Canada New Hampshire Loop

I'm very proud of Mr. Grey

The Adventure Gods cooperated nicely during our recent ride up to Canada.  What started out as a simple loop up over the border from NY via the Thousand Islands before heading back down into Vermont and New Hampshire, turned into a fun-filled four day ride. Packed with plenty of adventure. Weather was great for riding.  We started the trip and would end with a slight threat of rain. Neither would amount to any more than some wet roads.

Two other couples rode with us (Ken & Jennifer and Kevin & Kathy). Two bikes would be riding 2-up, while Liz and I road our own bikes. All adventure style bikes.

Jennifer has figured out a way to work while Ken drives.
That is an iPad attached to Ken's back.

Riding over the Thousand Islands Bridge is always a little exciting.  At 44,879 feet long and a 150 foot drop into the St Lawrence River or about a 100 feet onto the deck of a cargo ship. Doesn't matter. Neither would end well for the bike or rider. However, would make an excellent helmet cam video!  Many think when you cross this bridge you are in Canada. Not true.  You are still in US territory for a few miles.

Our first adventure was crossing the border into Canada. Usually getting in to Canada is easy.   We all stopped just before the border to top off with fuel, as it is much cheaper on the US side.  We briefly talked about where we would be visiting (places, towns, and exiting CA into VT / NH).  Figuring since we are all obviously together we should all have the same destinations. Well this plan fell apart at the border crossing.  I'm fairly certain Liz is now on the Watch List 😆. (From Liz: In my defense, Sam told the agent we were touring the Ski-doo factory - an idea that we had only discussed as a potential destination!)

After passing through customs, we proceeded East along the Thousand Island Parkway. Paralleling the Seaway.  It's a nice quiet ride with nice views of the river.  Saw an ocean liner (in the river 😉).

Our first dinner break was in Lancaster Ontario. At the Lancaster Pizzeria. Great variety of Italian, Greek, and sandwiches.

Jennifer & Ken
Sooooo Hungry!

One of the bikes developed a bulge in it's rear tire (Kevin & Kathy).  I'd be freaking out over it but Kevin did well.  Lets face it, we do not have a spare tire. Out of two, if one goes you are screwed!  Kevin found a dealer in Saint-Constant, Quebec that had a new tire. And we are off.

We are now in Quebec.  And in deep enough where you no longer have dual signage (French only!).  Liz and Kathy took some French in High-school but are both very rusty. It is a little disturbing not being able to read any signage to know where you are.  Good thing for Google.

Our first day of riding tallied about 300 miles.  We stayed in Farnham, Quebec.  As with 90% of Quebec, most residents speak French. As we would find, some ONLY speak English. Ironic since the town is actually named after a town in the United Kingdom. We stayed at the Auberge Motel Le Pigeonnier.  Which boasts their "above ground" pool.  Not bad by any means.  The rooms reminded me of my collage dorm room. Come on, you get what you pay for.  It was clean and the owners are very nice!

Eglise Saint-Romuald de Farnham

That night four of us (Liz, Jennifer, Ken, and myself) rode into town to grab a bite to eat.  Kevin and Kathy opted to enjoy and hang out on the deck of the "above ground pool" at the Pigeon.

The four of us found a great little Pub with live music.  The Le P Tit Kris.  Luckily the bar tender spoke English.  He would translate for us to order food.  The young girl working the food counter spoke zero English.  I didn't know there was an area in North America where the English language is not being taught in schools.  It seems like you are making your world awfully small.

Food was good and the "local" beer (well, Vermont) was good.  Ate outside to listen to a local musician performing.  Again, only speaks French but sings many songs in English.  We had been warned by the bartender when he sings English songs he mixes up some of the translations.  Yup,, he did!  Gave us all a chuckle.  Since we were the only ones at the pub speaking English we were probably the only ones to know.   Other than the translation issue he was actually pretty good.

Google Translator at work

On our second day Friday morning we walked to a dinner for breakfast.  The Restaurant Le Glouton.  OH noooo! Menu was entirely in French.  We could interpret some but was in the dark on most.  Luckily our group has three computer techs.  Kevin came up with a Google Translator on his phone.  This is the coolest app I've ever seen. Almost spooky!  You only need to hover over your text you want to translate and voila (TRANSLATED: there you are).










Friday morning we were scheduled to head back to the US and hang in New Hampshire.  However Kevin had recently realized the Ski-doo factory was only about an hour North East-ish in Valcourt, Quebec.  So we saddled up and headed to what I believe may be Kevin's Mecca.

BRP Factory

We sent our representative (Kathy) into the plant to try to arrange a small group tour.  Even after Kevin's years of BRP purchases we still could not get a tour.  They need to be booked in advance.

Fresh out of the plant and ready for Kevin's garage.

We settled on a visit to the Bombardier Museum which ended up being amazing.  If you go, make sure you ask for a guided tour of the exhibits in the back garage.  Usually just viewable through glass, we received a guided tour into it where a vast assortment of Bombardier vehicles (some very rare and priceless) are stored.

These three Ski-doos were the first to be ridden to the North Pole. 

I think I can speak for us all, even though we all ride snowmobiles (Liz & I own Cats and Polaris) this is a great museum and worth a visit. Even if you do not ride.  There is a lot of hands on learning and explaining.  After all these years I now understand how the clutch works on a snowmobile.

Following our excursion to the Bombardier Museum in Valcourt we road South all off highway through Quebec's country roads.  Entering the US in Vermont just a few miles from New Hampshire.

