If you’re really into snowmobiles or ride a snow bike, then you are likely chomping at the bit waiting for winter to arrive. For everyone else, like it or not, motorcycle riding season is winding down across much of the country. Sure, there are nice days here and there when you can bring the bike out for a short ride, but it’s still not as enjoyable as it is during the summer months. There’s always the risk of cold pavement and road salt, plus drivers are paying even less attention since they don’t expect motorcyclists to be on the road.
After some twenty or so months of various lockdowns and heavy restrictions, it finally seems as though there’s a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. The Toronto Motorcycle Film Festival was able to facilitate in-person screenings (albeit at limited capacity), and it looks as though motorcycle shows may return, with face coverings and certain social distancing guidelines in place.
As of August 9th, Canada started allowing fully vaccinated tourists from the US to visit, but chances are that most travellers will be interested in going the other direction once the snow starts flying. Unlike last winter, Canadians can currently fly to the U.S. as long as they have a negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours of their departure. They are also accepting the less expensive (and less invasive) antigen test. More good news came recently as the U.S. announced that it would allow those who are fully vaccinated to cross land borders from Canada and Mexico for non-essential travel starting November 8th.
So, while it’s cold and snowy up here, we can escape down south to enjoy the warmer climate on two wheels once again. Contemplating this exciting news, I recently realized that I’d inadvertently closed off the part of my brain that allowed itself to dream of greener pastures and plan riding adventures. Knowing that there was no chance of them happening any time soon, it was just too frustrating to entertain the idea of researching places I’d like to visit. Now that we will soon be able to travel, I don’t even know where to start. The list of places I’ve been fortunate enough to visit on bike trips is long, but the list of places I still want to experience is much longer.
Where will you go first?
I was planning to go to Birmingham to visit the Barber Museum before lock down.
That was February 2020. We just had friends here from Tennessee for Thanksgiving.
They asked us when we thought we would be riding down to visit them.
We won’t be down soon. I told them I would be concerned if I needed to get to a hospital.
Would it be filled with COVID patients? They need to get things under control down south first.
I’m hoping we can go out to the East coast next year. There are lots of places in Canada to ride.
From what I can tell (and I have family working in US hospitals), the situation down there is better than here, in just about every way. Health insurance might be an issue, though.