Motorcycle Adventures

It is with some considerable sadness that I write about our 2009 Nelson trip.  With our impending move I will need to sell my Burgman soon. This makes me very sad as a considerable amount of joy comes from my time riding.  My bike also represents a huge amount of personal time invested in creating the perfect bike for me, and it holds so many great memories.  It will be painful to sell it.

Along with the loss of the bike comes the realization that, at best, we will not be back to Nelson for many years.  We also may not have the opportunity to vacation with our friends for years, and Nicole and I will not ride together again for some time.

We will also not be able to ride any more of BC’s wonderful roads for some time to come, if ever, as even when we vacation here, we may not be able to rent bikes.

It is the end of a chapter and I’m feeling the loss.  While there are many great things to come, and I will buy another bike, I can’t help but feel sad as our trip has come to an end.

Nelson 2009 – Day 9

Today we ride back to Vancouver… Our last day on this vacation and this adventure.

The ride was pleasant, if not a little bit colder than we had hoped.  Eryk and Michelle wished they had packed an extra layer or two.  It is in stark contrast to the ride into our vacation where it felt like 30 degrees was the low!

We stopped in Princeton for lunch, and rode on through to Vancouver after that.  We arrived home around 2:30pm.  It was great to be home, and most of all, see on our little munchkins.  We had a wonderful long nap into the evening in our huge bed and savored being home.

Along the ride home I took some video and photographs from my motorcycle-mounted camera.  Here are those photos and the Video.

This video is a short segment I took while following Nicole on our trip back.  It’s a twisty section, though speed and cornering is difficult to see from the camera’s angle.  It is never the less a little window in to what it looks like to ride on my bike The sound is very poor due to wind noise so you may even want to turn it off.

This next video is very short.  We stopped to let a couple of young deer cross the road and I caught it on video.

The ride to Osoyoos was pleasant.  The weather wasn’t as warm, and we made excellent time.  We arrived by 10:30am, and were not able to check into the campsite.  It was too early.

We decided to grab some lunch, and then go to the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre.  The cultural center was quite interesting, though surprisingly small.  There were several presentations – one on frogs, the other on snakes.  The snakes presentation was quite interesting.  After watching two presentations and wandering around a little outside, it was time to run back to the campsite to get our spot in the campsite.

As it turned out, we got the campsite I like most, right on the corner.  We set up camp quickly, and ran out into the water again.  We had great fun playing in the water and had a nice camp dinner.  The evening was relaxing.  I went for a walk, and then we went off to bed.

Nelson 2009 – Day 7

Today was another unplanned day.

Nicole made us her famous finnish style pancakes in the morning.  Yum!

It was getting warm again, so Nicole and I decided we would see if we could find the beach. As we made our way down to the water, we were talking about how to walk to the park when the historic tram that serves the area stopped and asked if we wanted to get on.  It was a wonderful little ride.  The tram is a restored tram that is over 100 years old.  Years ago Nelson was served by several tram lines.  Although this tram didn’t originally come from Nelson, it was great to be on a piece of history.  The tram drivers were two old men.  They were the perfect tram drivers, stopping for everyone they saw trying to convince them to get on the tram for a ride.

The park turned out to be beautiful.  Lakeside Park was full of wonderful old trees, park benches, a little seawall, a concession stand that even carries organic choices, and a wonderful beach.

We cooled off our feet in the water and helped a fellow have his truck towed out of the water (he went in too deep and couldn’t get back out after dropping his boat off).  We played frisbee on the beach, and the in the park.  Nicole even found dairy-free ice cream at the concession stand!  I love Nelson!

We took the tram back and then went for a walk up to Gyro park.

This park overlooks Nelson and has a couple nice viewpoint.  We relaxed and read in the park, before going for a very pleasant dinner at a vegetarian restaurant in town.

After dinner we wanted to see if we could still find a way to go for a swim.  We had forgotten our bathing suites earlier in the day, so off we went back to Lakeside Park. It turned out to be just a little bit too late.  It was too cool by the time we got back to the park.  We enjoyed sitting on the beach anyway and going for another walk.

