Home From Evangola

The weather this morning was not much better than yesterday's or Friday's. It wasn't very cloudy but the temperature was well below seasonal average. In fact, it was pretty much most of the morning but we still decided to ride with our rainsuits packed away.

View of Lake Erie from the campground.

We left the campground at 8:30am and stopped at Denny's in Hamburg for breakfast. This time we each had the custom Grand Slams for $5.99 and surprisingly, my plate of grits was far bigger than the one I was served in Fredonia the day before. The rest of our ride through the state of New York included a missed ramp and a detour through Tonawanda due to a closed ramp onto I-190. Our decision to cross the border in Lewiston paid big dividends as riding through Buffalo we saw a big black cloud sitting over Fort Erie that reached into Buffalo and sprinkled us for a few seconds.

Again, we had no trouble coming back into Canada and we made only one stop in Hamilton. We stopped there on Heather's request who was getting uncomfortable having tweaked her back the night before. We arrived at home, to sunny skies, at 1:01pm.

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Touring the Allegheny National Forest

The weatherman is an idiot!

It was an early morning for us as sleeping in a tent is not as comfortable as sleeping at home. We woke up at 5am for a few minutes then went back for another two hours. Once we were fully up, we organized our belongings in the tent and while Heather was getting ready, I walked over to the beach to take in the sights.

At 8:45, when everything was in the tent, aside from valuables, we went for a ride. Our plan was to ride to Warren, PA to meet up with fellow VROCers Bob and Linda, who we briefly met in Kentucky in 2009. They volunteered to be our tour guides for the day after I contacted Linda with our intentions of camping at Evangola. Just as we were leaving the park, a deer crossed our path. I stopped to let the deer through but then noticed a young fawn that stopped right in the middle of the road, some 100 feet in front of us. It stared at us for several seconds before proceeding off the road. It stopped again, before disappearing into the trees, to give us another stare.

The morning was overcast but we were hoping that the skies would eventually clear. Our decision not to wear raingear quickly backfired on us as we nearly got soaked in the first ten minutes of the ride. We stopped under the water tower in the village of Farnham to put our raingear on and then rode west to Dunkirk where we’d have breakfast. The place we picked was Denny’s as it usually has Wi-Fi. It was also in Dunkirk that we saw the first signs of the sun.

Rainsuiting up in Farnham, NY.

The rays of sunshine were short-lived however, as we’d be riding under overcast skies with periods of rain throughout the day. We also didn’t get lucky with Wi-Fi at Denny’s even though they had it, but our netbook had difficulty connecting with any websites. On top of that, my plate of grits was unusually small which contained as much food as a cup of yogurt.

After breakfast, we rode non-stop to Bob and Linda's house in North Warren, PA. The roads were still wet in most places but we made it there around 11:20am, a little behind schedule. Bob and Linda came out to greet us and after a few minutes Bob's Nomad was out and they were ready to take us out on a tour.

In front of Bob and Linda's house in North Warren, PA.

Our first stop was downtown Warren where we pulled in to a Kwik Fill for gas. While at the station a local resident approached us and told us of his less than favourable views of Canadian gentlemen's clubs and beer prices in Canadian bars. Based on my own life experiences I could not disagree with his point of view. We parked the motorcycles behind the gas station and took a couple of pictures of downtown Warren and our hosts/tour guides pointed out plastic chairs lined along the main street. They were left, roped to posts, by people who wanted to save themselves a spot for Warren's annual July 4th parade which was just over a week away.

In front of a fountain in downtown Warren.

The next stop was the Kinzua Dam which is one of the biggest in the United States east of the mighty Mississippi River. It was built in the early 1960's to provide flood control and power generation for the nearby area. While there, we also walked through a trail in the forest that we thought would take us to other side of the dam but only took us a few hundred feet down the parking lot. We eventually rode to the other side of the dam to take a few more pictures. I should mention that on the way to the dam we passed a fallen biker who was getting medical treatment on the side of the road. Later, I found out that he hit a deer with his motorcycle but his stay in the hospital was very short.

Water spilling from the Kinzua Dam into the Allegheny River.

