Yellowstone Trip Part 8 - Helena, Montana to Pincher Creek, Alberta

After leaving our Super 8 Motel (after an exciting breakfast of egg disks, super gristly bacon, and waffles- I actually just had toast) we headed onto I-15 which was a pretty nice road, considering that it was an Interstate highway. There were a fair number of bugs that squashed themselves on my visor but there were good curves and changing scenery as we motored along the road.

After the interstate, we took 287, which was a smaller highway, and we were blessed with more of the same, wonderful curves and interesting scenery. It was, however, quite windy. At Choteau, we took 89 and, again, enjoyed the road. There was nothing spectacular (which is why I don't have any photos of this part of the ride) but there was good scenery and it was an enjoyable ride. We would have had great scenery but there was a lot of smoke in the distance, obscuring the majestic mountains.

Smoke in the distance on a rural Montana highway

At Browning, we took the 464 diversion , which was an old highway, and then rejoined 89 at Babb. We took that until we hit 17 and saw a corner of Glacier National Park. We had originally planned to go through the park but the smoke looked pretty thick and I had already done that last year - it is much more spectacular when there isn't a bunch of smoke covering up the mountains!

We crossed the border back into Canada at a little border crossing called Chief Mountain. The border guard was OK - not too crabby - and a lot friendlier than the guard on the way down. We also entered into Waterton Lakes National Park and decided to stop.

I rode through Waterton Lakes on my bicycle several years ago but didn't recall going into the actual townsite. This time we did, and it was very nice.

We stopped for a beer at a restaurant and then went for a walk.

We saw a deer unfortunately trapped in an enclosure that was meant to keep it out.  it did not look all that concerned as there was plenty to eat.

We also went onto the dock and had a great view of the lake..

The rest of the day, we headed north on Alberta Highway 6 until we got to Pincher Creek. We were pretty tired by the time we got to the motel. There was a promising restaurant called Luigi's which was recommended but, when Dale saw the cooks outside having a smoke, he nixed it and we ended up having a bland dinner at Boston Pizza. As we walked back to the motel, the smoke was thick in the distance.

But we were home - well, sort of!

Waterton Lakes Prince of Wales Hotel - we did not stay here...

Yellowstone Ride - Day 2 - Penticton to Spokane - 350 km

The American Okanogam 

After a lovely breakfast at Granny's of freshly baked scones and cut up fruit (a breakfast that would stand head and shoulders above anything else for the rest of the trip), we got on our bikes and headed south.

It was a very enjoyable ride - but it was already hot - and I eagerly joined Dale in his questionable decision to strap his jacket to his Honda rather than wear it. We headed down Highway 97 which is a scenic ride through Oliver and Osoyoos until we got to the US border at Oroville.

Day 2 route

I have had friendly border guards, I have had nasty border guards, and I have had bored border guards, but I have never had such a rude, mean spirited guard as the woman at the US border. She was abrupt with me, sarcastic and sounded angry - all things that added to my regular border crossing angst. Not only was she rude to me, my friend, Dale, had the same, negative experience.  I did, however, drop a wax covered ear plug on the ground in front of the guard when I took off my helmet and I left it there. Hah! Take that!

We rode past similar scenery and filled up at Tonasket in the American Okanogan. While we were there, we spoke to a state trooper. Dale asked him the best route to Spokane - most scenic and free of state troopers! He laughed and suggested Highway 155 and then Highway 2.

A rest stop on Highway 155

We turned onto Highway 155 in Omak. It was hot and sticky out but there was little traffic so we could get going nicely.

Highway 155 was very scenic, and went all the way to the Grand Coulee Dam. We stopped there and went to the excellent (and free) visitor's centre which told us the whole story about the dam. Although not as tall as the Hoover Dam, for example, the Grand Coulee Dam is almost 5 times wider and is lost to a mile wide!

I was surprised at how many places have been dammed on the Columbia River.

From there we made our way to Spokane. Highway 2 was pretty boring, especially after the previous leg, and Spokane itself was not that pretty either - at least the areas that we saw. There was a lot of concrete in terms of buildings and highway overpasses that were not attractive.

Our hotel (the Ramada Downtown) was in an area that had seen better times. Probably in the sixties or seventies, the freeway came through and altered the area. Although the hotel was a bit sketchy, it did have a pool which was greatly appreciated and we met a guy (Everett?) that was riding across the country on a 2006 BMW 1200. He had bought it second hand with 110, 000 miles on it!

One place that has been there since before the changes was Dick's Hamburgers. Looking at the sign, I read 'Dick's' and then 'Buy the Bagfull'. All I could think was 'Grab a bagful of Dick's'!

We did have dinner at Dick's. When we get off our bikes, the last thing we want to do at the day's destination is get on the bikes again. Well, Dick's was it for restaurants and I have to say that their burgers were some of the best. I had a Whammy (double cheese burger), onion rings, and a salted caramel shake.

