Bob and Mary: On The Road: 07/21/08

HALIFAX TO LARRY'S RIVER: THE LONG WAY

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- Bob and Mary
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We are updating this blog as quickly as possible so that you can see where we went, what we did and who we met during our journey. Over time we intend to build more information into our commentary. Thanks for stopping by!

All Photos by Mary
Unless Otherwise Stated (or Mary is in the picture)

We arrived back in Nova Scotia on Thursday, July 10th. Our 'End Point' was Larry's River, Nova Scotia. The distance from Halifax to Larry's River - where we are rebuilding Mary's childhood home - is about 150 miles (240 km).

However, our trip route took us 11,200 miles (17,920 km) from Halifax to Larry's River.

PREFACE TO THE JOURNEY EAST: THE NORTHERN ROUTE

The Northern Route is long and winding with many pictures of our adventures and friends. This route begins with the wedding of Bob's son Jesse to Danielle in Port Alberni, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. It then moves to Calgary to visit friends Bernie, Betty, Vanessa and a lovable key thievin' dog named Moses. From there we head south into Montana...across Wyoming, S. Dakota, Minnisota to Bob's Aunt and Uncle in Wisconsin... a boat to Michigan and on to Guelph,Ontario .....through Niagara Falls to Buffalo, NY. Moving forward from here, it's a visit in with our good friend Paul (Conn.), Linda and Chris (Mass.). After this it's the home- stretch which returns to Bob's family in Portland, Maine for the last leg. As we move up the Maine coast, we stop and visit another very good biking friend, Hopi, in Brooks. From Hopi's we then roll to our end point: beautiful Larry's River, Guysborough County, Nova Scotia.

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JESSE AND DANIELLE'S WEDDING: JUNE 21, 2008

We arrived on June 20th about mid afternoon. Danielle's parents, Jesse and Diane, arranged with friends to provide us with a 5th wheel trailer. What a wonderful abode for our visit! This gave us a spot of our own and a chance to unwind after our long coastal trek. It was parked just outside Jesse and Danielle's home. This is where many of Jesse's friends were housed for the celebration. What a great bunch of folks to share this celebration with !!

The old R.B. McLean steam powered sawmill , a heritage site and events host, was a beautiful location for the wedding.

The Wedding Rehearsal:

Jesse with his daughter Ella Win

Danielle with her daughter Ella Win

Rehearsal of the 'tieing of the knot' part of the wedding ceremony

Bob talking about something that seems important...

Mary with Jesse's good friend Brent

The Boys.... A photo-op on the front lawn

Our friend Dalyn (who, BTW, looks like the young Bob Dylan).

Bob with sons Jesse and Sean.

Jesse. Just lookin' good!

Another good looking fella, Bob's son Sean

Friends and family await the beginning of the outdoor ceremony and reception

Ella in the red wagon. This red wagon belonged to Danielle when she was a little girl and now enherited by Ms Ella

Danielle and Dad (Jesse 1)

From Jesse 1 to Jesse 2...

The Look Of Love...

The perfect image...

Two old pirates exchanging thoughts......

Ms Ella's Famous Red Raincoat

Mary (Grand-Mere Mary) with Ella Win

Bob (Grampy Bob) with Ella Win

The look of mischief from two generations: Mary and Ella

Ella Win's Great Grandmother, Ellen Nickerson, watches Bob, Jesse and Ella

Mary and Ella

Bob assists a reluctant driver

Ella Win sits in her first rocking chair. We sent this to her for her second Christmas in 2007.

Clearly a star in the making!

The parting shot belongs to Ella Win and her Dad. From Jesse she will learn the joy of surprise, the adventure of discovery and the wisdom of understanding. The path of a Warrior.... as in

As we tear ourselves away from the festivities of Jesse and Danielle's wedding, we ride on down to Nanaimo to catch our ferry to the mainland. Next stop Calgary to visit our very good friends Bernie, Betty, Vanessa and super dog Moses.

On the way to Calgary we will be going through some very scenic and majestic parts of British Columbia.

A night in Revelstoke, BC

Bob in his Afghan hat or, more precisely, Pakolat at a Revelstoke motel. A thoughtful gift from our friend Chis in Pennsylvania. The mountains were not cold enough to appreciate the very practical nature of this hat. Bob, don't wear that hat to work!

Some Long Horn Sheep along the side of the road as we left Revelstoke, BC. Moments later they jumped the guardrail and wandered around on the highway behind us. We liked them just where we found them. On the road they are a bit more challenging. (utube video)

This guy is their version of Homeland Security. A very sharp eye was kept on us as he passed us at the end of the line. A very capable looking critter!

