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.