Folks, probably like you, after a couple of days getting use to MSFS...setting it up to your own very personal permutations...and are past the stumble stutter of getting things just so right for you...

I have been having a blast truly mimicking real life, in that  my wife and I are avid motorcycle lovers and I/we have been involved in many group tours, single tours, and have seen some pretty splendid scenery, both in our native Ontario, Canada, as well as most parts of the United States. We have travelled/toured as well in other provinces of Canada, most notably, the wonderful and scenic Cape Breton Island, of Nova Scotia.  All that  being stated, I decided to take by air, by MSFS 'air', one of the most memorable and highly recommended motorcycle tours for both Canadians and American neighbors...called the Great Algoma Circuit. It comprises a U-shape of about three different highways, that really highlight the Canadian Shield, of granite feldspar, and quartz.  I would like to recommend that you take this tour in any MSFS G.A. aircraft...that has a high wing to not obstruct your view.

In my test flights..(like the one I showed of Lake Wawa (which means Goose, in the local Native language), I have seen  just exactly what this Bing Map/Azure Cloud partnership can offer...and what is that, you ask?   Absolutely true to life terrain. That's what.  I know Lake Wawa (many real life visits) like the back of my own hand typing all this.  I flew over the entire perimeter of that lake...and saw..the very bays that has some great Large Mouth Bass fishing, as well as Pickerel.  So...after that 'all over', I decided yesterday after my post to continue my flight as if I was traveling down below on the very highways that comprise the Great Algoma Motorcycle Tour.  Folks...not only was it all there...the terrain properly represented..not 'somewhat' represented...but WAS represented...the climbs to around 2,800 feet on some hills,  the valleys, the actual highway curves...what we call the S-curves...that makes motorcycling on these noted highways so much fun!  

All there...and when I landed at the end of the tour at Tobermory, Ontario (which actually is the end of the recommended tour to motorcycle forums and groups...  I wanted to come here, and offer this tour to my fellow Avsim Forum members.

Here it is...and i hope you can run as close to ULTRA settings as possible for this tour...

Start  at the Sault Ste. Marie airport.

Locate Highway 17, heading north out of the Sault...and you'll know if you are heading for Batchawana Bay and Old Woman River...(this is a fully VFR flight).  As you fly up the coast of Lake Superior, you will fly over Montreal River Harbor(or Harbour), Agawa Bay, and keep heading north, will fly over Lake Superior Provincial Park .At Michipicoten Bay you will look for WaWa Airport's---> MSFS (you need to have this feature on!)  floating Icon...to let you know where Wawa is...and then,...have a fly over of the town for fun, that sits on the shore of Lake Wawa. 

Having done that...find and catch Highway 101 Eastbound, that skirts the lake on its south shore, and VFR visually follow that right into Chapleau, the Black Bear hunting/observing capitol of Ontario.  Many American as well as Canadian large game hunters come to this town from afar.  As you make Chapleau, catch Highway 129 south down to Thessalon (we butt break here at a great greasy spoon..lol) and then catch Highway 17 eastbound towards the over-fly towns of Blind River, Spanish, and onto your next leg...at  Esplanola, fly south on Highway 6...to fly over or fully explore Manitoulin Island.  Find the FERRY DOCK at the SOUTH end of the island...and from there...fly over Lake Huron, southbound to finally land at Tobermory Airport.  Bikers would take the Ferry across Lake Huron to get to Tobermory, and usually book a night at one of the Inns.

That is the actual Great Algoma Tour...for the varied topography...the wonderful rustic scenery...the abundant wildlife you can possibly encounter...and that you will be at Lake level..and heights through the tour as high as 2000 to 3,000 feet.  As you ride onto Manitoulin Island, Highway 6  has Feldspar and Granite ragged cliffs that take everyone's breath away...(watch for the OPP who sit there to pick off all the speeders..rubber necking and not watching their speedometers..lol!!!) You in  your virtual plane can smile and fly over the ticket-handing-out carnage below you!

This is my first MSFS 'as real as it gets'  flight tour recommendation, based on actual motorcycle touring that is very well known, and comes highly recommended to all tour groups, and singles.

If you decide to try it...have fun!  I sure did flying it in MSFS at as close to true and pure Ultra settings as my middle-of-the-road older system can cough up.

Cheers,

Mitch the new MSFS groupie, and motorcycle rider.

One bump...for it is travelling down fast..lol!

Have fun!

Well - the average life time expectancy of a post on the first page is 30 minutes now. Yesterday I saw it down to 5 minutes. Kind of insane!

