Story and photos by Ron Keys

After two years of trying to coax some friends to visit the Annual Lions Garlic Festival in Perth, the trip finally becomes a reality. As we leave Newcastle, Ontario, on Hwy 2 going east, the giant orange orb that peeps over the eastern horizon promises another glorious summer day. Just before Newtonville, our little group – Tom and Tracey, Shaun and Lisa, and Tina and I – slowly climbs the narrow blacktop of Stapleton Road to take in a panoramic view of the countryside. The vista is spectacular, yet sadly gilded with brown haze as Toronto’s smog smudges the western horizon. Row upon row of tall corn and tidy strip-farm crops of wheat and oats lead my gaze to distant farm houses, stately, nestled in groves of trees in the emerald backdrop of the Ganaraska Forest.

Determined to avoid any four-lane highways on this trip, we follow Ganaraska Road eastward to Rice Lake, where Cavan Road unravels before us – a beautiful, albeit short, alternative road that winds past pristine farms glistening in the morning dew – it’s these pastoral moments that transform motorcycling into a passion. Making our way east to Hwy 30, we turn north and ride through Meyersburg and into Campbellford for a welcome break.

Riding over the arched Campbellford bridge, we follow the Trent River out of town. Meeting up with Springbrook Road, we head due east to Hwy 62. Crookston Road presents us with some entertaining sweeping corners and an engaging ride to Tweed.

Rolling eastward along Marlbank Road, we ride by an abundance of small lakes, rivers, streams and swamps, all cradling a minuteportion of Canada’s abundant supply of fresh water. Recently resurfaced, this meandering byway is much smoother and more fun to ride than in years past. Built in the days when road builders followed the lay of the land, there are no rock cuts or filled-in valleys. We follow the glacial drift and rocky topography provided by nature, which makes this road challenging and so appealing. Avoiding all major arteries, we quietly slip through the tiny hamlet of Marlbank and make our way through Enterprise, Bellrock and Verona. In the town of Godfrey, just a few minutes north of Verona on Hwy 38, we meet Westport Road, another scenic whirligig.

Eventually, Wolfe Lake appears before us like a master’s canvas, and we stop to take in the breathtaking beauty. We scrape our pegs as we lean hard along Wolfe Lake’s shore road, being careful to avoid the gravel deposited on the corners by tourist trailers – the penalty for miscalculation being a dip, bike and all, into Wolfe Lake.

We make our way to Westport, where we turn north on County Road 10 and continue to Perth. Located on the beautiful Tay River with splendid parks and old stone buildings, Perth has been declared the “Prettiest Town in Ontario” by TVOntario. Historic Code’s Mill, home of the Fiddler’s Green Bar and Grill, welcomes us, and as I walk across its robust, wide-plank flooring, I muse, “if only this floor could talk.” Surrounded by the aged ambience of stone and wood, this is a welcome respite from our six-hour ride.

The Garlic Festival is underway at the Perth Fairgrounds and boasts an impressive array of attractions. Booths are set up all around the horse-race track, with everything from soy garlic spreads to garlic jams and preserves, and even garlic fudge and garlic chocolate, which, surprisingly, is quite delicious. Scapes – the long, leafless flowering stems of the garlic plant – are used to add a milder flavouring to some of the edibles. We watch the art of garlic braiding, cooking demonstrations, face painting and wine tasting . . . (read more)

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