Port Dover

Joel and I went to Port Dover last Thursday for a night of camping and the infamous Friday (the) 13th motorcycle rally.  It was the 30th year of the event.  However they generally have more then one Friday (the) 13th each year....  The community is very well planned for the tens of thousands who descend upon this small Lake Erie village.

I should start by noting it was a typical motorcycle trip send-off for yours truly.  Thursday morning was rainy and cold. I didn't put the rain togs on, it wasn't that bad, but it wasn't great.  But I soldiered on to Guelph and met up with Joel by ten thirty.  I had driven through worse weather obviously in previous trips.

From Guelph, Port Dover is only like 70 miles straight down Hwy 24.  So getting there was no problem.  And the weather was actually a lot nicer as the day progressed.  We rolled into town and headed over to the soccer fields to camp.  Everything is more expensive you know.  Gas is well over a dollar thirty and it was fifteen bucks a night to camp.  That is the way things are going these days though.

We laid claim to a nice piece of land and set up the tent.  We went for a bit of a drive around to the beer store and got a few pints to wet our throats.  Later that afternoon we also met up with my cousin Amanda and her husband Jon and Jon's step-mother Beth.  They were living well in a cottage - but probably a bit more then our fifteen smackers.

Thursday night is generally a fun time.  We all had a great fish and chips scoff at a restaurant who's name escapes me....  But the highlight of this place was their specialty "celery" bread.  It was good - Deep fried good you know.  Later that night we hit a few bars and watched the hockey game.  Lots of people watching to do as well.  It was kind of an early night actually; Joel and I were tired.

The thunderous rain that hit Huron County on Friday was neither scene nor heard in Port Dover.  The tent and all of our gear was bone dry in the morning.  So no complaints from the two of us.  Joel and I got going and made our way to the downtown area.

What was really noticeable this year was the fewer bikes and people.  This was my third or fourth time here for this event and there was by far, significantly less people then ever.  In a way it was a bit disappointing, because the vast number of people is really interesting, all and all.  But after a while it all looks the same anyway.

Harley's reign supreme throughout the open road and it was very evident. But there was lots of other interesting bikes to look at.  A few different kinds of hurst bikes, the side car bikes are cool to look at too and many, many funky paint jobs on regular bikes.  Here is Joel sitting on a $35k 2011 Indian.

By noon though, it seemed like time to hit the road again and make our way home.  The sun was out and it was quite warm - There were still lots of bikers rolling into town as we made our way back north on 24 to Guelph.  Joel and I parted ways....  A safe trip for the two of us with no incidents which is always nice when you are on a bike.

I almost bought one of these tank tops for Shelly as it is her birthday this weekend.