Augusta to Bar Harbour, Maine

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Odometer: 35146km

In the morning I had to wait for the rain to stop and the streets to dry a bit before heading off, but I finally got underway by lunch time.

I needed a little oil for the bike and ended up getting some help at Farris Power Sports on the outskirts of Augusta. It was one of those places run by seasoned motorcyclists. They were very good to me and hunted up some new oil dregs from several containers and charged me nothing.

As I topped up the oil, another motorcyclists came over to talk. I met John, told him my name was also John, and we had a great chat. He was a carpenter, semi-retired, and rode one of the older Honda motorcycles that evolved into the touring Gold Wing of today. He gave me all sort of ideas for routes to take as I made my way up the coast. His suggestions worked out well.

It was interesting to hear the Irish in his dialect - a little like a Newfoundlander. I told him so, and he gave me a bit of family history. That didn't really explain why he talked as he did. It was a bit interesting, but not enough to go into here.

The drive up the coast towards Bar Harabour didn't seem like the coast at all. The road was inland and the country much the same as I drove through yesterday. Trees, farms, and winding road as far as the eye could see. It was nice motorcycling, but nothing special otherwise.

I arrived at Ellsworth thinking I could drive out to Bar Harbour and find a camping spot on the island where the town is located. When I turned onto the highway for Bar Harbour I discovered traffic, crawing at a pace like rush hour in downtown Calgary. After poking along for several miles, I decided this was a waste of time. I changed my plan, checked into a local motel, and planned my discovery of Bar Harbour for early the next morning, before the traffic built up. That was a good decision.

Odometer at the end of the day: 35310km ( a short day on the road)

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Photos

Belfast
My first view of the Atlantic from North America. I have seen a lot of it from England.