Where did the time go?

 Hi Everyone! or at least the couple people who still follow me - remember me? LOL

It has been quite awhile since I wrote anything. It just seems that time is running faster than ever, or at least faster than me. I wanted to keep up with my riding adventures, but then one thing leads to another and it gets pushed off into a corner to collect dust. I know, excuses. At least I mostly kept up with my riding adventures on my social media accounts on Twitter and Facebook. It was less time consuming to post a condensed version than to write something somewhat intelligent here. (or I was just too lazy) But if I really think about it, I was also a little burned out with writing. I never thought that would happen, but it did.

Well, today seemed to be the perfect wintery (sub zero) snow day to clear the cobwebs and flex my fingers again. It was about time to let you guys know what has been happing the last two years. 

~~ 2020 ~~

I can't believe my last post was May 16 of 2020! I actually rode quite a lot that year, in fact it was one of the rare years that I  was able to ride until November 10. I did 60 rides and rode a total of 12,738km that year! I explored all kinds of back roads from Penetanguishene to Parry Sound and then ventured towards Haliburton.

My first ride of the season I actually wrote about, it was April 25 and I took a little scoot to Lafontaine 

So, I will tell you about one of my adventures that I didn't write about. August 31st I headed towards Kawartha Lakes and checked out Lake Dalrymple and Head Lake. When all was said and done I had road 308 km that day. You can check out the route here

Lake Dalrymple - Aug 31, 2020

Head Lake Kawartha Lakes (Monck Rd 45) Aug 31, 2020

My last ride of the season was November 10th, yes I was in total shock at how warm it was. It was a balmy 23C and November!!  It was a little 132 km ride that brought me along one of my favorite local loops. You can check out the route here.

Bidwell Rd - Oro-Medonte November 10, 2020

~~ 2021 ~~

In 2021 my riding season started on March 30th.  I didn't do as many rides in 2021, having broken ribs put a bit of a dent in my riding adventures. For the record, my broken ribs had nothing to do with motorcycling. Even though I missed a month of riding I still managed to get in 35 rides and rode a total of 6,684 km. I spent the summer in the Algonquin Highlands with my BF and found plenty of fun twisty roads to ride. 

My first ride on March 30th  was a very crisp day at 10C and the wind gusts were quite strong at times making the 10C feel like 0. There were still some patches of snow still holding on, Ole man winter didn't want to give up his icy grasp. Suffice to say I only did 82km that day.

Hummingbird Rd - Oro-Medonte March 30th, 2021

Maple Island (520)

I really liked a ride I took through Burk's Falls to Parry Sound on Sept 13th. 

I discovered Bunny Trail (520) road that was super fun to ride, was even paved and had next to no traffic. It helped that I did this ride in September when tourist season was over.  If you would like to check out the entire route you can see it here.

Bunny Trail Rd - Sept 13, 2021

My last ride of the 2021 season was on October 19th riding from Emsdale to Penetang. It wasn't the most scenic of rides going along highway 11. It was more of  "On a mission" kind of ride. It was time to get my bike home to Penetang and put it in storage. I did stop along highway 11 at a day picnic area by the Kahshe River. 

Kashe River - Hwy 11 October 19, 2021

~~ 2022 ~~

My first ride of 2022 was April 2.  How sad looking back, I noticed my riding time is cut almost in half with each passing year. This year I left my bike in Penetang because I had to split my time between Almaguin Highlands and Penetang.  I only took 20 rides with a sad total of 3,776 km for the season. 

April 2nd was actually a beautiful day for so early in the season. It was a perfect kind of day to just jump on the bike with no where in particular to go. I ended up heading towards Barrie along the back roads. I rode 158 km that day, it sure was nice to get back on two wheels again. 

Penetang Rotary Park - April 2, 2022

On one particular adventure on May 5th, my ride took me to Kinmount and Felon Falls. It was a fun ride as it turned out to be a "stop at little attractions" kind of ride that day. If you would like to check out the route you can see it here.

I stopped at Heritage Park in Kinmount to see the Burnt River, what a quaint little town.

This little shack proclaimed that it is the World's Smallest Bookstore. It convinced me.

Took in the view at Felon Falls

On my way back along Monck Rd I just had to snap a pic of this yellow moose. Not sure why he is there or what it means, but it piqued my interest. 

My last ride of the 2022 season was October 5th. I hadn't been riding since August when the BF left for Florida to bring back our Harley's. You heard me right, my Harley! Oh how I missed my Sporty,  but I digress, I will share that story in a little bit. It was a gorgeous day, 20C and sunny. Took the back roads into Barrie and scooted along Ridge Road. It was a pleasant 160 km ride. Too bad it was my last for the season. If you would like to check out some of this route, you can see it here  When I do this route I sometimes take an alternative long way back, you can check that one here.