Delicious!

Better Late Than Never - Pt. 2 - Bellingham

Can you tell that I'm trying to catch things up today?

At the beginning of April, we had some more breaks from the rain and, happily, I was able to take advantage of them. During Easter Weekend I was able to go for a nice cycle over to Langley and back and then, thanks to the rare occurrence of two sunny days in a row, I decided to go to Bellingham.

Why Bellingham? Well, first, I like going to the US  - crossing the border is always kinda cool - seems like you're going somewhere exotic, second, I wanted to practice riding longer distances so I can get better used to faster speeds and third - Trader Joe's.

Up until the previous week, I hadn't even heard of Trader Joe's. However, after I had some squares of wasabi seaweed (only 88¢!), I knew I had to try...

I downloaded a new app for my iPhone called Border Buddy and it worked really well. It checks the main crossings for the border both ways giving you times as well as the opportunity to contribute your own timings. It also includes camera views for each crossing. A free app, it is well worth having!

I went down to the US by taking the Aldergrove  crossing. The way to the border was good - I took a more direct route which required me to go a little faster. After getting through the border (Snarky US border guy "Is that thing safe?") I made a bee-line for Trader Joe's, pulling over to consult my printed Google Map directions when necessary (can't use data on my iPhone in the States due to immense cost).

Trader Joe's is a very cool place. I picked up a tarragon chicken sub for lunch and filled a shopping bag with lots of tasty treats including dried mango, a number of different cheeses, crackers, candy, and a nice bottle of two buck Chuck (that actually costs $2.50 - isn't that just the tax on a bottle of Canadian wine?).

I rode off and then found a tiny park with a gazebo and some benches in Bellingham. It was a very pretty little park and I had a nice lunch in the sun.

After lunch, I sped off and headed for the Pacific truck crossing as the time there was only a 5 minute wait. My groceries were mostly in a bag bungied onto the back of my rack with the exception of the wine and the wasabi seaweed. At the border, the guard asked me where the groceries were that I was declaring and I pointed to the bag on the back. Then he said, "I guess you don't have any wine or cigarettes in there.." and I, of course, said, "Nope!" I don't think I'll start smuggling narcotics but it seems likely that border guards are not aware of the existence of a Vepsa pet carrier!

Once back in Canada, I made great time as I sped home. That night, I cracked the cheap wine - kinda rough, actually, so not sure I'd risk another international incident to take any back again....

Goin' State-Side

It was a perfect day for a ride - brilliant sunshine, warm temperatures and I had a little time to blow. So I decided to go state-side.


I went the usual way, taking the Albion Ferry and chatted with this guy who had an amazing looking bike. He built it himself with a little help from friends. It's hard to see but the drive belt is on the outside just behind is left foot. That would be a disaster for me. He has a 1700 cc engine and incorporates shell casings for a lot of the end pieces (like the handlebars and the shifter).

I eventually got onto 216th, thinking it was a small quiet road. It was small but not quiet. Oh well.

I've always enjoyed going into the US. I find that when you cross a border or take a ferry, even if you're not going that far, the simple passage through something official like a border crossing makes it feel that you're really away from home. And there are differences, most of them subtle, but they are there.

For example, in the US:
- the roads are better
-there's way more flags (still can't get used to that)
-the food portions are bigger
-every thing's way cheaper - especially with the Canadian dollar at almost 90¢
-there's different candy bars like Payday (you can find Pay Day bars in Canada if you look hard but they're always stale - I can go to any gas station in Washington state and they are always fresh) and Milk Duds and a whole bunch of brands we don't have
-you can't get Smarties in the US (not those wafer rolls, but really Smarties that are like MandMs but way better)
-you can get rainbow goldfish crackers - what my girls call Gay Pride Goldfish
-wine is dirt cheap - a bottle of the same wine can easily be twice as much in Canada
-people have a slight accent (which I find incredibly weird - a person from Prince George (way up north in BC) has the same accent as me but a person 90 minutes south of me definitely has an accent

I could ramble on for days as there are so many differences but there are even more similarities making a visit to the US very comfortable.

Except for the border crossing. It always feels like I'm being grilled about something. This time it was on my scoot asking how fast it went and could it go on "the Guide" and what did I mean, I took the smaller roads. I must have passed, however, and was soon on my way.


In Lynden, I went by the back of this small airfield. I loved how it was right beside the road - although a plane was taxiing, I would have loved to see some plane take off right over my head! I was going to stop in Lynden for breakfast but, by the time I got there, it was 11 and I thought I'd

Taking Hannegan Avenue from Lynden, I rode the 16 miles or so to Bellingham, or Bellis Fair Mall, to be exact. I had last been there about a year ago and found the mall quiet but beginning to recover. This time, thanks to the strong Canadian buck, the mall was pretty busy. There were a few empty stores and the Daiso store that I enjoyed so much last time was vacant. I had a lunch of clam strips and clam chowder and then shopped a bit at Target.


