Trip Start Jun 16, 2012
26Trip End Jun 23, 2012
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Gassed up, I headed to the border crossing to Buffalo, NY, passport at the ready. The bridge across the river was named the "Rainbow Bridge". I thought that was a great way to start the day's ride. Re-entry to the US was uneventful. I'm guessing the Buffalo entry point sees a lot of people cutting across from Detroit rather than go the long way through OH. Going through Canada can shave at least an hour of travel time.
I didn't take any pictures of the border crossing...customs folks tend to frown on picture taking and I didn't want any hassles or friction.
My planned route was I-90 east through New York into Massachusetts and then to I-95 north into Maine which would be over 600 miles in one day. A long ride, but achievable. My goal was to get to ME Sunday night so I could be ready to get to the archives first thing Monday morning...there was nothing that interested me between Niagara and Maine so all I had to do was slog through a long freeway ride and get it over with.
From the border the route to the freeway took me along the Robert Moses Parkway on the water and then finally to I-190. The next couple hundred miles were uneventful, just standard turnpike traveling. I have to say, though, that people from New York and Massachusetts are crappy and rude drivers...riding the turnpike and dealing with the idiots with NY and MA plates was very stressful compared to the Midwest and Canada. And don't get me started on Albany...I thought I was going to get hit more than once trying to get through Albany on the turnpike.
Near Albany it occurred to me that my gas mileage was way off, not nearly as good as I had been getting on previous travels. I discovered why when I stopped for gas the first time: I had forgotten my gas cap in Canada. I had been in such a rush to get going I had left sitting on top of the pump. So basically I had been hauling ass for almost 200 miles with an open gas tank. Dumb! I considered my options and they were few: it was Sunday morning, nothing was open. I was on the turnpike and didn't relish getting off of it to find a Harley dealership even if I could find one nearby that was open and even if they had a cap. My only choice: onward to Maine.