[Black Lab]

Briefly, I left at 4:00am, May 27th, and 16hrs and 18mins later, (839 miles. A personal best for me!), I ended up in the dooryard of "footloose" and "kayakman", in the Sarnia, Ontario area.

On Saturday, the two Stromtrooper members treated me to a tour of their region; a mix of paved and gravel roads. We rode a total of about 105 miles.

Sunday morning, I shoved off from their homestead at 6:50am, and rode 523 miles to Tupper Lake, New York, and spent the night in a campground on Little Wolf Lake.

This morning, I left Tupper Lake at 6:30am and rode through Rouses Point, across Vermont, New Hampshire, and back home here to Mount Desert Island, Maine, arriving home at 6:00pm, and having covered 478 miles today.

My total distance was 1,945 miles.

The motorcycle performed flawlessly as it always does!

B.L.

 

[footloose]

Glad you've arrived home safe! :hurray:

Now let's hear about your ride after you left, thru New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and see the photos from your trip!
Well, OK...I'll give you a few days to settle back home and get yourself organized. :mrgreen:

 

[Black Lab]

Glad you've arrived home safe! :hurray:

Now let's hear about your ride after you left, thru New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and see the photos from your trip!
Well, OK...I'll give you a few days to settle back home and get yourself organized. :mrgreen:

Boy, this has been the quickest transition back into reality from ANY trip I have EVER taken!

I got home, (not even out of my riding gear!), to hear about fleas from Reuben from my landlords, (he is actually clean of them), and school loan payments from my daughter that just graduated from college.

Did I even go away? It doesn't feel like it!!!
-------------------

A HUGE thank you to you and "kayakman" for your incredible warm hospitality, and generosity!!! The only way that I could do that long ride on Friday is to know that I didn't have to think, or worry about finding a campground or motel to stay at for that night. I could set that piece aside which gave me more "headroom" so that I could just focus on riding the distance. I knew that the end of my day was completely covered for me. And, more then I could ever ask for!!!

Thank you for sharing your home, and your beautiful gardens!

Photos will come at a later date, (I hope!)

B.L.

 

[Black Lab]

When packing for a long trip like this, it is VERY important to cover the necessities.....

Homemade brownies for the hostess and host.....

...and a nice bottle of wine to wash the brownies down with! (Both gifts made it there safely. I must have my suspension setup properly, eh?).

I have 478 photos to go through.......


B.L.

(I would rather eat brownies and drink good wine instead!)

 

[footloose]

There is not much left of the brownies and certainly none of the wine left!
Perhaps you could return next weekend with more? :mrgreen:

 

[footloose]

The wine was a very thoughtful and touching gift Barry. Thank you so much!

For the benefit of our fellow Stromtroopers...

The wine was to commemorate and toast my 32 year old son Justin, also a motorcyclist and student pilot, who passed away two months ago from complications of kidney disease.

 

[Black Lab]

Quite a bit of my trip was ridden on interstate highways. Just what is there of interest to take photographs of on an interstate? Signs. I took a WHOLE bunch of photographs of signs as I passed beneath them. Partly to give me something to do.....and to document where I had been if something happened to me. (There would be a record of my journey on my camera. It's a thing that I do because I am a "dad".).

So, I have hundreds of photographs of signs. Boring, right?

I would rather share the photographs of this trip that have much more meaning to me. Those photographs are of the two very special people that took me in, gave me a place to stay, fed me food and wine, and shared lots of laughter together.

When you are a couple, it is kind of hard to take photographs as a couple, riding together. I knew this fact, so I swung into action trying to catch some neat shots of footloose and kayakman riding together. I REALLY liked the gravel roads that I was treated to around their territory of Ontario!

This was my home for two nights in their backyard. Outfitted with new linens, full water bottles, and a basket of fruit and granola bars to welcome me!

footloose.

kayakman.

And some random shots I took during our ride together.

And the three of us together for a parting shot.

Thank you both again for such a wonderful time!

Now, where is the next trip going to be?!

B.L.

 

[garandman]

Barry, how many miles on your bike these days?

 

[Black Lab]

Barry, how many miles on your bike these days?

89,000 miles.

About 1,700 more miles will be piled on this coming weekend too!

:biggrinjester:

 

[dmf109]

This thread was a great read.

 

[Zukigirl]

Nice pics Barry! :hurray:Looks like some beautiful riding up in Canada. I'll be riding through Canada for my first time next month!

 

[Black Lab]

Nice pics Barry! :hurray:Looks like some beautiful riding up in Canada. I'll be riding through Canada for my first time next month!

I am headed back to Ontario this weekend! There is a Fly-in in Midland, Ontario that I want to attend. About 720 miles instead of 839 for Friday's ride.

 

[tmcgee]

Which one are you taking?

 

[Black Lab]

Which one are you taking?

I haven't decided yet. That's because I haven't decided what I am going to wear. Both bike and clothes MUST coordinate!

 

[Keith Falkner]

What About Sunday?

I am headed back to Ontario this weekend! There is a Fly-in in Midland, Ontario that I want to attend. About 720 miles instead of 839 for Friday's ride.

Barry, I will be on this ride:

WROAR.com * Women Ride Out Against Rape

and I hope you can attend. At least one other amazing Stromtrooper will also be there, and I am sure you would enjoy it. Right now I am in Vancouver BC, but I fly back to Ontario on Saturday.

Best wishes,
Keith

 

[Black Lab]

Barry, I will be on this ride:

WROAR.com * Women Ride Out Against Rape

and I hope you can attend. At least one other amazing Stromtrooper will also be there, and I am sure you would enjoy it. Right now I am in Vancouver BC, but I fly back to Ontario on Saturday.

Best wishes,
Keith

Keith,
Thank you for the invitation. Unfortunately, I will not be able to join you for the ride. I am headed north, then east on Sunday. Hopefully, I WILL see you on Mount Desert Island and some point in the very near future, though!

Barry

 

[Black Lab]

I had a nice visit from KZDon a little while ago. Apparantly, he lives right nearby and was kind enough to drop in and check on us.

I got to meet another Stromtrooper member!

Thank you Don!