Although I didn't take any photos at the mall, I did take this one a few black away from the mall. It was a bit incongruous, having a field of flowers so close to a megamall.

The ride back to the border was uneventful although extremely pleasant. At the border, I declared some socks, a pair of shorts and a $6 bottle of wine. The customs officer, like big sister, said, "That $6 bottle of wine will cost you $8 in taxes if I send you inside. Remember that for next time." Yes, Ma'am, I thought. I love Canada.

Going back to what I said earlier, I love going away somewhere because it's exciting but I also love the coming home part. Whether it's crossing the border, arriving on the ferry, or landing at the airport, coming home is just wonderful!

Back in Canada, I took 264th most of the way - the road I thought would be busy - and found it to be a relaxing ride with very little traffic. A relaxing end to a very nice ride!

Trip to Seattle

As I sit here in front of the computer, I am basking in the glow of success after completing my Vespa ride on 50ccs to Seattle and back. Woot!

Monday

Odometer Reading - 8661 km


I left yesterday morning,, taking the Albion Ferry once again. I take a photo almost every time I cross lately because the ferry will stop running when the Golden Ears Bridge is complete in 2009. I’ll miss the ferry, especially since I get to jump to the front of the line on my Vespa!

When I got to the border, I had a good chat with the US border guard who couldn’t quite believe I was headed for Seattle. He was pretty amazed at my mileage and wished me luck. Pretty cool!

As I rode into Bellingham, 2 hours after I left home, the weather was still sunny but wasn’t particularly warm. I stopped in the downtown area and parked at a meter that thankfully had some time still on it as I didn’t have any US change on me. As I looked at a couple of restaurants, I was famished as I hadn’t had any breakfast yet.


The first place that grabbed my attention was the Horseshoe Cafe. Looking closer, it seemed pretty empty and was more a bar than a cafe. Around the corner, though, was a restaurant called Little Cheerful. It was busy and smelled good!


I sat down and the waiter greeted me with a “Howdy”, not something I usually hear in Canada. The breakfast I ordered was the Cyclops (one egg) and was very tasty - especially the hash browns mixed with fried onions. I didn’t feel that the portions were huge - they were just right. The coffee was excellent - heady praise from a guy that usually drinks only lattés.



I left Bellingham and headed down Chuckanut Drive. I stopped near a viewing spot and took a snap of the ocean. Sad thing was, there was a car parked beside me with a person living in it. I’ve heard about people living in their cars but this is the first time I’ve actually seen it happen.


Chuckanut Drive was one of the most beautiful rides I have taken.


Imagine, I’ve lived just a couple hours north of the drive and I’ve never taken this scenic route.


It was delightful!


At Burlington, I took the road - under construction, lots of rocks, “motorcycles use extreme caution” - to connect to SR 20 and headed towards Fidalgo Island and Whidbey Islands.


Just before I crossed onto the island, I went to the Swinomish Northern Lights Casino. I spent my customary $5 and lasted almost a half an hour!


I liked the dedicated motorcycle parking at the casino - I’d love to see more of that sort of thing.

The island road was a nice ride but because it was a main highway, and I didn’t really go off that road, the scenery was just OK.


The photo above was one of the exceptions - Pass Lake just past Desolation Pass. This part of the ride was over 40 miles so it took a while.

Odometer Reading at Deception Pass - 8807 km
Fuel used - 0.879 gallon


At the south end of Whidbey Island I took the ferry to Mukilteo on the mainland. It was a $3 ferry which lasted about 20 minutes.


It was a very enjoyable ride on a mostly empty ferry. I had time to eat a bowl of Ivars clam chowder.


Before I went back t the car deck, I took this photo from above of my Vespa.
After docking, I rode south into Seattle. As the weather warmed up, the traffic increased - something that I’m used to from riding in Vancouver (I actually don’t mind riding in traffic).

Odometer Reading at Seattle - 8925 km


Last night I stayed at the Moore Hotel - downtown, clean, and cheap ($74). It was a pretty small room but fine to sleep in. I dumped my stuff, parked the scooter in a secure parking lot, phoned the family to tell them I had arrived safely, and headed to Pike Market to grab a bite.

I ended up at the Soundview Cafe and had an excellent meal of crab cakes accompanied by a nice glass of zinfandel.

That night I got together with Navin, a university fraternity buddy I hadn’t seen in over 25 years. We had a great time catching up on each others lives and mutual friends.


