Leaving Halifax the other day after a couple of days of doing not a lot was a bit of a shame. But we are well aware of the time of year and that the season and therefore the weather is on the change.
We opted to ride to and around the bottom of Nova Scotia to Yarmouth. We spent a far bit of the day following the smaller, older roads along the coastline. We both agreed that it was a Wow! Blue sky was no doubt a factor but the sea, the hills, the buildings, all add up to a stunning area.
Luckily we didn’t see it all, that way we’ve saved some for next time.
We did have a slight Satnav moment as my TomTom thought that our chosen hotel was somewhere else. We opted not to knock on the door of the private house we ended up at.
The nice chaps at the old style local fuel station put us on the right path. One of them filled our bikes up for us ready for the morning.
The morning had to start earlier than normal for us as we had to get to Digby by 10.30 at the latest to book in for the ferry across to St John in New Brunswick that we’d booked.
Friday the 27th started with wet roads from overnight rain. It was a straightforward 65 mile ride to the port. No dramas.
We met a nice Triumph Tiger rider from Massachusetts who was heading home. We never did swap names but it was nice to chat and he gave us some pointers of places to go and roads to ride over the next couple of weeks in New England.
The bikes were all still upright when the ferry docked which is always a bonus and waving goodbye to Tiger man we headed south to St Andrews.
We just took the main highway so nothing to report from that ride.
St Andrews is a lovely old seaside town. With remnants of military defences from way back and some beautiful large old houses. Touristy it is, crowded at this time of year it isn’t.
An afternoon and the whole day today we’re enough for us to have a good wander around.
The local deer seem to be fairly active in the lawn trimming business.
We did consider camping at the Oceanside campsite but not so nice wash rooms and only gravel to camp on rules that out. It actually took us about 10 minutes to decide not to camp so we did kind of want to.
It’s raining pretty heavily outside at the moment, 9.30pm, so an older style very clean budget motel was definitely the right decision.
Maybe they’ll be time for camping when we’re back in the USA from tomorrow?
Watching the weather forecast on TV this evening we were amazed to see that the Jasper and Lake Louise area that we passed through just a few weeks ago are due to get what we would class as a serious amount of snow. Of course Canadians have a different view on 20 to 50 cm of the white stuff.
The area around the Lake Superior and the other Great Lakes are getting colder too.
South seems like a good plan....
Two happy people, two happy bikes.
North America, First and Second.
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OnHellas
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Re: North America, First and Second.
Far to few photos again.
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OnHellas
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Re: North America, First and Second.
A deer, a doe, a female deer....you get the idea.....which could led us nicely in to the “What do you call a deer with no eyes” joke. A true classic.
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OnHellas
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Re: North America, First and Second.
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DavidS
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Re: North America, First and Second.
Mahone Bay. i did cheat and double check on Google Earth but recognised the two churches. We liked it round there.
The spot you took the photo from was near where we watched loads of Osprey diving for fish just off the beach.
We had dinner in the blue painted restaurant.
We left Ontario in 22c sunshine on Friday and back home to it chucking it down and the central heating on.
We did manage 3600 miles over 23 days so had a bit of a go at endurance driving.
There was a lot more tree colour as we went back west from Quebec, even over just a few days gap.
The owner of the lakefront airbnb we stayed in just north east of Toronto said a normal winter was -30 to -35c
and 3ft of snow overnight not abnormal. Stuff that as a way of life. The property was down a 2km dirt track through a forest so well remote.How do you feel counting down the days now?
Mixed feelings?
2023 Husqvarna Norden 901
2014 KTM 690 ENDURO R
2014 KTM 690 ENDURO R
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OnHellas
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Re: North America, First and Second.
Counting down the days? We are. Plans have been put in place to get both us and the bikes to the UK. Accommodations once there have been sorted, even hair and dentist appointments are in the diary.
So yes, we’re sort of counting down the days but still trying to live in the moment and see what we see.
Crossing back in to the US from Canada was a simple affair. The border post was between Saint Stephen in New Brunswick and Calais in Maine.
A 10 vehicle queue and then 5 minutes of questions at the US immigration window and we were through.
They seemed happy that with just a month to go on our American Visa we have now got an outbound flight booked.
We opted to follow Highway 1 around the coastline. There is also a more inland option also called Highway 1. Strange but true. Highway 1 Coastal was a pleasant ride through the trees, passing some magnificent houses and small has been villages with a few smaller properties in need of more than just a lick of fresh paint.
At a fuel station we asked if there was a Diner nearby. The answer was a fairly confusing “45 minutes, maybe an hour and a half 30 miles down the road.”
