A big day today, both in mileage, weather, sightings and astronomically speaking as well. Leaving the Midway Motel off of TCH 1 (Trans-Canada-Highway) about 60 miles northeast of the ferry Port at 7:30am and taking the long way to St. John's by going to the northeast coastline first before heading to the southeast where I'll find St. John's. 
A beautiful sunny day following the lakes running through the big valleys and crossing countless brooks and streams.
Sometimes it's hard to tell if your next to a lake or an inlet or bay. This one happens to be Deer Lake which was pretty big and ran about 30 miles long.
I quickly shed my coat and rode in my t-shirt and still ended up being too warm at times. This is really the first day since I started my ride that it's felt like summer! That's one first for the day! I was looking for a diner breakfast after the first 50 miles and my search led me to Bruce from St. John's who's on his way to Toronto on his matching white Honda Goldwing. He couldn't recommend a diner in the area but using his native Newfoundland knowledge did suggest I turn up towards the north shore towards Musgrave Harbour to see some more of Newfoundland. I followed his recommendation which added about 200 miles to my day as well as much pleasure and more firsts of a kinds for me.
I saw a moose today!! My first moose! But he's not in this picture or any picture for that matter. Sorry. He/she was along the side of the road and by the time I slowed to turn my bike 180 deg. around to get a picture he was wondering off into the thick woods. Big and brown, but no rack. Have I told you I've seen a boat load of logging trucks since we crossed into Maine and on into the Canadian Atlantic Provinces. The forests have been thick and abundant. There must be a good growing season, albeit a shorter one. I wonder if the longer hours of sunlight in the northern latitudes compensate for the shorter growing season??
I also saw my first iceberg too!! Just a few miles north of Lewisporte which is on the south side of a big bay called Notre Dame Bay. It was a few hundred yards off the shoreline. Since this spring I've been seeing random articles about icebergs along the coast of Newfoundland and I was hoping to see one. Very cool. At this point, I don't know if this will be my last but I remain optimistic. 
Right after my iceberg sighting I was feeling peckish and this roadside stand appeared specializing in seafood with shaded seating. I ordered a lobster sandwich just the way Kathleen recommended it and it was awesome. This was my first lobster roll too.
They had a lobster tank and this big' un with the red toe tag was pleading with me to help him escape to the bay just 30 feet away. I was too busy eating my ice cream cone for dessert. 
Further east and and north towards Musgrave Harbour I could see a white edge on the horizon of the sea. As I got closer I found hundreds, maybe thousands more icebergs. 
The white line on the horizon is an ice flow that is currently running about 10 to 15 miles off of the coast. According to some locals I spoke with the icebergs are fairly common this time of year but the ice flows are very unusual and damning to the local fishing fleet which is what keeps these coastal communities going, fish, lobster and crab. I was told they didn't really have a spring and the winds weren't helping with location of the ice flow. It's very unfortunate for the fisherman but seeing an ice flow, especially being such a large one is another first for me. 
The ice continues to the east for 5 or 10 miles along the shoreline. 
I grabbed some fruit for later tonight and tomorrow. I never know if I'll end up near a restaurant for supper. 
So today is the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year for us in the northern hemisphere. I'm currently at 49 degrees latitude. Other than being in Moscow in the winter months (which I don't recommend!) which is 55 degrees latitude I've never been this far north, certainly not on the Summer Solstice so drum roll please.......this has been the longest day of my life and I got to spend it riding my motorcycle in Newfoundland while looking at icebergs and eating lobster rolls!! How cool is that?!
Note to self: See about ordering a tire in some anticipated future city stop back in the US. This was a brand new tire when I started but I've got about 4,400 miles on it now and it's getting thin. I don't ride my bike hard but the rear wheel does all of the pushing of the bike as well as about 75% of the stopping I figure. In a quick stop it's 80% on the front wheel but most of my slowing or stopping is done with down shifting for a gradual deceleration. Now my bike is parked at my room for the night, the Clode Sound Motel (along Close Sound of course) in Charlottetown, NL. I'm only about 150 miles from St. John's now. I'll be there tomorrow!
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