A (relatively) low drama, fun day of riding. Lots to cover, and little time to do it, so this is going to be a little rapid-fire today.
LP was off early to catch the train (I missed saying goodbye by inches!) and we got right to it. Early start.
80% chance of rain was no problem at all. Never saw a drop, much less any clouds that looked like they even knew ho to rain. Weather was fantastic. A little chilly in the morning, a little warm at the end. But not too extreme on either of those ends.
Out of 344 miles, about 300 of it was on the same road, NY-22. That rarely happens if it's not interstate, but 22 is an awesome road. scenic, some twisties, cute little town. A pleasure to ride from end to end.
Best business name spotted all day by both of us. "Associated Lightning Rods". Nice little squat building not far from Amenia, NY.
The foot hurts. No way to sugar coat it. Shifting hurts, just having it in boots hurts. It's tolerable, and not threatening the tour or anything. But it's definitely a thing. And it looks gruesome.
Last time we came to Montreal, we did it from Brooklyn. That ride took almost 14 hours (thanks to major traffic). We got that down to 9:22 this time. Pretty good with all the stops and slow speeds through the little towns.
We did this route before in 2008. And it was very familiar. You see a gas station and remember stopping there for gas. And which pump you used. And what the bathroom was like. Lots of memories and deja-vu along the way along the way.
Fort Ticonderoga was neat, until we learned that we didn't actually win it. We got beaten down there. And only got it after the British abandoned it later. If you go, avoid the "Michigan Dog" in the restaurant. It seems like it's going to be a chili dog, but the "meat sauce" is super sweet.
The BMW RA rally was in Bennington VT, and ended in the morning. The first half of the trip we saw hundreds of BMW bikes heading south on 22. Everybody was going home. I'm used to seeing a BMW for every 15 other bikes I see. Today it was 15 BMWs for every one of something else. Pretty great to see.
Mechanical issues: My tail light and brake light weren't working all morning. Some bulb jiggling in Peru cleared that up. ECG lost the main bolt that holds his fairing on, and it fell down in Plattsburgh. It's being held on with zip ties until we get a bolt in Bangor, ME.
The border crossing was a breeze. Last time through, it took over an hour of sitting in line. This time we had trouble even getting our helmets off and papers out in time.
Dinner at Garde Manger started out fantastic, the food took a slide toward the end. But the people were great. Look for a "people we like" about Kyle soon.
No winners at the casino. Casino de Montreal is a major affair. Huge casino. But oddly, no alcohol allowed on the gaming floors. I've never seen such a thing. Coffee is the only drink allowed while gaming.
Day 4 will be a haul. Same distance, all highway. Montreal to Fort Kent, ME.
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