Welcome to our motorcycle blog for 2025. This trip is actually an extension of a previously hoped trip, which I had envisioned while still working. My dream had been to ride around (basically, the perimeter) of North America. I realized with my September 2023 solo trip that such a venture would be overly ambitious and as such, scaled back significantly my motorcycle trip ambitions. In fairness to Nan, the fact is that a trip around North America was never HER ambition. Occasionally, I just get into my head that "such and such would make for a great motorcycle trip!" without really considering whether she would think the same thing, a fact of which she reminded me a month or so ago.
We said "goodbye" to our faithful, long lived 1999 Honda ST 1100 this year. I bought this bike from my riding mentor Stan 15 years ago and put 110,000 km on it. The bike took Nan and me all around Western North America and a few parts further afield. We did trips to Alaska, Utah, Montana, Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, BC (from Alberta), Lake Superior and the most exotic day trip we ever did: Torrington, AB to see the Gopher Museum. It had been as high as 11,200 feet of elevation (a lot for a motor vehicle without fuel injection) and down to sea level. It was an amazing bike, reliable as all get-out and sipped gas little enough that we could ride, fully loaded and two-up, 500 km on a single tank. I only ran out twice in all that time - once with Nan on board. Then we had a "time out" on the side of the road waiting for the cavalry. We would load that bike up with all kinds of gear. Along with the panniers full, we would often strap sleeping bags, mattresses, chairs, pots, dishes, a stove, computer, and it would happily charge the computer, phones and heat our electric jackets all at the same time. However, I have been ready for some modern technology for a couple of years and this year, when Honda announced that their three year old design NT 1100 was released to the North American market, I immediately went down to my local Honda dealer and ordered what was at the time the only NT 1100 coming to Kelowna (they have since brought in and sold another). I sold the ST to a fellow in Salmon Arm who was prepared to return the bike to its former glory as it was no longer too pretty, having been scuffed at various times due to the odd "tip over".
We had the good fortune to have minimal traffic and the pavement was good. Saw many motorcycles but somehow missed the fact that we drove all the way through Saskatchewan. There were fields.
Was also saw very long trains, much longer than what we see going through the mountains so it was quite a feat to see.
Day 7
Day 9
In any event, our current trip is the "Atlantic Canada" portion of that grand North America tour.
Our plan is to ride around Nova Scotia, New Brunswick with an interlude to PEI., and the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec starting and finishing in Montreal. We will have the good fortune to visit some old friends along the way, hopefully make a few new ones and certainly ride and see some new territory.
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| Our faithful ST 1100. Thank you.💖 |
Alas, Nan and I welcomed Andělská to our family. Named "Angel" in Czech, where we first rode a rented NT 1100, it is 150 pounds lighter than the ST, slightly taller with at least as much storage room, replete with modern technology including handlebars, brakes, wheels AND seats and is ready to go for the first tour. To the Maritimes of Canada.
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| Andělská |
Departure date from home is Sunday August 31 and we are towing the bike to Montreal where we have family (of sorts - my niece's husband's mom, Joy) and from there ride along the St. Lawrence Seaway, through the Gaspe Peninsula, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI. Sadly, as badly as we wanted, we could not include Newfoundland in this trip as it would have required us riding every single day with no opportunity to stop and smell roses. Anticipated riding distance: 6,000 km plus 8,400 km round trip driving to Montreal. We will also have the added benefit of visiting old friends on this trip, including my friend Ted, living in Antigonish Nova Scotia, Darcy, living in Fredericton and my grade six girlfriend Leanne, living in Nova Scotia. With apologies to Leanne because I don't think she had any knowledge that she was my girlfriend, however this is how I described her... when she wasn't around to correct me. More on those connections later.
Day 1
Time departed 9:04 am
Time arrived: Medicine Hat, Alberta 9:15 pm
Elapsed travel time: 11 hours 11 minutes
Distance traveled: 911 km
We got off to an OK start, getting away at 9:00 am, notwithstanding my intention to be away between 7:00 and 8:00 am. However, I didn't want to set an alarm because I wanted to be as fresh as possible for the drive as I expected to do the lion's share of the driving.
We woke up at 7:30 so already scrambling. However, I had a great sleep and I feel so fresh I can type this even as I am driving. While taking a nap!
