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Americade had become the trip we planned around, and in 2008 a routine itinerary nearly turned into an international incident. A spontaneous detour toward Niagara Falls sent the group straight to the Canadian border — without passports and with two press bikes on a trailer.
From Lake George to an unexpected diversion
That year we hauled two press bikes in a trailer up to Lake George by car, while Manuel joined us by plane. The rally was a must-do for our team, and we intended to extend the ride with a planned Shamrock Tour® through Ohio alongside Jim Parks and his friend Steve Mauk.
After Americade we drove from Lake George toward Buffalo to collect Manuel at the airport. A spur-of-the-moment decision to see the falls added a short detour to the route. At first it felt like a typical travel-day change of plans — until the road signs took an unexpected turn.
The Rainbow Bridge mistake and border questions
Signs pointing to Rainbow Bridge proved too tempting. We followed them and found ourselves approaching the Canadian crossing. With no passports in hand and two press motorcycles on the trailer, each displaying plates from different U.S. states, the situation immediately looked complicated.
Authorities stopped and questioned us. It quickly became clear we weren’t the only travelers who had missed the final turn. After explaining the mix-up, we were escorted back across the border and underwent another round of questioning on the American side.
There was relief — and laughter — once everything was sorted. We finished the detour the way we’d intended: viewing the falls from the U.S. side and moving on with the rest of the ride. The episode became one of those travel stories that stick with you.
