As a fan of the two-wheel road cruiser, aka the motorcycle, living with labels is nothing new. “The Biker” was the original label, encompassing everything good, bad, and ugly about motorcycle culture. Then came more specific variations such as cruiser, tourer, and dirt biker.... and the requirements necessary to be label-specific swirled around the choice of equipment and the way to dress.
Then social media happens, the label is rebranded as a hashtag, and just like that, your moto cruising image is given the option to be micromanaged. You no longer have to be just the tourer; with a click of the keyboard, you can become #mototouringcoffeelover if your passion for coffee equals your passion for motorcycle touring. And just like that, you can join the community of motorcycle-touring coffee lovers all over the world.
The hashtag revolution hasn't fallen on deaf ears at the Northeastern Ontario Tourism office. With five motorcycle tours to choose from, they pride themselves on having an itinerary for everyone—no matter what your label, they’ve got you covered. Thanks to the hashtag uprising, it's now easier than ever to find the perfect touring destination specifically for your interests. If you still haven't been able to fine-tune your social media moto touring profile and parlay that into a Northeastern Ontario road trip, then perhaps one of these might do the trick.
If mental postcards are what you’re after, then the Manitoulin Island Circle Tour is a smorgasbord of visual splendour. Grand vistas stretch north to the La Cloche Mountains, their bare quartz ridges sparkling white in the sun. With beaches, rock shoals, waterscapes, and rolling farmlands, the eye candy never stops. All this in a relaxed vibe that only an island can provide.
If you like to get fully immersed in the history and culture of the places you visit, then the Lake Temiskaming Circle Tour will not disappoint. The only route of its kind in Ontario, its length is divided by the Ontario/Quebec border and the Ottawa River and includes a place where three cultures merged and shaped local history. Explore the footsteps of the Indigenous people and the achievements of the French and English traders and settlers. Step back in time to learn about the early mining and logging history of the area.
If you crave the experience of remoteness and discovery, then the Great Legends Circle Tour is for you. Cruise hundreds of kilometres of empty roads surrounded by stunning northern landscapes and roadside wildlife sightings (my last morning cruise along this route’s northern stretches resulted in three bear sightings). At the day’s end, let northern hospitality embrace you with comfortable accommodations and delicious meals.
If après–ride is as important to you as time spent in the saddle, then the Georgian Bay Coastal Route is for you. Resorts, spas, fine dining, and entertainment line the route as you circumnavigate a freshwater bay that is large enough to be a Great Lake. The five-star post-ride opportunities are equalled by days spent cruising among towering cliffs, stunning beaches, and grand water vistas.
If packing an overnight bag is not your style, then the Lake Nipissing Circle Tour offers a day full of wide-open secondary roads, small-town charm, and lookouts over one of Ontario's largest inland lakes.
Looking to get off the beaten path? If adventure touring is what you’re after, Northeastern Ontario is your blank canvas. With thousands of kilometres of roads sporting a surface of gravel—or less—your adventure is limited only by the size of your gas tank. It’s the perfect place to pack your bags and get lost. That’s not as in forever lost, but “lost” as in off the beaten path.
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No matter what your label or chosen hashtag, be it scenery, history, or adventure, you will find it in Northeastern Ontario. That said, if motorcycle touring is your passion, there is really only one hashtag that counts – #getoutandride.
