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  #1  
Old 7 Mar 2008
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Lightbulb Coming to Canada?? I can help on info if you like!

Hello all!

Anyone coming to Canada, needing help, let me know. I can help on general route info, especially in the Ontario to East coast side. I can also offer points of interest, help with route info, accomadations info, and try to find cool events in the area during your visit. Im not an expert, but im FREE ! hehehe

I live on the border of CAN and USA at the Detroit Michigan crossing to Windsor, Ontario. I can assist on some of the info on that crossing as well.
Also, I can offer you info as to where to buy the best fuel for lowest costs in areas that I know. Also, temperatures, and such if you are not used to Canada's weather. Certain times of the year in certain areas can be bad for weather or bugs. Like FishFLys and Black Flies and Mosquitos. And they can be a serious problem. Also camping places, and how to bearproof a campsite, etc if needed in your area. Watch out for them nasty buggers too, the Racoons! They will be your worst nightmare!

Well, be safe, and keep me in mind. I'd love to offer a little insight and advice.
One word of advise, WATCH OUT for Moose, Deer and Racoons on the highways. Moose will total a pick up truck. Think of a horse, then go bigger. And durring Rutting season, they will actually charge a train, and derail it if they feel its impossiong on their space. No Lies. They look gentle, but are powerful beyond belief.

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Last edited by Fenian; 7 Mar 2008 at 08:52.
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Old 7 Mar 2008
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Hi Gary,

Bad weather, bugs, bears, moose, deer and raccoons maybe I should stay at home

I saw your tips on insurance in another thread, thanks for those. We ship are Transalps into Montreal this May. Insurance is the only thing left to resolve. On previous trips to the US I just went into a local broker and brought it over the counter, but it would be good to have it organised before arrival.

Our loose plan is to head east to Nova Scotia, then west to BC and then up to Alaska.

Will you make it to the HU meeting in BC this June?

One thing we would like to find is a isolated cabin somewhere wild for a couple of weeks, any suggestions?

Steve
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Old 7 Mar 2008
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Hi Steve.
I am doubtful on making it to the HU in BC this june. Well, if you have not yet secured your destination, I might suggest that you ship to Halifax instead of Montreal. I say this for a few reasons reasons. If you are set already, no problems. You can see all sorts of things on the way east and back.
1. It should be cheaper to Halifax for freight shipping costs.
2. Your flight tickets should be cheaper as well
3. You fuel/food/accomadtions will be cheaper.
4. You will end up having to ride about 2000kms Ball park to the east coast, then turn around and drive back over that same route to head back. to Montreal before you can start the 2nd leg of your trip.

Cabins eh. Yes, you can get cabins in many places in Canada. I would say a nice place to get one would be Algonquin Park, especially in the north. There is a highway thar runs through the lower part of the park, with Car Camping available, as well as Yurts ( like a canvas cabin, but has bunk beds, table, chairs, and lights and heat. Then you can do the Interior camping. You can rent all the gear from the outfitters in the park. There are a few, like Opeongo and Such. You could Canoe or Hike into a cabin, that s isolated. You may even see Norhtern Lights (Aurora Borealis). You will probably see many moose, beaver, deer and a few bear. Wolves you will hear probably, but rare to see, and lynx are rare to see as well. There is also an art gallery in the park, from Tom THompson and the Group of 7's works, as well as a museum with animals, etc. Restuarants, laundry, fuel ( more expensive in the park, and you should ride to Whitney for fuel) There is an education center, Day trails, and ampitheatre. Thursdays in August are Wolf Howls, but if you arent here during that time, you can still hear them on thier own howling.

I can get you prices and locations later on, as I have a map of the park and its cabin locations. Its a HUGE park, many times larger then the City of Toronto. Its about 2 hours north of Toronto. Another point of int erest would be Niagra Falls about 1 hour or so south of Toronto. Also WildLife Habitat on the highway to Algonquin has Wolves, lions, moose, etc etc running in enclosed areas. Blue Mountain and Wasaga Beach are great places to go on the way up too. They are about 1 hour north of Toronto. Camping is there, and a nice spot is Cragleith outside of Collingwood.
Blue Mountain is a ski / golf resort, that has mountain biking and whatnot, as well as having the Scenic Caves. You can pay to go walk through them, and see history, and go below earth into a cave thats ice all year round. You can go to Wasaga Beach, the largest fresh water beach in the world. I used to live there, and can tell you its great. You can rent a cottage there daily or by the week for reasonable prices. You can also go kart, and use the waterpark, play Paintball and many other things.

