One cool party - Motorcycles by the thousands congregate in Port Dover every Friday the 13th
Port Dover: It all started in 1981 when biker Chris Simon called a few friends and suggested they drop by the bar at the old Commercial Hotel, and they’d have a party. About 25 people showed up and they had bikes lined up outside. The group pulled a bunch of tables along one wall and had such a good evening they wound up saying they should do it again the next Friday the 13th. From those humble beginnings the party has grown by word of mouth between motorcyclists into an event that draws tens of thousands of visitors, and puts millions of dollars into the local economy. Local charity organizations are able to set up services for that single day and raise all their funds for the year. Extra staff is said to be put on at the border crossings at Windsor and Buffalo just to handle the visitors. On Friday June 13, 2008 an estimated 150,000 bikers and spectators showed up on Port Dover. Youtube Video about the event's history Photo courtesy Norfolk County Tours.
Where: Port Dover is a sleepy little Norfolk County town on the north shore of Lake Erie in Southwestern Ontario. At one time it had the largest freshwater fishing fleet in the world. Nearby communities once focused on tobacco farming but have now shifted to lavender, ginseng, hazelnuts, and wolfberries. Nearby Long Point, a 40-kilometer (25 mi) spit of land projecting into Lake Erie, is known for its bird migration. It was desginated a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve in 1986.
In The News: Warm weather draws the most Friday the 13th visitors. Friday the 13th falls in May in 2011, and there is only one throughout the year. In 2012 there will be three Friday the 1th's! Followtweets about Port Dover's Friday the 13th on Twitter. To make motorcycling through Ontario's South Coast even easie, there is a "Cruise the Coast" map. The waterproof, pocket-size map is a tool to help find biker-preferred routes through the area, accommodations, events, restaurants and more. Visit www.cruisethecoast.ca to find out how to get a copy.
Lucy Izon
Canada Cool is produced by award-winning Canadian travel writer & speaker Lucy Izon. Her travel stories & reports have appeared in numerous leading North American publications including the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, and Chicken Soup for the Traveler's Soul. Bio page
Canada’s Coolest:
Welcome to a new feature on Canada Cool. I'll be presenting different 'Coolest' lists with my favorites and I encourage you to nominate suggestions from your own experiences. You can Twitter @CanadaCool or email Lucy@CanadaCool.com. Let me know what makes your suggestion exceptionally cool. Remember, by contributing your comments you are giving Canada Cool permission to quote you. Only a selection of submissions will be included, but all comments and submissions are greatly appreciated!
The first feature is: Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives
Here are some of my favorites...
The Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park, Alberta - This 229 km (142 mi) Rocky Mountain route from Banff/Lake Louise to Jasper passes 100 frozen rivers and nudges the base of the Athabasca Glacier - the most accessible glacier in the world. You can stop and explore it. It spills down from the Columbia Icefield, an area of ice so massive that you could fit the entire population of North America on it with each person getting at least a square metre of space.
The Corridor, Algonquin Park, Ontario – this 56-km stretch of Hwy 60 cuts through the southwest section of Algonquin Park. Less than three hours north of Toronto the park is a nature-lover's paradise with 7,725 km of lakes, rivers, forest, trails, camping, comfortable lodges and 2000 km of canoe routes. Offers hiking trails to stop and enjoy, but what makes it really cool is that it’s one of the best places in North America to spot moose (especially in May and June). And, on Thursday nights in August up to 600 cars will gather to listen to wolves howl.
The Cabot Trail, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia – Driving this 303 km (187 mile) route is like riding a roller-coaster: the road snakes around hairpin turns, rises to heights over 365 metres (1200 ft), weaves around headlands revealing spectacular coastal scenery, and plunges down to sea level taking you into the heart of small fishing communities. The most dramatic scenery is between the Cape Breton Highlands National Park entrance near Cheticamp and Pleasant Bay, so go slow. And, plan some flexibility into your schedule, so you can drive it on a clear day.
And here are some of your nominations for 'Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives'...
More from Canada’s Coolest
'Canada's Coolest' topics we'll be publishing in the future:
- Golf Course Features
- Haunted Hotels
- Hotel Special Services
Send your suggestions to lucy@CanadaCool.com
Recent 'Canada's Coolest' topics:
