dltang
06-09-2008, 09:34 PM
Part 3, The rest of the story.
Boy did that shower feel great. The only thing was dinner was supposed to be at 8:00p.m. And because the tour and lunch took so long, it was almost 8:00pm before we even checked into the hotel. So we didn’t get there until about 8:38pm, they were already serving dinner. It was nice but would have been much nice if we had been given a choice of our food. They just served it and you had better like it or else you were just our your $30.00. That is one place BRP could improve next year. Let us know in advance so we can turn down the dinner or give us a choice. We had Coc-au-vin (chicken in wine sauce) and it was kind of dry. The dinner company was the best part. Jeremy and Alice came and joined us so we wouldn’t eat alone. We were almost the last ones there. For dessert, Brad and Carol came over too. It was nice.
After the food was served they told us to all check under our chairs. Taped to the bottom was a “y” factor key chain and then you got Spyder Parking only sign too. Brian got one, and so did Jeremy and his wife. They gave one of theirs to Carol and Brad since they only have one Spyder. I thought that was very nice. After dessert, everyone cleared out pretty fast. It was going to be an early morning. We made a slight detour and went out on the Terrace. Venym aka Kevin and his friend were out there. We must have stayed out there and talked for half an hour or better. More really nice people. Spyder folk are just great all around I guess.
The Chateau Bromont had great scenery, great atmosphere and really cushy beds. Of course I still didn’t sleep well. I was up by six and packing for the trip to the museum. Out in the parking lot, it appeared I wasn’t the only one up and around early. Many travelers were heading back without a museum stop. Lamonster and his group were getting ready to head out but not before a photo op and some light conversation. For those waiting to head to the museum, we spent a lot of time around Marc’s loaner SE5 checking it out. It was there that I got me a SpyderTalk hat. Very nice. Bjt was wearing his SpyderLovers t-shirt with Spydertalk hat. It was kind of cool. Two very great forums that we frequent and enjoy.
The ride back to the museum didn’t feel any faster than Brian’s scenic trip to the hotel the night before. I think they just took more main roads instead of back roads. We had a continental breakfast that wasn’t too bad. They had a large tent set up for us at the museum. We spent quite a bit of time once again talking to all the other owners and just checking out the other Spyders and their mods. We finally got our butts into the museum and it was pretty cool. Some of those machines are amazing. A group of us gathered in front of the original garage for a photo. We grabbed as many as we could fine in the vicinity.
By now, we are all getting ready to leave and feeling the need to get on the road. Of course, my husband fell in love with the Give bags and rack the Brad got and he wanted one too. So back over to the dealership across from the factory to get our free tank of gas and Brian’s new set up. It was there that I learned our newfound friends had decided we should go to Americade on our way home. Now remember, Americade is not on our way to Michigan. But what the heck, it’s our vacation right? Everyone waited for quite a while for Brian to get his bags installed but it just was taking too long. Most of the group headed out and we told them we would see them there. Brad and Carol hung with us ad Brad helped install the rack on Brian’s Spyder.
Once again we are on our way. The only thing is Shawn aka Spyder990 (very nice guy by the way) sent us north to go south. I think he was trying to keep us on main roads but it may have added about a 1/2 an hour to our drive time. The drive through the Adirondacks was fantastic. Great scenery and a pretty nice drive overall. We stopped a few times to rest our tushies ad get some hydrations and fuel and a few photos as well. We got a tiny bit of rain once or twice but other than that, pretty nice weather. Very high winds though. As we pulled into Lake George, we ended up on the North end of town and had to drive through everything. It was hot and crowded and so very cool. People and bikes everywhere. We got a lot of comments as well, with 5 Spyders coming through. As we got to the end of the line we had a voice mail telling us where some of our other Spyder friends had gotten a room so off we went to make sure we had a place to stay. The Country Hearth Inn it was.
