eschlwc

visa fees? i've never heard of a u.s. citizen paying any fee when merely visiting canada.

temporary residence, maybe.

JTTDF

Wow Will, what a great adventure and what wonderful people you are meeting along the way. I am looking forward to your arrival in my neck of the woods. I am going to have to go some to even get close to the kind of hospitality you are getting from Drillium Dude and Scozim and your hosts in BC. Stay safe and keep pedaling!

Paul

WNG

Billy,

I'm only repeating what I was told. Normally, a U.S. citizen doesn't need a visa to visit Canada.
But they were searching for a loophole to allow me in and not curtail my bike tour. Pretty cool guys IMO.

rootboy 

Great stuff, WNG. Those pics of Scott's brother's place are amazing indeed. What a strange and eclectic collection.
Following this thread with eagerness.

eschlwc

i still don't get it. you don't even need to be a citizen as long as you're a permanent resident of the u.s., there's no issue and no fee. customs telling you they will waive a fee for a citizen is simply a lie.

i've been across the border several times and i've seen all kinds of poor behavior by customs. i'll save those for a conversation over beers...

put it all behind you and enjoy the ride.

cyclotoine

this is great WNG, If I may.... the san Juan islands are worth a visit. I would suggest take the Juan de Fuca ferry route out of sydney after you have explored victoria rather than the coho to Port ANgeles. Fidalgo and whidbey (sp?) islands are quiet nice. The western route around Olympic park is fairly traffic heavy and long. The coast is nice, but if you make your way to the southern coast of washington you will get all of that you need. I understand you may want to visit another forum member in port angeles but I would suggest riding the bike path from port townsend over and then going back on the eastern route around olympic park.

Wildwood 

+1. This info about Olympic peninsula is valid for 101.
-1. Not so valid on Hwy 112 to Joyce/Sekiu/Neah Bay although on Sunday the weather was so nice the motorcycles were running at pretty high speed. No logging trucks.
+1. If there's lots of coastline to come why bother with a few islands

None of my business, but now that Labor Day has past, I'd head south if I were WNG. 101 can be busy anytime. Some of those coastal hills (I've ridden south from Seaside, OR) can be dangerous, especially in rainy weather or high traffic or big trucks. Willamette Valley would be warmer. More Forumites, too Be safe.

I've also ridden Hwy1 Santa Cruz, CA - San Luis Obispo 2X, but only in good weather & off season for most travelers (i lived outside of Santa Cruz). And Hwy 101 south thru central CA wine country. Oct is usually the transition month between dry to wet season in central CA. For me that's the difference between fun and sloggingly soaked. Besides, the views are better in Fall afternoon sunshine. Cool, foggy morning miles go by easily. Especially after b'fast and a couple of strong coffees.

What a good expedition. Glad you received a rousing PNW experience. Again, be safe WNG.

Fahrenheit531 

Loving this epic tale of travel and adventure. Keep it coming!

(Lucky you, WNG, missing the rains yesterday. Broke a 75-year-old record and PHX was a disaster; I-10 spent the day doing its best impression of Lake Mead.)

PhilPub

**Subscribed!**

My brother lives in Vancouver, and when I can pluck up the courage (and the funds, and the time off work) I've got a deeply held yearning to come over from the UK and ride Vancouver to San Francisco, both of which I've been to but would love to see what's in between!

crank_addict

WNG- Enjoying your thread! Pedal on and travel safe.


(Crossing into Canada by bike reminded me of one funny incident. Touring fully laden, I simply walked across at Niagra Falls pedestrian crossing. I should rephrase, not exactly simple as I tilted the bike up, panniers w/strap across my shoulders, sleeping bag and related all bungied in a mangled sort and pushed it all thru the tight turnstile. I then re-set my rig and was ready to ride off when Customs approached and read me the riot act. They sort of gave me a puzzled look of 'how did he do that'? Apparently a big 'no-no'. I just acted dumb and naive (which truely does state the fact...lol), was told to go back and take the vehicle crossing and stop for inspection. I did as told but waved on.

mikemowbz

Good to see those pics from your visit to Vancouver, Will!

Definitely fun chatting, eating, riding with you - and wish you all the best as you continue through Victoria, back across the (maritime) border, and down south!

rootboy 

You might wanna re-visit post #50 . Sounds like a personal matter, to me.

WNG

Vancouver continued:

The 2nd day in Vancouver was a wet one. It rained all day with a chance of thunderstorms. So I opted to stay indoors and skip any riding. Instead, I made myself useful by helping with dinner and planning some repairs to Sharon's carbon road bike. The day before, I noticed the chain was falling off and riding on the inner cage plate. She wasn't able to shift properly, and I had to re-install the chain. That's when I found the tension pulley was worn out, there was nearly no teeth left.

Sharon was annoyed that her LBS didn't catch this during the last service recently. Mike suggested a community co-op for parts bin searching. But that didn't yield any donors so Sharon managed to buy a new Shimano pulley kit.
I broke out my tools and overhauled the 105 rear derailleur in her kitchen, managing the mess to a minimum. I realigned her brifters, took care of a FD cable issue, and had it shifting smooth for Wednesday.

