From Sydney to Middle River

Day 29 

The morning saw me up early, I needed to see Pam the manager of the Sydney Comfort Inn where I had been hosted. After a great discussion, she invited me to her staff BBQ around 12 – 12:30

I was headed over to the rally head quarters to say good byes and catch up with a few people. After a great chat with Leah and Scott I headed to the Tim Horton’s for a coffee and got shanghaied by the Saddle Bags. What a great bunch of gals!

We had a great visit and then they rode me over to see the World’s Biggest Fiddle.

The world's Largest Fiddle

After a picture taking session where the fiddle played for us the whole time, it was time for hugs and good byes. I headed back to the hotel for the staff BBQ and to finish packing up my bike.

A veritable feast!

Comfort Inn in Sydney

We had such a feast and it was such a pleasant and welcomed experience to really get to spend some time with the men and women who work hard at this hotel to make guests like me comfortable and taken care of.

The Comfort Inn in Sydney has some wonderful people on staff.
Pam the manager and Barbara, the assistant manager work with their team closely and it shows! 
 
This is a hotel I can highly recommend and they are a member of the Rider Friendly Business Association®!
Comfort Inn Sydney
368 Kings Road
Sydney, NS B1S 1A8
Phone: (902)562-0200
Fax: (902)564-6410
www.choicehotels.ca/cn251

After a wonderful lunch it was time to head out to Middle River and the Cabot Trail Motorcycle Retreat.
I turned right on the Middle River West Road and wondered what this retreat would hold in store for me.
I came across their sign and driveway beacon and headed up the short gravel driveway. What a gorgeous place!

As Angela and Patrick Lanctot came out of the house to great me I could hear the barking of their Doberman, Danika AKA the Velcro puppy! She is lovingly nicknamed that because she sticks right beside you once she adopts you!

 

The beacon that let's you know you have arrived

Danika by the Gazebo

Old bones make for beautiful gardens

Angela and Patrick set out to change their lives back in 2007 and founded their bed and breakfast – they actually wanted to start with a café but you know how life goes! These two die hard motorcycle nuts – said very lovingly, have created the perfect motorcyclists retreat. From the gardens that hold the old bones of long dead motorcycles to the sconces that adorn the garage – motorcycle parts and pieces can be found everywhere. 
 

Yes, old bones make really gorgeous gardens

I was shown to my room – the Harley room and was amazed at the space it had. No detail was left to chance here – there are even boot and glove driers in the rooms!

The front door...

The Harley Room

There is a bathroom large enough to party in and the hall has a fridge well stocked with water and coca cola and a microwave with popcorn for that late night snack.

Glove and Boot Dryer

Hotel's Bathroom

Community fridge and microwave...popcorn included!

 

 There are books and photos – a wall of international motorcycle
license plates to peruse – actually there is one in the bathroom too! 

 

As I said – there are little touches of motorcycles everywhere from the artwork to the roller bearings and gear plates that adorn the buttons on the base of the toilet and the bath tub to bike chins finishing of the chimney and some other masterpieces like the chandelier in the dining area. Above this candle chandelier is a board outfitted with a series of motorcycle mirrors that shoot light every which way and magnify the light given off by the candles – it’s bloody brilliant!

Everywhere you look, motorcycle art

Chandelier with motorcycle mirrors for reflectors

After sitting out on the deck watching the humming birds feed out of the feeder and other birds eating out of their feeder in the middle of the yard it was bed time. The pillow top mattress and my back agreed with each other really well and before I knew it, it was morning.



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Rita's Tea Room, Storming the Fortress...

Day 28

Harold and Wendy Nesbitt of Motorcycle Tour Guide Nova Scotia

Harold, Wendy and I rode out to Rita McNeil’s Tea Room together to go to meet the Grande Dame. 

She is such a gracious and generous hearted woman and everyone in the region has such admiration for her.  The tea room is filled with photos and albums, a tea cup collection and pictures of Rita’s roots and accomplishments not to mention all of her awards.

