We're Home

Today's forecast called for a high of 29C. With the heat and the usual southbound cottage traffic against us, we decided to leave as early as possible. We woke up shortly after 6am and departed the Stevenson Lodge at 7:20. The early morning was still a little cool and there was even a coat of fog over the river and the surrounding area.

Morning fog in Combermere.

We followed Jim & Sandy for the first 2km of the ride but then we split up at Highway 62 and we'd have to ride the next 405km on our own. The fog lifted as soon as we left Combermere and the sky was clear for the duration of the ride.

We made a quick stop in Bancroft for gas and then continued home. We made another quick stop along Monck Road but otherwise we didn't stop until we reached the Midhurst Coffee Shop at 10:40am for our traditional Victoria Day lunch.

At the Midhurst Coffee Shop.

Similarly, after lunch, we fueled up in Angus, made another quick stop in Grand Valley and reached home at 2pm, just under 7 hours after leaving Combermere. The focus will now turn to getting back into everyday life rhythm.

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Final Day of Our Vacation

Heather and I slept in again this morning. We got out of bed at 8:20am but not more than 30 minutes later we were out riding. The goal today was to ride some new roads and have enough gas for Monday's ride home to last us until at least Bancroft.

We rode on Highway 62 to Barry's Bay then turned onto Highway 60 and rode east. As we rode past Wilno we noticed that the local tavern was still closed on a rather cloudy Sunday morning. Our first stop was in Golden Lake to stretch out for a couple of minutes.

From Golden Lake we continued on Highway 60 to Highway 41 which we took all the way to Pembroke. There we stopped at Tim Hortons for a few minutes. Heather had a french vanilla and a honey cruller while I held off in anticipation of lunch at Mapleton House. We were to be there at 12:30pm for lunch with Jim and Sandy.

We left Pembroke and took Highway 17 towards Cobden. Whether it's a week-long trip or a one day ride around town, I tend to avoid taking the same road twice because I prefer not to enjoy the same scenery along the way, and today was no different. We stopped in Cobden for fuel and then set the GPS to guide us to Mapleton House. The GPS took us there through Cobden Road, Highway 60, Highway 41, Foymount Road, Quadeville Road, Palmer Road, Wingle Road, Cedar Grove Road, Schutt Road and finally Highway 28. Before we turned onto Wingle Road we had been followed by a red Toyota for at least 20 minutes. That car appeared again as we were on Schutt Road. I guess he didn't like the shortcut. That's also when we noticed a Gold Wing in our rearview mirrors. Talk about good timing.

At the Mapleton House, again.

We arrived at Mapleton House at exactly 12:30pm. Heather and I tried the Linda sandwich which consisted of an egg, bacon, cheese and mayo. Very tasty. We got back to our cabin via Highway 28, Boulter Road and Highway 517. We had just enough time to gather ourselves and head to the lodge for 3pm. At the lodge, we picked up a bottle of wine for finishing first in the brainteaser challenge. Some of us also indulged in cake and ice cream. The cake was part of a baby shower for Jenni and Oliver who have been coming to the rally for many years.

The evening featured the traditional fireworks display.

Tonight's fireworks lineup.

For the first time I was part of the crew and my responsibility was lighting the fireworks.

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A Quiet Day in Combermere

Today was going to be a lazy day. Heather and I were in no rush to get up and we even decided to skip the Saturday morning ride which departed the lodge at 11:30am. Heather and I had ridden during each of the previous nine days but as a wise man once said, all things are best enjoyed in moderation.

We spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon milling around our cabin and the main lodge. Once the group ride returned, Jim borrowed a car and we went to Barry's Bay to pick up fireworks for Sunday. As we rolled into town around 3pm, the crowd attending the annual Bay Day was already dispensing although the main street remained closed.

Back at the cabin, we had light supper and rested until about 9pm when we went to the roundhouse which was empty at this relatively early hour. We then went looking for people and as we were spending time in one of the other cabins the rain came down for about 5 minutes. At 10:30pm we went back to the roundhouse which was now full of people.

A quiet day around cabin 23.

Fry Guys Rally

We left Gananoque this morning before 10am. However, before we left town we split up in two groups as we each had to get gas and, more important, cash for the weekend. After we finally regrouped we took Highway 32 from Gananoque heading north. Only a minute or so outside of town we had to slow down for a puppy that was wondering the road. Hopefully, the cars behind us were as careful and also managed to avoid the dog.

At one of our stops.

From Highway 32 it was onto Highway 15. We stopped for a few minutes in Crosby, at the intersection of 15 and 42. We resumed the ride by taking Highway 42 to County Road 36, then to Highway 509. At the end of 509 we stopped to look for a restaurant. The plan was to take County Road 30 to Highway 41 and to stop where 41 meets 28. However, Jim kept going and we followed him on 28 to a place called Mapleton House which is located 25 minutes south of Combermere.

Mapleton House.

That proved to be an excellent choice as the place looked great and the food wasn't bad either. Heather even had a maple milkshake from the menu. They even had a souvenir shop which was selling, among many other things, locally made maple syrup.

In the parking lot of the Mapleton House.

After lunch, it was off to the Stevenson Lodge in Combermere for the 22nd annual Fry Guys Rally. The Robinson family had been attending the rally since its inception while it was only the 4th one for me. And even the weather forecast was looking great. We arrived at the lodge around 2pm. We spent some time around the lodge and settled in to our cabin.

In front of cabin 23.

Then we went to Barry's Bay to get groceries. Since we didn't have a car, we only got what we thought would be enough for the next three days. Later in the evening, as more people arrived, we went back to the lodge for the annual Friday chili and hot dogs. Heather and I are looking forward to relaxing for a couple of days after spending the past eight nights in eight different places.

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