New Brunswick, Canada - The Chuck Palahniuk Ride

[Brian A]

I was just about to pester you on when we would get the next post and when I'm gonna see that bike review.   8).  Keep em coming.

Here is a thread on the Versys 650. You'll find details there. Additional comments regarding the experience on this trip will come later in the RR.

Thx

http://bamarides.com/ride/index.php?topic=1954.msg16869

[Brian A]

I have not abandoned the RR.

I had to fly to Toronto, drive to London, Ontario, work, then reverse the travel to come back home.

I hope to get some more updates posted in the next few days.

[Fencejumper09]

Don't worry, we aren't going anywhere!

[Brian A]

With our lunch at Kelly's on King - Pub and Eatery in Saint Stephens behind us we were back on the road headed to Saint Andrews.

It was about a 30 minute ride to Saint Andrews.

Saint Andrews was founded in 1783 by United Empire Loyalists, folks who had been loyal to The Crown in the colonies during the Revolutionary War. Many civilian and soldier loyalists fled to Canada after the signing of The Treaty of Paris. Once there, it wasn't long before they petitioned the government to be allowed to adopt the British legal system they were familiar with instead of the French system that was then in place. The successful petition eventually lead to the predominantly English speaking sections of Canada while Quebec maintained its French pedigree. We sometimes forget that Canada's history, much like America's, is fairly recent history compared to many nations and peoples across the globe.

Saint Andrews is a cool little town. Lot's of old buildings and history that we didn't have the time to peruse and enjoy.

We rode to a spot off a side street where we could take a few photos.




This is where I took my obligatory standing-on-the-bike pic.




We rode a bit further down the road and stopped for a few pics at the lighthouse.



We rode a bit further and stopped at a spot that would give us access to walk out onto the flats that would be underwater when the tide rose. There was a lady walking her dog when we stopped and got off the bikes. She stopped and struck up a conversation. She was a nice lady who would talk the ears off a donkey. She seemed to know everything there was to know about the area and was more than willing to tell you all of it. I entertained her barrage of info for a few minutes then discreetly slipped away, leaving her to further educate Mulley and Lincoln.

I remember I chuckled a little when it popped into my head that she was the equivalent of a human Wikipedia for info on Saint Andrews and the people and everything else you could want to know. And since she was out walking her dog, I thought of her as "Walkapedia".


Ms. Walkapedia, Lincoln and Mulley.





Lots of rocks and the ground was of coarse sand. Not muddy at all really. Very firm footing so walking was easy.




Looking back toward the lighthouse (and our hotel which cannot be seen in this picture).



My feet in the water, in Saint Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada.



I got a small Zip-Loc bag and put some sand in it. I had done the same from both side of the Baja Peninsula. I dried the sand and have the samples in small plastic bottle for keepsakes. I wish I had done the same at Key West and Alaska. I do not kid when I say not having samples from KW and Alaska gives me the itch.....

Wasn't much longer before we were back on the bikes for the mile or two ride to out hotel.

We got checked into our hotel which was a nice place that backed up to the Passamaquoddy Bay which is a bay off the Bay of Fundy. So I guess technically we were not on the Bay of Fundy, but seeing as how it's all the same water, the differentiation was a mere technicality in my mind.

The view off the little deck from our hotel room.




The boats were anchored far from the shore and pier. There were a few small tenders here and there that would presumably be used to get folks to and from their boats. Perhaps some folks swam out when the tide was high, but I really kinda doubt it.



As you can probably tell by the pics, the weather was grey and overcast for the most part. After showering and changing clothes we walked down the sidewalk, headed to a restaurant that had been suggested where we would feast on lobster.

It drizzled rain, but nothing too bad.

I stopped in what appeared to be a main intersection and took pics in all four directions.












We walked out onto the pier where we saw this sign. That's quite a swing from low to high tide.




It was a short walk to the restaurant. Once there, one of the truly, legit most amazing coincidences (if that's the right word) in my life was waiting.