For me it was another completely barefoot day.  Wonderful.

Nelson 2009 – Day 6

We had a great sleep and woke up without an alarm.  We packed up quickly and then found a breakfast spot called the Hoot Owl Cafe.  This was a great little place, and clearly was the local choice for a good breakfast.

After breakfast, we were on our way back.  We decided to see if we could tour one of the many hydro dams in the area.  On one of our stop-offs Michelle found a great recommendation.  The Boundary Dam, one of the larger ones in the area, supplies 45% of Seattle’s power.  Several other hydro dams in the area make up the remaining power requirements.  The dam was built from 1963 to 1967, and has 5 generators (3 built by GE, and 2 by Toshiba).  Don’t ask me how I remember these things   It was a good tour, though nothing like the Mica Dam that I remember seeing years ago.

After our tour we were back on our way to the boarder.  The security was high at this crossing.  Just outside Nelson they were hosting a huge music festival, no doubt famous for drugs and alcohol.  As a result we had to chat with 3 US boarder guards while leaving the states, and then a nice Canadian boarder guard on the Canadian side.  Most people were being pulled over to be inspected, so it was great when we made it through the line and were allowed to pass right through.  Nicole even make the whole thing easier by talking about us when she spoke to the guard.  She waved both me and Michelle and Eryk through to the window so she could speak to us all together.

The ride to Nelson was uneventful, and a road we had driven several times before.  Weather was getting darker and we were very lucky that we didn’t get rained on.

Nicole and I went for a nice dinner at Jackson’s Hole back in Nelson and then had a quite night before going to bed.

Nelson 2009 – Day 5

Today we began a two-day trip following more of the Selkirk Loops.  The Selkirk loop is a series of highways with beautiful scenery, specifically marketed to motorcyclists, that winds its way up from Nelson to Balfour, over Kootney lake by ferry (the part that we rode yesterday) and then down into Idaho. Going through Bonners Ferry, Sandpoint, and Priest River.  As it enters Washington it passes through Newport and then winds its way through several smaller towns before entering Canada again.  Along the way they have marked out many “super side-trips” to extend the loop, and therefore your stay in the various areas – spending money as you go!

The Selkirk Loop Map

We decided to go south from Nelson down to Highway 3, and then west to Creston, before going south into Idaho.   We stopped at Bonners Ferry for a stretch.  Bonners Ferry as it turns out, was named after a ferry that used to run in this little town.  We payed a visit to the information center and picked up a list of camp sites in Idaho.  Then we were on our way again.

The ride was beautiful.  The gentle curves carried us through beautiful agricultural land and treed forests.  It was, however, not the sort of twisty motorcycle wonderland that we had hoped for.  In comparison to the ride the day before, it couldn’t have been more plain.  It was a short ride however, and within 1.5 hours of crossing the boarder we were already in Sandpoint.   We stopped at a gas station to orientate ourselves (that is to say our wonder-navigator Nicole was orientating herself).  As we looked over the map a friendly over-helpful gentleman came to our “rescue” pointing us in various directions for good camping.  As it turned out, campsites were quite hard to find, and despite our maps and my GPS, we couldn’t locate anything.  We decided to follow the instructions of the old fellow and headed over a bridge.  We found the campsite without any trouble but it was already full for the night.

I had a very poor sleep the night previously, and had mounted a campaign to stay in a motel for the night.  I was afraid that if I did not get a good nights’ sleep, I would be unsafe to ride the next day, and being so grumpy, would probably be banned from the group anyway   Everyone was hungry and tired of looking for a campsite anyway, so we found a smoky greesy spoon for lunch, and started to look for a motel.

Nicole was wonderful, standing outside the restaurant on a pay-phone trying to make us reservations so that we had some options.  In the end we stopped at a Days Inn, right next to the motel we had reserved.  I went in and talked them down to the price of the Motel 6, and since it was a nicer place, we stayed there for the night.

