I still have to get to the Cargo Terminal at Toronto Airport - and then ride back to Cornwall from London when we get to the other side of the pond
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Monday, May-19
Now there's some people around with whom you just 'click'. You don't need to make any effort, whatsoever, to simply 'get on'. Canadian STers, Mark & Carrie, are one of those couples.
Like us, they've stayed-on too, at the Canaan Valley Resort for one extra night before riding off deeper into the American countryside. We shared a nice dinner + some wine together last night in the Resort's near deserted restaurant; good conversation along with spotting families of grazing deer from our picture window table.
But at 09:00am, it's now time for them to leave and hit the road .. an hour before our planned departure. Ride safe Mark & Carrie, and thanks for your company - I do hope we can all meet-up again, one day.
.. and at the allotted time we get under way too, firstly northwards, where the temperature never rises much above 8ºC [46ºF].After 25 miles [40 km] we cross the state line into Maryland.
After a further 37 miles [60 km] we join I-68(E) - and the traffic - head eastwards ...
.. across I-70(E), up I-695(N), until we join our old friend I-95(N).After 225 interstate miles [362 km] we cross another state line, this time into Delaware.
Just 17 miles [27 m] further east and we ride over the Delaware Memorial Bridge (Delaware River) ...
.. into the state of New Jersey - pronounced locally as 'Noo Joisey' .. ;o)-------------------------
The whole point of travelling this far east - out on a limb, really - is to hook-up with fellow STer, Randy [Bridgewater], who lives with his wife & family + pets, in the NJ township of Lumberton.
Randy, you see, is a bidofa whizz with most things mechanical, especially Honda cars and motorcycles. Well, I guess you would expect that - after all, he is the Snr Training Center Co-ordinator, Technical Training Operations, for the American Honda Motor Company.
.. and Yes, I did mention to him that, with a name like 'Randy', he would more-than-likely be very popular indeed with the ladies back home in England .. ;o)
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With my front tyre wearing the affects of 11,000 miles, and the rear with around 5K['ish] miles of attrition, AND already starting to square-off considerably, I took the opportunity to acquire yet another set of Avon Storms from the same Tucson AZ tyre supplier that I bought from before.
At GBP £138.68 - delivered free of charge (from Tucson, AZ -to- Randy's place in Lumberton, NJ) - well, I might find it hard to buy just the rear tyre alone for that price back in the UK.
.. AND all handled with expert care, attention to detail ... 
and mounted by Randy ..
.. balanced as if a fine art .. it was an opportunity I just could not miss. Moreover, Randy & Co put us up for the night in the household spare room ... terrific! .. :o)
We also got to see his assembly of motorcycles ..
.. at least 9 or 10 of 'em .. although, I may have even missed a couple! 
Quite a collection, so it is.We retire to our beds way past midnight ..
.. Zzzzzzzzzzz
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Tuesday, May-20
By mid-morning we're back on the road, accompanied by Randy on his Honda ST1300, and ride in a broad westerly direction. Pretty soon it starts to p#ss down with rain ...
.. especially by the time we reach the Pennsylvania stateline. The specific reason why I want to visit the Lancaster area of PA is to get some glimpses of the Amish way of life. The 'Plain People' 
Peering through misted visors, we end up in this village .. in the pouring down rain.Summin tells me that I could do well to stopover in this particular village motel tonight; I'm getting all the right signals at this place .. ;o)
Then we see a couple of Amish women, wearing plain ankle-length frocks and head bonnets ...
.. and our first Amish transportation-------------------------
It was here in [eh-hem] Intercourse, that we said our farewells to Randy. Another with whom we just 'clicked' - hardly stopped laughing during our brief time together. I hope we meet again.
Anyway, Randy heads back south and east; while we head off in the opposite direction, almost due north ...
.. for 130 miles, through some of the worst weather conditions I have hitherto ever ridden 
just awful
.. and it got worse .. 
.. and yet even more worse, until ..
.. we get close to the tiny village of Lehman, located northwest of Wilkes-Barre City, PA - and the 'safe house' of Chris and his mum, Judith. I guess the severe weather depression's cold front must have just passed overhead as we navigated our way up through the outskirts of Wilkes-Barre. Whatever, two drowned rats were very grateful for the relief.
After our gear is hung-up to dry, and after a nice hot shower, Chris shows me around just a small corner of his 97-acre farm ... 
.. right in the heart of this beautifully green and pleasant Pennsylvanian countryside. -------------------------
Perhaps I should explain how I came to know Chris [Dawe], who's exactly the same age as me BTW:-
Chris, like me, is a member of Horizons Unlimited, the on-line Motorcycle Travellers Trust. He has helped me a lot during the course of this southern USA ride; providing me with all sorts of useful tips and guidance. It seemed inevitable that we would meet-up, eventually. Right now, on the way through to Toronto, Canada, was always going to be the perfect time.