I can get you more info a bit later on, as I am heading out on a 4 hour drive today to go to Toronto.

Something to consider, May is not the best riding time. So bring rain gear and warm clothes. You can get all the seasons in 1 day in May. Bugs are especially bad unless we had a hot 3 day spell. Usually a 30ish for 3-4 days will kill off the Black Flies, but brings out the mosquitos. So, bring good clothes or buy them here. June will warm up nicely and most bugs arent bad by then. Sometimes June bugs / fishflies can be annoying but usually not to bad until late night. Oh, about 30 mins north of Toronto is Canada's Wonderland. A very good amusement park, and shows etc... Our version of Disney land but smaller.

Oh all the north of Toronto stuuf starts on Hwy 400. and there is a good outdoors store off it. Sells everything from boats to socks. Has an amazing inside with stuffed rams, bear etc etc cool for a stop and rest and food.

You should go to BonneChere Provincial Park if you like cool things like ancient rock paintings. I would say a MUST is Algonquin and Lake Superior drive and the provincial Park. You can camp there or at Pukaswa. lake Superior is known as the inland sea. It is amazing but turbulent and colder water. A must see, and nice ride. If you like Camping, Id suggest Quetico Park, north west of Lake Superior. Its unlikely you will see anyone in there once you set you canoe in.

You can go to Cochrane Ontario, and take the train north to Mooseanee / Moose Factory on James Bay, which is off of Hudson bay, and see the old forntier / Hudson bay camps etc. Maybe some Polar bears as well. The train carries canoes and stuff, so you might get your bike on it. I can ask around, you may be able to ride to there, on a trail beside the tracks. But consider this singletrack and can be rough riding. You will see the Canadian Shield at its best too.


Nova Scotia is great, and you MUST! Go to Peggy's Cove, Halifax and to Cape Breton. You MUST drive the Cabot Trail. Pictou has a nice camp ground to stay the day before you hit the trail. There are calieghs, and all sorts of concerts, events etc. I can find more out for you on this. But Id say spend some time here. The rusty anchor on the sea side is the best food , its about half way through, and offers whale watching tours. Very good idea.
Annapolis Royal is an old fort, and very interesting.

PEI is the home of the Anne of Green Gables, and popular to go see the house. Red mud and potatoes. Its unique, you should go if time allows.

Newfoundland and Labrador are GREAT, I would atleast go to Nfwld.
beware of Newfie Screech, hard liquor to curl your toes. Basically Moonshine.

New Brunswick has the worlds fastest resceeding tide, and is something to see, you should see this. I know most universities allow you to stay in teh dorm rooms at night for a very cheap price, and you get communal showers etc. Bring your own sleeping bags. I stayed at the University of New Brunswick for a night last time I was up there.

Kingsotn Ontario and Gananoque Ontario ( beside each other) are great. Kingston has our Royal Military College, a Fort, and a military base and school, as well as Queens university. Gananoque has 1000 islands tours and Heart Island. Very cool indeed.

Quebec is very cool too, Old Quebec City and Montreal are must sees.
Nuns Island if memory serves is an ammusment park.

I would say there isnt alot to see in Manitoba / Saskatchewan but there are a few things. Ill dig them up later as I cant recal all them at the moment.
Alberta is amazing.

Alberta you have the start of the Rocky Mountains, and Banff, National Park,
as well as the Badlands with alot of dinosaur fossils still there. Fantastic scenery. If you go north from Calgary to Edmonton, you can go to Canada's Largest mall, with a working Submar ine in it amusement rides, a whole row of bars, etc... quite a sight, but be warned, remember exactly where you parked, its insane if you forget your entrance that you came in on.