By now it was after 4pm and we hadn’t even gone into Sandpoint to explore.  We quickly unpacked and ran back out the door to explore.  Sandpoint is a cute little town, though lacking all character.  The shops were the standard type of shop you would find in a small touristy town.  One shop had the largest crystal I have ever seen.  It stood taller than us, and sad in the window just inside the shop.  (see photo).

We looked into several stores, and then found directions to the beach.  We had been hot all day, and were looking forward to jumping in some cool water.

The beach was no disappointment.  Wonderful clean sand on a crescent-shaped beach overlooking wonderful clear lake water.  Perfect!  Eryk and Michelle, who had been enjoying the shops on thier own, met us there by chance, and we all enjoyed playing in the water.  It was a wonderful way to cool off and enjoy the late afternoon.

For dinner we found an all-American style restaurant complete with salad bar.  The dinner choices included such meat combinations as steak and fish, and lobster and steak.  The salad bar came with the meal, and while fresh, was a very sorry excuse for a salad bar.  There were no cucumbers, no red or green peppers, and no carrots.  A couple of the vegetables came pickled.  In true American style, there were at least 8 different high-calorie dressing options.

I had the fish and chips as most of dinner options were heavily coated in dairy products.  Even my “safe” option came with a large helping of butter soaked beans.  Michelle enjoyed an alfredo pasta that had the meat taken out of it.  The chef had suggested that she go to the salad bar and bring back whatever vegetables she would like to add into her pasta.  Either the chef had no idea what was at the salad bar, or had no idea that lettuce and pickled beats might not be good additions to her Alfredo sauce.

We had great conversation and despite missing the quality of the Vancouver food we are so used to, the atmosphere was just what I was looking for.  We were after all on vacation, and visiting an restaurant like this just had to be part of the American experience.

After dinner I insisted that we stop and have a piece of pie next door at a restaurant that was apparently famous for their pie. My fresh strawberry pie wasn’t what I expected.  It was much smaller than the American standard.  It was essentially a pie bottom, into which strawberries had been laid, and then covered in a jello-like substance.  I enjoyed it non-the-less, and again it was a fun experience.

After all that food it was time to go back to our motel. I had left the air conditioner on full when we left, and by the time we got back it was as cold as a fridge.  We enjoyed the queen-sized beds, watched some TV, and then went to sleep.

Nelson 2009 – Day 4

Today was our day-trip day.

We left around 9am, and rode to the Balfour Ferry, where we took the longest free ferry ride in BC. The crossing is about 35 minutes, and the views are really pleasant.

On the other side of the lake is where the real treasure lies. About 1 minutes from the ferry rests a wonderful and suprising collection of some of the most incredible artists. Glass blowers, broom makers, metal smiths, and weavers.  All have studios here. You can shop for treasures, or talk to the artists themselves. Many of them let you watch while they work. The quality of the work is profound. The weaving in particular was breathtaking.

We spent quite a while enjoying the art, and the carried on down a fun and fabulous twisty highway.

We stopped at a beach. It was the very same one I found last year, for a great lunch and a dip in the water with our toes. It was very relaxing. The water was cool and clear, and the view of the mountains was magnificent.

We continued on the wonderful twisty road. This road is rated as one of the best motorcycle roads in BC. We had a blast riding it down to the end of the lake. Once at the southern end of the lake however, the twists decrease. The road now climbs up into the clouds reaching an elevation of 5800 feet. Although surrounded by incredible views, the road wasn’t as fun to ride as the twists.

All said it was a wonderful and relaxing way to spend the morning.

After returning to Nelson we went to find the shoe store that was closed the previous day and bought Nicole a new pair of Birkenstocks.

We then found a snack on one of the many patios on the main road in town.

After all that hard work we had a relaxing couple of hours back at the hostel before enjoying a nice dinner with Michelle and Eryk at the Red Fish.

Nelson 2009 – Day 3

Today was a wonderful restful day. We got up at 1030am! I finally felt well-slept and relaxed. It was another great sunny day here.

