Cape North - across Canada 2025

[escapefjrtist]

Enjoying the report, John. Excellent news on JREW!!

^^^^...what he said!

~G

[Hppants]

That’s not a red bud tree but I can’t place it.

I wish I’d known you were having route input problems. I could have whipped it up in My route and then you’d have a GPX file that goes directly to the XT

[Bugnatr]

Very good news, nice pics.

[bigjohnsd]

Tuesday June 3, 2025. Day 20 - Tire Day

MAX BMW is taking good care of Scott, tires and an oil change.

JREW resting

I need to change Suzy's oil but will likely do it in the parking lot.

Seafood lunch with my cousin later today before heading back to North Conway.

[bigjohnsd]

Tuesday June 3, 2025. Day 20 - Tire Day - Lunch with Cousin Day - Another great ride day. 308 miles 7.5 hours riding, 5 hours off the bike waiting on tires/oil change/lobster lunch.



We left the hotel at 0630, it was a cool 42f but quickly warmed into the 50s.

It was a straight shot down NH 16 all the way to the coast, an easy ride until we began to engage with early commuters in the Portsmouth metro rat race. A short spurt South on I-95 took us to MAX BMW in North Hampton NH.
They took good care of Scott - two tires and an oil change in at 0830 and out at 1100.


The why:

6017 miles

After service and tires we headed to Ray's Seafood in Ryan NH for lunch with my cousin Janet. I'd go back again, food was great.



Scott had the 1 1/2 # Stuffed and Baked Lobster


Janet had a Jumbo Lobster Roll


I had the baked seafood dish - Lobster, Shrimp, Scallops

Scott did his Lobster in


Our return trip was a memory tour for me.
We visited the old family homestead in Wilton Center - now an auction barn that Janet runs regular sales in. The Langdell's have a three generation history of New England auctioneering. My Grandfather started the business, both my father and my Uncle Ted continued the business with Ted eventually doing it on his own after Dad left New England for warmer climes in California in 1949. Janet took over from her parents.





Next we stopped and rode to the top of Pack Monadnock, a favorite place of my father who had climbed it many times as a boy.
Pack Monadnock - https://g.co/kgs/JxVHrs2

The road is much rougher and steeper than the road up Mt Washington.
Pretty good views from the top!
You supposedly can see Boston Harbor - but it was hazy today.













JREW Update - he is feeling better, had a little rash from the oral meds, went to see the Doc again and they changed the meds. He rode his bike some today and is ready to saddle up and head West with us tomorrow morning - destination Fort Ticonderoga.

Stay Tuned......

[Intech]

All Awesome!

[Cav47]

Great report.

Very happy to hear JREW on the mend.

[Tyler]

Very happy to hear JREW on the mend.

That man is like a Timex watch... takes a licking and keeps on ticking!

[El Toro Joe]

Great to hear that JREW will be joining you guys for the ride west...safe travels.

[Road Runner]

Great news about JREW, and great report. You will be close to me in Fort Ti today. Too bad I have to work.

[bigjohnsd]

June 4, 2025- Day 21- North Conway, NH to Fort Ticonderoga, NY - ~200 miles 5 hours

We left North Conway about 1000 and took the scenic route to Fort Ticonderoga, showing JREW some of the scenic roads we had ridden over the past several days while he was laying in the hospital.

The Kancamagus Highway(NH 112) and the Sawyer Highway (NH 118) both tickled his fancy. He had to wait for us both times as his pent up exhuberance exceeded our common sense.

Todays track


We saw a good bit of this today


JREW was happy to be in the lead


We dealt with GPS frustration during the day. Three GPS devices, all set uyp the same in preferences and avoidances, two Garmin XT, one Garmin BMW NAV 6, all running the same route created and shared. The damn things hardly ever agree. The discussion takes ones eyes and attention off the road and can cause real issues. We've evolved to just follow the leader. Leader calls the turns etc.

As we got into western Vermont the terrain changed




And soon we were at the Ticonderoga Ferry across Lake Champlaign.


We waited in the shade

And while we were waiting JREW's FoBo TPMS alarmed - his rear tire was losing pressure. We boarded the ferry and had an easy crossing in a stiff breeze.



The ferry is not fast


Once on the New York shore we plugged the tire, Drywall Screw dead center in the tread.



We hustled to the hotel to check in and shift to street clothes to make it to Fort Ticonderoga before closing. Once there we had an hour. This was a bucket list item for me as I have been intrigued by it since the 4th grade after reading about Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys and how they captured the fort early in the American Revolution.













It was all we could do to keep JREW away from the girlz


Tomorrow we head for Buffalo NY, two oil changes at FrankieD's, and then hopefully an evening viewing of Niagra Falls.

Stay tuned....

[Hppants]

Purely from a riding perspective, Hwy 118 was probably my favorite road last summer.

[CraigRegs]

Glad to see JREW is up and riding again. Really envious of the trip you’re taking and the way it is being “planned.”

[fontanaman]

Great stuff. Keep on trucking Gentlemen.

