Tyre trouble

It was supposed to be a cruisey day with not too many miles today as we only had to ride to Haines Junction. A mear 255 km. Stopped in Whitehorse for brunch at Tim Hortens. Met a couple from Quebec who are also touring Alaska on their BMW. Marty and Maree were outside chatting to them by the bikes when the traffic police came and spoke to them. Once he realised the guy was from Quebec they switched to french had a chat and all was good. I meanwhile was inside chatting to a couple of old local guys who said they'd never seen motorbikes parked there before and don't worry he won't give you a ticket. We then got onto the subject of moose or rather the lack of them and one of them said there were moose in NZ but they don't have antlers because there is a mineral deficincey and they won't grow. I told him no way and he told me it was true and I should google it. Maybe I will.

 We stopped at a lookout point about 50km from Haines Junction and just as we were about to keave Marty spotted his crumbling rear tyre.

He thought it would be ok to Haines Junction so on we went.

 By the time we arrived the tyre was totally shot. They were lucky to make it. Next problem was there was nothing in Haines Junction.

 Rang the bike shops in White horse and one had a tyre but they shut at 5.30 so it was going to be a race against time. We unloaded my bike while Marty took his wheel off. All loaded and off he zoomed. Maree and I then took a stroll around time calling in at the local garage to see if he could fit the tyre Saturday if needed but no he didn't work Saturday. He was more interested in making fun of our accents. Spotted a couple of different churches worthy of a photo.

We checked out the local bakery and discovered they had a salmon bake bbq and music at 6pm. Cost $32 so we booked in. Dinner was delicious but bluegrass doesn't really do it for me. Was ok for a while but then all sounded the same. Shared a table with a couple from Texas. They were motorcycling around as well and had seen 3 moose, one very up close and personnel as it ran alongside him on the road. He said all he could see was a giant set of testicles.

 Marty called to say he made it, got the tyre changed and was on his way back and could we have tea for him so we got him a takeaway salmon meal. Best deal in town.
He made it back by 8.30. Looked pretty pooped. It was a 200 mile round trip. But at least we are good togo tomorrow and not stuck here till maybe Tuesday.
Full steam ahead for Tok. 460 odd kms. Not a fun ride as it rained the whole way and to say we sarrived wet was an understatement. There was also lots of roadworks some where we had to wait for a pilot car to escort us through. Once at the motel we layed all our gear out in the sun which had finally decided to come out.

 I was knackered and had a very sore eye. I hit the hay straight after tea. My eye was still pretty red and sore the next morning so I got some saline solution out of the first aid kit and with Maree's gave it a wash out. Seemed to work its been feeling better and better as the days gone on but still very red. And another wet day. Takes the shine out of things somewhat. It did stop briefly when we were passing some pretty spectacular glaciers so that was nice.

Staying tonight in Palmer which is about 50 miles north of Ancorage. And still no moose sighted.

 Monday It finally happened today. I saw a moose on the way to the gas station in Anchorage. She was beautiful but I had no time to stop and get a photo. I'm sure I will get the chance to get a pic befire we leave Alaska. Took Maree down to Gridwood this morning so she could do her dog sledding trip. We then went for a ride down to Portage but didn't hang around as it was raining. Rode back to Bird Creek where we checked out the salmon fishermen.

 None were having any luck. Picked Maree up had subway for tea. Relaxing at the motel. Maree enjoyed her trip. She might have found herself a new vocation. Haha

Ferry to Juneau and Skagway

We were up early as we had to be at the ferry by 8am. We weren't looking forward to the 3hr wait to board but as luck would have it Marty helped fill in the time. It took us 20 odd minutes to work our way up the queue to the border control agent and 10 mins later we were out of the queue as Marty didn't have the correct documentation needed to get back into America. Between the motel, the boat check in counter and border control his visa which was in his passport had vanished. But it turned out that was only valid while he remained in the States so he had to fill out another visa waiver form. Back in line again! Almost to the front of the queue and the border guard calls "kiwis come forward", so we jump ahead and are processed. Yeah, Marty now has a visa waiver double stapled in his passport we are good to go.

Our cabin on the boat is pretty good. Two bunks, wee table and a bathroom. All we need. Very pleasant sailing up to Ketchacan. 

These planes were coming and going non stop

Add Ketchacan from the boat. 

