2015 - South Again


Easy ride of only 180 miles a day. Last year was 300 a day. The fellow riders are getting old and their seats are not as soft as they used to be.   

			Miles
Sat	8/8/2015	DuBois, PA	270
Sun	8/9/2015	'Elkins, WV	237
Mon	8/10/2015	Bluefield, VA	204
Tue	8/11/2015	Galtlinburg, TN	204
Wed	8/12/2015	Asheville, NC  This is a short day and we will either ride the Tail of the Dragon, visit the Wheels Through Time Motorcycle Museum, and possibly tour the Biltmore since we will be staying on the grounds of the Biltmore Estate.	81
Thu	8/13/2015	Roanoke, VA (via the Blue Ridge Parkway)	243
Frid	8/14/2015	Skyland Resort in the Shenandoah National Park via the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive	151
Sat	8/15/2015	State College, PA	226
Sun	8/16/2015	Home	237
			1853

North by North East - Hogs first international trip.

A total of 2,783 miles

 Well time to explore yet another part of North America. This time we are covering the states of New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine in the U.S.A. and Nova Scotia, New Brunswick (including Prince Edward Island) in Canada. The trip will take ten days and cover 3,014 miles. (4,850 km)

On the ride will be five of us who over the last five years have covered Pennsylvania and the Adirondacks, shipping the bikes to Denver and riding to Sturgis and then home to Syracuse and this Hog's team also rode the Sturgis to Pennsylvania section of the Puffin across the USA ride from Los Angeles to New York city. Last year the Hogs rode to Florida via the Smokey Mountains and return.

Previous Trips
2010		Pennsylvania, Adirondacks	6 days	1,169 miles	Average 195 miles per day
2011		Sturgis	8 days riding , 9 days travel	2,401 miles	Average 300 miles per day
2012		Puffin Across America (part)	9 days riding, 10 travel	2,534 miles	Average 282 miles per day
2013		Florida	9 days riding, 10 travel	2,805 miles	Average 312 miles per day
2014		Novas Scotia	10 days riding	2,784 miles	Average 278 miles per day

 

Originally this year a couple of the group wanted to go somewhere hot and not North but they were persuaded instead to go North East. There have been a lot of jokes about needing snow tires, antifreeze on the only bike with a radiator, the need for polar bear repellant and even a comment that we should watch out for Russians until they were reminded that the Russians are in the North West with Sarah Palin.

One rider pointed out in his wisdom that Sydney, Novas Scotia was only two degrees North of Sturgis. Also the average high for August was 76 in Novas Scotia compared to 86 in Sturgis. The average low is eight degrees warmer in Novas Scotia! The final point was that the average precipitation was a quarter as much as Sturgis. So did the comments stop? No. One is buying thermal underwear, one heated gloves and another leather pants. (We all think he just wanted leather pants)

 All the group has been warned to bring a valid passport. Considering we had illegal uninspected bike on a previous trip that was two years out of date I think all the Hogs will be all reminded before we leave.

 The big map.

 

Day one - Thursday 7th August. Syracuse, Amsterdam, Glen Falls, Lebanon (New York), Night in North Woodstock, New Hampshire

Day two Friday 8th August - Conway, Bridgton (New Hampshire) Bangor (Maine) Night in Saint Stephen (New Brunswick, Canada.)

 

Day three - Saturday 9th August. Saint John, (New Brunswick) Three hour ferry to Digby, Yarmouth, Night in Shellburne (Nova Scotia)

Day four - 10th August. Halifax and night in Antigonish (Nova Scotia)

Day five - Monday 11th August. Port Hawkesbury, Sydney then the famous Cabot Trail. Night in Cheticamp (Nova Scotia)

 Comment on the Cabot Trail, Novas Scotia.

"...Beautiful expansive ocean vistas and forested lanes with little traffic. The Cabot Trail and Nova Scotia are definitely a “must do” ride and visit, among the most beautiful places in the world.

Nova Scotia, or New Scotland, is one of the greatest motorcycling destinations in the world. The Cabot Trail, on the island of Cape Breton, is well known to both riders and the motorcycling press as one of the finest motorcycle roads in the world. Clinging to the cliffs of Cape Breton Highlands National Park, it twists and turns along the edge of the Atlantic ocean and through the mountains, providing spectacular views for more than 200 miles

 

Day six - Tuesday 12th August. Port Hawksbury, New Glasgow. Novas Scotia. Night - Port Elgin New Brunswick

 

Day seven - Wednesday 13th August. Prince Edward Island - either Souris or Tignish. Night - Port Elgin New Brunswick

 

 

 

Day eight - Thursday 14th August. Saint John, Saint Stephen, (New Brunswick) Night in Bar Harbor (Maine)

 

Day nine - Friday 15th August. Belfast, Rockland, Brunswick, Portland, (Maine) Night in Concord (New Hampshire)

Day ten - Saturday 16th August. Brattleboro (Vermont) Troy, Syracuse (New York) - Night in my own bed.