[bigjohnsd]

Thursday June 5, 2025. Day 22 - Travel Day Ticonderoga, NY to Buffalo, NY NO FFING INTERSTATE ALL DAY!
Oil Change Day (FJR and Suzie) - Another great ride day. 370 miles 7.5 hours riding, 4 hours off the bike.



We were KSU at 0700 and stopped 10 minutes away for breakfast

Breakfast was good and cheap and the Bisquits were all they were advertised to be!


We had a great ride down NY 9S and then West on NY 8


There was no wind and the lakes were like glass




The first few hours through the Adirondack Mountains was excellent riding on both 9 and 8.



As we got further West the land flattened and agriculture became the predominant theme.



The cows just have to be happy after eating this colorful hay


We made a quick Lunch/Ice cream stop - it was so good no one got any pictures of their treats, sorry, not sorry 'Pants.


Their burgers and other stuff looked real good as well, but we focused soley on the Ice Cream!


There were lots of cars in the lot and them having been in business this long I had to turn in.
A small Ice Cream was not small - two big scoops, I had French Roast Coffee and Choclate Chip with a drizzle of peanut butter sauce on the top. Scott had Pistacio and Dark Chocolate, JREW dined on Rasberry Cheesecake. No complaints from anyone.

We worked our way to Buffalo, checked in at our hotel, stopped at a local auto parts store for oil before heading to FrankieD's (Frank Dorogi) to do oil changes on JREW's FJR and my Suzuki. While JREW and I were inside the ever observant Scott spied this bolt head sticking out from my rear tire.



The tire was holding good air pressure so we rode the two miles to Frank's before dealing with the problem. While JREW was changing his oil, Scott and I removed the offending lag bolt and plugged the tire, it is still holding air.



The two offending screws - JREW's from yesterday on the right, my somewhat larger screw on the left - I'm not "BigJohn" for nothing!



Oil changes completed, tire plugged we headed to supper at a place Frank recommended -

CAUTION FOOD PORN AHEAD - Must be over 50 to appreciate!

OG Dumplings, an Asian Dumpling house - OMG!

The meals were all fantastic!
We started with some fried Pork and Chive dumplings - they were excellent
You're just going to have to trust me on this one!
We also shared an order of Crab Rangoon


I had an excellent Chicken Curry


Scott had DanDan Noodles - a spicy broth with pork, bok choy, and noodles


JREW had Pork Fried Rice


The total for the food was only $60! One of our bet meals so far and one of if not the cheapest!

Tomorrow the WEAX looks a little sucky in the early morning. We figure no one else will be at the car wash while it is raining so we plan to try and get 22 days of grime off of our bikes before heading across the border over the Rainbow Bridge to view Niagara Falls from the Canadian side before heading towards Manitoulin Island - not certain where we will stay tomorrow, it will be a lunch time call.

Stay tuned.....

[FJRPittsburgh]

Great report gentlemen! Enjoying catching up on the trip. Thanks for taking us along.

[Hppants]

Great to read that the 3 Amigos are rolling. The lack of Ice Cream Porn was NOT unnoticed. Please try harder.

This is how retired bikers roll, my friends. The adventure is the ride and quite succinctly, it doesn't matter. It's ALL good.

Stay thirsty, my friends.....

[fontanaman]

It's ALL good.

I betcha on some of those cold cold wet days even the 3 Amigos would have said today sucks.

[bigjohnsd]

Friday June 6, 2025. Day 23 - Buffalo, NY to Niagara Falls ON CA to Tobermory ON CA.
Worst ride day of the trip - Interstate out of Niagara Falls, terrible traffic, didn't relax until late afternoon on ON 6. 262 miles 7.2 hours riding, 2.5 hours off the bike.



As one can easily discern, Spotwalla didn't report my position today? I queried Jason about it, he revealed that Garmin MapShare didn't have my positions either. When I shut off the InReach Mini this evening it showed that we had traveled 210 GPS Miles and was on for 10 hours. I emailed Garmin for some help, like anyone works there on the weekend. I was able to send my position from the InReach to mapshare and it does show up on Spotwalla.

A few pictures from Niagara Falls -




Niagara - pretty misty this morning - Excuse the finger


American Falls


Maid of the Mist or one of the many other tour boats.

As mentioned above, we got off our intended route, ended up on the damn interstate in a stopped for miles traffic jumble all the way through Hamilton. It was a cluster %$#@!

Tomorrow we take the ferry to South Baymouth, Manitoulin Island, ON then ride to Sault St Marie, MI for the evening. Sunday we ride several objectives and end up in Ludington MI for a ferry ride on the SS Badgerm the last coal fired vessel in commercial service in the USA.

Stay tuned...

[bungie4]

Divert on Manitoulin to Kagawong to bridal veil falls, it's a bit off your track but worth the detour. You've got Nice couple of days ahead if the smoke doesn't get bad.

Now you know way we all said to stay far away from Toronto. There is no rush hour because it's ALWAYS rush hour.