On my way to my first major stop on this trip when I pay a visit to David Van Wickler and his family.
Inasmuch as I found Little Falls to be a pretty quiet place on a Sunday night, it really showed me how picturesque it is when I rode out of town. Gorgeous views of the Mohawk River until we parted ways just outside of Sprakers, NY.
Rural Grove State Forest, Albany and Pittsfield were all stops made in New York State before drifting in to Massachusetts and heading to Sturbridge.
David Van Wickler and I go back to 2006 when he first joined Armstrong Fluid Technology as a Regional Sales Manager for the Northeast U.S. He remained with us just over 3 years before moving on.
During the course of that time, it became quickly obvious to everyone within Armstrong how much he understood the intricacies of our product offering. He became a go-to guy when you wanted insight regarding what the voice of the customer was really saying.
After arriving at David’s, I had the privilege of meeting his wife, Dawn and the rest of his family. It was easy to see why his family is the center of his life. He is definitely the center of theirs.
We will be heading out to Cape Cod and surrounding areas tomorrow for a 2-day ride before returning to Sturbridge.
Little Falls, New York – As I’ve often done lately, I set Waze to “motorcycle” mode as I asked it to show me the way to my next destination.
I’d expected to be guided along the north shore of Lake Ontario and cross over to the U.S. around Gananoque; however, Waze had other ideas, and I found myself taking three ferries in the early segment of today’s trip.
The Glenora Ferry picked me up in Picton and docked at Adolphustown. It’d had mechanical issues recently, resulting in a slightly longer wait than usual.
Glenora Ferry
The route took me to downtown Kingston, and I began to wonder why Waze would bring me through considerable traffic in this mid-sized city. The answer became obvious when I joined the line for the Wolfe Island Ferry in the Kingston harbour.
Wolfe Island Ferry
Wolfe Island is situated where Lake Ontario drains into the St. Lawrence River. I landed at Marysville, a quaint spot known for its cuisine and crafts. I hadn’t been here since 1979, when I hosted a parliamentary delegation from the Isle of Man. Seemingly, little had changed in all that time.
After crossing to the southern side of the island, it was time to board the Hornes Ferry to Cape Vincent, New York. There is no pic for this one as the boat was so small, there wasn’t enough room for me to get off the bike. Besides that, I didn’t feel the bike was totally secure, and remaining in the saddle assured me nothing would happen to it.
As we arrived at the dock, I watched a man in uniform assist in securing the ropes only to realize that he was a U.S. Customs Officer whom I would meet formally a few minutes later.
I am loving this “motorcycle” mode in Waze! How else would I discover places like this?
I was now following the Black River, cutting through stretches of the Adirondack Mountains and passing through towns and small cities such as Watertown, Brownville, Lyons Falls and Hounsfield. The climbs, descents and curves left me in awe of the beauty this state has to offer.
As the afternoon drew to a close, I arrived at Little Falls. Upon check-in, I was advised that if I planned on having dinner, I’d better hurry as most places would close around 8:00 p.m!
No problem for me. After a great day on the open road and water, all I wanted to do in this sleepy little place was sleep…
Brighton, Ontario – First stop: my Mom’s for an overnight visit.
I always know there’ll be open arms and a great meal (or two!) whenever I visit.
Mom and Dad bought a house in central Brighton after coming to the conclusion that living in their retirement home on a 70-acre property 10 km (six mi.) outside of town was becoming too much to handle and a little too isolated. After Dad passed away in 2016, Mom decided to remain here with the community that she’d become so fond of.
The town of Brighton has evolved from an agricultural centre (mainly apples) to a retirement community on the shores of Lake Ontario. Quaint and quiet is how I would describe it.
I spent several days here after my surgery while Lori was in Europe with her Mom. It gave me the opportunity to get to know several of Mom’s neighbours as well as to reflect on the significant contributions she makes to her church and other charitable organizations. It’s hard to imagine her being happier anyplace else.
My plan is to get an early start tomorrow after a sumptuous breakfast!
Toronto, Ontario – I’m about ready to get out there and try this again!
It’s been 88 days since my misstep, which was followed by one surgery, four casts and 18 physiotherapy sessions (and counting). I’ll be back at St. Michael’s Hospital on August 12th for another assessment by the surgeon and hopefully, encouraging news.
It’s interesting to note that all of the medical staff who treated me suggested I wouldn’t be physically capable of riding the bike for a couple of months. After one aborted attempt, I waited a few days before trying again and was successful on July 5th. As Lori pointed out, it was two months to the day when I was back in the saddle.
After nine rides totalling 2,766 km (1,719 mi.), I’m ready to give this another shot.
The pain and swelling persist, but there’s been enough progress for me to do some exploring.
Many thanks to all of the family members, friends and colleagues who helped me along the way by having me over for dinner, riding with me or simply reaching out. I am so grateful for all you’ve done.
