MSTA Forums
Thread Archive => Past STAR discussions => STAR 2016 => Topic started by: Brick on February 06, 2016, 11:34:07 AM
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Ok I have heard that quite a few are making plans to ride some more upeast after STAR. Let's see what you are planning.
I'm going up to Quebec with Chris Jernigan right after STAR as Chris has a conference. So I'll be exploring that area while he is conferencing. I'm sure we will be in the city so I will want to ride out of the city while he does his stuff. Got any tips?
Then we want to ride over and see Nova Scotia. Got advice, tips, info to share? Let's hear what Ya' got to say. :D
Just ordered my Nova Scotia travel guide. http://www.novascotia.com/about-nova-scotia/order-travel-guide
Now to get a map...
More later.
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Ok I have heard that quite a few are making plans to ride some more upeast after STAR. Let's see what you are planning.
I'm going up to Quebec with Chris Jernigan right after STAR as Chris has a conference. So I'll be exploring that area while he is conferencing. I'm sure we will be in the city so I will want to ride out of the city while he does his stuff. Got any tips?
Then we want to ride over and see Nova Scotia. Got advice, tips, info to share? Let's hear what Ya' got to say. :D
Just ordered my Nova Scotia travel guide. http://www.novascotia.com/about-nova-scotia/order-travel-guide
Now to get a map...
More later.
Tips - oh yeah.
Brush up on your French. While many of them can speak English, they usually choose not to.
And outside of Quebec City ALL the signs are in French
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[/quote]
Tips - oh yeah.
Brush up on your French. While many of them can speak English, they usually choose not to.
And outside of Quebec City ALL the signs are in French
[/quote]
Oh crap. French is like a foreign language to me. Pun intended. No really. Thanks at minimum I need to get roads signs down.
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IMSA 6-hours of the Glen is the weekend after STAR...Watkins Glen, NY.
JoAnn wants to head to Maine and wants to visit Martha's Vineyard.
We are in negotiations (which probably means we're heading to Maine..lol)
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If you ride the Cabot Trail, do it in counterclockwise direction. That will allow you to see much more since you'll always have the ocean on your right. A group of us did it years ago and in a way it reminded me of riding Hwy 1 in CA for 250 miles!
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IMSA 6-hours of the Glen is the weekend after STAR...Watkins Glen, NY.
JoAnn wants to head to Maine and wants to visit Martha's Vineyard.
We are in negotiations (which probably means we're heading to Maine..lol)
In the 2009 Iron Butt Rally, most of the bonus locations were the site of something notorious or nefarious. Understanding the age of most of our club members, many will remember Mary Jo Kopechne drowning in a car driven by Ted Kennedy on the Dike (Dyke?) Bridge on the eastern edge of Chappaquiddick Island just to the east of Martha's Vineyard.
I'm in the process of mapping all of the bonus locations from the rallies, and I just happen to have started on the 2009 listing recently. When I saw your mention of Martha's Vineyard, it made me think of that bonus (take a picture of the bridge). Over the next few years, I might just make it a project to visit any bonus locations in which I find myself in close proximity.
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A few words of advice north of the border:
1. learn how to turn your GPS from miles into Kilometers so you can do it as soon as you cross the border...might save you a speeding ticket.
2. stop riding early, because most of the restaruants ..especially in rural areas will close at like 6-7pm!
3. MOSQUITO nets, take one with you!
4. Moose eyes do not reflect light, do NOT ride after dark.
5. Alcohol is only sold at the limited amount of licensed vendors...and bars.
6. go see the bay of fundy (Hopewell rocks) and the old sow (sadly we missed this last time). Meat cove is pretty kewl.
7. Lobster!
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Ok Thanks for this... comments/questions below.
A few words of advice north of the border:
1. learn how to turn your GPS from miles into Kilometers so you can do it as soon as you cross the border...might save you a speeding ticket.
I can easily change the Tenere's gauges to Kilometers.
2. stop riding early, because most of the restaruants ..especially in rural areas will close at like 6-7pm!
Great to know this...
3. MOSQUITO nets, take one with you!
I'm not camping so???
