I thought that I might cover what I consider to be one of the best drives that I have had the pleasure of undertaking. I am of the opinion that as unbelievable as your car may be, the blacktop that you are driving on can be equally as important. The route that I am about to discuss is by no means a short drive but it encompasses most, if not all road types.
This route has S-bends, beautiful straight-aways, steep climbs fallowed by even more rapid descents. It snakes through some of the most unbelievable exposed Canadian Shield rock faces and dark lakes carved out and filled by the receding glaciers of the last ice age. Not to mention a few great small towns to stop in when you need to give yourself a quick break and pay your car some appreciation for what it has just accomplished. Maybe be so kind as to fill up your card regardless of whether it is a Mercedes or Kia with some premium. I mean you wouldn't run out and jump in the Boston Marathon without being well nourished.
I think it is best to break this trip down into a few sections, but feel free to modify as you see fit.
Section 1:
Toronto to Orillia
This route has S-bends, beautiful straight-aways, steep climbs fallowed by even more rapid descents. It snakes through some of the most unbelievable exposed Canadian Shield rock faces and dark lakes carved out and filled by the receding glaciers of the last ice age. Not to mention a few great small towns to stop in when you need to give yourself a quick break and pay your car some appreciation for what it has just accomplished. Maybe be so kind as to fill up your card regardless of whether it is a Mercedes or Kia with some premium. I mean you wouldn't run out and jump in the Boston Marathon without being well nourished.
I think it is best to break this trip down into a few sections, but feel free to modify as you see fit.
Section 1:
Toronto to Orillia
Speed Limits: 100 - 60 km/h
Roads: Highway 400 North to Highway 11North take Highway 12 East exit in Orillia
Yes not the most interesting road to travel but this will be your last chance to enjoy multi lane highway. Enjoy the ability to pass other vehicles freely and travel as speeds of 100 km/h. I suggest that you don't attempt to travel this route on Friday evening of any summer weekend, this is the main cottage country artery and no one needs to spend hours parked on a highway.
Section 2:
Orillia to Bancroft
Roads: Rama Rd. to Hwy 45 - changes to Hwy 118, Hwy 28
Speed Limits: 80 - 50 km/h
As you begin you will have the opportunity to warm up your tires and transition to two lane roads. I have to say this section always makes me smile because I know 'it' is just beginning. There should realistically be a welcome gate, you know similar to any amusement park or place of that nature as you turn onto Hwy 45. It's almost like entering into a foreign world.
As you begin to speed along stretches of straight roads bordered by farms and scrub bush, you will quickly be reminded of why cars are designed with bolsters in their seats. For those of you in back seats or in the passenger seat at this time I would suggest you become friendly with the 'holy sh*t' handle. This is because there is a particular set of S bends in the lead up to Head Lake that have plenty of warning signage and recommended speeds. I will repeat recommended not required, for those of you not used to driving aggressively through sharp turns I would suggest you take your time and become accustom to how your car acts and reacts through these turns, because remember you want to make it to the end of this trip intact.
As you pass Head Lake you start to appreciate that you are truly entering some of the most beautiful landscapes arguably anywhere. Though the title of this article may well be "between the lines" take care to appreciate the landscape around you.
I should have mentioned that this drive should also be done with a co-pilot who is handy with a camera or if you are taking this challenge on your own be prepared to pull over, stop and take it all in.
Passing through Norland, and hugging the edge of a small lake cruising towards Kinmount the trees and hills begin to grow up tall around you. It always crosses my mind that the road now becomes less of a the focus of the environment and more a narrow river of ashphault flowing through the landscape as if painted on with a fine brush by a master painter.
A slight switchback in Kinmount gives you the chance to grab a drink and if you feel so inclined ask a local resident for directions to a unique theatre/museum Highlands Cinema.
As you head back into the wilderness on what is now Hwy 503 you will now have to, for lack of a better word, work. I know it is a nasty word when you are trying to just appreciate a good drive but the road becomes challenging at this point. The way I see it is, the more raw the landscape the more challenging the drive.
You will begin to face some pretty steep climbs and hard turns and this is when you are going to appreciate a little more horsepower under the hood. The road surface may be broken in some areas so stay attentive and be prepared to react. Adjust your speed accordingly, remember the speed limit through much of this section is 80 km/h (wink, wink - nudge, nudge) but drive accordingly. There are definitely some opportunities to push your car along the way.
