Norton Ewart

What are you reading?

Stendahl.

Is it Red and Black?

I don't know. It's an audiobook.

...

#booksky

Dang. Coincidentally we had an apple themed dinner for friends tonight.

This loss reminds me of my ride through Montana - Flathead Lake, and the bounty of cherries I enjoyed in July '23. Last year we returned by car for more, to find the orchards empty.

Yup - the hardest loss of the trip. The high price of good fun. And, as always, the list of things that could have gone wrong is much longer than the list of things that did. A successful adventure.

#COLAB25 Day 68
Final Update

11,146 miles ridden
13 US States
6 Canadian Provinces
5 Time Zones
10.8 Pounds Gained
38 Nights in the Tent

Uncountable memories made.

It's good to be home.

Ah, thanks. A research project beckons...

Not sure why #COLAB25 feed didn't pick this one up.

Chillicothe Baking Company

Inventors of Sliced Bread

#COLAB25 Day 67

My furthest riding day yet, 563 miles, beginning in Illinois, crossing Missouri, and ending in Abilene, Kansas, poised for a final push home tomorrow.

I've switched from blue highways to interstates. Not as fun, but I've chosen to spend Labor Day Weekend with Carol.

A banana split at sunset in Leamington, Ontario, Canada

#COLAB25 Day 66

2 countries
4 states
400 miles
2 time zones

Woke up in Canada, rode through Ontario, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and landed in Rantoul, Illinois.

Agriculture back roads - fruit and wineries gave way to corn and soybeans.

1000 miles from home. Might get there by Friday night.

Haha, well I was in Lewiston, NY when I had that BoW... Apparently next time I need to go downtown, or at least into Kenmore. 😜

I'll do almost anything to avoid practicing my instrument. 😜

On reaching Point Pelee today, I've now ridden to the furthest North, South, East and West points it's possible to ride a motorcycle in Canada.

N - Tuktoyuktuk, Northwest Territory
W - Little Gold, Yukon
E - Cape Speare, Newfoundland
S - Point Pelee

#COLAB25 Day 65

276 Miles along Lake Erie's northern shore - lake views and agriculture. apples & peaches, tobacco, wineries, ports and harbors. A nice pretty ride, back into Canada for the last time on this trip.

#COLAB25 Day 64

A longish day - about 325 miles. I started by saying goodbye to family, and ended near Niagara Falls, enjoying the back roads of North Central New York along Ontario's southern shore.

I celebrated with Buffalo Wings (they're significantly better in Buffalo) and Beef on a Weck

Listening to Alice's Restaurant on Thanksgiving mornings will be even more meaningful now that I've visited the church and restaurant in West Stockbridge.

Time with family is a highlight of the trip. I rode a long way to be here - over 9000 miles - and it was well worth it.

#COLAB25 Day 62

A special day. I woke up in the town I was born in, my first time back to it.

I ended it with family in the area where we were raised, and Mom still lives, near Schenectady.

The Merry's bought this house in Massachusetts from my parents in 1960, and it's still in the family.

Listening to Alice's Restaurant on Thanksgiving mornings will be even more meaningful now that I've visited the church and restaurant in West Stockbridge.

Time with family is a highlight of the trip. I rode a long way to be here - over 9000 miles - and it was well worth it.

#COLAB25 Day 62

A special day. I woke up in the town I was born in, my first time back to it.

I ended it with family in the area where we were raised, and Mom still lives, near Schenectady.

The Merry's bought this house in Massachusetts from my parents in 1960, and it's still in the family.

#COLAB25 Days 60-61.

Epic days of exploring Acadia National Park, the Kankamangus Highway, and endless twisty, hilly, scenic back roads in New Hampshire and Vermont, half with Keith, half after I headed south.

Oops... Day 59, not 60.

When I arrived in Bar Harbor, ME I was met by Keith, a former HP coworker from 30 years ago. We revived our friendship as if no time had passed.

Seeing this sign brought up some emotions. I was in Canada for 52 days, and I was both happy and sad to be back "home".

I was tempted to find out where this led.

This particularly cool one landed directly on the beach.

I rode a couple of ferries to cross 3 islands to reach the US.

#COLAB25 Day 60

I've fallen behind on posts. So this is a foreshadowing - I'm still riding.

Meanwhile, Day 60 was huge.

It began in the home of fellow Perec scholar Renate, in St George NB, where she presented me a priceless gift of her art done in a drum in collaboration with Alan Syliboy.

Thought I'd visit Norton while I was in MA, but it turned out to be too nice of a day for all that highway riding, so I stayed in the mountains of New Hampshire and Vermont. Consolation prize...

It was a pretty long day - 375 miles.

Wait, there's a Norton, Ohio?