Sometimes things happen that you would think could/would NEVER happen. Not in a thousand years.

But they do.

[Bamagator]

Nice cliffhanger man.  Glad you guys got to hit pause after the fast and furious approach up there.

[kdtrull]

The tide at Fundy....another incredible spectacle of nature.  WTG fellers.

[Brian A]

We walked the short distance to The Gables Restaurant. It was a nice place. Kinda cozy and quaint feeling. Definitely nothing like what you would feel in a chain restaurant or other large establishment.



Once inside, we put our name on the books for a table for four. It would be a short wait while our table was cleared and prepared. And it was during these few minutes that the crazy bizarre thing happened. At least it seemed crazy bizarre to me.

I walked over to the corner of the bar near the front door/waiting area and took a look at the guest book. The little book that folks sign just to say "Hey. I was here."

My jaw dropped. The last entry in the book was from a couple who were there from.............................

You guessed it:  Birmingham, Alabama.

I simply could not believe it.

I asked the girl (employee) standing nearby "How often do folks sign this book."  In just a minute or so I learned that the couple from Alabama had just left 5 minutes before we walked in. She said that she had commented to one of her coworkers that they never have anybody from Alabama visit. I told her we were there from the Birmingham area, did not know the folks who had signed before I did, and it was just sheer coincidence that both parties happened to be eating there the same night while visiting from Birmingham. She seemed pretty impressed by the coincidence. "What are the chances?" we both asked. And particularly so when she commented they never have anybody from Alabama visit.

I looked back many, many pages through their guest book and saw not one person from Alabama.

Yes folks, sometimes fact truly is stranger than fiction.

I present to you Exhibit A.



Once at our table I joked with the others that had the couple still been there it would have been easy to find them. Just stand up and yell "Roll Tide" and watch for the reactions.

Dinner was outstanding. We all had lobster and it was very good. Deserts were awesome. The whole experience was worth the 1,500 mile ride to get us there.

Before




After



The view off the back deck of the restaurant




With our bellies full we made our way back to our hotel. We stood out on the back deck and talked for a few minutes. It was nice. Nice to be in Canada on a motorcycle trip with three good friends.

I was in a room with Lincoln that night. We slept with the sliding door onto the deck left open. It was somewhere around 1:30 or 2:00 when I woke. I could hear the water. Small waves breaking.

I got up and looked out the door.  Although it was dark, it was easy to see the water was all the way up to the sea wall now.

It was nothing of monumental significance. I had been there and seen the huge tide swing that gives The Bay of Fundy its claim to fame.

That and $1.50 will get you a cup of coffee at a fast food joint.

But, I had seen it after having ridden there on my motorcycle from Alabama, with three good guys. Another experience that reminded me how fortunate I am and how, in my opinion, there is no better way to see the world than on a motorcycle.


Back in bed I fell asleep again, listening to the lap of the waves on The Bay of Fundy.

[Brian A]

Wow.... I kinda feel like I owe my BR friends an apology.

I have been sidetracked with a lot of different things lately and have neglected to return here to finish the story.

There remains a lot to be told.

Lincoln's chain.

Pennsylvania Turnpike in POURING rain (most uncomfortable I have ever been on a motorcycle).

Rain. Rain. Rain. And some more rain.

A man. In a small car. Hits a deer.

And the matter of Chuck Palahniuk............   Just what did have have to do with all this anyway?

I'll try to be back over the next few days.  I need to finish this one.

Chuck is talking to me again.

So yeah.    I need to finish this one.

[Brian A]

As is my norm, I woke up early. The air was cool as a result of us having left the door facing the water open all night. For a few minutes I relished the comfort of the bed.

There was no more sound of waves lapping not far outside the back of our hotel room.

