Today was not a ride that Venture and I would choose under normal circumstances. Sub-40 degree temps with nasty sky's conspired to make riding conditions poor. Frost on the tank during the morning pack was as a first for the Venture. I pulled everything warm from the bag and hoped for the best. The prospects for covering distance seemed bleak during the morning as frequent stops were required to thaw out the extremities. We covered 680K in the end, mainly due to the lack of accommodation west of Duluth. Followed Hwy 28 to 2 with the bulk of the day in rain, hail, lightning and the ever present numbing cold. Fortunately we broke out of the rain a couple of times and we took full advantage by hanging legs out on the highway pegs to dry wet feet and direct the wind into our soaked riding gear. Surprising how quick the wind drys a rider and brings new comfort to the ride. Fortunately the roads were straight in the norm and light with traffic so focus was not an issue. Staying in Grand Rapids tonight treating ourselves to a semi upscale motel. The hot tub on site is a definite plus. Neil

2 deg C first thing this morning... clear sky... and then it rained... and rained... and rained. One of the worst weather riding days ever... ice pellets, lightning, downpours and cold... but we did 680 kms. We are spending the night in luxury... indoor pool and hot tub... great dinner and tequila shots. Tomorrow has to be better!! Ian

Brrrrrr

The trip starts in the usual fashion. Assorted first day aches an pains that fade into oblivion with the evening meal, recollections of the day's events and anticipation of tomorrow's "push" toward our intended destination. I'm already breaking one of the pre-trip rules....no blogging after boozing! There was a time when an 800K plus ride would have delivered bike and boys to our intended area of riding. This trip we have our sights set on the larger goal of a spin around the US west coast rockies so it seems like we have only made a good start.
Say tuned for some excellent accounts of life on bike and road. Neil

The first day is in the books! We rode through sun, rain, wind and cold, cold temps. 820 kms and staying the night in Seney, Michigan.

Here we go again… this year we head west on May 30th.

As with every other trip, this one has been in the planning stage since we returned from last year’s adventure. Our intention is to cross into Michigan via Sault Ste. Marie and point towards the State of Washington. As with all of our trips, we have a general direction in mind but will deviate according to road conditions, weather, etc.

We hope to be able to maintain this blog for our family and friends. It’s a first for us and without doubt be fraught with technical and user (age) related problems. Another issue… the accommodations we choose. We’ve been known to stay in somewhat less than full service motels, but we will do our best!

A quick word out to our friend Eric, our fourth bike who is unable to join us this year… wish you were here, see you when we get back!