Here’s a complete list of all the places the Ultimate Northern Ontario Road Trip is visiting this summer, including where we’ll stay, what we’ll do, and links to all the good stuff! Got something amazing you think we missed? E-mail us!
June 1, 2012, Toronto to Presqu’ile Prov. Park – Our first day on the road takes us from the thick traffic of the Big Smoke to that little slice of heaven just down the 401 known as Presqu’ile Provincial Park where we’re park our caravan and do a little exploring in Prince Edward County.
June 2, 2012, Shannonville, Martin’s River Campground, Picton – On our first full day out of the city we’re heading over to the VRRA Quinte TT at the Shannonville Racetrack. Old bikes in full on racing, what more do I need to say. Last year they even let one of our crew jump on one of the vintage sidecars!
June 3, 2012, Day trips in Prince Edward County – We’ll be exploring one of Ontario’s most popular provincial parks, Sandbanks, and then taking a little trip up to Lake on the Mountain. This lake is fed from an unknown aquifer and sits 65 meters above the Bay of Quinte, defying all kinds of logic! Check the blog for the incredible views from this high vantage point.
June 4, 2012, Kawarthas to Haliburton – Riding through some of the twisties in the Kawartha region (Buckhorn Road anyone?) and visting the Petroglyphs provincial park to check out the First Nations carvings there.
June 5, 2012, West Guildford to Bonnechere Park through Algonquin Park – Hitting some of the most beloved motorcycle roads in the province – Highway 60 through Algonquin Park (Ontario’s oldest provincial park).
June 6, 2012, Bonnechere to Mattawa – Cruising into historic Mattawa, we’ll be soaking up the riverside history of this traditional meeting place and collecting some interviews with the locals, as well as checking out some of the incredible views from the side of the Ottawa River and Laurentian Mountains.
June 7, 2012, Mattawa – We’re cooling our heels for a day in Mattawa taking some time to upload content from our first week on the road.
June 8, 2012, Mattawa to New Liskeard via North Bay – We embark on our survey of the Temiskaming Loop, a great route for riders who want to get to know Northern Ontario. Some great riverside views as we cruise north to New Liskeard on the Quebec side. Hopefully the canola is in bloom and the brilliant fields of yellow will greet us before we tuck in at the Holiday Inn in New Liskeard.
June 9, 2012, New Liskeard to North Bay – Completing the Temiskaming Loop, we’re heading out on a cruise of Lake Nippising on the Chief Commanda, then meeting Glenn and Gwen Roberts from Motorcycle Mojo for a deluxe sunset dinner at Churchill’s Prime Rib House in North Bay.
June 10, 2012, North Bay to Sudbury – Heading out with the Roberts from North Bay, we start the Nipissing Loop Tour. We’ll also be stopping for a tour of Board’s Honey Farm in Restoule, and grabbing a cone (and maybe some lunch…) at the iconic French River Trading Post.
June 11, 2012, Sudbury to Killarney – Driving south to Killarney Provincial Park with our friends from Mojo, we’ll enjoy the twisty roads, quartzite cliffs and the warm hospitality of the Sportsman Inn patio at the end of our day.
June 12, 2012, Killarney Office Day – Cooling our heels again to get some videos edited and post some new stories on the blog. We say goodbye to Motorcycle Mojo as they head off to explore Manitoulin Island on their way back home.
June 13, 2012, Killarney Provincial Park – During the day we’ll head out on a hike in the park, and in the evening Killarney Mountain Lodge will host a sunset kayak trip.
June 14, 2012, Killarney to Sudbury – We’ll take a boat cruise on Baie Fine, Ontario’s famous 13km long inland fjord in Georgian Bay. Then we head off to Sudbury for a tour of Dynamic Earth – an old mine tour that descends seven stories into a dramatic rock chasm.
June 15, 2012, Sudbury to Halfway Lake – After a leisurely morning in the Big Nickel, we head up highway 144 to the aptly named Halfway Lake. Secluded twisty roads greet us on this quiet highway heading North.
June 16-17, 2012, Halfway Lake to Elk Lake – Visiting the Elk Lake Eco Centre and doing a tour of the local farms that produce food for this incredible resort deep in the wilds of Northern Ontario.
