WOOOOOOOOOT!!! Finally had my first (two-wheeled) ride of the season today! Because both our bikes needed new tires, fluids and a thorough checkup, the wife and I had entrusted them to the local Harley dealer last week. They came to our house and took them away in an enclosed trailer - at no charge to us - and did all the necessary surgery to them over the last few days. Yesterday they called to arrange a drop off time at our house, but I was having none of that – today’s forecast was very favourable for a ride, what with sunny skies and a high of 14C, and the decision was made to take a cab to the dealership in Owen Sound and ride our bikes home. The long way, of course.
After arriving there and settling the bill, we saddled up and headed out on out first riding adventure of the season. A stop for lunch was first on the list and with Ted’s Diner a mere 40km to the east, we headed towards its location just west of the town of Meaford on Range Road (which has recently been renamed Valour Road). Ted’s is a very popular spot with the motorcycling and snowmobiling communities; the food there is REAL good and well worth the ride no matter the distance. There were surprisingly few customers there when we arrived, so we parked right out front and wandered in to sit at a booth...
The interior is very spacious, with lots of wall hangings to look at and several large menus to peruse. Angie decided to try one of their regular cheeseburgers, while I opted for the Buffalo Burger (made with real ground Bison meat from a local farm)...
With our bellies full, we headed back out on the road, taking the scenic way from Thornbury all the way down through the Beaver Valley, ending up at our next stop in the town of Flesherton. The Leslieville Cheese Market is located at the northwest corner of the Hwy 10/Hwy 4 intersection at the only set of lights in the town, so it’s easy to find. They are well stocked with several varieties of cheese, as well as deli meats and sausages, all reasonably priced and of good quality...
We then carried on south to Dundalk and then headed west on CR-9, one of my favourite roads to cruise down because of all the scenery and sparse traffic. There are several farms and “rich bastid” homes and ranches spread out across a flat, open area that reminds me of my beloved Saskatchewan. CR-9 ends at HWY 6 just south of the village of Varney, so we headed north for home. A stop at the West Grey Premium Beef butcher shop was next; where we got them to cut a couple of 1” steaks from fresh locally raised beef for our supper tonight. I also stocked up on some of their excellent Knackwurst sausage...
Our final stop of the day was at the Durham Beer Store for a restock of the very good Zywiec beer from Poland, my current fave. From there, it was a short hop back to our garage and an end to a perfect first ride of the season!