4. Moose eyes do not reflect light, do NOT ride after dark.
5. Alcohol is only sold at the limited amount of licensed vendors...and bars.
6. go see the bay of fundy (Hopewell rocks) and the old sow (sadly we missed this last time). Meat cove is pretty kewl.
7. Lobster!
Last three... Ok Thanks!
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6. go see the bay of fundy (Hopewell rocks) and the old sow (sadly we missed this last time). Meat cove is pretty kewl.
I had Hopewell Rocks on my list...have now added Old Sow and bookmarked Meatcove Campground.
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Regarding mosquito nets...if you spend ANY time outdoors near dusk, you will be glad you have one. For example, We found a place that served up quick food thru a window on the east side of Cape Breton, and while waiting we actually had to put back on our helmets and gloves. They will bleed you dry quicker than a bad lawyer.
Also, if you don't have the "reversing falls" on your list, that might be something you could be interested in seeing.
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Make sure your GPS has the maps for Canada. When we rode to Nova Scotia my Nuvi 500 didn't so it went completely stupid about a mile after crossing into New Brunswick!
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Everyone has their own experience, but I found a wide variety of mosquitoes in Alaska when I was there a couple of years ago. It's not that they were big, but in lots of areas they were just so thick that you could hardly breathe without sucking them in. A mosquito head net was invaluable for me. Once in a while we were in a area where there were remarkably few mosquitoes. Someone posited that it depended on when the little monsters hatched.
In Wiseman, just north of Coldfoot, I woke one morning about 4:00 a.m. In the middle of the summer, the sun was shining brightly and the temperatures were moderate. It was stunningly beautiful...except that the mosquitoes were so thick that someone not used to them (me) found it to be almost impossible to stay outside.
Regarding Canadian maps for your GPS, I agree with DirtFlier...don't leave home without them. My old GPS is somewhat limited in its capacity for holding the current map sets, so I'll have to load the eastern half of the US and Canada or some other partial option. Then again, maybe that's another reason to have multiple GPS units...I can have different map sets loaded on each one.
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What time of the year were you there?
Regarding mosquito nets...if you spend ANY time outdoors near dusk, you will be glad you have one. For example, We found a place that served up quick food thru a window on the east side of Cape Breton, and while waiting we actually had to put back on our helmets and gloves. They will bleed you dry quicker than a bad lawyer.
Also, if you don't have the "reversing falls" on your list, that might be something you could be interested in seeing.
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First week of July.
Which reminds me....July 1 is CANADA DAY!....so beware that there will be extra tourist traffic that weekend....but less commercial traffic that day....I would guess.
Also to note:
Passport is required,
Cell phone will go to roaming charges without a prior plan, even if they pick up a Canadian tower before you cross the border. I received a hefty bill of OVER $1000.00 when I got back home....our good friends at Verizon charged me for calls in CHINA instead of CANADA! Took me weeks to get that ironed out. Even with a dedicated plan, I find they will screw you every time I leave the country...so I normally just leave the phone off the entire trip now.
Many Credit cards will charge a "foreign transaction fee" for every transaction in Canada....cash might be a better option.
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Re cell phones in other countries:
We are going to Costa Rica soon and our phones are Verizon also. We spoke with their international calls unit and arranged for our Android phones to work there. However, it will be somewhat expensive at around $2 per minute for voice and $2 per megabyte for data.
So, instead of using the Verizon towers we are going to use a smartphone application called Viber which provides VOIP phone calls and text messaging over Wi-Fi. We will have Wi-Fi access at our hotels in the evenings. Viber provides FREE calling or texting to any other Viber user ANYWHERE in the world. It connects to landlines and non-Viber mobiles for a very modest fee which varies by country. From Costa Rica calls to landlines in the USA are only $0.06 per minute - much better than the $2 that Verizon would charge for calls over their towers. Viber integrates with your existing contact list which means you do not have to maintain a separate list of Viber users and supports video calling if your Wi-Fi connection has adequate bandwidth. It's really a very cool app!
We will be able to make or receive cellular calls IF NEEDED but we intend to use Viber for most of our communications with friends and family back home.
One important thing to note is that if you have to pay for data and you use text messaging, Facebook or any other kind of data sychcronization with web-based servers you will want to turn off your phone's cellular data access before leaving the country, or even riding along the border where you might be picked up by the towers across the border.