Spoke to a local guy from there who told us lots about the area and Alaska. We didn't get off the boat when it stopped as town was too far from the dock.  We retired about 11.30pm. Marty decided it was too cramped sharing the bunk with me so he went upstairs to crash. There were plenty of couches etc available. Maree woke up about 3 and as she couldn't get back to sleep went upstairs to tell Marty he could have the bunk. Trouble was he was asleep and she woke him up to tell him, so then he was awake. But they both got to see the boat go through a very narrow channel which they said was pretty cool, and a couple of the ports the ship stopped in. I woke or rather should say I was woken by Marees tablet continually playing some horrible bubble gum music. But it was 7am so I got up and ventured out onto the deck.

 We saw heaps of whales spouts and tails on the way to Juneau and a couple of dolphins. Great way to spend the morning. 

 Unpacked at the motel then walked into town to have a look around. Maree and I went up  the Mount Taylor tram ride. The views were amazing.

They had a nature area which included a bald eagle called Lady Baltimore. She had been shot and is unable to be released back into the wild. We were quite surprised at how big she was. The ones we have seen flying around look quite small.

We then jumped on the bikes and went out to the Mendenhall Glacier. Half way there it bloody started raining. Wet again!  Juneau is way too wet and touristy for me.

We were up at 5 the next morning and on the road just after 5.30. It was raining! Got to the ferry just before 6am. We caught the Fairweather which is a catamaran and known as the fast ferry.

Marty tying the bikes down in the ferry

 The trip to Skagway took about 2 hrs. We saw one big whale nothing else. Sat with a nice young guy who is a photographer. Very interesting job. Doing what he loves. Skagway was nice but very cruise ship orientated so we just did a quick look down the main street.
 Had our lunch in a grassy area we found that had a picnic table. Wasn't very nice as the buns we had bought were stale.

 We went on the White Rock Yukon train ride. A three hour round trip with a bit of a commentry along the way. We all enjoyed it.

 Headed out of town about 4.30. Into rain and fog and very cool temperatures. No problems getting through the border into Canada. Put our rain gear on and I changed to my winter gloves. Had rain all the way to Tagish. Staying in a rustic motor camp but our unit is very nice and the owner very friendly. He cooked us burgers for tea and was quite surprised when we each ordered a second one. We were rather hungry.

Today we have done 2 countries, 1 state, 2 provinces, 1 ferry ride, 1 teain trip, and 1 time zone. It's been a very busy day and explains why I never seem to kniw where I am.

3300 miles and we arrive in Prince Rupert

Three days riding from Wells and we arrive in Prince Rupert. A lovely coastal town where fishing and tourism seem to be the main stays. It is very quiet here today but I can imagine it would be quite chaotic when the cruise ships call in.

So what can I say about our last three dsys if travel. Not a lot. Drama on the first day was the starter motor on the GS deciding to pack a sad at Prince George. Luckily the Harley shop were very accomodating and even produced a spare one should we need it. Sadly it wasn't a match so Marty had to try and work some magic. Luckily he succeeded and although it isn't perfect it us working and Maree and I have only had to push the bike once.

 We left there in brilliant sunshine and consequently forgot to put my phone in its plastic bag. True to form 20 odd miles from Van der Hoof the heavens opened and the rain drops were razor sharp, and they soaked my phone which then decided it wouldn't work. I was not a happy camper. We bought a bag of rice and secured in that for the night.
Another sunny days ride until the usual designated kms from our destination and again rain. Almost dried out by the time we arrive at our motel in Hazelton. We have a kitchen in our unit but we haven't paid for a unit with a kitchen so we can't use it. To ensure this the elements, oven trays and shelves have been removed. But we do have a coffee maker and kettle.
Decided to have chinese for tea and as a thunder and lightning storm was in progess Marty and I were delegated to go. We chose dishes that were vegetable types or so we thought. The look on Maree's face when she opened the containers said it all. She was not a happy camper. There was not a vegetable in sight. It took a lot of talking to convince her we had ordered veges. Obviously Hazelton has it's own version of chinese cooking. Thank goodness the cans of fruit Maree biught contained fruit.
And yes my phone has started working but the camera is still water logged so it is back into the rice for the night. Progress.

Another sunny day and a lovely ride up to Port Edward where we stopped at the North Pacific Cannery Museum and did a couple of little factory tours.