Only a few things to load in the truck as most of it was done yesterday. A latte for home and one for the road, quick change if Sheets and on the way.
Awesome day for a drive; we have rarely seen a cloud and the temperature has been a steady 25 or 26 though it had dipped to 24 by the time we reached Medicine Hat. We were surprised at how heavy the tragfic was, especially for the Su day of a long weekend. What happened to the days where people would try to squeeze as much out of their vacation time as possoble?. Hope to get away earlier tomorrow.
We did have one concern today. We received a worried email from some friends who got an advanced look at the Spotwalla track and saw that we were stranded in Vernon, where we picked up some breakfast and another coffee. Since I drove the first seven hours, I didn't see their email till late and I checked the Sporltwalla track and did indeed see that we were still in Vernon. However, a quick look out the window and I saw prairies all around us so was pretty sure we were where we were supposed to be. However, Spotwalla had somehow lost contact with our tracking device. I checked the source feed and it showed our position accurately so not sure what went wrong. But when you look at our track you will see that there are no "pings" between Vernon and near Brooks in Southern Alberta but rest assured, actually did the drive.
Day 2
Time Departed Medicine Hat; 8:30 am Mountain time
Time arrived Steinbach, Manitoba 9:30 pm Central time
Elapsed travel time: 11 hours
Distance traveled: 1,116 km
Got away early enough after a hearty included breakfast. The included breakfast was a regular menu item and I opted for a safe omlette that turned out to be HUGE. Luckily, I did forego the potatoes, which would have overwhelmed me.
Had our first glimpse of fall as we passed through a small valley on the Manitoba side of things.
Even though for the most part, weather was warm and sunny, we heard on the news and also received an emergency broadcast warning that there was a storm coming, notwithstanding that at the time, there wasn't a cloud in the sky.
The storm did show up around 8:30 as we drove by Winnipeg and it presented quite a spectacular display for our last hour of driving. Flashes of lightning were occurring every few seconds. This went on for a couple of hours, including after our arrival in Steinbach. The Weather reported that there could be omlette-size hail, which gave me cause to worry because I had visions of our windshield being obliterated.
Had a very unsatisfying, and I'm embarrassed to admit this, meal at Smitty's. Not the pancake house but the attached lounge which somehow seemed like a contradiction in terms. Nan had a Cobb Salad with a gallon of dressing. I had spinach artichoke dip with deep fried pita chips. I don't recommend. I guess that won't mean much if I've already had a heart attack by the time you read this.
Day 3:
Departed Steinbach, Manitoba 9:15 Manitoba time
Arrived Shunia, Ontario 7:15 Ontario time
Elapsed travel time: 9 hours
Distance traveled: 700 km
We weren't in too big a hurry this morning because we knew we had a relatively short drive. I had slept till 8:00 am after sleeping somewhat fitfully last night. Breakfast was modest: hard boiled eggs, yogurt and Raisin Bran; it was enough. There were a few other things though not overly inspiring but we didn't need a whole lot.
The weather had taken a dramatic turn as it was raining lightly and about 17 degrees. We got gas and headed out, having to choose between two routes but it was really no choice at all as one route was through the U.S. which I don't anticipate doing for some time.
Then later, once we had crossed into Ontario, we got hit with another storm. This time the deluge of rain was so over whelming, Nan had to pull over because she really couldn't see the road as once the truck and trailer ahead of us pulled over, there really wasn't anything else to guide her.wr really couldn't even see out the front window.
Arrived at our long time friends Cathy & Bob's house. Bob promptly announced to us that there would be no swimming in Lake Superior as it was just too cold.
Getting a cat fix tonight. These friends think of everything!
On the way into ThunderBay, Nan's truck hit a notable odometer milestone! That's a lot of sevens!
Day 4 : Parking our butts in Thunder Bay.
It is our 37th wedding anniversary. OMG TIME IS FLYING! We must be having fun. On our 30th anniversary, we were at the tail end of a fairly large motorcycle trip and we were riding south back to Edmonton, coming from Prince Rupert. We were camping not too far from Prince George and the weather was miserable: cold, rain with the occasional flake of snow. It was just a coincidence that it was a milestone anniversary so I can tell you that camping in the rain and snow on the motorcycle was not exactly memorable (though we were having fun at the time) and in fact, the next year I had forgotten that our milestone anniversary had passed and I planned a fabulous THIRTIETH anniversary celebration in San Fransisco for the two of us. Nan crashed her rented Segway.
