Home at Last

We got Dave's bike fixed and continued across Ohio up to the south shore of Lake Erie and then Interstate 90 through Pennsylvania and New York. 
We crossed back into Canada at Buffalo, but had to stop at the duty free to pick up 2 litres of white tequila given that Jimmy Buffet's bar in Key West turned us into frozen marguarita drinkers...yeah. 
We hit the QEW and remembered that during a trip down the Blue Ridge when we met an American biker, he said he simply can't go to Toronto as he finds he is terrified on the QEW highway.  At the time we laughed.  But we found the QEW was absolutely insane compared to US interstates.  In the blinding rain, traffic was moving much more quickly, people were passing on all sides of each other, and cutting from lane to lane weaving through traffic way above the speed limit.  Bev and Dave had been used to this, but after a month on US roads, we were spoiled.  Bev nearly got hit by a lane changer, she was forced to change lanes quickly but having the habit of checking her rear view mirrors frequently, she was OK.
With great relief we reached home after a very long biking day.  In the roughly 3 1/2 weeks of this trip we did about 7700 clicks, almost totally on interstates (which you know we don't normally do).  This trip was more about the destinations (Key West and New Orleans) rather than the journey itself. Given all the close calls on this trip we may not be hitting interstates for awhile.  In the future we do want to return to the Blue Ridge and the mountains of West Virginia.

POST SCRIPT:  Bev took her 2007 bike in for it's 88,000 service and found that, in addition to the usual service stuff, it needed the following (OMG - how the hell did she get home??)
-new rear tire
-new front break disc/rotor
-new front break switch to control break lights
-rear wheel bearings
-and the fixing of a rocker leak (upper and lower)
-and new rear wheel bearings.
Geeeez she was wondering what that sound was during the trip!!!

Zen and the Art of Coping with Rain

Following five days of driving in the heavy rain on interstates, some crowded with large trucks, we have developed a new outlook. Every morning we get up and put on our rain gear. Even if it is not raining when we set out; we know it soon will start to rain. Rather than worrring about the datk clouds ahead delivering rain we accept that they will. We have learned to enjoy drizzel - it is better than a downpour. More importantly we hve learned to really apperciate those times when it is not raining and experience real joy in those occational moments when the sun breaks through.

The Day the Honda ST Died

Honda motorcycles are generally reliable and the ST 1300 had legendary reliability.  Given this reputation you can imagine how surprised Dave was when on the first sunny morning in 5 days the ST refused to start.  It was dead, it would not turn over.  Bev valiantly pushed it up and down the motel parking lot in an effort to bump start it to no avail. Dave checked every fuse and shortened out the solenoid.  It cranked but it would NOT start.  So Bev said "hey, remember my HOG membership....HD loves to keep their bikers on the road, I will be able to get a tow for you!"  Dave said no way, I have a Honda.  But Bev KNEW the truth. The first step was to find a Honda dealership in the area, so in true Honda dealer fashion the local Honda dealer in New Philadelphia offered to look at the bike in a week's time (whaaaatt!!!).  Bev added that HD dealerships always give travellers priority and will solve problems quickly without delays.  We finally found Treadway Honda Suzuki dealership in Zanesville, Ohio, about 100 clicks south of our hotel provided we could get the bike to them.  Bev called her HOG roadside assistance program and they arranged for a tow truck to pick up Dave's Honda and deliver it to the Honda dealer.  HD paid for the first $100 and Dave paid the rest.  Here is the funny thing....as soon as the tow truck arrived, it started raining and so Bev donned her rain gear and followed the tow truck (with Dave dry in the truck) 100 clicks to the Honda place. When the dealer was unloading the Honda, it started................whaaaaat???  The tow truck driver said he had often seen that happen with the vibration of the long haul shaking the vehicle (Dave figured he was just being charitable.)  When the story was relayed to the dealer he figured the problem was probably with the "kill switch" so he took it apart, cleaned it up and put it back together. While this was going on one of the salesman loaned us his truck to drive to a restaurant up the road for lunch. How's that for service, we were duly impressed.  With the bike working again and of course the rain starting again, we took off.  Bev said we have to at least get past where we were last night. So we ended the day with a net gain of about 50 clicks on Interstate 77.  Bev insisted that Dave cover his Kill Switch in duct tape just in case and he was to NEVER touch it.

Dirty Bike

Bev loves a clean bike...she loves her chrome....this bike has been on the roads in the rain for 4 days straight. The chrome looks forsaken but she does have great rain gear...even rain boots.

