…its about the journey, not the destination…

The Spyder loaded and ready to go.

     This summer I decided to replace the hat that I bought at Eugene’s General Store in Tignish Prince Edward Island. Any excuse to go for a ride, right? From my house I can make a one week trip to Prince Edward Island with two nights in Bar Harbour Maine, and two nights on Prince Edward Island. Additionally I would stop to visit friends in Truro Nova Scotia for a night, and on the ride back I would spend one night in Bangor Maine, simply as part of the route back to Delaware. 

Oner of the wonderful views on Mount Desert Island

     When you go on a motorcycle trip you pay close attention to the weather. Generally the weather looked okay for the trip, but there are no absolutes. An advantage to the Spyder is that with three wheels I feel it is safer to ride in the rain. This would get tested on the first day of the trip.

One of the many lakes on Mount Desert Island.

     My plan was to get up at 6 am and leave by 8 am. In fact I was on the road by 7:40 am. The plan was to get on I 95 in Delaware, cross the Delaware Memorial Bridge and then get on the New Jersey Turnpike. Take this to where it meets the Garden State Parkway. Up the Garden State Parkway to where it ends at the New York Thruway, I 87. Then I 87 to the Mario Cuomo bridge, on to the Saw Mill Parkway, I 684 to I 84 through Hartford CT to the Mass Pike to the beltway around Boston to l 95 then up into New Hampshire to the Maine Turnpike up to Bangor ME, and then out Alt US 1 to Ellsworth ME, and on out to Bar Harbour. In all around 620 miles. A long day in the saddle. 

The paint job on the Spyder,  which was on the bike when I bought it,
 brought universally positive comments.

     As I crossed over the Delaware Memorial Bridge it was cloudy up ahead. Traffic was moving right along at  70 mph, with some driving much faster. About mid way up New Jersey I hit some light  rain. This would continue almost all the way to Boston. This was the first time I had ridden the Spyder in rain like this, and found the protection excellent. I believe my lower legs and feet much better protected on the Spyder than on the Gold Wing. This, along with the stability of having three wheels, made riding in the rain no big deal.

The Spyder’s unique profile make to really stick out in traffic.

     Traffic on the Massachusetts Turnpike to I 495 around Boston is always heavy. The Spyder is powerful enough to be able to sprint ahead to traffic, and its look and size make it very noticeable. I had an EZ Pass on Velcro on the dashboard so going through tolls wasn’t a hassle. From Massachusetts into New Hampshire went without a hitch, and the short time in New Hampshire went quickly. 

Just outside of Bar Harbour is a place where you can pull over and enjoy the view.

     When you finally cross over into Maine you still have two and a half  hours to Bangor, then just over an hour to Bar Harbour. By this time it was approaching 6 pm. As I passed through Ellsworth ME I decided to get dinner. From Ellsworth to Bar Harbour is another half an hour or so. I arrived at the Anchorage Motel around 7:45 pm. Around a 12 hour day, but I had a place to sleep right in the middle of Bar Harbour. Time to settle in and enjoy the rest of the night.