Well, today was proof that not every ride day is magic. Wet, cold, grey, and those are the high points..!! Yes, that’s the whole summary. Left Fort St. John with it just raining lightly and basically rode through rain, mist, and more rain all day, heavy rain, light rain, and everything in between. The only common denominator was it was all wet. Not enough downpour to be dramatic, just enough to keep your head up. The scenery was still decent, oilfield stretches, patches of farmland, mostly bush, but nothing that begged for a photo. The kind of day where you stop only when you need fuel or food, then just keep pushing. I can’t stress how important it is to have good gear to make a day like this liveable. It’s not a stop and smell the roses kind of day, and this sounds crazy but .. it is actually kind of meditative to ride along in the rain..

Pulled into Hinton and the hotel prices were good news and bad news, the bad.. $400 for a room, the good news.. there were none available. Because I was not paying $400 for a roadside motel. The nice lady at the motel told me to go 80 km down the road to Edson where the rooms could be had for about $100.00. So I kept rolling, figured I’d go that jump and find something more reasonable in Edson. I’ll backtrack if I decide to do the Parkway. No big deal. Got a room for a quarter of the price. Checked in and parked the bike outside, dripping wet and lonely.

Nothing much else to say about the ride today, but I did say I would tell you about “Indigenous bear spray.”
So I’m fueling up on the way out to Bella Coola, grizzly bear country, bear tours, all that. Wilderness campsites everywhere. I get chatting with this local guy, just as I’m about to head deeper in. We’re talking camping gear, what I’ve got, what I forgot, and I mention, “By the way, I don’t have bear spray. You think that’s a problem?”
He doesn’t even pause.

“You don’t need bear spray. What you do is just get some hair spray and a Bic lighter. Works way better. Cheaper. Stops bears in their tracks, actually will stop anything. Plus you can start fires with it. Which is a really cool kind of trick, it’s awesome.”

Dead serious. You can’t make this stuff up..

I don’t know if that’s actually a thing or if he was just messing with me, but damn if it didn’t get stuck in my head.
So now I’m picturing myself out in the woods, facing down a bear, ( with hair spray in hand) thinking,
“Oh my God… where’s my lighter?”
Why do you ask?
Two Bears Flaming.

Anyway, that’s all I’ve got for today. Tomorrow’s a maybe for the Parkway. Depends on the weather and the mood.
Right now it’s just warm, dry, and quiet.. and I’m not arguing with any of that.

Hair spray and lighters .. AllPartOfTheAdventure







Thanks for following !!

Got up early, ready to hit the road in Edson, Alberta. That road was heading west, backtracking toward Jasper. It was cold and damp, not freezing, but around 14 or 15 degrees. It wasn’t raining when I was leaving, but it had been, and the roads were wet. That kind of day. Even when it wasn’t raining, I was riding through areas that had just been soaked, or looked like they were about to be. I think it touched 19-20 degrees a couple of times, but in the mountains it dropped to maybe 14. Cool all day. Not terrible, just persistent. And with the right gear it's all good.

Stopped in Hinton to fuel up and grab a quick coffee, maybe some Cliff Bars. I was sitting on the curb outside the convenience store when this couple pulled up in a van to check their tire pressure. Super friendly right away, we started chatting. Their names were Frank and Naomi and they were heading west, told me a bit about their lives, and places they have lived , things they have done .. super interesting. Chatted way too long, probably, but it was worth it. Great people.!!

We said our goodbyes, they hopped in the van, I got back on the bike of which I'd inadvertently left the key on, hit the starter, and bam — error message: MTC code. Bike wouldn’t start. Button was dead. Tried a few times, same thing, then completely nothing. Like a dead battery.?
I had left the bike on, along with the chargers and TFT screen, but still, that shouldn’t have drained it. Who knows. They saw me struggling, rolled down the window, and I asked if they had booster cables. They didn’t, but Naomi ran inside to check. Came back out, and yes they had some for sale. I asked if they’d give me a boost. “Absolutely.” I bought the cables, which weren’t bad for the price, and figured for 25 or 30 bucks, it beat calling around for help.
More laughs, seat off, cables on, and it fired right up. No problem. I’ll have the electrical checked this week while the bike’s in for service.
Big thanks again to Frank and Naomi.

