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Salty Fog Riders Rally 2015: A Final Ride Report

tourunigo

New member
:ca:type........ This is our final report about a unique little two day gathering (Larry's River, Nova Scotia) and four day ride (Cape Breton Island) that Mary and I have had the enormous pleasure and privilege to host and guide. After eight years we have, as many of you know, decided to bring it all to a close. Throughout it all, a little network of friends has evolved for our many participants.

Through our modest contribution to the motorcycle touring community generally, we have been able to introduce riders from as far away as Texas, Alberta, Tennessee and many regions between there and here to our part of Nova Scotia. Inversely, we have learned and received so much in return. We thank all who participated and all who have shown an interest in following our 'foodfest and rolling" Salty Fog Riders Rally.

So, with that said, let's roll out this final report!:dance

______________________________________________

REPORT STRUCTURE

1) Listing of past reports
2) Posting of past videos
3) The Report: Pictures and commentary of this year's gathering


Please feel free to comment at any point! Since I am not submitting the report in one presentation, I will be adding the pieces through today and tomorrow with a return to previous posts as related items are found (850+ pictures to choose from!)

:lurk....
 
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Past threads: Reports and promotions

REPORTS

(2008, started by my friend and "co-conspirator" the late Paul Bachorz. He originally proposed this idea to me back in 2006. This is his Ride Report for our rally.) http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?33674-Salty-Fog-Rally&highlight=salty+fog

(2009) http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?40130-Salty-Fog-Riders-Rally-The-Trip&highlight=salty+fog

:scratch... could not find a 2010 Ride Report. Maybe I didn't do one??

http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?58188-Salty-Fog-Riders-Rally-2011-The-Report

http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?64693-Salty-Fog-Rally-2012-What-A-Trip

http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?71390-Salty-Fog-Riders-Rally-2013-The-Report&

http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread...ers-Rally-2014-The-Report&highlight=salty+fog



PROMOTIONAL

(an original posting by the late Paul Bachorz....) http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?18606-Salty-Fog-Rally-Highland-Fling&highlight=salty fog

My posts...

http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?37997-Salty-Fog-Riders-Rally-Sept-1-4&highlight=salty+fog

http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?46151-Salty-fog-rally-2010&highlight=salty+fog

http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?50569-Salty-Fog-Riders-Rally-2011&highlight=salty+fog

http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?61623-Salty-fog-riders-rally-2012&highlight=salty+fog

http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?68219-Salty-fog-riders-rally-2013

http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?72844-Salty-Fog-Riders-Rally-2014-7&highlight=SALTy+fog

http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread...ly-2015-The-Final-Chapter&highlight=SALTy+fog


I think that those are all of the links that have been created.


NEXT: A FEW VIDEOS (that have also been imbedded in the links above)
 
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Past video

PAST VIDEO

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/50SzXObdC6M" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0DPlRSHtqXM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GCl8lkGLXNo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YP9UicsIQV8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

hmmmm.... thought that I had a couple more but these will do. They are not in order but fun anyway.... some good music too!!
 
REPORT: SALTY FOG RIDERS RALLY 2015


The Salty Fog Riders basecamp: Larry's River, Nova Scotia, Canada


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As always, camping, available indoor beds and this, beds arranged in Mary's art studio in the barn, are free

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I want to show you one of my favorite accommodations pictures. This is Tom McGee (from Braintree, Mass....nestled in the Greater Boston area) and me moving a mattress into our 'bare bones' of a house for the first Salty Fog Riders Rally. Since that time, Tom has always had the Ocean View Room upstairs in our house. Thank you Tom for all of that support 'right outta the shute'.


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The traditional Salty Fog Riders cake, coffee and tea


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Soup greets all arrivals and, like the gourmet coffee and regular tea..... always available

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Bob helps the cooking process where he can...

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Sunday nights lasagne was a big hit!

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Sunday the winds proved to be a bit challenging, even for a sturdy Bunkhouse trailer, so Kathy and Lin took a room in the house.

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Harry makes a new friend (Willow is Mary's niece's daughter - our second youngest member) Harry worked hard to get her to talk with him and eventually they were chatting away. Nice to watch.

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Monday arrives with fine weather and enough sunshine to allow for deck time


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Tuesday supper is just about ready


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Quinn and Mo have this year's honor of cutting the cake (teaser: BTW there is a story behind this; it may come out later in the report....maybe)

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Never Too Old ....

Monday morning breakfast of pancakes, berries, sausage, ham, coffee, tea etc

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Monday evening was the traditional prize night and, this year, a 'final year toast'. Maybe a bit like Champlain's Order of Good Cheer.

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Two official, 'collector item', Salty Fog Rider t-shirts are awarded. The bike on the shirt is our well traveled 1973 75/5 BMW which is an oil painting done by Mary

A 'long distance award' to Ken (aka bogthebasher) who rode from Calgary

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A shirt for Nick...ah, but no ordinary shirt, it is our official Salty Fog Riders shirt - which may, as I implied earlier, now be a collector's item!

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Can't find my picture of Harry and his Keith's beer and mug prize but will keep looking. First prize was a bottle of locally distilled Fortress rum. Mo wins it and decides that we all should consume it on the spot whereby she fills our little toasting cups again with this fine nectar-of-the-gods.

