My Rides

Upon re-reading the latest entry to this blog, I realized that I have added another bike, this one taking place of the Gold Wing. This one, the silver one in the picture, is a Honda, a 2010 NT700V. The bike has ABS, and I have added the top box, which also serves as a backrest for Ada when she comes with me. This is the first new motorcycle I have purchased in many years, even though I had always sworn to only purchase used machines.

Truthfully, I like the old KLR650 better, especially if I am going on a trip. It just sits better and allows for a more upright seating position. If I can ever modify the 700 to match the KLR's comfort, I will keep it for much longer than the 2 years that I average for motorcycle ownership. Right now I am adding some super bright LED's to share turn signal duty with the stock lights, which are very hard to see during the daytime. I hate going down the road for miles with my turn signal blinking and vowed to do whatever I could to fix this problem. On the KLR I had the same problem, but instead of brighter lights I installed some buzzers that, at least when I am not going road speeds, I can hear them and know to cancel the lights.

More of the Lake Superior trip....plus a little bit more

Kevin and I really did have a great time on this years' trip. In Thunder Bay we got his clutch cable fixed and met some nice people while listening to a blues concert from across the road. It was $40 each to get into the concert, so we were content to listen from some big rocks at a Mickie Dee's. Kevin even found some Finnish ladies who shared some Italian bakery goodies with us.

Seems like half of Thunder Bay is Italian, the other half are Finns. Seems like food is something we find the best of on the road, and we were encouraged to go to the Finn club's restaraunt, the Hoito, for Finnish pancakes. Yum!

We crossed back into the United States and headed for our next big adventure, which was taking the ferry from Manitowoc, Wisconsin to Ludington, Michigan. It was a night crossing, so we did miss seeing lots of water during the day, but the sunrise over the water was spectacular.

Now came the part of the trip when we reunited with the rest of the family. Ada, Laurie, Ella and Jacob motored up to our friends house, Pat and Joe Chaput. They have a couple of houses on Lake Michigan and invited us to vacation there. While we were there we took a dune buggy ride and enjoyed lots of beach time, including a hot dog roast right there on the beach.

And, if you turn up your speakers and listen closely, you will be able to hear the song of an ancient Indian...or was it a Chinaman????

Jacob's video

My grandson, Jacob Kiley, got a digital camera at a yard sale and took a video of Kevin and I leaving on our Lake Superior trip. I think you will like it, especially when you hear his farewell closing!

2010 Motorcycle Trip around Lake Superior

OK....so it's been a long time since I said that this blog was not going to be continued, but I changed my mind. After all, this site has my name attached and it should be easy for whoever is following to catch up with me.

The big trip this year (on the motorcycles) will be for Kevin and I to ride counterclockwise around Lake Superior. We will start in Indianapolis once again, riding straight north to Sault St. Marie where we will cross into Canada once again. Kevin is sort of apprehensive about crossing the Mackinaw Bridge, and, to tell you the truth, I am getting some pucker factor thinking about it also.

I am not sure if we will be bringing a computer this year....last year my laptop took a beating and now is very unreliable during boot up. I like to blame the trip to Prudhoe Bay for it. I do have a new netbook, one of the tiny screen jobs, and have just not decided if I want to sacrifice it to the saddlebag gods or not.

MUCH LATER.....I have been remiss in adding to the blog, but the Lake Superior trip is now in the books. although it did not have the scope that last year's Alaska trip did, it was quite nice, even when Kevin broke his clutch cable and I had to push him to get him started for over 600 kilometers. I really did get my exercise, and Kevin got another lesson on how to overcome maladies while on the road with 2 wheels.