Day 42-Malone, New York to Bangor, Maine

Stu works on the next day's route, in sub-zero temperatures. He must be rooming with Ron, the blazing inferno.
Apparently cold temperatures make for strange bedfellows. It's been suggested that perhaps Stu misses San Francisco. Put your minds at ease, Gary was able to find his own room.
You put your right leg in, you take the left leg out...The guys left New York in light rain and fog. Off and on rainsuits were the order for the day. Joe demonstrates proper technique for quickly putting the rainsuit back on! Lake Champlain separates the state of New York from Vermont. The lake was named for the French explorer, Samuel de Champlain. de Champlain first saw the lake in 1609. Now, that's a long time ago. Crossing over the lake put the guys in Vermont.
Lake Champlain.

Covered bridges are prevalent in this part of the United States.

Upon leaving Vermont, the band of merry men crossed into New Hampshire!

Stu, Gary, Mike, Ron, Joe and Fred cross another covered bridge in Jackson, New Hampshire. This bridge is colorfully painted.

Fabyan's Station was the lunch stop for today.

This looks more like some kind of police blotter photo rather than a happy bunch of men enjoying a nice lunch. Stu, Tom Porter...hey, that's Tom Porter! He met up with the group at Fabyan's. Hi Tom! Fred, Ron, Mike, Joe and Gary refuel themselves.

Dairy farms like this are plentiful,

as are serene, idyllic places like this.

You know the guys have seen mountain goats, buffalo, antelope, an eagle, deer and a bear. The only thing that would make their trip complete would be a moose. Since they crossed over into the state of Maine, they were on the look out for one of the bizarre creatures. Coming round a bend, lo and behold, there it was. The elusive moose! Even though it was a statue, they counted it among the list of wildlife sightings.

The guys rode a total of 406 miles today. They are only 220 miles from the 4th corner. They have stopped for the night in Bangor, Maine. They have really enjoyed the company of Gary, Joe and Tom.

Day 41 - Sarnia, Ontario, Canada to Malone, New York

The guys made their way south from Canada, crossing the St. Lawrence River and back into the United States.
Does this bridge belong to Canada or the United States? Whoever owns it needs to put a coat of paint on that bridge deck! This is a view of the St. Lawrence River from the other side of the bridge.
The Ogdensburg Bridge crosses over the St. Lawrence River from Canada to the U.S., or, the U.S. into Canada. I suppose it depends on which direction you are traveling.

The guys have picked up Gary Beagell! Hi Gary! Gary rode from his home in Binghamton, New York to meet the group along the highway in Canada. Gary knows the way and is leading the ride for the guys today.

Hey Fred, looks like you're doing a-okay on Roger's bike!

The United States Custom and Border Patrol Port of Entry at Ogdensburg.

Stu was permitted to keep Ferdinand! And to think, he was so worried...

Welcome to New York!!

The guys have ended their day in Malone, New York. Another friend, Joe Caradonna has ridden from his home in Salem, New Hampshire to accompany the boys while they are in the New England States. Hello Joe! The total miles ridden today - 486 miles.

Day 40 - Gaylord, Michigan to Sarnia, Ontario, Canada

The guys ended up in Gaylord, Michigan. Going to the Harley dealership, appropriately named, Gaylord Harley-Davidson was the first order of business. They grimly awaited the diagnosis on Fred's bike. In no time at all, the service tech detected the problem. The flywheel had come off the crankshaft. It was the same problem Mike had in Louisiana. Was it contagious? There was no way that bike was going to run without rebuilding or replacing the motor. Fred scrambled to put a new plan in place. A few telephone calls, a few hours and the guys would be back on the road.
Roger, Fred's brother, graciously loaded his bike into his trailer, picked up his friend Jim, and headed north from Ohio. Fred rented this U-Haul truck. Fred and the guys headed south to meet Roger and Jim.
Fred and Roger loading up the broken down motorcycle into the trailer for the trip back to Canal Fulton, Ohio. Through all of the shuffling, loading and swapping, no one pulled out a camera to take Roger and Jim's pictures for this blog! Fred, Mike, Ron and Stu are very thankful that Roger came to the rescue, so they could continue to complete the 4 Corner Ride. Thank you Roger, and Jim!!

Dean's Bait & Tackle! The not so clandestine meeting place for the bike swap. The sign also says, Park & Sell. The guys are a little disappointed in the performance of their Harley Davidson motorcycles, or lack of performance. But, parking and selling them before the trip is complete seems a little drastic!

