Joel Perlish; USA/MEXICO/CANADA DOUBLE CROSS COUNTRY & THE TRANSCANADA HIGHWAY -- OR BUST - SUMMER 2008 by Joel Perlish

Joel Perlish; USA/MEXICO/CANADA DOUBLE CROSS COUNTRY & THE TRANSCANADA HIGHWAY -- OR BUST - SUMMER 2008 by Joel Perlish

July 29, 2008 - Tuesday - Day 29
USA/MEXICO/CANADA
DOUBLE CROSS COUNTRY
& THE TRANSCANADA HIGHWAY
-- OR BUST - SUMMER 2008
Miles Today - 104 - Total Miles - 6475
Bainbridge Island,WA - to Victoria,British Columbia, Canada
(-staying at Linda & Fred Jenner's Place -)
(WA-British Columbia,Canada
)
**** It's NOW folks! It's now the adventure REALLY begins! ****
--- THREE THRILLS: THE SHORE! THE SONG! AND CANADA'S MILE 0! ---

It is to be a 4,800+ mile pretty much straight line tour across the whole of the Trans-Canada Highway ocean-to-ocean… and when I look at the map it seems pretty daunting. (This is a ride I had always wanted to do on a bicycle! But time got by me, and for one reason or another, I just don't think that's in the cards now. But trading the two wheels of the bicycle for the motorcycle it IS doable! And…. about to happen.)

It was not a particularly good night's sleep my second night on Bainbridge Island. The bed was comfy and all, but I was missing Ellie, and I was excited about the new phase of the trip. After about four-and-a-half hours sleep, I awoke and gathered stuff together and went downstairs. Doug and Barb were at the table, and I gave them a good morning greeting.
I took the long walk down the stairs outside the home to the shoreline with Doug. Doug took a shot of me touching the water - now three-quarters through Trish's idea of touching the oceans at the four corners of the continent. We stopped at the boat house on the way back up.
It was drizzly and cold this morning, as it was throughout the whole day.
Back in the cozy dining area, Doug grabbed his guitar and played for me the song about my travels that he had been working on. Remember the “Lonesome Roads and Empty Highways” song surmised about here on Day 6 into Vero Beach? Well, Doug had actually written it, and then he and Barb sung it to me… (I shot it on video, too. If you have the inclination, check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQV3vUXkrLY.) I understand it's already in the Top 20, and so I'm guessing it will be up for a Grammy next year. It's really cool in that he weaves a lot of what has been written in these journal notes and some things people I've met have said, into the lyrics.
By 9:30am it was time to leave. I was thankful that Barb and Doug escorted me out of the little community to the gas station and to the main road.


I was so excited about getting back on the road that I left my gloves on the back fender and rode off. About three miles down the road, I thought, “Damn, my hands are cold!” After realizing why, I headed back to the station, but the gloves were nowhere to be seen. I thought Doug might have picked them up, but that turned out not to be the case. I got a cheap pair at the gas station and then got my butt down the road to Port Angeles - and to the date Nomad and I had with the COHO ferry to Victoria, Canada.
After a natural high, it's always a humbling experience to make a foolish mistake like losing those gloves. But that's what often keeps me sharp!
It was a 53-mile ride through temperatures mostly in the 50's. I passed a number of signs that read “Elk Crossing”… Spent most of the day's very overcast ride scanning the horizon at the end of the road and chasing the Dutchman's pants. (Don't get the reference? See day three!)
I passed a few rain-slickered bicyclists struggling with the hills. I gave them all a thumbs up as I passed, and honk-honked in a friendly manner. I've been there, and I know how that helps!
There were mostly low hanging clouds over the peaks as I negotiated the mountains north on this Kitsap Peninsula.