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Tuesday morning; breakfast and onto the road for four days

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I'm ready to roll........:brow

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never too old... but she's far too young to ride this year. This is our youngest member Abbeygale, apparently wishing us well on our ride. So, let's begin!

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(picture out of sync; this was on Monday) A visit to see Mr John Delorey at John's Village Grocery. John has served the residents of Larry's River for over 60 year. At 80+ years he's not slowing down much. Like Walmart, "if he don't got it then you don't need it". John has always had a smile and a story or two for us during each visit. Four pictures from our visit with John.

Quinn (our wise astronomer and guide to the galaxy) and Michael (it's always a blessing to have a veteran physiotherapist along!), lead the way to John's Village Grocery

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A group picture with John (in the tan vest sweater)

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TUESDAY MORNING AT 9 AND THE RIDE BEGINS

Bikes gather at Saint Peter's church and then cross the road to the painted rocks depicting the horrific expulsion of Acadians from Nova Scotia by the English.

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Riding along route 105 - Trans Canada - we board the cable ferry at Little Narrows... with our next stops on Chapel Road and finally arriving to camp in Louisbourg.

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Off the ferry and turn right on route 223, across the bridge in Grand Narrows and within a few short miles we turn right on route 217. This route takes you along some different stretch names like Piper Cove Road and Castle Bay Road. Eventually you ride through the village of Eskasoni. Further on, about five miles from the tiny rural settlement of Bras d'Or West, we turn right on Chapel Road. This is a tiny strip of land that has the Bras d'Or Lake on each side. This road connects to route 4, east and west. We will ride east to Louisbourg. But first we stop to stand on the unique piece of land.


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A welcome sign from campground management!

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Setting up camp before heading down to the Lobster Kettle for supper and then to the Louisboug Playhouse for some musical theater.

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NEXT: THE LOUISBOURGE PLAYHOUSE
 
... after a fine meal at the Lobster Kettle, we walk over to the Louisbourg Playhouse for a traditional Cape Breton musical performance. Over these past years we have been treated to performances of music, theater and story-telling by some of the most talented performers in Cape Breton. This has been a great way to catch a glimpse of some regional culture and performing arts. This is a brief example of what we saw this year:

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Keep em coming Bob! :lurk

Hey Ken, will do, ran into a minor computer hiccup but now back in order. I got your photos to work so, given enough time, all is good. Enough pictures to tell more than one story. I suspect that the eight years of pictures amount to about.........:scratch.... about 5,000 pictures (from all sources). Must be a book of some sort in there :dunno - Bob
 
Early morning at the campground on the Louisbourg waterfront. Today some will venture to Fortress Louisbourg ... http://www.fortressoflouisbourg.ca .....others plan on descending into the coal mine in Glace Bay at the Glace Bay Miners Museum ..... http://www.minersmuseum.com .

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Before leaving, we met with Mary (manager of the campground) to present her with a Salty Fog Riders shirt. She has been a great supporter of our rally and our yearly visits. One year she loaned her car so that we could do a shopping run and every year she assists with our reservations for supper, theater information and guidance for our morning coffee quest and an offer to set up camp in the group gathering room as we like. The shirt was our thank you.


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We found coffee, packed things and some went to the Fortress while others sought the Miners Museum. The plan was that we all would meet up at the North Sydney KOA ... http://www.koansct.com ... across the bridge from Seal Island. This year we all decided to make use of the three KOA cabins rather than tent. Mary and I decided to ride ahead and finalize arrangements for the cabins and order wood for the night's campfire.


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A Cape Breton icon is this little place on the corner, just across the street from the Lick-A-Treat ice cream facility....http://www.aklick-a-chick.com/en/ .


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Seal Island and crossing bridge to KOA

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...and arriving at the KOA

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Soon the rest of the group started to arrive...

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Settling in and looking forward to getting ready for a ride back across the bridge to Fitzgerald's Restaurant....

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Thanks for the report and pictures.
Wish more people on this site would post rally reports.
 
Thanks for the report and pictures.
Wish more people on this site would post rally reports.

Thanks Lee. Because our little rolling rally was always small in number but high on group activities and camaraderie , it was maybe a bit easier for us to capsulize it in (we hope!) an interesting way. Glad that you are following this final report! - Bob
 
Bob and Mary chase, and I mean chase, Nick and Harry across the Seal Island Bridge heading for food at Fitzgerald's Restaurant

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Harry's close traveling Pooh companion was the only 'reserved' one of the bunch

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Somehow, I do not seem to have any foodporn pics of this :scratch But this how it started

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Bob and Mary chase, and I mean chase, Nick and Harry across the Seal Island Bridge heading for food at Fitzgerald's Restaurant

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Harry's close traveling Pooh companion was the only 'reserved' one of the bunch

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Somehow, I do not seem to have any foodporn pics of this :scratch But this how it started

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I believe this is the place where I learned what a "Whoopie Pie" was.
 
I believe this is the place where I learned what a "Whoopie Pie" was.

Well Bud, it's not the same place. Fitzgerald's was closed when you were here so we went to the Cedar House Bakery and Restaurant a few doors down. Still don't know what I did with the Whoopie picture. That was fun though eh? We really enjoyed Fitzgerald's this year..... waitress was quite a bit of witty fun!
 
Food shots from the Lobster Kettle:

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My new friend Willow, she showed me her sea glass collection after a while ( I had to work at it). I have to remember to send her some sea glass from the Jersey shore:

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