Carried on west to Jasper and made the left onto the Columbia Icefields Parkway. If you’ve never ridden it, it’s just spectacular. That’s the word. The road itself is a good ride, curvy and scenic, but traffic was nuts , long weekend. If you’re chasing twisties, it’s probably not the road for that, but it’s still an enjoyable ride. The views are what make it : glaciers, roadside waterfalls, turquoise water, and distant falls tucked into mountain walls. Even with cloud and overcast skies, the Rockies delivered in their majestic fashion.

Eventually dropped onto Highway 1 eastbound. Heavy traffic, everyone just clipping along with not a lot of space between all the vehicles. I rolled through Banff and Canmore. And it started raining around Canmore. Got to the turnoff for Highway 40 south, fueled up, stretched, and headed off down The legendary Highway 40. I figured I’d be home in a couple hours, or at least at the ranch, which is home for now.

The rain continued on Highway 40, and lots of traffic. People were still heading both directions, so all seemed normal. Got to the Peter Lougheed turnoff and saw a flashing sign: landslide / road closed. Just past the sign on the shoulder, there was a pickup, a Suburban, and another truck with a slide-in camper. Not much traffic for a closure.?? People still rolling both ways, odd for a closed road. I pulled over to ask what was up and of course no one knew.

I had some satellite signal on my phone to text a friend and ask if 40 was actually closed, and while they were checking the guy with the camper says, “I’ve got Starlink.” He fires it up, and suddenly we’ve got internet in the middle of nowhere. He checks a Facebook group, and yes big mudslide shut the highway down completely. There were photos, did not look very passable. Then a conservation officer pulled up while we were talking. Said it’d be days before it was cleared. So I turned around and headed back. So I rode 60 miles of Highway 40, 30 down, & 30 back to the Trans Canada highway. Rain eased off by then, and back to lots of traffic into Calgary, I took the new Stoney Trail south around the city (very nice) and rolled the bike into the shop at the ranch around 6:30p

I'll take some time to clean it up, get it serviced, check the battery or whatever that glitch was, maybe look at tires, and go from there. Probably be a couple, maybe three days.
Then carry on with the ride..

The people, the roads, the views and the glitches .. AllPartOfTheAdventure

No riding today (except to the car wash to power wash the grime off the scooter). Stripped all the gear off the bike and lined it up to sort through. Got the bike ready to head to the shop for service. Valve set, tires are hmmmm??, and I’m still not sure what that MTC code was about. Probably nothing. Maybe something. Did have a bad fuse, but it didn’t seem to change anything when I replaced it. Be interesting to see what codes show up.

So yes, laundry, gear spread out everywhere, charging crap I didn’t even know was dead. Still feels like part of the ride, just the quieter part.

Great opportunity to clean out the crap and trinkets you pick up on a trip. That little start of the adventure tour out to the coast and through BC, etc., was 7,125 km. So this is a rare opportunity mid-trip to really look at things and say, “Do I, or will I, really use this?” And if not, it gets tossed. Shed the excess junk and weight.!!

I’ll likely be parked here for two or three days, then back on the road. So grateful to family who let me use the shop, the space, the tools, and generally hang out here when I’m in Alberta. Routing is still wallowing in the "go that way" & "general direction" stages. But the bike will be fresh, and I’ll be packed tighter this time.
Kinda miss the mobility today.. Tell me again, how far is it to the east coast?

More to come.
Because adjusting the chain is .. AllPartOfTheAdventure

The cats are teaching me to chill ????
and are part of the trip planning commitee ..!!

Just not on a bike. But I did get the bike into the shop for service. It’s booked for tomorrow, but I figured I’d drop it off early and maybe they can squeak it in. We can always hope. The girls in service were in a great mood, especially just being back after a long weekend. The smiles and laughs made the pain of a KTM 30K service a little easier to handle.

