Manitoulin Island and Lake Lauzon Resort

Friday I rode from My Friends Inn in Assiginack (Manotowaning) to Meldrum Bay, which is located nearly at the western tip of Manitoulin Island, via Mindemoya and Gore Bay.

 Lake Mindemoya is one of the three large lakes located on Manitoulin Island.

Some of the boats located at the Gore Bay Marina.

Gore Bay is a beautiful little village with all the services and CodMothers restaurant where I enjoyed a whitefish and chips lunch with a very nice Split Rail Brewing Co. ale.

Except for a 10 kilometre gravel stretch of the 540, the road to Meldrum Bay was in really good shape and the riding easy. But about gravel, especially uncompacted aggregate just dumped on the road, I can say that it's no friend of motorcyclists. Following a lead vehicle through a stretch of thick gravel at a very (too) slow speed I managed to ride my (heavy) motorcycle just of the roadway partially into the ditch. I swear the grader operator, who observed the incident from the splendid isolation of his perched cab, had a smile on his face as the escort vehicle driver, who had "led" me through this perilous obstacle course, strained to return my BMW to the road. Except for a few (more) scratches on one pannier, there was no other damage to either bike and rider and some 10 minutes later I arrived at the Meldrum Bay Inn where a nice room, and as it turns out a really good steak dinner and breakfast awaited me.

Meldrum Bay is a tiny harbour village consisting of the Inn, a General Store, a museum, and a marina. A harvest moon rising reflected in the waters of the channel in a nearly clear dark crimson sky provided a spectacular early evening tableau.

Friday after a delicious breakfast at the Inn I set off the ride to Little Current and off the Island to Lake Lauzon where the 1967 class reunion was to happen. Twelve classmates, some from as far away as Vancouver and Calgary, and from Montreal, Southern Ontario, Ottawa and Sudbury were welcomed at Lake Lauzon by an extremely generous and talented performer from Blind River.

What followed were nearly two days of reminiscing, and catching up. While we had all aged, expanded certain parts of our anatomy, and gone on different life journeys over the intervening 32 years, it proved to be very easy to reconnect with guys that we had been so close too at the college for five of our adolescent years. Incidents, lost or distorted in the fog of time, were rekindled, and, with the benefit of different perspectives, were rendered real and immediate again.  We laughed, we drank, we ate, we hugged. We sat around campfires wanting to listen to each story. We remembered fondly those who had passed away, and spoke of those who had chosen, or been unable to join us.  And we were treated to on the stage and impromptu campfire performances by three of our classmates: the legendary Robert Paquette, the greatest Franco-Ontarian composer and recording artist, Francois Lemieux, also a very accomplished local composer, musician and playwright, and Guy Lalonde, a skilled performer from Ottawa.

What a marvelous experience. It was bittersweet to say goodbye to each other this morning; we appreciated what had happened over the last two days. We held onto each other just a bit harder, just a bit longer; there were broad smiles but no tears, even if nearly. We hope to do it again; and we agree that a break of 52 years just won't work for our next "Retrouvailles".

Tomorrow the ride continues from here, at beautiful Lake Lauzon, to Lake of Bays where Jane, Pierre-Alain and my two grand-daughters, Jasmine and Alexandra, will be there on my arrival for days of fun at the cottage.

Retirement Rides 2019 II - Retrouvailles.

So, the second episode of Retirement Rides 2019 involves a trip to Lake Lauzon Resort, a spot some 10 kilometres east of Blind River Ontario just accross from the North Channel of Lake Huron. The channel itself seperates mainland Ontario and Manitoulin Island.

A bit of background to this trip may be of interest. A few months ago a former high school (Collège du Sacré Coeur de Sudbury) buddy, who had run into another mutual friend of ours, contacted me to ask if I thought a reunion of our 1967 graduation class would be a good idea. I readily agreed and we set out to locate as many former classmates as we could and set a date and location for a rendez-vous. One of the first to agree lives in Blind River and he agreed to be our host at the Lake Lauzon Resort. After some intense sleuthing we (mostly he - Richard (Press) Carrière) were able to locate about two dozen classmates, and 14 have accepted the invitation to attend Retrouvailles 2019 which is happening this weekend.