Rita meeting some of her fans

Photos and records

Awards and recognition

The gorgeous deck

We had a fabulous lunch there too. I had the quiche and a salad with coffee – Harold the Fish Cakes and Beans and Wendy had the chowder. Wendy and I fought over the bill – Wendy won but I have vowed that next time is MY treat!   

It was such an honor to ride with these two fabulous people. The Motorcycle Tour Guide Nova Scotia is a fine publication and has changed the way many businesses think of motorcycle tourism and has helped countless riders enjoy this province to its fullest! We parted company back at Rally head quarters and I finally got to meet Scott and Leah Boyd who are the hosts of Bike Fest. 

I got my passes and a bag of goodies – talked to a few more people and headed off to meet the Saddle Bags. I also had the greatest pleasure of encountering members of the Cape Breton Regional Police – many of you know how critical I can be of our police services – this police force was a breath of fresh air. These police officers, all 7 that I encountered seem to understand that many normal rally type issues can be dealt with; with a smile and that you will get far more with honey than vinegar. I was sooo impressed with the demeanour and conduct of these officers that I even called the Regional Police Head Quarters to tell them how impressed I was. What a POSITIVE experience!

Police Bike

The Storm the Fortress event was next!

The Cape Breton Saddlebags

We all rode to Fortress Louisbourg together with me filming the ride – sadly the file was somehow damaged so I have nothing to share of that ride but trust me – it was a lot of fun.  When we got to the Fortress parking area, the gent from Parks Canada informed us all of what was going to take place, I gabbed with a bunch of the riders, and then Leah and I discussed me riding up front with the police officer and the gent who was to be asking the Fortress Commander for permission to bring in his troops.  What a HOOT!

Motorcycles are the only motorized vehicle to be allowed in to the Fortress and even then it is only for this one day a year!

 

Getting read to Storm the Fortress

Parks Canada giving us the lowdown on what to do and expect!

Riders going into the Fortress

It was so impressive – as we rode up to the Fortress the sound of piccolos and drums met our ears even over the engines. There were photographers everywhere and we really did feel like this was a conquering!

As 350 motorcycles roared over the plank bridge and toured the town there was an excitement in the air.

 

From the Fortress Louisbourg web site (http://www.fortressoflouisbourg.ca) – some history on this magnificent reconstructed site: 

“The Fortress of Louisbourg is the largest reconstruction project in North America.

The original settlement was founded in 1713 by the French and developed over several decades into a thriving center for fishing and trade. Fortified against the threat of British invasion during the turbulent time of empire-building, Louisbourg was besieged twice before finally being destroyed in the 1760s. The site lay untouched until well into modern times, when archaeologists began to reconstruct the fortress as it was in the 18th century.”

 

The costumes, the actors, the musicians…I can not express just how well done this whole thing is. The reconstruction of this Fortress and the period specific equipment like the leather water buckets all add to the feeling of being thrown back to a time when life was simpler, though harsher. 

As the bikes wound their way through the streets of the Fortress in this large invasion parade, one got the sense, the feeling of being a conqueror and what that must have been like. Once all of the bikes were parked, we gathered around the Thunder Glide to find out which lucky ticket holder would win the bike. It stayed in Nova Scotia and all of the proceeds went to the Hospital Foundation.  

350 bikes parked and their riders getting ready to explore

The raffle bike - The THUNDER Glide

After the draw which brought about many cheers and groans alike, we were free to wander through the Fortress. There were cannon firing demonstrations and good old Harold Nesbitt from Motorcycle Tour Guide Nova Scotia got himself arrested for stealing sheep.

Harold and a female visitor - charged with THEFT!

Another member of the crowd – a gal – was arrested for stealing wine. They were thrown in jail together and then a group of soldiers paraded them through town to the iron collar where the town crier read the proclamation that Harold should be hung!  Harold by the way missed his calling – he really should have been a stand up comedian – the man has one heck of a sense of humour and a flare for drama! He had EVERYONE in stitches and playing along.