Made a bunch of other stops in town, picked stuff up, dropped stuff off, chatted with the people I needed to chat with, and stayed with the program. One of the people I talked to today was part of a father and daughter team who are planning to ride up the Dempster Highway to Tuktoyaktuk later this month. They’d heard I’d been up there, so they tracked me down and we swapped stories. Pretty damn cool, honestly. I mean, doing that road solo is one thing, but father-daughter, shared memory kind of stuff? That’ll be over the top. Gave them some ideas, a few resources, and a dose of reality about what’s ahead. They’ll be fine. It was fun to see someone else get charged up about the road. You forget how big these things are until you see someone else looking up at the same mountain.

They did ask which part of the road gets crappy if it rains, so I really took my time thinking about it, then told them only from about kilometer-2 to kilometer-885 is the worst part. Took them a moment, but they laughed. (That’s the whole road .. hahahha)

Anyway, back to my mundane life. Even though the bike’s not rolling and I’m not moving, it doesn’t stop your head from going. Still sorting gear, figuring out what I need, what I don’t. Just trying to put it all together. I did sneak in a workout. That’s something I find really hard to do on the road, so I’ll take the win.

Tomorrow, I’ll dig into the gear properly. Maybe even get a bit of it repacked and start making some headway getting organized.. hah, who am I kidding. But I’ll tinker with stuff, stare at piles, maybe move something from one pile to another, and call it progress. Plus there are always people to visit with and catch up with when you’re in town, things to take care of, and a life that keeps happening while the trip’s happening or on pause.

Just being grateful for the day is .. AllPartOfTheAdventure

Still in stationary mode as far as not having the bike, but it wasn’t a wasted day. It was again a gear day. Full-blown, spread-everything-out-on-the-ground, sort-the-crap kind of day.
Gear exploded across the yard, the shop, and half the house like a garage sale for deranged moto travellers. Tools, chargers, dry bags, wet bags, bags of bags. Stuff I forgot I had, stuff I swear I never packed, and a few mystery items that might actually belong to someone else. No witnesses, so they’re mine now.

Finally gave the soft luggage system a proper hand scrub, then dove into the grand reshuffle. Trimmed some dead weight, added a few “just in case” items I’ll never use, and tried to rebalance the load. Even revisited the tool roll. Again. Still chasing that mythical setup where everything fits, nothing rattles, and you’re somehow prepared for both a flat tire and a zombie apocalypse. We all know that setup doesn’t exist, but I will keep looking.

Honestly, I made miles today. Just not on the bike. Back and forth through the chaos, across the lawn, through piles of gear, muttering to myself like a lunatic. But that’s part of it too, the mental miles when the wheels aren’t turning. And of course, all while quietly praying that the stuff I ordered off Amazon shows up before I leave. You know, the essentials, like extra straps I don’t need and that one cable I already have two of.

Got the end of day notification that the bike’s done. Ready for pickup first thing tomorrow. So I’ll grab it, make a few more stops around Calgary, then back into the garage to attack what I need to do to the bike. At my current rate of progress, that Friday departure is looking… optimistic. Saturday? Maybe. Sunday? Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Because swearing at whoever invented the
MOLLE system is, unquestionably .. AllPartOfTheAdventure






My rain glove setup : they are the Klem system,
direct from Harbour Freight and under the kitchen sink..!!

I Am Actually Getting Closer to Getting Farther Away

Picked up the bike from Barnes Blackfoot this morning. No surprises, no extra charges, which in the KTM world is like spotting a unicorn. Mechanically, the bike is ready to roll. Me… not so much. But I am making headway.

After the bike shop it was head downtown, then Foothills Industrial, then the bank. And not online banking, I mean actually walking through the front doors, which apparently is so rare they looked at me like I’d just stepped out of a time machine. Then came the classic, “sign here, initial here, answer these questions we already know the answers to” routine.

By that point, all I wanted was to get the bike into the shop at the ranch so I could start my “little” pre-departure tweaks. You know, the jobs that are supposed to be quick and make life easier… but somehow swallow a whole day and require three emergency runs to Canadian Tire. Miraculously, I think I got most of it done and the bike is in ready-to-load mode… I think.

