundy is one of my favorite places. The tides are amazing to a landlocked guy like me. I leave for a ride into BC on the 5th next month. You are giving me insperation. Thansk for sharing.
Nice report!
The maritimes seem like an interesting place.
Some of the best music comes out of that area of Canada and I keep meaning to visit. It's nice to see a couple of photos that shows what inspires it.
Sounds like a great trip. Are there photos somewhere I am missing? Thanks for the report!
Well, there are Tom's photos here. http://ancientmariner.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Toms-Nova-Scotia/13009782_kSfaJ#941739042_3FKDx (http://ancientmariner.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Toms-Nova-Scotia/13009782_kSfaJ#941739042_3FKDx) and my photos here. http://ancientmariner.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Nova-Scotia-2010/12883213_duHoH#930179463_8y6VH (http://ancientmariner.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Nova-Scotia-2010/12883213_duHoH#930179463_8y6VH)