Home sweet home

There is no place like home!

We left Saint Jean Port Jolie around 5:30 am to try to out run the rain. But there were two system. One in Quebec that we avoided but the one in New Brunswick we drove right in it! We drove in the rain from Edmundston to Moncton . When I arrived home I was cold and wet.

The weirdest thing is when I checked the mileage on my bike... 17000 km even right on the spot!  We drove exactly 17000 km on this trip. Remember folks. The bike was brand new when I started this adventure. I am happy to be back but frankly soon would be ready for another adventure on my ctx 700!

Maybe not as long.  ( this girl need to work ) but anywhere for a couple days/ a week would be great. The bike is comfortable. The luggage racks amazing and I would not have done it without the floor boards Mike have done for me. I still do not understand that Honda made this bike with forward controls! It would be the perfect bike if it had the normal seating position. With the floor boards you can sit normal and the bike is comfortable . I had 2 oil changes on the road and my chain adjusted and that is it.

The tires are still ok. I will keep this tire as a souvenir of this trip. Will hang it on the garage wall with an inscription of some kind on it! 

I am proud of myself for accomplishing such an adventure. Saw some amazing things and places. Some I will never get to see again. I drove on historic/iconic roads! I have done a lot of miles and perfected my driving skills. Got to know that little bike of mine and appreciate it for what it is. A good, reliable, comfortable Honda motorcycle. It fits my body well and is powerful enough to do what I need it to do. It is amazingly good on fuel. I averaged at times 84 mpg!

So that is it folks. Til the next adventure 

Renee

And the adventures continue

After Banff , we stopped in Abothsford Alberta. The prairies are beautiful, sorry that I have no pictures of them. We did not stopped for pictures, trying to make time.

After we stopped in Maple Creek Saskatchewan, what a poor sad place.

Brandon , Manitoba was our next stop. That is quite a booming little town. Great people also. Manitoba is a beautiful, green province!

We entered Ontario via Kenora. Kenora is vacationland! It is close to superior lake. What an amazing town. Stopped at a brewery for diner called lake of the woods. Look for their beer in liquor stores.

We did not stay in Kenora but kept on driving and stopped in Dryden Ontario. Kept on following highway 17 that goes around superior lake with amazing views of the mountains, forest and that amazing lake. On that 17, impossible to make time. The speed limit is never more than 90 km/h and when we get trough little towns it drops at 60 or 50. There are police cars every turn pretty much. You can not speed. Well no one speeds in Ontario. If you are caught to make 50 over, 10000$ fine. License suspended and vehicle ceased!

We also stopped in a little town called Terrace Bay. In Sault ste Marie (that's a beautiful town) we got the chain of my bike adjusted. Honda dealer there was great. They stopped everything they were doing to take my bike in... Not like Richmond's Pacific powersports. The name of the Honda dealer in Sault Ste Marie is Lakes Honda . We left Sault Ste Marie this morning with the plan to stop in Sudbury looking for front tire for Mike's bike. We found Royal Distributing! Wow!

Mike got a tire but they do not install. So we drove around sudbury trying to find a place to have the tire install but no luck. So we have the tire attached to Mike's luggage!    :-)

We stopped after that in a place close to North Bay. It is called Sturgeon Falls. Here are some pictures of the view from our hotel room.

Tomorrow, suppose to be a beautiful day weather wise so we will try to put as much mileage as possible because after that rain and lots of it...

So almost home we will be in Quebec for sure tomorrow.

Renee

A lot happened from Valemount BC to Banff Alberta

We left a bit late because it was snowing on the icefields. Again I was worried but our timing was right. After the little amount of snow the icefields were to get clouds and sun and later during the day thunderstorm and at night 5 cm of snow. So, with reservation at the hotel in Banff for that very same night, we made our departure dressed for the weather.(heated vest and all)

We got to Jasper around 10o'clock but we lost an hour so it was 11. To late for breakfast but got at an inflated price a lite lunch before getting into Banff national park. We had to get a pass in Jasper to get into the park. So the park was amazing. Not a lot of traffic and so easy to stop anywhere and everywhere for pictures, what Mike actually did in abandon. The weather was very cold but we were prepared for it. A little bit of rain and bit of snowflakes but yet I have to say one of my best ride so far. At least till everything came into a stop. Mike with the bike went to see what was the problem...

Head on collision with someone trapped into is car. I told a warden that I was a doctor and he drove me to the scene. And what a scene. In er everything is done for you, there Good Samaritan and me. No police, no ambulance nothing. Help was supposedly on its way but we are in the middle of nowhere!