I’ve got to say, this bike’s been a bit of a lucky story. I picked it up back in late Jan. and, with the help of a very gracious friend, threw it together in a garage in Phoenix. Used one local mechanic to install a couple hard parts as I was very limited on tools. Parts came from wherever I could find them, mostly online, locally, my 690, and somehow, I apparently put together all the right stuff. Luggage, straps, tie-downs … everything just worked. Took it all through Mexico without a hiccup. Not a single “wish I’d done this differently” moment. So yeah, there’s still little bits I’m tinkering with now, but truth is, it’s already set up fine. Either I actually knew what I was doing or lucked out. Let’s just go with the luck factor. Whatever the case, for the most part, the bike works well and I’m pretty happy about that.

Friday’s departure? Not happening. And with rain in the forecast, I’m fine with that. Besides, I still am sorting and deciding on the stuff I have spread all over the place. So really looks more like Saturday or Sunday now.

Slowly but surely is… AllPartOfTheAdventure

Not a lot of pics, was head down and a__ up all day..!!



Hopefully I am done buying phone cords ..!!

Herding Cats or Hounds Before the Ride, .. pic included
Yes, another day has come and gone, and the bike is still parked. Today was a bit of a head game, all these things I want to get done, all these little tasks I think will only take a minute, and before you know it, the day is in a smoking downward spiral.

Spent a lot of time on those pesky life issues that are not adventure moto related (so I will not bore you), the ones that keep you from getting on the road. The result is a lot of mental miles and not a lot of progress on the physical packing. When the dust settled today I would say I am still in a state of organized chaos, maybe 35 percent done.

So, the tinkering and packing continues. It feels like a big puzzle I am still trying to put together, but the pieces are not quite fitting just yet, and I hope I have them all. By the evening, when I finally got to the bike, my newly self-appointed ‘Garage Supervisors’ showed up. They did not offer much help, but they were excellent at silently judging my progress, or lack thereof. You can see them all in the following pic.

The good news is, all these chores are getting done, and the bike is in a good place. It is just the rest of the world and my stuff that still need to get in line. The departure, once hoped for on Saturday, is now looking like Sunday if all goes well.

Even with the delays, I may just have a bit of that motorcycle zen stuff happening, that calm, steady feeling where good things are lining up, there is time to get it all done, and I am in control of the universe. Followed up with moments of sheer panic and trying to remember .. good air in - bad air out.

Patience they say is… AllPartOfTheAdventure

Having a Real Ass looking Over Your Shoulder..

Well, today was hopefully my last day of running around "like a head, with my chicken cut off" in circles, and ending up exactly where I started. Hopefully, by tomorrow, I will be making real miles toward a destination, whatever that destination might be. Really, really it could happen.

So yes, lots of running around today, last-minute stuff, last pieces of this part of the puzzle. Nothing left to do to the bike, nothing of real value. It was more about getting the final touches done.

Trust me, I would much rather be posting about things that are happening on the road, but I keep posting anyway to maintain the rhythm and momentum. If I stop, the ride reports stall, and once that happens, they are hard to restart. So yes, the no-mile days, all the tinkering and bumping into walls, they are without a doubt all part of the process and the adventure. Hopefully, we will be moving in short order and have real-life ride reports where we actually ride toward a destination.

So overall, it was a good day. The last of the jobs are mostly done. By late afternoon, my new weekend "Garage Supervisor" crew showed up, who knew it was a different crowd on weekends. But apparently weekends bring new faces. One of them was a real ass, and kept looking over my shoulder, making sure I did not slack off. Picture included below.

Anyways at one point, I sat back, looked at the bike, and thought, my solid partner in this adventure, that has carried me so far, still does not have a name. I had kicked around some naming ideas, probably since Mexico — Great White, Bullet, POS, Hey You — but nothing stuck. Then it hit me. Big, powerful, and maybe a little over the top, with absolutely no regard for costs, money, or how much fuel he burns. Acts like we are all here to do his bidding, but at the end of the day you cannot help but like him. The KTM 1290 has a way of getting things done, pulling me through trouble, falling together just right, and occasionally making me wonder if it is plotting world domination.
Well who could that be .. meet Gru. Yes, that Gru, from Despicable Me. The perfect name for my 1290. I like it.

That was about it for the day, some goodbyes to folks before I get on the road. Last-minute pack is a wrap. Tomorrow morning, we should be eastbound and down, as the saying goes. And I am more than happy about that..

