A Weekend Bagel Tour

This isn't a story of axle bustin, wheel bending, mud churning off road glory. It's just a quick story about a weekend run to shake off the cobwebs, put on a few miles and most importantly....pick up the bagels. Not just any bagels...Montreal Bagels. They are unquestionably, unequivocally the best bagels in North America.




A leisurely start, the beginning of the trip finds me gassing up about 9:00 a.m. in Mid-Western New Hampshire where I live.




I haven't had breakfast yet so I start looking for a place to stop. It's a bit colder than I had anticipated so I'm gonna add a couple of layers too.
First place I find looks promising, so I pull in.
In the Northeast this time of year, it's all about pancakes and maple syrup. It was a poor year for maple syrup makers this year because the season was so short. That just means it's gonna cost a lot. For all you Log Cabin and Aunt Jemima syrup eaters....Real Maple syrup actually comes from a Maple tree...




Even stopped by a local inmates place since I was in the neighborhood...he wasn't in.




I guess he musta been out skiing





With a good breakfast under my belt, I continue north. It's an uneventful but scenic ride up the superslab through Vermont to the Canadian border.

Once over the border the geography changes drastically from the rolling hills and Green Mountains of Vermont, to the flat praries and farmlands of southern Quebec.




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Getting closer to the target, crossing the mighty St. Lawrence.










The Montreal Skyline





St. Catherine Street was abuzz




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Up St. Laurent to Fairmount





The top secret inner workings




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Got my 2 dozen bagels, then off for the second part of my stop





You can't go to Montreal without having a smoked meat sammich at Schwartz's




It didn't suck...at all, unlike this pic of a satisfied customer



continued...

I dont believe that its the best bagel's in NA. But ill have to go and find out for myself. <object classid="clsid: D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" width="16" height="16" id="movie" align=""><param name="movie" value="http://forumsmiles.com/content/5/mov.swf"><param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed allowScriptAccess="always" src="http://forumsmiles.com/content/5/mov.swf" quality="high" bgcolor="#ffffff" width="16" height="16" name="movie" align="" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"</embed></object>

Montreal is a great city to spend time in with lots to do, but this was a ride after all, it's time to go. My idea was to do a loop rather than back track the same way I came up. If I go East, I can loop right back into the States first through Sherbrook and a few little Provincial towns, then South into Pittsburgh, NH.
These small Southern Quebec towns are very heavily tied to the logging industry, farming and mining.
There's a lot of remote, straight roads between villages.





Did I say long...straight...remote....






You gotta have a sense of humor, when the winters are as long and cold as they are here.





I got to Sherbrook late in the afternoon. I walked around a bit. There's always some beautiful architecture in each town.





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I know...it seems like all I do is eat. I really don't eat that much or often but for some reason this trip was punctuated by food and drink. French Canadians enjoy their cafes, pubs and bistro's.
So I found this little cafe and had a nice local Montreal Boreale Brew and (I know it looks like a hamburger) a Frenchburger... brie, sundried tomatoes, some fancy mayonaise spread, complete with french frites and vinegar.
I enjoyed this spot for quite a while...






I had intended to camp tonite, but it was pretty cold and drizzling, so I holed up in some cheap motel.

I woke up to a overcast and snow spitting day. Hmmm that makes it interesting.




The Sherbrooke skyline....actually this is a nice little city and my picture doesn't do it justice. It was just a kinda gray day. It was time to head south and find some sun.

I picked my way down through a few small towns till I got to the border town and Mt. Magantic ahead of me. It had just snowed last night and the road was freshly salted and sanded.





Thats the border station ahead






They frown on taking pictures at the border station, but after a quick shakedown, cursory search of my bags and the usual chat about who, what when and where, I was on my way, back in the good ole USA.






Third Connecticut Lake...the headwaters of the mighty Connecticut River. Still trying to shake off winter here.





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This section of road for the next 20 miles or so is called "Moose Alley."

In the spring time especially, the moose come to the roadside to slurp up the salt left after a winter of road maintenance. I usually see a moose or two...today I didn't see any.

A nice summertime campsite which has a remote walk in site which is kinda cool. Bring your deet though.





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Last but not least....First CT. Lake. Ice out and there were a few fishermen there.





As I move down in elevation, the snow disappears.
This is a great area for some off road riding. Not a good idea to do it solo though. It's a long way out, if something goes bad.

Here's some good old American Architecture in Lancaster...I think. From The Forboding Courthouse period.





Once down below the notches, it was a whole new weather pattern





The sun was out, and the heat was sinking back into my bones

I always liked this round barn in Woodsville





Then a little lunch in Lyme, on the front porch of the general store. Yah I know....I eat too much.





Almost home.... I got the bagels though.

Nice RR, can't think of a better reason to ride. My wife and I stock up at St. Viateur whenever we're back home. Montreal bagels definitely best ever. They are rumored to exist up in Vancouver, gonna have to run up for a test...

Thanks Starr...where are the ones at St. Viateur?

Nice work David...

Last weekend was the weekend for it... Saturday started off a little cool.. but sunday was perfect for riding...

One thing about Canada is that the roads are FAST.... people are always haul'n arse.....

Color me jealous to have a whole weekend to ride!!

BUT I did ride a 650 Vee Strom last weekend... could be my next budget bike...

Nice RR

Seems as though every time I'm driving in Montreal I end up in a maze of one-way streets....never in the direction I want to go
The eastern townships of Quebec are very nice. The long straight roads were originally built for the military. There's some great food to be had in them parts. You did a nice job of finding it too That smoked meat sandwich looked yummy :dg

Enjoy your bagels,

lg

Seems like a great ride! Nice to know there are a few New Hampshire inmates around. That store in Lyme is one of my favorite general stores in the state for sure.

As long as you don't have to take a leak...

I'm going to have to test your theory. My vote for best bagels is Thunder Bay, Ontario; "Great Canadian Bagels". In order to make a final decision, there's going to have to be a ride to eat bagels that involves two adjacent provinces and two distant towns.

I ride to Thunder Bay many times each season for a bakers dozen of what I know of as the best Canadian bagels anywhere.

Great ride! I drive the 89 corridor up through Highgate and into Montreal a few times each year. Love those bagels.

From a few weeks ago...

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Nice...I chased a strom around for a few thousand miles, awhile ago. It was the bigger brother though.

Lobstergrrl:The long straight roads were originally built for the military. There's some great food to be had in them parts. You did a nice job of finding it too That smoked meat sandwich looked yummy :dg

Interesting, I pictured a timber survey crew laying out those roads, not military. Musta been a pretty remote area before those roads. You gotta try a Montreal smoked meat sandwich, they're great.


Thanks all for the nice comments, it was a fun little blast.

I'm heading through the Montreal area in July on the way to Labrador city. I might need to pick up a dozen for the trip.

P.S. I'm pro food stops.

I can't think of a better reason for a ride.

Likes like a nice little weekends ride Wizzer..

I always ride for food :dg and sometimes even :slurp

Montreal for bagels.

I like the way you roll, whizzerwheel.



Nothing like a smoked meat sammich in Quebec. Maybe I'll have to bring my lady up Montreal this summer, it's been years since we went there.

Sorry I missed you - what day were you by the shop?

You can't go to Montreal without having a smoked meat sammich at Schwartz's




I'll heed your advice Damn that looks good!

I ride down to NYC twice a year for essentially the same two items: Bagels from H&H and a corned beef from Katz's deli, next time I'll have to head North instead.

If you come up for the White Horse BBQ try Big Dave's Deli (on 302 next to discount beverage) and for lunch try the Pastrami sandwitchhhh..