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John,
Now this is some seriously good advice. I'll check out Viber.
Thanks
Re cell phones in other countries:
We are going to Costa Rica soon and our phones are Verizon also. We spoke with their international calls unit and arranged for our Android phones to work there. However, it will be somewhat expensive at around $2 per minute for voice and $2 per megabyte for data.
So, instead of using the Verizon towers we are going to use a smartphone application called Viber which provides VOIP phone calls and text messaging over Wi-Fi. We will have Wi-Fi access at our hotels in the evenings. Viber provides FREE calling or texting to any other Viber user ANYWHERE in the world. It connects to landlines and non-Viber mobiles for a very modest fee which varies by country. From Costa Rica calls to landlines in the USA are only $0.06 per minute - much better than the $2 that Verizon would charge for calls over their towers. Viber integrates with your existing contact list which means you do not have to maintain a separate list of Viber users and supports video calling if your Wi-Fi connection has adequate bandwidth. It's really a very cool app!
We will be able to make or receive cellular calls IF NEEDED but we intend to use Viber for most of our communications with friends and family back home.
One important thing to note is that if you have to pay for data and you use text messaging, Facebook or any other kind of data sychcronization with web-based servers you will want to turn off your phone's cellular data access before leaving the country, or even riding along the border where you might be picked up by the towers across the border.
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IMSA 6-hours of the Glen is the weekend after STAR...Watkins Glen, NY.
JoAnn wants to head to Maine and wants to visit Martha's Vineyard.
We are in negotiations (which probably means we're heading to Maine..lol)
Sounds like unless you're attending the IMSA race you want to avoid the Watkins Glen area after STAR. Or am I wrong to think there's a big crowd overwhelming the local small town roads. (Think Lexington Ohio on a big Mid-Ohio race weekend in the odlen days.)
I'd like to attend the event but probably not in the cards.
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John,
Now this is some seriously good advice. I'll check out Viber.
Thanks
Re cell phones in other countries:
We are going to Costa Rica soon and our phones are Verizon also. We spoke with their international calls unit and arranged for our Android phones to work there. However, it will be somewhat expensive at around $2 per minute for voice and $2 per megabyte for data.
So, instead of using the Verizon towers we are going to use a smartphone application called Viber which provides VOIP phone calls and text messaging over Wi-Fi. We will have Wi-Fi access at our hotels in the evenings. Viber provides FREE calling or texting to any other Viber user ANYWHERE in the world. It connects to landlines and non-Viber mobiles for a very modest fee which varies by country. From Costa Rica calls to landlines in the USA are only $0.06 per minute - much better than the $2 that Verizon would charge for calls over their towers. Viber integrates with your existing contact list which means you do not have to maintain a separate list of Viber users and supports video calling if your Wi-Fi connection has adequate bandwidth. It's really a very cool app!
We will be able to make or receive cellular calls IF NEEDED but we intend to use Viber for most of our communications with friends and family back home.
One important thing to note is that if you have to pay for data and you use text messaging, Facebook or any other kind of data sychcronization with web-based servers you will want to turn off your phone's cellular data access before leaving the country, or even riding along the border where you might be picked up by the towers across the border.
It's Jim, but de nada
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Hey Brick...
I think we'll be heading that way after STAR...Since we've done Cape Breton already, I think we will roll up to PEI and then up toward Gaspe'....and then across the St Lawrence into Quebec. So....If you want to ride the first day or so out of Stratton with us...that would be great. FYI, weather permitting, we will probably be camping.
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Hey guys thanks for the invite. We may go for that... however we may be going straight to Quebec City as Chris has a work conference. So plans are still up in the air. However either way we won't be camping. Now camping for me is a Motel 6.
Hey Brick...
I think we'll be heading that way after STAR...Since we've done Cape Breton already, I think we will roll up to PEI and then up toward Gaspe'....and then across the St Lawrence into Quebec. So....If you want to ride the first day or so out of Stratton with us...that would be great. FYI, weather permitting, we will probably be camping.
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Brick, sorry to ruin your vacation but I'll be at STAR again this year. I haven't been to the north east in quite some time. Kim is still iffy about making the trip. At this time I have plans to visit family in Connecticut after STAR and if it works out for me I'll be visiting 20th Century Cycles on Long Island, yep, I may regret that ride but the destination will be worth it. I'm bucket listing a little bit. I also have the following week off (July 4th) so I might be footloose after that.