Line 1 - Oro Medonte Rail Trail

You are probably still wondering about my Harley. It is very exciting, at least for me. If you are not an avid reader of my blog I will explain briefly so not to bore you all too much.

The BF and I were spending our winters in Florida after buying a house there in 2010. We were trailering our bikes, me a Yamaha V-star and him a Honda Shadow. I was a fairly new rider back then, had just got my license in May of 2009. Anyway, it was in 2013 when we were in Florida that we decided to trade in our bikes and buy Harley's. We then just left them there at our vacation house when we came back to Canada. It did mean no motorcycling in Canada for the summer, but the BF was working and so was I so there wasn't much time for it anyway. 

We came back home in April of 2019 and life was getting a little complicated with our aging parents. My mom in Penetang, his mom in Germany. We decided to sell the house in October and to our surprise it sold close to Christmas, the BF drove down with a trailer and got the stuff we wanted to keep out of the house, however we didn't have the time to get the bikes imported to Canada. Besides, the trailer was full and there would not have been room for them. So the plan was to keep them at our friends house in Florida and get them later.  How were we to know the world would go to hell and Covid would kill travel for the next couple of years.

Fast forward to October 2022, finally travel restrictions were lifted and we were ready to bring the Harley's to Canada. There was quite a bit of paperwork and the BF had to fly to Florida to meet the driver and give him the Titles. We used Mackie Transport and I highly recommend them. Although a word of warning, importing is not cheap.

Harley's getting ready to go on the truck

Big Truck! Thanks Cecil!

Released from Toronto and heading home

Tucked away in the garage 

The next thing we have to do is get them certified and then we can get them plated. It was too late in the season to bother with that, so that is the plan for this spring. I can hardly wait to ride my Sporty again. I like my Honda Rebel and it is a great bike, but there is just something about my Sporty that revs my engine. 

Well that brings you all up to date, if you visit my social media pages you will see my riding adventures just condensed. I am planning on trying to get a little more writing in this riding season. But I won't promise, just in case. 

Until next time, keep
 




Cruising Through Life & Enjoying the Ride…

Curves & Twisties, oh my

Sat June 8

The weatherman promised a gorgeous weekend and wow he was spot on (for a change) The sun was shining and even a deer decided to see me off this morning as he watched me pull out my bike from the garage. 

I went through Burk’s Falls and hooked onto the 520 towards Magnetawan. This was a fun road to travel with plenty of curves and luscious landscape to gander at as you cruise. Best of all there was hardly any traffic this morning, although I am sure this road can get quite busy once the summer cottagers are out in full force. 

Along the way I made a stop in Magnetawan at the Lion’s Park to take in the view of the Magnetawan River.  This is a beautiful spot to rest at with plenty of trees for shade and places to sit for a spell. Usually there are a lot of boats using the Magnetawan lock, but I suppose it was a little on the early side for boaters this morning.

Further on down the road I took another little pit stop in McKellar at their nice little riverside park. There was a motorcyclist also enjoying a break and we both agreed that it was an awesome day for a ride.

I continued on the 520 all the way into Parry Sound. I had never actually been downtown Parry Sound so it was interesting to cruise through town. It is a bustling little town with tons of shops on the main drag. Traffic was still fairly light as I passed through, although I got caught at a few stop lights.

As I left the downtown core, the traffic dwindled to non-existent once again. I turned onto Oastler Drive for a short distance until I turned onto Hunter Drive. Hunter Drive becomes the 518. 

Along the way I stopped at the Orrville Bakery & Barista to utilize a photo op in front of a giant gnome. There was an ATV rider parked nearby and we chatted briefly about how beautiful the day was and how it was nice to finally see the sun shining instead of rain. By the way, rain is in the forecast for Monday.

The 518 is a biker’s paradise with endless twists and curves from Parry Sound to Emsdale. It wasn’t long before I seen a sign informing me that it was going to get very twisty for the next 8 km. Oh what a ride! It didn’t end there, this whole road is full of curves and quite a few hairpin twists. It can be challenging at times even for a seasoned rider. I really don’t recommend it for beginners. I will also caution you that there is a stretch where the pavement turns into tar & chip and gets a little on the rough side. After several kilometers the smooth pavement came into view and still it continued on with endless curves. 

When I got to Sprucedale I turned into the gas station to gulp down some of my water, I was parched! Coming into Sprucedale the road does straighten from there and it wasn’t long before I was back in Emsdale and home. 

Until next time keep

Cruising Through Life & Enjoying The Ride…




Route: Burk’s Falls, 520 to Magnetawan/Parry Sound 

This Harley Rider also bought a Honda!

