Last Few Days in the USA

With the last days of our trip we had a variety of things to arrange. The bikes need stripping and prepped for shipping, motels for the duration and move our flights forward to suit. Whilst we were here we thought we would try out Baseball.

Wolf Sanctuary in Pensylvania

Today we visited the Wolf Sancturay in Pensylvania, this is a fanomanal place. The sanctuary houses about 40 wolves. They have a mixture of Timberland, Black, Arctic wolf and cross breeds with Huskies. For as little a 12 bucks you see a wolf pack, how cool is that? all the money goes to the support of the sanctuary, the tour takes about an hour and is worth every penny. The guides are fun and knowledgeable giving an insight into the breeds and psychology of these amazing animals. If you get a chance "go!" you can find their details on the net.

Centralia or Silent Hill

Years ago a game called Silent Hill emerged about a town that was deserted due to an underground coal fire, the town also hosted a range of ghost and gohuls that appeared following a siren. In the last few years a film once again tested your nerves about the same place: Silent Hill. Since we were in Pennsylvania we had to visit the town that inspired these genres.
In 1960's the towns garbage dump accidently ignited the coal seem that ran the length of the area. Over the following fifty years the town was evacuated.

Today less than twenty people still live there. The roads and streets are there, overgrown and abandoned. The ground is cracked and smoke and coal fumes exude.

A church on the hill overlooks, surprisingly in good condition ( a little like the film
). Following the old route 61, you can see the extent of the fires, the road is fractured as if ripped apart by an earth quake. As tit is a mining area you can here the odd siren off in the s
distance, but no ghost or monsters come forth at least not in the day light. Was it scary? no but creepy.At night it may be a little different.

Buffalo to Warren

After crossing the border back into America we passed through Buffalo, its a city like any other city and to be honest we got out of there as quick as possible. We found a motel and straight away it was obviously cheaper here, about a thrd cheaper than Canada.
The next day we headed south and on route we stopped to change my tires as the back one looked like a slick.
the further from the city we got the nicer it became. Small towns with friendly people, old style houses and bridges.

We both needed haircuts so gues where? WALMART, that wasnt the finished product.
The roads were great, tight winding roads through hlls and forests with rivers chasing our left flanks..

Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls reputation is difficult to live up to, approaching from the Canadian side gives the feel like you are in Blackpool, seedy souvenirs shops and gentlemen's clubs. The Falls themselves are stunning, its a shame its not in its natural environment. We went on the "behind the Falls adventure" hundreds of tourists wearing their issued plastic poncho's; We abstained to fit in with our biker image lol...
The falls are magnificent and the experience is still incredible. With thousands of gallons going over the falls every second, it truly is a natural wonder.
After the Falls we crossed the bridge and entered back onto American soil.
The sun came out as if to welcome us back, truthfully the American part of this trip has been the most entertaining, the people and their hospitality are second to none.

Where we are! Where we are going!

View Larger Map
View Larger Map

Tobomory

We jumped the ferry from South Barmouth to a little tourist trap called Torbormory. The ferry ride was great, it was Taz's first motorcycle-ferry and she really enjoyed the idea of riding on and fastening her bike down. Its strange when you do it in a car you forget that the car is there, but on a bike you have to rope it down and stow it against the movement of the ship. Constantly aware that you steed is there, swaying with the boat.

As we got off the ferry and rode over the landing port we were greeted with a bustling little sea port style town. Every one in shorts, tanned skin and surf lifestyle looks. We found accommodation for our first night and made one of the biggest mistakes of the trip $140 for the crappiest room in Canada. An over powering smell of Milldue/damp and nothing worked: the toilets or TV. The next morning we bolted for better residence and found some lovely cabins in the woods for half the price, result!
Along the waterfront is an array of shops and restaurants. Even a dive shop! Not missing an opportunity I booked on a dive in the afternoon to explore two ship wrecks. Taz not wanting to dive came along for the ride and helped out on the dive boat. The diving is great, clear and fairly warm. The wrecks are all wood and the spines of the hull imitate the bones of a giant dinosaur nestled in the silt telling stories of the past. Taz unfortunately got a little too much sun and will suffer that night for it.We realised that we have been dressed head to toe in a our biking gear and had not really been exposed to sola rays for the last three months.
We had always wanted to sail around the world and being here only fueled the idea as yachts came in to moor, we stood drooling over the fantastic vessels. Playing the " MINE" game. Some of these boats may never see the salty sea as the lakes here are so vast; you could explore them for years.
Tomorrow we head for Niagara Falls and on to New York...