After visiting the Kinzua Dam, we rode through some winding back roads to a couple of lookouts: the Rimrock Trail and Jakes Rocks, from where we had a long distance view of the dam, the Allegheny Reservoir and the surrounding area.

Heather, Bob and Linda at the Rimrock Overlook with the Allegheny Reservoir behind them.

At about that time we were all getting a little hungry so Bob and Linda took us to Bob's Trading Post just outside of Kane, PA where we enjoyed a nice lunch and ice cream. The weather was even beginning to improve and there were more periods of sun than clouds. But just as we were getting ready to continue on, a quick shower dimmed our spirits again.

The final stop on our sightseeing tour of the Allegheny National Forest was the Kinzua Bridge State Park - home of the, you guessed it, Kinzua Bridge. The Kinzua Bridge is a marvel of engineering and was built in the late 1800's before being reconstructed in 1900. At the time it was built, the Kinzua Bridge was the tallest railroad bridge in the world. Today, however, only nine of the original 20 bridge towers are still standing as the remaining 11 could not withstand an F1 tornado that tore through the area on 7/21/2003. I was amazed at both the impressive work that made the bridge as well as the natural forces that destroyed it.

The Kinzua Bridge.

From the Kinzua Bridge State Park, Bob led us into New York and Quaker Lake where we stopped and said our goodbyes. It was nearly 6pm when we rode our separate ways. Heather and I made another stop at a Kwik Fill just a few minutes from Evangola and arrived at our campsite at 8pm. We spent about an hour or more unwinding outdoors before we headed in to then for another early night. Thanks again to Bob and Linda for taking time out of their day to show us around.

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Gone Camping to Evangola State Park

With summer in full swing, Heather and I decided to get away from town for a couple of days by going camping. Since we bought our tent in 2009, we've only used it a couple of times that year, but with four campouts planned for this summer, this weekend would be good to get into the swing of things. I selected Evangola State Park in Farnham, NY as our destination mainly due to its close proximity to Woodstock as well as its affordable rates, although we paid a weekend premium as well as an out-of-state premium. Also, the weather looked optimistic with a sunny Saturday and a sunny Sunday.

We still worked today as we only took half a day of vacation time for this trip. And before we got home, we took care of some business, mainly acquiring some US dollars and going to a Drive Test centre to finally take care of our M licences. We weren't able to update the licences before because it can only be done at a Drive Test centre and their hours of business mirror our working hours.

Our bikes are loaded and the day-old grass is looking good.

Once we were home, we finished up packing and loading our motorcycles with a tent, sleeping bag, camping chairs etc. We didn't leave until 3:45pm with light rain coming down. To save time, we rode the 403 and QEW to the border in Fort Erie although the on-and-off rain and the evening rush hour through Hamilton and Burlington made for an uncomfortable ride. We stopped in Niagara Falls for a light supper at Tim Hortons and gas and then made another quick stop in Fort Erie to prepare our documents.

Our campsite at Evangola.

Surprisingly, this proved to be the easiest time we've ever had crossing the border. The agent in the booth only wanted to know my destination and plate number and he even asked less questions of Heather. From Buffalo, we took Highway 5 to Evangola which is merely 30 minutes from the border. We arrived at the park at 8pm which gave us just enough time to set up our tent in daylight. Having not done it in a couple of years, we took our lumps setting it up but it'll be smooth sailing in the coming weeks. We turned in at 9:30pm with overcast skies and generally gloomy weather.

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Point Pelee National Park

The warm weather is here and we're trying to take every chance we can to get a ride in before our short riding season ends. Today's destination was Point Pelee National Park - home of the southern tip of Canada. And it would not be a short ride as it can take as long as three hours if using only the back roads. We chose to split the ride between back roads and the 401.

The ride started at 8am sharp. We zipped along the 401 for the first 70km of the 210km trip and then slowed the pace down by riding through the countryside. While on the 401, I noted to myself that I have little regard for gas consumption by keeping up with traffic at a healthy 108-112 km/h, but when driving to work I'm afraid to go faster than 105 km/h for fear of wasting too much gas.

A sunny Saturday morning in Woodstock.