(Friday May 10, 2019)

I did it! You have heard me moan and groan for several years now that I am bike-less when I am home in Canada. Well, no more, or at least I won’t be moaning about being bike-less.

I am not getting any younger and I want as much ride time as I can get in the remaining years I have left. One never knows when your time is up. Sure, I am a little stressed out (maybe a lot) about the added expense over the next five years. (Anyone hiring? LOL)   Deep down inside I just knew that if I didn’t do it now I probably never will and the thought of  having to live with that kind of regret just didn’t sit right with me. 

I threw caution to the wind and bought the bike!

As you know I love my Harley in Florida. Although for here a Harley was just priced out of my reach. For my second bike I had looked at several makes and models of motorcycles but it was the style of the Honda Rebel that really caught my eye.  Not to mention at a mere 5’ 1” and somewhat of a lightweight the Rebel was just a good fit for me.

Living in Emsdale Ontario it is not like there are any dealers in my neighbourhood, so I ended up travelling 1 ½ hours to Barrie to check out the Rebel 500 at the Honda Powerhouse dealer. I had made an appointment earlier in the week with Stuart Todd to take it for a test ride. By the way, I can’t say enough great things about Stuart. I give him 5 stars all round for excellent customer service and being attentive to my additional needs and requests. If you are in the market for a motorcycle I highly recommend getting in touch with Stuart! 

I went for the test ride on Friday (May 10) and it was chilly (6C/42F), with dreary overcast skies and even had rained a bit on my drive in. I opted to just take it around the parking lot because of the weather. Another factor was that the traffic on Mapleview drive in Barrie made me a little nervous to take it out on the street - kind of weird because when riding in certain places in Florida the traffic is just as heavy if not worse and doesn’t bother me a bit – although it probably had more to do with the fact that it wasn’t mine, yet.  Non the less, just having a brief ride around the lot and I was sold. I can’t really compare my Sportster to the Rebel as they are two completely different kind of rides. I will just say that I am liking the smoothness (as in less vibration) of the Rebel. 

I really wanted a black one, but black apparently was last year’s colour. This year it is dark gray, which I actually like just as much. The only other colour available is brown, kind of one of those “poopy” colour browns, at least I thought so. Definitely not for me. 

There were a couple of extras that were “must haves” that I added when I purchased the Rebel. I have “stuff” when I ride, and I need a place for that “stuff”. I went with the saddle bags that are an additional Honda accessory mainly for convenience. Stuart hooked me up with an aftermarket windscreen. The one that Honda offers is too small making it useless as far as wind protection is concerned. I know, I could have gotten both these items cheaper shopping around online, but Stuart gave me a good price and I don’t have to deal with the installation. 

 

With the BF in Germany for the next six weeks I am fending for myself and I admit that I am just not good at that mechanical kind of stuff. I am sure if I really had to I could, but hey isn’t it easier to delegate that kind of stuff when you can. (wink)

There is an issue with this motorcycle that I have Stuart working on. The handle bars. I just find that my arms are spread way too wide for my comfort. I had the same issue with my Harley, however getting replacement bars for it was an easier process. The Rebel has an ABS hydraulic line that is complicating finding a suitable replacement. Stuart has assured me they will find a resolution for this and I am confident he will.

Now that I bought the motorcycle, I had to figure out how the hell to get it home from Barrie when it is ready. Need I say the weather and road conditions are still not favorable for riding the bike home this time of year. If the BF was here it would be easy, he would have hooked his enclosed trailer to his pickup and TaDa problem solved. (In case you’re wondering, I am a nervous wreck just driving his “huge” pickup let alone pull a trailer!) But Stuart also hooked me up in that department.

So now, we all just have to wait until next Thursday until my L’ll Rebel gets delivered. Stay tuned for the unveiling!

Can you tell I am happy? 

Until next time keep

Cruising Through Life & Enjoying The Ride...

Bikefest Arcadia Florida

(Sat Mar 30, 2019)

We hooked up with TJ & Lynn on Saturday and headed out to the Arcadia Bikefest. It is normally about an hour to get to Arcadia, but we decided we wanted to get more ride time in on such a beautiful day. We headed along North River Rd to 27, then onto 29 and connected onto 70 that leads into Arcadia. 

We had a brief rest stop at the gas station on the corner of 29 & 70. There was a roadside fruit stand and someone selling boiled peanuts. Lynn wanted to try the boiled peanuts but the vendor was napping in her truck so Lynn opted not to wake her. I wonder how many sales the peanut lady missed today.