Once we were all checked in, we gathered in the parking lot and were discussing plans for dinner. We decided that going back into the think of things would not be the wisest choice. So off to the south we went. Somehow I was put in the lead and in charge of finding a place to eat. I had a pizza joint on the mind when I pulled out but as I’ve learned, plans change. I saw a steak and seafood restaurant and it had room to park all of our Spyders, all 8 of them. I turned in quickly and the decision was made. They had pretty good food, a little slow but all in all a good meal. This gave us lots of time to get to know each other better and discuss all things Spyder.
After dinner, everyone was pooped and wanted to head back to the hotel. I wanted to head into the thick of things and check it out. The air was teaming with excitement. So Spyder-dude (Shawn) and Spyder-Gramps (Tom) and I headed back into town. What a great cruise. More bikes than I’d ever seen in one place. Some of them were so decked out too. We drove along the water and back into town and back down main street. We thought everything was closed and that is why Brian didn’t want to come out with us. So many things were still open though and the town was rocking. The vendors unfortunately were closed. Got back to the hotel and told husby, about stores being open and asked if he wanted to go back out. When we got to the parking lot, Shawn was still there so we asked if he wanted one more cruise into town. He was up for it. Off we went. This time we parked the Spyders and took a walk through the thick of things. The only thing we ended up buying was some new sunglasses for bjt. Most of the stores it turned out were novelty stores and snack shops., but it was still fun. Also, now I can say I officially earned my Americade pin for the Homecoming.
Sunday morning is upon us and the ride home lurks in the distance. What seemed like a great idea now was an added 5 hours to our ride. Don’t get me wrong, we are glad we did it and wouldn’t change a thing, just all that riding at the end of the trip was not the smartest thing we ever did. We said all our good-byes, many times as a matter of fact and headed out for fuel and to hit the road about 8:30a.m. Our goal was to get to Niagara Falls in Canada in a reasonable amount of time so that we could get photos of the Spyders at the Falls. We took a scenic drive just north of Albany and it was very nice and then headed west toward Niagara Falls.
Had we known that it would take almost an hour for our photo at the falls we may not have done it. But once again, we are glad we did. We got through customs at Niagara and got over to Canada. Then it was backwards to the Falls about 12 K. Then we couldn’t find a good spot to park the Spyders and get the Falls in the background. We asked a bicycle cop where we could park. He sent us up to a small turn in spot and said we could park there briefly. As it turns out, we parked on the sidewalk and had many onlookers and folks taking pictures. Another bicycle cop told us we couldn’t stay there but we also couldn’t get away form the crowd that easily either. It was just crazy. We had our own paparazzi.
Finally, we are on our final leg home. Just outside of Toronto the weather started to get a little scary though. We saw lightening and dark skies. It was time for rain gear for sure. I am glad I did it too. We drove through some really bad and heavy rains. It was like driving through deep puddles on the expressway. We drove in and out of that type of weather 3 or 4 times. Finally at one point I mentioned that I should make a restroom stop. This was just outside of London, On. It is a good think I did too. We sat and had dinner for about an hour while we waited out a thunderstorm and possible tornado that was spotted in London. Once that blew over, it was clear sailing the rest of the way home, both weather and riding.
Of course, we had to clear customs once again. It is so funny; those guys are more interested in the Spyder than if you bought anything or have any weapons or whatever. One guy kept our traveling buddy, Duane talking forever. I felt sorry for the cars behind him. Once we got through Sarnia, we parted ways with Duane in Port Huron. He was headed to Sandusky, MI and we had Grand Blanc in our sights. One last hour. We were both so ready to get home that when we got off at the exit and the gas lights came on both of our Spyders, we did not stop to fill up. Only 5 miles to go, we could get to a gas station the next day.
HOME!!! Yeah!! As much as I loved this whole experience and this trip, home was so nice. So what did we do, got on line and checked the forums. Go figure. Finally, I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer and off to bed I went. I don’t even remember falling asleep. Would I do it again? You bet!!
