Where to start? 41 motorcycles registered for the ride at the Gravenhurst Legion. A combination of our club members, our friends from Base Borden and our honorary community member Helen Barnes as well as other local riders who support the Legion came out. We also appreciate the donations that were made by those who were unable to attend the ride.
We had to postpone the start of the ride by a few minutes so as not to interfere with another ride and stay as safe as possible. Our road captains led by Brian Shelly guided us through Muskoka starting by heading down Veteran’s Way, riding along the busy main street of Gravenhurst out to Muskoka Road 169 to our first stop at the Bala Legion, where those who wanted to participated in the first draw for the best poker hand.
Gearing up we headed to Muskoka Road 38 – always a smooth ride, out to the Hwy 400 to High Street and hit our second rest stop at the MacTier Legion and 2nd card pull. It is cool to see all the kids waving at the bikes.
Heading along 169 to 118 we stopped at the Port Carling Legion. The bikes looked like poetry in motion heading up and down the hills leading through town. Elizabeth Colbeck, myself, Debbie Wood and Sue Linn were in a truck following the ride and it is a thing of beauty to watch the bikes travel the roads in staggered formation around the corners, up and down the hills.
Heading to the Bracebridge Legion via Hwy 118 to Hewlitt Rd and Falkenburg Rd is one of my favourite routes where the roads are smaller and it feels more personal as we see the farmlands and country side surrounding Bracebridge then switching it up to go down the busy Bracebridge main street with 3 stop lights. It was well orchestrated and flowed with precision to the Bracebridge Legion.
Card 3 in hand we continued via Cedar Lane, to Hwy 118 to Windemere Rd, to Bethune Dr and back to the Gravenhurst Legion. Words don’t adequately describe the beauty of the country side we rode through, so I have added a few pictures to help out.
The road captains shared the blocking of the route, to keep travel seamless (stitch is good at that) in spite of a busy day in Gravenhurst with Dockside Art Festival happening. Every weekend has something going on in Muskoka.
Did I mention the heat and humidity, whew! 37 or 38 with the humidity, we had lots of liquids on board in the truck to hand out at each of the rest stops.
In total we raised $3164.00 for the Gravenhurst Legion to support our veterans and their families in our community. The Legion members opened their hall and provided the riders with a great BBQ lunch with salads to refuel after what turned out to be a 3 hour ride.
The Gravenhurst Legion Branch 302 is an important part of our community. It reaches out to our veterans, their families, in ways we don’t always see. This was an opportunity for our club to give back and help the Legion continue to be a voice for our veterans and their families.
Muskoka Thunder Motorcycle Riders 