Our first stop came in Wallacetown where we bought gas and enjoyed some refreshments. From there, we followed Highway 3 which, after Blenheim, was literally running a couple hundred feet away from Lake Erie. On a warm morning like today, a cool breeze from the lake was a pleasant complement to the heat.

Snack time in Wallacetown.

We arrived at the gate of Point Pelee National Park at 11am. After paying the $7.80 admission fee (each), we made our way to the Visitor Centre. Once there we changed into a more beach appropriate attire - shorts instead of pants and Crocs instead of motorcycle boots.

Point Pelee National Park Visitor Centre.

As no cars are allowed past the point of Visitor Centre, a shuttle takes tourists on a 2km, 7 minute ride to within 500 metres of the Tip. Not knowing there are at least two ways of getting to the Tip, we chose to go through a forest, all the while swatting mosquitoes.

Artist's rendition of the Tip.

The real McCoy.

The Tip is the most southern point of mainland Canada which narrows as it disappears under the waves of Lake Erie. We stayed there long enough to take in the sights and take a few photos. Returning from the Tip, we found a safer, wider path.

Standing at the tip of Canada.

By the time we returned to the Visitor Centre and were ready to leave, it was nearly 1pm. A few minutes after leaving the park we pulled into Paula's Fish Place for lunch. My cod burger was just excellent. We left the restaurant at 2pm and arrived home at 4:45pm.

Paula's Fish Place's patio.

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We're 'M' Licenced

We finally decided to complete the final step of Ontario's graduated motorcycle licence system. The M2 licence we currently have is only good for up to five years and Heather had only a handful of months to complete the M2 Exit test. We thought it'd be good to take the test early in case we weren't successful on the first try and so we signed up to do it this weekend at Fanshawe College in London.

The first step happened Thursday evening during a three-hour session where the two of us plus another five hopefuls were put through the M1 parking lot test. After we all passed, we spent the next hour or so in a trailer reviewing all components of the M2 Exit test such as: left turn, right turn, roadside stop, through intersection, merging onto a highway etc. Our instructors, Owen and Devin, did a very thorough job to make sure that each of the students was well prepared for the upcoming test.

The class re-assembled at Fanshawe on Saturday morning at 7:45am. The riders were equipped with radios, as Owen and Devin would give us instructions on where to go and what to do from their truck. During the practice rides, four of the riders would ride in front of the truck with the other three behind it. On the third and final practice run, Heather was saddled with leading the group and although she was initially nervous, she did a fantastic job of navigating through the busy streets of London.

When it came to the actual test, three local riders were asked to take their test on Sunday while the out-of-towners were scheduled at 45 minute intervals beginning at 1pm. Adam from Aylmer was set to go first, Heather volunteered to go second thus forcing me to go third and George from Dorchester would go last.

Fighting the nerves, we both passed the ride and Heather even beat my score by registering only 13 demerit points while I had 16. What a relief it is to finally have a full M licence!

I think I passed.

Port Stanley Ride

It was a beautiful morning with not a single cloud in the sky. Thanks to an e-mail alert earlier in the week, I knew that the Waterloo Wings were heading for a ride to Port Stanley today. They were to leave Kitchener at 9am. I told Doug, their road captain, that Heather and I might meet them there.

It wasn't until 10am, but we were on the road. I had planned a route with many water towers along the way. We stopped in Otterville and Tillsonburg and finally Port Stanley before reaching our destination. Once in Port Stanley just before 11:30am, we pulled into a Mac's parking lot and I was about to call Doug when we saw the Wings ride right by us. Heather and I hopped on the bikes and rode towards the beach and found the group in front of Mackie's, a local diner. There were four bikes that came from Kitchener including Kevin with Maysey, Mitch with Jane, Todd with Wendy and Doug.

The gang at Mackie's in Port Stanley.

We all had lunch inside where it was cool and comfortable. After lunch we took a stroll to the beach. When we were ready to leave, the Wings rode towards Port Bruce for ice cream while Heather and I chose to have ice cream at Broderick's in Port Stanley.

We left Port Stanley at 1:30pm and decided to ride the rest of the way without jackets as the day was getting hotter. After making a few more tower stops and a gas stop in London, we finally made it home just before 4pm.

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