I got up and walked out onto the little deck facing the water. The water had come and gone during the night. Had I not awoke somewhere along the way and walked out in the dark to see the water up to the sea wall, I'd have missed the fame of the tidal swing of the Bay of Fundy. As it was, it was less than spectacular. Perhaps it would have been more impressive had it taken place during the day and done so at 5 times normal speed. But no worries, the primary goal had been lobster dinner in Canada and from that perspective, it was a resounding success.

Morning. From the deck off the back of our hotel room.



And looking generally southwest from the same vantage point.




It wasn't long before we were all showered and outside loading up for Day 4.  We rode a few blocks down the road for breakfast at Lumberjack Cafe. It was good food with another view of the water. Workers were up and at it. Not sure what the project was but it appeared to be some type of repairs or reinforcement of the waterfront.



After breakfast we made the turn a block down the road to ride out onto the pier for a few pics.



Well Saint Andrews, it's been real, but time to hit the road. 

I did a snip of my SPOT track when I got home. This is much of where we would ride on Day 4.




We rolled out of Saint Andrews for the short ride back to the border to cross back into The States. The border crossing into Canada had been a fairly non pretentious event. A small booth with a guy inside who checked our passports and, in my case at least, wished me well. The border crossing back into the states was a bit different.

It was a big, fancy looking place, with several lanes, only one of which was open that morning. Didn't matter because there wasn't much of a line. 



Mulley rolled up first and a minute or so later motioned for the rest of us to pull up. The Border Guard worker guy said he had asked if we were all together and when Mulley answered "Yes" he decided to deal with us all at the same time. He was nice. Nice in a professional way. You could sense that he was serious but he wasn't intimidating. He did seem a bit incredulous when he asked to verify that we were from Birmingham and had entered Canada yesterday and were leaving today. When we told him we rode there to eat lobster I think he kinda thought we were, I don't know... "crazy"? But after a few minutes and a few questions he sent us on our way.

We backtracked across eastern Maine. Lunch was at a pretty cool sandwich shop in Brewer, Maine. It was a walk up place where you ordered your food and then ate at one of the outside picnic tables or carried the bag of food to eat in your car or take it with you and eat it wherever.

* I decided to spend a few minutes on Google Maps to see if I could find the place where we ate lunch. I didn't remember the name of the place but had a rough idea where it was. I found it.



After lunch we passed through Bangor and headed on west.  We were almost dead center North-South as we exited Maine.  It was mid afternoon when we arrived in the Shelburn / Gorham, New Hampshire area. We stopped for gas and a snack.

There we got to see another of countless examples of people and things I have seen all across the land that leads me to shake my head and think "Yep. And people make fun of the south." Appeared to be Meth heads. Bickering and acting sketchy. Crazy girl. Crazy guy. A police car pulled in. He talked to them a few minutes and calmed the situation.
Whatever their issue was, it wasn't mine or ours. I ate my snack and drank my Monster and we decided to ride out to the entrance to the park for Mt. Washington.

Mt. Washington is the highest peak in the NE United States and at 6,288 feet it is approx 400 feet off the 6,684 feet of Mt. Mitchell which is the highest peak east of the Mississippi.

Mt. Washington's claim to fame:  on April 12, 1934 the Observatory atop Mt. Washington recorded a wind speed of 231 mph.
The only wind speed ever recorded to exceed that was in 1996 in a tropical cyclone in Australia. (These records do not include wind speeds measured during a tornado)
Now for me, I can't even imagine being on top of Mt. Washington and stepping outside to be greeted by 213 mph winds.

When we got to the entrance to the park we found out the temp at the top was in the 20's and the wind was blowing. We decided against the approx hour ride to the top and opted to return back to town and find a place to spend the night.

We stopped for a photo op in front of Town Hall. Unfortunately some guy pulled up in an old red pick-up and park behind my motorcycle. But I have expert computer skills and was able to remove the truck from the picture. You can hardly tell it was ever there.



We rode a few miles back out of town and got rooms at The Town and Country Inn and Resort. It was a neat place. Not a chain hotel. It had  an "old school" feel to it.

http://townandcountryinn.com/our-history-2/


We rode back into town for dinner and then back to the hotel.

