SUMMER TRIP TO EDMONTON AB VI

 ”…it’s about the journey, not the destination…”

Brad and Micki were great hosts.

        The ride from Saskatoon to Edmonton went smoothly. I must admit I WAS focused on the destination this day. I was really looking forward to seeing Brad and meeting his wife Micki. I arrived at their house by about 4 PM. Micki came out and introduced herself to me and opened the garage door so I could put the bike in there. 

Enjoying an excellent breakfast.

        Brad had steaks for dinner that he cooked on the BBQ. We spent the evening catching up. I told Brad about the problem I had had with the latch for the left saddle bag. There was a Can Am dealer about 10 minutes from his house so we decided to take the bike there the next day to have the other latches checked and lubricated. After a pleasant night we went to bed.

Some of the silhouettes Micki has in the upstairs bathroom.
My wife and my daughters all like them.  

         Brad had taken the day off. He called the local dealer to see if they could squeeze me in. It turned out that he had a friend who worked in the service department. He told us to bring the bike in and he would get it checked out. After dropping the bike off Brad showed me around Edmonton. It is quite a large city. That afternoon we got a call from the dealer that the bike was finished. When we got there Brad’s friend told us that the latch on the right saddle bag did need to be adjusted and lubricated. The fee for the work was nominal, and when the mechanic brought the bike around he had even cleaned the windshield!

Bundled up and ready for rain.

        The next morning Brad helped me pick out a destination for the day, Cranbrook AB,  and the best way to get there. It was almost certain I would ride into some rain so I put on my rain gear when I left Brad and Micki’s. 

More from Micki’s collection.

SUMMER TRIP TO EDMONTON AB V

 “…it’s about the journey, not the destination….”

        When I left on the trip I had only taken 3 cigars and 1/2 a fifth of Irish Whiskey. I know I couldn’t take them into Canada and would have to stop at the duty free store. I rode from Minot to Portal ND where I would cross the border. When I arrived at the border I entered the store. You don’t have a great selection, but generally they cover all the bases. I prefer Bushmill’s Irish Whiskey, but had to settle for Jameson’s. The cigar selection was small but managed to get a 10 pack. I would only be in Canada a few days so this would do me.

        Okay….so….I made a slight miscalculation….it was almost 100 miles to the border and I was sooooo focused on whiskey and cigars I did not top off the gas tank on the bike at the border before I crossed into Canada….AND towns were few between and I discovered that I could go 184 miles on a tank…riding with the fuel light on for the last 30 miles or so. Stupid! 

Taking a break, with a full tank of gas, at Weyburn SK.

        I did finally find gas around 10am in a small town along the way and, since this was a 400 mile day, I decided to take a break in a park in this small town. After about 45 minutes of reading, having a cigar, and allowing my nerves to settle I got back on the road. The population of Canada is 10% of ours, and it is the second largest nation geographically on earth. This means LOTS of wide open spaces, and good distances between towns. You’ve got to pay attention. 

An afternoon break.

        From there on the day went smoothly. Take bike was performing flawlessly and by this point I had settled in to the trip. When you go on these trips it takes a few days to settle in. Usually by day 3 or 4 the seat begins to feel very comfortable and the routine of riding 3 or 4 hundred miles a day seems easy. You are no longer in a hurry to get 600 miles in. There is time to stop mid-morning for a break and lunch doesn’t feel rushed. 

         By about 5:30 I got into Saskatoon and found my motel. There was a restaurant right at the motel so after an easy dinner I returned to my room to watch a movie and rest up for tomorrow’s ride.

The wide open spaces of Sasketchewan. Notice all the traffic.

SUMMER TRIP TO EDMONTON AB IV

“,,,it’s about the journey, not the destination”

I never knew there was a town named Anamoose North Dakota!

        As I was loading the bike I decided to see if I could put the liner from the broken saddlebag into the travelbox. It fit with just some adjusting of the contents of the travelbox. As I was packing for this trip I wanted gear for a variety of temperatures. Edmonton is pretty far north, and I had ridden across North and South Dakota in the summer when it had been terribly hot. I needed to prepare for both extremes. 

So much country to seem but you can’t appreciate it unless you get off of the interstate.

       Wide open spaces, little traffic allowed me to just cruise along at 65-70 mph. The Spyder is great at covering ground. The blue tooth stereo worked well and I just settled in listening to music on Sirius from the 70’s. Today was around 400 miles, so it allowed me to stop mid morning and read for a while. From Minnesota into North Dakota towns are a distance apart. The reserve light came on a couple of times this day, but there was no problem. Once I crossed the border into Canada I would need to be more careful.

One thing about the roads out here is that they are mostly straight.

        Once again clouds made an appearance. I had ridden through some light rain, and some very heavy rain. The Spyder gives you enough protection that you don’t have to stop and put on a rain suit unless it is  a heavy rain. 

One of those special people you meet on a trip like this.

        I pulled into Minot around 5:30pm. After checking into the motel I decided to go out for dinnner. Looking at information I found a 50s diner fairly near my motel. Right up my alley. I ordered my meal and became aware of an “older” gentle man. He seemed to be a regular. He knew the waitstaff by name and they engaged in a running conversation with him through dinner. He had noticed my license plate and was curious about my trip. We ended up sitting there talking for over an hour, and finally the server told us it was time for them to close. We thanked them and I left a good tip. As we parted ways I was once again reminded that one of the favorite aspects of touring on a motorcycle was the people you meet. Back at the motel I settled in and watched a movie. Tomorrow I would cross into Canada. It would be just about another 400 miles to Saskatoon SK. 

Notice all of the traffic going by? 

SUMMER TRIP TO EDMONTON AB III

 ”…it’s about the journey, not the destination…”

        It so happened that when I checked into the motel to get out of the rain there were a number of bikes in the parking lot. I went out to start loading my bike, and I was parked next to a Harley and a green Can Am Spyder. The woman who was riding it was very friendly. As we spoke I noticed a number of riders getting ready to go riding were women. When I remarked about this my friend told me they were attempting to set a world record for the most women riding to an event. I really enjoy it when more and more people discover the fun in riding a motorcycle.

Really good meal at this steakhouse right next to a Texas Roadhouse.

        As I loaded my bike I pulled on the handle for the left saddle bag. It broke off in my hand! There is no way to open it unless you take the bike apart. RATS! I was going to have to strap that bag liner on the seat behind. Not great, especially if I hit rain. I ran over to a local WalMart and bought some bungee cords and strapped the liner to the back seat. 

The message in these clouds is that you can get wet at any time!

        I decide to ride to St Cloud MN that day, about 400 miles instead of 800 miles to Minot ND. The clouds overhead were ominous, and I did hit a little rain off and on during the day. The Spyder was running great and I made it to St. Cloud without any difficulty. I checked into a motel there and then went out to dinner. I found a local steak house, right next to a Texas Roadhouse. This seemed to be the place the locals went to eat. I sat at the bar and ordered dinner. The food was very good, and the staff behind the bar were exceptional. As one who spent many years in the restaurant business I really appreciated how they worked.

Riding across Minnesota, away from any population centers really gives
one perspective about the richness of the US.

        Back at the motel I settled in for a movie and a little Irish Whiskey. Tomorrow on to Minot ND, arriving a day late. I hoped that weather wouldn’t intrude on my travel’s tomorrow. I sat back to enjoy my evening. 

Very pleasant bar in St. Cloud MN.