Americade 2008 - Day 6

This year I'm publishing highlights of my activities at the 2008 Americade Motorcycle Rally, day by day in a blog. Americade is scheduled for June 2-7, this year. The blog will also include my preparation in getting ready to take the ride to Lake George, NY, my observations while there, the ride home, and getting back to normal.

The trip will now also include intermediate stop-offs at at our son's house in Boonton, NJ (three grandsons) and daughter's house in Middle Grove, NY (grandson and granddaughter). Our daughter made a move to the Saratoga Springs area last year after Americade. Since her house is now 25 miles south of Americade (and on the way), we now have a fringe benefit of making the trip.

I'm finding it difficult to stay up-to-date with this "daily" blog. It takes a lot of time out of a day to do a blog entry especially when pictures and videos are involved. I'll do the best I can but first priority will be going to doing the actual activities of Americade.

Monday arrived and we finished packing the trikes. I was a little concerned that I might have a recurrence of the vibration I had a few days ago. But it was time to finish the ride to Lake George.

It only took about 45 minutes to scoot up the Northway and get off at exit 22 that led down to our motel at the north end of Lake George. I registered and headed down the sloping hill to our room where unpacking started. We still hadn't gone to the Holiday Inn to complete our pre-registration so that was next.

Some people like to get in line at 8 a.m. and spend the next 3-4 hours working up to those tables where your pre-registration package has been squirreled away. Not me. The Americade message board contributors seem to enjoy this. Not me. I hate lines. When we usually arrive on Monday, at about 3 p.m. the line has disappeared. We did see a small line today but that was only because our name was early in the alphabet. Our friend Marion who has a last name beginning with R was told to walk right in. We waited a bit and took in some violin music provided by someone willing to give up his whole day to help entertain those people who really spent a long time in line. Our standing was over in 5 minutes, thankfully.

We headed back to the trikes and started for the exit to Canada Street. Now, Americade only allows you to turn right when you leave the Holiday Inn. It's just too confusing and dangerous to turn left with so much two-way motorcycle traffic. In the past we turned right, then quickly pulled off to get gas and then were able to pull out and turn left on Canada Street with no restriction -- still just as dangerous. Since we didn't need any gas, I had told Jane -- who was leading -- to pull off at the new diner (the old one burned down last year before Americade) and then we could just pull back onto Canada Street and go left. However, this time I saw a few extra words on the bottom of the Right Turn Only sign. It said to immediately turn on the next street for an easy way back to town. As Jane pulled out of the diner and was trying to turn left, she wasn't having any luck. I thought maybe it was time to try that nifty turn that would lead back to town. I told Jane over the CB to turn right instead and turn at the next street. But, she had some trouble understanding me.

Jane turned right and by the time I made it through the right hand turn, she was way ahead of me and past the "next right hand turn." I was now at that turn and made a right as I got back on the CB. "You missed the turn," I said.

"What turn?" said Jane. "I didn't see anything. I'm already at the next light and I'll just have to turn and go out to the Northway and bypass Lake George to exit 22."

"I guess I'll just stay on this route and see where it comes out," I said. "I'll see you back at the motel."

My route brought me around and back to Canada Street where the traffic was light. I turned left and headed through town working my way light-by-light through the heavy traffic. I arrived at the motel to see Jane waiting outside our room. She had beaten me back to the motel, as shown here with Jane between the two trikes.



By the way, I had no recurrence of the trike vibration on the 35 mile trip from Saratoga Springs to Lake George.

We had dinner across the street with members from the Spokes-Women Motorcycle Club, shown meeting before we walked across the street to the restaurant.



Afterward, we walked Canada Street and I took a few pictures and videos.









I came upon a group surrounding a bike. It was a Can-Am Spyder. I would be riding one tomorrow.





Canada Street Videos:

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Video 1


Video 2


Video 3


More to follow. Read the blog each day for further reports.

An evolving blog index to these Americade 2008 blog entries is also available.