The Great Canadian Tour 2025 - Elbows Up Edition - Day 38 & 39 (Final)

Day 38 started out early…again.  We know we are going to hit some hot weather and humidity so we are going to travel from Levis to Florenceville with a stop in Perth to visit with some friends.  At this point we are doing mostly highway riding.  The idea of riding in heat and humidity does not appeal to some of us, although I was anxious to get home.  I was actually looking forward to my own bed and weeding my gardens and was willing to endure the ride for the reward.  By the time we stopped, I was happy that we did.

At supper we decided we would be on the road by 7 a.m. with the sole purpose of avoiding another day of higher heat and humidity.  The heat is manageable but the humidity makes it difficult when you stop for a break.  One thing we all agree on is that it would be great to get off the highway.  

Day 39 and our final day of the trip.  Fredericton’s forecast doesn’t look that cool for our morning of riding so we decide to do highway until we hit Lincoln and reevaluate.  We are all ready to get off the highway so we decide taking the old TCH at Jemseg, through Young’s Cove and Coles Island would be way more fun.  This is of course a gamble since we are not sure what Coles Island Road is going to be like.  The gamble paid off and we had a great ride through the old highway with almost no traffic.  We arrived home shortly after 11 a.m. just as the heat and humidity were ramping up….we unloaded the bikes and I may have weeded 2 or 3 garden boxes before the rain came….great claps of thunder.  Almost like the skies were applauding our arrival home.  Here’s to another great trip on 2 wheels!

The Great Canadian Tour 2025 - Elbows Up Edition - Day 37

Today we were on the road before 8 a.m.  Tanks full, weather cool.  We know that we will be facing a very hot afternoon so we have shortened our run to minimize being caught in the heat….especially on Quebec Hwy 20.  Despite the fact it was Sunday and a construction holiday, the traffic was very heavy all the way through to Levis.  This was our stop for today.  At lunch we discussed continuing past Levis and making a run for Rivière du Loup but we decided as a group that the stop would be Levis….thankfully.  After lunch our 23 C weather quickly got up to over 30 C.

Tomorrow we are leaving earlier and heading for Florenceville.  This will be our last over night stop before getting home.  I think Jerry would be happy to keep going.  I am looking forward to getting home to tend my garden and sleep in my own bed.  We have done a lot of travelling on our bikes….I will be 140,000 kms and Larry will be well over 180,000 kms.  We have had great times and no issues.  This trip started out a little differently as Day 2 I got rear-ended by another bike. I had done all the things I needed to do to be safe….stopped at the red light, check my mirrors for traffic coming behind me, bike in 1st gear and foot on the rear break….these things helped minimize the impact and damage.  I lost one of my side bags, some other damage to the cowling, broken mirror and had some bruises but it did not deter me.  It took a few days of phone calls, stretching and some Aleve but we got through it and continued on our journey.  It won’t keep us from taking other trips however before this trip we had decided we probably wouldn’t do extended trips any longer….then came this opportunity….so never say never.  How can you resist the beauty of this country….it calls to you.

The Great Canadian Tour 2025 - Elbows Up Edition - Day 35 and 36

Exhaustion is my only excuse.  The last few days have been long…foggy memory and Day 35 was no exception.  Knowing that we have to get to Ottawa early enough to get at least 2 oil changes with the understanding that if we get there early enough we can get all three bikes done, we are up and on the road at 6 a.m…..or at least it looked like road what 6 feet of it you could see.  More fog…thick pea soup fog.  At times we could see the huge orange ball of fire high in the sky that looked angry….it must have been the fog that was ticking it off.  We were all tired by two very early morning starts but also by the amount of fog and rain we have endured the last three days.  A few stops for breaks, coffee, lunch and we can tell that we need to really press on to make it to the shop in Ottawa on time.  By now the fog is gone and the angry sun is now a burning ball of desire…to roast our butts!  As we get closer to Ottawa the 17 turns into the 417 and the road is no longer single lane, it is divided and 4 lanes.  We are not used to running these roads all the time but we are very cautious especially with on ramps.  We made it to the shop successfully at 1:45 p.m. (2 p.m. was our target).  All the bikes got an oil change and they helped us find a Saturday shop open for tire changes.  Larry and I have been running Pilot 6 GTs and have had great performance from them.  The last two sets of these tires carried us over 20,000 kms each time.   We have also hit some mileage goals that will be even higher once we get home.  I am at 139,000 kms and Larry is at 181,000 kms (he retired 7 years before me).  

Day 36 (today) was a down day other than the bike shop to get a tire change.  We met more great folks there and even connected with a gentleman who is planning another trip east.  He just completed an Iron Butt with a friend to North Sydney from Ottawa.  Originally from Newfoundland of course!  Larry even got a pair of new riding pants!  The young mechanic who worked on the bikes was out picking up another one for service just as we were getting ready to leave.   He told us that when they saw the bikes and the mileage they were wondering if the bikes were owned by two really close friends or a married couple.  “We are both” answered Larry, to which the young man smiled and said “that’s really great!  Have a safe trip”. Sometimes things are not lost on the young. We will take your compliment young man and treasure it.

