Sunday August 30

Border Crossing

The final leg of the trip was by far the easiest.

After spending the morning cleaning the bike, checking everything over and doing

I pulled into a restaurant at Shelton, thinking it was time for a motel (it was only noon) but I was soaking wet, my hands were mostly purple grapes, and my boots were filled with water (I cursed the fact that I bought hiking boots which I wanted to be as breathable as possible so they were just sucking in the rain... for an additional $30 I could have gotten the Goretex waterproof versions... darn it... laundry, at three in the afternoon I started the bike and rode the six miles back into Friday Harbor. I bought a ticket for Sidney BC at the ferry ticket office, and parked the bike at the head of the line. (One great thing about the Washington State ferries is they tend to load motorcycles first!

Once on the ferry, I watched the islands pass for an hour until we docked at the terminal in Sidney.

I rode out through Canadian immigration, swearing I had brought no alcohol or firearms with me, and then at the entrance to the parking lot, I wheeled around and re-entered.

I bought another ticket (they only sell one way tickets for reasons I don't understand), and then rolled up to American immigration and customs, who seemed amused by my explanation for my very short Canadian visit, and waved me through.

Then I parked the bike behind the other motorcycles and spent twenty minutes explaining the history of the bike and the goals of my trip. One traveller who is a profesional Ducati mechanic was particularly fascinated.

As it turned out, I could have spent ten minutes or so touring downtown Sidney, but as there was no guarantee that the ferry wouldn't start loading immediately, it could have been a gamble which ended in an overnight stay in an expensive Canadian motel...

Another 50 minute ferry ride and one final explanation to another American customs official in Friday Harbor ... and my trip was complete. 1600 odd miles through deserts and mountains and seashore... done.

I felt elated and quite sad at the same time. Something that had been a large part of my life for more than a year of building and planning... was gone.

Today, I'll drain the tank and figure out the final mpg figures.

If you look closely you will see the US and Canadian flags flying in the background, at the Sidney terminal, where I am waiting to get back on the ferry.