In Port Angeles, the Bainbridge Ferry area was very well marked with signs a few miles in advance announcing where the departure point was located. At the entry point and on the boat, I chatted quite a bit with Suzy and Bob out of Portland. They were riding two-up on a big bike taking a Canadian trip to the west. The couple said that I looked like the actor Alan Arkin… At least that was a little more complimentary than Doug saying this morning that he thought I looked like former Philadelphia mayor, Ed Rendell. Man, I laughed at that one.
With nervous excitement I disembarked from the ferry. I was very last in line and the last one off the boat. (Hey! They had TOLD me there was enough time for a trip to the men's room!)
I had no problem getting through customs with the answer to a few questions. (“Do you have any weapons?” “Are you planning on buying or selling anything in Canada?” “How long do you expect to be here?” “What is your job?”) One of my motorcycle pals who had made the crossing with me was not so lucky. He had been pulled over for further questioning.
So, I was off the ferry and into the third country of this around-the-block journey. And I had absolutely no idea of where the two places I needed to go were! I needed to find the “Mile 0” sign which marks the very beginning of the highway, and I needed to find the Jenners, friends from home. (I had shot their wedding eight years ago.)

After a number of mile in the wrong direction, I backtracked and found that just past the beautiful Beacon Hill Park was the Mile 0 signage for which I had been searching. I did a lot of asking to finally find it. I hopped off the bike, strolled over to the sign, and took a few photos. I enlisted the help of Leonard, a dapper older gentleman who happened to be strolling by, to get my picture in front of the sign. It was a high point of my trip just being there to begin the journey.



Okay, the first goal of the day was done, but I still had to figure out where the heck Linda and Fred's place was - my GPS did not show their home in Victoria at the designated street. And a number of folks I asked about it, had never heard of the street.
At that point a couple busloads of Japanese tourists came spilling out of big tour busses. They were chattering and excited about seeing the start of the longest highway in the world. They took pictures of the “Mile One” marker and also of the Terry Fox statue near-by. Terry was a young courageous fellow with cancer who began a cross-Canada running on one leg and a prosthetic leg… Regrettably, he died of his cancer before finishing.
I went to one of the bus drivers and sure enough, he found on his map that the street needed was not in Victoria proper, but in Langford, a suburb. He gave me quick directions, but I plugged the address in the GPS, and bingo! It located the home.
I set out through Victoria proper, and after some pain in the neck back-ups, was soon tooling along through the cold drizzle in search of Lakewood Place. I was coming right up on the left hand turn according to the GPS, but all that was there was a cliff wall rising about 100 feet. I had to go about 5 miles before getting u-turn accessibility on the mountainous wet roadway. I finally turned around and found that the needed road was closed! I hit 'detour' on the GPS and finally found the place.
Linda and the three kids were home - Hudson, an exuberant three year old, Sylviann (or Boo), a smiley 5 year old, and Mackenzie, a wide-eyed and friendly 7 year old.
The kids were abuzz with excitement about my arrival. After greetings and unpacking, I had the girls supervise my bike cleaning. And they were very good at finding each spot I missed.
Labs Philly and Jack, eager-faced and energetic to the max, ran after and returned each dog-saliva-laden ball that I tossed for them.
Soon dad Fred came home from work. So much for interest in me, as the kids swarmed him.
Before dinner, I had a nice 20 minute or so run through the woods and roads with Mackenzie and Philly.
Linda had some soy chicken for me, and a special salad, and the meal was capped off with a soy ice cream cone. And I enjoyed all of it immensely. It was fun being at the family table, abuzz with kid energy and happiness. Hudson, Mr. GQ, had quite a time with the dips that were generously applied to the foods and to his shirt.
It was around 9:30pm or so that everyone retired for the night. I went up to the back guest room, and it wasn't long before again, I was wrapped in good thoughts of the day, and in a tiredness I could not ignore.
****
Note 1: I just don't know how contact will be once I'm in Canada. So if you don't get a journal note edition for a day or so, don't worry.

Note 2: To view the many photos from today and the whole trip, you can visit
http://www.photostockplus.com/home.php?tmpl=45&user_id=42473&event=196141
Some folks have reported trouble with this link, but most find that it works. Sometimes it takes two tries… Also, you can check out the past day journal entries by going to joelperlish.com, and clicking on the appropriate trip down at the bottom on the left hand corner or just going to http://www.joelperlish.com/blog/blog.html)