Last night, I camped at Dressel’s Jordan Valley Campground in Lincoln, ON. Not a bad campground actually. Very clean, well organized. There were only two other groups of tent campers. Pretty quiet; except for those propane-fired cannon sounds we hear from nearby vineyards at frequent intervals to keep the birds away. At least they didn’t fire at night; they did start firing quite early in the morning though.
When I got out of the tent, I saw a nice little fog on the campground. Unfortunately, there was so much dew on everything, the tent was quite wet, and the bike was completely covered in it. The grass was also soaking wet; water kicked off of my boots at my every step. Since the tent is the first thing that goes in my bag, I had to wait until it was dry before packing everything. The tall trees behind the tent campsites hid the sunrise, so it took a while before the sun could burn off the dew.
I finally get to enjoy a good old-fashion Tim Hortons coffee! Woohoo! Me so happy! I savour it with my breakfast: a sausage B.E.L.T. on multigrain bagel. I take the time to plan my day with my iPad. They really should add more electrical outlets for their customers; most of their locations might have only one, if any; I send them feedback online.
There was a lot of construction and traffic congestion all the way from the campground to past Toronto; that’s another challenging thing about riding a motorcycle. The key is to always remain visible to everyone, and to keep space around you at all times. Confidence is also important: no hesitation; once you choose an appropriate, safe maneuver, move decisively; communicate clearly; respond with gestures of gratitude when others respect you. The challenge of riding in traffic can be very enjoyable with the right attitude and patience.
I like being high. No, not the state of euphoria induced by drugs, but being in a high position above the ground. This is one of the reasons I enjoyed the Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway so much. I enjoy the feeling of being able to observe a wide area of the country in a single view. I always book a window seat on planes. I love going to the top floor of buildings and look out the window. Just now, I enjoy riding on the Queen Elizabeth Way’s Skyways on the way to Toronto. I love seeing far.
Back in Ohio and Kentucky, I saw many motorcyclists not wearing helmets, nor jackets. Even on the highways! I can’t believe anyone in their right mind would be at ease in such a risky situation. In Ohio, motorcyclists 18 and over don’t have to wear a helmet (if they are not novice). In Kentucky, the age is 21. What about the bugs? Every time I stop, I have to clean my helmet and jacket of bug smatterings. How do they manage it? I think all riders should wear a helmet; it’s just safer.
Approaching Toronto, I am pleased to see the CN Tower once again. I don’t plan on going up, since I’m on a tight schedule, but I’ll definitely take some pictures with it. I love going up in it. Hey, I like being high, right? There is so much to see from up there, I could spend all day just looking at the view of the whole city, and observing everything about it.
After a break at a Petro-Canada, I’m back on the road. The Don Valley Parkway, although congested at this time, is quite nice! Near downtown Toronto, it’s set in a green valley, it’s got long curves, and not many straight sections. Quite enjoyable!
Highway 115 to Peterborough is quite interesting. Wide open spaces, long straights & curves. On the way there I see a road sign advertising Kawartha Dairy. Hmm. I’d love to check them out, but I’m not going to pass by the town, so I make a mental note for later.
In Peterborough, while I was looking for another Petro-Can, I see the Kawartha Dairy. It’s actually a chain of stores. The ice cream is made from Ontario milk. The headquarters is in Bobcaygeon, in Kawartha Lakes City not too far. I am totally for supporting local agriculture and products; time to enjoy a nice cup of Ontario ice cream!
On my way back to the highway, I notice a Parks Canada sign to a “Hydraulic Lift Lock.” What the hell that? Curiosity takes the best of me, and I follow the signs to this mysterious thing with a cool name. I love to check out engineering constructs; remember the Linn Cove Viaduct? Well, I relished just as much in seeing this wondrous lock. It’s basically an elevator for boats, built on a canal. There are only a few in the world, and this is the highest hydraulic one, and it’s still functioning. Totally fascinating!
So I make my way to Havelock, further down highway 7. A quick stop at Timmies & gas, then up the 46, the 44, turn on the 6, and then I come up to regional road 56, also known as Northeys Bay Road. According to one enthusiast: “Duuuuuuude. Dude. DUDE. So good. Just do it. Fresh pavement in parts, you’ll never get out of third. Some of you will never get out of second.” (Mike Jacobs, northernontario.travel)
He wasn’t kidding, it’s a beautiful road, perfect for a motorcycle ride: nice curves, decent hills, some rock cuts, barely any traffic, and pretty fall colours. Although short, it’s fun and memorable. I wish I had a road like this in my back yard. By the way, I did get out of third at times.
From there, I make my way to Buckhorn and head north to regional road 507. It’s very curvy and somewhat hilly. I almost crashed my bike as I was making a U-turn so I can take a picture. When I noticed the location for my shot, I stop the bike on the side of the road, check for traffic, signal, then start to make the U-turn. I over-steer a bit and the bike was going to fall down on its left side, so put my left foot down, and as it recovers, my right hand slips on the throttle and the engine jerks the bike forward and to the right. Somehow, I was able to recover safely from that! Whew!
Once the adrenaline wore off, I was able to continue enjoying that curvy road the rest of the way. It’s much longer than the 56, and has some pretty decent landscapes to enjoy; however, its surface is in need of improvement. There’s a section of the road that’s made of loose gravel; that’s usually tricky to ride on.
Next, I head to highway 35 via the 503 and 45. 35 is much wider than Northeys Bay Road, and has longer curves, but it’s very curvy and hilly. It has a lot of rock cuts, some quite deep. It passes by many beautiful lakes, some on the left, some on the right. It’s also quite enjoyable. I want to come back and check out the Dorset Lookout Tower: it was closed by the time I got to it.
Finally, on to highway 60 which passes through Algonquin park. Night has fallen by this time, so I’m frantically searching for a place to camp. One campground has a sign that says no more tent camping, and the first campground in the park is closed. I get back to the entrance to the park and stop at the information centre there, which is also closed. I pull out my phone, make some calls, and find a motel not too far. I’ll certainly appreciate a nice hot shower and a warm bed after the last few cold nights in the tent.
Back on the bike, I notice the high-beam no longer works; I think it’s burnt out. For safety, when riding during the day, they recommend having your high-beam on for added visibility; I’ve been using it extensively on my trip, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s out. I’ll check it the morning.
It’s the last day of the trip tomorrow, sadly, as it’s now time for me to head home. I look forward to savouring this next road, the 60 in Algonquin Park, as some consider it the top motorcycle road in Ontario.
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