On the road – again. I say ‘again’ because it has been many years since I have embarked on a solo road trip. This is a significant trip as it is a ‘gap’ experience before fully turning the page and starting over.
Thursday was a mad packing day. It is always an art finding the balance between too much and too little. The Triumph Bonneville is a smaller bike. Five hundred pounds when fueled. My bike has only two small saddle bags. I have added a tank bag and then have strapped on an old heavy-duty wet bag from my kayak gear. That’s it.
I decided on a Barbour International waxed-cotton jacket. I would consider this water-resistant, at best. It accommodates layers though, is stylish, and can be covered by proper rain gear if needed. Other than that, it is jeans, old leather gloves and a pair of well-worn boots.
Day one started about a half hour later than hoped. It was an overcast day and 24 degrees Celsius. A perfect day. No glaring sun beating down on me, no rain, warm enough but not sweltering. This was important as I covered about 500 miles over 11 hours. After a short stop in Kingston to enjoy a tea with Kaoru at Cha Cha Tea I hit the 401 to try to make some distance. That was a great idea until Toronto.
I overlooked the fact that this was a holiday long weekend. I hit Toronto mid-afternoon; traffic was a standstill. No problem normally. It was exacerbated though by the top layer of asphalt missing, and uneven roads and low speeds made for an awkward drive. The second opportunity I found to break and hit the 407 express route, I took it.
The express route spit me out in Halton. From here I made my way to Milton, bypassing a planned stop in Hamilton. Windsor seemed far now and the day was getting late. Powering through to Windsor was my only option to beat dusk and nightfall. All good; there was pizza and beer waiting when I got to my destination.
This is the beginning of journey. For more check out the Transition Tour page between my weekly posts, and the Gallery will be hosting pictures from my Instagram feed, which you can access from the webpage.