Sunday, October 8, 2017

CHICAGO TO FAIRBANKS

The final leg and after a service and new rear tyre I'm off.

 Not really much to say about riding on the interstate highways. Plenty of fuel stations, rest areas along the road and motels aplenty complete with the all pervading smell of deep fried American cuisine

                           




 Leaving the US and entering Canada a very simple affair . At first glance the most noticeable difference is that the population of Canada appears to originate from the Philippines .
 Signing into motels was a little different in as much as there seems to be an assumption that everybody is on the run and photo ID had to be scanned into their system before you are checked in.

 Roads all good and by the time I reached Saskatoon I was in need of a front tyre. Luckily I found one and because of the comaradarie within the motorcycle community was able to jump the waiting list and get on my way without much delay but unfortunately with a much lighter wallet.

 Next stop was Edmonton and because the motel was on the far side of the city I am able to report that it seemed like a city with a bit of charm, I gleaned this from glancing at the architecture and buildings when not looking at the GPS. Its a shame that I am late in the season because I dont have time to do anything other than ride through.
 People say Canada is big but in fact it's not big it's Humungous . Day after day through farmland until finally reaching Dawson Creek and the start of the Alaska Highway.
 There seems to be a belief that travellers need to be fed a deep fried diet



  My mood lightened , this is fantastic, about 1500 miles to Fairbanks and the views just amazing .

 Also amazing is that prices are directly proportional to how far north you travel.
  The service stations and lodgings far apart but not scarce as in other parts of the world .
  The weather thus far has been fantastic but it's late in the season and the heat will give way to winter in the next few weeks so no time to dawdle.

  I don't know how to put into words the shear scale of the beauty, the last time I felt like this was at 4000+ metres in the Andes when I had to remind myself that it was actually me there.
 Just the names of the places are straight out of boys own stories. ......Dawson Creek, Whitehorse, Beaver Creek etc



















One big difference between the US and Canada is that in the cities in the US  ( unless you take a wrong direction ) you don't see the ghettos or the people who live there. In Whitehorse for example it's fairly obvious that there is a section of society disenfranchised and resorting to mind altering substances.

 The Alaska Highway is a road to behold, everything that Route 66 wasn,t. virtually unspoiled countryside and truly beautiful, what could be nicer to reach the end of the rainbow.
 Everything was in my favour even the weather was beautiful with bright sunshine and temperatures in the 20s. The only downside to the feeling of remoteness was that food and fuel prices were directly proportional to the miles North.
 
   Eventually Fairbanks and the end of my journey. The beauty of Alaska made up for the mindblowing Numbness of the USA.

 There was no welcoming comitee when I decided that Fairbanks was the end of this trip and in fact I dont suppose anybody really cares that I had finished what I set out to do. I had set out to do it for me and I was there, I did it.



MAZATAN TO LAS VEGAS

The nearer to the US the more everything becomes familiar. Hot as hell and after wondering how the land border crossing would be at Nogales it was a pleasant surprise. No forms and welcome.
 I'm into the land of sameness. Every motel room is the same, breakfast is a joke,
 Interesting experience in Phoenix Arizona.
  I'll have to stop choosing motels based on price. Glad to escape after a worrying night listening to drunken arguments and killing cockroaches.
  Las Vegas has changed  ( or me ) I am left wondering if this is how Rome felt, I saw someone fiddling but didn't get a name.
  How can hotels advertise at one price when the real price is more than double .
 People are being treated as mugs, corporations trying to work every angle to mislead the great unwashed and take every last cent. Restaurants have to bare the name of some celebrity and even Michelin Chefs are needed to brand fish and chips. Are we so gullible or is it just me getting old. ?

FAIRBANKS TO CHICAGO