Boy did that shower feel great. The only thing was dinner was supposed to be at 8:00p.m. And because the tour and lunch took so long, it was almost 8:00pm before we even checked into the hotel. So we didn’t get there until about 8:38pm, they were already serving dinner. It was nice but would have been much nice if we had been given a choice of our food. They just served it and you had better like it or else you were just our your $30.00. That is one place BRP could improve next year. Let us know in advance so we can turn down the dinner or give us a choice. We had Coc-au-vin (chicken in wine sauce) and it was kind of dry. The dinner company was the best part. Jeremy and Alice came and joined us so we wouldn’t eat alone. We were almost the last ones there. For dessert, Brad and Carol came over too. It was nice.
After the food was served they told us to all check under our chairs. Taped to the bottom was a “y” factor key chain and then you got Spyder Parking only sign too. Brian got one, and so did Jeremy and his wife. They gave one of theirs to Carol and Brad since they only have one Spyder. I thought that was very nice. After dessert, everyone cleared out pretty fast. It was going to be an early morning. We made a slight detour and went out on the Terrace. Venym aka Kevin and his friend were out there. We must have stayed out there and talked for half an hour or better. More really nice people. Spyder folk are just great all around I guess.
The Chateau Bromont had great scenery, great atmosphere and really cushy beds. Of course I still didn’t sleep well. I was up by six and packing for the trip to the museum. Out in the parking lot, it appeared I wasn’t the only one up and around early. Many travelers were heading back without a museum stop. Lamonster and his group were getting ready to head out but not before a photo op and some light conversation. For those waiting to head to the museum, we spent a lot of time around Marc’s loaner SE5 checking it out. It was there that I got me a SpyderTalk hat. Very nice. Bjt was wearing his SpyderLovers t-shirt with Spydertalk hat. It was kind of cool. Two very great forums that we frequent and enjoy.
The ride back to the museum didn’t feel any faster than Brian’s scenic trip to the hotel the night before. I think they just took more main roads instead of back roads. We had a continental breakfast that wasn’t too bad. They had a large tent set up for us at the museum. We spent quite a bit of time once again talking to all the other owners and just checking out the other Spyders and their mods. We finally got our butts into the museum and it was pretty cool. Some of those machines are amazing. A group of us gathered in front of the original garage for a photo. We grabbed as many as we could fine in the vicinity.
By now, we are all getting ready to leave and feeling the need to get on the road. Of course, my husband fell in love with the Give bags and rack the Brad got and he wanted one too. So back over to the dealership across from the factory to get our free tank of gas and Brian’s new set up. It was there that I learned our newfound friends had decided we should go to Americade on our way home. Now remember, Americade is not on our way to Michigan. But what the heck, it’s our vacation right? Everyone waited for quite a while for Brian to get his bags installed but it just was taking too long. Most of the group headed out and we told them we would see them there. Brad and Carol hung with us ad Brad helped install the rack on Brian’s Spyder.
Once again we are on our way. The only thing is Shawn aka Spyder990 (very nice guy by the way) sent us north to go south. I think he was trying to keep us on main roads but it may have added about a 1/2 an hour to our drive time. The drive through the Adirondacks was fantastic. Great scenery and a pretty nice drive overall. We stopped a few times to rest our tushies ad get some hydrations and fuel and a few photos as well. We got a tiny bit of rain once or twice but other than that, pretty nice weather. Very high winds though. As we pulled into Lake George, we ended up on the North end of town and had to drive through everything. It was hot and crowded and so very cool. People and bikes everywhere. We got a lot of comments as well, with 5 Spyders coming through. As we got to the end of the line we had a voice mail telling us where some of our other Spyder friends had gotten a room so off we went to make sure we had a place to stay. The Country Hearth Inn it was.