It was a seasonal job, May to September. The workers were given tokens to spend at the company store during the season and a square up was done at the end of the season. Quite often the men ended up owing the company so they had to return the next season to work the debt off. One way to ensure your labour force returned I guess.

Have had a lovely time in Prince Rupert. Wandered around the town, visited the museum and generally lazed about getting ready for the ferry trip tomorrow. Excited about that.

Oh, our motel unit has a kitchen so we bought our tea to cook. After waiting two hoyrs for the oven not to heat up and 30 mins for the water not to boil for the veges we resorted to the microwave. Oh well it's all part of the experience. Pre cooked chicken and veges tonight.

Sorry for some reason I can't get these photos to rotate. I'm sure I will sort it eventually.

Fun in Wells and Barkerville

We rolled into Wells just after three with the intention of going to Bakerville for the afternoon but after speaking with Diane, the motel owner we changed our plans and booked in for another night.

After tea we took a stroll around the upper town, had a drink in the pub then went to a one man show at the local theatre. The theatre is operated by an ex pat kiwi. When I first saw him pop his head out the door he reminded me of Riff Raff out of the Rocky Horror Picture Show only without the hunchback. The play was a very black comedy, we think. Not at all what we were expecting, nor the other attendees judging from their body language.

There are some interesting and colourful buildings in Wells

Our day in Barkerville was great. Barkerville is now the largest living history museum in western North America. It started life as a gold mining town. It is very authentic with 107 original buildings and just over 60 replica buildings. The shop owners are all in period costume and character. And characters they are. 

Maree and I had a stage coach ride around the town which was fun then we just puttered around checking the town out.

 We walked the mile up the road to attend the court house session. Built in 1862 it is BC's oldest surviving court house. Marty was picked as a member of the jury. Luckily the jury quickly came to a guilty verdict so we weren't detained at the court for hours. 

We got back into the town just in time to see the pelton wheel working. Quite impressive.

We ventured out again tonight to another one man or should that be woman show at the curling club.  The show was loosley based on Agnus McVee a suppossed canadian serial killer. Audience participation was expected and due to the small audience (8),we had to play the game. It was a lot of fun.

We've had a great couple of days here but tomorrow we must push on. 

Still no moose!!

Canada

After the great ride yesterday I don't have much to say about todays ride. Freeway till lunchtime. At times it was quite scenic the rest was pretty boring. Minor roads after lunch that were very stop start with lights and traffic. Was not my idea of fun. Had an issue at a gas station when I had trouble pulling the pump on and the fuel sprayed all over my tank and splashed into my eye. I gave a rather grumpy reply when MJ said to me," Its not complex you know". Tiredness creeping in. We crossed the border into Canada just after 6pm. A painless affair. Arrived at John and Shelly's at Cultus Lake about 7.30. I was very glad to get there. Lovely meal and chat with our hosts then off to bed.

The following day Maree and I went for a walk into town and down to the lake while Marty and John lengthened the centre stand on my bike and created a new seat for Maree. There is a huge water slide park in town that despite only being open for about 3 months of the year more than pays for itself. That tells you how many people flock to this little town in summer. There is a play ground adventure park for kids too if they don't want to get wet.

The afternoon was spent trying to plan a route but after several hrs I dont think we were any further ahead . To exhausting for me I had a nap. Another pleasant evening with John Shelly and Sheldon. Early to bed. All a bit tired. After a leisurely breaky we loaded up the bikes and got ready to leave. Maree not jumping for joy at the prospect of her new seat. Looks the part if nothing else.

We needed to visit a bike shop for oil etc and in the process made our first major turning error of the trip. We turned left at a set of lights but into the left lane and were immediatly met with oncoming traffic. Shit. Luckily we were able to scoot down the shoulder then up onto the footpath, through a sidewalk garden and into the bikeshop carpark. Phew. Was all a little pricey so we headed to a Walmart after getting directions from a couple of guys in the carpark. They had just returned from the Arctic circle so gave us a few tips etc. Back onto the freeway for the ferry to Vancouver Island. The sign at the terminal said 2hr wait for next crossing but the ticket guy told us and two other bikes to go to the top of row 40 and we would soon be loading. Great timing. The bikes aren't tied down like at home. Just backed in, sidestand down, in gear and a block wedged in from the opposite side to the stand and thats it. They do recomend returning to your bike before the boat docks to ensure it doesn't topple over when the boat hits the wharf. The 2hr trip flew past and before we knew it we were on the Island. First dilema was finding some accomodation. Being a Friday and holiday time it was in short supply so we had to settle for a rather expensive smallish room at the Travel Lodge. Had a nice meal at a nearby pub then took a stroll down to the water. Was lovely. There are lots of cool statues and beautiful tubs of flowers all along the footpaths.