As I got there people were doing cpr on a woman. They have been at it for now 45 minutes with no response. I had to call her dead!  We then concentrated on her husband still in the car. Multiple obvious fractures... Opened wound but conscious and alert. Did not speak English or French. Found a translator. I had to run for about 9 people involved in the accident. Thank god, most just bruises, scratches and panic attacks!

When finally helicopter, ambulance and police arrived( about 4 hours went by)

I was finally freed from my duty and could get back to Mike who only had a slight idea of what was going on. He tought I had to fly out with one patient and he was ready to camp out somewhere waiting for me beside the bikes, with no camping gear. Just is wit. When I got to him, before I left the scene, the warden, chief of operations, told me that he would let us trough!  So I did explained this to Mike. But they would do that for me and only me and hubby no other motorcycle because I was familiar with the scene. There was just enough space for a motorcycle to go trough. So finally we were able to do it. So on our way to Banff finally but with bittersweet memory of the icefields...

Still it is an amazing but very isolated place.

Here are some pics 

By the way we arrived in Banff around 8 pm so decided to stay an extra night, glad we did because in my mind and Mike agree this is the most beautiful town in Canada.

1 1/2 hour from Jasper

We stop in Valemount to find cheaper accommodations then Jasper. So tomorrow will have to do a bit over 400 km to get to Banff. I already have reservation for Banff because of the late time we might take to get there. We are also losing 1 hour crossing into Alberta.

Sorry folks, I have just one picture for you today.

Kamloops BC

We are in Kamloops now. We followed the highway one and got us pretty quickly into the rockies. We followed the Fraser river . Mike took some pictures. 

We took a little break to go see Hell's gate. Hell's gate is a part of the Fraser river was almost impossible to pass either by canoe or even , before a road was put in, on it's side. Now you have the highway that goes near by and two railway. The CN and CP rail. To really appreciate Hell's gate you take a gondola that brings you close to the Fraser river. The noise of the river is incredible. Rapids are amazing' There is 3 times more water going trough Hell's gate in a day the into the Niagara Falls. That is a lot of water!

To show you that I am not lying

That is in North Vancouver before our departure for Richmond. The towing company is Mitchell's towing. They are great.

So we arrived in Richmond at the Guzzi dealer to learn that they will not touch Mike's bike before 2 weeks! They are booked and would not make an exception. So Mike decided to try different things in the parking lot. They would not lend tools. So we looked for tools and finally Mike was able to get the thing to go. I am so stressed out because of all this that the only thing I want is to get home. I am making a b line for New Brunswick . The icefields parkway will be for another time...

And that is it for now folks. Now please pray that we have good weather.

Renee

Squamish BC

Whistler is a place for skiers. Not very interesting besides that. But Squamish is very nice town, with lots more to do.

Mike convince me of taking a gondola tour. In fact there were so many cars and people there that I really assumed that it would be sold out! So I confidently told Mike , yey sure why not, we are here right?

So he talked with a nice smiling lady and come back to me with 2 tickets to get on that gondola thing. So in a matter of minutes without giving me time to think it trough or imagine the worst, or question people about the safety of this thing or even there average event, power failure, line breaking, people stuck dangling.........

I got into a scary gondola with Mike. So we started climbing, dangling from a thing attached to a cable. Every little movement and I tought we were crashing in the mountain. My only thoughts was, and I have to take that thing again to come down!

I was thinking of mom... I inherited her scare of heights!

Mom if you read this do not be scared.... I made it back!

I did not took that many pictures but mike did. Here on the blog some of the ones I did took when not to scared.

On the peak of the mountain there was a gift shop, a restaurant and a suspended bridge that I did not took. It was so full of people that it was just too much for me to take. I could imagine myself being pushed by someone... I did went on a little hike to see again down the mountain. The trails are well kept and safe according to my standards. Mike do find me a bit on the anxious side and I am, but someone might also say that I am being cautious . It is call living I guess . I am amazed so far by so many things that we have seen and done. It is a trip of a lifetime . Even if there is a bit of unexpected, it is an adventure and a great one. More to come yet . Glad to be in Canada. The rockies are the best!

Renee

Moto guzzi Harley attack

As Mike like to say... His Guzzi had a Harley attack!

It all started in Oregon. Mike knew that the bike was acting weird but we found a Guzzi dealer in Portland Oregon. That is why we stayed 2 days in Wilsonville on the outskirts of Portland. So Friday , that is 2 days ago, Mike had an appointment for oil change and it's due servicing including valve adjustment ... In the same time we had oil change in my little Honda.

