I almost got killed, twice!
So I headed out a week ago from home I did 1100kms the first day, 900 the second. I left Canada in Manitoba as my bike will not make it over Lake Superior, issues with fuel distance.
I met up with a friend in Minneapolis, it turns out after years of not seeing him he was headed to Calgary as I was heading to Toronto. We got to talk for a bit. He left early.
I am not normally a Google Maps guy, but after 5 visits to Minneapolis and getting lost each and every time, I decided to use it this time. I found the hotel ok, after a little detour onto Dowling Avenue. Here’s the thing, when I travel I always find the part of town not to be in. I pulled off the Interstate to fire up google maps. I thought it was a good hood, a house had two motorhomes, what could go wrong??? This experience was a combination of Breaking Bad meets the Walking Dead. I had bike off and was setting up the map and people started to come towards me. I was feeling mighty white. As I have said this is not my first foray in the the wrong part of towns (Cicero, some where in Cleveland, Winnipeg, Detroit). I fired up bike, thank God that it started and then headed for another location.
I parked and typed in my destination. I heard a girl running with flip flops on. Just before she came around the corner a small car did. She was with them, it looks like they were taking the girl on a run. They would tease her, she’d go to get in the car and then they’d take off. It was amusing, but then the zombies came again. Google showed me a way, I was back on the Interstate
South of St Paul Google played it’s first joke on me. It told me to get off I35 and head for 14 East. I did, when I was on 14E it told me to do a u-turn and go on 14W. I did, then it told me to get in 35S. The boys at Google must be getting back at iPhone owners. It turns out I could have taken 14 to get to where I was going as Richland Centre, WI is on 14.
Around LaCrosse, WI I was caught in a torrential downpour which soaked everything. The visibility was zero. I pulled off at a Rest Area as there were cars stopping without warning on the interstate.
Oh, by the way I am on a Suzuki S83, a 1400cc motorcycle. It looks like a Harley, but it’s not.
At LaCrosse I decided to take the scenic route to Richland County. I took 35 South along the Mississippi. It was a great road, it would have been better if it were not raining. I turned East at Prairie Du Chien, the sun came out.
I had a great ride to a friend’s place. I even came down 63 into Gotham, it is a great road to ride a bike on. During the 2 days I was there I saw lots of bikes turning from that road.
I visited Taliesin while i was in the area. It is Frank Lloyd Wright’s house and school. It is worth a visit.
I had a great visit with my friend and dog, Bentley. I took off for my next destination, Lansing, MI early Tuesday morning. I got a bit lost in Madison, but I managed to find my way without going to Milwaukee. I stopped in Janesville to get a wrench and things were starting to get loose on the bike.
Heading South to Chicago I thought I’d make good time. But just south of the border they had construction and a speed limit of 45 MPH. I was staying close to that speed. It was tough as semis and cars were riding me tail to get me to speed up. I saw no cops. If Illinois is looking for a place to improve revenue, a whole battalion of cops in that highway would pull in a lot of dollars at minimum fine $375.
I finally got to Chicago, the construction lasted a long time. I decided to go to Portillo’s on Ohio Street for lunch. I got off the Interstate at Congress Expressway, headed to Lakeshore, turned left but wound up on Michigan. No problem, I went past The Bean and new where I was. I went past Portillo’s and found parking around the block on Erie. Total time for this side trip was about an hour. That was only as I knew where I was going.
I got back on the Interstate after heading West on Ohio. The sky looked kind of iffy. It was sunny, but I had an inkling it was going to rain. When I got near Gary, Indiana, it started to pour again. It was the same torrential mess I encountered in Minnesota. I hid under an overpass. I was at the same level as big buildings, I wasn’t concerned about being flooded out. Checking Twitter, while I was there, I learned there was a tornado warning for Indianapolis and to it’s North East. I was glad I was not going the Detroit route to Toronto.
I took off after the rain died down. I managed to keep my clothes dry (other than the ones I was wearing). I made it to Lansing about 20:45, I would have been there sooner if I had not stupidly tried to take backroads. They all lead back to Interstates.
Lansing is well Lansing.
I left Lansing after staying at a Days Inn, one of my worst hotel experiences in the World, including Pakistan. I got into Canada at the Port Huron/Sarnia crossing.
After finally eating at an EnRoute by Guelph, I was ready for the last dash to Toronto. I was on the 401, Google tried to tell me to head for Hamilton and take the Gardner - Google likes the Gardner, a lot.
Around the 401/427 conflagration the traffic was moving at 120 to 130. I like to be in the middle lane, it gives a biker two escape route for problems.
Near Death #1 - I was riding along at the same speed as traffic and suddenly the brake lights went on for the car in front of me, I was in Left Lane. The car just didn’t slow down, it stopped. I think I was still going 30 kph when I got near the car, I lane shared and the guy in front of her, pulled over to stop me doing that. I had to go to the Right Lane. A vehicle was about 200 meters back obviously going about 130, no indication they were slowing down. I floored it, but she almost hit me. She slowed right down. My heart was up in my throat.
So I am riding in the centre lane again, maintaining my speed in relation to the car in front. For some reason, a dump truck travelling to the immediate Right of me decided my lane was better than his, there were no issues in front of either of us. I guess he just NEEDED to be in my lane.
I went to go to the empty left lane, but black car was suddenly there, he must have been going 140. Truck takes my lane and this guy left just enough room for me to ride the dotted line between the truck and the car. Everyone behind up slowed right down, they thought it was going to be a mess. The driver of the car was not new to me. I had no interactions with him, but I noticed that the car seemed to be driving him, not the other way around. Later on, he was in a far Right Lane and came at me again. I yelled at him, I think he pulled off to the side of the highway. He was a Diverse Driver, I learned later from a fellow biker that most bikes avoid 401 as bikes appear to be targets.
After these events, I had to get off the 401. I saw a sign for Eglington Ave West and went that way. I needed to get to Yonge Street and I was miles away. But I decided it was better to finish trip alive.
The last excitement before I got to my destination was in the Jane area. I saw a vehicle parked in my lane and pulled over in front of a guy driving in the left lane (as I have done in Las Vegas, Denver, Chicago, Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal, Salt Lake City, New Orleans, Memphis etc). This guy had apparently purchased the lane and he controlled who drove in it. I didn’t cut him off, I was just in front of him.
So at a stop light he decided to further display his emotions and lays on the horn, his Ford Escape was closing in on the back of my bike. I pulled up next to a little car in front of me. The car moved forward and Escape then went on the sidewalk. He pulls up beside me and yells, with an Italian accent ‘You son of a bitch!’
The guy turned right at the next corner, I guess he figured I impeded his progress. I think he forgot about the little car and the bus in front of it. The same thing happened yesterday on Jarvis Street, it must be a Toronto thing.
3800 kms in all. The only issue with the bike is a battery terminal that keeps coming off. I have Phillips screwdrivers in all my packs.