BC is amazing. Great scerney and mountians, Whistler is a must see. Okanagan valley, etc are great. You should go to Victoria Island and see the ghost bears. They are black bears that are all white. There is alot of native stuff in Canada and the BC area I think are mainly Hokaidas <spelling>
Vancouver is a neat place to see. Be wary of crime though. its like any big city. Same as Toronto but Id say worse. Lookout in Winnepeg Manitoba too, hehe.

Alot on the way north, but the pavement tends to be harder on tires I am told going north, so yo may have to buy new tires up t here, even if you have brand new ones on at the start of your trip.

Roads can get bad, and whatnot. Ill try to add a few links to a Northern Canada movie for you. They arent long but Id say watch all 3 for an idea what its like up there. I know some people stopped as the dirt road was too muddy and they were fish tailing all over the place.

Well, Thats about all I can do off the top of my head. I can get you more info like more accurate distances, some names and contact info of good bike shops, routes, accomadations, Campgrounds etc if you like. More accurate weather averages and stuff, and some points of interest as well.

Just remember, East to west coast in Canada is alot farther then in the USA, and if you start in montreal you will be adding some extra mileage. As you head west, the weather should get nicer, as they get spring a few weeks before Ontario normally.


Hope it helps. I know Im forget stuff, but its a good start. I can give you exact info on Algonquin with rates that should be close to current. And the like.

If you wanna see some pics from Canada, gotot the myspace I have listed in my signature, I have some pics at the bottom.

Remember, when driving day or night, watch out for these guys... They will walk right acrossed the road and you will lose the exchange




Below ill add the urls for the movies.

Episode 1
YouTube - Canadian Arctic By Motorbike - Episode 1

Episode 2
YouTube - Canadian Arctic By Motorbike - Episode 2

Episode 3
YouTube - Canadian Arctic By Motorbike - Episode 3


and if you are lucky, you will see some of these.


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Last edited by Fenian; 9 Mar 2008 at 04:37.
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Old 9 Mar 2008
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Oh yeah, I just thought of something. Im able to get some info for you from the tourism office in the city. It comes with maps and things to do, points of interest, coupons, etc etc. If you like I can send some stuff to you. Simply tell me your interests, or I can asend a mixed bag of tricks.

You should have a great time here I would say. Think each province has a book that they will send to you as well, with camp grounds and attractions info etc... for free. I can look into the emails or webs for them if you want.
Gary
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Old 9 Mar 2008
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Oh, almost forgot, if you like White Water rafting or Kayaking, there is some great stuff on the Ottawa River. Just a thought!
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Old 9 Mar 2008
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Hi Gary,

Thank you for the comprehensive reply.

I looked at the flights and shipping between Toronto, Montreal, and Halifax. Not much to choose between them. Halifax while not the cheapest would have been the best place to start but getting a flight in when we needed to at a good price proved impossible. Shipping the 2 bikes to Montreal is going to be around CD1200 all in. I am not concerned about the distances infact the opposite; it is a road trip after all.
Thanks for the heads up on the May weather, we will head out of Montreal on the 12th and we have plenty of time so if the weather is bad we can stay put for a day or so.

We are making a list of things to do and see, you have given us lots to think about. Algonquin is near the top of the list and I have checked it out on the web, all the cabins and things to do and see in the park are listed. We have a stack of guides and a couple of the milepost books and your suggestions are great. We can't see and do it all; we need to leave something for next time.

With the miles planned tyres will be an issue but we will have to sort them out as we go along. One thing I dislike the most is carrying spare tyres, so I will buy them when we need to.

Steve
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Old 9 Mar 2008
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Steve,

I rode to Alaska from Alberta, then across Canada west to east last spring/summer. My blog is at Backroad Explorers.ca Perhaps my notes could help with your planning.

Cheers,
Bill
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Old 10 Mar 2008
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveAttwood View Post
Hi Gary,

Thank you for the comprehensive reply.

I looked at the flights and shipping between Toronto, Montreal, and Halifax. Not much to choose between them. Halifax while not the cheapest would have been the best place to start but getting a flight in when we needed to at a good price proved impossible. Shipping the 2 bikes to Montreal is going to be around CD1200 all in. I am not concerned about the distances infact the opposite; it is a road trip after all.
Thanks for the heads up on the May weather, we will head out of Montreal on the 12th and we have plenty of time so if the weather is bad we can stay put for a day or so.