Harold pleading for mercy

We took in the shops and I bought a loaf of hard tack bread to munch on from a street vendor - building after building offered up actors in the most authentic costumes all playing their parts so well you really felt like you were living the life! The chapel was amazing – I had goose bumps running down both arms as I walked through it.

Hard tack Bread for sale

The Fortress

The AMAZING chapel

The Cannon Firing

The finale for the day was the long gun demonstration and the raising of the Cape Breton Bike Fest Flag along with the Parks Canada Centennial Flag. Scott Boyd who is a local Radio personality and the chairman of Bike Fest told the story of the RCMP officer who was integral in seeing the Storm the Fortress event come to be a reality and how he had died of cancer during this past winter. He had his son not only raise the flags but also gave them to him in memory of his dad.

After that emotional ending we were asked to mount up for a police escorted ride back into Sydney.

Many stayed to take in the Matt Minglewood concert and fire works, I however decided I needed to go to the room and edit photos and get a good nights sleep for I would be heading to Middle River and the Cabot Trail Motorcycle Retreat!

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Some time in Halifax

My Share the Road, Share the Ride Conga 2011 took me into Halifax for Day 26. Black Betty (My motorcycle) needed to have some maintenance done on her. It has been a long time since her oil change back in Smithers BC!
Day 26...I made it to the Irving Big Stop on the outskirts of Halifax and was greeted by Medric and his wife Jocelyn. Medric and Jocelyn had a wedding to go to in the Digby area – Jimi Swinamer and his gal Sally were tying the knot! Jimi owns Riding in Style Leather and hosts a weekly Biker Down Society fundraising BBQ at his store. Medric was to be Jimi’s best man.

So – off to Powertrend Cycle, the plan was that we would get the oil changed on my bike and then get over to Route 1, the Victory Dealer to get a new back tire on my bike.

Like all good road trips, plans change in a heart beat!

When I had trouble with my bike in Revelstoke, I took Roger Goldammer’s advice to have a Power Commander installed on my old war pony and he shipped it to Power Trends for me. My thinking was if Power Trends didn’t have the time, I could get Dan the Man in Winnipeg to do it on my way back. Well, Roger sent the power commander and when I was talking to Sean, I asked if he had time to install it and he asked me why I thought I needed a power commander – so I told him what Roger told me about my bike running too lean and my spark plugs being so white. Sean decided to do a test on my bike and low and behold he discovered I had a cracked intake rubber on top of it all. 

So we discussed the shop’s rate - $65 per hour and the cost of the parts. Medric jumped on his bike to go and get the parts from Privateers Harley-Davidson and Jocelyn, I and Deanna of the Halifax Lady Riders Club hung out. 

Deanna and I at Powertrend

Deanna was supposed to be riding with me to Truro that afternoon with some other gals but had been rear ended by a cabbie the night before – yes on her bike! She was sore and stiff but grateful to be alive!

Sadly, her bike was in no shape to ride so no riding with me for her.

Medric heading to Privateers, Jocelyn would hang with me

Now, I had no idea where Privateers was, but Medric made it back in incredible time and his timing was impeccable as Sean was ready to begin the install of the rubbers. Medric and Jocelyn had to go – my bike’s repair was going to take too long for them to be able to ride me to Route 1 – the best man can not be late for the wedding! 

I bid him a Jocelyn a safe ride – hugs were shared and off they went. Now, Medric had organized the sponsorship by both Power Trends Cycle and Route 1 for me – and then he went above and beyond again by going to the Harley store to grab the parts for me – if it hadn’t been for him and his effort, I would never have met these great people and gotten taken care of the way I did. 

The showroom at Powertrend

The parts & service desk

Power Trends Cycle is run by Garnett and Sean – these two techs have a great reputation in the Halifax area and I got to witness first hand why.

They know their stuff and they go the extra distance for their customer and for the out of town traveller. They have some great pre owned bikes for sale, lots of parts on hand and a roomy shop that allows them to take care of many bikes. They work on everything from sport bikes to VTwins. They have a well equipped shop that allows them to build engines, sell used bikes and they have a good stock of parts on hand not to mention a great selection of riding gear and motorcycle accessories.

