Canada only 1 week big trip suggestions?

nakkers said:
How about Cape Breton? Never gets old to me. Can swing the trip down in a couple days at a leisurely pace and spend a couple of days there and then a couple days home. Stop at points of interest along the way.
Click to expand...

Could be on the radar. I've been out to do the Cabot a number of years ago, but never seriously explored a whole lot, it was literally a 3 day whirldwind trip - one day there, one day for the cabot and part of the way back, and the third day back home. Silly iron butt things.

Watching what's happening with the news today going to the USA is all but ruled out at this point.

Who knows, I might not even have a job in a few weeks, so that'll change things even further.
 
shanekingsley said:
If things don't change by summer, I'll be riding the Trans Lab and over to the Rock, then back home around Cape Breton instead of the Pacific Coast Highway. This would be the 3rd time I've canceled a trip to the US and did a Canada ride instead. Always wanted to check out the Rock.
Click to expand...
We are thinking about doing that too lol, we might have to wait till after you leave for a trip report and tips!
 
PrivatePilot said:
I just did some Googling on a few Manitoba prospects and the drive up to Thompson came up on Highway 6 - remote (appealing), and some so-so scenery along the way, reminds me a bit of the JBR though as you're north of the 53rd parallel), but a LOT of backtracking that is simply unavoidable. There’s no real way to make any sort of loop while still staying on decent highways.
Click to expand...
Three of us rode up to Thompson a number of years ago because a friend thought that was the end of the pavement. (it's not). Just for grins we took the Sultan Industrial road - gravel - I was on the Wing with buddies on sportbikes.
Was a good ride. Sadly one of my riding companions on that trip passed last year much too early. Get out and ride while you can!
 
Gaoler said:
It never gets old, but unfortunately you'll need more than one week.
Click to expand...

My wife and I have 2 weeks of together-vacation this summer that we were originally going to use to go down the length of the Blue Ridge parkway to Tenesee and such, exploring and camping along the way, but that's out now because of this whole mess - I will speak with my wallet without question.

So, now I'm throwing Jello at the wall and wondering about going west on the bikes. I'll have to have that discussion with her and see how many miles she's interested in riding to see if 2 weeks is even realistic though. Myself, I'd be on the west coast in 3 days, but I know she doesn't have that kind of interest in big mile days.

As for my 1 week trip with my riding buddies, we chatted about it today and the USA is pretty much officially shelved unless things take a dramatic turn in the next few weeks. We are going to look closer at the Kegasha / Gaspe loop option now.
 
PrivatePilot said:
As for my 1 week trip with my riding buddies, we chatted about it today and the USA is pretty much officially shelved unless things take a dramatic turn in the next few weeks.
Click to expand...

Yeah... I was starting to think about maybe getting back into shooting competitions in the US... 'was a regular thing until covid, but...
Now with the dollar tanking and the anti-everyone vibe in the 'states... I'm not sure I'll bother.
 
Private Pilot you can extend your time flying the Star Cruiser to Vancouver and then riding around BC and then ride home with the prevailing wind and weather systems ....much easier to plan.

Bike'Air

www.westjetcargo.com www.westjetcargo.com
We did Vancouver once and Calgary once.
Neat thing is you leave around 9 am and get in around 9 am and it's fast pick up at the airfreight terminal. You can have the bike on the same plane but we had the bike shipped one day ahead.
You can be on the Sea to Sky right quick.
They will take your luggage. We kept helmets with us.
 
PrivatePilot said:
Plans to go back to WV again this summer are rapidly becoming less appealing with the batshittery going on south of the border right now - both the overall political climate, as well as my willingness as a proud Canadian who is being sh!t on right now to actually spend a dime of my tourist money there...so, looking for suggestions on a 1 week trip that stays north of the border.

- James Bay Road is out, did it last year.

- Newfoundland would be nice, but it's not a 1 week trip.

- We thought about the translab loop, but 100+ km of gravel on a Star Venture, a Goldwing, and an ST1100 is not super ideal.

- Gaspe is on the list, but not sure we can make a full week out of that staying strictly in Canada. Previous plans included Maine and Vermont to extend, but, yeah, no.

- Quebec 138 to the end is on the list, but again, just not sure we can make a full week out of that. Maybe in conjunction with the ferry and a Gaspe loop, perhaps.

Any suggestions? Motocamping or motels/hotels are fine. We like to get out into far flung places, but open to all suggestions.
Click to expand...
A good week trip is to Kakabeka falls and back. Take the northern route along 11 to Nipigon, you can wiggle thru QC on 101 to Matheson - or 144 from Sudbury to then 144-655 to 11 at Driftwood then west to Kacabeka.

Return 17 along Superior. Cross Manatoulin, then take the ferry from South Baymouth to Tobermory.

9 days, motor camping everywhere, lots of roadside attractions and wiggly alternate roads.

One language, one currency.
 
I know exactly where that photo was taken, because I have one almost exactly like it from the same spot lol.

1739132690269.png

Anyhow, we went out for breakfast with a bunch of our riding group.

There was more chatter about a trip out west, with the guys riding out to Calgary/Edmonton, and the ladies flying and catching up to us there for riding pillion for the "good parts" through the mountains to Vancouver, etc...and then they fly home and the 3-4 of us guys turn and burn back home.