We are making a list of things to do and see, you have given us lots to think about. Algonquin is near the top of the list and I have checked it out on the web, all the cabins and things to do and see in the park are listed. We have a stack of guides and a couple of the milepost books and your suggestions are great. We can't see and do it all; we need to leave something for next time.

With the miles planned tyres will be an issue but we will have to sort them out as we go along. One thing I dislike the most is carrying spare tyres, so I will buy them when we need to.

Steve
Steve, if you like, you can leave a set of tires here at my house. Im basically where Detroit is but on the Canadian side. So to montreal is liek 12 hours fmo here, so east coast, maybe 2500kms. 1 way. So, you could pick them up on the return trip through. Or, Im sure one of the Canadian riders farer to the west might be able to do the same, say in Calgary or Vancouver.

There are tons to do. Most of the times alot of the best things seem not to make brochures. But ask locals, as Im sure you already know this anyways. Any questions, Im more then happy to answer if I know about it. Like I said previoulsy. I have been all over the country but my knowledge is best in Ontario, with a bit in Quebec and Nova Scotia.

Definitley remember 1 thing.... May 24 weekend, Victoria Day is a GREAT time in Ontario, long weekend, and really, the kickoff to Camping season. It typically Rains like a mother that weekend, but we all go out anyways. So, if you plan to camp, that weekend is hard to get sites anywhere. plan ahead. Also Canada Day. The BEST place to be for that is Windsor, Ontario, Where I live. We have the Largest Fire Works show in North America. As the USA celebrate theirs on the 4th of July.. So the 2 cities, Windsor and Detroit got together and pooled funds and set barges out on the river and fire off fire works from there. I think about 3-04 barges loaded up. Milliopns of dollars worth. Plus, the Freedom Festival is going on at the same time, as is Carosel of nations and Blues Festival. So, you can eat and ear music and see clothing and dance from all the nations of the world. Like Polish will have a site in the city some place and have all polish stuff and food, etc... Italian, vietnameese etc etc. These are all GREAT and if you are down this way, I think you would enjoy it. We get people from all over Canada and USA coming up for this. If it fits into your scheduele, its worth considering. The fire works usually happen on Wednesday the last wed before July 1st. AS that way both sides celebrate on that day and no one gets it on their day.

but just be prepared for accomdations all over ontario to be hard to get on May24 weekend. Quee Victoria Bday is a popular weekend here.

Keep us posted on how it goes eh! Any questions or if I can help at all, let me know.
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Old 10 Mar 2008
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Originally Posted by billdakar View Post
Steve,

I rode to Alaska from Alberta, then across Canada west to east last spring/summer. My blog is at Backroad Explorers.ca Perhaps my notes could help with your planning.

Cheers,
Bill
Cool, ill check it out.
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Old 21 Apr 2008
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Hey Gary, your post was incredibly informative! Cheers! I have some quite specific questions, and hopefully it will be acceptable to all users to post them on the thread rather than PM you. :confused1: Apologies if not - just thought someone else might be able to use the info

Okay, so I am meeting a friend of mine in Alaska, around the beginning of August (next year - planning, dont y'know), with my bike (he is shipping his from Russia). The original plan was to ride across Alaska, and Canada, spending as much or as little time as we wanted in Canada - months infinitum.

We are a little concerned about weather and what limitations it will put on us. I really dont like the cold, and I absolutely hate riding in the cold (rain is not so bad so long as you have a hot shower to get in afterwards). By what time will it be impossible or not very comfortable to be riding.

To save money we were hoping to camp most, if not all the time, and again what would your opinions be on that during this time of the year. Both with regard to availability, and to weather conditions.

The thought we are going with now is that we ride until its not very nice and then bed down for 6 months over the winter, find jobs and a community to become part of. Then in the spring get back on the bikes and head to the Canada we havent seen, and south into the US.

What time will it become bearable in Canada to ride again?

Do you have any general pointers on finding temp jobs in Canada? Would I be right in assuming that most tourists find jobs in the skiing world at that time of the year?

