![\"P1010407\"](\"http:\/\/motocanuck.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/P1010407.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nAs often happens when I get riding along, I get thinking because other than looking at the scenery that is about all there is to do when left to your own devices inside the solitude of a helmet.<\/p>\n
I am going to have to come up with a system of dicating my thoughts via a microphone inside my helmet because I had all sorts of humours ideas for content here and as usual I have forgotten 90% of it. I’m not sure talking to myself is necessarily the answer but I’m in their alone so who will know.<\/p>\n
The day started with a straight forward run for the border crossing at Fort Erie. I am not a fan of the bloated border crossings we have to endure to escape Southwestern Ontario. I think it would improve tourism both ways if this wasn’t such a chore.<\/p>\n
Ontario has some amazing spots to visit on little two and three day excursions so I will preface my next comment with, “I love Tobermory and all areas of Ontario easily reachable in a day or two” but when you consider in the same 4 hours it takes you to get to the Upper Bruce you can be well into NY or very close to the mountains of PA. Just sayin, it’s a nice option. One not exercised often enough in large part due to….well as I said, fun and games at the border.<\/p>\n
As luck would have it todays crossing was not bad. Maybe a half hour of shuffling slowly forward on the bike and it was my turn. Of our little group I was the first in line and after all the standard questions the USBP officer asked if the next motorcycle was with me. I said, “yes and the Ford Mustang behind him”. \u00a0“A car” she stated, somewhat surprised. “Yes he just traded in his motorcycle and we still sort of like him so we let him come along”, I said. She laughed and sent me on my way. The first time we stopped after the border he told JR and I that she threw us under the bus, said we were hacking on him a bit. They had a nice conversation at the end of which she apparently professed she’d rather tour in his mustang then on the back of a motorcycle……shama lama ding dong ……..and his heart grew three sizes that day. Didn’t hurt his ego either, lol.<\/p>\n
JR shared a story from a border crossing he did recently on trip to NY City and then up into Quebec on the return trip. He had selected a small remote crossing that work out well for the route they were taking and he thought his boys would find it cool by comparision to the larger crossings the were used to. When he pulled up he was asked the easily anticipated first question, “citizenship” but the second question took him back a bit, “Why did you pick this crossing”. I guess they figure everyone thinks it will be a push over crossing at the small points. Now his inside voice said “Jeez, why! \u00a0You’re not planning to look in the trunk are you? but then he explained why and things went waaaaaay smoother. But wouldn’t part of you like to say it for shits and giggles.<\/p>\n
We travelled away from the border toward Aurora on 400 but exited quickly to 20A eastbound toward Letchworth State Park .<\/p>\n
We were only about 4 hours into our little adventure when we reached the park entrance. A lone, older gentleman was on duty. There was a row of cars and a second row for buses only. There were three busses in line and he was running back and forth attempting to deal with everyone in the order they arrived at the gate.<\/p>\n
I pulled ahead as the car before me cleared. He said he’d be right back and rushed off to see to the buses.<\/p>\n
I had the money in my hand when he returned (key point in just a moment), I paid, asked him for a map and moved on. I thought he was pleasant and helpful. \u00a0We stopped at the first parking area to look at the dam.<\/p>\n
SB relayed to us that when he pulled ahead and handed the guy his cash and ……for the sake of the story lets just call him Crusty the Park Clown said, in a grumpy I don’t care for motorcycles tone, “You’d think while I was looking after the busses they could at \u00a0least have their money ready.” SB went onto suggest, “Well they have gloves on and such I guess it takes longer”. “Yeah I guess so. You need a map?”, snapped Crusty. “No, I’m with them”, said SB. There was an awkward pause…….. followed by Crusty quietly mumbling “oh, sorry”. SB pulled away. SB said he’d wished he had a picture of the expression on his face during the awkward moment as Crusty attempted to extricate his foot from his mouth. Important life lesson, don’t say anything behind someone’s back that you wouldn’t say to their face. Or if you have a big mouth, small feet would be an asset.<\/p>\n
We spent almost two hours making our way through the park. Stopping on several occasions to look around and take a few pictures.<\/p>\n Continuing south out of the park on 19A was a beautiful route following along the banks of the Genesee River. Then veering southwest, just shy of Wellsville, on 417 and following this to 44. We took 44 south and crossed into PA.<\/p>\n The sky was a little unwelcome looking depending on which direction you were pointing. That’s PA for you. mountains and valleys play with the fronts that come off Lake Erie. With roads running like spiderwebs off in different directions its difficult to predict whether you need you rain gear or not. At one point JR and I were convinced that we were moments away from a torrential down pour so we reluctantly suited up. There was lots of evidence the precipitation was close by. On more than one occasion we rounded a bend in the road to see the moisture evaporating from the hot road surface like a low mist.<\/p>\n JR predicted at the beginning of the day that Coudersport PA would likely be a spot we could encounter rain. It sure did look like it but again nothing. The sky cleared and somewhere south of Oleona on 44 I removed my gear. JR declined citing the last time we had exercised a similar option he was out a pair of perfectly good leather riding gloves.<\/p>\n We had all brought camping gear but had some discussion about this and it was unanimous that we would search for a hotel or motel at the end of the day. Along this particular route camping was sparse and where we did see a campground it was mostly trailers. Must be a reason for that.<\/p>\n South on 44 to Haneyville, then carrying on down 664 to Lock Haven. where we stopped for the day.<\/p>\n Best Western in Lock Haven was very nice. \u00a0Restaurants on the other hand were very thin on options. I won’t mention the name of the establishment we landed in but out of the 20 brands of beer listed on their menu they had 4 lite beers and were out of the rest. I order a \u00a0flat iron steak…..guess what….yup, out of that too. What they did have was OK.<\/p>\n 650 kilometres by my rough calculations.<\/p>\n Day 2 – August 7th, 2014 – 0730hrs<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n Nice Continental breakie in the lobby and we are away to the races. cutting west- northwest out of Lock Haven on 120. \u00a0Of note Highway 120 follows the banks of the Susquehanna River and for those old enough to remember Abbot and Costello I need say no more. For everyone else you need to check You Tube for the Susquehanna Hat Company skit. I digress, not far along 120 we paused for an early morning photo op along the side of the highway.<\/p>\n We followed 120 to 1004 otherwise known as Hyner Run. A road that runs northeast through Hyner State Park. There will be video of this area to follow. We found a spot past the state park where we could pull over and we played……..I mean rode back and forth along a particular stretch for about 45 minutes.<\/p>\n Continuing on to where Hyner run connects with 44 we road north along a stretch we we had come south on yesterday. The plan was to take road 4005 southwest back toward Renovo but we discovered that dispite the existence of this road on my GPS and on the official map of PA it, in fact, did not exist. Perhaps the road map was from an alternative reality.<\/p>\n We elected to continue doubling back on 44, a win\/win for sure, to 144 at Oleona where we would take 144 south.<\/p>\n JR fuelled up here at the junctions of 44 and 144.<\/p>\n We went south on 144 and at the junction with 4001 I made a last minute decision to follow 4001 instead of making the turn to \u00a0Tamarack. This was partly based on the sign I saw for the dam that we would find ahead. A good choice I think, beautiful stretch of road.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n View looking back to the north from the dam.<\/p>\n Connecting back with 120 near Westport we continued westish. It turns out that by days end these little modifications to the route were likely for the best for a few reasons. There was no scenery sacrificed in the making of these decisions.<\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n