A motorcycle trip to a class reunion, what a good idea! And if I am going to ride to Blind River, why not make the journey as interesting as possible. Rather than taking the Trans Canada Highway through North Bay and Sudbury, a route I have traveled many, many times in my life, I decided I would take the opportunity to revisit Manitoulin Island. And as everyone one knows the best way to reach manitoulin Island is via Peterborough, Port Perry, Uxbridge, Newmarket, Shelburne, Flesherton, Wiarton, and Tobermory. If you do not believe me check out a map of Ontario. Once in Tobermory at the tip of the Bruce Peninsula why you are only a pleasant two hour ferry ride to South Bay Mouth; voilà you have arrived on Manitoulin Island and you`re just 30 or so kilometres from My Friends Inn in Manitowaning, which itself is about the same distance to Little Current, the gateway town at the eastern end of the island that one reaches by crossing an honest to goodness swinging bridge.

Manitoulin Island, which I had last seen nearly fifty years ago when I visited a girlfriend, who coincidentally was my date at my collège graduation and was the daughter of a guy that my dad was best man for, and who with his wife owned and operated the Anchor Inn which is still a going concern in Little Current and where I had a very nice pan seared filet of whitefish for lunch today.

I am looking forward to exploring the island tomorrow and will report on my journey in future blog posts.

Last Post - June 2019 trip

First, an apology; I should have posted something about the end of this year`s trip well before now.

At 10 days and 3,058 kilometres, this June`s 10th anniversary destination journey on my trusty 2006 Beemer, was the shortest multi-day retirement ride on my motorcycle to date. The route was through Quebec, the South shore of the St-Lawrence River, New-Brunswick, and PEI. Once again I discovered that, while the speed limits are lower and the road surfaces not as smooth, it`s always more fun and interesting to take meandering secondary roads that often follow rivers and streams and go through small towns and villages.

I slept in 3 hotels, one Hotel Oui Go in Trois Rivières was a great choice conveniently located in the centre of the city, 3 B&Bs, with the best by far being Bulwinkles Place in Souris of which I`ve already written in an earlier post, and the Auberge sur mer in Notre-Dame-du-Portage where the restaurant alone is well worth a trip.  Speaking of food, as I tend to do a lot, in addition to the delightful dinner at the Auberge sur mer, I enjoyed wonderful meals at the Blue Fin Restaurant in Souris, and at Les Pas Perdus and La Table des Roy in Cap-aux-Meules. Oh, and there were delicious lobster rolls consumed at different times and places in the Maritimes.

As for the highlights, were it not for the non-stop wind, rain and positively cool temperature that forced me to rent a car to discover the sights, the Iles de la Madeleine was definitely a worthwhile destination. I can see why the ferries in July and August were all booked when I tried to arrange a trip there.

And on the negative side, riding a motorcycle, even one as stable as my touring bike, in the rain sucks, especially when you are momentarily lost in the cloud of fog and mist created by passing trucks on highways or on a bridge deck high above the St Lawrence River.

This June`s trip was fun, and while I enjoy my retirement rides immensely, I am always happy to return home to loved ones.

Here is a final selection of pictures from this trip;

my room at Bulwinkles,

fishing vessels at one of the ports on Iles de la Madeleine,

hotel Oui Go, Trois Rivières,

a lighthouse on Iles de la Madeleine,

a monument to fishermen, Iles de la Madeleine,

and a nice house on the island.

Stay tuned for Retirement Ride 2019-II in August.

Until then, take care!

Visiting the Maggies in the rain

Having figured out that riding around the Îles de la Madeleine in the wind and rain might not be a whole lot of fun, I rented a car for two days and was able to drive in comfort from one end of the island to the other.  I can see how people might want to come here. The beige beaches, of which there are many, are easily accessible and they extend for many kilometres.