No pics…just more fog and we have all seen enough of that (or you can reference previous post for fog look-a-like pic),

The Great Canadian Tour 2025 - Elbows Up Edition - Day 33 & 34

Slow internet so hence the double day blog.

Day 33 had us leaving Thunder Bay heading to Wawa.  On our way out we had some fog leaving Wawa….in fact we rode 100 kms of our 500 km day in the fog before we got in the clear.  This time on our way back, we left Thunder Bay in the fog and outside of few “sun breaks” we literally rode 400 kms of the 500km day in the fog….so no pictures.  The attached photo is a depiction only….not real fog but represents what we looked at all day.  We got into Wawa just as the rain started…this was a preview of what we would be faced with today.  That and Highway 17 was washed out AGAIN, which means we have a detour in the morning.  The detour is a road that we rode back in 2016….not one of our choosing at this point.

Day 34 we double check to ensure Highway 17 is still closed….it is.  So detour to 101 to 129 is our only route.  We are up early, packed, breakfast in, gas at 7 a.m. (station opens) and we are off.  We gassed up again in Chapleau as 129 is 180 kms and we have already travelled 130 kms.  The road is a bit rough and very remote.  There are some nice sweeping turns but the road travels along a beautiful river and some lakes, so still quite scenic. The bottom half of the 129 is both twisty for about 20 kms and then finally some nice smooth road.  We made a stop at the store near the end of the 129 where we had stopped in 2016…it was a lifesaver as we had travelled that route in the rain with no bathroom stops..this time we were more prepared.  So we get to the same store and note that it is the Canadian Tail of the Dragon (route 129 with a lot of twists and turns but in a longer run).  We bought the tshirts and stickers so now Jerry has another American experience on the Canadian side.  We had a lovely morning, the weather was great, the road was fun and we get to the end of the detour with only 2.5 hours of riding left…we pulled into a Tim’s for lunch just as the sky opens up with huge drops of rain.  We ate our lunch as the skies opened up.  Taking a break in the rain we jumped on the bikes and continued to our destination.  Part way through, we catch the first bolt of lightning in the field to the left as we were riding.  Two bolts that joined as one like a wishbone.  The rain continued all the way to Sudbury with several bolts of lightning on the horizon and at least two emergency alerts coming through about a possible tornado (with warnings for us to take refuge in our basement?).  The sky was breaking up behind us and the sun was coming through, so we continued forward, into the rain, warnings and lightning without any issues.  We arrived just as the rain was slowing, although it came in downpours again and again throughout the evening.  We were happy tor reach out destination for the evening, especially since we have a lot of drying out to do before we hit the road at 6 a.m. tomorrow morning.  We have oil changes scheduled for the afternoon in Ottawa so we have to get there as early as possible.  I also have to pick up my bag at the dealership.  Our plan is for a down day in Ottawa on Saturday.  Very much deserved I would say for these weary travellers.  We met a group of riders staying at the same hotel tonight, one of them is currently living in Quispamsis.  Great chat and gave them some recommended routes.

The Great Canadian Tour 2025 - Elbows Up Edition - Day 32

Today was another day of dodging rain and smoke.  We were quite successful at both.

We took off at 8 a.m. this morning expecting the potential of rain but hoping that our planned ride would dodge the bigger rain storm that was coming up from the south.  We did get a few sprinkles but nothing that made the ride uncomfortable or required rain gear.

We didn’t have a lot of stops planned for site seeing but we did make a couple. The first was the eastern time zone.  The second was at the Arctic Watershed.

At this point all of the water flows into the Hudson’s Bay and into the Arctic Ocean.  This was surprising as we have seen the divide where water flows to the Atlantic or the Pacific however I guess we are north enough right now that the Arctic is closer?

There was also another marker, a historical one that marked the significance of this particular watershed in history.  Tonight we made it to Thunder Bay.  Hoping that the rain forecasted for tomorrow holds off so that we can enjoy the views of Lake Superior as we make our way to Wawa, home of the big Canadian Goose.!

The Great Canadian Tour 2025 - Elbows Up Edition - Day 31

As anticipated, the rain is pushing further east and not only leaving cool air in its’ wake but also clearing the smoke, which is affecting the air quality, on our route. 

The day for the most part was unremarkable other than we traversed another province and are now in Northern Ontario.  No time change, yet.  That will give us an opportunity to catch up to the multiple changes we experienced as we travelled across from BC.  

I did note one thing…..leaving the prairies, most likely for the last time, felt a lot like leaving the mountains.  This time is felt final.  Ontario is much more accessible for us and always a possibility.  I love the prairies, despite what I have always been told.  This time was a bit different but I can say there is still more to explore, if the opportunity comes along again.  Chances are it will be by air or car.

We arrived in Kenora by 4 p.m. but we were all exhausted.  As I mentioned, we may need to catch up on the time changes.  Once we get through the next time change tomorrow, we will at least the next 5 days before the next one.  This should give us time to get synced.