Note the net on the left to catch falling rocks

Bob at Lake Louise. Unfortunately, the alternate camera that we used (digital was full) could not capture the gorgeous colors which vibrated on the lake and landscape!

Mary at Lake Louise (same camera)

Bob and Bernie just after our arrival to their home in Calgary.

Vanessa and Betty

Moses

Mary with Betty and Vanessa waiting for the train into Calgary.

Next Stop: Banff. A day trip with Bernie and Betty to ride the Gondola.

Lots of critters to keep an eye on and a lookout for.

A view down one of the sidestreets of Banff

A look down one of the Banff main streets that was being reconstructed

And now for the fantastic gondola ride up Sulphur Mountain.

We now move slowly away from the mountain base on the gondola. The view rapidly got very exciting!

Mary ponders why she actually got on this thing

Warming to the whole adventure and enjoying the excitement and view

Mary at the Tea House. Still a little walk to the Cosmic Ray Station. Windy and a bit of a chill.

[photo above: Bernie]

Our good friends from Calgary, Bernie and Betty . This experience is another excellent adventure which they have introduced us to !

A climb to the Cosmic Ray Station

The Cosmic Ray Station as seen from the gondola landing at the Teahouse. We intend to walk to the summit.

[photo above: Bernie]

Looking back toward the Teahouse it seems as though the walkway continues to wind through the mountains.

Deciding that the path to the station was not exciting enough we move to climb overland

[photo above: Bernie]

[photo above: Bernie]

Bernie, Mary and Bob at the station.

.... and down again

Vanessa puts on her own leathers and tries our bike on for size. A future rider for sure!

Near Hardin, Montana we attend a reenactment of the Battle of Little Big Horn. This is also referred to as Custer's Last Stand. Two reenactments were going on (Hardin and six miles away in Garyowen) so we chose the one in Garyowen, Montana. Reenactment there is called Real Bird Re-Enactment (native version) and takes place on the actual site of the battle. These pictures fall very short of expressing what we experienced. It was clearly a highlight of our trip. More info, in video form, can be found HERE 1
and HERE 2.... 3 and 4 also available plus a number of other related videos are also on that site.

Ever wonder how they make Shredded Wheat?

Sitting Bull monument in Mobridge, South Dakota . http://www.sittingbullmonument.com/

Monument to Sakakawea: "Sakakawea was a Shoshone Indian girl, captured by a war party of Hidatsa Indians, who were at that time living in threeearthlodge villages on the Knife River in what is now North Dakota. According to the Expedition journals of Lewis and Clark, Sakakawea was captured in 1800, and it is believed that she was about 12 years old. She was married to French-Canadian trader Pierre Charbonneau when Lewis and Clark hired him to accompany the expedition in the fall of 1804. Sakakawea became a valuable member of the Corps of Discovery, providing translation and contacts with the Shoshone living west of the Mandan and Hidatsa." http://www.nd.gov/hist/Sakakawea.htm

Entering Minnisota on Route 12. This road, with tar filled cracks in the road every ten feet, was the most damaging to the bike in the whole trip. Every filling rose above the road by at least an inch. Terrible road.

Bob with his uncle Bill and his aunt Liz. A short visit but worth every second!

Bob , Liz and Bill

Liz, Bill and Mary just prior to leaving for the Manitowoc, Wisconsin ferry to Michigan

A long wait for the boat

We visit the grave of Bob's father in Guelph, Ontario. He died testing an aircraft at Toronto's Malton Airport (now Pearson) on April 30, 1949

Bob's father, Flying Officer Bob Weber with his Indian Motorcycle (1947)

Mary cleans moss and overgrowth off headstone.

Niagra Falls, Ontario

We arrive to visit with our good friend Paul in Conn.

With Paul we travel a short distance to visit with our mutual good friends Linda and her son Chris in Mass.

This massive 'barn' was fully designed by Chris (an engineering student). This was a family project raised and brought to completion by Chris, his mother Linda and his father Craig.

The second level of the 'barn'

This Volvo was completely rebuilt entirely by Chris. A showpiece of both technology and mechanical ability.

Leaving Paul's for Portland, Maine

One of many such pictures from the side of a trailer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piscataqua_River_Bridge

We had the opportunity to go out with Bob's sister (Dawn) and brother-in-law (Alan) on their boat OUR DAY for a ride and swim on Sebago Lake just outside Portland, Maine.