HooHa Adventures

1200 miles to Baah Habaah

September 7, 2013November 16, 2013 by HooHaAdventures, posted in Cape Breton motorcycle tour 2013

We had a beautiful morning when we left Fort Wayne. It was a bit cooler than the original forecast, leaving us with 68-70 degrees for the first lag of the trip. Definitely a wonderful way to spend my birthday!!

We got quite a few miles in before stopping for lunch. Amidst the vineyards of northern Pennsylvania, we got off the highway and traveled north to a little town called Northwest. We stopped at a place called Johnny B’s for a quick lunch.

Now that’s one big meatball sandwich!!!
Back on the road, a couple of fuel stops before our destination…

Now that’s a marketing strategy!
Northville, New York is at the base of the adarondack mountains, about 20 miles north of I90. It was getting dark, and we were starting to get chilly after 13.5 hours on the bike and about 700 miles. We stayed at the Flip Inn, a quaint little motel on Great Sacandaga Lake.

There to great us was our host and her attack dog, Snowball.

There are two spots to dine, right on the lake. We ate at The Sport Island Pub and enjoyed great chowder, little neck clams and a tasty burger.

The lake was beautiful in the early morning, with the mist hovering over the lake in the chilly air.

We found a nice old diner, The Northampton Diner to get in a quick breakfast before heading East.

We traveled from Northville to Keene, New Hampshire on highway 9 or Molly Stark Scenic Highway. We enjoyed beautiful views of Vermont’s Green Mountain National Forest.

Keene, New Hampshire…

We got to Bar Harbor in the evening, a beautiful drive through a gorgeous state. We drove over an amazing bridge near Prospect, Maine called the Fort Knox Bridge.

We arrived at our destination, The Canterbury Cottage, a quaint bed and breakfast in downtown historic Bar Harbor.

We had dinner of boiled Maine lobster at the Portside Grill, and a wonderful breakfast hosted by Martha and Tim at the cottage. We met three other couples at the house, and had a nice stay. Our room was clean and decorated beautifully. We stayed in the Sun Island room. It was too bad we were only staying one night, because there is so much to do on the island with the Acadia National Park, Caddilac mountain and all the shops and restaurants in downtown Bar Harbor.

Other than Jeffrey’s sore right hand from the throttle, we are no worse for wear. This morning is a beautiful day and we are headed to Amherst, Nova Scotia. HooHa!! J&M

Be Prepared

September 3, 2013November 16, 2013 by HooHaAdventures, posted in Cape Breton motorcycle tour 2013

On a trip like this, there is a lot of planning. As a healthcare professional, one of my first searches for a motorcycle trip to another country is adequate health insurance. After significant searches, we decided on Medjet Assist. They have several different options for short term insurance, depending on your trip. With higher costs for out of network treatment, this insurance covers you even in the USA when you are more than 150 miles from home. For both of us, we chose a 15 day plan, which cost $270 with motorcycle evacuation insurance (they will transport your bike back home if you are evacuated). Hopefully, we won’t use it, but peace of mind is worth it!
We trial packed last week to see how to pack the bike. Our left saddlebag holds our camping gear. We have a high quality, waterproof, two person tent, two ALPS blow up air mats, two fleece sleeping bags that zip together for extra warmth 🙂 and blow up camp pillows.

Our right saddlebag contains our motorcycle repair needs, tools, rain gear, bungees, 20L seal bag, fix-a-flat, flashlights, toiletries, first aid kit and emergency blanket. In pre-packing, we originally thought we would bring extra shoes, but have since just gone with good motorcycle boots and saved space for other things. Since buying this bike, a 1993 Kawasaki Voyager XII with 14000 miles, we have added 1000 miles, tightened bolts, checked tires and battery, and it runs like a dream.

In our trunk, we hold our clothes (one duffle bag for both of us ladies!!) which includes about 3 days worth of clothes for each of us. We will bring a small clothesline with us to hand wash items, or stop at laundry as need be.

We drove the bike with all our gear and adjusted air suspension for optimum comfort. The last preparation was to upgrade our bike 20 years from 1993 to 2013. Our bike is equipped to listen to all the latest cassettes, and had a single 12V outlet which was loose and not connected to the bike. We will be bringing cell phones, iPads, camera and GPS and need charging options while we are driving. Jef added two 12V power outlets and mounted on the dash, to easily reach GPS and cells as we drive. ($13 each) We also bought a tank bag on eBay ($30) to hold all electronics and atlas for quick viewing.

With modifications finished, bags packed, we need only to button up a couple more work days before the adventure begins! HooHa!! Jef & Margi

Hike and Bike

August 27, 2013November 16, 2013 by HooHaAdventures, posted in Indiana motorcycle touring

It’s getting hot!! As we experience a late summer heat wave, we decide to take a short tour around Northern Indiana and take in the sites. We drove by beautiful Indiana farmland bursting with corn and soybeans yet to be harvested.

