Jake and I in front of the Lone Shieling on the Cabot Trail.

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One of our favourite rides is the Cabot Trail.

There’s nothing better than a brief escape from the routine. I love a two-week vacation, particularly if Steve and I and our RoadDog can take off for a long jaunt on the bike. But for some reason, just getting away for a few days is really fun. Maybe it’s the difference between the usual I-worked-hard-and-earned-this vacation and just sneaking away for a few days.

Steve and I hadn’t visited the Cabot Trail for years and I’d forgotten what I was missing until a couple of years ago when we headed north on the motorcycle. I’d only ever travelled the scenic loop by car and my husband assured me it would be a totally different experience on the bike.

The only problem with that assessment was that we went in late-October. Make no mistake, it was a totally different experience — I can’t remember ever being so cold in my life. The fall is my favourite time of year and I love the autumn colours, but travelling around the Cabot Trail in the rain and drizzle (did I mention the weather didn’t co-operate) in October was not such a hot idea. I might have even once or twice wished for a car with soft seats and a heater.

Having said that, however, the colours that day were fantastic. People we met along the way said we’d hit the peak period for the oranges, yellow and reds. In the rather grey day, the changing leaves were absolutely stunning. Once I warmed up with a hot bath and a hot cup of tea (or maybe it was something stronger), I really wasn’t sorry we had gone.

So two summers ago we decided we’d try it again, this time with our third passenger. At the time, Jake had only overnighted with us a few times and it was his longest stay away from home and a few of his longest days on the bike. We didn’t need to worry. Our little trooper is always ready to go along for the ride.

The weather didn’t completely co-operate. We ended up with rain the day we were planning to go around the trail, so we only went for a short drive up the coast, then turned back. But we extended our stay for an extra day and did the loop. The sun shone down on us, the views were fantastic and we had a wonderful day. Jake stared at the mountains, met people along the way, walked along some trails and generally had a great, if tiring, time.

With a little luck, maybe we’ll hit the trail again this year, just not in late-October.

That’s Jake’s carrier on our bike.

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Travelling around on a motorcycle with a dog garners some interesting reactions.

I first noticed this early in Jake’s first season of riding with us. We had pulled up at a stop sign just outside Lunenburg. I was aware that a car had been travelling behind us for some distance, but as we stopped to turn right the other driver pulled alongside our bike to turn left. I glanced at the man behind the wheel and noticed he had a big smile on his face as he looked at us.

Now this man might have been a biker admiring our Kawasaki. He might have thought it was sweet that a man and woman were out riding together on a beautiful day. But do you know how sometimes you can just tell what it is that people are thinking about, not necessarily what they are thinking, but at least what they are thinking about? I just knew this man had seen Jake or knew that he was there in his carrier just behind me.

People approach us all the time to meet Jake and talk about how he rides on the bike with us. That’s just part of our riding routine now.

What I haven’t grown accustomed to yet is the reaction of people in vehicles. Occasionally, it’s a driver as it was that first day. Usually, it’s the passengers, lots of times a woman in the passenger’s seat and sometimes children or teens in the back.

Sometimes they point and, from my vantage point behind Steve, I can see them turn and talk to each other. I sometimes even think I can read their lips and see what they are saying. Some appear enchanted, others curious. For some, it’s more about disbelief. But invariably, those that notice are smiling.

I remember one instance last summer travelling through Maine. We were on a secondary highway (there’s so much more to see there) when a car pulled up in the passing lane beside us and stayed there for the longest while, maybe a kilometre or more. A woman in the passenger seat kept looking and looking at the carrier. She’d turn and speak to the man behind the wheel, then look back at us. I just knew she was trying to figure out what was in the carrier.

Eventually, the car passed us and continued on its way. I wondered if she’d figured it out or went away still curious and it dawned on me that we need to get a bumper sticker made for Jake’s carrier.

I want it to say simply, “Yep, it’s a dog.” We can put it right next to the one that reads, “Born to be a biker.”

That’s Steve and our RoadDog at a motorcycle event last summer.

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Jake enjoys eating out just like Steve and I do.

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Steve and I eat a lot of meals at picnic tables and sitting on grassy spots and curbs.

Don’t get me wrong, there are few things we enjoy more than a beautifully prepared dinner in a lovely restaurant with nice surroundings and a glass of good wine. That’s just not how our lives typically unfold. During the warmer months, we spend most of our spare time riding our motorcycle and, when we ride, Jake goes with us 99 per cent of the time. Can you see our logistical problem?

Steve has geared up Jake’s carrier with a sturdy padlock so we can leave him with the bike occasionally and be quite certain he’ll be there when we return. We just hate to do that. It seems unfair that Jake gets left alone when we go off to eat, so most of the time we stay with him.

If we go to a restaurant with friends, I usually end up sitting near a window so I can keep an eye on the bike. On occasion, some well-meaning person will wander up to Jake’s carrier to “visit” him, so then I have to go outside and politely explain that he’s just fine, or at least he was until a stranger came along and got him worked up so he now wants to get out and greet the new people.

We have some friends who don’t mind eating outside with us, but we absolutely understand that not everyone wants to picnic with our dog watching them hoping that they’ll drop something yummy. We’re just fine with that.

So when it’s just us, Steve or I will go inside and get the food, then we all settle in for dinner for three. We’ve actually had some really fun times. I remember one restaurant in Cape Breton where the staff thought we were a little crazy when we asked if we could eat outside on a cold, windy day. But when Steve explained why, they offered us a table on their patio — it wasn’t like anyone else was going to use it that day. There was another place on the Eastern Shore with a picnic table by a stream. A waitress happily delivered our lunch with a big smile for us and Jake.

The best experience, however, was last summer in Bar Harbor, Maine. The three of us were wandering around the streets one evening checking out the sights when we stopped in a pet store, aptly named Bark Harbor. We were just inside when a worker greeted us and asked if we’d like a list of dog-friendly restaurants. I know I looked stunned when I asked “a what?”

I’d done my research before we went to New England (you have to when you travel with a dog on a motorcycle), so I knew Bar Harbor had been named one of the dog-friendliest places in the United States. I guess I just didn’t understand what that meant.

The employee was quick to explain that most stores welcomed dogs, as did about a dozen restaurants. We were shocked, then absolutely delighted. We had the most wonderful evening, wandering in and out of shops, buying a few things here and there (you don’t buy a lot when you travel on a bike  — packing is an issue). Then we walked to the waterfront and chose a restaurant, where an employee showed us to a lovely table on the deck overlooking the harbour.

The most astonishing thing, as we walked to our seats, was the number of dogs along the way. I would say probably half the tables had a dog sitting alongside, many with water bowls beside them. They were just sitting there with their humans and everyone was enjoying themselves. It was amazing.

We were really sorry that we had to leave Bar Harbor the next day, but we’ll go back soon — all three of us.

Jake showing off his MMTA colours

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People sometimes have an image of bikers hanging out in gangs that couldn’t be further from the truth.

I’m not saying bike gangs don’t exist, they certainly do, but the people you see riding the roads around here are far less likely to belong to a gang than to a club and those clubs are just like any other — a group of people with a common interest who get together to enjoy themselves.

Steve and I belong to a local bike club called the Maritime Motorcycle Touring Association (MMTA) South Shore III chapter. The group, which includes people from the South Shore and the Annapolis Valley, meets monthly and some members gather each Sunday evening for a chat. The real fun, however, is in the rides. We gather at the Tim Hortons on LaHave Street in Bridgewater at 7 p.m. on Wednesday evenings during the bike season. Sometimes there are only four or five bikes and sometimes there are eight or 10. Then we’re off for a ride somewhere around the region.

The club also hosts a number of special events each year — a pet food run to benefit SHAID in May, a memorial run to remember bikers now gone, a poker run which is a club fundraiser and a toy run to benefit Christmas Daddies in September. Bikers from around the province gather for these events, sometimes in the hundreds, and it’s always a great time.

We also travel as a group to similar events hosted by other clubs. Most have events to support charities involving children and animals.

Steve and I belonged to the MMTA before we adopted Jake. We wondered how the other members would feel about a having a dog tag along on their rides and were kind of prepared to step back and travel on our own if he wasn’t well received.

We should have guessed it wouldn’t be an issue — bikers have big hearts. We take a lot of teasing, especially me for some inexplicable reason, but it certainly seems like most of the club members enjoy having Jake along for the ride. He definitely enjoys them. He gets all wound up when he sees them, jumping around and licking anyone he can get at. We jokingly refer to the club members as Jake’s “peeps” and I think they’ve made him a sort of unofficial club mascot. We’ve even made him a bright yellow bandana (the club’s colours are yellow and black) and sewn on one of the club patches. He wears it when we go to club events.

The MMTA has a booth at the Biker Bash at Exhibition Park in Halifax this weekend, so anyone wishing to learn more about the club can drop by for a chat with members. Steve and I will be there for a couple of hours on Sunday, but RoadDog will be home resting up for the coming riding season.

RoadDog waiting for spring riding weather

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