 We are all a little jaded tonight and hoping for a good nights sleep. Maree seems to think she was a little more comfortable today. We all slept in this morning and nearly missed our free breaky. I was sitting on the bed reading when I felt my bum getting very warm. I hadn't put the lid on my drink bottle properly and instead of filling it with cold water I had put warm water in hense the warm feeling. My riding jeans were soaked. I tried the hairdryer but that didnt work so I got the iron out and eventually dried them out enough to wear. All ready to go and I can't find my gloves. Back to the room. Not there. On the way back to the bike I have a brainwave. They are in the countdown bag in my topbox . Hasn't been a good start to the day. First stop was the Butchart Gardens. They were lovely. Spent a couple of hours roaming around.

Even got to have a ride on a real merry go round. That was fun.

Went into Victoria to have a look around but too busy and spread out so we stopped at a little market had a look around and had lunch. Bought some supposedly fresh bread there to have with the smoked Salmon John gave us. The bread was not fresh!! Next we went to Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse. Got to go in the lighthouse and up to the first level which was pretty cool. Didn't look around the fort to much as it had started to rain.

 We headed off to find our motel on the outskirts of Chemainus. We were quite wet by the time we arrived. Lucily they had a guest laundry so we through all our wet stuff and our washing in and went to dinner at the local restaurant famous for its curry. Having the option of it on fries or coleslaw put me right off so I had scallops. Neither Marty or Maree were very impressed with their meals. Maree hurried off as she had booked herself a seat to see Footloose in the local theatre. Funnily we watched it on tv. Maree and I thought we were having breaky in the town of Chemainus and fhen looking at the murals but Marty decided he didnt want to so we ended up in Ladysmith. Only one cafe open so choice was made. Next stop the ferry. Had an hour wait which passed pretty quickly. Then onto find our motel in Surrey. I knew we had to take exit 10 to King George Boulevard. It came and went. Where the hell we going this time I thought. Well to the border it seemed. Crap. Marty pulled into the duty free carpark so we could re program the gps!! Trouble was their was no way out except across the border. No option. We had to go out the no exit which meant Maree holding down the tyre spikes so we could get the bikes across. A couple more minor blimps and we pulled into the motel then off to Marees ex for a bbq. Had a really nice evening there. Made it back to the motel without going off course. We must be improving.
 Bike shops don't open on a Monday in Vancouver which was a bit of a problem as my bike needed a rear tyre. Thankfully Marty found the only one that was open and they had a second hand tyre they would sell and fit for us. Was almost in downtown Vancouver. Marty put the wheel back on and then discovered they had put it on the rim back to front so back inside and start again. They gave him a t shirt and sticker to make up for it.

It is now lunchtime and we are hungry so its off to the heart of downtown Vancouver to meet up with Mary and Fred, friends from NZ.

 Next stop the Capalino Suspension Bridge. Wasn't nearly as big as we thought but was still a cool thing to see.

The walk in the tree tops was pretty cool as well.

Pretty cruisey day today. Headed up to Whistler. We were a little disappointed. Both Maree and I thought there was an old town Whistler but no just a town built for the Olympics and now tourists. Seemed to be doing a roaring trade.

Quite a bit of traffic but being able to look at the stunning scenery more than made up for the slow speeds. Coming down one pass the smell of car brakes over heating was over powering. We stopped at a scenic lookout over the Fraser River for a leg stretch before heading into Lilloet for lunch.

The traffic seemed to thin out and we had a reasonably quick ride to 94 Mile Motel where we are staying. Oldish motel but very friendly lady owner. Marty and I went to Lone Butte for dinner on the recomendation of the motelier but the resturant she recommended hasn't opened yet (new owners) so we went to a little cafe and ordered a couple of pizzas. Big mistake. They were huge.

We had a coupe of pieces each then bought the rest back for Maree.

We are now staying in the little town of Wells. Here for a couple of nights as we plan on exploring the old west town of Barkerville tomorrow. Hopefully the rain will be gone by then.