June 18, 2012, Elk Lake to Timmins – Staying at the Cedar Meadows Spa & Resort, we’ll be giving our viewers in depth video coverage of this world-class spa & wildlife sanctuary.
June 19, 2012, Timmins to Cochrane – After taking in the wildlife sanctuary in the morning at Cedar Meadows, we’re off to Cochrane where we take in some of the local history such as the Tim Horton’s museum, before bedding down at the Best Western Inn.
June 20, 2012, Cochrane to Moose River – Giving our vehicles a rest, we head North on the Polar Bear Express to Moosonee, then take a water taxi to Moose River where we check into the Moose River Guest House and exploring the Hudson’s Bay Company 1850 built staff house and Cree Culture Interpretive Centre.
June 21, 2012, Moose River to Cochrane via Polar Bear Express – We’re taking a boat tour down the Moose River to James Bay (Ontario’s only salt water coast) with Jenn and Nolan from Moose River Tours on the lookout for the majestic Beluga Whale. When we arrive back in Cochrane we’re staying at the Best Western.
June 22, 2012, Cochrane to Timmins – We’re back in Timmins to take in a tour of the Wild Exodus Glamping experience which includes lunch, dinner and boat cruise on Lake Kenogassami.
June 23, 2012, Timmins – In town we’re panning for gold at a real live gold mine, before heading off to the Shania Twain Centre for a full guided tour! Watch for video on this!
June 24, 2012, Timmins to Chapleau via Hwy 10 – Visiting Alain Gervais at his Ride the North compound at the entrance the Chapleau Big Game Preserve. The rustic lodge and ATV trails will form the backdrop for bird & wildlife viewing.
June 25, 2012, Chapleau to Wawa – Meeting up with our good pal Roger Parsons from Motorcycle Mojo, we’ll pass Potholes Provincial Park that features glacial potholes scooped out of the bedrock and head out to Debreuilleville to meet up with our friends, the Groomer Guy, Luc Levesque. Roger will be staying in the world-renowned Wawa Motor Inn.
June 26, 2012 Wawa to Sault Ste. Marie – Riding south on the Trans Canada, we’ll take lots of photos and videos of our ride with Roger down to Lake Superior Provincial Park, and stop at a few of the scenic overlooks like Old Woman Bay and Batchawana Bay. This is easily some of the most scenic territory we’ll encounter along the way. Roger will stay at the iconic Water Tower Inn, and we’ll be camping out at the KOA.
June 27, 2012 Sault Ste. Marie to St. Joseph Island – Today mark the beginning of our comprehensive coverage of Ontario’s equivalent of the Tail of the Dragon, Highway 129. This is one of the province’s best kept secrets and we’ll be spilling the beans all day long. We’ll be camping on Hilton Beach on the beautiful St. Joseph’s Island, and Roger will stay at the Hilton Beach Inn, home of the Friday the 13th of the North.
June 28, 2012, St. Joseph Island – Mike and Roger will take off for the Bikers Reunion in New Liskeard, one of the largest motorcycle rallies in Ontario, let alone the North, while Jessie, Alexe and Bogdan investigate St. Joseph’s Island in depth.
June 29, 2012, St. Joseph Island to Sault Ste. Marie – While Mike settles in to New Liskeard, Alexe and Bogdan will begin their comprehensive coverage of the Ride for Sight, Northern Ontario Edition, and report on the Soo city’s sights. They’ll bed down at Glenview Cottages & RV Park while Jessie takes the Yamaha solo up to Pukaskswa National Park and hikes the epic trail from Hattie Cove.
June 30 – July 1, 2012, Sault Ste. Marie, New Liskeard and Pukaskwa – Wow. The UNORT crew is scattered across the North, reporting on the Ride for Sight event in Sault Ste. Marie, the Biker’s Reunion in New Liskeard, and a hike through Pukaskwa. Watch for a wealth of photos, videos, stories and sounds from across the North.
July 2, 2012, Agawa Bay to Hattie Cove – The UNORT team reunites as Mike speeds back to meet with Jessie, Alexe and Bogdan at Hattie Cove to continue their journey on together.
July 3, 2012, Hattie Cove to Rossport – Slow riding along Highway 17 to Rossport, we’ll take in the majesty that is the North Shore of Lake Superior in the AM (watch for good video of this part of the trip), then jump on a boat tour with Bluebird Charters for four hours, landing at the world renowned Slate Islands where we hope to catch a glimpse of the Caribou herd there. We bed down at Rainbow Falls Provincial Park.
July 4, 2012, Rossport to Sleeping Giant – Heading out to Eagle Canyon Adventures, we’ll jump in to their zipline experience. It’s Canada’s longest, highest and fastest zipline. We’ll be strapping Bogdan and his very expensive movie camera to this for sure.
July 5, 2012, Sleeping Giant Provincial Park – Last year we didn’t get as much time as we’d like at the Sleeping Giant, so this year we’ve got in depth coverage of some of the trails up to the top of the Giant, as well as a stop at the Silver Islet Teahouse. Silver Islet was Ontario’s first silver mine, and the story behind how this tiny island grew to 10x it’s original size in the quest for silver will be explored in detail.
July 6, 2012, Sleeping Giant to Thunder Bay – Leaving Sleeping Giant, we head into the City of Thunder Bay to enjoy a delish breakfast at the world-renowned Hoito Restaurant, take in a restorative sauna at Kanga’s Sauna, grab some pierogies at a European deli (Thunder Bay was originally settled by Finns and Italians, hence all the incredible food), and top it all off with an excelsior sailing trip with Capt. Greg Heroux on his Sail Superior Charter (watch for video of this trip – hopefully we’ll convince Capt. Heroux to get his charming daughters on camera). If there’s time, we’ll try to cram in a visit to Kakabeka Falls, the Niagara of the North.
July 7, 2012, Thunder Bay to Fort Frances – We leave the big city to begin our adventures into the depths of Sunset Country, and area we’ve never explored before.
July 8, 2012, Fort Frances to Caliper Lake – Travelling to Sioux Narrows and what purports to be an excellent motorcycling road via the town of Stratton, we’ll be taking in a tour of the unique Kay-Nah-Chi-Wah-Nung and the ancient burial grounds on the shores of the Rainy River. We’ll also explore one of the few agricultural areas in the North, head into the Lake of the Woods area and bed down at Caliper Lake Provincial Park.
July 9, 2012, Caliper Lake to Kenora – Arriving in Kenora mid-morning, we’re overjoyed to have been invited on a float plane trip (we’ll strap a camera to the bottom of the plane so we can all share the experience) a kayak trip with Green Adventures and a cruise on the MS Kenora before hitting the hay at the Anicenabe RV Park.
July 10, 2012, Kenora – What voyage into Northern Ontario would be complete without a fishing trip to capture the elusive mystical Muskie! This should be good for a few laughs as the city slickers try their hand at angling.
July 11, 2012, Kenora to Ignace – After exploring the city and catching up on our posts, we’ll leave Kenora mid-afternoon. Mike and Bogdan will check out Highway 502 while Jessie and Alexe check out Minnetaki and Elgi before regrouping at night at Sandbar Lake Provincial Park.
July 12, 2012, Ignace to Pickle Lake – Fortified by wild blueberry pancakes in Ignace, we start a big driving day where we tackle the trip to the top of Ontario’s most northerly paved road. We’ll likely be taking some gas tanks with us to make sure we make it all the way. At night we’ll sleep at the Oz Lake Motel.
July 13, 2012, Pickle Lake to Ignace – After our adventure in the the deep north, we’ll take a leisurely stroll drive down the side roads to return to Ignace where we’ll hole up in the cozy Lone Pine Motel, where we’ll take a nap on the beach, and keep lookout for Sandpipers and Lynx!
July 14, 2012, Ignace to Thunder Bay – Heading back to Thunder Bay via Highway 622, we’ll take in a longer sail with Capt. Greg and get some more history of Lake Superior. We’ll be staying at the Day’s Inn again — their spacious Family Suite just can’t be beat!
July 15, 2012, Thunder Bay to Beardmore – Heading along the Northern Corridor of Transcanada Highway 11, we’ll stop to do a day-hike to the Pijitawabik Palisades. These 1.2 billion year-old sheer-cut cliffs feature an interpretive hiking trail in the Greenstone Region, home of one of the world’s largest Chromium deposits!
July 16, 2012, Beardmore to Longlac – After our massive hike, we’ll stop in the Geraldton interpretive centre before heading up to Nakina for dinner at the old CN station.
July 17, 2012, Longlac to Kapuskasing – Last year we stayed with the Nadeau’s in Kapuskasing, right on their front lawn, and father Norm (one of the instructors at Learning Curves rider training schools in the North) told us of incredible off-road trails. With that in mind, we’re saddling up the GS and heading into the bush with Stormin’ Norman leading the way! First of a few off-road forays.
July 18, 2012, Kapuskasing to the Cache – Following Highway 11, we head down to La Cache Campground on beautiful Lake Kenogamissi. Hopefully we’ll be able to put our angling knowledge gleaned from our Lake of the Woods trip to good use here!
July 19, 2012, La Cache to Mindemoya – On one of our longest drives of the trip we take the secluded and twisty Hwy 144 via Gogama (where we MUST stop this year – if only to get a photo and some gas) we head to one of our favourite places in the North, Mindemoya Court Cottages where we saddle up for our coverage of the Ride Manitoulin motorcycle event.
July 20, 2012, Mindemoya, Manitoulin Island – While the crew cools their heels and uploads new videos, photos and stories, Mike will take off with Manitoulin locals Colin and Steven for an off-road tour of the Great Spirit Island.
July 21, 2012, Providence Bay to Providence Bay – The Ride Manitoulin event is in full swing and the UNORT crew will be covering every aspect of it; poker runs, test rides, biker games and (beer) gardens!
July 22, 2012, Manitoulin Exploration – Manitoulin is in the spotlight this year, so we’re going to add some video coverage of the best attractions on the island, including the Cup & Saucer Trail, Bridal Veil Falls, the Meldrum Bay Inn and much more on this full day tour of the island.
July 23, 2012, Manitoulin Exploration – We love Manitoulin so much we decided to stay an extra day and hit the beach at Providence Bay!
July 24, 2012 Mindemoya to Lion’s Head – Departing from Manitoulin, we board the MS Chi-Cheemaun (aka Big Canoe) to travel down the Bruce Peninsula to the Taylor Made BnB, where we’ll ride along with the Who Riders exploring the backroads of Grey-Bruce.
July 25, 2012, Lion’s Head — It’s so pretty here, we’re staying an extra day with Barbara & Dave Wynd at Taylor Made, and hunkering down to get some work done before we hit the party in Mattawa.
July 26, 2012, Lion’s Head to Toronto — Unforeseen mechanical difficulties! The truck’s out of steam so we’re heading home to change vehicles before we head back over to Mattawa for Voyageur Days.
July 27, 2012, Toronto to North Bay – Oh boy. After a day of driving back up to the North, we’re ready for some good old fashioned rock and roll — Karaoke at Partner’s in North Bay!
July 28, 2012, Mattawa – Voyageur Days begins in Mattawa! George Thorogood and the Destroyers. The Northern Pikes. Platinum Blonde. WHAT ELSE DO WE HAVE TO SAY.
July 29, 2012, Mattawa to Barry’s Bay – Peering through the fog of last night’s goodtimes, we’ll inch our way down 17 to Pembroke and pick up Ottawa Valley Tourism’s Melissa Marquart for some adventuring in the Valley — including a delicious traditional Polish buffet in Ontario’s first Polish Settlement, Wilno!
July 30, 2012, Barry’s Bay to Peterborough – After a morning on the twisty turns of the legendary Peterson & Elephant Lake Roads between Maynooth and Harcourt, we head to Peterborough to rock out with the Road Show’s composer, Dan Jacobs. For our dinner picnic in his backyard after our recording session, he’s treating us to a rib dinner from Muddy’s Pit BBQ in Keene, Ontario. This place has incredible BBQ – they cook the ribs for a minimum of 24 hours with only smoke to cook the meat – no charcoal, propane, no nothing. Just smoke.
July 31, 2012, Peterborough to Toronto – What, you’re still here? That’s it! It’s over! Go home! Watch for a recap of all our activities before we wade back through the throbbing mass of smog and sheet metal into the depth of the Big Smoke as our summer adventure comes to an end. Hope you enjoyed it as much as we did! Watch for a big video send off with a recap of all the highlights of our trip.
And of course, we’ll continue to bring you new photos and videos as we settle back down and spend some time filtering through all the cool stuff we captured that we just didn’t have time to report on.
