Nova Scotia, 2-Up, FZ6R Ride Report - You Really CAN Tour On It

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Hello fellow FZ6R riders!

The following is a report on a trip I took last year to Nova Scotia from Toronto. My ride was my, you guessed it, FZ6R... the little do-it-all bike that could.

Does the FZ6R make a good touring mount? Darn right it does... although I have nothing nice to say about the seat!

So please read on and join me on my trip.

We begin in Toronto. The time is August, 2010...

 

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A couple of years ago, Allie and I had been making our way back to Halifax by car from Lunenburg. We were winding our way along the coastal roads of the South Shore of Nova Scotia, and I think I said more than once, "These roads would be awesome on a motorcycle."

Flash forward to August of 2010... We've planned a two week long exploration of Nova Scotia, from the world class roads and views of Cape Breton, to tiny Brier Island off the west coast, and a whole lot in between.

But first we need to get our mode of transportation out there, and since Allie doesn't have the time (or the butt toughness) to ride out to Nova Scotia, I head out from Toronto solo, with plans to meet Allie in Halifax. This is me in the parking lot of our condo building...

 

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The first day I get a very late start. I spend much of the morning helping my friend and boss, Sharon, moving and installing a portable air conditioner in her house. I leave mid-afternoon, and only log a paltry 400 km before sunset.

I pull off the highway, hoping to find a secluded spot to stealth camp (i.e.: free), but immediately come across a very nice, civilized private campground offering spots for just $15.

I have one of the crappiest sleeps of my life, mostly due to the fact that I don't have a decent pillow, and I wake up shortly after 4 am. I pack up in near darkness, and I'm on the road by 5 am.

I follow the St. Lawrence for a while along back roads, and it is lovely, and then I cross over the 401 and meander my way over to Quebec along more back roads.

At the Quebec border, the road, which had been fairly pristine in Ontario, suddenly looked like it had been shelled by artillery for days.

I enjoyed the back roads for while, but as I approached Montreal, I jumped onto the highway to bypass it as quickly as possible. I don't know what it is about Montreal, but I just can't stand the highway system and the traffic. Most of the time there is brutal stop-and-go for no apparent reason (I'm not saying that Toronto is any better, though).

I've been riding for several hours on an empty stomach, so it's time for a massive McDonald's breakfast of Egg McMuffin, two hashbrowns, and mega McCoffee. When I tour, I usually only eat two big meals, so they have to count. By the way, Quebec McDonald's tastes pretty much like Ontario McDonald's.

I drive through the beautiful Eastern Townships of Quebec, taking note of the many well defined bicycle trails criss-crossing the area.

This church is in a town on the Quebec/Maine border.

I join the massive one-car line-up at the border crossing. In front of me are a couple of seniors in a minivan. They've been pulled over, and a drug sniffing dog is searching their vehicle. I'm getting worried thinking what they'll do with a youngish guy on a motorcycle. Body cavity search, water torture?

I'm signalled to pull up to the window. The woman there asks me half a dozen questions about where I'm going and what I do for a living, and she waves me through. Whew!

As soon as I'm through the crossing, the American flag fest begins. I can't believe the number of flags I see in the next few hours as I snake my way across rural Maine. On some stretches of the narrow two-lane highway that I ride, there are flags affixed to trees every 25 metres, for miles.

The roads are a motorcyclists dream, with lots of crazy curves, and almost no traffic.

Wheeeeeeee!

This is my final approach to the Maine/New Brunswick border. I did not see a single car for over an hour, and the road was build like a race track: crazy twists and turns and hills. Up to this point, I had been super careful not to exceed the speed limit by much, but this road was too much. Too deserted, and too twisty. I had no choice but to pick up the pace and enjoy the road like it was meant to be enjoyed. Nothing crazy, mind you, just not quite "legal".

Soon after entering New Brunswick, I decide that I mind as well ride straight through to Halifax, rather than risk a wet night of camping. So in order to make good time, I leave the infinitely more fun back roads and hop on the Trans Canada. Boring beyond belief, but great for racking up big miles. Plus the speed limit is 110 kph, which actually makes a big difference.

I do in fact make fantastic time over the next few hours, but just as the sun is setting, the rain begins to fall. I'm two hours from Halifax, so I make the executive decision to keep going, hoping that the rain stays light or lets off. It ends up being a terrible decision.