Once we were all checked in, we gathered in the parking lot and were discussing plans for dinner. We decided that going back into the think of things would not be the wisest choice. So off to the south we went. Somehow I was put in the lead and in charge of finding a place to eat. I had a pizza joint on the mind when I pulled out but as I’ve learned, plans change. I saw a steak and seafood restaurant and it had room to park all of our Spyders, all 8 of them. I turned in quickly and the decision was made. They had pretty good food, a little slow but all in all a good meal. This gave us lots of time to get to know each other better and discuss all things Spyder.
After dinner, everyone was pooped and wanted to head back to the hotel. I wanted to head into the thick of things and check it out. The air was teaming with excitement. So Spyder-dude (Shawn) and Spyder-Gramps (Tom) and I headed back into town. What a great cruise. More bikes than I’d ever seen in one place. Some of them were so decked out too. We drove along the water and back into town and back down main street. We thought everything was closed and that is why Brian didn’t want to come out with us. So many things were still open though and the town was rocking. The vendors unfortunately were closed. Got back to the hotel and told husby, about stores being open and asked if he wanted to go back out. When we got to the parking lot, Shawn was still there so we asked if he wanted one more cruise into town. He was up for it. Off we went. This time we parked the Spyders and took a walk through the thick of things. The only thing we ended up buying was some new sunglasses for bjt. Most of the stores it turned out were novelty stores and snack shops., but it was still fun. Also, now I can say I officially earned my Americade pin for the Homecoming.
Sunday morning is upon us and the ride home lurks in the distance. What seemed like a great idea now was an added 5 hours to our ride. Don’t get me wrong, we are glad we did it and wouldn’t change a thing, just all that riding at the end of the trip was not the smartest thing we ever did. We said all our good-byes, many times as a matter of fact and headed out for fuel and to hit the road about 8:30a.m. Our goal was to get to Niagara Falls in Canada in a reasonable amount of time so that we could get photos of the Spyders at the Falls. We took a scenic drive just north of Albany and it was very nice and then headed west toward Niagara Falls.
Had we known that it would take almost an hour for our photo at the falls we may not have done it. But once again, we are glad we did. We got through customs at Niagara and got over to Canada. Then it was backwards to the Falls about 12 K. Then we couldn’t find a good spot to park the Spyders and get the Falls in the background. We asked a bicycle cop where we could park. He sent us up to a small turn in spot and said we could park there briefly. As it turns out, we parked on the sidewalk and had many onlookers and folks taking pictures. Another bicycle cop told us we couldn’t stay there but we also couldn’t get away form the crowd that easily either. It was just crazy. We had our own paparazzi.
Finally, we are on our final leg home. Just outside of Toronto the weather started to get a little scary though. We saw lightening and dark skies. It was time for rain gear for sure. I am glad I did it too. We drove through some really bad and heavy rains. It was like driving through deep puddles on the expressway. We drove in and out of that type of weather 3 or 4 times. Finally at one point I mentioned that I should make a restroom stop. This was just outside of London, On. It is a good think I did too. We sat and had dinner for about an hour while we waited out a thunderstorm and possible tornado that was spotted in London. Once that blew over, it was clear sailing the rest of the way home, both weather and riding.
Of course, we had to clear customs once again. It is so funny; those guys are more interested in the Spyder than if you bought anything or have any weapons or whatever. One guy kept our traveling buddy, Duane talking forever. I felt sorry for the cars behind him. Once we got through Sarnia, we parted ways with Duane in Port Huron. He was headed to Sandusky, MI and we had Grand Blanc in our sights. One last hour. We were both so ready to get home that when we got off at the exit and the gas lights came on both of our Spyders, we did not stop to fill up. Only 5 miles to go, we could get to a gas station the next day.
HOME!!! Yeah!! As much as I loved this whole experience and this trip, home was so nice. So what did we do, got on line and checked the forums. Go figure. Finally, I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer and off to bed I went. I don’t even remember falling asleep. Would I do it again? You bet!!