Well, about 40 minutes ride south we found the Diner. Proper tasty food, none of your nasty fast food chain rubbish.
The rest of the ride went by smoothly, there was a nice bridge to cross and a signpost to Fort Knox.....which wasn’t the Fort Knox we’d have liked it to be so on we went to Belfast.
Belfast is a lot closer to Lincoln over here than back in the UK. So that was our ride for the last day of September. Setting the TomTom to find the shortest route kept us off of the big roads and instead took us through fantastic countryside to small towns and another spot on Diner. Sorry to go in about lunch stops but lately the food has been a marked improvement on some of the fare consumed over the last weeks and months.
One of the things that has changed for us since reaching Halifax a week or so ago is that there isn’t that self inflicted pressure that being destination driven sometimes seem to bring. It wouldn’t have mattered if we hadn’t got to Halifax but when you set a goal.....
With a good bit of time in front of us until bike drop off day in New Jersey we have taken to a slower pace, making the most of the small roads, enjoying the Fall colours and merrily winding our way through the northeast ticking off a few more States.
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts so far.
Lincoln to White River Junction was only 60 miles or thereabouts so we decided to make a ride out of it by heading west before looping back down again. The result was 180 miles of backroads, the feeling was like just going out for a ride for the hell of it. Going for a ride because you can, because you like your bike and because it’s be rude not to. Good to know that we both can still get that feeling after this many miles and this long away.
Oh, and the bakery that we found in route for lunch.....the best sandwich for a long time.
Two happy people, two happy bikes.
So yes, we’re sort of counting down the days but still trying to live in the moment and see what we see.
Crossing back in to the US from Canada was a simple affair. The border post was between Saint Stephen in New Brunswick and Calais in Maine.
A 10 vehicle queue and then 5 minutes of questions at the US immigration window and we were through.
They seemed happy that with just a month to go on our American Visa we have now got an outbound flight booked.
We opted to follow Highway 1 around the coastline. There is also a more inland option also called Highway 1. Strange but true. Highway 1 Coastal was a pleasant ride through the trees, passing some magnificent houses and small has been villages with a few smaller properties in need of more than just a lick of fresh paint.
At a fuel station we asked if there was a Diner nearby. The answer was a fairly confusing “45 minutes, maybe an hour and a half 30 miles down the road.”
Well, about 40 minutes ride south we found the Diner. Proper tasty food, none of your nasty fast food chain rubbish.
The rest of the ride went by smoothly, there was a nice bridge to cross and a signpost to Fort Knox.....which wasn’t the Fort Knox we’d have liked it to be so on we went to Belfast.
Belfast is a lot closer to Lincoln over here than back in the UK. So that was our ride for the last day of September. Setting the TomTom to find the shortest route kept us off of the big roads and instead took us through fantastic countryside to small towns and another spot on Diner. Sorry to go in about lunch stops but lately the food has been a marked improvement on some of the fare consumed over the last weeks and months.
One of the things that has changed for us since reaching Halifax a week or so ago is that there isn’t that self inflicted pressure that being destination driven sometimes seem to bring. It wouldn’t have mattered if we hadn’t got to Halifax but when you set a goal.....
With a good bit of time in front of us until bike drop off day in New Jersey we have taken to a slower pace, making the most of the small roads, enjoying the Fall colours and merrily winding our way through the northeast ticking off a few more States.
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts so far.
Lincoln to White River Junction was only 60 miles or thereabouts so we decided to make a ride out of it by heading west before looping back down again. The result was 180 miles of backroads, the feeling was like just going out for a ride for the hell of it. Going for a ride because you can, because you like your bike and because it’s be rude not to. Good to know that we both can still get that feeling after this many miles and this long away.
Oh, and the bakery that we found in route for lunch.....the best sandwich for a long time.
Two happy people, two happy bikes.
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OnHellas
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Re: North America, First and Second.
Nice bridge near Fort Knox that wasn’t the Fort Knox that we would have stopped to see.
A cross section of bridge in the foreground too.
A cross section of bridge in the foreground too.
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OnHellas
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Re: North America, First and Second.
More bridges. Covered ones. There are quite a lot of these in the area but they are always good to see. Picking a few out on the map help plot a route on a “just for the ride” kind of days.
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OnHellas
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Re: North America, First and Second.
Another one. And another “where’s Wally” type opportunity. She can’t help herself!
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OnHellas
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Re: North America, First and Second.
I was there. An unintentional Alvin Stardust glove tribute.
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