Planning for a 5-7 day trip, ideas? | GTAMotorcycle.com

Planning for a 5-7 day trip, ideas?

brownelvis

brownelvis

Well-known member
So this season has been pure crap, I've been waiting the whole summer for a good chunk of weather and it never came so I need to take a tour, rain or shine the week of labour day.

I have like 5 to 7 days to kill leaving from Toronto, the only requirement being I have to stop in Ottawa for a day or two to see the family. Last year I did the tail of the dragon in 5 days, I wouldn't mind doing it again but I wouldn't mind seeing something new. How's Maine? New Hampshire? West VA? Or any other suggestions?
 
Anywhere south is going to be blistering hot tho that is this weekend and that's the wrong way for Ottawa :D
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You have enough time to loop Superior but that maybe kills Ottawa tho I suppose you could hit Ottawa by slab then follow the river north and across to Superior.

Hitting Northbay then over to Quebec and up to Rouyn-Noranda - some variation of this ( done for a guy coming from Michigan )

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https://goo.gl/maps/v5rJb

There is a lovely road you should try and catch Quebec 391 - freshly paved....take it into Noranda-Rouyn

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Pretty area
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can get cold - was down to 9 in August when I was on the Transcanada out of Royn-Noranda.
 
Never even heard of that place, I think I could do Rouyn-Noranda in a day. Might be a good starting point.

I might consider doing a trip through Detroit instead of Ottawa as well, decisions decisions....
 
2 days to Colorado through Detroit, and on your 3rd day, you are 14,000ft closer to the heavens in the sky =)
 
Never even heard of that place, I think I could do Rouyn-Noranda in a day. Might be a good starting point.
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Take a break at AL Van HOute ....some cute barristas there....

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Yes you can. Slab to North Bay then Quebec Highways to Rouyn-Noranda. It's only 620 km

Neat covered Bridge down towards Ottawa



Detroit you can do the Lake Superior loop.
 
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1) Gaspe (4300km 4-5 days) - via New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, up around Gaspe and then back along the south shore of the St. Lawrence.
Probable Route

2) North shore of St. Lawrence (4800km - maybe 6 days for this one) - to Natashquan (QC), up to Manic Cinq and back down, up the Saguenay to Chicoutimi and then south through Mont-Tremblant, Mont-Laurier, Pembroke, then home through the area south of Algonquin.
Probable Route

3) North shore of Lake Superior (3800km 4-5 days) - via Manitoulin, Espanola out to Thunder Bay, then head back via Chapleau, Timmins, New Liskeard, North Bay, then home via the Muskoka's.
Probable Route

Cheers!
 
m.breen said:
You could knock off the Cabot trail. You sure won't be disappointed with that.
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Beat me to it, definitely do the Cabot Trail. I've done most of the other options mentioned and that's the one I would do with your timeframe.
 
Cabot trails been on my bucket list for a while, I figured I'd need 10 days to do it unrushed but I don't think I'll ever realistically have 10 days.From Ottawa I figure I could slab it in 2 days, spend a day on the trail and then come back through the states, seems realistic for 6 or 7 days.
 
Potential itenirary
Day 1 - Ottawa via Bancroft /calabogie
Day 2 - Portland, Maine where I will take the ferry at 9pm to Yarmouth, NS for $50, better to sleep there than a hotel
Day 3 - wake up in yarmouth and cruise through NS to the Cabot trail
Day 4 - ride the trail, start making my way back, try to reach Maine
day 5 - go through new Hampshire, want to ride 112, end up in new york
Day 6 - home through buffalo

I have another two days budgeted for any spillover
 
Sounds sane,

Cabot trails been on my bucket list for a while,
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If you have time take a whale watching trip on the Oshan at Meat Cove
http://www.oshan.ca
Good family.


Good stuff and you don't have any really long stretches but I'd opt to come back through Lewiston not Buffalo.

If not slabbing 104 is nice or stay south and hit Corning for the Glass Museum and excellent lunch
http://www.cmog.org

Letchworth State Park as well for pretty and fantastic food - you are 3 hours from home then.
http://nysparks.com/parks/79/details.aspx
 
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MacDoc said:
If not slabbing 104 is nice...
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I've not run 104 to Lewiston, I'll give it a try next time.

I have, however, taken the Lake Ontario State Parkway to 18. Avoid this route at all costs. The LOSP is a four lane, divided, concrete, bumpy slab. One might think it looks good on the map, running along the south shore of the lake. Not so. It's flat, featureless, limited access, mind numbingly boring, and absolutely deserted. I felt like Charleton Heston in The Omega Man. Never again.
 
Doable but very rushed and only some good riding roads, This would ideally be a 10 - 14 day trip as you may want to include PEI etc. I did this trip by car and we took a very leisurely 21 days but included time in QC, the North shore Gaspe, PEI and other great spots
brownelvis said:
Potential itenirary
Day 1 - Ottawa via Bancroft /calabogie
Day 2 - Portland, Maine where I will take the ferry at 9pm to Yarmouth, NS for $50, better to sleep there than a hotel
Day 3 - wake up in yarmouth and cruise through NS to the Cabot trail
Day 4 - ride the trail, start making my way back, try to reach Maine
day 5 - go through new Hampshire, want to ride 112, end up in new york
Day 6 - home through buffalo

I have another two days budgeted for any spillover
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I have, however, taken the Lake Ontario State Parkway to 18. Avoid this route at all costs. The LOSP is a four lane, divided, concrete, bumpy slab. One might think it looks good on the map, running along the south shore of the lake. Not so. It's flat, featureless, limited access, mind numbingly boring, and absolutely deserted. I felt like Charleton Heston in The Omega Man. Never again.
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yup.....tooth rattler with no redeeming virtues.
 
I wish I could get that kind of time for a vacation, its a disaster if I'm away from work for more than a week at a time. Realistically I think this iis the longest stretch of time I'll ever have for touring, at least in the foreseeable future.
 
Jayell said:
I've not run 104 to Lewiston, I'll give it a try next time.

I have, however, taken the Lake Ontario State Parkway to 18. Avoid this route at all costs. The LOSP is a four lane, divided, concrete, bumpy slab. One might think it looks good on the map, running along the south shore of the lake. Not so. It's flat, featureless, limited access, mind numbingly boring, and absolutely deserted. I felt like Charleton Heston in The Omega Man. Never again.
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Ive seen that road on the map before and contemplated it, so thats good to know. Thanks!
 
Anywhere in WV....all of the roads are beautiful. Do not speed in towns.....even 2 mph over will get you a ticket
 
omnivore said:
Anywhere in WV....all of the roads are beautiful. Do not speed in towns.....even 2 mph over will get you a ticket
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Lots of twisties there? I've driven through on the way to NC so don't remember much other than lots of deer. I'm still in Ottawa, some crazy rain this morning so I'm thinking of changing destinations.
 
MacDoc said:
Just got back from S Pennsylvania.

Chunk of rain I rode through but none here in TO and none to the south.
I skated ahead of that except for one section Norther PA up to about Letchworth.

This is now. http://radar.weather.gov/ridge/Conus/full_loop.php



You are FUBAR to the south unless you are willing to punch through it.

S ONtario is clear ....but muggy and 31

http://weather.gc.ca/radar/index_e.html?id=WKR
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I'm willing to go through one or two days of rain. I'm wearing my scorpion passport one piece waterproof suit and I have waterproof gloves and overboots in tow. I just don't want to be stuck in it the whole week.

Planning to take off tmw rain or shine and not sure where yet, all I know is I need out of ontario lol.
 
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