My wife is into riding in AB/BC, but she's just not interested in the 3 days to and from Alberta. If I massage my vacation right, I can get 18 days out of a 2 week slot ending on the Canada day weekend, so 3 days to and from Alberta = 12 days riding around in AB/BC, and probably out to Vancouver island even. Even if we take 4 days each way, that still leaves 10 days of riding out there which honestly I think would still be enough.

The only snag with this is that I'm sure a huge part of the country right now is looking very hard at vacationing in BC this summer, given the situation at hand....so finding accommodations are going to be insanely difficult I suspect.
 
LOL.

Phototag lives again!

superior-X2.jpg
 
Sunday Rider said:
Is that Lake Superior? If it is I have that photo too without bike though.
Click to expand...

Yep. Southbound on Hwy 17 on the southern end of Lake Superior Provincial Park, about halfway between the Soo and Wawa:

maps.app.goo.gl

Street View · Google Maps

Explore a place in a more immersive way in Google Maps.
maps.app.goo.gl maps.app.goo.gl
 
PrivatePilot said:
The only snag with this is that I'm sure a huge part of the country right now is looking very hard at vacationing in BC this summer, given the situation at hand....so finding accommodations are going to be insanely difficult I suspect.
Click to expand...

In my experience, motorcycle travelers don't frequent the same kinds of places and lodgings as regular vacationers.

Fly in/fly out vacationers typically stay in urban centres, close to grocery stores, restaurants and tourist attractions and other amenities, whereas motorcyclists typically stay near destination roads and highways - motels far away from the aforementioned tourist traps.

It's such a huge province, so unless you have your heart set on motorcycling into downtown Vancouver and staying there, I wouldn't talk yourself out of visiting the west just because of a fear of lack of lodging.
 
Lightcycle said:
Fly in/fly out vacationers typically stay in urban centres, close to grocery stores, restaurants and tourist attractions and other amenities, whereas motorcyclists typically stay near destination roads and highways - motels far away from the aforementioned tourist traps.
Click to expand...

Fair, but I also suspect we are not the only motorcyclists thinking of doing something similar. Hard to say how many US tourists (riders and otherwise) and world tourists may also come north not only to enjoy the dollar savings, but also to support Canada - there’s been a huge sentiment of “I was going to go to the US but now I’m going to Canada to support them instead” growing online. And I don’t think it’s entirely bluster, people are ****** at the USA right now.
 
PrivatePilot said:
Fair, but I also suspect we are not the only motorcyclists thinking of doing something similar. Hard to say how many US tourists (riders and otherwise) and world tourists may also come north not only to enjoy the dollar savings, but also to support Canada - there’s been a huge sentiment of “I was going to go to the US but now I’m going to Canada to support them instead” growing online. And I don’t think it’s entirely bluster, people are ****** at the USA right now.
Click to expand...

Motorcyclists are such a tiny percentage of travelers, I really don't foresee a problem. I've lived out here for six years and traveled far and wide all over the western provinces in that time. Trust me. Lodging won't be a problem.
 
Lightcycle said:
Motorcyclists are such a tiny percentage of travelers, I really don't foresee a problem. I've lived out here for six years and traveled far and wide all over the western provinces in that time. Trust me. Lodging won't be a problem.
Click to expand...

Thx. Will keep that reality in mind and message the guys to see exactly how serious this chatter exactly was lol
 
MacDoc said:
View attachment 72332
Pretty sure I do as well as nearly ran out of gas coming back from Pickle Lake...damn CBF1000 had no range.
Click to expand...

I remember we passed each other a few times on that ride. As pictured, I was carry a Jerry can on that trip, first summer of Covid, a lot of gas stations closing early or entirely closed, etc etc. I never ran out but I came within milliliters of doing so once.
 
MacDoc said:
Private Pilot you can extend your time flying the Star Cruiser to Vancouver and then riding around BC and then ride home with the prevailing wind and weather systems ....much easier to plan.
Click to expand...

I just saw this reply, missed it earlier apparently.

That's interesting. But I can't find anywhere on there to get a price from YYZ to YVR or YEG. For that matter, it looks like they only do overseas now and not domestic at all. The website is very confusing.

My wife and I have been talking. Thinking of sending her ahead on a flight to Edmonton (we have family there 5 minutes from the airport) and I'd just Iron Butt out there in 2 days. I've had a Canadian 2000km in 24 hours Iron Butt Association ride in mind for a while now so I could knock that off easily on day 2 - Home to Thunder Bay on day 1, and then, super conveniently, Thunder Bay to Edmonton is just over 2000km. Depart super early on a Friday and arrive in Edmonton sometime overnight Saturday/Sunday.

Recharge and hang out with the family in Edmonton on Sunday, and then the wife and I would head into the mountains on the Monday. That would leave us 10-12 days to do whatever we want in the mountains and BC as a whole before heading back to Edmonton to drop her off to fly home, leaving me a a good chunk of time to head home. And because I'm stupid like that, I'd probably iron butt home as well lol.

Hmmmmmmmmm.

All of this is separate to the 1 week out east I started this thread originally about, FWIW. But now I'm just spitballing alternatives for the 2 weeks my wife and I have off as well.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom