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Does anyone know of a map app on which I can plot our entire route, not just today's as in this app, and keep saving it as a picture to this blog?
Just eating breakfast at the Travellodge in Sault St. Marie. Gotta love these upscale hotel choices lol ! Actually, the Super 8 chain has treated us well thus far, and we are just 1 sleep away from earning a free night. Are you impressed George? Free breakfasts each morning, just enough to start the day. The morning routine is get up and go for a run (OK, we only did that once), eat breakfast, pack, first trip down to the bikes with 2 pannier bags. Back to the room. Second trip to the bikes with top box, lamby, and GPS, remove the bike seat and plug in the GPS. Back to the room. Third and final trip to the bikes with tank bag, GPS, helmet, gloves. Now we can leave.
It was a beautiful ride yesterday. Highway 2 as far as MacKinac Island, MI, then changed into Route 75. Very hot, light traffic on the 2-lane road. Lots of places to pass. We made our way from
Escanaba to Sault St. Marie, and this last stretch through Michigan along the shores of Lake Michigan was spectacular. Miles of white sandy beaches lined the right hand side of the route, and we had endless views of the blue unfrozen lake. There were plenty of well manicured rest stops, and no shortage of campsites along the way. We'd like to return to this area on a road trip and spend more time enjoying it rather than just blasting through it. Upon approaching Sault St. Marie, we both discovered that there is a "Soo" on both sides of the Lake, i.e. US and Canada. We paid our toll to cross the bridge over to the Canadian side - $3.00 for a car, and $3.00 per bike. ????????? Must have been a Liberal decision. The bridge passes over several sets of locks connecting Lake Michigan with the waterway to Lake Huron. Border patrol is at the end of the bridge on the Canadian side, and we only had a 10 minute wait to get to the agent with about 5 cars ahead of us. I pulled forward, Ian stopped back at the red line, and he and all the cars behind
had another 10 minute wait for me. Customs dude asked me a barrage of questions:
CD: where were you born
H: Scunthorpe England
CD: So why are you here
H: no chance to answer because CD left his hut to inspect bike
CD: where are you going?
H: St. John's
CD: why
H: because
And so it went for 5 minutes. Before he asked me to turn off the bike. Oh shit.
CD: how many times have you dropped the bike?
H: (really? You just HAD to bring that up...) Once, in a London Drugs parking lot
CD: yes, I can the scratches and crack on the handguard
H: whatever
CD: how do you like the bike?
H: huh? Ian in my helmet "OK, now he's coming onto you" - CD unaware that Ian can hear everything through the helmet microphones. H suppresses smile.
Anyway, 10 questions later and he gives me the go ahead to pass through. Barely had to wait 15 seconds for CD to clear Ian through. Good for a laugh over coffee a few minutes later, which was at -
you guessed it - Tim Horton's ! Oh how we've missed you Tim! Bunch of Harley guys in the parking lot, friendlies, chatted for a while about our adventure. Checked into the Travellodge downtown Soo, had nice walk along the waterfront boardwalk, overlooking the Lake and locks, freighters going by before us. Not so dissimilar to Ballard, other than larger scale. Excellent restaurant right on the water called Docks. Sipped wine and enjoyed a salad on the outdoor patio. Super hot evening, great meal, great company and a great end to a great day.
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Janet
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Tim Horton's
The photo of you on the bike is awesome. I think you should send it to Tim Hortons for advertising. Thanks for keeping us up to date. hugs, Janet