I have done this drive in a multitude of vehicles, including one trip towing my entire life in a uhaul trailer attached to a well equiped 2009 GMC Sierra. I have also done the drive in ; 2010 Sebring, 2010 Dodge Journey, 2010 Ford Flex, 2011 Mitsubishi Lancer, 2009 Suzuki SX4, 2011 Nissan Altima.
The Sebring V6 limped through the drive and the steering felt like lead. The Suzuki, though it drove like a go-kart through many turns I felt could overheat or die at any moment going up hills. It's not that often that you can put your foot literally to the floor and have the car just shrug it off and almost say, "It's a hill bud, give me a break!"
My favourite car for this trip so far has been the Mitsubishi Lancer. It was fun to drive, coming alive and enjoying the road almost as much as I was. Light steering, peppy engine with very little lag in acceleration and great brakes. I was driving an electric blue GT version and the only complaint I have is that I wish the bucket seats were a little deeper and hugged a little more. By far thought this is the car that I have most enjoyed driving this route with.
A right turn off of Hwy 118 onto Hwy 28 will give you a change to relax slightly. Hwy 28 in this area is wide and well paved, and maybe more importantly passes the Kawartha Dairy - be prepared to line up, but it is worth it. Hope back on the road and head into Bancroft, I suggest heading through town and out to the Tim's just on the outskirts of town, not so much for the coffee or timbits but more for the unbelievable rockface across the road. Sometimes you can be lucky enough to catch adventurous climbers heading up, or down this massive chunk of Canadian Shield. Also grab some food here in town, grab some gas and stock up on any other items you might need because this will be your last stop before the best part of this trip.
Section 3:
Bancroft to Renfrew
Speed Limits: 80 km/h
Roads: Hwy 28, 41 and 132
GET READY. As Bancroft quickly slips out of your mirrors you creep back into essentially complete wilderness, cell signal is either weak or non-existant. The result is complete focus, your senses are hieghtened, the hum of the engine begins to sound more like the rappid beat of a heart. There are very few moments when I say to myself I wish that I had convertible so that I could be that much closer to the environment around me. Much of the time though I have to be satisfied with reaching my arm out the window and feeling the fresh air capture my outstretched hand.
You may find some of the rougher road sections of this entire journey in this jaunt (I use this term very loosely as it is about 128 km) but I promise the short sections of rough edges to the road will be far outweighed by exhileration of hard corners which cut along the edge of beautiful lakes. The incredible rolling hills of this area will put your vehicle to the test, and have you in awe at the incredible egnineering feat that this road is. As a skier I liken the sensation of climbing up these hills and racing down the other side as the same rush as skiing down a beautiful powder covered hill. It's possible that it could be even more closely describes as the adrenaline high of speeding down your favourite childhood hill on your fastest led.
There is a particular stretch of about 2-3 kilometres, just prior to reaching Denbigh, of perfectly straight road. On this stretch of road I have to admit I typically allow my foot more leniency in pushing the gas pedal closer to the ground.
This is why I find such pleasure in driving this road, as each time I make the journey I find another impressive feature. It challenges me and forces me to be cogniscent of how I drive. If you take the opportunity to follow my directions which I consider to be a treasure map, I am sure you will also find a certain section that will become your favourite.
The road will eventually start to calm down as you creep up on Renfrew and at this point you can start to breath easy and relax. Slowly cruising through Renfrew you will have time to relfect on the kilometres you have just covered. Now it's up to you at this point, you can either stop and eat here or grab a quick break and head on in to the final destination...Ottawa.
It seems only fitting that one of the best drives in Ontario ends up in Ottawa. Take the time to come in off the highway and come downtown Ottawa and visit the Parliament buildings. I promise you that it will cap off your journey. Though this whole adventure is about getting the opportunity to push your car and your driving capabilities to the limit it is far more important. By taking this journey you are able to delve into the beauty of our Country and realize why Canada truly is the greatest country in the world. After appreciating the natural beauty of our country, it will only be emphasized by the Parliament Building which represent the real beauty of Canada - its democracy.
Take the journey, share it with others - challenge yourself and enjoy the ride!
If you do take this trip let me know what you think and feel free to share with me what your favourite part of the drive was. Please let me know of some other epic drives that you would recommend to me.
later days,
J.R.