We walked down to the waterfront for supper.  Nice to get a walk in.  Despite the threat of rain earlier the evening turned out beautifully, and we got to see a deer up close on our walk.  She was not even spooked by us walking by, stopping and talking to her.  She was gone on our walk back though.

The Great Canadian Tour 2025 - Elbows Up Edition - Day 30

Another day, another province.  After yesterday’s final arrival in the midst of wind and lightning, the evening turned out to be quite beautiful, for the most part.   We changed our clothes and walked down to a local restaurant for supper.  The walk was about 15 minutes which was perfect.  The weather changed, however, when we were leaving, so we called a cab for the ride back to the hotel.  A few hours later, the rain cleared and we were able to witness a beautiful sunset that completed the day.

We left early this morning looking forward to a less eventful weather day, the sun was out with but a few clouds in the sky.  We were still following the storm that we caught up to the previous night but we knew that it had a great head start so it should be a dry, relatively comfortable temperature all day….well Mother Nature had other plans.  Less than 15 minutes after leaving we ran into fog.  Yes fog….on the prairie!  There are a fair number of lakes in Saskatchewan and that combined with the weather system produced fog for the next 100 kms.

Despite this it was a great ride.  Other than the usual stops for breaks and lunch, we only made two other stops.  One was to get Jerry’s picture with “Welcome to Manitoba” as we did not locate a sign on our journey west.  The second was to a sodium sulfate deposit in Chaplin Lake.

We did not hit any other weather, arriving in Virden, despite all of the weather warnings that started to appear.  Looking at the forecast, we may not be so lucky in our travels tomorrow.  Now we watch not only the weather, but the air quality warnings as well.  The bad weather could help with better air quality so I will take that as a trade off.

The Great Canadian Tour 2025 - Elbows Up Edition - Day 29

After watching the great light show in the sky from our 6th floor hotel in Calgary, we knew we would be chasing that same system today….and boy did we ever.

Just a note, there was no picture taking today.  It was a full focus on sliding between cells to get to our location without being dumped on by rain…some rain is not a problem, however we were trying to avoid the deluge of water pouring from the skies that we witnessed the previous evening.

The first part of the day was amazing.  The temperature was good, not a lot of traffic as it was a Saturday morning in Calgary.

We stopped in Medicine Hat for lunch and headed back out to finish the 2nd half of our route for the day, still keeping an eye on the radar and weather in Swift Current.  As we headed down the highway, the winds started picking up.  Fortunately it is a sustained wind however a strong sustained wind.  Riding behind and around transport trucks is not a lot of fun in the wind as they tend to push a lot of it back. Today was no exception. About 100 kms out from Swift Current we took note of the large storm system that looked eerily like last nights storm.  As the roads slightly changed direction here and there (mostly straight lol), we seemed to be avoiding that larger one.  From what I had seen on the radar however, there was a smaller cell system that had broken off and was not yet in our prevue.  About 15 kms from our destination we could see that smaller cell, quickly highlighted by two very strong streaks of lightning.  No stopping now…..as we took the exit to Swift Current, we saw another lightning strike but fortunately it had now moved off to the north and we managed to suffer only a few sprinkles of rain.

Tomorrow we will follow this same system however I think it has moved enough that we will not have to worry about it or any smaller cells on our ride tomorrow.  We will have the benefit of the cooler temperatures though and we look forward to that.  Hoping that it continues east, bringing cooler air behind it, providing much needed rain to the areas that need it and that it relieves some of the smoke air quality issues they are currently seeing further east.  Thunder Bay registered an 11 in air quality today…6 is uncomfortable.

So just to give you a taste of this storm system here is a couple of photos and a small video of the storm we took from our room in Calgary….Enjoy the show.

The Great Canadian Tour 2025 - Elbows Up Edition - Day 28

Last night we didn’t arrive to our hotel until 8 pm.  We knew it would be a long day and a later arrival so we had planned a down day in CowTown which we could use to explore Canada’s Badlands, specifically today in Drumheller, home of the Royal Tyrell Museum.

It was a beautiful morning, blue skies, sunshine and time on our hands.  We are also acutely aware that there is a very large cell moving across and over Calgary some time today between 2:45 pm and 11 pm.  After our breakfast, we get ready for the short ride to Drumheller in search of the badlands and any possible Dinosaurs.

We head North past Balzac and Airdrie, turning right (east) onto a very long, very straight country road also known as Hwy 9.  We made a quick stop to take some pictures along a beautiful canola field.  A great backdrop for a photo of your motorbike. 

As we entered Drumheller, we quickly descended from the flat plains, green and lush with crops, into dusty rock formations almost like falling into a crevice.  Two completely different landscapes.  A change that happens in seconds.  No transition, no gradual change in landscape.

The badlands are their own landscape.

We made our way to the Royal Tyrell Museum as we knew there was a viewing platform there that would give us a 360 view.

