To celebrate my last days as an M1, I took a 2 week bike trip to Ottawa & Montreal. Just thought I would post some notes.
Highway 2 on the Saturday morning I left was completely empty from Toronto through Brockville. The 401 was apparently plugged the whole time! Stopped lots to see lots of sites, and a made a few hours' detour in Prince Edward County to the Sand Banks for a swim (no wine tasting though...damn!).
Stopped at parents for several days outside of Brockville. Some great free trails if you ride enduro! http://www.limerickforest.ca/en/
To Ottawa through Kemptville then on back roads and streets to Kanata where I had a meeting at the golf course (very nice place). Construction was terrible, many roads were VERY loose gravel with my tires sinking in well below the rubber. Almost an off-road experience but my bike handled it well. In Ottawa a nice rides along Colonel By Drive to downtown, then home along Bank & Riverside out to Manotick along the river. As far as I could tell, no free motorcycle parking in our nation's capital.
From Brockville to Montreal I cut northeast at Cornwall over to Hudson, QC. From there took a ferry to Oka ($5 for motorbikes) and swam at the national park which has many kms of fantastic beach and a dedicated motorcycle parking area. Then you approach the city of Montreal from the north and it is an easy ride downtown.
Driving in Montreal was actually very easy. No right on red means less cars cutting in front of you
And of course parking is also free in Montreal, but strangely you don't park in the official parking spots but rather in front and behind them. Three days parked beside my hotel in Old Montreal at no charge! There are definitely a lot more bikes on the road in la belle province.
Out from Montreal I came along the south shore and rode along the St. Lawrence back to Ontario. Some pretty scenery, huge power dams and rapids. And a great little poutine stand halfway to Ontario border. Then back to Highway 2 where the bugs go crazy when the sun starts to go down.
From Brockville to Toronto, cut up to Perth and rode Highway 7 to Peterborough. Pretty...but a bit boring. Very straight road most of the way. Back down to Highway 2 then to Kingston road and a swim in Scarborough before heading downtown.
All the routes were well populated but not busy so I was never afraid of riding alone. You do have to keep your eyes open for deer on a lot of these roads, esp near dusk.
All in all, a fantastic trip! Looking forward to the next.
Highway 2 on the Saturday morning I left was completely empty from Toronto through Brockville. The 401 was apparently plugged the whole time! Stopped lots to see lots of sites, and a made a few hours' detour in Prince Edward County to the Sand Banks for a swim (no wine tasting though...damn!).
Stopped at parents for several days outside of Brockville. Some great free trails if you ride enduro! http://www.limerickforest.ca/en/
To Ottawa through Kemptville then on back roads and streets to Kanata where I had a meeting at the golf course (very nice place). Construction was terrible, many roads were VERY loose gravel with my tires sinking in well below the rubber. Almost an off-road experience but my bike handled it well. In Ottawa a nice rides along Colonel By Drive to downtown, then home along Bank & Riverside out to Manotick along the river. As far as I could tell, no free motorcycle parking in our nation's capital.
From Brockville to Montreal I cut northeast at Cornwall over to Hudson, QC. From there took a ferry to Oka ($5 for motorbikes) and swam at the national park which has many kms of fantastic beach and a dedicated motorcycle parking area. Then you approach the city of Montreal from the north and it is an easy ride downtown.
Driving in Montreal was actually very easy. No right on red means less cars cutting in front of you
And of course parking is also free in Montreal, but strangely you don't park in the official parking spots but rather in front and behind them. Three days parked beside my hotel in Old Montreal at no charge! There are definitely a lot more bikes on the road in la belle province. Out from Montreal I came along the south shore and rode along the St. Lawrence back to Ontario. Some pretty scenery, huge power dams and rapids. And a great little poutine stand halfway to Ontario border. Then back to Highway 2 where the bugs go crazy when the sun starts to go down.
From Brockville to Toronto, cut up to Perth and rode Highway 7 to Peterborough. Pretty...but a bit boring. Very straight road most of the way. Back down to Highway 2 then to Kingston road and a swim in Scarborough before heading downtown.
All the routes were well populated but not busy so I was never afraid of riding alone. You do have to keep your eyes open for deer on a lot of these roads, esp near dusk.
All in all, a fantastic trip! Looking forward to the next.