In total darkness now, the rain begins coming down in sheets and buckets. The rain is so bad that the cars are slowing down to 70 kph and forming long caravans, so that they can follow the tail lights of the car in front of them. Visibility is that bad. Now imagine that on a motorcycle.

I join a caravan, and make my slow, wet, plodding, miserable, frightened way to Halifax. Now add to this that I am wearing jeans, having also decided that "it's just a little farther". By the time I arrive in Halifax, my legs are completely soaked, and I have enough water inside my waterproof boots to pour out like a water jug.

Note to self: Have brain, use it.

 

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The next day, Allie's parents treat me to what has become a tradition: a three-pound lobster, all to myself.

Now you see it...

...and now you don't!

Allie arrives in town (Porter rocks!), and the next day we all decide to play tourists and visit Fort George on Citadel Hill. It's actually a lot of fun because the place is crawling with animators (dudes in period costumes). In fact, there were almost as many animators as visitors on the day we went.

Here are a bunch of animators cleaning a breach loading cannon.

There is a cool military museum inside the fort. I believe this may be a Vickers water-cooled machine gun, used by Canadians during the First World War.

This fellow was our personable guide for a fort tour.

Animators.

Guns and a hot chick... What else could a man want?

I tried on one of the replica uniforms. It was a tight fit.

 

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After a busy and fun weekend in Halifax, we head out on a Monday for Cape Breton.

Take a look at how small the cases are on the bike. Now imagine trying to pack a weeks worth of stuff for two people into those cases, including evening wear, rain gear, and hiking gear. Keep in mind one of those people is a woman. Are you impressed?

We head east out of Halifax along the Eastern Shore and are immediately impressed by how picturesque and enjoyable the ride is.

About two hours east of Halifax is a point of land called Taylor Head where we hear the hiking is good. We parked the bike, strip down, and head onto the trail with one 500mL bottle of water between us.

We're not sure how long the hike is, but we budget an hour or so to complete it.

Along the way we manage to get lost a couple of times, which may have put us just slightly behind schedule.

The views are gorgeous, as the peninsula is remote and undeveloped, and the trail follows the coast and beach closely.

The views keep getting better, but at this point, we've already been hiking for almost an hour, and our water is running low. In fact, I've stopped drinking, as there's just not enough for one person, let alone two.

At the very far tip of land, the view is breathtaking. We're at the halfway point, and it's been well over an hour.

We now finally start our way back, and by the time we are finished, we are tired, starving, and dying of thirst (literally). But we decide that the two-and-a-half hour hike has been absolutely worth it for the great views.

We take a short ride to the nearest restaurant and tuck into an obscenely large lunch. The food is really good, but tastes even better because we are famished.

The hike has put us so far behind schedule that the sun is setting by the time we pull into our inn at Charlos Cove for the evening. But it has been a fantastic ride along the shore.

Next morning Allie is served one of the most decadent foods utilizing bread slices ever devised. This is her stuffed French toast. It has some sort of cream cheese filling which makes you both very full and very ill in only a few bites.

The dock at Seawind Landing Inn, Charlos Cove.

That morning we have another lovely ride all the way to Mabou (pronounced muh-BOO), which is on the western shore of Cape Breton.

Clams and chips. Deelish. I suspect I would probably enjoy shoes and chips, so long as they were breaded and fried.

This is a bulletin board inside a grocery store. The photos are of early settlers in the area, and you see the same last names in many of the pictures. Very cool.

For dinner and live music, we visit The Red Shoe Pub, which is owned by The Rankin Family.

We catch the last few songs performed by a local fiddler. Mabou is actually the epicentre for Gaelic culture and music in Nova Scotia.

Allie orders the scallops, which are served on an island of peas in a sea of oil. Very tasty and different.

I decide to be different as well and order the fish & chips (sarcasm intentional). It was very tasty as well.

Although The Red Shoe was definitely touristy, it was also a lot of fun with good ambience and good food, so we enjoyed it. The prices were even reasonable.

 

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Rain threatened the next day, so we modified our plans and headed straight over to the town of Baddeck on the island's eastern shore, saving the scenic ride around The Cabot Trail for later. It turned out to be a good call, because it rained steadily for much of the day. Since we both were wearing all our rain gear, the ride turned out to be fairly pleasant, despite the weather.

In Baddeck, we had lunch at a restaurant by the water. I had a pound of yummy mussels.

The rain let up, so we went for a walk around Baddeck, including the short but sweet boardwalk.

Our room at our bed & breakfast had a nice sitting area where we could drink wine and destroy each other at backgammon.

The next day we began our ride around The Cabot Trail, which is deservedly known as one of the best drives in the world.

Much debate rages as to the best direction in which to do the trail: clockwise or counter-clockwise. We chose the counter-clockwise direction. This was my first time doing it this way, having done it one before by car, and twice before by motorcycle. I have to say, doing it counter-clockwise is at least 27% more fun than doing it clockwise.

Here is the view from the first lookout we stopped at. We ended up stopping at quite a few of the lookouts, as they are really something.

Looking cool with the bike.

Another great view.

We stopped at a convenience store and cobbled together the ingredients for a picnic, and then had a lunch of cheese, cold cuts, and pita bread at one of the beautiful lookouts.

We decided to limit ourselves to one hike this day, and chose the most popular one in park, due to its reputation for stellar scenery.

The Skyline Trail is perhaps one of the easiest hikes you can possibly do while calling it a hike. It's more of a stroll, as the trail is so ridiculously smooth, level, and well groomed.

But soon you understand that this trail is not about the trip, but about the destination.

 

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The trail terminates at a perfect boardwalk which takes you out to the tip of a precipice with incredible views.

Ridiculous postcard views of The Cabot Trail.

The boardwalk just seems to keep going and going. One of the cool things about it is that there are benches at many different levels where you can sit in relative solitude and enjoy the view.

This is Allie maturely protesting my incessant picture taking.

A guy with a fiddle magically appeared and proceeded to play a single Celtic tune. A girl with him did a Scottish dance. All very odd and surreal, but a great backdrop for a performance.

Another view of The Cabot Trail. We would be riding through there in an hour or so.

We took an alternate trail back which was a lot more rugged and interesting than the trail in.

On the trail we came across this...

As you can see in this picture we were only ten or twenty metres away from the moose.

We stood there in awed silence for about ten minutes watching the moose placidly eating. The moose didn't have an iota of fear or concern for us...

... In fact, after stuffing himself, he just flopped down on the spot for a nice rest.

To watch a moose from mere metres away was such a genuine thrill.

Lots of dramatic views on the hike back. The trees were so oddly gnarled and barren.

Continuing counter-clockwise, we made our way down the west coast, passing more stunning vistas.

We stopped here for a much needed bum break.

The Cabot Trail rocks. If you've never done it, you really need to, whether in a car or on a bike.

With people to see and things to do back in Halifax, we hightailed it home on the highway.

Thus ended a great first half of our Nova Scotian Odyssey!

 

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Allie and I begin stage two of the motorcycle portion of our trip. This time we are heading west along the lush Annapolis Valley.

We make our way to the Fundy Shore via back roads and hop from pretty fishing village to village. This is Hall's Harbour.

You've probably guessed that the tide is out.

Allie reads about the history here.

Stopping for a bum break.

The GPS tells me we've made it to Margaretsville, our next cute, little village.

The broad, rocky beach of Margaretsville.

Margaretsville lighthouse.

Yet another bum break, this time by the Bay of Fundy.

Passing through the town of Annapolis Royal, we stop for a picture on an abandoned bridge.

We make it to our hotel for the next three evenings, The Digby Pines, with sore but happy bums. This picture is supposed to illustrate my world class helmet hair, but the image does not do it justice.

A view of The Digby Pines from the town of Digby.

Another view of our hotel. The Digby Pines is owned by the government and is one of the best known hotels in Nova Scotia. It's certainly charming, although the rooms could use an updating (and some serious sound-proofing).

 

[Diluted]

This is awesome, thanks for sharing. I have some friends up in Windsor, NS that I'd like to go up and see some time.

 

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Digby is on the mainland east of two narrow islands which point towards the southwest. Today our goal is to get to the farthest one, Brier Island. To get there you need to take two short ferries, so by days end, we will have taken the ferry four times!

We're on a bit of a tight schedule today, as we have made reservations to go whale watching, and the tour is scheduled to begin at 9:45am. That means we can't miss our first ferry, which sails every hour on the half-hour.

We catch the ferry on time and reach island number one, Long Island, and find Ocean Explorations Zodiac Whale Adventures.

Allie all suited up. This is actually our second ever whale watching tour, so the odd orange survival suits are familiar to us. The suits are designed to float and keep you warm should tragedy strike.

Down the line are a couple of girls from Thunder Bay, a couple from Philadelphia, and a somewhat annoying couple from Peterborough who kept standing up and blocking everyone's view.

We spot our first whales, a mother and calf just frolicking in a patch of seaweed.

The mother would flip playfully onto her back.

Skimming across the water at about twenty knots (37 kph).

In the end, we saw six humpback whales and one minke whale. We also saw a number of seals and two pods of porpoises.

On the next ferry to Brier Island, we met a very nice couple from New Brunswick who were touring on a Suzuki cruiser.

We took pictures of one another.

The island is criss-crossed with many trails, and we took this one along the northern shore. We came across few people during the hike.

A large group of seals swimming off the coast.

Heading home on the ferry. This was our fourth and last ferry ride for the day. In order to make this ferry, we overtook a few cars after coming off the Brier Island ferry and had to ride quite quickly. They closed the gate on a few of the slower cars we had passed. I rule!

 

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Back at The Digby Pines, we had reservations for dinner in their main dining room. The food and ambience are quite nice, although most of the guests were dressed in t-shirts, shorts, and flip flops.

Lobby of The Digby Pines.

We returned to the dining room at The Pines for dinner. Chef Dale, who is a friend of Allie's mom, very graciously came out to say hello to us. Chef Dale is Executive Chef at The Pines.

Our last day on the road took us to Kejimkujik National Park, in the interior of Nova Scotia.

This sign was inside the park.

Kejimkujik is known for its beautiful lakes and great paddling. We rented a tandem kayak for half a day.

We paddled for two or three hours, stopping in this bay on a small island at the half way point.

By the end of our paddle, we had had a great workout, but I really, really hated our kayak because I simply could not get it to go straight. Give me a kayak with a rudder any day.

An hour of winding back roads and a few hours of boring but fast highway later, and we were back in Halifax. Another successful and fun leg of our exploration of Nova Scotia. By now I'd come to realize that Nova Scotia is an incredible province with a plethora of entertaining and twisty back roads, quaint sea side towns, rich culture, and friendly people. Nova Scotia is without a doubt a world class travel destination.

And Allie had been a stellar riding partner and companion. I'm lucky to have a girl who loves travel, motorcycles, and me. Very lucky, indeed.

Check out the wear on my back tire. That is one summer of adventures worth.

 

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Well, sadly, Allie has flown back to Toronto, so what is a lonely man to do? EAT OYSTERS!

Allie's parents take me to the local fish market, where we buy three pounds of mussels and two dozen oysters. I also buy an oyster shucking knife and a bottle of seafood cocktail. I'm gonna shuck these babies myself!

The oysters before the carnage...

First dozen completed. In the end, I manage to shuck two dozen oysters in about forty minutes. We're pretty sure that is some kind of world record for a first time shucker, especially since I haven't managed to stab myself with my knife.

Shellfish overload... A pound of mussels with fresh bread and butter and two dozen oysters... all for me!

The aftermath.

It's time to go home. I say a good bye to Allie's parents, who have once again treated me as family.

First, a stop at a nearby motorcycle shop for a fresh rear tire.

And I'm making my way north along the pleasant back roads of the Nova Scotia interior.

I take a rare "in motion" shot on the motorcycle. I decide it's not worth it to take rolling shots. Besides, there's a good chance they'll turn out blurry.

I stop in a farmer's field to take some artsy fartsy shots. I discover that farmers' fields are seriously bumpy, slick and treacherous on a road bike with street tires. But I deem the picture worth it.

Approaching Pugwash, Nova Scotia. I remember that Pugwash is the site for some sort of scholarly conference.

In the other direction is Tatamagouche. I just like that name. Tatamagouche.

 

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I follow a coastal road until I hit the New Brunswick border.

Time for a bum and Drake's Coffee Cake break in Tidnish, the last village before New Brunswick.

An odd still life, somewhere in New Brunswick.

My original plan had been to take my time riding back to Toronto. But I'm suddenly gripped by this desire to get home, and get home quick. I route myself onto the dreaded Trans Canada and begin burning up the kilometres.

Highways like these kill a sport bike's soul. But they are a means to a destination.

Wind farm.

I had contemplated riding non-stop from Halifax to Toronto, but in a sudden fit of sensibility, I stop for the evening in St. Leonard, New Brunswick, close to the Quebec border.