It was here I believe that Lincoln discovered his chain was loose. He was (justifiably) a bit confused and maybe a bit concerned. He had adjusted it properly before leaving home and it didn't show any signs of abnormal wear. Within a few minutes he had it adjusted back to proper tension.

It was a good night's sleep. breakfast the next morning was in the hotel restaurant. Good food and good service.

And then we were on the road for Day 5. It was to be a very nice day.
Nice riding.
Nice weather.

All good. Except for the fact that Lincoln's chain would see its last full day on the road.

[Fencejumper09]

A little surprised breakfast in the white north didn't consist of lobster and eggs!

Hey I've got a couple of pictures that need a little photshop work, could you use your extensive skills to remove ex-girlfriends!! :lol-049:

[Brian A]

Hey I've got a couple of pictures that need a little photshop work, could you use your extensive skills to remove ex-girlfriends!! :lol-049:

My work is only of the highest quality. And accordingly I do not work cheap. You might consider some of the free online Photoshop services.

https://www.boredpanda.com/funny-photoshop-james-fridman/

[Brian A]

Day five was to be a good day. The weather was nice and the scenery was pretty good too.

I wonder if anyone has noticed?  I haven't posted many pictures of the scenery (other than Saint Andrews). Mulley summed it up pretty well.

Paraphrasing him: It was pretty, it just wasn't scenic.

And that is it in a nutshell. So far, once we got north of Virginia, the scenery had not been.... well... very "scenic". Kinda reminded me of NE Alabama. Lots of rolling hills with trees covering everything. No big vistas at all. Not to say it wasn't enjoyable and pretty. We were all enjoying the ride, just nothing spectacular from a photo standpoint.

Anyway, moving along....

This was most all of our route for the day.



We were long since off the interstate and were riding back roads and two lane highways. The day was filled with small towns, one after another. Each seemed to have its own identity. I enjoyed passing through the towns. In my mind, I imagined scenes like this if it had been winter.



You could really tell it would be a remarkably beautiful place to visit in the fall or winter. As it was, with us just passing through, and all the mountains and hills covered in green foliage, I believe we missed out on much the area has to offer. I bet it would be a great place to make a destination and spend 3 or 4 or 5 days just riding around, visiting small towns and enjoying what I believe would be some beautiful fall or winter scenery.

And the architecture. WOW. I have never, ever seen so much Second Empire Victorian architecture. No don't go getting all impressed, thinking I knew what kind of architecture it was that I was looking at and so impressed by.  I had to come home and Google it to find out.

Think about the Munsters and Munster Mansion.

https://www.google.com/search?q=second+empire+victorian&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi_ov-EqtjWAhVD5SYKHa0IAvcQ_AUICigB&biw=2048&bih=915

Seems every small town had houses built in the style. They were very impressive and really added to the feel of being in a different place.

We stopped for a snack in Pettyco Junction, Saint Johnsbury, Vt.  Darrin got to talking to the folks who ran the place. They have friends in Greenville, Al.
Darrin took this pic.



We rode on. Passed through Montpelier, Vt.
More two lane roads and more small towns. 

At some point we rode one stretch of road that went up and over a decent sized "mountain". Nothing like a Colorado mountain, but a nice view none the less.



Lunch was in Bristol, Vt.

I loved this stop. A very cool little Vermont town. We ate at the restaurant on the corner.

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Bike pic.



Back on the road.  We crossed in to New York. It was a wee bit breezy.




Upstate NY is like a different world compared to the area around NYC. Upstate is much like rural Alabama or any of a number of other SE states. Lots of farming.

And cattle. Mostly dairy cattle. Lots of dairy cattle. And then some more.  And man oh man was there ever a righteous funk in the air.

On we rode. More miles of two lane highway through pretty, rural upstate NY.