This was our first time out at the Arcadia Bikefest and I was impressed with the size of this event. We have ridden through Arcadia occasionally but we have never stopped in the quaint town. The event was held on West Oak Street and I immediately noticed that all the buildings were full of character outside and in. The shops along this section were mostly antiques and curious collectibles. We never ventured in them as today was not about that, maybe we will have to further investigate sometime. 

We meandered along the street and took in the sights. Lynn finally got her boiled peanuts from a street vendor.

I am really curious as to who can actually ride this…

This dog’s owner is making a fashion statement;
I just wonder what the dog really thinks about it… 

TJ & Lynn decided to sample the shish kabobs being offered at one of the food vendors. Instead of eating the BF and I decided to check out the stunt bikes instead. As I approached, they were doing burnouts, I got about 20 feet and had to turn back before getting choked to death by the plumes of smoke. Suffice to say I decided to keep a safe distance and went back to sit with TJ & Lynn. The BF stayed and snapped a few pics when they finally decided to do the stunts instead of wearing out their tires. 

 

On the way home we took 17 and turned onto Bermont Rd (74) to 31. Of course, we couldn’t pass up stopping at the Boathouse Tiki Bar for a cool refreshment. (Actually, that was my plan all along, I wanted to finally try out the menu) TJ and Lynn sipped on a cooling cocktail. I think they were still stuffed from eating at the festival. I bet it was those boiled peanuts that did in Lynn. 

If you like seafood, then this would certainly be the place for you, me not so much; seafood that is. However, I did manage to find something on the menu to appease my delicate discriminating tastes – or a more accurate description, for my extreme fussiness. I had a burger, plain of course with cheddar cheese. The thing was huge and I will be having the rest of it for lunch over the next 3 days. I wasn’t really into the curly fries that came with it, too much seasoning for the likes of me, although the BF enjoyed them with his Lamb Gyro. 

Stopping at the Boathouse was the perfect ending to a great day of riding with friends, Lynn & TJ

Until next time keep

Cruising Through Life & Enjoying The Ride….




Route Going to Arcadia

Route heading home

Pine Island -Low Key Tiki & Ragged Ass Saloon

(Sat March 2)

Over the weekend we hooked up with our new biker buddies. We took a ride out to Pine Island to check out the Rubber Duck Races that were being held at the Low Key Tiki  and then on over to the Ragged Ass Saloon 

I am happy to report that I didn’t lose anything off my bike on this trip.


We didn’t realize that the actual duck races  at the Low Key Tiki were not kicking off until 4 pm and we really hadn’t planned on staying there all day. 

So, we grabbed a quick liquid refreshment and listened to some folksy tunes from the band that was playing.

This was the only Rubber Duck we got to see.

We then headed over to the Ragged Ass Saloon for some lunch and stayed to listen to the band that was starting at 2 pm. It wasn’t as busy as we thought it might be at the Ragged Ass, but I was glad because we were able get a table in the shade of the Tiki patio. Besides, me and crowds don't mix well. 

I am not really a "foodie" but I did enjoy the wings that I had and the french fries were especially good with a crispy coating.  I give this “biker friendly bar” with reasonably priced eats and drinks my thumbs up! 

I personally don’t know the guy who flashed me the peace sign as I took this pic, but Elaine mentioned she sees this couple all over the place on their bike. Back at ya buddy!

This band was more my classic rock style. Good Tunes!

(Hey Elaine, who is the guy hogging the front of the stage in our pictures LOL)

Before heading home, we decided to stop at The Boathouse Tiki Bar in Fort Myers. 

Gotta luv that reserved space for motorcycle parking.

The BF and I had sat at the Tiki bar the last time we were here, but I had no idea that you could also sit by the water on a “beach”.  

Our timing was perfect when we brought our drinks down, we had our choice of comfy Adirondack chairs (or Muskoka chairs as we call them) 

We relaxed for a spell around the fire pit and enjoyed the view of the Caloosahatchee River. We still haven't had a meal here yet, but hopefully we get a chance before we head back home to Canada.

No need for a fire today!

The day had turned into quite a scorcher, seems to be a theme this year with the hot humid temps so early in the season. The minute you get off the bike it is instant heat exhaustion, at least for me it was. Kind of like stepping out of a fridge and into a furnace. I am not really complaining, just a little grumbling. There is no way that I would trade places with anyone dealing with the snow and sub-zero temps. Even with the extreme heat it was another amazing day out on the bikes. Great riding, interesting places and spending time with awesome friends.

Need I say that at the end of a long hot ride there is nothing better than a dip in the pool with a glass of wine on the side.









Route to Pine Island: Low Key Tiki & Ragged Ass Saloon / The Boathouse Tiki Bar

Until next time keep

Cruising Through Life & Enjoying The Ride....