We had some lunch, as it was too late to have breakfast, and then enjoyed a wonderful walk through town. Nelson has a great collection of shops full of beautiful art, hand-made crafts, and clothing. We spent hours browsing through shops and enjoying the atmosphere. In the middle of our shopping we stopped in a bead store for an hour and made ourselves some bracelets. Nicole’s is very beautiful.

We stopped for a drink and a snack, relaxed in the hammock outside, and then went our for a nice dinner. After dinner we went for a nice walk along the lake.

Best of all, I spent the entire day BAREFOOT! It was such a great feeling to be able to shop barefoot, eat barefoot, and travel everywhere without anyone being concerned about my bare feet. My feet feel great and I feel very free here. It isn’t uncommon for people to walk around town barefoot in Nelson.

Nelson is such a free, relaxed place.

Nelson 2009 – Day 2

We had a stuffy sleep, though temps did drop mid way through the night.

I was up at 522am. Eryk was up when I returned from my shower, followed by Michelle and then Nicole. We were ready to go by 730am.

The ride to Nelson was fantastic. The temperature was much cooler than the day before. We got a great shot of the group at the viewpoint overlooking Osoyoos on the way out.

We arrived in Nelson at 1130am. We were able to check-in at the White House Backpackers Lodge early (check-in time is normally 4pm). Great clean and affordable rooms.

We went to the Red Fish for lunch, then I had a nap while Nicole read. Eryk and Michelle napped and read as well.

After my nap, Nicole and I went for a walk and I bought a water bottle. We found a great place for dinner and then went back to our room to relax.

Later that evening wert Eryk and Michelle for dinner. It was a great dinner.

Then off to bed!

Nelson 2009 – Day 1

It is with such pleasure that I can write about our trip to Nelson. More than a year ago, as Eryk and I enjoyed a great but short trip to Nelson, and Eryk was dreaming of buying a new Motorcycle, we first started talking about how great it would be for Nicole and Michelle to join us on a trip. Since then I have travelled to Nelson by myself, and to Osoyoos, the mid-way point of the trip. Nelson and the road leading to Nelson have long since become one of my all time favorite places. Filled with so much great scenery, wonderful motorcycling roads, and so many great memories, I love to come here.

So it is with a great smile on my face that I write about our trip from
the road.

We left on Saturday morning. It was a much slower start than we expected and I fear that Eryk and Michelle were probably waiting a long time for us to arrive at their house. We made it to New West by around 730am and set off on our way. The ride was very warm with temps into the high 30′s for most of the day. It was a great feeling to finally be on our way.

We arrived in Osoyoos around 1:30pm, getting the last cabana campsite available. The place was absolutely packed with campers. The Cabana Beach Campsite is our favorite camping destination in Osoyoos. Located right on the lake, each camping site has a small cabana containing a fridge, a sink with cold running water, electrical plug-ins, a light, and shelving and counter space.  There is protection from the elements, and it gives a little privacy when a change of clothes is in order.  They are also a great place to prepare food and to keep drinks and food save and cold in the fridge.

Nicole and I set up camp, an had a swim in the warm water of the lake. It is said that every day in the summer the lake goes up by one degree.  I believe this.  It’s a wonderful warm lake.  After a sweaty ride it was wonderfully refreshing to be in the water. We got dressed again and were on our way by 330pm. We were attending a surprise birthday party for Larry and had to drive to Peachland 100km away.

The ride was very warm – temps now getting into the 40′s. It took us one and a half hours. The party was great fun. We got back to camp by 9pm. We sat on the dock to cool off out feet before going for a short walk and then climbing into bed. Great first day.

Well we had plans to go to ride the Oregon coast near the end of July. Sadly our little dog Mandy had to have urgent dental work done unexpectedly. We found this out just the day before we were due to leave for our trip. Mandy’s dental work was booked for Monday morning, and we cancelled our trip

Mandy’s procedure went very well, and after a couple days we felt we would be ready to do something for our vacaton. We were very kindly invited to stay with friends in Calgary. I won’t right any more about our trip in this blog. We had a very nice time.