We were watching our time closely as we didn’t want to get caught in what we knew was going to be a really big thunderstorm.  Weather changes out here quickly and can be quite severe.  The last place we wanted to be stuck in that kind of storm was out in the wide open with no place to take cover.  We headed back to Calgary in record time with the help of a few “DD’s” (designated decoys), had a quick rest and got ready to have supper.  We were meeting up with friends of ours who live in Calgary at an Italian restaurant a mere few steps away from our hotel.  We had a lovely evening, reminiscing, laughing and getting caught up in each others lives, as best you can over two and a half hours.  Always great to see them.

Tomorrow (today, since I feel asleep before finishing the post) we head to Swift Current.  By the look of the radar, we will be chasing this storm cell all week.  To say that the light show last night was spectacular is an understatement.  The flashes of light and streaks of lightning were continuous without a break for over 2 hours.  We managed to not get caught in any of it riding or walking to and back from supper.

Oh…and we also got “kicked” out of Drumheller.  At least that is what it appears to have happened but it is the Badlands after all.

The Great Canadian Tour 2025 - Elbows Up Edition - Day 27

I know…what happened to the other days between Day 17 and today….well, we arrived in Kelowna and enjoyed a few down days.  Larry and Jerry headed to the west coast riding along the Sunshine Coast and up to Long Beach and Ucluelet so that Jerry could dip his toes in the Pacific Ocean completing his quest to go coast to coast….a few more down days spent with friends we haven’t seen in a while and now it is time to take our coast to coast back to the coast.

This morning we left Kelowna and headed for the TCH which takes us through the fabulous Rocky Mountains.  We also have a couple of stops in mind.  First stop is at the site of the “Last Spike”.  The site is located at Craigellachie with the correct pronunciation of this noted inside the store. Larry put on his best Scottish accent and seemed to impress the young lady at the counter. 

Here you can purchase a spike of your own…actual spikes, that have been pulled from refurbished railways…these ones from Jasper I believe.

There is also a monument commemorating 100 years since the last spike was driven on November 7, 1885.  The monument has a stone from each province imbedded in the monument, including a jade stone from BC and St. George Granite from Bonny River representing New Brunswick.

Our next stop was Rogers Pass in Glacier National Park.  This is the Canadian Glacier National Park as we have visited the US one back in 2016.  A stop here offers a fabulous views of the glaciers that you can take in without the risk of being run over and running off the edge of a mountain.  

The next stop was at the spiral tunnels. These are railway tunnels built into the mountains where the train enters at a lower level and exits above where the train entered….there are two of these such tunnels and we were lucky enough to be able to see the train enter the tunnel, exit the tunnel and then travel under the highway we were watching from.  The second tunnel is on the other side of the highway.  What makes it so interesting is that the trains here are exceptionally long, so the train was still entering the tunnel as we watched it exit the tunnel and make a second turn to travel along just below us.  It was still visible in all three areas when we left.  The picture above is of the tunnel exit.  The entrance wasn’t that visible until the train came along.  At one point the same train looked like it was travelling in two separate directions.

It was a day of firsts, although not our first trip through here.  We travelled through on our way home in 2016.  We had stopped at Rogers Pass but the other two stops were new to us and pretty exciting.

In between the stops we enjoyed amazing views of the mountains, the valleys and glacier lakes that are the colour of green sea glass.  The beauty is undeniable as is the scale of it all.  It is hard not to feel like an ant in the land of giants, and it will be difficult to ever look at our east coast mountains and know that while they are mountains to us, they can’t compete with the size and beauty of the Rockies….but our ocean is pretty freakin’ cool!

The Great Canadian Tour 2025 - Elbows Up Edition - Day 17

Morning came early today…earliest yet.  As you head west and cross each time zone, it is hard to catch up to one before you are flying through another.  This morning we were both awake at 5 am, trying our best to keep sleeping but knowing that it just wasn’t going to happen. Yesterday we crossed our final time zone and are now on Pacific Time!

We got up, packed our bags, loaded the bikes and then decided to wander the town.  It is now 6 am, the sun is out, the sky is blue and the streets are quiet.  This town is quiet anyway but the early morning allowed us some window shopping and an opportunity to see a lot of the buildings.  

By 6:30, we had walked a good part of the upper streets, so we decided we needed to get everyone else up earlier than we had agreed to and get on the road earlier as well.  Buddy and Brad were awake, but still in bed.  Jerry was down at the wharf.  We got everyone to meet us at the diner at 7:30 am, had a great breakfast and headed back to our hotel to finish packing and hit the road.

Leaving Nelson, we had to cross Bob….Bob is apparently the nick name the community has given the bridge that spans the West Arm.  Bob apparently stands for Big Orange Bridge….we were educated by our server the night before…the bridge is indeed orange and it is big.  A quick stop for gas and the twists and turns began.  All along the mountains edge and the river, the turns were easy and gentle.  As we moved further along they become tighter, up and down, over the mountain passes all morning.  We stopped in two towns.  

New Denver was the first of these two stops.