Keeping myself amused with my new camera as it poured outside:
On a Rainy Vancouver Day -003 by WNG555, on Flickr

On a Rainy Vancouver Day -008 by WNG555, on Flickr

On a Rainy Vancouver Day -014 by WNG555, on Flickr


Wednesday morning started out cloudy, but the rain had ended. Mike had contacted me that he could meet up for a late lunch in Chinatown's Phnom-Penh Restaurant a well-reviewed local favorite featuring Chinese, Cambodian and Vietnamese cuisine. I expressed interest in sampling Vancouver's celebrated asian eats to Mike, after I found the International Region in Seattle, but my travels didn't allow me to return and indulge.

IMG_8114 by WNG555, on Flickr

Even though we missed the lunch crowd, we had to wait for a table, it was packed...a good sign. The food didn't disappoint, as we were both hungry and ordered plenty. Their fried squid w/ Vietnamese seasonings was perfectly executed. Best squid I've had, can only describe it as airy in crispness.

Mike arrived with his Ritchey foldable cross bike, fully equipped for urban assault mode. (Bike is gorgeous in the flesh!) A shot of a very full and satsified Mike in front of the restaurant:

IMG_8117 by WNG555, on Flickr

As Mike already posted about our day, to work off the BIG meal, Mike took me out of the city along the Central Valley Greenway. A nice meandering flat route heading east out of Vancouver to Burnaby. The gravel grinding near the end was a nice finale. I LIKE gravel trails.
The Sun burnt away the clouds and the rest of the afternoon was perfect riding weather. We turned around and headed back to his house to check out his bike cave.

IMG_8118 by WNG555, on Flickr

His killer view from his livingroom...
IMG_8129 by WNG555, on Flickr

A @rootboy plug here! One of his many leather handiwork arrived in the mail. And Mike test-fitted it on his Proctor. Amazing craftsmanship, rootboy! (I'll have that spread-out gear photo for ya soon enough!)

IMG_8124 by WNG555, on Flickr

Mike showed me his numerous rides and projects, including the Atala he got from @Drillium Dude , for his girlfriend.
The piece de resistance was his latest, a Ti Hollands road frame with full Dura Ace. Sexy cool and can't wait to see the finished results.

I had a great couple of days of riding and comraderie with Mike and bid him farewell and set off to find my way back.
I recalled passing one of Vancouver's Foodie must-visit spots while riding to Mike's place on Monday. I retraced my steps to find it...

WNG

La Casa Gelato. Over 400 flavors, with 218 flavors available daily!
The gelateria was overwhelming trying to sample those choices. The gelati were as good as the best I sampled in Rome and Cassino.
Yes, there is going to be a lot of riding, and eating in my posts.

IMG_8132 by WNG555, on Flickr

IMG_8138 by WNG555, on Flickr


IMG_8140 by WNG555, on Flickr

Now, I had two scoops and a cone to also burn off. Headed back towards Chinatown and the Seaside area at a relaxed pace.

IMG_8145 by WNG555, on Flickr

The Dr. Sun Yat Sen Gardens...pretty and serene spot.
IMG_8152 by WNG555, on Flickr

IMG_8157 by WNG555, on Flickr

IMG_8179 by WNG555, on Flickr

IMG_8172 by WNG555, on Flickr

WNG

Sky Trains running overhead, near the end of the Seaside trail.
IMG_8195 by WNG555, on Flickr

Rows of condos with their iconic Vancouver architecture.
IMG_8198 by WNG555, on Flickr

IMG_8209 by WNG555, on Flickr

It was getting late and the shops in Canada shut their doors promptly at 6 or 7pm. Something I forgot about since Montreal. I wanted a 2nd try at preparing dinner for my host, after a rather comical and smelly (for Drillium Dude) 1st attempt in Washington! I found a place not yet closed and rushed in to get what I needed. Results were more successful this time!

Stir-fried Thai sweet chili prawns with fresh garden vegetables from Sharon's garden, and baby bok choy w/garlic, tamari, and sesame seed oil. Burp!

Table For Two by WNG555, on Flickr

My efforts earned me an extended stay from my host. I'm now the traveling bicycle repair man, that cooks!

Thurday was warm and blue skies! After a late morning, I was informed Sharon's son Josh would like to meet me for coffee Downtown. He's a successful engineer and analyst. His group developed the 2nd revision of the Copenhagen Wheel for e-bike conversion. He heard I was developing e-bikes in AZ from Sharon.

So, I rushed down there on my own. The biking infrastructure in Vancouver is fantastic and I had no trouble getting around on my 3rd day in the place.

The office was impressive, with lockers, indoor bike parking, showers. Workers were commuting in by bike. It was called THE HIVE, and numerous firms shared common open work space. It did resemble a bee hive! We met, took a walk, shared some great Italian coffee and talked shop.

When leaving, I spotted this sentimental C&V beauty at the office...

