Showing results by publisher "Nick Adams" in All Categories

Old or unsuitable motorbikes, distant places, poor weather, and gravel roads, these are the common threads in Nick’s motorcycle travels. He’d been hoping to ride out west a couple of years ago until a little heart trouble intervened. Two years later, a short "shake-down" trip morphed into a 9000 mile journey across the continent. Trouble free? Not exactly. Riding a 1972 Moto Guzzi Eldorado, a Suzuki Burgman Scooter, and a 1976 Moto Guzzi Convert (automatic), and ever optimistic, Nick heads for the Canada’s distant horizons.

There are times when sitting on the couch in front of the TV seems infinitely preferable to rolling the motorbike out of the garage for a ride or putting the boots on to go for a hike, yet it’s rare that one regrets the effort. In this collection of motorcycling road trips, garage misadventures, bike reviews, and reminiscences, I try to convey my joy of riding, even when things don’t always work out perfectly. Life is short. The time is now. Do it while you still can.

No matter how we travel, and whether we realise it or not, we're all searching for moments — those little events or experiences which stay with us long after the majority of the tour, ride or cruise has faded into a vague memory of places, meals and hours on the road. They don't happen on every trip and your moments are likely to be very different to mine, but if we are lucky, those are the jewels we return with.

Familiar roads. Familiar Places. It's easy to get stale riding the same old routes. Sometimes it hardly seems worthwhile to pull on all that motorcycle gear, start the engine and head out. Why bother? It is easy to tire of the road. Cold weather and occasional roadside troubles are all part of the pleasures of riding. Don't let the little things get you down. Sometimes all it takes to overcome the feeling that you've ridden all those roads too many times is a slight change in perspective and attitude.

Join Nick as he hikes the length of Wales, hitting all the high spots. Then follow him up the spine of England on the Pennine Way, through brutal February weather. Lastly, follow Nick across the North York Moors at night, then on across the country to the Cumbria coast. As if the snow, rain, and endless miles weren’t enough while hiking, jump on the back of the motorbike and ride from Scotland to Devon via Norfolk, dodging hypothermia, then through the Lakes, the Pennines and Wales.

As we age, it would be so easy to let the "what ifs" intrude. What if it rains? What if my bike breaks down and there’s no cell phone service? What if my joints hurt, my backside aches, and I get cold and miserable? I’m too old for discomfort and uncertainty. There is a multitude of ways we can talk ourselves out of doing the things we’ve always loved.

My well-travelled 1972 Moto Guzzi Eldorado turned 50 in 2022, shortly after I turned 70. With more than 100,000 miles under her wheels, the old Eldorado has traversed Labrador, visited the Arctic Circle in the Yukon, and explored most of the isolated roads in northern Ontario and northern Quebec. Along the way there have been one or two roadside mishaps—some amusing, some annoying—but she has always managed to get me home. How would she fare on another epic journey? Somehow, an early season ride to photograph some of Quebec's covered bridges turned into a marathon.

The mysterious warrior Wacousta has aligned himself with the First Nations forces who are besieging Detroit and Fort Michilimackinac on the extreme western edge of the British North American frontier. Pontiac is determined to stop expansion into the region, by any means. Wacousta, is a great friend of Pontiac but has his own agenda.—revenge against the British Commander at Detroit, Colonel De Haldimar. The story begins with Wacousta stealing in to the secure fort and whispering something in to De Haldimar's ear.

The Panther M120 was the last in a line of large, single-cylinder motorcycles built by the Phelon and Moore Company in Cleckheaton, Yorkshire. As a teenager, Nick had two Panthers. His first big motorbikes. Although he enjoyed them at the time, he did not treat them well—a source of regret for over 50 years. His affection for those old, single-cylinder sloggers never left, and when the opportunity arose to acquire one later in life, he jumped at it.

Samuel Hearne's three 18th century journeys on the Barren Lands of northern Canada were undertaken on behalf of the Hudson's Bay Company in an attempt to discover a reputed source of copper and to advance the company's fur trading interests in the region.

Torn between two countries, I've always felt like a fish out of water. I've come to love Canada which has been my home for decades. The vast distances, the quiet lakes and forests, the unspoiled wilderness have become precious to me, yet part of me has never been able to completely abandon my English roots. I ache for the old churches, the friendly pubs, the tiny, winding backroads. When I'm in Canada my thoughts often turn towards England, yet when I visit England I pine for Canada's wilds. I feel tugged in both directions, my mind hovering somewhere in mid-Atlantic.

There is a fine line between optimism and stupidity. Sometimes I wonder whether I cross that line too often. But what is life without a little risk? It's too easy to sit back and avoid all jeopardy and discomfort, and I suppose that's all right as long as you're comfortable with a life without spice. Life is short enough without wasting it away on the couch.

A skull from the fur trade era has been unearthed. Who would bury just a skull, and why? An archaeology crew has been dispatched to see if they can find some answers - perfect excuse to get the motorbikes on the road and combine some work with pleasure. A short ride to see where the skull was found turns into a much longer expedition to track down the rest of the skeleton, eventually encountering the remains of an eighteenth century voyageur on the banks of the Nipigon River.

The Road to Missanabie is Nick Adams' second collection of motorcycling road tales. Join Nick as he heads for the horizon in northern Quebec and northern Ontario on his old Moto Guzzi bikes, enjoying the vastness of the northern forests, the quiet of northern lakes, and the generous and friendly company of the people he meets. Things don't always go according to plan, but unexpected hiccups and delays along the way just add to the adventure. If you enjoy hearing about motorcycle travel, old motorbikes, and the wilderness you're sure to enjoy this.

Despite a lifetime of healthy outdoor activity and a diet no worse (or better, for that matter) than the next man’s, in 2017, at the age of 66, Nick found himself under the knife for triple bypass surgery. Would this be the end to hiking adventures and long motorcycle trips to remote parts? Not a chance! Recovery from open heart surgery is a long, slow process. But with plenty of help, some dedication, lots of careful walking, and heaps of good luck, it is possible to return to a fully active life.

For every well-known archaeologist - the kind you might see doing exciting things on TV - there are legions of less high-profile characters working in the background. Their work may not be quite as sexy or result in paradigm-changing discoveries, but it is important and valuable. The following chapters are snap-shots of archaeology from more than 40 years of work in both Britain and Canada. Rather than spending too much time on the scientific and technical, Nick has focused on stories that convey the life of a working archaeologist...well, his working life anyway.

Sanibel Historical Museum and Village was founded in 1984 with a mission to preserve and share Sanibel's history. https://sanibelmuseum.org/ Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thesancapguide.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for all things Sanibel & Captiva Email us at thesancapguide@gmail.com for questions and comments Support our channel: Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/sancapguide⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Us A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/sanibel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Etsy: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://...

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An historic trader’s cabin has been found in the woods in Northern Ontario and archaeologist Steve Dawson has been asked to investigate. Disturbed by the unpleasantness he and his co-worker Theo experience there, they quickly finish their work and move on, camping at Shekarkistergoan Lake, where they encounter the deeply unsettlingly, vigorous ghost of Charles Janvier, an 18th-century voyageur with a bullet hole in the middle of his forehead.

Spencer Dickson was a city boy, so when he decided that a housing development on a large tract of forested lakeshore was an excellent new business venture, he was in for a shock. Before he could unleash the bulldozers there were environmental and archaeological studies to complete. "You mean I'm going to have to pay for a bunch of tree-huggers and hippies to stomp around on my property, finding stuff that's going to cost me yet more money?" he said. Under Steve Dawson’s leadership, the archaeologists soon confirmed Spencer’s fears.