On the other hand if you know of anyone that might be looking for a lawyer or an engineer/mechanic as a temp (or in fact any kind of job!) next year please let me know!


Thanks for any info!

Char
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Old 21 Apr 2008
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Hey Gary, am flying into NY on June 9th (hoefully picking up my bike on the 10th) I am riding up to Niagara then along north of Lake Ontario in order to hit Detroit and visit the Henry Ford museum at Deaborn, should think I will be in area around 13th June or thereabouts. I will have camping gear with me but cheap bed in area would not go amiss if you could suggest somewhere.

I will then be riding across to Seattle before turning back East and will cross back into Canada at Sault Ste. Marie before getting to Ottawa and Montreal before cutting down to Boston. Any suggestions of things to see, places to stop etc along route 17 would be appreciated.

Regards

Nick
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Old 21 Apr 2008
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Originally Posted by Charlotte Goose View Post
Hey Gary, your post was incredibly informative! Cheers! I have some quite specific questions, and hopefully it will be acceptable to all users to post them on the thread rather than PM you. :confused1: Apologies if not - just thought someone else might be able to use the info

Okay, so I am meeting a friend of mine in Alaska, around the beginning of August (next year - planning, dont y'know), with my bike (he is shipping his from Russia). The original plan was to ride across Alaska, and Canada, spending as much or as little time as we wanted in Canada - months infinitum.

We are a little concerned about weather and what limitations it will put on us. I really dont like the cold, and I absolutely hate riding in the cold (rain is not so bad so long as you have a hot shower to get in afterwards). By what time will it be impossible or not very comfortable to be riding.

To save money we were hoping to camp most, if not all the time, and again what would your opinions be on that during this time of the year. Both with regard to availability, and to weather conditions.

The thought we are going with now is that we ride until its not very nice and then bed down for 6 months over the winter, find jobs and a community to become part of. Then in the spring get back on the bikes and head to the Canada we havent seen, and south into the US.

What time will it become bearable in Canada to ride again?

Do you have any general pointers on finding temp jobs in Canada? Would I be right in assuming that most tourists find jobs in the skiing world at that time of the year?

On the other hand if you know of anyone that might be looking for a lawyer or an engineer/mechanic as a temp (or in fact any kind of job!) next year please let me know!


Thanks for any info!

Char

hello Char!
Well, lets start withthe important stuff. EMployment here will require you to have a working visa I believe. Lawyer, well, that wont happen probably as you must pass the bar exam for Canada. So, if you are willing to right the exam, then you might be able to. You may however beable to work as a paralegal or legal researcher. Just some thoughts.

Most ski hills hire Canadians, and a few Americans. If you speak other languages, you may have a chance. As there is always a desire to have international employees, and an additional language will greatly improve those chances. You should apply FAR in advance. Like August! Whistler and Banff would be the top 2 places Id say. The hire alot of people. The mechanic may have more options as well, as he can work in maintenace or ski related fields.

Okay onto the real stuff now.

Canada is a fairly cold country in the winter, so you will probably not like the winter. I would suggest become involved in winter sports and you will be amazed at how the cold becomes less of an issue. Different areas of Canada get winter ate differnt times. Typically it will start in BC /Alberta, and 3-4 weeks later be in Ontario, and 2-3 weeks later be in the east coast.
Now, the weather has acted up kinda wierd the last few years, so nothing is exact anymore. However, in most cases, Winter starts in Late Sept in the Mountains, Early Oct in BC/Alberta Nov in Ontario ( northern Ontario sometimes gets it in Oct and where I live doesnt see snow till Dec or January normally in the south. Windsor Ontario is the warmest and most southern city in Canada)
Therefore, My advise would be roll out of Alaska and if you wish, head over the the Yukon and NWT and Nunavit ( if you wanna see those areas, and I definitely suggest atleast Yukon and NWT, and the Auroroa Borealis will blow you socks off). Then roll down into BC before winter starts in the mountains, see BC and move to Alberta. You will need to do this before the winter hits the mountains as they can be trecherous and storms come up very fast. Its doable, but if you dont like the cold, then Id be sure to be in Alberta by July. This will allow you July and August to see the rest of Canada in warm weather. Be warned, our summers get very hot in southern areas. They can hit 40C before the Humidex in the south on heat waves.