IMG_8243 by WNG555, on Flickr

And it was owned by this nice young lady...
IMG_8244 by WNG555, on Flickr

The day was turning out warm and beautiful, and I meandered through Downtown snapping photos.

Some great old buildings with an Anglo style.
IMG_8252 by WNG555, on Flickr

IMG_8249 by WNG555, on Flickr

IMG_8248 by WNG555, on Flickr

WNG

Revolving restaurant...
IMG_8263 by WNG555, on Flickr

War memorial...
IMG_8261 by WNG555, on Flickr

The Stadium!
DSC03228 by WNG555, on Flickr

DSC03231 by WNG555, on Flickr

Vertical living abound!
DSC03232 by WNG555, on Flickr

Some managed greenery...
DSC03242 by WNG555, on Flickr

DSC03254 by WNG555, on Flickr

Sharon and I arranged to meet at noon in front of the Telus World of Science museum, easy for me due to the big sphere!
We rode the Seaside Trail and paid a visit to Granville Island, an artist community, and college. A favorite spot in Vancouver.

DSC03346 by WNG555, on Flickr


To be continued...

WNG

Hi everyone! I wanted to put in some updates and respond to the posts recently.
Thanks for the patience, as I'm continuing to have technical difficulties with my netbook and flickr.
Perhaps the vibrations have done in my hard drive. It's constantly accessing it and stalling every operation. So bear with me. I'll have a final entry for Vancouver and try to get my Victoria stay up soon.
Currently made it into Port Angeles, and met forumite Lascauxcaveman. Staying in his wonderful hotel, what a cool little place!

I've spent as much time messing with my computer as riding! So, before the day is over, I will suit up and attempt Hurricane Ridge Rd. in the Olympic National Park. @Drillium Dude warned me that its all 20 miles uphill. But I'm a fool for hardship! Tim tells me @Roger M did the ascent in 3 hours. But he's a beast. I think I will take 4.5 hrs.

When I get back, will reply to your posts, guys!

eschlwc

don't know what you mean. customs can't hold a personal matter against you nor lie about visa fees to a permanent resident. but apparently they did, and this is what they do.

as i've said, i've seen this bad behavior before.

and as the clash sing, "know your rights!"

Drillium Dude 

Believe me, they were well within their rights and they weren't trying to deprive Will of his. It's a paperwork/personal thing, and they definitely did him a solid

Will: love the recent pics! So much so that I'm going to have to do a mini-tour next summer and head up there for a few days. The city sure has grown and become more beautiful than ever since I last visited. Glad you're enjoying your trip, a little rain notwithstanding. You sure picked the best time ever to leave AZ temporarily...

Good luck on the ascent/descent of Hurricane today - be safe

DD

eschlwc

ok, must be a citizenship/residency issue if they're mentioning visa fees.

rootboy 

Thanks for the bike strap mention, Will. Looking at it mounted on Mike's bike, I sure hope it works OK with that bottle cage.

Great pics and travelogue, Will. The best is ahead of you! I'm envious.

mikemowbz

A little tight with the cage on that particular bike (it's placed closer in to the BB than most); works better on one other bike I tried, though it's still useful on the Proctor.

I still have to try the strap out a bit more (in terms of use, and on a couple of diff bikes), and will get back to you with my thoughts. I've neglected to fully put it though it's paces, faced with a busy and eventful week since returning from out East...

It was a bit of a coincidence that this was in the mailbox when Will and I arrived at the house after our ride.

Zinger

Another cool travel thread in C&V. Thanks for posting!

gaucho777 

What an epic thread, and you've barely begun. Wishing you safe and mishap-free travels, clean roads, good weather, delicious meals, excellent company, majestic sights, and courteous drivers--well, one can always hope! After a difficult couple years, I'm glad you are able to take a little time for yourself. You're certainly going to have a lot of time to reflect on the road. . . . . . . . . . . . .

By the way (forgive if I missed it) do you have a target end date in San Diego?

Your new camera is working out very well indeed. Some really fantastic photos. Sorry about the computer, though. I assume you have some sort of case already; perhaps add a small bit little bubble packaging wrap under the laptop in the panniers?

@scozim, your brother-in-law's place is incredible. I bet he can a story.

Looking forward to following your odyssey.

WNG

@gaucho777

Thanks Randy for the very kind wishes! Almost all have come my way, and looking forward to more as I start south. You were around when things were happy and hopeful, I think this endeavor will help bring balance in me. Cycling always has.

You didn't miss anything...no set schedule to make it to San Diego. Probably mid Oct for now.
I ran into a high school friend I hadn't seen in 15 years in June, and will be visiting her in San Fran. Plan to make that stop an extended one too.

The new camera is a Sony a6000. Nice and compact, but feature rich. But the ol' Canon P&S is proving its worth for from-the-bars shots.
The rest of my gear is bubble-wrapped and foam-padded. I will resolve this hard drive hashing matter in time. When the HDD is idle, the computer behaves relatively normally.

Just finished uploading today's photos from a fantastic ride with Lascauxcaveman without a hitch. Odd. Will get this thread caught up before I leave Port Angeles!