Riding around with "Gru" .. AllPartOfTheAdventure

Pretty much ready to ride..

Hmmm, take the White one or the Blue one ??

ew Weekend "Garage Supervisors" Mom & Son are cool & but the little guy is a problem..

Have this looking over your shoulder all day..!!

Alas .. my 1290's namesake .. perfect.

Finally a Ride Report where we ride

My newly named ride “Gru” and I made it onto the highways of Alberta into the great unknown. Ok, not that dramatic, we started heading east.
I wanted to take a few roads less traveled, so I aimed to avoid Number 3 (Crow’s Nest), Number 1 (Trans-Canada), and Number 7 through Kindersley. My plan was to stick to roads with two or three digits. That didn’t really happen until I got to Bassano, then headed north to Rosemary and Duchess before turning east.

The country out there is different. It’s pretty desolate, with a real Route 66 vibe, small towns that are dying, closed-down shops and stores. On those little three-digit secondary highways, the telephone poles are 30 or 40 feet from the pavement, and there’s no shoulder, just the lane, tall weeds, and then a fence. On the other side, cows. You’re so close you can see the whites of their eyes. It feels like how roads used to be, compared to the big highways where the other lane is so far away you can barely wave at the guy going the opposite direction. On these roads you’re in it, more immersive, less like travelling in a vacuum.

You keep your head up too. One, the pavement isn’t always so great, and two, if something steps out from the grass it’s instantly on the road. No shoulder or mowed ditch to see something coming.

I fueled up in Jenner. No pay-at-the-pump here, you go inside, the numbers on the old pump are barely readable. Definitely not buying premium, and you hope the fuel’s clean. The lady at the counter stressed to make sure I had enough gas, because there was nothing heading east. Somewhere out there I ended up on Highway 555, which made me laugh, it’s like the fake phone numbers in movies and TV. Then a sign read “555 comes to an end,” and it felt like desolation boulevard was going to become a true ghost road. The vastness out there is unreal. The Trans-Canada doesn’t give you that same sense of space. Not sure if it’s the elevation or the way these roads cut across the plains, but you get an incredible sense of how big it really is. Truly the Great Plains..!

The small towns you pass through are mostly gone. If there was ever a grain elevator, it’s long since torn down. Maybe a few houses still lived in, and almost always a church. I kept wondering, are the churches still standing because they’re well built, or just because no one wants to be the one to tear down a church?

Crossing into Saskatchewan, the difference was immediate. No line in the sand, but the pavement got rougher. The roads did improve, that initial road was one really less traveled.

I made it to Lake Diefenbaker and took the Riverhurst Ferry across. The schedule made me laugh, from the west side it leaves on the half-hour, from the east side it leaves on the hour, and at night it’s first-come, first-served. The sign says to leave your lights on so the operator knows you’re there. Big ferry too, could take three semis without blinking. The guy loading it put all the cars on one side, me on the other, and asked if I wanted to get off before or after the cars. I chose before, of course, and was off ahead of them. From there it was about an hour into Moose Jaw.

I rolled down Main Street Moose Jaw and grabbed a small hotel room right downtown. Old stomping grounds. I was born here and lived here until I was 15. Walked around to see what’s changed and what hasn’t. They do a good job with history here, lots of plaques and well-kept old buildings. Crescent Park is still beautiful. The Natatorium, an old swimming pool from the 1930s, is still there, I remember going as a kid. And of course all the Al Capone, tunnels, and that really neat train station.
Great little town to wander. Took lots of pics today, I’ll throw them in.

Oh and also, Gru ran perfectly after the work he got, thankful for that.

Having a smile in your helmet .. AllPartOfTheAdventure

Click here for pics..

Loving the ride

Had a couple of things to get done in Moose Jaw in the morning, so it was not the earliest departure. Rolled out around 11 and headed diagonally southeast across Saskatchewan, sometimes in the rain, through field after field of crops, the odd small town, and a lot of large concrete super grain elevators.

Carried on to Estevan, where I started heading east to Manitoba. One thing you notice going across the prairies is the barns. Big ones, little ones, painted ones, the classic red, and others where the paint faded long ago. Some are magnificent, some plain, some barely standing, and some have already collapsed in on themselves. They’re scattered across the landscape, alongside grain elevators in disrepair, each adding to the character of the land.

