Agawa Bay, Lake Superior Provincial Park
Oh what a glorious day.
Mike and Roger were frolicking up ahead on their bikes like happy harbour seals in the surf, and we had the windows down on Ol’ Willie, wind blowing, hair crazy, actually driving fast and relatively smoothly for once. I loved driving this road in a 1979 3/4-ton 4×4 Chevy pick-up with a bit of a high-speed tremor towing about 2000 pounds of trailer, so I can imagine how awesome it would be in something with a little kick. Everyone was happy. And the views! The views. Last year it was rainy and grey on this part of the route, so we didn’t actually get to experience the full impact of the Lake Superior provincial park coastline. But with clear blue skies and sunshine, it just hits you like that old Beastie Boys song: I’m talking hip. Pop. Pow.
And the lounging! The lounging. The boys and Alexe would go off to shoot some video of the bikes rounding a particularly gorgeous curve, and I would laze my fat self on the gloriously hot sand of Old Woman Bay, Katherine Bay, and Agawa Bay, dunking my toes in the water every once and awhile to stay awake. We had a great picnic lunch on the beach at the visitor’s centre near the Agawa Bay campground, and had a wander through to check out the really beautiful historic, cultural, and geographic exhibits.
I really feel this route deserves a dedicated balance of riding (or driving) the road and sunbathing (or hiking, or wandering) the stunning bays and beaches. Please, do not be in a hurry on these 180km. And please, stop for dinner at the mind-blowing Salzburger Hof Resort in Batchawana Bay. The dining room looks out over the Bay, and features gigantic portions of traditional German-Austrian cuisine. It’s definitely an old-school dining experience with seamless, attentive service in a room presided over by a 12-foot rack of antler and a stone fireplace adorned with gnomes.
Plan on having a post-dinner lie-down on the shuffleboard court too because I had a hard time waddling afterward. But eventually, after some soft-shoeing in the topiary, we made it to the Soo and tucked Roger into his room at the aptly named Water Tower Inn.
Tomorrow – an early start on an all-day Highway 129 riding extravaganzaaaaaaaa!
For more information on motorcycle routes, accommodations, attractions and restaurants in Algoma Country check out www.RideAlgoma.ca
Photo by Alexandra Sawicki
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