2010 Friday 13th Port Dover

[DKillam]

Checked with Hips Cycle in Brantford (nice guy) and was told to call Rocky HD in London, Ontario which I did. Only one bike left to rent, but no over-nighter (24 hrs for $225) - it would have to be for the weekend at $800 , to which I politely declined . To me, riding on the 13th isn't that important, so parking a cage outside of town and walking is no big deal. I'm coming to meet and visit with forum members anyway - the Port Dover Friday 13th is just a side trip.
One day closer!

[indian Mark]

I'm running into a scheduling conflict and I am now a maybe to not so sure for next week.

[SuperBob]

Hope you can make it.

[lamf]

say it isn't so

[SuperBob]

Here is my addy.

613 Norfolk St. S. (Norfolk St. S. is the same as HWY24 South)
Simcoe, Ontario
N3Y4K1
519-426-1536 Home
519427-4567 Cell


If you break down on the Canadian side of the border. Call me and I'll come and get you
with my trailer and bring tools.

See yous all Thursday night.

[lamf]

If you break down on the Canadian side of the border. Call me and I'll come and get you
with my trailer and bring tools.

I've got to say Bob ... with everything you offer, you are one gracious host !!!

[DKillam]

Heading out in the morning at 6:55 AM - San Angelo to Dallas, Dallas to Chicago, Chicago to Buffalo

May have a slight problem getting flight from Dallas to Chicago. Went online to print boarding pass and only shows one seat available. I made this reservation a little over three weeks ago. Now they're telling me they've overbooked and we may have to be placed on standby.

See ya Thursday - one way or another!

[SuperBob]

Heading out in the morning at 6:55 AM - San Angelo to Dallas, Dallas to Chicago, Chicago to Buffalo

May have a slight problem getting flight from Dallas to Chicago. Went online to print boarding pass and only shows one seat available. I made this reservation a little over three weeks ago. Now they're telling me they've overbooked and we may have to be placed on standby.

See ya Thursday - one way or another!

airlines, don't know there ahole from mouths.

See you then.

[lamf]

Todd will be at my place about 1 or 2 ... next stop Ken's for a visit & some Cubans ... see ya a few hours after that.

[SuperBob]

See yous then.

Safe ride.

[DKillam]

Made it back home!
Story and pics tomorrow - goin to bed now.

[budoka]

looking forward to both! i just got back yesterday from a rally we had here, but i forgot most of the pics. i did remember to get some video of the bikes though. i'll post those later too.

-dan

[indian Mark]

I was thinkin' about you guys!!

[DKillam]

I was thinkin' about you guys!!

Sorry you couldn't make it Mark - was looking forward to meeting you!
However...
I did get to meet Bob (SuperBob) his wife Laurie, daughter Michelle and dog Summer, Bob (DRGN RYDR) and his wife Laurie, Gary (lamf), Todd Achten, Mel ? (from England), John and his (wife-girlfriend? sorry I can't remember her name or relationship ) and a friend of Michelle's (again the name slips my mind). I hope I got all the names right (Bob can fill in or make corrections) but I think that's everyone that was there.
The trip up:
Woke up around 4:00 am Wednesday (11th), load bags (and wife ) and head to airport, get boarding passes for first two legs (both American Airlines), but have to wait to get passes for United in Chicago. All goes well until we get to Chicago - we're running about a half-hour behind schedule to begin with and when we arrive the flight attendant tells us that the local time is an hour later than what it actually is, so I set my watch to what she tells us (BIG mistake). So now it's about 15 minutes before takeoff and we're in terminal 1 and our plane is in terminal 3 and we still have to get the boarding passes and go through security - ain't no way. Long story short - we miss the flight and have to re-book because of my stupidity . Next flight out to Buffalo is at 7:50 pm, almost eight hours later - so we wait... and wait... and wait.
Flight to Buffalo was a little behind schedule, so by the time we arrive it's already around 11:00 (local time), rent vehicle, leave airport - get lost, find a hotel to get better directions and finally get to US/Canada border. Chatted with lady at Customs (friendly ) and headed off on the QEW. Got lost soon - wasn't used to highway signage - but back on track quickly this time.
Drove to Hamilton, Ontario without problems, but before we got in Hamilton to where we were supposed to get on 403, we saw that the exit to Brantford was closed due to roadwork. We stopped at a police station before the exit and an officer told us which way to go - but he obviously wasn't aware that the on ramp to 403 was under construction, so we drove around and around and around until we finally found a road that got us back onto 403 - another hour lost!
We're getting there.
Five exit choices off of 403 in Brantford - hmmm - we'll try # 4 - don't know where to go, but get off anyway to find a convenience store to get directions to hotel. We stop at one close to downtown and the ring-in-the-eyebrow-and-lip attendant doesn't know up from down, so we keep going till we see a pizza restaurant that just closed with some people still in the parking lot (3:00 am). We ask if anyone knows where the Comfort Inn is and a guy gives us good directions 5 minutes later we arrive at the hotel, check in, bathe and crash - getting close to 24hrs - head on pillow at 3:45.



More to come...

[DKillam]

Thursday, Aug 12th, 7:30 am - who needs sleep?
Got things to do, places to go, people to see.
Went outside to check out the bikes in the parking lot while waiting on wife for breakfast - saw an '82 (?) shovelhead with some character - 45,000 miles, old custom leather bags and pretty well taken care of for it's age. Also an assortment of twin cams and a chromed out hardtail shovel - not bad for parking lot porn. (sorry no pics)
Went back inside to get coffee and met the guy that owned the '82. We talked a while and found out he was from B.C. - just traveling around when he heard about PD-13 and decided to see what was going on. A little while later I went back out to get a better look at his bike and saw that one of the bolts holding the coil bracket was backed out and almost ready to fall off and the rear cylinder exhaust bolt was gone. The guy was getting ready to go to Port Dover so I told him what I saw so he got his tools out and went to work. We talked a little more then wished him well, and loaded up for the day.
We headed for Niagara Falls to see the sights, stopped for gas along the way and at Clare's Harley in Niagara-on-the-Lake for T-shirts, then ate an early lunch before sightseeing along the parkway to the Falls. Beautiful drive along the way and was very impressed with the view of the Falls from the Canadian side!! We did the Maid of the Mist boat trip to the base of the Falls and got drenched along with everyone else - good thing they gave us the plastic overcoats.
We were going to do the Journey Under the Falls, but the wait was going to be over an hour so we decided to head to Simcoe to find SuperBob's place before dark. We traveled the back roads along the coast (mainly because I was tired of the driving on the QEW and wanted to go a little slower - got my wish - 60 ~ 80 kph most of the way ) and finally got into Simcoe and decided to find Bob's place before heading back to Brantford.
Bikes, bikes and more bikes - everywhere bikes - mostly Harleys, but a lot of crotch rockets too. All the gas stations were full - all heading to Port Dover.
We saw a lot of cropland along the way - soybeans, corn, ginseng, tobacco and other stuff we couldn't identify.
Found Bob's place, met Bob, his wife, daughter and dog and visited for a short while. Got dark before getting to Brantford and had to stop at a Burger King to eat and again ask for directions to the hotel - getting pretty good at that!
Getting tired, but had a heck of a day.

I know, I know...

Pics to come...

In the morning.