My unlikely trip from the Great Lakes of Ontario to the Rockies of B.C.

Eric

Sorry about the mispost.

I realize that I am a small voice on this forum, I post so rarely.

At this time, I am packing up some small bags and heading out on my motorcycle for what may be a defining moment in my life.

My family will all be meeting at my younger brother's wedding in British Columbia's lush mountainous interior. JW's and ex-JW's alike are all agreed to be there. If this goes as planned, this will be the first time in almost two decades that all the members of my immediate family will be in one spot. I have a niece entering University I have never met.

I haven't seen my parents in 10 years. I am so stoked about this trip.

I'm going to be taking off from Toronto this Friday, making good time on the road when the road gives me the chance. I have no particular shedule, I'll be stopping in any spot that has a motel with a Vacancy sign out, and as a back-up I've got a tiny tent packed if I must rest or seek shelter on my own.

I am going to take this trip entirely on the Canadian side of the border. At least on the trip out. My way back is up for grabs, but it will likely be the reverse as right now the Americans seem to have a huge stick up their ass.

I would love to meet some of the personalities on this board.

I intend to connect here by means of public terminals along the way to make my trip's progress accessable. I do not know how consistant this service will be, like anything we do I expect to learn from this trip.

In this regard my email [email protected]

Perhaps we might meet and have a meal together as I coax my old body to have this adventure.

Eric

RAYZORBLADE

Best of luck on your journey, safe travels and I hope you do meet up with some ex-JWs from this forum along the way.

There are some all the way across. I'm sure one or two will drop you a line.

Lucky you, I wish it was me on the road right now...but alas, I'm stuck here in Toronto for the next couple of weeks.

Take care,
Best wishes,
Rayzorblade

Simon

Have a good trip and keep us posted eric

I'd love to do that journey (Trans Canada highway ?) but would probably get a bit bored going across Seskatchewan. The rockies are amazing though and going from Canmore through Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper is incredible (though you may not go to Jasper as I think the main road turns off near Field and continues to BC

Take plenty of pics !

Drive safely - I don't know how you'll do it on a bike 'cause it's a long, long way even the short distances (comparatively) that we covered in a nice comfy Van. Take plenty of breaks.

searchfothetruth

This trip makes our little bike ride to Scotland look really wimpy.

Good Luck and I hope you enjoy every minute of it!

RAYZORBLADE

Ya know......people often think, at least from a TCH point-of-view, that Saskatchewan is a boring place to drive through, visit etcetera.

If one were to get off of the Trans Canada Highway, and venture on to the other highways that criss-cross one of Canada's largest provinces, they'd be amazed.

I have to admit, there are some areas of Saskatchewan where you could see 30-40 miles or further way ahead of you. To me, that was phenominal. The SKY was so huge, so vast and the sunrises/sunsets, unreal.

I've visited many 'off the beaten path' locations in Saskatchewan, and have been lucky for it.

Simon, if you and Angharad get back over this way. You'd be surprised at some of the areas in the northern half of the province. Unbelievable vistas, raging rivers, massive lakes and unusual land formations. Very pristine, clean and untouched.

Eric, if you are doing the TCH 1 through Saskatchewan, well...it'll be a routine drive. I forget the name of the east-west route below the TCH (Trans Canada Highway), I think it's either the Red Coat Trail or Salt Coats Trail: that is an amazing drive. The pigtail hills, are unique, and remind me of cartoon scenery. It's one of my favourite drives.

Saskatchewan holds out plenty, you just have to get off the Number 1 highway to discover it all.

xjw_b12

Eric. I envy you. I made a portion of that trip back in 1980, with some jw buddies from Thunder Bay to Calgary. We went to work where the need was great. ( that need being the desire to make gross amounts of money, and party hardy, without the prying eyes of our parents and elder body)

We travelled out on 2 motorcycles, and a fully loaded down Dodge Cordoba. The biking was the best part of the trip, and all the Provinces had their unique beauties. Watch out for the Prairie side roads though. We pulled off in Saskatchewan I believe, and it had rained, which turns the soil into what they called "gumbo". It is like riding on axle grease. Both bikes spilled, and the car almost slipped into a ditch. Very nasty stuff.

If you take the Lake Superior portion of Hwy 11/17, I promise you will see some of the most magnificent scenery, between Toronto and the Rockies. Around Marathon to Nipigon are some very very big hills, and spectacular views of Lake Superior. There is a National Park on the shore of Lake Superior called Pukaskwa, which I hear is very nice, and there is a Provincial Park just west of Marathon called Neys, which is very nice. I can attest to Neys because we camp there every year.

I would suggest you get a Provincial Tourism map for each province you go through. These are published by the Tourism Ministries, and what makes them unique, is they show all the Provincial Parks, as well as the Roadside Rests. (very important when your kidneys are bounced around on a bike)

Avoid driving at dusk going through NorthWestern Ontario. We have quite a large moose population here, and the blackflies drive them out of the bush, as the day gets cooler.

We're all excited for you, and your family reunion.

Regards David.

Satanus

Eric

Sounds like a fun trip. I always find the toronto to manitoba boarder the boring part, and the road is windy. Anyhow, good luck.

SS

Aztec

Well, if us Americans do manage to remove the stick that's currently up our ass and you decide to make your way back through the US and you find yourself going through Detroit let me know. There are a bunch of us here. My email is [email protected]

~Aztec

calamityjane

always find the toronto to manitoba boarder the boring part

That statement is so untrue. Yes it is a windy road but believe what xjw_b12 said, that between Marathon to Nipigon, there is some awesome scenery overlooking the lake, it reminds us of being in the mountains of British Columbia.

Have a safe trip, and hope you can visit us.

RunningMan

"but would probably get a bit bored going across Seskatchewan"

Hey, I live right in the middle of that "boring bit". And, I can assure you that, um, oh well, never mind....

My unlikely trip from the Great Lakes of Ontario to the Rockies of B.C.

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