Two years ago we stopped here on a similar run through.  If you were to check my blog from back around that time, you would note a subject called “Fire and Ice”.  At the time, you could see snow still on some of the peaks similar to today.  There was also a small plume of smoke rising on one of the peaks.  Come to find out, we witnessed the beginning of a forest fire that completely burned out the side of the mountain as noted in the photo.  Fire is one of the risks in this area.  We are watchful and I follow some of the government sites for AQ and for fire locations.  Despite the ravaged mountain side, it is still a very beautiful area.

Our next stop was for lunch in Nacusp.  A quaint little town similar to Nelson, we stopped for a quick lunch.  Our next section was similar to the twists and turns we had been riding all morning, except now we were going to be taking a ferry at Needles.  We crossed with a most beautiful view of the lake and the valley.  I wasn’t particularly crazy about the logging truck parked next to me on the ferry (those that know, know).  Photos below kinda says it all.

The other side of the lake offered up even more twists and turns…as they say “new verse, same as the first”.  While the words may differ, the melody is the same.

Today, we covered just over 400 kms.  If I were to estimate, we had about 100 kms to Kelowna once we got to got out of the mountains.  That means we probably did close to 250 - 300 kms of twist and turns.  It was a great day.  One for the books….oh and it was hotter than Hades once we got out of the mountains and started heading for Kelowna….”new verse, same as the first”.  

I think we will use a couple of down days to recover.  We have had more than a few days on the road, and they have not been without some challenges.  A couple of days to relax will be greatly appreciated.  I will post more once we are on the road again.  For tomorrow I think the horses need a good wash.

The Great Canadian Tour 2025 - Elbows Up Edition - Day 15 & 16

Yesterday was a down day…it wasn’t supposed to be, but as plans happen sometimes they change.  Rain and very cool temps kept us from riding down to Waterton Park.  It will have to wait for another day and another adventure.

We did, however, get a chance to spend a few hours with a very special friend of ours.  It’s been 9 years since we last got together and this time, we got to see his daughter, whom we haven’t seen in almost 20 years.  It was a great afternoon.

Today, we were up early, packed and refreshed, ready to get to the mountains.

The plan was to meet up with Buddy and Brad at Frank Slide.  We set off on Hwy 3 headed for Crowsnest Pass.  On the way we pass Fort MacLeod, home of the Musical Ride…and an actual fort I believe.  The flat plains are now fading and rising into rolling green hills with a hint of what is to come.  Though the great Rocky Mountains loom ahead, we are still quite a way until we reach them….they stay in the horizon though as we bob and weave through some of the beautiful foothills.  As we get to Crowsnest Pass we pass through the “Slide” which was a catastrophic event where the whole side of a mountain slid into Frank in the early 1900’s. The story of resilience and loss are told as you walk through the information center.

It is 9:30 am and we have travelled over 100 kms already as we set out to ride to Nelson for the night.

We travel along fields that have been cut and stacked…first time I have ever seen hay stacked that way.  The road conditions are amazing, especially given that they are exposed to very harsh conditions in the winter.  We wind up through the pass, down through valleys where you are surrounded by trees, tall evergreen trees, yet ahead of you are huge mountain peaks.  It is hard not to imagine you are getting a hug from Mother Earth.  It is hard to ignore the freshness of the air, the warmth of the sun and the sway of the road.

Sometimes the road will take you through some rather “unusual” town names…like Yahk.

Sometimes you will find yourself in towns with names you recognize, like Cranbrook, where we stopped for lunch, or Creston.  Riding through these communities is a short break at a slower pace, but as soon as we get to the other side we are off again!

One of our last stops before we reached Nelson, was at Stagleap Provincial Park…a lovely quiet stop overlooking Bridal Lake.  We were now travelling through the Kootenay Pass, elevation 1775m.

We finished the last of the ride arriving in Nelson.  A town built on the side of a mountain, overlooking West Arm river, which flows from Kootenay Lake.

Life is savoured here…hikers, campers, cyclist and of course a large number of folks like ourselves who are testing our limits in the peaks and valleys, through and between the amazing Canadian Rockies.  

Tomorrow, the ride continues..our destination for the next few days in Kelowna.    

The Great Canadian Tour 2025 - Elbows Up Edition - Day 14

We are now officially 2 weeks on the road!  Just for context, the side trip to the Gaspe added days to our journey that a more direct route would not have included.  We also booked our trip ahead as we were travelling with others, and there was an expectation that there would be more tourists travelling through Canada this year than other years.  Many of whom, like us, are staying in Canada to explore more of our country.  I think this is a fabulous side effect of today’s political and economic soap opera.  I can also guarantee that for those who do, much of the stress from news bombardment will be replaced by fresh air, amazing experiences and a realization of just how vast and different this country is from coast to coast…and don’t forget your map of the country..as you journey and mark how far you have travelled, it gives you a new perspective.  It is life affirming.