At the United States/Canadian border a U.S. Customs Agent talks with Stu about Ferdinand. Ferdinand is the name of that cow skull Stu has been toting around with him since...forever. There were some concerns he would not be permitted to enter Canada with the bovine skeletal remains. Stu showed this agent the paperwork from the Yellowstone National Park Ranger, hoping this would legitimize the possession.

The Agent turned out to be a great guy. He even telephoned over to Canada trying to help out.

The two bridges in the distance lead into Canada.

It's a busy place at the border.

Having shown proper identification and correctly answering pertinent questions, Stu is permitted to enter Canada. Yippee!! Ferdinand is still following along! The other fellows made it safely across the border too.

Oh Canada.......

The boys ended their day in Sarnia, Ontario. They covered 252 miles, which isn't bad considering they weren't really on the road until after 3:00 p.m.
Again, a super big thank you to Roger and Jim, for coming all that way, so Fred could go on to the 4th corner!

Day 39 - Iron Mountain, Michigan to Gaylord, Michigan

About 175 miles after departing Iron Mountain, Michigan, Fred's bike stopped running. Luckily a Michigan State Road Crew was nearby and able to look at the bike for them. No wait, that's Mike working on the left side, Fred on the right and Stu supervising. For a minute there it looked like a state job. The guys were headed to Sault Saint Marie. Along the way, they were going to meet up with Lyn and Jan Everse, then proceed to the town for lunch. Unfortunately they had to stop 30 miles short of the meeting point. Lyn and Jan continued on until they found the guys on the side of the road.
Judging from the look on those faces...it ain't good.
Mike, Stu, Lyn, Jan and Fred, formulating a plan of action.
Fred finds the closest Harley dealer which is 140 miles away in Gaylord, Michigan. It's too bad Fred didn't know the acronym for HARLEY, which is, hardly any repair lasts even a year. ...he knows now!
Knowing that it's going to be quite some time until help arrives, Stu lays right down on the pavement for a quick nap. The group collaboratively decided it's going to be a long wait by the side of the road. They made a decision to go for some lunch using the time wisely. Fred continued to the restaurant on Mike's bike. Mike rode with Jan on the back of her trike.

Another problem cropped up immediately. Right off the bat, Mike started back seat driving. Looks like Jan quickly put him in his place.

They have reached an amicable understanding!

Help arrived! Look at the smile on Fred's face. He's just realized that being on the bike in the back of that trailer won't be so bad after all. He's going to be able to complete the day's ride!

That's Mike with Fred in the trailer following closely behind. Not really, but Fred is in the pick up truck with the driver.

Lake Michigan off to the right.

It's been a very exasperating day for the guys. Stu's meeting himself coming and going.

The guys are crossing the Mackinac Bridge. Having to go to Gaylord for more service, the guys are now 100 miles off course. The bike is at the dealership awaiting the diagnosis. They have covered 305 miles today.

Mike, Ron, Stu and Fred thank Lyn and Jan for all of their help! The break down took a huge chunk of time out of the day. Lyn and Jan made suggestions and phone calls to help the guys. Thank you!

Day 38 - Grand Fork, North Dakota to Iron Mountain, Michigan

The American Flag and the state flag of Minnesota welcomes the 4 guys as they cross over the state line.
Welcome to Minnesota! Too bad the guys didn't pack their fishing rods. Minnesota is a great state to go fishing in.
Still in farming country, silos and grain bins dot the countryside. There's been no evidence of corn or soybeans. Wheat is still the only crop visible. You can book this fish for an overnight stay behind a restaurant named, The Big Fish. Hmmm...maybe the guys went fishing after all!

Looks like the guys have hung out the "gone fishin' sign".

Stu, Ron, Mike and Fred are welcomed to Wisconsin by this huge sign. What...no cheese head hats?

You guessed it...the guys have arrived in Michigan!

He's a standin' on the corner of....Terminal Avenue and Jackson Street. Well, that's not how the song goes but, whatever. The guys are in Iron Mountain, Michigan. This is the town that Stu's daddy, Herb was born and raised in. Stu found the very corner where his dad's boyhood home was.

Stu at the front door of his father's home.

Herb Lewis was born and raised in this house. He was one of eight children. In 1937, at the age of 17, he left Iron Mountain, Michigan to enlist in the Navy. He fought in WW II and was stationed at Pearl Harbor. Herb never returned to Iron Mountain! The 4 block area surrounding the house has now become a light industry area. This is the only home that is still standing in what used to be the old neighborhood. Finding his dad's place of birth and boyhood was a special moment for Stu.
Another huge day with lots of miles knocked down, 515 miles, to be exact! The guys are planning on taking the northern route through Canada to skirt the Great Lakes.