pegdragger
08-10-2008, 10:26 PM
So, I got out of work early Thursday, and had Friday and Saturday off. I knew a little ahead of time, so I suggested to Rose (Dozenroses) that we could sneak away somewhere close for a day or two on the FJR and have a sort of "mini vacation." She suggested Montreal. I had never been to Montreal (or Canada for that matter). I thought, what the hell? Let's go. We did a little research, booked a room and decided to make it happen. I will post some pics at the end. It is a little long, so grab a beverage and enjoy.....
Thursday afternoon rolls around and we hopped on the bike around 4 pm. Somewhere in the Adirondacks, we rode into a thunderstorm with torrential downpours, lightning and wind gusts. But that couldn't dampen our excitement. I was smiling like a goober. We were prepared for rain, but not as prepared as we thought. Rose was in her waterproof gear. I too was in my waterproof gear...or so I though...with the exception of my jacket.
I was wearing my nylon Harley jacket, Whereas the panels come off making it a flow thru jacket. Apparently, the zippers aren't a good idea when buckets of rain are coming down. No biggie. We pressed on. (The downside, waterproof pants and boots make no difference when your T-shirt is soaked and the water runs down your legs!!!)
We crossed the border with ease, and we were on our way to Montreal. A little into the trip, I realized that being a car nut, 100km is no big deal. 62 mph, per every 0 to 60 test in the world. I can handle this. No problem. Then we started getting a little farther in and I turned my head and said to Rose, "Keep in mind I don't speak French, so I have no idea what these signs say". She took some French in school and was able to help. We made it to our hotel because of her excellent navigation skills and a printed set of directions in a ziploc bag. We didn't get the Zumo yet. Can't find it anywhere around here for less than $719.
We stayed at the Clarion Suites on Maisonneuve. I don't recommend it. Unless you really don't care about quality. We are a little fussy and like a little more upscale accommodations. If you are just looking for a cheap place to stay, it works just fine. (NOTE FROM ROSE: Fussy isn't a good word - the sheets were like sandpaper, the bathroom was so narrow my skinny ribbed frame got bruised on a towel bar trying to close the bathroom door, the fridge was older than I am, and the housekeeper didn't want to give me all the towels I needed. In addition, we booked the hotel based on the fact that we would have indoor parking. When we arrived I was told that the parking garage was full. After bitching a bit she took my money ($16.50 a day!!!) and we parked it in the garage by the elevator. Also the ramp going in and out of the garage was VERY steep. I just wanted to add all this to stress, I'm not really fussy and high on my horse, but I expected more, and damn it after riding in the pooring rain for 5 hours, I just wanted a warm comfy bed and it just wasn't....)
We walked around Montreal on Friday in the rain and enjoyed the sites. It is a beautiful city. So much to see, and we had nowhere near enough time to see it all. I especially enjoyed Little Italy. Being a huge Ferrari fan, it was a huge treat to see Ferrari flags hanging throughout the area and stores full of F1 merchandise. The food was also amazing.
On Saturday, we went to see Notre Dame and St. Joseph's Basilica. Then we began the journey home. Originally, it was supposed to rain on Saturday, but it turned out to be gorgeous and about 77 degrees. We got held up at customs for about an hour, but other than that the trip home was uneventful. Well, with the exception of a bunch of smiles.....
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h65/Mhenry74/DSC_0158.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h65/Mhenry74/DSC_0156.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h65/Mhenry74/DSC_0154.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h65/Mhenry74/DSC_0029.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h65/Mhenry74/DSC_0107.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h65/Mhenry74/DSC_0085.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h65/Mhenry74/DSC_0300.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h65/Mhenry74/DSC_0269.jpg
Thursday afternoon rolls around and we hopped on the bike around 4 pm. Somewhere in the Adirondacks, we rode into a thunderstorm with torrential downpours, lightning and wind gusts. But that couldn't dampen our excitement. I was smiling like a goober. We were prepared for rain, but not as prepared as we thought. Rose was in her waterproof gear. I too was in my waterproof gear...or so I though...with the exception of my jacket.
I was wearing my nylon Harley jacket, Whereas the panels come off making it a flow thru jacket. Apparently, the zippers aren't a good idea when buckets of rain are coming down. No biggie. We pressed on. (The downside, waterproof pants and boots make no difference when your T-shirt is soaked and the water runs down your legs!!!)
We crossed the border with ease, and we were on our way to Montreal. A little into the trip, I realized that being a car nut, 100km is no big deal. 62 mph, per every 0 to 60 test in the world. I can handle this. No problem. Then we started getting a little farther in and I turned my head and said to Rose, "Keep in mind I don't speak French, so I have no idea what these signs say". She took some French in school and was able to help. We made it to our hotel because of her excellent navigation skills and a printed set of directions in a ziploc bag. We didn't get the Zumo yet. Can't find it anywhere around here for less than $719.
We stayed at the Clarion Suites on Maisonneuve. I don't recommend it. Unless you really don't care about quality. We are a little fussy and like a little more upscale accommodations. If you are just looking for a cheap place to stay, it works just fine. (NOTE FROM ROSE: Fussy isn't a good word - the sheets were like sandpaper, the bathroom was so narrow my skinny ribbed frame got bruised on a towel bar trying to close the bathroom door, the fridge was older than I am, and the housekeeper didn't want to give me all the towels I needed. In addition, we booked the hotel based on the fact that we would have indoor parking. When we arrived I was told that the parking garage was full. After bitching a bit she took my money ($16.50 a day!!!) and we parked it in the garage by the elevator. Also the ramp going in and out of the garage was VERY steep. I just wanted to add all this to stress, I'm not really fussy and high on my horse, but I expected more, and damn it after riding in the pooring rain for 5 hours, I just wanted a warm comfy bed and it just wasn't....)
We walked around Montreal on Friday in the rain and enjoyed the sites. It is a beautiful city. So much to see, and we had nowhere near enough time to see it all. I especially enjoyed Little Italy. Being a huge Ferrari fan, it was a huge treat to see Ferrari flags hanging throughout the area and stores full of F1 merchandise. The food was also amazing.
On Saturday, we went to see Notre Dame and St. Joseph's Basilica. Then we began the journey home. Originally, it was supposed to rain on Saturday, but it turned out to be gorgeous and about 77 degrees. We got held up at customs for about an hour, but other than that the trip home was uneventful. Well, with the exception of a bunch of smiles.....
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h65/Mhenry74/DSC_0158.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h65/Mhenry74/DSC_0156.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h65/Mhenry74/DSC_0154.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h65/Mhenry74/DSC_0029.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h65/Mhenry74/DSC_0107.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h65/Mhenry74/DSC_0085.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h65/Mhenry74/DSC_0300.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h65/Mhenry74/DSC_0269.jpg