We all have traveled across the border many times and we all agreed this was THE easiest border crossing EVER. The border agent seemed to be a very nice average guy.  Unlike all others we've encountered - straight forward, stone-faced, "answer the questions or die" professionals.  We all agreed the agent was still fishing with his talking but seemed more relaxed.  Maybe it's his outpost.  Mostly just locals crossing with very little traffic.

First thing I noticed following our border crossing was I Can Read.  Nice to be able to read and understand signage.  Second is the lack of manicured and upkeep on properties.  I love my country but there is a noticeable difference in the way properties are maintained here versus Canada. We all noticed it.  I did not see one house with unmanicured lawns or with debris around it.  While here in the US it's common especially in very rural areas to see at least one house on the road which apparently got sick and vomited on the front lawn. I wondered if the Canadians are fined or even given a tax incentive for properly keeping there residents from becoming an eyesore.  Some suggested it's just pride.  I hope it's not that.  It would sadden me to know it is pride or the lack of.







Shortly after our border crossing this happened. If you didn't watch through to the end, no it wasn't me falling off the bike just the helmet cam.

After a two and a half hour 112 mile ride including one border crossing we arrived at our motel where we'd be hanging for two more nights.  Taking in the New Hampshire sites and tastes all by bike.  Yup, Life IS Good!!

Crazy Kids at the Lancaster Motor Inn

I reserved two nights at the Lancster Motor Inn.  Looks like your average motel.  Nothing special but again, clean and very friendly staff.  Rooms are spacious but bathrooms are very small.  Anyone much bigger than me may have mobility issues in there.  Located almost in the middle of town.  Good for walking around town. Close to breakfast shops and pubs. All of which where excellent.

Each room comes equipped with one. Pretty sure is was purchased with the tube TV.

Luckily the motel had access to the last known
collection of cassette tape videos.

Yup, more tapes.
I hope they are rewound. 

Unpacked and freshened up we met Ed out side our rooms.  A local with a unique ride from Germany.  A multi-purpose all wheel drive Unimog.

Unimog

The gang plus Ed

Ed seemed like a cool guy with a cool ride. However, he may have had other intentions.  Come to find out he was part of  the Amsoil pyramid scheme. I still kinda liked him.  Friendly local with a ton of local information he was more than happy to share.

Our waitress at the Copper Pig

Later that evening we walked down to a local microbrewery pub.  The Copper Pig Brewery may have the best micro brewed beer I've ever had.  I tried several and all brews had such a clean flavor. We hung out there both nights we where in town.  Great atmosphere.  We met the brewer and talked several times with him.  He explained why I liked it so much.  If I remember some of what he said was something about removing the minerals from the water and putting certain back in to certain brews.  Or something like that.  All I know is I don't drink much at all but I had several each night and enjoined it.  Oh, and guess who showed up there,,, Ed, lol 😁. I still like Ed!




Walked down to the Granite Grind in the morning for some coffee and

Morning fog on the streets of Lancaster

breakfast.  All is home cooked with fresh ingredients.  If you want coffee while in town this is the place. 












Then we mounted our iron horses for the ultimate adventure of the trip - riding up Mt Washington to around 6,000 feet into the clouds.  The highest peak in the North East. An average grade of 12% most of the road is about two car widths wide.  There are a few areas which seem to narrow to about one lane wide.  A single mile of dirt road and some pretty tight turns make for an amazing adventure ride. 

We'd first pull off at the base to zip up our vents on our gear.  I think the girls may have added a layer.  It will be cooler at 6,000 feet.  Both on the way up and down the smell of over heating brake pads wafted through the air from other vehicles.  There are signs advising how to drive suggesting using your gears for descending, and pulling off at designating areas to allow your brakes to cool.  Not something we really need to worry about.  We are all experienced enough to know how to gear up and or down to save our brakes.

It's an amazing piece of our earth up there.  We spent some time just taking it all in.

Observatory

Notice the chains. Three sets are attached to the ground
 go up over the roof and attach on the opposite side.
I'm thinking to keep the building on the summit and off the base.  

6,000 feet and we almost lost one

We all made it!

That building is a rest station for hikers.

Ken, lights!

I had thought that haze is actually smoke from the California Wildfires.  It looks like I may be right according to this from the Boston Globe.

Snowcoach for winter visits

Mountaineering makes you hungry
Bikes look so naked without the side cases.

Following our descent we stopped for food at Moat Mountain Smoke House & Brewing Co. Good variety of food.  Not a complaint at the table. I did not sample any of their brews since we weren't done riding.  Some can but not me.  I need all I got to ride safely through some of the mountain roads.  Can't risk the lack of any reflexes from alcohol.  

Road some really nice twisties back to the motel.  Such a beautiful area!

One more night at the Copper Pig with our riding friends.  Now it's time for beer. Ahh, so good!  Played some cards on the leather sofas.  I never knew the official rules of go fish.  Now I do 😄.

Sunday was a good day for riding.  Good thing, because we had six plus hours of it to do to get back home.  We decided to stay off the highways and stick to the back roads.  I always enjoy this.  Love seeing how other folks live and where.  Also got to enjoy more twisties through Vermont on route 17.  

We road a total of about 950 miles this trip with some really good friends.  In  two weeks Liz and I are off again for a visit with some friends in Maine. After reviewing the map and where we road I see there are plenty of great roads still to explore in New Hampshire.  Maybe our route needs to go through some of them to Maine.