The first two pictures show the surf crashing on one of the stretches of beach.

This is one of the lighthouses and the keepers house. Note how the lighthouse is anchored to the ground with a set of heavy cables.

Again, the surf crashing against an interesting rock formation. If you zoom in you`ll see a flock of birds on the rocky outcrop.

Interesting shoreline and of my rental car at a rest stop yesterday.

Another interesting sight is the many small fishing harbors. I detoured to a number of them and was impressed by the number and condition of boats at each of them. There`s no doubt that the fishery is big business around here.

The next two pictures are of the fantastic dinner I had at La table des Roy. It consisted of an appetizer of grilled octopus and a main of herb crusted halibut on a veal reduction with many fine (with the exception of the Brussels sprouts) additional ingredients. The service was impeccable and the suggested white wines a perfect match. This was certainly the best meal of the trip.

The rain stopped overnight, and even though it was windy early this morning, the five hour crossing to Souris was comfortable. I was able to read and nap for a fair chunk of time.

Bulwinkle’s B&B

I don’t know why Brady from Kentucky came up with the name Bulwinkle’s for his B&B that he comes up to every year with his dog to run for the summer holiday season, but it certainly suits the place and reflects the character of its owner. Brady is a gregarious motorcycle aficionado, cook, “homme à tout faire”. His passion (one of many no doubt) is making large size prints of material from old magazines. A large selection of his works are displayed on the walls of the hallways, and all the rooms in this large old house.

Here is a selection.

Brady owns a number of second hand large-size printers, including one that he picked up at Universal Studios in California, that he maintains and uses to make his prints which he sells at antique motorcycle shows, along with used motorcycle parts. The only other six guests at the B&B were a Ukranian family of four from Moncton, mom, dad, a three year old son and beautiful 11 month old Catherine who is just starting to walk, and the mother's sister and her partner who live in Amsterdam. As is so often the case with many visitors to Canada, they have no concept of the size of our country. Upon arrival for their two week holiday the sister was saying that they would drive around Nova Scotia and then onward to British Columbia. 

After breakfast, with a few hours to kill before the ferry to Îles de la Madeleine was scheduled to leave I circumnavigated the eastern tip of PEI. 

Due to a medical emergency the ship was more than an hour late leaving Souris for the five hour crossing to Cap Aux Meules. 

We landed around 8:00, and after checking into Auberge Madeli I went out for a delicious dinner of oysters, mussels and a local beer (Écume) at Resto Les Pas Perdus (either The Lost Steps or The Not Lost- either way a great name).

As the weather forecast for Friday and Saturday called for rain, wind and cold, I decided to rent a car to tour the Islands. So far it`s turned out to be the right call. I would not want to be riding in this weather, or having to spend two days in a hotel room. This morning I made my way to the end of the road at La Grave, the small historic/tourist village La Grave at the western end of Île du Havre Aubert.

I was going to visit the Musée de la mer but was informed at the desk that it would soon be closing for the staffs lunch break; after all, and I agree, le déjeuner ensemble is so more important than keeping the place open for a few admission paying tourists. 

On the way back I contacted La Table des Roy and made a reservation for dinner this evening.

Prince Edward Island discovery

I must say that an establishment that calls itself a B&B (Home Away from Home) should put a little more effort than just laying out a few muffins, mini boxes of cereal, plain bread and bagels, and a few other things in what is a broom closet on the second floor and call it a “continental breakfast. I expect a proper breakfast like the one I was served by Brady at Bulwinkle’s Place B&B in Souris yesterday. It consisted of orange juice, a carafe of nice coffee, buckwheat pancakes with butter and real maple syrup, country ham, local sausages, “eggs Bulwinkle”, a 2 egg dish created by Brady, and yogurt.

So, you recognize the Confederation Bridge that “finally” connected the municipality of Prince Edward Island to the rest of Canada. I must say that PEI is probably one of the nicest places in the country; all green and red with Gulf waters all around, it being an Island and all. I had a delicious lobster roll for lunch, 

and after a nice ride to the lighthouse at East Point, the furthest point on the eastern tip of the island from where, on a clear day, you can see Cape Breton.