With the rain and cold, none of is seemed too motivated to get outside, though I did go to the truck and retrieve my sweater. Nan stole a pair of socks from me and we are now rethinking our strategy for our clothes on the motorcycle. Something will come out and an extra jacket will go in for each of us.
The four of us opted for dinner in Thunder Bay. Bob and Cathy live on a beautiful little acreage on the water's edge of Lake Superior so in fact, it is a good half hour drive into town. Cathy's recommendation for dinner was "Lot 66", the home of a former car dealer. This seems to be a theme because across the street was "Lot 88", another car dealer turned eatery. When making the reservation, the restaurant indicated that it was not too busy and gave us a range of available times and we opted for 6:00 pm. However, maybe because of the foul weather, the restaurant was very busy. The wine list had Osoyoos Larose, a wine from the Okanagan that ages particularly well. We were quite surprised to see a BC wine on an Ontario wine list and thought it the perfect opportunity to showcase a BC VQA wine to our Ontario friends. We saved a small amount so that our waitress could try it.
Day 5:
Departed Shunia 10:45 am
Arrived Saulte Ste. Marie 7:15.pm
Elapsed travel time: 8.5 hours
Distance traveled: 664 km
Cathy sent us on our way with a picnic lunch. We started calling them "C&B's B&B"
Since we have only been this far east (by road) once before, it has been easy for us to forget what driving through Ontario is like.
Not to take anything away from driving across the prairies, which in our minds gets an unfair bad rap. But crossing into the Canadian Shield is a dramatic difference in terrain. In the last ice Ave, the ice Sheets scraped off all the top soil and pushed it into southern Ontario, Quebec and into the US. That led to tremendous land for agriculture in the south and in the north, exposure to a vast array of minerals. Everybody wins. In addition, the landscape is dramatic with exposed rocks, outcroppings, dense forests and thousands of clear water lakes. It must be an angler's and hunter's dream.
We made a stop at "Old Woman Bay" and we had a good look at the rocks and the beach.
The highway wraps around the shoreline of Lake Superior, which makes it a fun motorcycle road and even though it is very rainy and at times down pouring, we see many motorcycles.
We made a stop at Agawa Bay, the site of some old pictographs estimated to be 150 - 400 years old. The pictographs are on a rock face overlooking Lake Superior. We had visited the spot on our Lac Superior on our Derriers motorcycle trip with Bob and Cathy in 2018 and I was shocked to see the change in the water level of the lake in seven short years. Short term factors such as strong winds and storms can create a "seche" which resembles the tides found in the oceans. Elevations during these storm events can differ from one side of the lake to the other by over a metre during these short term weather events. In the past, a chain-hold allowed tourists to walk along the base of the rockwall to view multiple pictographs however, the lake was much higher than in 2018, and much rougher I might add so unfortunately we were only able to see one pair. Even with that, I did get my feet.
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| A depiction of the pictographs. |
I had some difficulty locating a motel or hotel for a stay in Saulte Ste Marie due to a lack of cell service along the route but about a half hour before we arrived at SSM we did pick up enough service to choose a spot. I phoned the number and got the central reservations for a this large chain. They induced me to sign up for the rewards plan and offered me 250... something, I think it was $250,000, to listen to their sales pitch to take a holiday to one of eight resorts in the UNITED STATES. The sales rep, Deanna, reviewed my past history with the chain, including our stay in BorDUX in France in April. She asked me which resort i would like to consider so I had to tell her that there was a tariff war so I would not be traveling to the U.S. anytime soon. So she proceeded to "give me an example" of what she was offering, which amounted to four nights at Mara Lago for a bundle of empty wine bottles. She was mortified that the price wasn't good enough to win my heart plus the fact that I didn't have to commit to that particular resort and I could go to any of the eight within 18 months. And the price kept dropping. She finally got the message when I told her I wouldn't go even if it was free and they paid our flights. But the hotel for the night was OK.
Day 6
Departed Saulte Ste Marie 9:30 am
Arrived Gatineau 8:15 pm
Elapsed travel time: 10.75 hours
Distance driven: 791 km
We were sucker punched when we left SSM this morning: we saw a patch of blue sky as we left the hotel. But then it rained. And rained. Then, just to mix it up, it poured. Then it rained. And again. It rained so hard that we didn't want to stop and switch drivers. We finally stopped later in Warren at Kate's Kountry Kitchen where we were somewhat astonished to see the place packed at 2:30 pm. But judging by the home baked pies and other goodies in the display case, it was easy to understand.
Approaching Ottawa, we had a very disturbing situation. At highway speed, we were proceeding through an intersection when two young girls in a small car made a left turn in front of us. Nan slammed on the brakes and skidded on the wet pavement, which allowed the girls just enough time to get far enough that we didn't t-bone them but we missed them by not more than a couple of inches. Our hearts were in our throats for several minutes hours afterwards. It was amazing that Nan was fast enough to hit the brakes and probably saved those girls' lives. I saw the passenger laughing.
When we checked into our hotel in Gatineau, we walked to a nearby pedestrian street where there were several restaurants and bars. We picked one, which is where things went off the rails.
Departed Gatineau 10:15 am
Arrived Morin-Heights 12:45 pm
Elapsed travel time: 2.5 hours
Distance traveled: 180 km
We left the hotel to make the short drive up to (near) Montreal. Our hostess Joy has made us feel welcome and at home so we have moved right in. While I had met Joy before, we happened to be in Calgary at the same time in May. She was visiting her son and grand children (my great nephew and niece) while I was visiting my mother. Joy, her son Jeremy, my niece Anna, their two children and I went for a picnic on Mother's Day and I told her about my plans for a motorcyle trip to the Maritimes. She immediately invited us to stay with her and to leave our truck and trailer with her while we cavorted around the eastern seaboard, instantly solving one of my biggest pre-trip tasks. When we arrived, we were surprised with a picture that my grand nephew Ollie had made for us, making us feel REALLY at home.
Day 8
No travel day - at least in the truck - as Joy arranged a rental e-assist bike and lent us another and all three of us went for a bicycle ride down the P'tit Train du Nord. This is a trail bed like the Kettle Valley Rail Trail however, with one distinct difference: unlike the KVR, the P'Tite train bed has restaurants, bars and coffee shops.
The P'tit rail bed is 200 km through Joy's back yard. We rode almost 40 km, which included a lunch stop.
We went into the village to have lunch at Creperie Bretonne. While I'm sure you are assuming I had Crepes Suzette, Suzie was not at work today so I had a "pizza crepe". I know, not the most traditional but very good: tomato sauce, cheese and pepperoni.
Walked around Morin-Heights and checked out the shops, saw a cool music display.
We then went home and Nan and I did a re-pack, agonized over what was to be sacrificed and what was to get packed and we did a big load of laundry. Took her doggone Tommy for a walk then we all jumped in to the kitchen and cooked Noisettes of lamb Florentine.
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| Ah, not sure those socks will identify your intentions, Nan. |
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| Joy's front yard. |
Over the past three days, as Joy's guests we have been presented with an incredible array of fine cuisine. Joy clearly loves to cook and we are the fortunate beneficiaries. But because of her love of cuisine, the ordinary for Joy just won't do. On Saturday I volunteered Nan to contribute towards dinner with a salad (because I love Nan's salads). During the prep for dinner, Nan and Joy have a discussion about commercial salad dressing (a home economics prof I knew in university disparaged commercial salad dressings as a combination of simple ingredients in expensive packaging). On Sunday, Joy made a fresh pasta with a pesto sauce. Fresh pasta. From scratch. I know a few keeners who will occasionally make pasta (something I have never done) but for Joy, it is a given. Well, Monday afternoon Nan and I are facing a dilemma: we have brought Joy a hostess package showcasing the Okanagan: some BC wines, some home made and a commercially made jams, salad dressing from Little Creek and dried pasta from the Okanagan Pasta Co. While Nan and I were sequestered away, we had a discussion about our dilemma: we have made some selections that will never see the light of day in Joy's kitchen. We decide we won't rush out and buy some doilies, we will just give the gift as planned and encourage Joy to re-gift those items which would not normally find their way in to her kitchen. Of give them to a homeless shelter. Anyway, upon presentation of the gift we all laughed about it and the day after we leave, who knows where that stuff will be but Joynwas very gracious about it.
Next report: Quebec City and back to the traditional blog format.
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