Day 1: Launch

May 22, 2019

Launch day came early - too early by my estimation.  When I first stirred I could tell it was still dark through shuttered lids.  Prying one apart I directed my gaze to the clock.  Three twos in a row?  No matter what order you put them in, it spells "No."

When next I awoke it was already 5:45 and past time to get up, although there was precious little else to prepare, having done it mostly the night before.

Duly christened on the eve of the 2019 Prefrontal Tour by a sea captain's wife, Snoopy 2 departed at 7:15 AM 'neath a cloudless cerulean sky at a brisk 50 degrees.

Angling west on Route 67, I headed for Amsterdam, avoiding the morning rush of cagers at the Twin Bridges trying to beat each other to the office.  It was mundane at first, farms and houses in the low-light of morning, until I crested the eastern lip of the Mohawk Valley and it felt like the Tour was on.

I picked up the peremptory slab and headed due West for Niagara Falls, crossing the border into Ontario at exactly 12 noon.  Canada was a collection of flat farms, not unlike the northern part of New York near Plattsburgh, understandable given the latitude they share.

The alternating smells of lilacs and cow manure were interrupted only for fuel stops and a brief period of rain after lunch.  I expected the bike to throw a fit and a few error codes after the first fill up, but somehow those Japanese engineers at Honda must have figured it out ahead of time, and the bike made whatever internal adjustments it needed to run on that metric gas they dispense up there.  Well played Honda, well played.

Most of the ride was unsightful compared to yesterday and the "what once was old is new again" vibe you get from Vermont.  Historic old timberframe buildings everywhere, over-restored to better-than-new condition in that magical way only trust fund babies can afford.

I crossed back into the U.S. and Michigan and made my way all the way across the state until I ran out of land at Muskegon - a strange spot to be if you're trying to ride a motorcycle to Milwaukee?  Tomorrow will tell.

Over the course of the day, Snoopy 2 left in 50 degree weather, which climbed to 67 in New York and dropped immediately back to 50 in Canada, and then rose to 79 once back in Michigan.  Either a cold front was going through or the Canadians live "North of the Wall".  But it was a good day, 12 hours, 750 miles (a personal record), 3 states (one of them Canadian), and one very long smile.

Until next time dear readers.  Onward and upward!