There’s no way that I would be as far along on the road to recovery if it hadn’t been for Lori’s loving care, patience and encouragement. I am a very lucky person to have her in my life.
In a few days, I’ll head off in a different direction from the last time and see what happens!
Toronto, Ontario – We left for the hospital last night and arrived shortly after 9:00 p.m. We walked out of there shortly after 9:00 this morning.
After three rounds of x-rays, two splints and two “closed reductions” (manipulations without incisions), it was determined that I had a fractured radius and would need surgery. Though the orthopedic surgeons were satisfied that the bones were aligned, I have a floating bone chip in the wrist area that only surgery will remedy.
While the surgery date hasn’t been set (we’re hoping it’ll be this week), I was assured there won’t be any serious riding for the next couple of months.
1 plate + 8 screws
All of this comes with great disappointment, yet I’m siding with fate on this one and imagining it wasn’t meant to be, so perhaps I’m better off for not taking my planned journey now.
A comment about St. Michael’s Hospital…in this era of funding cutbacks in various sectors, including healthcare, it’s encouraging to be on the receiving end of such professionalism.
The staff looked after me with exceptional care and compassion, with a light dose of humour.
I was labelled a walking risk…
Upon learning how I incurred the injury and how I made it back to Toronto, they thought it would be amusing to literally label me as a “falls risk” patient. It’s a step usually reserved for wobbly seniors.
If you need hospital assistance in downtown Toronto, you can’t go wrong by going to St. Michael’s.
On another note, I have to say how happy Lori and I were to be heading home. It had been a long night for Lori and a long day/night for me. Sleep would come easily after a nourishing meal.
As we were getting ready to sleep, we became aware of a lot of activity taking place near our house.
Jones Avenue Fire was unfolding across the street, which meant sleep would have to wait while we watched the fire and prepared for the possibility of evacuation due to the amount of smoke. Fortunately, no one needed to evacuate.
View of the school on fire
Everything calmed down as evening turned into night, although several of the 20+ fire trucks and other emergency vehicles remained until the next morning. Thankfully, the fire didn’t cause any injuries.
This will be my last post until the surgery is done, my recovery is well under way and my travels resume.
I’m looking forward to typing with two hands again instead of one finger, as well as hitting the road again (not literally hitting the road!)…
Toronto, Ontario – A perfect day for riding! Bright and sunny, with the air warming by the minute.
Brian and I loaded up our bikes, had a farewell coffee and said our goodbyes before going our separate ways.
Brian tried starting his bike with the same results. He was now pretty certain that the problem was the battery itself. There was enough power to run all the lights, but not nearly enough to crank the engine.
As we did yesterday, we rolled the bike to the top of a slope in the hotel parking lot, and I pushed him along to pop the clutch.
No joy this time…We repeated the process again except this time, I gave it everything I had. When Brian popped the clutch, the bike coughed and burped and suddenly came to life. In the split second that the bike took off, I realized my centre of balance was too far forward, and I was headed for the pavement. Thankfully, I had all of my leathers on, which saved me from getting some serious scrapes and cuts. I had hit the ground hard. However, the leathers could not protect me from the impact on both hands. As soon as I was back on my feet, I knew something was wrong with my right wrist/arm.
As Brian circled back on the bike feeling jubilant that the bike had started, the mood became sombre as we took stock of the situation.
We decided to let his bike idle for a bit as I considered my options and waited to see if the pain subsided. There was no sign of anything being broken, and I had hope that at worst, it was a severe sprain that would dissipate in the days to come.
I also felt some pressure to get going as I was scheduled to have lunch today with Mitch Jacoby and his family in Shorewood, Illinois, followed by dinner with Dave Brull and his family in Vernon Hills, Illinois.
With my decision made, I reassured a very crestfallen Brian that I’d be OK, and we’d be laughing about it in the days to come. On that note, we said our goodbyes, and I thanked him again for the very generous gift of his company on Day 1 of my journey, as well as the beautiful Guardian Bell that he and Eleanor had given me the day before. We rode together and then separated at the opposite on-ramps of Interstate 94, hoping we’d see each other in June.
As I continued westward along the Interstate, I realized there was little mobility in my right wrist, and the pain was becoming acute. I started to consider my options, which were:
Stop immediately and seek medical attention somewhere.
Proceed to Mitch Jacoby’s, and on his recommendation, get it looked at in Shorewood.
Visit Mitch and family and then proceed to Dave’s and get his advice on where to get it examined in Vernon Hills.
Return to Toronto and have it examined at home
The fear I had with options 1 – 3 was that if there was a fracture (which I was beginning to suspect), I’d end up wearing a cast and have to return home without my bike. I’d need to find a place to have it stored safely for the weeks/months to come until I was fit to return.
After 90 minutes of cruising with pain increasing and mobility decreasing, I decided that heading back to Toronto was the smartest move. Even if I had to give up en route because of the pain, or I felt that I could no longer safely operate the bike, my options would improve the closer to home I got.