Good News - Bad News

Bad News - headed north on Interstate 77 in the heavy rain again
Good News - during the day, the rain lightened to drizzy
Bad News - stopped for coffee at West Virginia border and a woman said she was glad to catch up to tell Bev her back tail lights were not working
Good News - Bev had recently re-joined HOG (Harley Owners Group) and had their directory of every Harley dealership in the country (likely a throw back to the days of less reliable Harleys).  We located a dealership in Bluefield, West Virginia, only a short ride.
Bad News - we called them and they were not open on Mondays
Good News - we found another dealership in Charleston which was open (130 clicks down the road)
Bad News - the service department was closed on Mondays
Good News - we talked to the dealership's manager, and he said he could deal with the bulbs for us
Bad News - Bev had to resort to driving with her flashers on for an hour in the rain as neither the tail lights nor brake light worked.
Good News - Interstate 77 through the West Virginia mountains was spectacular with sweeping curves, rushing rivers and very few trucks.  We may return for a non-rain ride one day.
Bad News - the reason the tail light blew is because the plastic lens was cracked and the water got in thus shorting out and bursting the bulb
Good News - the EXCELLENT Harley dealer in South Charleston had both the plastic lens and bulb in stock and was able to fix it; the manager took a break from his lunch and went out and fixed it himself.
More Good News - they had gortex lined waterproof warm gloves and Dave and Bev both bought a pair
Bad News - the HD dealership visit cost $260....but those gloves are great!!!
Bad News - about 5 pm we pulled over but no avail, all the hotels were full of oil workers who do fracking of the oil shales.
Good News - the sun actually appeared and we finally found a motel in Newcomers Town, Ohio.

Northbound in the rain

We left New Orleans and Dave almost got blown off the long bridge across Lake Pontchartrain...his bike is a bit top heavy! We travelled north across Mississippi and Alabama in the heavy rain finally ending the day at   Tuscaloosa, Alabama.  Due to an event at the University of Alabama, we had major difficulty finding a hotel room and finally found one at a no-name flea-bag on the outskirts of town.  The next day we continued on in the rain around Birmingham, stopping at the HD dealership in Trussville to replace Bev's battery fobs, and on toward Chattanooga.......Bev and Dave got separated along the busy 5-lane interstate during a really heavy rain.  Bev can look tough but she was almost crying hoping to get off the road.  Both of them of couldn't see well in the rain and truck spray, Bev could only occasionally see Dave in the distance and tried to stay in the same lane knowing that the highway was intersecting with others.  Just when she got herself together, oh my god it started to hail.  Bev was thinking she'd never get those New Orleans fishy beads to Paige!  Wet and cold and hungry, Bev and Dave finally got off the interstate just north of Chattanooga, never ever seeing the choo choo!  Sure enough the next morning it was pouring and Bev and Dave gave up any hope of re-riding the Blue Ridge Parkway.  The weather channel is showing this entire Eastern part of the US engulfed in rain and thunder for the next 2-3 days.  We continued interstates 75, 40 nad 81 through Knoxville and on into Virginia. Over the last 3 days it has been cold with the temperature between 10-12 C / 40 - 55 F....55 felt balmy at one point.  The day ended in Wytheville with the plan head north on interstate 77; hopefully it will have less traffic.  Those who know us, know that we normally take the scenic curvy routes, but with this rain why bother.  At one of the coffee breaks, a woman came over to us and started praying for our safety on the road....Bev wanted to ask her to pray for the rain to stop, but she was on a roll. Well...although the rain has been bad, I guess we can say "at least it hasn't snowed".

Eating in the Big Easy/New Orleans

We have eaten a lot of different foods in our travels ... eg., bush rat, fried termites and domesticated cat (West Africa), kangaroo (Toronto!), buffalo (western Canada), moose and venison (we have a neighbour who likes to hunt), fried gater (Florida on this trip)....but, we loved eating in New Orleans.  We thoroughly enjoyed jambalaya alfredo pasta, alligator & duck gumbo, an exquisite local fresh fish in a buttery sauce with great seasonings, cheesed up crab cakes, BBQ oyster Po-boy sandwich (like a submarine but on a fresh light french loaf), seafood gumbo and jambalaya with rice.  Of course mixing lemon\lime margarettas was a bonus. We spent our 3rd day in New Orleans wandering the french quarter, riding on local trams, visiting two museums on Jackson Square; one about Katrina and the other on the history of New Orleans, and then checking out the ritzy stores on Canal Street. Photos: The Dalai Lama is coming to New Orleans and the flags are flying; bet Bev's Harley could outrun this cop even if she was carrying an umbrella; Dave in a courtyard; and, Bev on Canal st.

Sight Seeing in the Big Easy (New Orleans)

We started off at Jackson's Square in the centre of the French Quarter a few blocks from the hotel. From there we got pass for a get on/get off double decker tour bus and when out to the Garden District with its antebellum mansions and Lafayette Cemetery.  We also went on a paddle wheeler river boat cruise.

New Orleans arrival

We endured another long biking day, flying through Florida's pan handle, Alabama, Mississippi, and finally into Louisiana (over 425 miles/650 km).  The weather was fine until the last hour.....and all rain-hell-on-the highway broke open again. Dave went into 4-way flasher mode but we did pass a couple of other bikes so we did well.  Bev learned to sit high on the back of her seat in order to see over the windscreen; with Dave's beacon lights to follow she just hoped no truck tire bits were on the road.
The GPS faithfully guided us in the rain through the twists and turns down into our French Quarter hotel.  It was a Best Western with secure courtyard parking for the bikes (see photo below).  We walked over to Bourbon Street, ate dinner, walked up and down drinking too much (you can bar hop with your open drink, as long as it isn't in a glass container) and did some dancing.  We are here for 3 nights, so watch for additional New Orleans posts.  Tonight we are headed to Frenchman St for some local jazz.
PS: to Paige, I picked up some Mardi Gras beads for you.....with your favourite fishees (see photo of gramma with beads and a wine.

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