We ended the day in Utica.  We checked into a hotel and made ready for dinner. It was just a hop-skip-and-a-jump to a really nice steak place. The food was great and my gut was bloated. I was stuffed.

So, we ended the day in Utica, but Lincoln's chain had actually ended the day sometime earlier. The final pronouncement would not come until we had stopped for the day in Utica.  It was beyond hope. Hard to believe a chain died so quickly, but it did.

It was now missing some rollers and the link pins were exposed where the rollers were missing.

Nothing could be done that evening, so we all retired knowing tomorrow morning we would be working on a solution to the Triumph Chain Delima.

It was to be a challenge beyond what anyone would have reasonably expected.

[Brian A]

Been busy the last few days. I hope to be back tomorrow evening with another post. In the mean time......

Lincoln's chain. Wow.

It would be like trying to find a double die Lincoln penny.  https://www.thespruce.com/1955-double-die-lincoln-penny-4022936

We would wake to rain. We would ride in rain that morning. We would ride in torrential downpours before all was said and done.

I would stand there that morning in Utica, New York, under the awning of the hotel, looking at the rain. And I would think back to waking in a hunting cabin in very rural Marengo County Alabama in the early 80's.



Life has its own way of giving you a gift every now and then. A gift you have to be open and ready to recognize, and then accept with a smile on your face.

We would pull out from under the pavilion and ride into the rain.

And I would be smiling.

[Brian A]

We woke to rain.

We all showered and met in the lobby for breakfast and then made our way outside under the awning thing where you stop to unload your car or van or motorcycle or whatever.

It was here I thought about deer hunting in Marengo County 30 odd years ago. It was a cement block building smack in the middle of several thousand acres. No electricity or running water. There was a propane heater which we would fire up in the early morning. The heater would be lit by whoever was the first willing to climb out of the sleeping bag an hour or so before the sun first started to show itself in the far southeast horizon. It was always cold and while you didn't want to get up, you knew you had to. Unless you planned to stay in bed until mid-morning and not go hunting.

And that is why I thought about deer hunting and that cement block cabin in Marengo County.

Climbing out of a warm sleeping bag to go light the heater.
A bone freezing ride of a few miles on the three wheeler or four wheeler, 45 minutes before sunrise.
Walking out from under the porch in the rain to go sit in the woods in a tree stand.

All of those things were things which, taken as an individual stand alone event, would not be all that enticing. But all were part of the experience.

I would never get to be 20 feet up a tree, 30 minutes before day break, in absolute dead silence, and get to see the very first hint of daylight on the horizon had I not done what it took to get me there.

I would not have seen the hawk fly right past me on its way to grab a quail  on the ground about 30 yards away.
I'd have missed seeing the A7 Corsair come skimming over the tree tops, low enough that I could see the pilot looking out of the window.
I'd have never killed the nice six point as it ran through the woods 50 yards from me.
I'd have never been able to experience my buddy slip off the foot log, fall into the water about thigh deep and say "Well, at least I don't have to worry about getting wet now."

I would have not have seen the world of life in the woods wake up and start its day, going from dead silence in the dark, to a symphony of bird and animal sound, as it does every day, even when nobody is there to appreciate it.

I would not have been absolutely alone in the middle of the woods had I not done what was necessary to get me there.

And so it is with riding in what some would describe as "adverse conditions". I guess, technically speaking, rain is an "adverse condition". But mostly so if you choose to see it that way. Fortunately - for me at least - the four of us didn't seem to take issue with the rain. It was part of the experience and, as is often the case, you walk away with memories that would not have happened had it been a clear and sunny day.

it's all a matter of perspective.....




And so it was that we would ride in the rain. But before that.....

Lincoln's chain. We HAD to find him a chain. We began calling any and every motorcycle place we could locate in the Utica area. Lincoln's chain was one of abnormally long length. I don't remember the exact link count, but whatever it was, it was beyond "normal".

