More Photos from Tour Riders

The photos shown earlier in this blog are merely a small sampling of the many, many photos taken by tour members during the trip.  However, since the ride ended other riders have begun uploading their photos to Picasa web albums and sharing them with the rest of the tour group.  Here are links to the Picasa web albums that have been forwarded thus far, for all to enjoy; and others will be added here as they are received.

    Bob Shriner               http://tinyurl.com/2aerlss

          Bev Shriner                    http://tinyurl.com/2e2frhl

     Ken & Jean Brandt       http://tinyurl.com/2az2dot


          Bob & Bev Johnson      http://tinyurl.com/2bvvn3t

    Wiecker Spelde             http://tinyurl.com/2bcuu58

          Aage & Ulla Krogh        http://tinyurl.com/256x3b7

    Paul Vandemeulebroecke    http://tinyurl.com/244rkpx

           Bill Smith                   http://tinyurl.com/3yx8n3k

    Terry & Norma Skoglund    http://tinyurl.com/27qrxlv

         Ian & Sally Trigg        http://tinyurl.com/268vrt7

Back to Montreal

  After taking the ferry from Digby, NS, to St John, NB, on Sunday morning, as expected the U.S. riders who were riding their own motorcycles headed for home rather than returning to Montreal.  I and all the riders on rental motorcycles continued onward up the scenic St John River valley as the temperature rose to near 90 F (near 30 C), stopping for lunch at a Mexican-style bar and grill in downtown Fredericton and then spending Sunday night in Woodstock, NB, where we were again treated with a luxurious catered dinner of baked salmon, prime rib, and roast chicken, with various potato and vegetable side dishes, plus desserts and fresh fruits.

  On Monday we continued northward along the river under overcast skies and occasional spritzes, stopping briefly to visit the world's longest covered bridge in the village of Hartland and for lunch in Grand Falls at the Hilltop Restaurant overlooking the falls and gorge.  That evening we were guests at the weekly meeting of the Riviere du Loup Rotary Club where we exchanged banners, learned about the community service and international service projects their club is involved in, and told them about the International Fellowship of Motorcycling Rotarians.

  Today we left Riviere du Loup early and rode in dense fog, tinged with smoke from the forest fires in northern Quebec, until we crossed the St Lawrence River at Quebec City and found sunnier skies and much warmer temperatures on the north side of the great river.  We stopped again at Donnacona for lunch then hurried on to the Montreal area to check in the rental bikes and complete our tour with a leisurely and luxurious 'farewell dinner' at the Imperia Hotel.

   What a glorious trip it has been . . . and what great new Rotary friendships we have developed with everyone who participated in the tour.

   Here is a photo taken at Hamel Honda of everyone who completed the tour on one of the rental motorcycles they provided.  The two gentlemen standing in the back row at left are one of the dealership owners and the sales/rental manager.  The dealership, like other groups we visited during the tour, have been eager to document their participation as part of their own history; and we have been glad to oblige.

Visiting Peggy's Cove and Lunenburg

  We visited Peggy's Cove and Lunenburg today.  Peggy's Cove is a scenic former fishing village said to be the most photographed site in Nova Scotia and perhaps all of Canada; and the weather was great for our visit.  Here are some great photos taken at Peggy's Cove by Paul Vandemeulebroecke that give some sense of its scenic beauty.

   From Peggy's Cove, we continued on to historic Lunenburg, once a thriving ship-building and fish processing center and now designated as a World Heritage Site, where we had lunch in the Old Fish Factory now converted into a waterfront restaurant and museum.  We also said goodbye to Nova Scotia riders Peter Clarke and Greg Trefry who had been with us since soon after our arrival in Nova Scotia.

   We continued on northward across the peninsula to tonight's stop, the Digby Pines Resort, near the Digby-St John ferry which we'll board tomorrow morning.  Upon arrival at the hotel I received an urgent message from Ken Brandt that Raymond Plue had hit a patch of gravel on a curve near Bridgewater and had gone off the road.  His bike was badly damaged but fortunately Raymond had only some 'road rash' and bruises.  Later I talked to Raymond by phone and he told me he was planning to return to Halifax and fly home since his motorcycle could not be repaired in time to finish the tour and ride back to Missouri.  Fortunately, his has been the only injury on the trip and there have been no mechanical problems with our motorcycles.

   Here is another of Paul's photos, this one taken at the Digby Pines Resort soon after our arrival.

Greetings & Update from Historic Halifax, Nova Scotia

   After a wonderful ride around Cape Breton Island on the Cabot Trail, we headed for Halifax yesterday, stopped for lunch and a tour of the Museum of Industry at Stellarton, and arrived here in Halifax late yesterday afternoon.  Except for some early morning mist on a couple of days and some scattered fog on parts of the last leg of the Cabot Trail, we've had great weather all along the way. Here's one of the many photos taken along the Cabot Trail, none of which fully captures its scenic beauty.

   Three riders from the Halifax Harbourside Rotary Club, led by Clarke Paynter, rode up to Stellarton to meet us at lunch and rode with us back to Halifax; and we have two riders from Wolfville who met us at Pictou and have ridden with us throughout our visit to Nova Scotia.  At Stellarton we were treated to a catered lunch and a visit to the Nova Scotia Museum of Industry, including a "photo op" arranged by the museum to help publicize the museum and our visit.  Here's one of the photos taken during the photo session.

   We're leaving Halifax this morning in bright sunshine, heading along the coast for Peggy's Cove, Lunenburg, and then across the peninsula to Digby; and the weather forecast for the next several days is 'more of the same'.  
   We're heading back north across New Brunswick and Quebec towards Montreal after today, with only three more nights on the road until we get back there on Tuesday.  
   Everything has gone well so far, except for the usual inevitable minor glitches all along the way.  Only about another 800 miles or so to go . . . .    
   Great trip, great fellowship!  
   Details later (after we get back).