Chris is a very enthusiastic motorcyclist and loves being involved with every aspect of international two-wheeled adventure. He's a great guy to know, especially if you're a couple of stray Brits like us .. [or Italians, or Frenchmen, or Peruvians .. or whatever other nationality you might just happen to be!] .. it doesn't really matter to Chris - he's there, no matter - just to help out, utterly selflessly, in whatever way he can.
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Then premium beers, barbequeued steaks and salad, helped down with a nice bottle of Shiraz. Can't be all bad, eh?! And then there's Judy who, despite her senior years, remains remarkably intellectual and sharp-witted - as such, our conversations just kept-on flowing all evening.It was indeed a night to remember.
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Wednesday, May-21
But we need to keep on heading towards our ultimate destination of Toronto, as the bike must be checked-in at the Cargo Terminal 48 hours before Monday's departure.
With our kit all nicely dried-out - and some essential arrangements dealt with - like UK motorcycle insurance coverage from next Tuesday-27, etceteras - we say yet more goodbyes to our fine and totally altruistic host and hostess, Chris and Judy ...
.. thank you for your kindness.
Chris escorts us away from the farm on his BMW R1150GS Adv, then he heads east and south - as we head west and north.
Along Hwy-118, it's not long before we hear the 'boom-boom' of thunder claps .... more bad weather dead ahead - and so we scramble, yet again, into our rain gear.
We experience some rain certainly, but more really bad weather doesn't materialise, thankfully .. :o) :o)"Why have we come this way, so far west?", Ellen asks
Me: "Cuz I wanna see this, The Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania"
The Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania - here in the heart of the Tioga State Forest.
Bidofa misnomer, as it's more like a valley.
Definitely nice countryside, there's no doubt about that, but the views from the roadside are noticeably spoilt by all the overhead wires - what a shame. 
By 4:00pm we arrive at our motel in Wellsboro, coincidentally called 'The Canyon Motel'. We have their detached rear cottage, all to ourselves .. nice.Nice indoor heated pool too, as Ellen soon discovers.
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Thursday, May-22
And so here we are, the last day of our tour in North America. Just 260 north-western miles [418 km] from Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, and we'll be in Toronto, Ontario, up there in 'The Great White North' - aka Canada.
But firstly we have to cross the Stateline into New York, and ride 160 miles [258 km] up through this, our last American state towards ...
.. the City of Buffalo and the Niagara Falls region beyond.
We approach the border crossing with some apprehension - even a little anxiety - as all did not go smoothly the last time we were here on Monday, July 9th last year.Same circumstances as then, only in reverse: We have no Canadian visas or contemporary VWP visa exemption stamps in our passports, and we’re riding in on a UK-registered vehicle from a third-party foreign country, the USA.
But it couldn't have been easier .. :o) :o)We were politely asked to go to the Customs and Immigration Building, where we were immediately attended to. The officer didn't even want to know how long we intended to stay in his country; not even the purpose of our visit.
All we received from him was a warm smile - and "Enjoy your stay in Canada" ...
.. and a couple of nice souvenir stamps in our passports.Pretty cool, huh? .. 'NIAGARA FALLS' - probably the most romantic and best known of all the USA/Canadian border crossings
We're in Canada - a place I did not plan or expect to see again for some considerable time .. if ever again. But it is good to be back, nevertheless
Dunno what bridge this is, or what it's crossing - but I have a feeling it might be the southern end of the James N Allen Skyway, Burlington Bay [looking northwest], that crosses the far western corner of Lake Ontario - a section of the QEW (Queen Elizabeth Way) 
71 miles [114 km] after leaving the USA at Niagara, we arrive at the very last motel in Mississauga, West Toronto, deliberately chosen because of its close proximity to the Lester B Pearson Int'l Airport, from where we will all leave this great continent of North America next Monday, May-26.After coming to this land exactly 11 months ago, on June-27 last year, we have travelled 25,600 truly wonderful and awe-inspiring miles - [41,200 km].
Thank God, we made it all the way around - and we're still all in one piece. It really has been - The Trip of a Lifetime.
-------------------------
Saturday, May-24
After a couple of days' rest, and doing very little apart from reflecting on the memories of our journey around North America, I deliver the STeed to the Airport's International Cargo Zone - Building 2, Entrance 5 ..
.. and sort out the Airway Bill and other export paperwork; then hand over my ignition keys to a couple of very dodgy looking characters who work in the carrier's (Air Transat) bonded storage depot. Fingers crossed then eh?!
.. and just who does this little workhorse of a dual-purpose belong to? It looks like the Pan might have some company down in the plane's cargo hold as we all wing our way eastwards across the Atlantic Ocean next Monday evening, May-26.