We went to an area called Fremont (Fremont Troll pictured above) and hoisted a few pints at a bar called the Red Door. The years seemed to disappear as we chatted and laughed about things past and present. We finally ended up at the Whisky Bar, near my hotel, for a final night cap before I retired to the room at about 1 AM.

Tuesday

Feeling a bit fuzzy in the morning, I had a cereal bar and headed out into Seattle.

I like Seattle. I like Vancouver more but seems to be a similar type city - sort of a parallel universe version of Vancouver.

I went to the secure parking which only charged me half price because I was on a scooter. Nice!


I left the garage and rode north up a series of giant hills. Poor Vespa! I made my way past forbidding I-5 signs through different parts of Seattle - Lakeview, Kenmore, Bothell and ended up in Woodinside! This was a surprise because that’s where Navin lives! I didn’t try to find his house but at least I’ll know for next time.


I eventually connected with Highway 9, making my way through traffic and construction, stopping at Snohomish for breakfast/lunch. It’s a great little place with western looking false fronts...


That is, except for the neo classical Roman building!

Stopped at Grilla Bites for a great coffee and and sandwich (turkey, avocado and bacon).

Big Lake - Odometer Reading: 9070 km
Fuel used - 0.952 gallon

I continued on Highway 9 because around Big Lake, the traffic disappeared. It was a great riding highway, nice curves, not too hilly, lots of trees.


I stopped at Sedro Wooley for a pop and, despite the beautiful square downtown and the nice residential streets, the rest of the downtown core looked pretty nasty.


Maybe the fact that it started to rain coloured my impression.

I continued on Highway 9 until the Lynden turnoff and then through the border and home. It was the soggy portion of the ride but I stayed warm and relatively dry as I had expected a lot more rain than I actually got.

At home, I parked the Vespa, hung up all my rainwear to dry and sat back, feeling success at completing what was for me a challenging ride. And only 2 or 3 near death experiences!

Now, where to go next summer.....

Final Odometer Reading - 9183 km

Total Distance - 522 km

Average consumption - 94.5 miles/gallon OR 3.65 L/100km

Lynden, Washington and Beyond!

Border

On the way to the border, I did something I rarely do - I took advantage of the fact that I was on a scooter. The line up for the border was moving very slowly. Then I saw two motorcyclists zip by on the shoulder. The ‘ah-hah’ moment came and I scooted after them, rejoining the line-up at the duty free store. I’m so ba-a-a-d.



As I approached the border, the sun disappeared and, like a portent of doom, a dense fog descended. The border guard checked my passport and grilled me, asking the usual questions plus some I hadn’t heard before: What is your job? Are you meeting anyone? and my personal favourite, Where are you eating lunch? I thought of asking him for a recommendation but he didn’t appear to have a sense of humour. The US border is not so fun to go across these days.



Lynden

The fog had risen a bit by the time I arrived in Lynden, teeth chattering. Lynden is a lovely town, famous for tulips and a pioneer museum. There’s a Dutch connection so there are plenty of windmills, Dutch themed stores and streets, and pictures of characters in traditional Dutch garb.



There were plenty of American flags - something I noticed the whole time I was in the US. Canadians show their flag for about a week around July first and then back into the cupboard it goes. The prevalence of American flags just seems so darned patriotic - something, as a Canadian, I don’t get worked up about except, maybe, at an international hockey tournament.


Stopped at the Sidewalk Cafe for brunch. It was in a small mall with lots of Dutch features including big clog shoes and flags from different parts of the Netherlands.


The breakfast I ordered was the typical eggs and bacon special. I think it’s safe to say that what I’ve heard about American servings is true. It was a very generous serving - four pieces of bacon and a mountain of fried country potatoes - but the problem was that it tasted absolutely fantastic! I snarfled up the bacon which was perfectly cooked and had to make a conscious effort to hold back on the fried potatoes!


Samson Winery

As I left breakfast, my optimism rose - the fog and clouds had cleared and it was a beautiful day. I left Lynden in search of the Samson Winery.


It was a very nice ride as I had found some quiet back roads. Unfortunately the winery (“Open every day in the summer”) was closed.



Nooksack River Casino

Sighing, I hopped back on and headed south to the Nooksack River Casino. It was a busier ride but traffic seemed fine. I went into the casino and discovered it smelled strongly of smoke but was quite popular. I spent my obligatory $5 on the nickel slots and left soon after as nothing seemed to hold my interest.


Return home

I took a more direct route home, stopping at the border. I was asked three quick questions, didn’t have to show any ID, and zipped back into good ol’ Canada. As my daughter says, the Canadian border is so much more chill than the US border.

Almost home, on the Albion ferry, I was chatting with another motorcyclist and spoke almost apologetically about the fact that I managed to have a good time riding on only 50ccs. He looked at me and said, “Hey, a ride’s a ride.”

How true.