Sean working on Black Betty

After Sean got done with the repairs on Black Betty he took it for a test ride – when I asked for my bill for the additional repairs I was told no charge – I damned near cried – what a sponsor! I made sure they were set up with their membership in our Rider Friendly Business Association and thanked them for all of their help – this shop went far above and beyond for me and I also got to hear that same sentiment expressed by other riders who were dropping their bikes off or picking them up. If you are in the Halifax area and find yourself needing an oil change or any other repair done to your machine I highly recommend that you check these guys out!
Powertrend Cycles 5558 Bilby St.
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3K1V3 
PHONE / FAX: (902) 461-8122
Web Site: http://www.powertrendcycles.ca/
Email: sean.mcgowan@powertrendcycles.ca

My next stop was Route 1 – one of Power Trends customers drove me to the exit I needed to take to make sure I got there with no challenges and before long I was being greeted by Dave Martel, the sales man for Route 1 – the areas Victory Dealer! Dave is a member of www.beltdrivebetty.com and a subscriber to the Busted Knuckle Chronicles.

Before I knew it my bike was being wheeled into the shop by John Reilly – the shop’s customer relations specialist …he introduced me to Brian Jackson, the service manager so that I could ask any questions or impart any information I felt I needed to about my bike before they began. I let them know about the sensors for the Doran 360 M Tire Pressure monitoring system I have on my bike and left Black Betty in their capable hands.

 While the guys put the new tire on, I took a Victory Cross Country with a tour pack added to it, for a test ride and went over to see Jimi’s shop – Riding in Style Leather and to have a coffee with Deanna, one of the Halifax area Lady Riders. Now I was supposed to be riding with Deanna and some of the other gals in the Monday Night Lady Riders Group later in the day, but the night before Deanna had been rear ended while on her bike by a taxi so there was to be no riding for her. She was mostly fine (stiff and sore) but her bike was not in such good shape. When she and I met at Powertrend Cycle earlier in the day, we made a plan to hook up at Jimi’s place.

John Reilly bringing out my demo ride

 The Victory Cross Country is some sweet to ride. I was impressed with how light on the kick stand this big beast was – it took me totally off guard. The responsiveness of the throttle and the fact that it has many, many sweet standard features also had me feeling very impressed, so much so that I would like to really take one of these out again and put it through its paces!

I know a lot of people have a hard time wrapping their heads around the space age look of the Victory, but truly – once you give yourself permission to try one, I think you too will be impressed. The saddlebags on this thing are enormous and vastly improved in quality from when the brand first appeared. Victory has come a long way in both accessories and clothing since they first entered the market and they can offer the rider pretty much anything they need.

When I showed up at Riding in Style Leather, Deanna was already there…she and I spent some time buying stickers along with ogling the various offerings of the store and then went next door for a coffee.  Deanna and I made a plan to meet a little later for the Riders Down BBQ and she had rearranged for a few gals to ride with me as far as Elmsdale…those gals would meet me at the Tim Horton’s on Cobequid Rd Sackville and take me via back highways…I was looking very forward to that.

Back to Route 1 I went where I was greeted by Scott Cahill the owner. Scott showed me an article on how the American Police Services in the Deep South are converting to the Victory Cross Country for their new police department motorcycles. They find the Harley just can’t take the heat of the south the way the Victory can. The Cross Country makes an impressive looking law enforcement bike.

After thanking Scott for letting me take their bike out, Dave Martel took me around the shop for a tour and showed me the various clothing and footwear, the accessories that are available for the Victory rider and their machine. It wasn’t long before a washed and cleaned up Black Betty was wheeled out front for me by John and that was when I discovered I had left my rain gear over at Powertrend Cycle. No fear, after a quick phone call, one of the parts guys was sent in the Polaris car to go grab it for me.
 

Dave Martel

It was another excellent example of eastern hospitality and fantastic customer service! I had a great experience at Route 1 and I am sure yours will be equally as rewarding!

