Despite spending several hours waiting for my bike to be looked at (like being at any hospital A &E), I knew the time spent would pay dividends- there is no point setting off on a journey that is destined to fail. The people at Calgary Harley were friendly and seemed efficient in their own way - frustratingly slowly to me, but the issues appear to be ironed out and the quick trip back to Banff made it worthwhile. MyCalgary based cousins had arranged a dinner - it is many years since I saw most of them and it was humbling that they went to so much trouble. Breakfast in the hotel had proven to be very disappointing on the first morning- a purportedly upmarket hotel serving a buffet including reconstituted eggs really needs to think hard…. Instead we took the bike and rode into town and found a coffee shop. The morning started fairly cool as you’d expect being in the “highest town” in Canada, but an hour into the ride layers were shed and sunblock applied.. We met Koda, a very happy Bernese Mountain dog at one stop - a lovely fella with a head the size of a beer crate. I have been remiss in keeping up with my correspondence- initially because of a lack of motivation due to the heat, then last night due to very poor internet & cell service, so I’m reliant on memory and that is rarely a good thing. We crossed the border from Canada into the US without expecting too much drama and other than being delayed due to a lack of staff and extremely antiquated systems, we’re soon on our way. It is quite remarkable that apparently 10,000 illegals cross the Mexican border into the US without fear or consequence, yet so much effort is placed on dealing (and mucking about) with honest tourists. As with borders everywhere, it is soon apparent that you have crossed from one culture (and inevitably geography) to another. In this instance the landscape quickly reflected a prominent American Indian presence, beat up old houses and cars, trinket and decrepit souvenir shops. There was also an immediate proliferation of billboards, all with a similar message inviting people to sign up to Jesus. Needless to say, being on a mission of our own, we did not have time to heed the call. A few miles down the road (and yes, being in the US we are now in miles), we stopped in a small town for coffee at a local diner. Unfortunately someone told the busy owner that there were going to be 22 of us (which was not the case) and the poor bugger spun out of control. A few ordered coffee but the trend of the day was milkshakes and “malts” that proved very popular. These diners are fabulous places, busy, honest, awesome. The Grand Lodge at East Glacier Park is certainly impressive and very grand, especially from a distance, and even in the enormous lobby. It was built in 1907
and has not made too many concessions to modernity in the subsequent century and a bit. Incredibly wide hallways led to very small rooms, tiny showers, tiny sinks, 1 electrical outlet, no air conditioning and the most uncomfortable (and small) beds I can recall (ever). That said, the most annoying and disappointing feature was the lack of an elevator, so for those of us on the third floor, something of a test of both strength and more telling, character. Obviously there is a market for this for this old world charm although they’d struggle to get a rave review from this weary traveler although the fairly large Mennonite group, complete with beards and bonnets, seemed to be enjoying themselves. The centrepiece in the lobby is a mountain goat who I suppose was too impressive for his own good, ending up in a glass case instead of were he’d prefer to be.. Anyway, once settled in and cleaned of the dust and heat from a long day, we assembled out on the deck for pre meeting drinks - tomorrow we have an early start, bags down at 6:30 (much to the collective dismay of those who are not early risers. Comments are closed.
|
Don MalcolmA perfect day involves being on my Harley with a long ride ahead.
|