So yesterday , after plenty of rest, I was ready to get back to Canada. A little bit of anxiety because I had to go trough 3 big cities. Portland Oregon , Seattle Washington , Vancouver BC. Well, I have to say that everything went the very best. Even at the border! We had a border agent that was just great! Then we started looking for a place to stay!  

There is some kind of soccer thing going on of an international kind of level and everything from Vancouver and surrounding is booked solid. Even sleezy motels. So we decided to wing it and go to Squamish on route 1 towards whistler. That is when Mike got lost so to get out of North Vancouver I took the lead to realise tha the Guzzi could not keep up with the zippy Honda. Not leaving my husband behind we had to stop. Mike then diagnose the Guzzi problem: HARLEY ATTACK! Yep, must have a Harley coil or cranck sensor (Mike saying). Mike have road side assistance, that we called and she found out for us a Guzzi dealer in Richmond. That is near Vancouver Airport. So we started waiting for the tow truck that would bring the Guzzi to Richmond. After calling the Guzzi dealer, they confirmed that they would soon be closing till Tuesday , and that leaving the Guzzi outside the garage is not something they recommend ! And for them not to be opened till Tuesday ! What to do with the Guzzi and 2 of us for my brave little Honda ?

Brilliant wife discuss with towing company... Bikes in compound(for a fee) and car rental so she could still see whistler. So quickly looked on line for rentals, one was still open! They also graciously picked Mike up , while I was still waiting for tow truck.

Tow truck arrived, great guy, Mike arrived with rental and finally Guzzi loaded up to flat bed. Mike followed the truck on my bike and me with the rental. Left both bikes at the towing company and we decided to get going towards Whistler hoping to find a place for the night. Worst come to worst we would be sleeping in a Honda Civic . We got lucky...in Squamish we found an hotel called Chieftain hotel and booked for the night. It was by that time close to 8 pm!

So today we are going towards Whistler and if nothing available or reasonably priced we will come back to Squamish.

That is it folks. And like Mike like to say this is how you remember a vacation it is an adventure!    ;-/

Renee

Oregon

We are presently in Wilsonville Oregon very close to Portland Oregon . Tomorrow we are going to moto guzzi shop, hoping to get oil change on the guzzi and hopefully also the Honda. Portland Oregon is very close to the border of Washington state. Washington state and then British Columbia !  Almost there Canada! Can not wait now. We are on our way home. Just have to go across Canada...

We did mostly highway today so no interesting pics.

Tonight we are hoping to get a movie . San Andreas 3D is playing nearby...

Bye bye folks.

Renee

Redwood forest

Today is my birthday.

I am in the redwood forest in Northern California .

This is for me the most interesting road and beautiful and amazing that I have done so far on this trip. Mike and I , started this morning on the Avenue of the Giants. Of course the Giants being those amazingly tall redwood trees. At times it was like driving into a tunnel. The road is great , and easy to drive with just a little bit of nice curves. Not to much so you can actually drive and look at the beauty that surrounded us.

I fell very bless to actually be here with my husband on my birthday. I am also getting closer to Canada and I feel it! (Not getting warmer!)

Today is going to be our last day in California, so we stopped early in Crescent city. Beautiful little town on the beach. Tomorrow we will be in Oregon.

Here are some pictures of the avenue of the Giants . It is very difficult to capture the beauty. I still tried and here it is.

More of route 1

We are still going trough a lot of wonderful roads. I am getting more and more comfortable with all the twisties. Mike is taking lots of pictures. I mostly take pics for the blog. We did pretty good today with over 200 miles.

Stopped around 3 pm in Gaberville, California .

Here are some pics

San Francisco and pacific coast highway

So we got lost a bit in San Francisco ... Really poor signs. I was a bit scared to be stuck on a steep hill and not being able to turn the bike around. But we made it. We finally got back on track and drove on the Golden Gate Bridge . It is quite a trill. Fun... Then we kept on driving the pacific coast highway 1. What a lot of twisties again and it almost seemed that we were in a rain forest comparing to what we have seen of California so far. And actually it was raining. Doing all those twisties, and also to be sure that we do find a place to stay we decided to stop around 2 pm in a little town called Point Reyes.

Mike is having a great time on this road and as for me, well... I am getting more comfortable with the twisties. And if you guys think that the Cabot Trail has a lot of them ...it does not beat this route 1!

So around 5 or so we will get to go downtown point Reyes for some ice cream or dessert of some sort. Mike and I stopped at the point Reyes station cafe for dinner and we were both impressed by our meals. Great and so different. So far we eat very well on the California coast.

So that is it for now folks.

Renee