We might as well have been calling around asking if anybody had an unopened copy of The Beatles Abbey Road album.
Nobody had squat. At least nothing that would help us. I guess places don't stock stuff so much stuff anymore when everything is "I can order it and have it here for you...."

Calling to ask about an unopened copy of Abbey Road a chain for Lincoln's Triumph




We tried finding two chains and a chain break and master links so we could make one chain out of two.  No joy.

Until finally! We struck gold. It wasn't too far so Lincoln felt OK with the ride to get there.

So we rode out of the parking lot and made the 10-15 minute ride to TNT Sport Cycle in Whitesboro, NY. Small shop. Pretty much a dirt bike place but they had what we needed. We milled around while one of the guys installed the chain. Did a fine job and charged a very surprisingly reasonable price. Not much more than what you could have ordered it for and done it yourself. If you are ever in the area and need a chain, or other item, start with the guys at TNT. Good folks!






With a new chain installed on Lincoln's bike and a round of handshakes and "Thank You"s taken care of, we were back on the road.

More small towns and two-lane roads. The rain become spotty and less intense. By the time we stopped for lunch it had pretty much stopped. Lunch was at Quincy Square Diner in Deruyter, NY.



A small greasy spoon place just like what you'd find in any small town in Alabama.



Lunch for me was a Turkey Club with fries. It was fine eating.



Back on the road, the rain eventually gave way to sunny skies.  We made our way to Ithica and stopped for gas and a snack. We struck up a good conversation with 5 or 6 municipal workers who were there for the same reasons. Super nice guys who enjoyed asking about our trip. We shared stories back and forth and had a bunch of laughs. They made the suggestion that we invest the time to ride out to see Taughannock Falls.  And so we did.

at 215 feet, it is the highest single-drop waterfall east of The Rockies.



We headed SW. We had about 150 miles left for the day.

We were on a two lane highway, rolling hills through rural farm land.  Mulley was in the front. We topped a little rise and about 1/4 - 1/2 mile ahead we saw a small car slowing and just drifting over into the oncoming traffic lane. The car was just beginning to go uphill on a small rise which meant it was pretty much blind to oncoming traffic until any cars topped the small rise. As we got closer the car had stopped and  a man stepped out and slowly walked to the front left quarter panel and rested his arms on the hood with his head hanging down.
I immediately thought the guy  was having a heart attack. Mulley stopped right near the car. I rode on up to the top of the little rise and stopped my bike and turned on the flashers. I then trotted the 50 yards or so back down to the car.

The front end of the little car was bashed in. He had hit a deer. We had never seen the deer but there it lay, off the side of the road, dead as a wedge in a ditch. The man was OK. Mostly shaken up by the event and the air bag deploying in his face. A few cars stopped and with nothing more to do, we said Good-bye and were back to logging miles.

It was a very nice afternoon ride. Nice scenery and good roads.

We got to our stop for the day: Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. It was a nice town.  We checked into a hotel and rode a few miles back into town for dinner.



We ate at Stella A's Bar and Grill. It was Mediterranean restaurant. Greek and Italian mostly if I remember correctly.
I love Greek food. It is one of my favorite ethnic foods. Stella A's has some fantastic Greek food. We ordered a few appetizers to share. My meal was great!



After dinner we rode back to the hotel. It had been a very good day. One of my favorites so far I think.

Day seven was not too far away.

You know all that stuff I said earlier about riding in the rain being "adverse conditions" and how that is largely a matter of how you view it.
Well....... sometimes it doesn't matter HOW you view it. It IS adverse. Very adverse.

Adverse to the point of almost being a death wish.

[Brian A]

I just had the update for Day 7 typed. I got a work call and in the process of switching tabs in my browser, I accidentally closed the BR tab and lost the whole  %#$^&%$  thing.

I should have done it in Word then copied and pasted it but I didn't. I am thoroughly aggravated at this time.  No, I'm way passed that. I am royally pissed!

I will return later to redo the whole freakin' update.


#$%@*!&%!    I AM PISSED OFF