Today started out as I intended. I got a great night sleep at the hotel and it was a beautiful morning. I got some breakfast and a relatively early start. My first stop was Niagara Falls. It took me a couple hours but a little before noon I get to the falls. The place is packed. Cars everywhere, busses everywhere, people everywhere, jumping out into the road to get a picture, milling about. I drive down the strip, get a good look at the falls and doused with the spray/mist. OK, I see some parking. $18.00. Well that seems a little steep for the 20 minutes I'll need to take a picture. I keep going, $4 an hour, that's more my speed, but it's full. OK, keep going. More parking ahead, but it's closed for the season. Parking is closed? For the season, yes. So I turn around drive back past the falls and all the people and busses. Maybe I can find something in town. More people, more busses, some street parking, but now I'm a couple miles away and will have to leave my stuff here and walk for an hour or so. This is getting to be a hassle. I decide to forget the street parking idea and try the full lot one more time, at least I'll get another view of the falls on the way. A benefit of being on a motorcycle is having the panoramic view. Through the mist/spray, past the people and busses- parking is still full. I decide I've wasted enough time here, I really wanted a picture to show you guys but part of the adventure is that some things don't go as planned. So over the rainbow bridge (which had probably the best view I saw) I go across the border leaving Canada for the last time on this trip. Thank you Canada, I enjoyed all my time there and even though I crashed my bike on your gravel road you were very polite about it and didn't injure me for the mistake.
Back in the US I zoom through the outskirts of Buffalo. I see a Tim Hortons, US version so I decide to give it a try to see if it holds up to the original. About the same. I get back to my bike and see I've come 200 miles. Just for fun, not that I'll do it, let's see what it would take to get home from here. 400 miles, and that would put me at 7:30. That isn't too bad actually. Say 9:00 with traffic and gas/rest stops. That's a 600 mile day and just a bit late getting in but ik could sleep in my own bed. But what about Ithaca? Well, I did visit in June and there has been talk of another visit with some other friends who went to college in the area... what the heck, let's see if we can get this rig home tonight.
And off I go. Into the rain, into the blinding sun, into the darkness of night but after it all I am at home. I travelled 6,334.2 miles, visited Banff and made it home safe.
I started in home of the Bruins, went to the Canadiens, Senators, Jets, Oilers, Flames, near the Red Wings, near the Maple Leafs, and the finally the Sabres to return to the Bruins.
I met a lot of people, saw many things and had adventures. Being back home feels strange. I had sort of become used to the road, the few clothes I had, the limited meals. Being back almost feels like I have too many options I don't know what to do. If I have a regret it might be doing the trip alone, though I suppose it had to be that way for it to turn out how it did, or for me to do it at all- but sometimes it's nice to have someone to share the adventure with, to say "Hey, did you see that? Wasn't it amazing?" So in that way this blog is my way of taking anyone who might be reading it with me, so thanks for coming along.
Until next time... take care and ride safe.
No comments:
Post a Comment