Traveling the Blue Star Highway, we discover Lagro, Indiana, where we explored a stop for the Erie Canal and the remains of one of its locks. The Erie Canal was the major trade route between Toledo an this area in the 1800s. Horses would tow large barges filled with goods along the canal before trains and then roads replaced them.

Back on the bike, we meandered toward Salamonie Reservoir. After getting off the bike, we hiked down a steep staircase to the base of the dam that supplies the Salamonie River. We connected to a trail in the adjoining woods, and enjoyed a gorgeous 1/4 mile hike complete with a pretty descent climb up to a picnic and parking area.

After our hike, we headed home, enjoying the quiet rumble of the bike tires on the backroads of Northern Indiana. Wind in our faces, enjoying the ride… HooHa!! J & M

Road Test

August 17, 2013November 16, 2013 by HooHaAdventures, posted in Indiana motorcycle touring

Last weekend we wanted to test out the Kawasaki by taking a 2.5 hour ride to have dinner at Triple XXX Root Beer in West Lafayette, featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. We both found the bike rode well, the Northern Indiana views beautiful, and the company excellent. We did have to adjust the suspension to smooth out the ride home, but outside of that, it rode like a dream. We think, based on fuel and miles done, that we are running around 50mpg.

Once at our destination, we enjoyed juicy burgers, scrumptious onion rings and cold mugs of root beer at Triple XXX Root Beer. The burgers were ground fresh in the original drive-in, and well worth the trip. If you want ice in your root beer, you have to request it. We had a lovely ride home, reaching home just as it was getting dark, allowing us to test lights and visibility. We plan to upgrade the headlights in the upcoming weeks. Great road test…hooha! j & M

HooHa! Triple XXX root beer and burgers....mmmmm! — HooHa! Triple XXX root beer and burgers….mmmmm!

Remembering Tina

August 11, 2013July 25, 2021 by HooHaAdventures, posted in Uncategorized

HooHa Adventures is about living life, passionately, and savoring every moment. Tina Thomas-Bratscher died one year ago today, doing just that. She was, and still is, such an inspiration to those who knew her, and those who learn about her. She was a writer, and author of her own blog followtinasjourney@blogspot.com outlining her final years before losing her battle to ovarian cancer. Prior to learning about her diagnosis, she continued to live life with passion, kicking her own bucket list one adventure at a time including horseback riding, camping, parasailing, skydiving, riding motorcycles, travelling to Europe, Cuba, and Northwest US to name a few. She handled adversity with class, and made everyday an adventure with her great friends, love of great food, drink and music. We love and miss you, and are living life to the fullest! HooHa Tina!!

The Plan

August 10, 2013August 10, 2013 by HooHaAdventures, posted in Uncategorized

The Voyager...The New Plan — The Voyager…The New Plan

So, we headed out to a local dealership this week to outfit our Honda Shadow V Twin 1100 American Classic Edition with saddlebags, a new passenger saddle for comfort, and other accessories we might need for the upcoming journey. We started out up to head out to the dealership…. No dice. A few minutes later, we were on the road after Jef jumped the battery. Add a battery to the list. Oh, and a windshield. Definitely a saddle for me… 12 days of this might be a test…but, there are families that do most of their travelling on a motorcycle smaller than this one, so a bit of global humility may be needed. We arrived at the dealership ready to shop when I made the mistake of spotting a used motorcycle with everything we needed. Sat on it. (Uh oh) Test rode it… it was smooth and effortless at 70 mph…it felt safer (last straw). So, now it’s ours and headed to Cape Breton with us. (still deciding what to do with the Shadow….it’s so pretty and fun…) Now, The Plan is to outfit the Voyager with gear and plan our itinerary (loosely… It still is a journey). Any comments or suggestions will be appreciated!!! J & M

The Next Big Journey

August 3, 2013November 16, 2013 by HooHaAdventures, posted in Cape Breton motorcycle tour 2013, Indiana motorcycle touring

This blog is starting after the return from a week in the U.P. near Munising, Michigan. We drive up in the Jeep, loaded down bikes mountain bikes, a trailer with an ATV, motorcycle, kayaks, rocket box, totes, and a Great Pyrenees poking his head out the back window. While we look almost normal on the road the closer we get to our outdoor destination, here in Indiana, you can almost read the lips on the passing drivers.. “I wonder where they’re going? ” Next trip, I will plaster a hoohaadventures.com magnet to the side of the jeep and just point….

The Next Big Journey will require a lot less gear, and a bit more planning. Our first adventure ride out to the East Coast to reconnect with my family and experience Cape Breton culture. We will be scanning the web for suggestions on routes, things to see and do, and any other helpful tidbits on motorcycle travel. HooHa!

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