So, this day’s journey also started very early in the morning as noted by the lovely sunrise from our hotel window.  We had made an appointment in Lethbridge, AB to have our oil changed and were hoping to be there before 2 p.m…a 7 am start with the first stop less than 250 m around the corner to Tim’s for breakfast.  We were on the road by 8 am and the day didn’t require as many stops or distance to cover as previous days, so we felt it was very doable….especially as the rain the previous night had brought some cool and much welcomed temperatures as we continued west.

Each day we start out close to the border of the next province.  Each one, so far, is really a days’ ride across, but there is no fun in just driving through…it is the title that most people have for New Brunswick that annoys the heck out of us….no one wants to be a “drive through” province….so here is my opinion, whether you want it, need it or care….stop, and explore at least one interesting attraction, place or activity in each province.  Try getting a real idea of how the cultural aspect of that province and the people who live there compares to where you are from.  This is true even if travelling outside of the country.  Learn, experience and enjoy whereever you are, in the moment you are there.

Today was a new road that I have not travelled as we went south from Medicine Hat, heading to Lethbridge.  The fields were amazing and we started to see a lot of wind turbines.  Up to this point we hadn’t seen that many.  The fact that you could see them for miles was not lost on us either…this area, close to the foothills of the Rockies is still fairly flat but in a soft rolling, green hilly field kind of way…sounds corny but incredibly, a very apt description or the only one that made sense.

We got to Lethbridge around 1 pm, checked into the hotel and dropped all our stuff in the rooms then headed over to the bike shop.  As the oil was being changed, we walked up to a great restaurant a couple of blocks away to have a bite….it was after 2 pm and if we didn’t get food into Larry, he would be doing the biting.  The lunch was amazing at Mike’s Steakhouse.  Back at the s hop I also managed to finally snag a couple of pair of leather riding gloves to replace the ones I bought in 2011….I have been searching for a very long time for a specific type of glove to replace the old ones so not only was it an exciting find, but since they were 50% off I bought 2 pair!  Downtime for the win!

Back at the hotel, showered and refreshed, we were trying to decide where to eat.  Buddy, our friend in Kelowna, sent us a poster and let us know his brother and our friend was playing at the Owl Acoustic Lounge.  We inquired on the “oracle” and they also served food, so off we went.  

We were treated to a delightful meal, great service and amazing entertainment.  The true delight of the night though was seeing Papa Kings’ expression when he realized that the gentleman who was beckoning and talking to him from the side of the stage was Larry….surprise to joy to huge hugs!!  Enough for everyone to go around.  We had the amazing privilege and pleasure to watch him play in front of an audience for the first time.

We ended the evening and headed back to the hotel by 10:30 pm as we were now way beyond our travelling bedtime routine, full of food, laughter and love.  By all accounts I believe everyone had a great nights rest.

The Great Canadian Tour 2025 - Elbows Up Edition - Day 13

There are tough days on the road when riding.  This day was one of them.

The day started out from Virden, MB early.  We planned to get ahead of the heat we knew we would encounter the rest of the day.

It was a short ride to the next province of Saskatchewan which, of course, had to include a picture of the sign welcoming us.

We stopped in Indian Head, SK for lunch.  This is a favorite stop for us along the way.  On our first stop here back in 2016, there was a small motel with a restaurant…no Tim’s or other “box” retailers.  On that first stop we were curious about what a Saskatoon berry was, which was the homemade pie being offered on the menu.  The lovely man described the berry to us then offered us a piece to try, free of charge.  It was a lovely.  Now days, it is a stop for many folks, mostly to have their pictures taken with the large carved statue.

The rest of the ride for the day was, uncomfortable….it also included many stops to soak our shirts (motorcycle air conditioning is what we call this), and to satisfy our hydration.  The temperatures rose to 36C most of the afternoon and with winds steady at 30 km/hr and gusts of 50 km/hr, it felt quite like I would imagine being inside an air fryer.

Just when you thought it was hot enough we encountered many kilometres of new pavement, otherwise know as black top.  So let’s use an additional metaphor.   We now felt like we were inside an air fryer being BBQ’d on a blacktop grill!

New black top holds the heat so in theory we were being cooked from above, below and side on.  Despite all, we persevered and continued on our journey to Swift Current, SK…looking at this pictured stop to take photos of a canola field and grain operation, you would never guess that the day was anything other than lovely, and despite the heat, it was a good day…the kind of day that make you appreciate all the others.  We get asked all the time if we mind riding in the rain.  The short answer is we prefer it to the heat and that is not a lie.  That being said, when travelling, weather (other than extreme weather) does not hinder our journey.  If at home and having a choice with  what to do with your day, we probably wouldn’t choose to ride in either.

We arrived safely in Swift Current, checked in to our hotel and drug all our gear up to our room.  Once we pulled off the boots and riding pants, I filled the tub with some cold water and invited Larry to sit with me on the side of the tub with our feet in cold water.  Let me tell you, it is unbelievably refreshing (highly recommend it).  So refreshing in fact, I turned to Larry and said “We don’t need a big pool, we just need a kiddy pool with cold water”…..but I was only kidding…..

