Quit our jobs, sold our home, gone riding...

[Scooterchick]

Maybe one of these days, I will be able to do what you guys are doing.....

just unplugg and get out of dodge......

way to go!

[Maritime Mike]

Great RR.....Subscribed and with you for the ride.

[thirstybuck]

[BTL]

...living the dream..all the best on your great adventure eh!!

[DanielR]

Thanks for sharing. I like the humor and love the pictures. Godspeed!

[Merlin III]

Originally Posted by lightcycle

You know those stickers with the stick figure family that you see on the back of minivan windows? Neda got a couple of bike stickers for us. It's bad enough the Harley guys don't wave at me, now they openly mock us... :(

Interestingly enough, the low five wave has become passe in the NE States. I would estimate that only a quarter of the bikers I pass use it. Of those, 0.10 percent are Harley riders. A large number of the Harley riders, but not all, have found that a scowl better suits their weekend pirate image. Usually a smartly flashed peace sign will get their attention.

[Castle]

I've taken to firing a shot across the bow of an oncoming Harley. Saves time. :p

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

[Baggi'tard]

subscribed, and following the lovely Neda around the world in pictures won't be too bad..

good luck on your trip, be safe, look forward to more (reading reports sitting in Afghanistan is a favorite pasttime).

[Hevy Kevy]

Fellow Ontarioite IN!

[vintagespeed]

Originally Posted by Merlin III

...A large number of the Harley riders, but not all, have found that a scowl better suits their weekend pirate image....

i think the new "biker wave" for upcoming harley bikes should be the eyepatch solute! simply hold your left hand over your eye as they ride by.....

grunting an "ARGHHH!" at the same time is optional.

[transplanted]

Hey Gene and Neda, godspeed and enjoy.

[lightcycle]

Update from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/12.html



Crossing over from Ontario into Manitoba on the TransCanada Highway we experienced a drastic change in geography. Gone were the irregular shorelines of Lake of the Woods, which in itself is quite spectacular when seen from an airplane. You can get a sense of this from the map above: the lake covers over 950,000 acres and has over 14,000 islands with over 30,000 kms of forested shoreline!

When we crossed the provincial border, it was like emerging from a forest into a wide open field. A field about 1,500 kms long... We had wandered out into the Canadian Prairies! We call it The Gap, that space between Ontario and the Rockies.


The Market at the Forks

Just the other day, at the Terry Fox memorial in Thunder Bay, we were talking to a guy from Winnipeg and we asked where to go in the city. He replied, "The Forks". Having no idea what that was, we punched it in the GPS and were pleasantly surprised to find a nice little touristy area located in downtown Winnipeg, at the junction of the Assiniboine and Red River - hence "The Forks".


Closeup of one of the structures surrounding Oodena Circle.

At one of the stores in the market, we overheard from the shopkeeper that there was a pow wow happening in the afternoon at the Oodena Celebration Circle, which was an open-air arena just outside the market. It was built by the city to host aboriginal and other cultural celebrations. "Oodena" is Cree for "centre of the city".


Participants in brightly coloured traditional attire!

We stayed for quite a while at the pow wow listening to the drumming and chanting and watching the many different tribes come together and dance around the circle. It was a feast of colours, and Neda remarked that we had lived in Canada for so long, but here in Winnipeg was the first time she's seen First Nations people so interwoven into the city and culture.



I found out later that we had actually visited The Forks on National Aboriginal Day, which was a pretty big event for Winnipeg. Some other shots of the Pow Wow:







The Forks was built on a site that was originally (and still is) a meeting place for the last 6,000 years. It was a popular spot for trading between early aboriginals, European fur traders, Metis buffalo hunters, etc. all the way to current day stores selling curios to nomadic motorcycle riders. :)


Human Rights Museum under construction at The Forks


Walking the Espalanade Riel, a bridge just outside The Forks named after the city's founder, Louis Riel


Thumpin' the doghouse!

I think what I'll miss most while being on the road is playing music. As far as entertainment goes, we don't watch any TV at all, but we did treat ourselves to an IMAX showing of The Dark Knight Rises. It was ok... I was very sad to hear about the tragedy in Colorado at the movie opening. These days, I get most of the news via social media, as I'm updating our pictures and blog online. Although we're seeing the world one small piece at a time, I'll have to be more diligent on keeping up with what's happening on a broader scale.

[lightcycle]

Originally Posted by Scooterchick

just unplugg and get out of dodge......

I am still quite a net addict, I don't think I could ever completely unplug, but I do want to get out of dodge...

1 out of 2 is not bad?

[Sojourner2005]

[QUOTE=lightcycle;19407698]Update from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/12.html:

Crossing over from Ontario into Manitoba on the TransCanada Highway we experienced a drastic change in geography. Gone were the irregular shorelines of Lake of the Woods, which in itself is quite spectacular when seen from an airplane. You can get a sense of this from the map above: the lake covers over 950,000 acres and has over 14,000 islands with over 30,000 kms of forested shoreline!

The Forks was built on a site that was originally (and still is) a meeting place for the last 6,000 years. It was a popular spot for trading between early aboriginals, European fur traders, Metis buffalo hunters, etc. all the way to current day stores selling curios to nomadic motorcycle riders. :)


Walking the Espalanade Riel, a bridge just outside The Forks named after the city's founder, Louis Riel


Thumpin' the doghouse!

Hi Lightcycle. Great RR. I've been following along, especially as your eastern pre-vacation was of great interest to me. And now I see that you visited the Forks, which is very close to my home. Your pictures are fantastic and it was nice to see the area through fresh eyes. Happy travels.

[Jamie Z]

Originally Posted by lightcycle

Thank god it wasn't raining, as it usually does on our trips!

Ah... so that explains why my trip was pretty dry until I got to Wawa where I met you two.

Originally Posted by lightcycle

At a gas stop, Neda makes a friend

This is Cabo, the Mini Parrot. We met a couple (from Montana I think) traveling across Canada by bike as well, and this was their traveling companion! Cabo just started speaking. His first word was, "Noodle!"


On the right hand side panel you'll see Cabo's pillion seat, a tiny box where he can chillax.

You met them too? I ran into them in Wawa, but it was pouring rain, so our visit was short. They were prepping their gear hoping to make it to Thunder Bay that evening. The next day, I passed by a motel down the road and saw their bike and trailer out front.

Great to meet you guys. If you come through Memphis (or anywhere near here), drop me a line.

Also... check out the Tent Space maps: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=776925
Good way to meet local riders who are willing to give you a place to crash.

Jamie