Another early start, and I am enveloped in unbelievably dense fog. Should I wait for it to burn off (it's six in the morning), or should I ride into it? In I go!

It's a terrible fog, and I need to wipe my visor every few seconds. But then it gets better. And better. And soon the fog is light and intermittent. Whew!

In Quebec, I stay on the Trans Canada for the most part, but for a short time, I leave the highway and ride the parallel coastal road along the St. Lawrence. And it's just beautiful. Winding, deserted roads, lovely historic villages, gorgeous, lush countryside.

To my right, I can see the mighty St. Lawrence beyond the fertile fields.

I pass through the picture perfect village of Kamouraska, a name I recognize from a Michael Ondaatje novel.

I enter the village of Saint-Denis, another village perfectly preserved from another century.

In Saint-Denis stands this grand church. Almost every town and village in Quebec along the St. Lawrence seems to have a church like this, its slender, white spire penetrating the skyline.

I jump back onto the Trans Canada, saying farewell to the slower but infinitely more enjoyable rural roads of Quebec.

Riding through Montreal turns out to be really crummy. I'm stuck in terrible stop-and-go traffic for close to an hour. It's hot, the drivers are very aggressive, and they love to tailgate.

The rest of the ride is not so interesting, but I'm on a mission to get home to Allie.

It's about 8 pm when I arrive in Toronto, and I give her a phone call. I tell her I'm in Ontario. She asks where in Ontario. I tell her to look outside the front door to the condo. She looks out. Someone has placed some flowers there. I tell her to look to her right. I'm standing there. I'm home early!

Nova Scotian Odyssey finished. Another epic trip completed. Great place, great food, great people. What more could a man ask for (except guns and a hot chick)?

 

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This is awesome, thanks for sharing. I have some friends up in Windsor, NS that I'd like to go up and see some time.

Thanks, Chris.

Just Mapquested Windsor, and it's very close to the head of the Annapolis Valley, truly lovely riding country. It's so historic (for Canada) and beautiful along the Fundy Shore. Make sure you take your bike if you visit!

 

[frelay]

Thanks for sharing the adventure. Great pictures and greater story!

There's absolutely no traffic in Montreal... What are you talking about?? With all the road construction going on in the province of Quebec, the quality of the roads should get better. Still, we can not compete with Ontario :spank:

Again, great story!

:canada:

 

[CDN6R]

This was a great adventure!!!!!!:thumbup: Wonderful stort great pics. NOW YOU KNOW WHY I LIVE HERE:canada: I remember you talking about taking this trip last year and asking you to call me when you get to Lunenburg. I understsnd now why you did not......you were just to damn busy!!!:surrender: Glad you had a great time and yes I do love living here. Laurie

 

[CrazyCawi]

Epic story right here, thanks for sharing. Its funny I was just talking to the wife about taking a nice big trip for a week or two on the bike on our way back from PF Chengs tonight

 

[2010FZ6R White Lightning]

that looks really cool man but most of that food looks freakin nasty

 

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Thanks for sharing the adventure. Great pictures and greater story!

There's absolutely no traffic in Montreal... What are you talking about?? With all the road construction going on in the province of Quebec, the quality of the roads should get better. Still, we can not compete with Ontario :spank:

Again, great story!

:canada:

Frelay, I'm so, so sorry for dissing Montreal traffic! Toronto traffic stinks as well... just in a different way.

Glad you enjoyed my story.

 

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This was a great adventure!!!!!!:thumbup: Wonderful stort great pics. NOW YOU KNOW WHY I LIVE HERE:canada: I remember you talking about taking this trip last year and asking you to call me when you get to Lunenburg. I understsnd now why you did not......you were just to damn busy!!!:surrender: Glad you had a great time and yes I do love living here. Laurie

Laurie, I'm going to predict that we will meet at some point. I would love to ride with you. I am considering going to Newfoundland at some point. Maybe you could join me!

I went to Lunenburg around Christmas time a couple of years ago and thought it was fantastic. That was actually the trip where I realized the coastal road of Nova Scotia are amazing. We stayed at Fleur de Sel, a restaurant and B&B where we had one of the greatest meals of my life.

Allie and I did have a crazy packed trip in Nova Scotia, although it didn't feel hectic at the time. I actually left out a whole bunch of other things we didn. Nova Scotia is just way too great.