End of April.

I did a motorcycle trip 3 summers ago on a Triumph Tiger.  During the trip I wrote a blog:

http://tigertrippin.blogspot.ca/

My closing comments at the end of the 5 week, 15,000km trip were:

"I absolutely enjoyed it! Minus the Prairies, it was fantastic, and a once in a lifetime experience. Which answers my next question... I absolutely would not do it again. I am glad I did it once, but I just can't see going through all that again."

Followed later on by my farewell comments:

"So I have come to the end of my journey, maybe my next one will be with my bike maybe not... but I do know there will be a next one.... :-)"

Well the stars lined up to offer me another journey, and enough timed has passed that I am looking forward to 4 weeks on the road on another motorcycle.  I sold my last project house in Toronto, so for family reasons have decided to try and work in Vancouver.  My work has agreed to a three month trial of me working in our head office in downtown Vancouver.  So with no mortgage, once again, I have the opportunity to take a month, give or take, and ride from Toronto to Vancouver.

My Triumph Tiger is long gone, eventually replaced with my current bike: a 2004 BMW 1150GS Adventure, that used to belong to George Stroumboulopoulos.  The motorcycle coincidentally, and fortuitously, I LOVE!!  It is a monsterously huge, off road capable, touring bike, that I have upgraded with all the farkles that you need to travel in comfort and carry everything you need to be self sufficient. Just so you get a sense of scale, the top of the windshield is nearly six feet tall!!

So I am currently, patiently, waiting for the end of the month, and warmer weather.  So give or take a day or so May 1st I should be heading out.  My route is ethereal and mutable.  I have certain places along the way that I want to see, but how and when I get there, and where I stay along the way is unknown.  My muse for my route is a map, ironically.

I have a large decal on one of my aluminum panniers, it is a map of North America, with all of the provinces and states in outline.  When you drive through a state or province you can fill in the decal.  So having done all of the provinces west of Quebec, and most of the northern and western states, I will start my travels to the West coast by heading east!!  I will head into Quebec, then south into the USA and over to the east coast, following the coast line down to North Carolina before I start heading west. 

So one last weekend in Toronto, after 20 years of living here.....