As for the evening, we only had enough energy to walk to the nearest food establishment, eat and head to bed…we didn’t have great coverage, hence the late post.  The day had used up all of our daily energy and would not take a loan from tomorrow.  So by 9 p.m. it was lights out, but I am sure we were all asleep before the switch had finished it’s journey from on to off!

The Great Canadian Tour 2025 - Elbows Up Edition - Day 12

 Not an overly exciting day as far as views or exploring.  

We left Kenora early this morning and made our way across the border into Manitoba…somewhere.  We looked for a sign so that we could take a picture but there were none to be had…..just a small sign that told us we were no longer on the 17….we were now on the TCH 1…so somewhere out there we crossed an imaginary line.

We DID, however, pass the Longitudinal Center of Canada….yup!  As Bon Jovi sings…”we’re halfway there”.

There was an increasing amount of haze as we crossed Manitoba.  As we get nearer the Saskatchewan border, it was really hazy.

We pulled into Virden for the evening, tired and hot.  Unloaded the machines, changed into our bathing suits and went for a swim in the hotel pool.  A quick shower and a walk down the road for supper at Boston Pizza pretty much sums up the exciting things we did today.  Tomorrow we’ll see what the weather brings…it is looking like sunshine, wind and potential thunderstorms……why not!

The Great Canadian Tour 2025 - Elbows Up Edition - Day 11

Happy Canada Day!  What better way to celebrate, riding across this great country, meeting so many people from different backgrounds….

Today was just riding…there were no real stops except for breaks.  This last stretch of Northern Ontario is really remote, except for the occasional small town.  What we have discovered since our last trip through 2 years ago is how much the roads have improved.  They have widened the roads and cleared back the woodland away from the roads so that it is easier to see wildlife..especially the bigger ones.  Fortunately today, the only wildlife was a Bald Eagle atop a tree.  This made for a great ride, with great visibility and passing lanes which were carefully used due to the other wildlife that travels the TCH…known as the OPP.  I firmly believe there are more OPP on Hwy 17 than there are RCMP in all of New Brunswick.

We arrived early in Kenora and settled in…in need of a rest, it was good to get off the road early for a change….of course the time change to Central also helped.

Tomorrow we will cross into Manitoba, early in the day….we will need to find a Manitoba sticker for Mr. G to add to his ever increasing collection.

Tomorrow, Jerry gets to see a totally different landscape than the one he has been staring at for the last 4 days……Northern Ontario, it’s beautiful….it’s a long ride.

The Great Canadian Tour 2025 - Elbows Up Edition - Day 10

What a spectacular day!

We left Wawa at 8 a.m. hoping to give us some time for stops along the way to Thunder Bay…that and a glance at the weather radar that indicated if we could get there by 4 p.m. we might miss some rain.

We had a lot of fog and cool temperatures for most of the morning.  The temps dropping to as low as 11C and as high as 22C….mostly 14C.  Despite the fog we were able to stop in some clear areas to see stunning views of Lake Superior.  Including today, we have travelled 1000 kms around the Lake and this only covers a small portion of the distance around.

We stopped for lunch in Terrace Bay, at Drifters.  We stayed here two years ago and knew the food would be better than good…homemade split pea soup (to go with the pea soup we rode through).  Hot and delicious, we left full and warm.

The afternoon proved to be warmer with less fog (a little when we started out again).  We crossed the bridge at Nipigon the only link between Ontario and Manitoba on the Canadian side.  Every person travelling this road must ride over this bridge. It is an amazing structure.  There is a look out tower that we are planning to stop at on our return trip.

The rest of the afternoon was sunshine and blue skies, at least until we started getting closer to Thunder Bay.  We left the last gas station thinking we wouldn’t need our rain gear only to run into a bit of rain…fortunately following that we also ran into a bit of sunshine and warmer temperatures that quickly dried up our gear. 

Before heading to the hotel, we made our way up to the Terry Fox Memorial Park.  We met a rider who pulled up next to us who was a member of the Canadian Veteran Riding Group.  His vest indicated where he served and I thanked him for his service.  We took some pictures with Lorne and enjoyed the company and chat while we were there.  Shortly after he left we were checking the skies, knowing that 4 p.m. would  be the time we could have more rain upon us…sure enough a very angry cloud was moving in our direction.  The guys suggested we gear up and try to outrun it…I suggested we out whit it…I mean wait it…seeing as it was headed in our direction and would clearly pass.  Before we could even take shelter the lightning and thunder had started.  We got under the eaves of the tourist bureau and I went inside to see if I could get stickers….Lord Thundering….I turned around and she was just teeming!…I mean teeming!…I went outside to watch the storm, then came the hail.  I headed inside (cause I know hail is never a good thing this time of the year) and had a lovely chat with the staff, and Paul, Thunder Bays resident Tourist Manager who had also ridden up to the park and was now waiting out the storm.  He gave us each a patch for riding the Lake as well as great supper suggestions close to where we were staying.