Through McCain land to ‘Home Away from Home’

A beautiful day for riding yesterday, sunny and low 20s, not too hot.  I chose to ride secondary highways from Edmundston to Lincoln, a suburb of Fredericton. While the 114 to Grand Falls and the 105 from there to Fredericton are not in very good shape, many potholes and cracks that force you to be alert at all times, the scenery all along the Saint John river is interesting.

I stopped for lunch, the daily special -roast beef on bun with McCain curly fries, on the patio at The River Restaurant in Woodstock; the location and service wonderful, the food not so much. Afterwards I crossed back over the river and rode the rest of the way to the Home Away from Home B&B where I spent the night.

Dinner, fish and chips (McCains curly fries) at the Irving Bigstop was surprisingly good.

                                                            

And after breakfast

It nearly rained as I rode from Trois Rivières on Highway 132 that runs along the St-Laurent to Rivière-du-loup and then on the 85 to Edmundston where I am spending the night at the Nid D’aigle B&B.

Tomorrow I am continuing east to just past Fredericton.  Let’s hope it’s sunny.

It’s about breakfast an what follows (continued)

Don’t know what happened with last post. So where was I? Oh yah, breakfast, yaourt:

Désirez-vous un yaourt maison (choice of three different ones) après votre salade de fruit frais, avec votre assiette fromage accompagnée d’une sélection de pains artisanaux et de pâtisseries à volonté”.
-Oui, oui, oui, et encore oui!

It’s about the breakfast and what follows

Last night I had a really good Mahi Mahi Niçoise salad dinner and a flight of 4 different beers brewed on the premises at Le temps d’une pinte a bistro-brasserie a few doors from Hotel Oui Go on rue Notre Dame Centre. Bistro is so not pub!

The boutique hotel Oui Go has been carved out of a turn of the last century building. There are only good things to say about this establishment and the experience therein. The restoration has brought to life a beautiful exterior while adding all the conveniences in well decorated public spaces and rooms. From arrival to departure the young bilingual staff are courteous, engaging, helpful and smiling. “While your room is not quite ready yet (I was an hour early), we’ll check you in and your luggage will be placed in it by 3:00.”

Trois Rivières takes bikers seriously. If you look carefully at the above picture you’ll notice that there is a row of motorcycles parked along the street. These motorcycle-only metered spots are located at various places along the main city centre streets; so easy to get to the bistros, brasseries and restaurants of which there are a fair few.

And now the breakfast.

“Désirez-vous un café, latte, cappuccino, espresso, régulier?

- Oui, s’il vous plaît.

“Un yaourt mais

2019 - First retirement ride

Well, I know how you’ve all been breathlessly awaiting the first 2019 instalment of Retirement Rides so here goes.

Unlike previous summers this year’s is unusual due to a number of scheduled events that would make an extended journey impracticable. First I have accepted an invitation to the first ever reunion of my 1967 high school graduation class in August. Then, having decided that I wanted to visit les Îles de la Madeleine, there’s this little thing of being able to book passage on the ferry from Souris PEI. It turns out that nothing was available in July. Ergo a June trip; but not too early because I have no interest in riding in near sub-zero temperature. And since I Was in Toronto this past Thursday and had an early Father’s Day breakfast and visit with my two wonderful sons, Pierre-Alain and Jean-François yesterday, and have agreed to be the M C at an appreciation diner in Ottawa on the 26th, this retirement ride will just fit in the available time slot. Who says being retired is uncomplicated.

I finished packing last night and left Orléans under mostly sunny skies around 9:30 this morning. Except for a quick stop at Timmy’s in Hawkesbury, I rode uneventfully, and at times speedily, to Trois Rivière. I have a lovely 2nd floor corner room at the Hotel Oui Go on Notre Dame Street. I am looking forward to my first dinner on the road and wish you were all here.

I hope to include some pictures with future posts.

Take care!!