You never know what you'll find or avoid by just going with the flow. I prefer to take this approach when on the road. We decided that the universe was guiding us and we wouldn't fight it. My GPS recalculated a new route and we just went with it. I planned to take the Interstate 69 west to Kalamazoo but missed the turn off, I guess. The border guard had the usual questions for us and we were off again. Every foot in elevation we descended, the grip around my waist eased slightly. Not usually a consideration when it comes to a road trip, but there we sat, engine purring, Cara squeezing her arms around me like a boa constrictor inching closer and closer to ensure a meal.Įventually, we idled down the other side of the bridge. Cara starts to explain to me how she's afraid of heights. I'm taking in the view for all it's worth. For some reason, traffic is crawling up the bridge and stops at the top. Definitely not typical July weather in Canada.Īfter a few hours and our first quick gas stop, we reach the border to the US. It was cloudy grey, and a misty rain on and off. If you still don't like the forecast, ride anyway. If you don't like what you see on one app, try another one. After spending an hour finding a new carpool lot that works and a very nice conversation with Siri, we're on the road.Įvery serious rider has no less than three weather apps on their cell phone, I promise you. And being able to adapt is a big part of the road trip mentality. Geeze, you never know what you're gonna find until you get there. Problem discovered is that the off ramps are under construction and the carpool lot doesn't exist anymore. We plan to meet at a carpool lot off the 401 around London to leave Cara's car. And this is still a week before we leave. I give Cara a suitcase that's made to strap on the back of my bike for her to use. My stuff goes in one saddlebag and the other saddlebag is for road trip gear.Ĭara is excited! She's packed and you can see the anticipation vibrating her very being. She's a newer rider, and her bike is the perfect size for her to learn on but probably not a great choice for a road trip that includes interstate highways, so she wants to ride on the back of my bike. Now, this is the first road trip on a motorcycle for Cara. Cross the border at Sarnia and land in Kalamazoo for supper.ĭay 2-ride to Chicago to look out the Sky Deck of the Sears Tower.ĭay 3-ride to Milwaukee and check out the Harley Davidson Museum.ĭay 4-take the Lake Express Ferry across Lake Michigan and blast all the way home in one day. Destination number one decided.ĭay 1-meet Cara close to London, Ontario. Kalamazoo, that's a cool name, man! I've always wanted to stop in Kalamazoo. Then the cool names start to jump out at you on the map as you stare at it. Factor in extra time for traffic and a border crossing into the US and the range per day becomes obvious.

After a few road trips, you know how many kilometres per day are comfortable for you. It's on!Īfter looking at a map for a bit, the rough itinerary for the four days becomes clear. 'How long can you get away for? Maybe four days? Ok, I'll map something out, and we'll talk.' That's all it takes to initiate the planning process for me. So, after riding around the backcountry roads north of Toronto with Cara a few times, each of us sharing these thoughts about how riding makes us feel, we start talking about getting away on a little road trip for a few days. It's honestly a relief to just focus on what's happening now only. all of it. There is no time for my mind to wander onto reviewing conversations I've had today over and over again or worrying about things I can't do anything about. I've discovered that riding is like meditation to me. There is a saying that goes, 'you never see a motorcycle parked outside a psychiatrist office.' Now, I don't know how true that is, but I get mental relief when I ride. I feel like It's a gift I get to receive every time I hop on my bike. But riding a motorcycle always feels like so much more to me. In a car, it's easy to 'check out'-I feel like I'm in a capsule, separated from the outside world. It's so much more of an experience than you get from driving in a car. The panoramic views not limited by a windshield. And from that moment on, as if we had nothing to do with it, the road trip was inevitable.

Motorcycle road trip planner