DAY 34 OF THE AROUND THE BLOCK MOTORCYCLE VENTURE - AUGUST 3, 2008

August 3, 2008 - Sunday - Day 34
USA/MEXICO/CANADA
DOUBLE CROSS COUNTRY
& THE TRANSCANADA HIGHWAY
  -- OR BUST - SUMMER 2008
Miles Today - 405    - Total Miles -  8079 
Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada - to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
(-staying at a Howard Johnson Motel-)
(Saskatchewan,Canada to Alberta,Canada)
- CROSSED THE 8,000 MILE MARK - SECOND 400+ MILE DAY IN A ROW -


   Really moving along now - this makes 1173 miles in the last three days.
   
   For almost all day the crops and farm land were stretching in all directions into infinity. Once, several fields full of some purple vegetation were a delight to the eye.
  This morning, as most mornings, I hopped on the bike, and before I could blink twice - it was twenty miles on the odometer!
***
I'm mostly amazed that there is no trash - or hardly any trash - on the sides of the highway.
***
   I try to structure each day's riding in blocks of miles and time. I know it will take me about an hour and a half to go 100 miles. It's generally less than that, but I figure an hour and half.  Then I gas up at that 100-mile mark, and perhaps have a little snack, and stretch my legs.  And I just do that all day until I've reached where I wanted to go or judge that I'm too tired to go on.
***
  ESSO gasoline is here. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esso) It sure brings back memories of childhood. Not only did I see the signs as a youngster, but my dad, one of the original announcers on WPVI (then WFIL) used to hawk ESSO gas in TV commercials.
***
  I actually feel sorry for the people in cars. They miss the breezes, and they miss more than half the fabulous scenes that roll by.
***
  As I was trying to deal with the different money system in one of the stores, I said with a smile to the young woman cashier, "Hey, I'm doing the best I can. I'm still trying to deal with the fact that your main piece of currency is called a "Loonie!" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loonie)  There is no paper one dollar bill here. The dollar is a gold-colored, bronze-plated coin with a loon on it. The two dollar coin is like a Loonie but the Toonie is a bi-metallic coin which bears an image of a polar bear.
***
  For part of the day I was fortunate enough to ride newly paved highway. Talk about glorious!
   I entered Manitoba (another of Canada's provinces) at precisely 2pm. Talk about "BIG SKY"! Man, all the way to the right was a storm. Right in front of me was a collection of cute little puffy clouds.  And to the left it was clear blue sky. It was like I was in an I-Max theater for most of the day!  Big Sky to the max!
  For much of the day I was alone on the highway. Or else I had just left everyone else behind!
  Right after Bandon, I looked over to my right and there was something I would have NEVER expected seeing - a huge bi-plane just over the field near the road, curving in for a landing.  It sure took me by surprise.
   And I thought the bugs were bad yesterday! Today they were dive-bombing me on suicide missions for most of the day. The windshield was littered with 100's of insect body parts between each gas stop. In the evening, after checking into the motel, I took the bike over to the local carwash and sprayed the bike clean. A fresh-faced kid at one of the  gas stops said they liked the dry weather. I even had to stop at one point and clean off my helmet visor because of the bugs that had splattered on it.  I could see them swirling at me before they splashed on the windshield. There were flocks of them, and occasionally I'd duck as if by instinct.  They'd also pummel against my hands and legs.
  Went through a few miles of grasshoppers and dragonflies. Gizzards all over the windshield!
  (The grasshoppers reminded me of a worse time with the jumping creatures. On my Gulf of Mexico-to-Canada bicycle ride along the whole length of the Mississippi, I was riding an empty highway in Louisiana. Empty, that is, except for fields of grasshoppers on the road. Thickly together they were like a blanket for several miles as they'd jump up onto my spinning legs. The unlucky among them were crushed under my tires as the crunching and crackling sound echoed up from the pavement in a gruesome staccato.)
   It was windy for parts of the day - and this was evidenced by the long trucks that were wobbling and wiggling along in their lane.  I was sure to stay clear of them.
   Heading into Winnipeg for about thirty miles it was pretty choppy road. Had to pay special attention to the holes and gutters there.
   I took the first motel that on the right hand side. And that's mainly because the cute young woman behind the counter gave me the government worker discount which was about $40 off the regular pricing.
  It was a great room, right down from a Taco Bell, and down near a carwash for the bike bugs, and near many other stores. It had a good internet connection. Because of all this and the fact that I had rung up so many miles recently, and because the next ride HAS to be over 425 miles to Thunder Bay, I decided to take another day here.
  Felt kinda wimpy though when I was talking to a couple other bike guys who blew in around 8:30pm or 9ish.  They were use to 700 mile days. I was absolutely incredulous!


(Note to readers: Is there an aspect of the trip you would like to know about that I haven't mentioned? And what questions might you have about what's been written?  I enjoy hearing from folks while on the road.  So please let me know what you might want to hear about. Or, if you have the inclination, just drop me a line. Joel)
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