I have to say that riding around Lake Superior was amazing, but I am in awe each time we stop at the Terry Fox Park. There are so many things that are synonymous with Canada as Lorne said……Terry Fox, Red Surges and the Tragically Hip to name a few…..but as we rode through Northern Ontario, a ride we have done a couple of times before, I have to say I have a greater appreciation for not only it’s beauty, but for all of the other Canadians who have crossed this country…for whatever reason.  When I think of specific Canadians who have done it, I am inspired and humbled by Terry Fox, Rick Hansen and the many others who have challenged themselves, pushed their boundaries, to advocate for others….my little ride through is a privilege and one that I am so very grateful for, especially since I can honestly say I love this country and we are so fortunate to have a bridge that is open to all who wish to cross…..

Happy Canada everyone!

The Great Canadian Tour 2025 - Elbows Up Edition - Day 9

What a large day!  Before heading out, we made a stop at the Big Nickel in Sudbury.  Now that’s a nickel.

After that we made a stop for coffee with a friend of Jerry’s he hadn’t seen in 10 years.  We had a great chat and a fabulous piece of pecan pie….dessert isn’t only for evening meals!  We headed out again, a little behind our scheduled time so we rode a bit longer today with shorter breaks until just before we got to Sault St. Marie.  We caught site of Lake Huron at one of the gas stops, made out way through Sault St. Marie and the real riding and scenery started…rolling hills, a few great corners but the views…the views of Lake Superior as you are cresting the top of a long hill, are breath taking.  We made a few stops to take some pictures and finally rolled into Wawa getting on 6:30 pm….we made a stop at the Big Goose….

This goose has a long history in Wawa….it was built to attract people to stop in Wawa when they built the “new” transcanada highway to go right past Wawa.  Wawa was always on the route.  It shares this history with many areas in Newfoundland, and was a reminder to at least one of our travellers as a similar experience for Corner Brook.

Wawa also has a connection to NB through Lord and Lady Dunn who helped keep the mine going for a time.

We also made a visit to Young’s General store (pictures to be posted later below).  We checked in, showered and head for supper at the Viking Restaurant…only to be turned away because they ran out of….everything!  So supper at Subway tonight…worked out anyway as we were late getting supper (8 pm) and we had a few things to sort out for our trip tomorrow……we will be on our way to Thunder Bay!

The Great Canadian Tour 2025 - Elbows Up Edition - Day 8

Getting out of Ottawa proved to be just as tricky as getting into….traffic even in the suburbs of Ottawa is extremely tricky given all of the traffic.

Our trusty GPS took us through what we thought was going to be downtown, in a downpour of rain and window rattling thunder.  We finally got on the 417 and as we rode THIS 4 lane, the rain at least started to subside.

Once we reached the 17, it was pretty much easy riding with occasional showers..nothing major.  An extremely nice day of riding, very little traffic, frequent passing lanes and nothing more than forest and water for your viewing pleasure.

We stoped at the Fryway 17…a quaint little outdoor rest stop.

We had a smoked meat sandwich on rye that seemed to come with a side of smoked meat as well….I don’t think I have ever seen that much smoked meat piled into two small pieces of fresh rye bread.

We continued on our way to Sudbury for the night.  Tomorrow I have heard plans of going to see the “nickel”….we will find out, if it was “worth” the trip.

The boys are full of food, empty of everything else, and happy!

 

One of the interesting sites we saw today along the 17 was a huge swath of downed trees.  It was at a high elevation and at first appeared as though hydro was cutting for a power line….as we looked a little closer it appeared that they may have been what closed the 17 near Mattawa (which is where we were) a few days ago following a freak storm….it looked like tornado damage or like some sort of giant left a footprint.  I’ll let you decide!

The Great Canadian Tour 2025 - Elbows Up Edition - Day 6 and Day 7

Today was a really hard day of riding…probably one of the toughest.

Once out of Lorette we headed on Route 40 towards Trois Rivière turning on to Route 138, then Route 640……all of it was highway, with multiple lanes.  We kept telling ourselves that once we hit Route 15 it would be a lot better, no highway….because it only had 2 numbers……Route 15 was even more challenging than all the other highways put together….4 lanes of swapping cars, transports, you name it…we moved to the outside lane so that we only had to worry about what was coming at us from one side…bumper to bumper traffic (and we don’t have bumpers…).  All the chaos and traffic didn’t seem to bother the two wild turkeys munching on grass on the median though…..I hope they are careful crossing the road for whatever reason.

The up side was that we would be Nepean, just outside of Ottawa for two nights, giving us a much needed down day…no riding required.  Friends from Toronto are coming to join us on the second night so we have that to look forward to.

Larry and I used the down day to get my bike looked after and to get me a new helmet.  We accomplished all of this before major rain moved in and before our friends arrived.

The night was apparently filled with crashing thunder and sky lighting illumination…none of which I saw as I slept as sound as a mouse.  We had a lovely supper at Moxie’s, got to spend some time with our very special friends.  All of the highway riding, somehow was worth it.