OK,OK,guys. No pictures because I did not take a camera.
Also,be aware that I was raised in an era when typing was considered "womens work"---I still consider it that way.
There were 11 of us -all guys-ranging in age from late 40s to late 60s with a bias toward the upper range. 4 Harleys,2 BMWs,3 G'Wings and 2 FJRs (My '03 and Kermits '04).
We shipped the bikes from Birmingham,AL and flew to Kalispell,MT. Some consider this wimpy,I consider a good use of time.
Day 1. (Thursday 14 July) Ride from the airport through Whitefish up hwy 93 to Eureka and S/W on37,past Lake Koocanusa to Libby. No traffic and a great road and scenery after Eureka. Spent the night at the Super 8 and had dinner/breakfast at The Antlers. Both are convenient ,better than expected , inexpensive and the only game in town.
Day2. N on 2 to Kootenai Falls and the swinging bridge.Both worth the time and walk. On N on 2 to 95 and into Canada at Eastport/Kingsgate. No hassels or delays as we all had US passports.On up 95 and 95A to lunch at Chef Bernard's Platzl in Kimberly (really good bratwurst ! ) and on up 93 into Kootenay Park and to the Kootenay Park Lodge.
The Lodge is the only private enterprise in the park and is the only room and meals for ~40 miles in either direction. It is quite rustic but the location,people,food and rates are good.
Day 3. Up 93 to Lake Louse and a bit of siteseeing and on towards Jasper in an increasingly cold and hard rain. We stopped at the Icefield Center for a break,lunch and a trip onto the galcier in a massive tracked bus with all the other tourists. Been there,done that.
It quit raining and we went on to Jasper and the Lobstick Lodge which is "air cooled" and overpriced but that's what you get in Jasper. Dinner at Miss Italia's is worth the trip.
Day 4.N on 16 and S on 5 to Blue River for a boat ride on the lake and lunch. These are wonderful,lonely,well maintained roads. A few of us wanted to go back towards Jasper just to ride them again. We didn't. On to Kamloops and the Holiday Inn Express. It is just about like all the other HI Expresses--Reasonably priced,clean and breakfast in the morning. If you go,don't eat at their restaurant. It's overpriced and not very good food. Martinis there are good,though-and you can walk.
Day 5. A day trip so you can take off the bags and RIDE! W on 1,N on 97 and S on 1 to Lytton for lunch.The Frazer and Thompson rivers merge there. A beautiful ride.
After lunch,SE on 8 and N on 5 (a freeway but the prettiest I ever saw) and back to Kamloops. Walked to Rick's for dinner. Should have gone there last night,too.
Day 6.Load up. Move on. S on 5A to Princeton and E on 3 Keremeos where a giant of a guy named Bignutz (from FJRowners forum) found us. We talked FJRs for a bit and he took the time to show us a really great local road over which it was quite callenging to keep up with him. Nice guy.
From there to the HI Express in Kelowna. A really good day 'till the last 5 miles of HEAVY traffic.
Dinner at Joey Tomatoes is not to be missed. Good food and waitresses who look really classy and great---even if they are younger than my daughter.
Day 7. Another loop day and the best riding day ever! N on 97 ,97A and 1 to Revelstoke and S on 23,and a cool ferry crossing. Lunch shortly thereafter and on to Fauquier and another ferry crossing and W on 6 to Vernon and back to Kelowna.
No traffic at all after Revelstoke,twisty roads,good scenery and good road surface. Sunshine and moderately warm temps. A GREAT DAY!
We celebrated with pizza and beer in the hotel.
Day 8. Load up. Move on. S on 33 on a crisp,clear morning. About as good a ride as it gets. Then E on 3 and 3A to Nelson where we got to the Prestige Lakeside Resort early enough so that 4 of us took a helicopter ride up to Kokanee Glacier. That trip was really cool.
Dinner at the hotel was on the lakeside patio and was pretty good. A local motrocycle cop from whom we had asked directions stopped by and we kibbitzed with him for an hour or so. Nice guy.
Day 9. Rainy looking. N on 3A to the "longest free ferry in the world" I don't know about that but it is about 40 min and covers beautiful water and coutry. The road on the other side is one of the highest rated roads in BC by Destination Highways.
It is twisty and pretty and is the location for a house made entirely of embalming fluid bottles--fortunately,empty.
The rain started fairly seriously and got worse 'till lunch at Cranbrook.
After lunch,the sun came out and we went on 3 to 6 going S down to Waterton Lakes and the Prince of Wales. What a stark landscape and a beautiful old hotel. It is rustic and a walk-up (we were all on the 4th floor) but it is classy and the view is wonderful. It is so windy that they let us park the bikes in the front porch so they wouldn't blow over (!).
Day 10. A trip down to the little lakeside village for breakfast and siteseeing and then S to the US border. A spectacular trip but the wind is getting serious. No issues at the border (passports make it easy for all).
It is brilliantly sunny but so windy that,when I stopped to put on sunscreen,the wind blew my sunglasses of the bike and Doc ran over them with his Goldwing.
On southward toward Glacier Park and the Going to the Sun Road. The wind is directly abeam and gusting to,maybe, 60 mph, so that it is very difficulty to keep a straight line or hold up the bike if you stop. Never seen anything like it in 50 years of riding. We all survived without incident.
The Going To The Sun Road is the most spectacular real estate I have ever seen. I just can't do it justice. It would be a good riding road but for the traffic.
Lunch Lake McDonald in the hotel was delightful. Don't miss it.
On to the Grouse Mountain Lodge in Whitefish where our trucker met us and loaded the bikes.
Dinner in the Lodge was quite nice and the rooms are spacious.
Day 11. Fly home. Takes all day because of 3 hour layover in Minneapolis and 2 hours in Memphis.
I rode 2440 miles. We had no drops,tickets,mechanical failures (even with 4 Harleys !) and a hell of a lot of fun.
Go if you can!
