Day 3: For real this time
Leaving York Beach was a pretty simple thing. Packing everything up went as quick as I had expected and everything was on the bike in around 10 minutes. (Actually, this is one of the advantages of camping: you don’t have to lug a ton of crap from your room to the bike – it’s all right there!) I had a warning from a fellow camper that US-1 was going to be slow.
I tried to follow US-1 the whole way but that wound up to be a very time-consuming prospect, just as I heard. The road wove in and out of many small towns along the coast with people who couldn’t drive. Driving by Kennebunkport turned out to be the highlight – if for no other reason than I now know where the Bush clan summers. It’s good to put a location on something you hear on the news all the time.
So I hopped on the freeway/turnpike. That saved a bunch of time, even if it was being traded for less interesting scenery.
I realized I needed some breakfast and coffee – mainly the coffee – and took an exit the Zumo told me has some restaurant. The Garmin, while knowing the lay of the land pretty well, doesn’t really know about the things on the land. I wind up looking around for things it didn’t find as much as listening to what it did find. I happened upon a little diner – Dave’s Diner to be specific and got breakfast and the much needed caffeine. It was fun striking up a conversation with the manager and one of the regulars about motorcycles. The customer’s dad showed up later on who was a biker from another era.
He gave me a thumbs-up through the window as I pulled out.
+1
Back to the freeway (it really was free this time) for a few more exits and got off – headed for Bar Harbor this time. Or “Bah Hahbah” as the locals say.
After I got back on US-1 further north it wound up to be a blast! I didn’t stop to take pictures, but it was fun going in and out of the small town with less traffic this time. Looking to my right I could see the Atlantic peek through the trees now and again.
As I grew nearer my destination I took a quick left off the coast onto Maine 191.
This road reminded my of the Cassiar from last year. A mildly twisting, little used road through logging country.
What a fun road that was! I stopped once to take some pictures. I think I picked the best place to stop since it was the best scenery of the road. :-)
Eventually I got to the border. It was slow. And I was searched. Well, the bike was. Turns out I’m not trying to smuggle anything into Canada.
Finally got on the Trans-Canada highway and aimed the Garmin at the Bay of Fundy. Nature didn’t cooperate however. The closer I got, the worse the weather got. I scrubbed plans for that and set my sights on the Comfort Inn in Moncton. Eventually I was in a full-on thunderstorm. Not fun.
I stayed dry though.
I managed to the get last room at the place. Only because someone next in line was canceling a room. Timing is everything.
Ordered a pizza. (only so-so… but it still tasted good after the ride over)
Uploaded pictures.
