FL Rally and Club Ride - 9. Arriving Home

9. Arriving Home

Always a Struggle to Get Into Riding Pants

Massena, NY is near the Canadian Border, it’s way east of Toronto but there is a border crossing near the town. The only thing is the bridge crossing the St. Lawrence Seaway here is all steel grating. Not a happy feeling for a motorcycle rider. The bike wobbles a lot, especially when the speed limit on the bridge is low. Low because it is the border area, everything traffic related is supposed to be at a snail’s pace. 

Only one booth was manned by a border guard and he was kind of obnoxious, instead of a friendly nod to me, he asked why I wanted to visit Canada, where I would stay while in Canada, did I bring any alcohol, any weapons, did I have tobacco in excess? What do I have packed in and on my bike, etc? The idea is to stay cool during this ‘interview’; just answer what he asks and then do whatever he deems I must do. Still, I have a special ‘pre-approved’ Nexus card and had been checked out by filling out forms, giving my fingerprints, etc. and still sometimes you meet an eager young officer who needs to feel all powerful. Carol was behind me, her ‘interview’ was much shorter and ultimately there was no issue or trouble at all, this border guard just wanted to feel in charge I guess.

Packing Up For the Return to Canada

Carol wrote the word ‘officious’ in her trip notes to describe him, a good word, too.

I saw later that this crossing is not set up for Nexus card carrying holders. Maybe that had something to do with our ‘interviews’. I also believe, since the bridge is not really motorcycle friendly, not a lot of riders will cross this border crossing. And, like so many others, even a border guard can be prejudiced against ‘bikers’.

We arrived at J&R’s but nobody was at their house. We had previously arranged the pickup of our tent via phone and knew where to find our stuff, so… we strapped it on and went to town to have lunch…leaving our thank you bottle of wine at their door.

We just about got our jackets off with the bikes parked within sight of the restaurant when Jean found us in town. They saw us riding by the restaurant they were in so chased us to Timmy’s. We had lunch together but then scooted home, taking mostly the 401 going west.     

We are ‘home’ sweet home….  

Next trip will be??? No plans so far.

FL Rally and Club Ride - 8. Back Roads Towards Home

8. Back Roads Towards Home

We did not ride with the Club today but we met them for the night in Massena, NY.

Studying the map, we decided to ride route 302 north and then took route 15 through NY State going ever west now. Our goal was get to the town of Massena, NY just for an overnight sleep. It took us most of the day going that way, the traffic on Route 15 was too heavy. We had a lunch stop at the very northern tip of Lake Champlain and who would have known this is a heavily trafficked road?

With our GPS it was easy finding our hotel that night, but there were no restaurants nearby so we ordered delivery of Pizzas for the whole Club.

Pizza For the Whole Gang - It Was GREAT!

We converted the reception area in the hotel to an instant Restaurant room with everybody sharing the food, you had a choice of any kind of pizza, and soft drinks or whatever was ordered. 

Martin and John had found a ‘true’ Italian Pizza place that promised to deliver but it took some time, they were about an hour late. Yet, the food was ‘inhaled’ by then. 

The ‘leftover’ pizza went to the receptionist behind the counter of the hotel.

It was just a riding kind of day, the final goal for the group is the summer cabin Martin owns, but that is the final of the tour for the group tomorrow.

Carol and I will not finish with the group; we need to pick up our tent at Ross and Jean’s.