Distance traveled: 305.5 km
Cumulative distance: 6,556 km
Maximum speed: 133 kph
Moving average: 70 kph
Temperature range: 23.8 - 33.8 C
With a short day, there was no real urgency to get going. We got up at 8:00 and I said to Nan that I bet it would be 10:00 before we rolled out of the campground and that was the exact time we left. It was a beautiful morning, already getting warm and we lamented that we were not staying for a few days. However, we are anxious to get home.
We discussed whether we would get gas in Waterton or Pincher Creek; the latter would have meant we would be depending on the fumes in the tank so opted for Waterton. The town was jam-packed with tourists; people walking around, seeing all the sights, spending all their money. While I filled up with gas, Nan went to scout out lattes and some tourists walked by me and photographed the bike. At first I figured they were taking pictures of the organ transplant bag but I realized their angle would not have allowed for it; the were taking pictures of the load on the bike.
We figured since we were not in a real hurry, we could relax a little in Waterton and have breakfast there. Nan had the lattes secured but she had chosen a breakfast place that was a little bit different: Wieners of Waterton. It is a hot dog place. I was not keen on a hot dog for breakfast however, I got out-voted, so we both ordered a "breakfast dog" which, as it turned out, was a sausage with scrambled eggs on a big, in house made bun. I asked for guidance on the "fixins" and was recommended "special sauce" (those words together always make me worry a little; just like "mystery meat"), ginger carrots and onions. I added banana peppers AND IT WAS OUTSTANDING. We sat outside on the collection of picnic tables thoroughly enjoying our discovery, the weather, the view, then the young son Jedd (well, young to us - a grown man with a career) of a good friend of ours walked by. He was in Waterton with some friends for a wedding, though they all seemed quite relaxed about how long they had to get ready. They were all looking for a bite but they had a WHOLE HOUR to go to get ready and make their way to the church. Kids. The gal in their group knew better and took off.
For the ride to Calgary, we retraced our earlier steps of Highway 22. It is always scenic and much more enjoyable than the slab ride of Highway 2. However, it is also generally sporting a generous cross wind. We had spent all of the previous day fighting a cross wind and then we again on this day it was starting to get a little old. Plus, it was hot early so it was really drying. I am sure that we will end up looking like prunes.
In Calgary, the GPS had taken us a way into town that had us pitted against some horrendous traffic along McLeod Trail. This was stop and go traffic of the worst order, made extra bad by the fact that it was about 33 degrees. It took us nearly 25 minutes to travel less than one kilometre so we found a way off, did a big loop to get onto Glenmore and dodge the traffic. However, we were just pouring with sweat and quite beat up from the heat and wind of the day so when we stopped at the little liquor store in my sister's neighbourhood, we were so relieved to get into some air conditioning. On the way to my sister's, Nan was hugging the chilled beer for relief.
My sister Carol always looks after her wee, baby brother. This night was no exception as she had prepared a chilled watermelon soup, some chicken satay which thankfully, I did not have to cook(!) a salad of greens from her impressive garden and cucumber slices. Then, there was the cake. When we had started out on the trip, she had made a rhubarb pie with an impression of a motorcycle poked into the top of the pie. THIS time, she had a ginger cake with a burgundy-coloured ST1100 on the top, with a wine-gum total eclipse at the top. My niece Anna and her boyfriend Jeremy were over, and Jeremy and I each had two piece.
With a short day, there was no real urgency to get going. We got up at 8:00 and I said to Nan that I bet it would be 10:00 before we rolled out of the campground and that was the exact time we left. It was a beautiful morning, already getting warm and we lamented that we were not staying for a few days. However, we are anxious to get home.
We discussed whether we would get gas in Waterton or Pincher Creek; the latter would have meant we would be depending on the fumes in the tank so opted for Waterton. The town was jam-packed with tourists; people walking around, seeing all the sights, spending all their money. While I filled up with gas, Nan went to scout out lattes and some tourists walked by me and photographed the bike. At first I figured they were taking pictures of the organ transplant bag but I realized their angle would not have allowed for it; the were taking pictures of the load on the bike.
 |
| The harvest going on at Pincher Creek |
We figured since we were not in a real hurry, we could relax a little in Waterton and have breakfast there. Nan had the lattes secured but she had chosen a breakfast place that was a little bit different: Wieners of Waterton. It is a hot dog place. I was not keen on a hot dog for breakfast however, I got out-voted, so we both ordered a "breakfast dog" which, as it turned out, was a sausage with scrambled eggs on a big, in house made bun. I asked for guidance on the "fixins" and was recommended "special sauce" (those words together always make me worry a little; just like "mystery meat"), ginger carrots and onions. I added banana peppers AND IT WAS OUTSTANDING. We sat outside on the collection of picnic tables thoroughly enjoying our discovery, the weather, the view, then the young son Jedd (well, young to us - a grown man with a career) of a good friend of ours walked by. He was in Waterton with some friends for a wedding, though they all seemed quite relaxed about how long they had to get ready. They were all looking for a bite but they had a WHOLE HOUR to go to get ready and make their way to the church. Kids. The gal in their group knew better and took off.
For the ride to Calgary, we retraced our earlier steps of Highway 22. It is always scenic and much more enjoyable than the slab ride of Highway 2. However, it is also generally sporting a generous cross wind. We had spent all of the previous day fighting a cross wind and then we again on this day it was starting to get a little old. Plus, it was hot early so it was really drying. I am sure that we will end up looking like prunes.
 |
| We stopped for a little rest in Turner Valley. Even though we were close, we had to get off the bike for a few minutes, so we laid down on the grass in a public park. |
In Calgary, the GPS had taken us a way into town that had us pitted against some horrendous traffic along McLeod Trail. This was stop and go traffic of the worst order, made extra bad by the fact that it was about 33 degrees. It took us nearly 25 minutes to travel less than one kilometre so we found a way off, did a big loop to get onto Glenmore and dodge the traffic. However, we were just pouring with sweat and quite beat up from the heat and wind of the day so when we stopped at the little liquor store in my sister's neighbourhood, we were so relieved to get into some air conditioning. On the way to my sister's, Nan was hugging the chilled beer for relief.
My sister Carol always looks after her wee, baby brother. This night was no exception as she had prepared a chilled watermelon soup, some chicken satay which thankfully, I did not have to cook(!) a salad of greens from her impressive garden and cucumber slices. Then, there was the cake. When we had started out on the trip, she had made a rhubarb pie with an impression of a motorcycle poked into the top of the pie. THIS time, she had a ginger cake with a burgundy-coloured ST1100 on the top, with a wine-gum total eclipse at the top. My niece Anna and her boyfriend Jeremy were over, and Jeremy and I each had two piece.
 |
| DEFINITELY an ST1100. |
The cake tires are looking a little worn. We haven't been close to 30 deg. Since July.
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary, Bob.