From Weyburn down to Estevan and across the bottom into Manitoba it is a mix of oil, gas, and agriculture. Sometimes side by side you will see a big farmyard, and just outside of it four pump jacks pumping away, across the road a gas plant, all surrounded by huge fields full of crops. The scale of farming now is something to see. The farmer with four or six quarters of land, a little tractor, a grain truck, and maybe a shared combine is gone. Now it is massive farmyards with twenty or more giant grain bins and silos, semi-trucks for hauling grain and cattle, fuel trucks, water trucks, and shop buildings the size of warehouses. Farming has become big business, I believe the day of the little farmer is long gone.

I rode most of the day being chased by the biggest, ugliest cloud. From Yellowgrass to Weyburn to Estevan and across Saskatchewan into Manitoba it just hung back there. I stopped once to take a picture of it behind me, but every time I rolled into a small town or paused for a photo the wind would pick up, raindrops would hit, and there it was again. Big, black, and coming at me from the north or west no matter which way I turned. Wrecked my day, it’s fun to lallygag, pull into these little towns and see what is there. Sometimes nothing, sometimes little gems.

By the time I crossed into Manitoba I had enough. I pulled into the “Banana Belt” town of Melita, MB., decided to get a room, and call it a night. Of course, as soon as I stopped it quit raining. Because that is the way it works with my “rainproof” gear right.

Tomorrow Gru and I carry on in a direction, and that direction we are likely not going is south or west, so by my navigational calculations that means north or east.

Note: I’m obviously not aiming for big cities or tourist stops on this run. If they happen, they happen, but there’s plenty of time to see that stuff on another trip. This one is about the back roads and the in-between places. These daily notes are just what I see out of my visor that day. BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba — they’re all huge and spectacular. If I didn’t roll through your favourite spot or mention it, that doesn’t mean it’s not worth seeing. There’s far more out here than I can fit into one ride.

My life is just .. AllPartOfTheAdventure.







Click here for more pics..

Smoke anyone..?

Left Melita, Manitoba and started heading east. Went through a bunch of little towns, got some funky pictures, and today was the first time in the whole trip so far that the smoke has been noticeable, and it was really noticeable. Visibility was totally affected, probably down to a mile or less, just this haze and smell hanging over everything. Depending where you were, it could be worse or better. It was so-so in Melita, got worse on the way up to Winnipeg, then in actual Winnipeg it wasn’t as bad, but still definitely smoky.

Definitely still in oil country, lots of pump jacks, also more big farms, and crops, saw lots of sunflower seed crops. The closer you get to Winnipeg, more toward the center of the province going west to east, the countryside starts to change. It’s not so big and flat anymore. The odd coulee starts popping up, then some valleys, and a lot more treed areas. You can see it shifting from endless flat farmland to more rolling land with pockets of forest and more and more water, rivers, lakes, and ponds.

Arrived in Winnipeg and got to spend time with some folks here, which was absolutely fantastic. First stop was meeting someone I first connected with about four years ago through a DNA service, and today was the first time we met in person, a really personal twist to the stop. It’s a unique connection and an interesting story for but will save that for another time. After that, I caught up with friends, which made for even more smiles. We went for dinner at an Italian spot - Nicolino’s, so good that I’ll even post a food-porn shot, something I haven’t done much of on this ride.

After dinner, I got a tour of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ home field, Princess Auto Stadium. My friends are with the Blue Bombers organization, so I got to see the stadium, locker room, weight room, and sports medicine area, etc. all a top shelf setup. And it is on the university campus, which is huge, bright, and also very impressive. The whole area, stadium and campus really had the feel of a place where great times happen.

So kind of a day for me, and I couldn't be happier about that.
What am I talking about, all of these days are for me, haha..!!

Hanging with great folks is .. AllPartOfTheAdventure

Not Big Mileage, But Enough to be in Ontario

Had a lot of stuff to cover in the morning before I hit the road, just that whole personal maintenance stuff, phone calls, emails. Visited a bit in Winnipeg with folks and headed out slightly after lunch.