Ride across the prairies at your leisure as July and August are full of festivals and things to see and do. If time isnt too bad, Id ride through to the East coast and see Newfoundland and Nova Scotia ( You MUST ride the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton in Nova Scotia ) then return to Ontario before november if you want to work. There are tons of smaller ski hills here that hire tourists. Blue Mountain Ski and Golf Resort is a good one. They are owned by Intrawest - the same company that owns Banff and Mont Tremblant. I worked there as a ski Patrol for a year. You can also break your trip up if you stay longer and stop in ontario and Quebec area until after the winter before moving on to the east coast. Our Autumn is mazain g in the Muskoka areas. Google Algonquin Park. You really should go there. Camping and back country camping, they have an outfitters and Yurts. Yurts are nice as they are like Permanent tents ona concrete pad, with bunk beds table chairs lights and a heater. so you can camp all winter long if you wanted. You can see or hear wolves, bear,moose, lynx, loons, deer, etc etc and northern Lights if you are lucky.

If time wasnt an issue, Id do Alaska, Yukon, NWT, down to BC, spend a while in BC and go to the Island to see the Ghost Bears. WHITE, black bears. Yeah, white! then enjoy some summer months in the mountains and alberta. Goto Banff National Park for sure. Then Id roll acrossed the prairies, not alot there, but some interesting places along the way. Id hit northern Ontario and roll around a bit and move into the near north area such as the Haliburton and muskoka areas, then travel south to Toronto. This is an AMAZING place, and you can easily find employment there, maybe even without the proper paper work. Id try to do this before the winter hit, and locate a place to work and stay. If you want to get the most bang for your buck, come to my city, as we get snow here about 2-3 weeks after everyone else, and get rid of it 2-3 weeks before everyone else. Allowing you to use the bike in more comfort longer. We are also 5 minutes from Detroit Michigan, so you can cross over and do a few local trips into Michigan while you await winters approach and its departure. Some good dirt to if ya like to play in the dirt.

After winter breaks, Id roll up the 401 to Ottawa, then into Quebec. Quebec is a nice province, and there are more remote areas worth visiting, such as Gaspe region. Then Id go to Newbrunswick and to NWFLD NS PEI etc.... When you are done with that, take the ferry in Nova Scotia, to Maine USA and roll south into the USA. I STRONGLY suggest that you ride the Tail of the Dragon,aka Deal's Gap. Its like 11 miles of road and 386 turns or something. turns of fun for all bike types. NU is a must, as is Florida, Virginia Beach, Clarksdale Mississippi for the Blues music, then New Orleans etc. You can do alot in the USA.

Hope this helps. Realistically if you are in say my city, your down time is minimum. I ride a Honda CBR600RR supersport. I rode it until Dec 2nd and started riding again in February, with a few weeks of off and on riding. I didnt ride in snow and stopped if salt was on the ground as I have alluminum frame. In my city, we dont get very much snow at all, and it melts alot as we dotn stay in the freezing temps all winter. so most DS bikes and adv bikes rider year round. We are like the California of Canada. And are on the same latitiude as Northern California, as we are the part of ontario that shoots deep into the USA.

Thnk I answered all your questions. Let me know if I missed any please.

Gary
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Old 21 Apr 2008
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Quote:
Originally Posted by longtail View Post
Hey Gary, am flying into NY on June 9th (hoefully picking up my bike on the 10th) I am riding up to Niagara then along north of Lake Ontario in order to hit Detroit and visit the Henry Ford museum at Deaborn, should think I will be in area around 13th June or thereabouts. I will have camping gear with me but cheap bed in area would not go amiss if you could suggest somewhere.

I will then be riding across to Seattle before turning back East and will cross back into Canada at Sault Ste. Marie before getting to Ottawa and Montreal before cutting down to Boston. Any suggestions of things to see, places to stop etc along route 17 would be appreciated.

Regards

Nick
hey Nick.

