in Thunder Bay, Ontario

We have been following highway 17 around Lake Superior - this is a great ride - Ontario has worked hard to keep the lake pristine - the views are spectacular. We met a rider from Quebec who is circumnavigating the lake, and a bunch of Harley guys from the Chicago area who are on a lake tour.

I have a question for my cruiser riding readers - how do you handle downpours, as in heavy rain? I'm in a full face helmet, and my leather pants cover my entire derriere. The cruiser uniform is a half helmet, no visor, and chaps - as in, your derriere is covered by jeans (unless you are riding in a GLBT pride parade). At 100 km/h, rain drops must hurt when they hit your face. In heavy rain, don't you get really really soaked? I mean, the water blows up along your thighs and gets into your jeans and after a few minutes, you've got water in places you normally don't want water. Highway 17 is a popular motorcycling route so the highly variable weather can't be a surprise. Anyway, I sorry for these guys and gals when the thunderstorms hit.

The Sault Ste. Marie Super 8 night clerk knows that bikers like to wipe down their bikes so to prevent guests from using the nice hand towels she puts the towels that have been demoted to rags on the bikes as soon as the rider has checked in. In 10 years of riding this is the first time someone has anticipated the wipe down ritual. Most motels/hotels will give you rags if you ask, but you have to ask. So, if you are staying in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, give the Super 8 your business.

We stopped at the White River museum to find the true origin of Winnie the Pooh. The real bear, not the stuffed one. What does it mean when a museum is displaying artifacts that you remember playing with or using as a child?

Best road name citing for the last two days: "Yellow Brick Road". These Canucks crack me up.

Best roadside statuary: The three Canadian goose statues in Wawa - one of them is 28 feet tall.

In one of the roadside stops, there were a sign in the women's bathroom, "Please do not smoke in the bathroom. If we see smoke coming out from under the door, we will assume you are on fire and will take appropriate action." The text was accompanied by a picture of an animated fire extinguisher. According to the store's owner, thus far, the warning sign has been effective.

Today's major event was the Eagle Canyon Adventures suspension bridges - one 300-foot long, one 600-foot long over a beautiful canyon. There is also a zip line but the only way I would ride a zip line would be in a catatonic state or as a dead body. Once again, medidation training has paid off an unexpected dividend. I'm acrophobic so I assumed I would have to crawl across the bridges. Stepping onto the wooden slates of the bridge, a hand on each of the steel rope hand lines, I recalled kin hin practice - walking medidation - and was able to make the crossing on two feet instead of hands and knees.

It is August 1st - we are half way through the trip. When we return our tires will be square.