All plans can change though. TM
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Tom,
That's great it will be nice to see you again. BTW you should get in touch with Barb and Tom Murphy the can probably show you the best way in and out of Long Island.
Brick, sorry to ruin your vacation but I'll be at STAR again this year. I haven't been to the north east in quite some time. Kim is still iffy about making the trip. At this time I have plans to visit family in Connecticut after STAR and if it works out for me I'll be visiting 20th Century Cycles on Long Island, yep, I may regret that ride but the destination will be worth it. I'm bucket listing a little bit. I also have the following week off (July 4th) so I might be footloose after that.
All plans can change though. TM
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Brick, maybe I could smooth talk my way in to a personal escort. hahaha. No, no, not THAT kind of escort. ;D :o
You do know that Billy Joel owns 20th Century Cycles. He knows what a big fan I am, so he may invite me to MSG for his monthly concert. Even ride a bike or 2. ;) TM
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Tom,
20th Century Cycles? MSG... Mono Sodium Glutamate?
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Tom,
20th Century Cycles? MSG... Mono Sodium Glutamate?
Think NYC not Chinese food
MSG = Madison Square Garden
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Re cell phones in other countries:
We are going to Costa Rica soon and our phones are Verizon also. We spoke with their international calls unit and arranged for our Android phones to work there. However, it will be somewhat expensive at around $2 per minute for voice and $2 per megabyte for data.
So, instead of using the Verizon towers we are going to use a smartphone application called Viber which provides VOIP phone calls and text messaging over Wi-Fi. We will have Wi-Fi access at our hotels in the evenings. Viber provides FREE calling or texting to any other Viber user ANYWHERE in the world. It connects to landlines and non-Viber mobiles for a very modest fee which varies by country. From Costa Rica calls to landlines in the USA are only $0.06 per minute - much better than the $2 that Verizon would charge for calls over their towers. Viber integrates with your existing contact list which means you do not have to maintain a separate list of Viber users and supports video calling if your Wi-Fi connection has adequate bandwidth. It's really a very cool app!
We will be able to make or receive cellular calls IF NEEDED but we intend to use Viber for most of our communications with friends and family back home.
One important thing to note is that if you have to pay for data and you use text messaging, Facebook or any other kind of data sychcronization with web-based servers you will want to turn off your phone's cellular data access before leaving the country, or even riding along the border where you might be picked up by the towers across the border.
Jim:
Looking at the Viber app...it doesn't look like you can use it to text to non-viber users. Can you confirm this?
Thanks
QAM
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Re cell phones in other countries:
We are going to Costa Rica soon and our phones are Verizon also. We spoke with their international calls unit and arranged for our Android phones to work there. However, it will be somewhat expensive at around $2 per minute for voice and $2 per megabyte for data.
So, instead of using the Verizon towers we are going to use a smartphone application called Viber which provides VOIP phone calls and text messaging over Wi-Fi. We will have Wi-Fi access at our hotels in the evenings. Viber provides FREE calling or texting to any other Viber user ANYWHERE in the world. It connects to landlines and non-Viber mobiles for a very modest fee which varies by country. From Costa Rica calls to landlines in the USA are only $0.06 per minute - much better than the $2 that Verizon would charge for calls over their towers. Viber integrates with your existing contact list which means you do not have to maintain a separate list of Viber users and supports video calling if your Wi-Fi connection has adequate bandwidth. It's really a very cool app!
We will be able to make or receive cellular calls IF NEEDED but we intend to use Viber for most of our communications with friends and family back home.
One important thing to note is that if you have to pay for data and you use text messaging, Facebook or any other kind of data sychcronization with web-based servers you will want to turn off your phone's cellular data access before leaving the country, or even riding along the border where you might be picked up by the towers across the border.
Jim:
Looking at the Viber app...it doesn't look like you can use it to text to non-viber users. Can you confirm this?
Thanks
QAM
We all had viber which worked perfectly. However you can purchase viber "credit" that facilitates connection to non-viber phones at a fraction of the carrier's cost. Nancy and I have a $5 credit we did not use.