The alarm wakes me up this time, and it takes me longer than usual to get out of my slumber: I went to bed later than I hoped. It was wonderful to sleep in a nice bed in a quiet room. After my usual morning routine, I pack up and get myself ready, then go upstairs to greet Paul’s family. His three daughters are a bundle of curiosity and joy; they’re quite curious about me, my motorcycle, and my trip. I tell them about a few of my adventures.
We meet my aunt and uncle at the restaurant for breakfast: everyone is happy to see me again and is curious about my trip; I love sharing my adventures. We catch up and enjoy the meal together. The restaurant is nice and new, and the food is good; but the company of family is best. (Thanks for everything Paul!)
After we say our good-byes, I head back on the familiar road through North Bay’s downtown core, and south to Lakeshore Drive. I’m going to East Ferris to see my beloved grandmother, who lives in a retirement home. She was so happy to see me, as I was, her. We share some stories, and a bit of fun with my motorcycle gear. As I leave, she watches me through her window, and as I ride off, we wave at each other good-bye.
This section of the road is very familiar to me, as I have been to North Bay a few times a year for decades. I keep to the same pace I’ve been using this whole trip, and I do my best to rediscover the scenery, as I do every time I take this road. There are a few surprises, but it’s mostly unchanged. Unfortunately, after more than two years, the inuksuk Vincent built near Mattawa is now gone, and this saddens me a bit.
As I’ve had less sleep than usual last night, I start to feel it, and it affects my focus somewhat, so I decide to keep to my slower pace—I rarely pass other vehicles, but many pass me—and to also take breaks more often. I enjoy Tim Hortons, the place, the coffee; it’s part of our Canadian identity. I’m glad to find refuge there at times on longer trips in Canada.
Close to Petawawa, my odometer crosses 50,000 kilometers. I pull over to mark this milestone: Here’s to another 50,000! We’ve had wonderful adventures so far, and I hope to continue to add to our story together and share them with others.
I arrive in Ottawa at around peak hour, so I contend with some traffic for the final section of my trip; I was anxious to get home; however, I keep in mind that most road accidents happen close to home, so I redouble my focus and patience.
After almost 2,600 kilometers on this trip, I finally arrive home to a warm welcome from Nathalie. Merci beaucoup chérie! This is such a wonderful end to the trip, being with her, and telling her many of my stories; it makes me happy that she loves to listen and share in my adventures.
All in all, this was a wonderful trip: Algonquin Park, Manitoulin Island, The Grand Algoma Tour, Lake Superior Park, and, finally, family. I certainly would love to visit them all again.
Which was your favourite part? Where would you like to go? What has piqued your curiosity? Which experience did you feel was the most spiritual?
I invite you to share your comments with me and my readers below.
Until next time, keep the shiny side up!
8 replies on “Family and Familiarity”
Lovely pics! Sad about the inuksuk 🙁
A very interesting and engaging account of your trip. Hard to decide which place I liked most without having been there myself, but aside from the beautiful pics of Canadian nature, I thought the Native American lodge looked really cool. Would be an awesome place to sit and meditate. I can see why you value your bike so much. It’s an important part of your life experiences. Looking forward to reading about more in the future!
Thanks for sharing Mike!
You passed over much of the ground that I traveled in yonder years: biking through Algonquin Park, driving across to Thornbury (where my sister used to live), passing through the top end of the 30,000 Islands (where I spent my early years), and biking past Deep River on the way to Ottawa. Brought back a lot of fond memories. A well written and interesting narrative.
Thanks Rick. I’m glad it brought back some of your memories of riding…
Thank you so much for sharing your adventure. My favourite stop was on the shores of Lake Superior. It’s great to hear that you start your day with prayers and readings. I’m sure this helps with your focus and safety. Glad to hear that Bonnie didn’t end up in the ditch this trip.
Nice to have you safe back in Ottawa ?
Thank you Sensei.
I was a little startled that two of the small towns you mentioned and visited were the birthplaces of my mother and my paternal grandfather. I appreciate you sharing your mental approach – prayers, focus, breathing, expectations, and perception. Manitoulin Island and the Sault both sound amazing!