I took the old historic number one highway out of Winnipeg to the MB / ON border, which is now Highway 44. See the attached pic of the old Manitoba map. It was very cool, the scenery changes immediately. The fields and crop farming quickly start diminishing and you start getting into forest, with rock formations showing up in the ditch. It is obviously apparent as you get closer to the Ontario border that you are entering the Canadian Shield and a whole new landscape. That little stretch just before you enter Ontario is the beginning of resort and lake country.

That road is not the best, but it is scenic and a nice change from straight roads through endless crops and fields. Crossed the Ontario border and went about 50 km to the first stop, Kenora. Found a funky little campground and thought I would try out the camping gear one more time. Nothing like setting up in Lake-of-the-Woods country, it is so beautiful here, just had to give it a swirl. Set up camp quick, chatted with my neighbours, and headed into town to explore.

Kenora is an amazing little town with lots of history, grand old buildings, and of course being right on the water there are lots of boats, some float planes, and a nice waterfront park and walkway. I took a lot of pics because there is plenty in Kenora to catch your eye. It was not busy at all, just a mix of some tourists, some locals, and a lot of those locals are Indigenous. The town has a very welcoming, resort town feel and all the people were friendly and helpful.

All in all, simply a good day. Gru was his solid old self, made some miles, saw some different country, and had a smile on the whole day. Just lots to be grateful for.

Finding little bits of old Canada is… AllPartOfTheAdventure







More pics here..

Making My Way Through Ontario

When you camp it is easier to get moving early, not as likely to dawdle around having coffee, it is just pack up and get on the road. Which is exactly what happened, and I was rolling by 8:30 a.m. Took the road down to Fort Frances, then on to Thunder Bay. Just a fantastic drive. Very scenic, the forest and lots of huge rocks along the roadside. Like I said, it is definitely the Canadian Shield. And water, a lot of water. River after river, bay after bay, lake after lake. And a whole bunch of resorts that go with all that water.Also on the way to Thunder Bay I went by the spot where all streams and rivers now flow into the Atlantic "The Laurentian Divide" or that is how i understood it anyways.

Surprisingly, I thought the road would be a lot worse. There were spots of rough pavement, but for the most part it was livable. On a motorcycle you can go around rough spots, but it still felt like it was not the worst road at all. The ride was good, not a whole bunch of traffic, not a lot of motorhomes or RVs. Lots of pickup trucks with boats and a lot of big truck traffic, log trucks, flat decks, equipment haulers. But the traffic was not ridiculous by any stretch of the imagination. The temperature was kind of cool and it never got overly hot. I made okay time and probably got to Thunder Bay about 4 p.m.

I found a place to stay in Thunder Bay, over by the Marine Park. Older part of town I guess, kind of downtown, but it seems Thunder Bay is very spread out along the shoreline. It is just over 100,000 people, and on one hand feels very blue collar and workaday. There is the whole marine end and the ports. In the early to mid 1900s it was the place to ship Canadian grain all over the world. These big terminals, many of them abandoned now, would have been going full on, shipping grain and other commodities. And the rail, which of course gets the grain here along with everything else, played a big part and probably still does, but in a different capacity now. And there is the logging. The city just seems pretty workaday.

Then there is another part of it that is touristy, with all the lakes and forests and things to do, so it is outdoorsy and tourist driven too.
And then there is also this artsy, cultural thing going on, which seems newer to the city. Lots of street murals, galleries, and the Marine Park is full of art.
I also noticed no shortage of tattoo shops and cannabis shops, maybe you need that to appreciate all the art .. kidding.

The part of town where I am staying has a lot of tourists, but also a lot of street people. It is a thing here, you read the hotel reviews and they mention it, and the hotel even kind of warns you. Oddly enough they are harmless, but they are there and can be persistent. I guess they could steal the odd thing, but nobody seemed overly fazed by it. People still walk the streets and the Marine Park was full of people strolling around.

It is just a really different place, lots of funky stuff going on. Anyways, I took it all in, went for a big stroll, took lots of pictures, grabbed a simple bite to eat, and called it a night.

Taking it all in is .. AllPartOfTheAdventure

Not sure what this was for, something to do with chip trucks..??








More pics here..