This is one of those older established places that have been around for years. After breakfast I head east to Langley and then south through rural farmlands
where I am stopped to wait for the endless line of railcars to pass
Life is not easy if you are one of those who have to "work the land"
This area is prone to flooding and I notice that many of the small independant farms are either closed down or for sale
There is not much traffic down here and not much to see, just acres and acres of saturated fields
I am taking the roads less traveled and eventually come upon some road construction and my first
Road Closed for the day
They are building a new overpass over Hwy 99. Here we are less than 2 miles from the Canadian/USA border crossing at Peach Arch. I turn around and find my way down King George Highway. They call it a highway but it is just an arterial road with many stop lights
I passed "Holy Smoke" so turned around to show you this drive through coffee vendor
There is a driveway behind the TeePee where you can order your coffee from the comfort of your car and continue your commute . I thought that I would take scenic River Road back to town, but the road was being upgraded. They are building a new Perimeter Road from Surrey to Roberts Bank for the heavy truck traffic
This was my second Road Closed for the day
I stopped at our local dealer to buy more Differential Oil and another accessory . . . which I thought I would need for my trip later in the Summer
We had planned to have dinner with some friends in Steveston, so I ended up at home early and dusted off my BMW R1200R . I was just at the dealer and I had my VIN number checked for recalls. Someone told me that some R's were recalled for the antenna ignition interlock security system. My VIN number was not in the affected series but they did come up with a hard brake line recall so they are ordering in the parts and call me when to bring my bike in.
Too bad that I didn't know this earlier as I had already paid to have my brake fluid flushed. I decided to turn the key and see if my bike would start
It started easily, just like I had parked it yesterday even though I had not used it since last October. It felt nice to see the instrument panel light up and the engine running at a fast idle. I would have ridden it up and down our lane, had it been insured
A certain someone was sceptical on my last post about it being Spring because I was not wearing my usual Spring attire. Less is more as the temperatures rise
It actually felt warm in the sunshine. Hard to believe that it can be so cold in other parts of the country
We headed down to Steveston for dinner with our friends and after we strolled on the boardwalk just as the sun was setting
It wasn't warm, but it wasn't too cold either, sort of perfect as long as you had your fleece jacket on
sort of peaceful as we were looking at all the docked boats in the harbour
The road less traveled has proven value, doesn't it? Even with road closures taken into account, I'll choose the back roads because you see a lot more. Like Holy Smoke Coffee, and all that beautiful countryside with the trees leafing out.
ReplyDeleteAmong all the great shots, my favorites are the ones from Steveston at the end of the day. Looks like a nice place to enjoy dinner and a walk afterwards
John:
DeleteBackroads are the best. Our traffic is a nightmare mainly due to tailgaters and speeding. It is not easy to find roads with sparse traffic until you get out of our urban area.
Since I am usually by myself, I like to stop for photos and just watch the clouds drift by
Back roads are motorcycle heaven. Nice rr.
ReplyDeleteKen:
Deleteunfortunately for us, the best roads are in either Oregon, or Eastern Washington. We do have some in the interior of BC but not doable in a day and a weekend would be too short. We do not have many alternatives here, due to our Mountains and during the summer they are clogged with RVs and other slow moving vehicles
You have more self control than me Bob, I would have had to ride the Beemer at least up and down the street.
ReplyDeleteBTW: I'm sure the little Wee could have got through those road works no worries...
Andrew:
DeleteI supposed I could have ridden it but I need to spend some time cleaning the dust and sawdust off it first. It was sure nice to hear the engine coming to life . . .
They are working on some major freeway expansion projects right now. One closure was for a new overpass, and the other is a new road for Heavy Truck traffic
Those back roads certainly would have been more interesting than the freeway. Looks like it was a lovely day out and yep ... looks like spring.
ReplyDeleteLove the photo at the end of the day .. so peaceful.