I live like 5 minutes from Detroit. I live in Canada though. Thats how close you are gonna be. Infact I was just riding yesterday in HELL michigan and vermontville Michigan with the Detroit Sport Bikers group for an annual ride. There must have been 500 bikes I am guessing of all kinds from harelys to sport, DS to adv you name it. We have some camping in this area. We are hoping to move by then to a house, and if so, I can hold ya up a couple days.

Hmm I would say you should hit BC as a whole, and Banff Alberta. from BC to Alberta , you will ride the most amazing routes. I would suggest north to Yukon NWT or Alaska if you have the time fi not Bc to Alberta, then zip over to Ontario, and check out Algonquin Park, you can camp there and use Yurts ( Permantnet tents on concrete pads, with bunk beds table and chairs, lights and heater. and are avail year round ) I would also say, on your way down to algonquin, toke the Lake Superior shoreline. if you have never been there, you will be amazed. it is am INLAND OCEAN, or so it seams. Summertime, Id definitely hit WASAGA BEACH, which is 20 mins from Barrie Ontario, off the 400 hwy. Id travel south ton 400 ( if you like amusment parks then Canada's Wonderland is visible from the 400, and you can spend a day of fun there.) and then into Toronto. id normally say go to Niagra but you were there, so head East to Ottawa from there.

NOTE: Its faster for you to cross the border at Niagra Falls into Canada and take the 427 to the 401 and head West till Windsor, My city, then follow that right over the bridge or through the tunnel to Detroit. You will see most people from NY and Michigan using th at route to save a few hours ride, and our highways are a little nicer, no tolls, and lots of places to stop.

East coast, You MUST do the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Also hit Montral goto Veu Montreal or old montreal. and hit Quebec City. beatuiful places.

Hope that helps.

gary
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Old 21 Apr 2008
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I do not have quite as much energy as Gary. However, I've spent a lot of time traveling in Canada, west and east, north and south. My personal preference is for the west, where scenery and wildlife are more spectacular and people are far fewer. The east is smaller-scale and more intimate, with a lot more history (in terms of European colonization and development, at least) but a lot more crowds. Algonquin seems like a good place to see moose, bears and wolves until you get to Alberta and B.C., where all are relatively quite common. Toronto seems a liveable city until you have alook at Vancouver. Etc.

Having said that, the Maritimes, including Newfoundland, are a place unto themselves and entirely worth a trip. Once done there, most people treat everything from Manitoba to the Rockies as worth transiting as quickly as possible, and I tend to agree (although the far northernmost roads hold some intermittent interest). I wouldn't go looking for polar bears in summer, since they're widely dispersed until the pack ice begins to form again, but there are also vast numbers of beluga whales in Churchill, also reached by train.

I'd add only that warnings about bugs are to be taken seriously. I've had trips where problems were minimal, but I've had times where I was driven right to the edge of sanity. There does not seem to be any predicting when or where it'll get intolerable. On a motorcycle DEET and a headnet, kept handy, will save you in the event of even minor mechanical issues along the road. Remember that blackflies, unlike mosquitoes, like to burrow into your cuffs or around your neck and hang out, chewing holes which will then itch like crazy for days; tight-fitting cuffs, neck scarves and, in the worst cases, duct tape are your saviors.

Steve, how are you shipping your bikes so cheaply? Do I understand correctly you're paying 1200 Canadian dollars for the two, one-way? Thanks for any information about this.

Hope that helps! Give a shout if you're far, far west (just south of Vancouver, B.C.).

Mark
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Old 21 Apr 2008
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Canada, Insurance, etc.

Folks....Derek Fairless (UK) (see http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tstories/fairless/) visited here last summer and picked up a year's insurance for his F650 from Nordic insurance for $250C. Used a local agent (Ing and McKee) here in Red Deer (403) 346-5547 but there are many others.

Steve I'll be heading to HU Canada West from Red Deer (1.5 hrs north of Calgary) around June 15-16 using mostly backroads (3-4 days). Let me know if you'd like some route suggestions.....or if you're in the area can offer accomm and inside storage. Send a note through the Red Deer Community....or reply here.

Just a teaser....

Red Deer Alberta Sept 07 (Derek having a relax..)



Red Deer Alberta April 20 2008.... Same Yard...Beer would be colder....



Summer may be warmer...

Cheers
Stephen
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