Travelogue -- Dr Bob's Northwest Territory Motorcycle Ride
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31 May 2015, 10:45 PM CT, International Falls, MN

I am in the spot that is often the coldest in the United States. I am here of my own free will. Actually, it was warmer here today than the spots where I was in the past day or two just south of Lake Superior. I rode 338 miles today, none on Interstate, but some on a limited-access US highway. On US-53, the last 30 or 40 miles into International Falls, there were numerous sections under construction, a road where there was gravel, with appropriate warning signs. Normally I avoid such roads. I must have wanted to get here very badly to ride such a road.

I wanted to come here for one reason only, I have never been here before, and it seemed like a good idea.

I wanted to come and see the "International Falls". But, as you may realize, there is no such thing. More than 100 years ago there was a waterfalls here, but no longer, now it is just a dam. Here is the waterfalls/dam. Through a chain-link fence that is higher than I can reach up and hold my camera. I needed a stepladder, but I didn't see one handy.

To get to this point, you have to be in the "no man's land" between the United States and Canada. Here's where you have to be, just up ahead.

In this picture, I am in the US, across the bridge is Canada. Fortunately, for me and for my readers, the very kind US border agent allowed me to walk on the pedestrian walkway, which you see on the far left, to get the picture of the waterfalls/dam. Makes me think of Checkpoint Charlie.

Something that looked more interesting to me was this group of rocks in the river, again through the chain-link fence.

Now that I have gotten the issue of International Falls (NOT) out of the way, let me take you back to a time earlier today.

I was scooting along very happily when I rode across this bridge. If you cannot read the name of the river on the green sign on the left, it says, "Presque Isle River".

I thought this was a nice enough river, so I got a picture or two for you. This is the view to the right, which is downriver.

Very soothing, isn't it.

Here's the view to the left.

Wow! Another railroad! And a wooden trestle! It made me thing of my younger days. When I was a kid, I had an American Flyer train set.

When I was a young adult, I had a Marklin model railroad, with a Crocodile engine and a catenary system.

Those days are long gone, now I have a Harley.

I took pictues along the way when I saw something that looked interesting to me, and I thought might look interesting to you.

Another view ahead. It looked much better in real life than it does in this picture. But I still like it. The road disappears in the distance. The land is not flat, sort of rolling.

A marina.

Are these birch trees? There were many, many of them. Not just here but all along the road for miles, interspersed with pine trees.

In Duluth, I rode past the Aerostich company. I have Aerostich riding pants. I really wish they had been open, but it was not to be, it was Sunday. I might replace my Roadmaster summer jacket with an Aerostich jacket. But not today.

This is the big sign on the side of the building. It was a rather unimpressive building. Aerostich makes impressive riding gear. Probably they best you can get.

Tomorrow I will head south, I have gone as far from North Palm Beach as I will get, tomorrow I will be headed home. I may ride through Fargo tomorrow. I will be headed to Topeka, Kansas (a capitol city if you did not know).

I have passed the 3,000 mile mark, 3,163.5 as of today.

I have riden through all six of the Northwest Territory states. I had been in Michigan for a few days, today I rode through Wisconsin and into the part of Minnesota that is above Lake Superior. Once again, here is my Icon for this ride.

I rode into southern Illinois from the west, into Indiana, due east into Kentucky and then up into Ohio, up through Michigan then west into the Upper Peninsula, into Wisconsin, then north into Minnesota.

Tomorrow it will be goodbye Northwest Territory.