Brenda:
DeleteI like the backroads, not much traffic but the locals still drive too fast. I had to pull over several times to let them pass as I wasn't in a hurry to go nowhere. It was nice to go for a cruise and then have a relaxing dinner with friends.
Steveston is a peaceful waterfront community about half an hour south of Vancouver
Reading all these blogs in temperate locations is more painful than enjoyable...it's all more inspiration for one more big move for me.
ReplyDeleteLooks like it was a good ride.
Martha:
DeleteWe are grateful that we live here in Vancouver. I couldn't imagine living anywhere else. I have been to Toronto and it is either too hot or too cold. It is probably the best place to live in Canada, well . . . besides Victoria which gets even better weather.
I'm not saying that we don't get snow, but not much really. Only a couple of weeks during an average winter, and this year was milder than most. We do get down to freezing most of the time with icy roads and frost, so all is not all rosy. Very similar to Oregon weather
Interesting. We experienced tons of road closures this weekend too. Unfortunately ours were the back roads. IT was almost impossible to escape Atlanta this weekend for two freeway closures and one huge construction project that may as well have been a closure.
ReplyDeleteGlad you were out and about and having fun!
Lori:
Deletethey do a lot of roadwork up here during good weather, which is mainly all summer long. We have so many chewed up roads due to frost and heavy traffic where the asphalt grooves up in the heat. They are also replacing lots of sewer lines and of course, they are under the roads which have to be dug up.
I only get out on Saturdays, as Sunday is normally a non-riding day. The rest of the time may just be commuting to work
Great pictures Bob. It looks like a good day for a ride even though you managed to run into a few road closed signs.
ReplyDeleteAnd look no shoes - it must be Spring now. Thank you for humoring me. :-)
Trobairitz:
DeleteIt must really be Spring now. Went out yesterday morning. The Sun was out and I thought it was going to be a great day so I work shorts and sandals. Half way through lunch it was hailing and the rain was blowing sideways and we were in New Westminster. Had to go home and change into jeans and shoes
I love the Holy Smoke Coffee Shop. I would ride 100km out of my way just for the experience.
ReplyDeleteGood idea about checking to see if you motorcycle has any recalls every now and then. I always supposed that the dealership would get in touch with me somehow if something was really wrong. After thinking about it though I realize it is probably safer to do it your way!
David:
DeleteI pass by there all the time and I never think of stopping for a photo. Today I did a U-turn to show you what it looks like.
I recently had a brake fluid flush. I could have saved some money if I had known about the brake line recall, as they have to drain the fluid and refill anyway as part of the recall
Bob,
ReplyDeleteI wasn't out riding last weekend but your Post almost was a fair substitute. Once things finally break around here, they will explode.....Saturday is sounding very, very nice and hopefully I'll then be joining the '13 Riders!
Coop:
DeleteYour time will come . . . I think. I keep thinking about your River/Driveway. So far this week we have sunshine, but rain is forecast for this coming Saturday. I am commuting to work . . .
bob
Riding the Wet Coast
Excellent ride, great pictures ... Yadda, yadda .... and now what gadget did you need to buy? (Did everybody else miss that you bought something new and didn't tell us what it was!) Bob, you are my thermometer of the must haves for the gadget world, what was it?
ReplyDeleteKaren:
DeleteI think you already know what it is. Your are so perceptive and you told me you didn't need one. It's something you buy and hope you don't need it, sort of like a flat tire repair kit. Or the compressor that fails when you need it the most.
Nice. You know, I would never have thought to check my VIN for recalls. That probably makes me sound pretty stupid, because it seems so obviously wise when you think of it.
ReplyDeleteChris:
DeleteMost of the time, your Dealer would be checking for you when you bring your bike/car in for maintenance but I only purchased my BMW R1200R last September and I am getting it ready for this years Tour. Many times they are not FULL recalls, but voluntary recalls. A good dealer would know. You don't want your hard brake lines to fail, so they are ordering in the parts