I pulled into a rest stop where I got on the phone with Lori, Mitch and Dave advising them of what had happened and my decision. I also called Mike Anderson in Milwaukee, whom I was supposed to visit tomorrow for the day/evening.
With that tough decision made, I saddled up and rode down the Interchange to the next exit and got back in the eastbound lanes to head home.
Suffice to say that the pain worsened progressively, and the two fuel stops I made were sheer agony as I mounted/dismounted the bike. The only part that was worse was the stretch between Hamilton and Toronto where it became a stop/go situation because of the traffic. Maintaining control of the throttle and brakes with an injured wrist left me with a pain I’d never experienced.
Lori was waiting for me when I pulled into our driveway, and upon seeing her, a huge wave of relief swept over me. I had nothing left in me, and I needed her to help me off the bike.
Having unpacked, we’re off to St. Michael’s Hospital to find out what the damage is and learn when I’ll be riding again.
Ann Arbor, Michigan – My trip has begun on a damp, foggy Saturday morning but the weather doesn’t have any effect on my excitement for what lies ahead.
There is a charming Jewish tradition of escorting a traveler out of town in keeping with the practice of “loving your fellow as yourself”. Back in March, Brian Walker asked me if he could have the honour of “riding me out” on the first day of my ride, and after my eyes cleared a little, I immediately accepted.
Our plan was to ride together for the first day and go our separate ways on the second, with Brian returning home and me continuing on.
I headed out to Brian’s place in Brampton around 6:00 a.m. to hook up with him and say goodbye to his wife, Eleanor.
Before we rolled away, Brian and Eleanor introduced me to another tradition based in biker folklore known as the Guardian Bell.
It is well known that there are all kinds of gremlins which can plague a rider, ranging from failing lights to flat tires. Collectively, they are caused by the Evil Road Spirits.
Celtic Guardian Bell
The Evil Road Spirits are collected in the hollow of the bell, and because of their super-sensitive hearing and the close proximity of the bell, the constant ringing drives them insane and causes them to lose their grip as they drop onto the road surface.
Eleanor kneeled to find a spot under my bike where the bell could be suspended. It is critical that the bell faces the road surface to allow the Spirits an unimpeded passage off the bike.
My Guardian Bell
It is also said that the magic will work well for folks who obtain a Bell for themselves, but its power is doubled when it is given to you by a good friend.
Needless to say, I was very touched by Brian and Eleanor’s kindness.
However, I guess Brian must have bought his Guardian Bell himself because it let him down on Saturday morning. He discovered an electrical problem on his bike, which resulted in his battery being dead. With jumper cables, he got a boost from Eleanor’s car and had the bike running when I arrived.
With everything in place, we rolled off into the foggy mist.
Our meandering route would take us in a northwesterly direction as we cruised towards the shores of Lake Huron; we’d eventually head back south towards Lake Erie as we aimed for the border and crossed into the state of Michigan.
We stopped a couple of times for fuel and a bite. On both occasions, Brian’s electrical system was still acting up, and we had to pop the clutch to get him going. No worries with that as it started smoothly each time.
Brian was reluctant to get it looked at because it wasn’t clear what the problem was, and he was very sensitive about causing me any delays. I was OK with it too since it wasn’t causing us any real problems, though I was starting to wonder about his trip home tomorrow when he’d be riding alone.
As the day progressed, the fog was replaced by intermittent sunshine, and as we crossed the Ambassador Bridge into Michigan, there wasn’t a cloud to be seen.
Around 5:00 p.m., I decided it was time to think about calling it a day, and since we were approaching Ann Arbor, we ended our ride for the day soon after.
Ann Arbor is one of my favourite places in Michigan. I started coming here when I was associated with Team Penske in the IndyCar series back in the ’80’s and the Michigan International Speedway was a stop on the circuit.
It’s a beautiful city that is home to the University of Michigan and “The Big House”–the largest football stadium in the U.S. (seating 108,000) and second largest in the world.
Ann Arbor has given me many happy memories that I’ve cherished over the years. In fact, the last time I was here was with Lori back in 1996 when we attended the U.S. 500 at the Speedway. She was a little overwhelmed by everything at the race, but adjusted nicely when I showed her around the city. We said we’d like to come back and spend more time in the area, but it hasn’t happened yet.
I gave Brian a short tour of the downtown core before we checked into a hotel and grabbed dinner at a nearby sports bar.
I’m running around getting all of the packing done and getting ready for the start of my epic trip on my brand new Honda Gold Wing.
I’ve had a lot of people encourage me to document this trip, and since it’s something that I’ve never done before, it seemed like something to have some fun with.
I’ll be including a series of stories and photos as I go along, and when those are in short supply, I’ll find something else to rant about.
Big Bike Mike 