Hog's Trip 2014

Well time to explore yet another part of North America. This time we are covering the states of New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine in the U.S.A. and Nova Scotia, New Brunswick (including Prince Edward Island) in Canada. The trip will take ten days and cover 2,756 miles.

On the trip will be five of us who over the last four years we have covered Pennsylvania and the Adirondacks, shipping the bikes to Denver and riding to Sturgis and then home to Syracuse and the Hog's team also rode the Sturgis to Pennsylvania section of the Puffin ride across the USA from Los Angeles to New York city. Last year the Hogs road to Florida via the Smokey Mountains and return.

Another post

My son's film-part 1 of their trip across the USA to raise money for the Puffin foundation.

https://vimeo.com/49669586

The Last Post

Ross' bike finally arrived in Syracuse from LA. Very sad to think it did not make the trip with us.

Day 19 - 13th August

Yesterday was the last day of the trip just 287 miles from New York to Syracuse. Total mileage for the trip was 5,234.

The hotel we stayed in was very trendy but typical of a Manhattan hotel room in that it was very small. Yesterday the piglets roamed the town and walked for miles visiting art galleries and shops, Central Park etc. I think they were amazed at the sheer size of the place. Being Sunday the town was very quite except for the tourists. There was far less noise as the cars are not allowed to honk anymore except in emergencies. The piglets enjoyed their time talking bikes in Brooklyn and they were home by midnight.  We left the hotel at 8.30am and had breakfast with Susan's brother Fred and then hit the road. The roads were still quite as we were heading out against the traffic and in Summer half the town goes on holiday. We went past our house that we used to live in at Croton-on-Hudson. Ross lived there from the ages of 2 to 5. The neighborhood seemed smaller and a lot more trees. We then crossed the Hudson River at Bear mountain which is just South of West Point military academy. The ride took us through the Catskills which is famous for the story of Rumplestiltskin. The area is extremely pretty with so many trees and rivers running beside the road for miles. Deer beside the roads and trout fishermen standing in the river. Idealic.

We drove into the parking lot of Susan's shop and of course she burst into tears on seeing Ross whom she has not seen for a year and a half. (mind you she has spoken to him almost every day.) The piglets showered, did their washing and had a big meal. I sent a message to the Wild Hogs "The piglets are in their pen and clean.) It is good to be home and not have to check out and ride three hundred miles. But then again I miss pulling on the boots and starting my engine.

I spoke to James Gribble who welcomed us home. What a nice guy. The little we did to raise money for his foundation was well worth it for such a great cause and a great family.

We are holding a small welcome home party on Friday night and having a final group ride on Saturday for the piglets before they head home on Sunday. They go down to New York by train on Sunday and then go to JFK and LA on Monday. It will be interesting for them to look out the window of the plane and see the area they have covered over the last three weeks.

Some statistics: 19 days of riding, 35 gas fill ups, (piglets had double this),114.49 gallons of gas, average 44.6 MPG, average price gallon $3.92, total gas bill $475.84.

Special thanks for all of you who have read the blog and especially to all those who donated to the Puffin Foundation. I will have a few more posts to cover photographs once the lads send me there photographs and of course I'm sure I will have some reflections on the trip.

Day 18, 12th August

What a great day. We hit the road at the crack of dawn and the roads into Manhattan were very quite as it was Sunday morning. The trucks still overtook us and we were riding at 70mph (115kpm for the Aussies.) We were going to take the Lincoln Tunnel but instead took the upper deck of the George Washington  bridge. We rode down 9th avenue to show the boys all the apartments. We parked near Battery park and the boys looked at the statue of Liberty. We then left the bikes at my brother-in-laws apartment and the piglets walked all over town whilst I rested. Tonight the boys are going to a bike bar in Brooklyn and I'm having dinner with my two favorite brothers in-laws. (this will be a test to see if John, Michael or Fred read the blog. Please do not tell them.)
Hot news. We have decided to go straight back to Syracuse tomorrow.

The positives are (1)  the piglets need to be back in New York by the 20th to return to Australia via Los Angeles, (2) there are plenty of good rides in the Syracuse area. (3) The piglets  they can rest, (4) They can clean their bikes ready for sale, (5) Shawn can have a shave (6) Ross can put on a clean pair of sox.

The bad news is we will not see the Puffin Colony in Maine. Susan and I will do that before the Summer is over in the car with the boys.

Side story. Ann  Greene (who is now the famous relation in LA) asked that the piglets take a photo of Peter Puffin in front of Mount Rushmore. I asked Ross to take Peter and I asked Rully to remind Ross and I asked Shawn to remind Rully to remind Ross. When they returned I asked how the photo turned out. There answer? We forgot Peter!  Ann - we will photoshop Peter in.

New World Trade Centre

Peter Puffin with the Statue of Liberty. (where is said Peter and Robert

robert waiting with the bikes at a dog park whilst the boys are sight seeing.