Ready to go

It si 10:30 PM on the night before departure. My bags are pack, lists double checked, tire pressure adjusted, oil changed and calls made to family members. Now I just want a good night sleep. I plan on doing a short ride at 5:30 AM to limber up before I take off around 9.

Here's hoping for a safe journey and a great time....

Dead Zone

It has been a week since I have posted. I am all set to go except for the clothes I will take with me.

Now it is just a waiting game till kick stands up on Friday.

11 days and yes I am counting

Beginning of a new week and I am trying to remain focused on work but the trip does wander into my thoughts. I posted a note on stromtroopers.com for some travel suggestions and received a few interesting ones. Funny, two of them were from former Newfie residents who told me where they grew up. Tempted to drive by and post pics of their old one.

One post caught my culinary interest. It is a small (I think everything man made in newfie is small) restaurant 16 minutes east of Port aux Basques. If the ferry arrives on time maybe we will try the Seashore Family Restaurant in Margaree for dinner.

Western Brook Pond Gros Morne National Park

One of the reasons for exploring Newfoundland is the Gros Morne National Park. I just made reservations for this boat trip.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xb0sry_a-boat-tour-to-remember-western-bro_travel

The Route

I thought I would share our route for this trip.

http://tiny.cc/aqhyd

Just learned through news reports that Marine Atlantic, the ferry provider to Newfoundland, has been struggling this season. There are reports of delays of up to 11 hours and in some cases total cancellation of trips. People have had to drive all the way to Port aux Basques to get a ferry, that is an 11 hour trip!!! Travelling can be a challenege but it helps to be prepared and willing to go with the flow.

lodging

Ok, our rooms are set for this trip. We were surprised to learn that it is high season in Newfoundland which means our lodging costs with CA taxes are a bit higher than expected. We are doing a mix of motels and B&B's. Most of the remote locations within Newfoundland have only B&B's. They generally offer nice home cooked breakfast as part of the cost. The opportunity to meet some of the residents of the island is a real plus.

We decided to take a day to visit Bar Harbor on the way back. We have a short ride from St. John NB which will give us an opportunity to explore. There are a few microbreweries that will be visited as well.

Two weeks n counting

Well, preparations are almost complete for our trip. Tom and I have been talking over our personal points of interst in Newfoundland. We have plotted out our route and startegized our departure from and home and our return from the big island. On the way out, we will take a long run from home (Albany NY & Old Greenwich CT) to Bangor ME. I have to work in the AM of departure day so the trip begins at noon. We then plan to ride from Bangor to Antigonish Nova Scotia the next day leaving a three hour ride to North Sydney for our 12:30 PM ferry ride to Newfoundland. Tonight Tom and I will finalize our lodging for the entire trip. Then I will focus on some safety checks of the WeeStrom and develop a list for packing.

Looking forward to putting up the kickstand.