Florida to Toronto May 23 - June 3rd

Hi Everybody,

My name is Jonathan, and I ride a K1300GT. I am planning on a ride to a business conference in Toronto from Cape Coral Florida. I have planed for 4 Days to get there (May 23 - 26th) and 4 days to get back (May 31st - June 3rd). This is an open invitation for suggestions on routes, stop overs / hotels / bed & breakfasts, company if (you want to ride a section of the journey with me), comments, or experiences that you may have to contribute. My son lives in Buffalo, so at least one leg will be through Niagara Falls or the Peace Bridge. I am considering possibly traveling via the Blue Ridge Parkway. I am also considering traveling via Detroit. I look forward to hearing from you my fellow members.

Yours Truly,
Jonathan

Sounds like a fun ride. BRP is a good idea, but remember to calculate for some very slow riding (there are parallel roads below the ridge that are lots of fun if it gets too slow.) Detroit to Toronto is extremely boring slab with no good alternate routes (flat agricultural countryside.) Peace Bridge to Toronto would be boring and busy (as is stopped half the the time) slab if you take the obvious route. If you do a U turn off the Peace Bridge and head back to the river, you can take the Niagara River Parkway to Queenston Heights. Slower, but much better. Then the trick is to get onto the Ridge Road to Hamilton--hard to do, but I could possibly meet you and lead you on that route. Hamilton to Toronto, you are probably stuck on the busy slab. If you are at all interested in vintage bikes, please consider attending the Paris rally June 15 -17th.

You may be hard pressed to do each way in just four days unless you slab it all the way and ride like you're on an Iron Butt ride.

Last July returning from the MOA in Bloomsburg. PA to central FL took me four days. None of which was less than 8 hours in the saddle. But that included all of the BRP/Skyline Drive(that was 1 1/2 days). And no slab except for I-95 from Jax back to Brevard County.

By comparison I made it from here to Bloomsburg going up in just two 13 hours days by using the Interstates almost exclusively. So slabbing it all the way and with luck you may make it in four miserably long days. But not much time to stop and see anything.

Of course my opinion is worth what it cost. But something to think about.

Thank you Holly and Mark. I have adjusted my plan and I am going to ride Iron Butt style on the super slab. I will not have time for the BRP. Ft. Myers - Charlotte N.C. on Wednesday and Charlotte to Buffalo on Thursday both 12 hour days. If the offer is still open Holly I can meet you on either side of the Peace Bridge at 5:00 pm on Friday May 25th. Let me know. I also decided to drop Detroit. Instead I'm going to go from Toronto - Muskegon and catch the ferry to Milwaukee. I added a trip to Minneapolis and then return via Kansas City, St. Louise, Nashville, and the Charohala/Tail of the Dragon. Thank you for your responses and your useful information.

That works. Let me know on the Thursday where you are and we will make final arrangements.

Missed connection

Hey Holly,

I'm posting this from the Canadian side of the Peace Bridge. Sorry I missed ya. I'm taking off on the queensway. Thanks for you gracious offer. I hope to meet you at one of the rally's or something.

Jonathan

Sorry too, especially that you had to take the QEW. Stuff happened here. I can probably still route you back on the good roads if you want.

H.