Route 1 Motor Sports
Unit 101, 115 Sackville Dr.
Lower Sackville NS B4C 2R3
Phone: 902.252.3184 
Parts & Service:902.252.3253   

Fax: 902.252.3188

Web Site: http://www.route1ms.com 

After saying my thank you’s and hugs and hand shakes all around, I headed back over to Riding in Style Leather and the Biker Down BBQ.
Riding In Style Leather & Becca's Boutique
528 Sackville Drive
Lower Sackville, NS B4C 2R8
Phone: (902) 252-3377
Web Site: http://www.ridinginstyleleather.ca

It was great being able to support this group even in a small way by buying a helmet sticker and a burger – the Bikers Down Society does great work in Nova Scotia helping out riders in the advent of a crash. Visit their web site to learn more: http://bikersdown.com/

The Biker Down Society BBQ

Inside Riding in Style

I met and spoke with many of the area riders and then soon it was time to head off and meet with the ladies. I showed up at the Tim Horton’s in Falls River pretty much on time, I grabbed an iced coffee and chatted with Brenda and a number of other riders. We made our plans and off we went to take back roads to Truro and that is when the road trip got a wee bit scary.

We headed out on this lovely, twisty back road and before I knew it we were in Elmsdale,  and it was time to part ways...I headed to Truro and the Super 8 where I was going to stay for the night.

The gal that checked me in told me about breakfast, pool times etc and handed me keys to my 2nd floor room. Black Betty was parked under the canopy in front of the hotel where the front desk clerk could keep an eye out on her. I fell into bed exhausted.


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Two hours to be a tourist

On September 3rd - my second day in the Digby area I finally had the opportunity to get out and about for a bit.

I had an interview with Jim - one of my tour guides from the 2nd...Jim is a DJ for the local station in Yarmouth - CJSL the Wave 95.5 and I decided that I would visit a few things in Yarmouth and get to know the city better and then I wanted to retrace the route the guys had taken me so I could take some photos...

I rode around town a bit and went to the water front....

The Yarmouth Waterfront is very attractive

Water Front

The old buildings in town - many are very well preserved and retrofitted - being used as shops and offices.

The beautiful Frost park ...

The beautiful Frost park ...

I had the pleasure of visiting the Firefighters Museum. The amount of history in this small building is stunning and the quality of the displays - impeccable...

The Military Stature on the main street

Firefighters Museum

The office equipment of the day - notice on the left top corner the fire bell

The oldest steam pumper - 1863 Amoskeag

I enjoyed the time in the museum - there is so much to see in there and they span over 100 years of fire fighter history. You Fire Fighters who ride really need to make this museum a must do - get it on your bucket list boys and girls!

For more information on the Museum visit: www.firefighters.museum.gov.ns.ca

Church Point

No visit to the Yarmouth - Digby area is complete until you have

visited Church Point

St Mary's Church is the largest Wooden Structure

It took two years to build - 1903 to 1905 and took 1500 volunteers to erect

The wooden walls are covered in canvas and white washed.

The church boasts 41 stained glass windows that were shipped from France in crates of molasses to protect them.

French Canadian artist Louis St Hilaire painted 9 religious symbols on the ceiling - one of them reportedly represents a motorcyclist

The organ boasts 999 pipes and is one of 6 models in Canada - it was built by the Casavant Brothers of Quebec

The church is a registered museum and has two rooms that hold the artifacts of previous priests and other religious artifacts of the time.

The alter was originally in the old church that had been built in 1820 - the alter was built by Father Jean-Mande - the original priest who founded the parish in 1799

The collection is stunning and in very good shape

.

I don't have much information on the next church - St Bernard - it was the architecture and the extreme contrast to St Mary's that caused me to want to stop in

This church is constructed with 3' thick granite walls

That was the extent of the tourism stuff I was able to do in the two hours I had to be a tourist - the Yarmouth region is SOOOO pretty and the ride along the coast line is nothing short of stunning.

Until next time - ride safe..

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