Will try the tour - visited Canada last year and enjoyed it, feels like home in Sweden 😉 It really would be nice to be able to "share" a route you have planned from the in game nav planner...

Edited August 22, 20205 yr by mazex

33 minutes ago, mazex said:

Well - the average life time expectancy of a post on the first page is 30 minutes now. Yesterday I saw it down to 5 minutes. Kind of insane!

Will try the tour - visited Canada last year and enjoyed it, feels like home in Sweden 😉 It really would be nice to be able to "share" a route you have planned from the in game nav planner...

That sounds like a great idea!  Hope they implement that!  For now, I figured that if someone wanted to emulate this real world (for cars as well as motorcycles, and is written up and recommended in many magazine and tour forums as well...)  the could merely print my post..and use that as a flight guide along with the MSFS airport, city/town floating assists, and perhaps the P.O.I. as well.  I did this entire flight yesterday...and truly, it will give anybody (at least from the air,..) the feel, or encouragement to experience upon a saddle!~

When I retire, a few years away..my buddy and I both plan to take the BMW (I have always wanted to own one..but not yet to date..) Factory tour through the four countries that host any part or kiss the Alps.  What you do..is book the tour...telling them the actual BMW model you are considering...you GET that model to tour upon...for the 10 day tour...and then, at the end...you are given a great price to purchase the very bike you rode the Alps and created those lasting memories upon..including a preferred price to ship it home AND have it delivered right to the bottom of your home driveway.  A buddy of mine did this about ten years ago...and said it went off without a hitch..and the only time I knew of that he did this...was the beer(s) we shared standing and LOOKING at the very bike, he rode the Alps with...now resting upon my driveway!  I was sold from that minute on...  So..to be done, sometime into the near future...(my wife has stated that she might not be ready to ride the Alps...some of the hair-pin switch backs..pictures has frightened her...).  I might be riding solo....

Edited August 22, 20205 yr by Sesquashtoo

Thanks for the flight suggestion, I’ll take a look.  I too have been recreating some journeys that I did by ground in real life in MSFS.  My two favourites so far are

- the Bow River Valley (Canadian Rockies - Lake Louise, Banff etc).  It’s a pretty simple one, Take off from Calgary - Springbank (CYBW) and follow the Trans Canada highway all the way through some of the best scenery in the world until you get to Golden (CYGE).  
- Derry, Northern Ireland (EGAE) to Donegal, Ireland (EIDL).  Some really gorgeous mountains, fields, cliffs etc along this journey.  On the ground it’s a bit of white knuckle experience with narrow roads, no shoulders and 100km/h speed limits that are more of a goal than an actual limit.  Great views from the air and a hand crafted airport to greet you in Donegal.

You got me thinking though that I need to go fly the Cabot Trail...Port Hawkesbury (CYPD) would make a good start and end point for the journey though you could base yourself out of Sydney (YQY) as well.

Edited August 22, 20205 yr by regis9

11 minutes ago, regis9 said:

Thanks for the flight suggestion, I’ll take a look.  I too have been recreating some journeys that I did by ground in real life in MSFS.  My two favourites so far are

- the Bow River Valley (Canadian Rockies - Lake Louise, Banff etc).  It’s a pretty simple one, Take off from Calgary - Springbank (CYBW) and follow the Trans Canada highway all the way through some of the best scenery in the world until you get to Golden (CYGE).  
- Derry, Northern Ireland (EGAE) to Donegal, Ireland (EIDL).  Some really gorgeous mountains, fields, cliffs etc along this journey.  On the ground it’s a bit of white knuckle experience with narrow roads, no shoulders and 100km/h speed limits that are more of a goal than an actual limit.  Great views from the air and a hand c rafter airport to greet you in Donegal.

You got me thinking though that I need to go drive the Cabot Trail...Port Hawkesbury (CYPD) would make a good start and end point for the journey though you could base yourself out of Sydney (YQY) as well.

Have printed this...thank you!  All the better that you know someone in the forum has seen/experienced the real deal, and recommends the same for MSFS!

If you do the Cabot Trail...two tips...first tip:  Make sure you always are in the ocean-side/cliff side of the two lane highway...so you can SEE from that lane. Travel in the direction that puts you on the outer lane. The other lane inside lane,...you can mostly only see 10 miles out to sea.  Second tip...find out (MOST SERIOUSLY....you have been warned!!!!!)  from the Nova Scotia Road Division...what roads they are repaving...and why?   They use (get this!!!!!) applied hot tar...and freakin' PEA GRAVEL in some spots...while they work on other spots.  You need to know..and avoid those roadway repair sites at all costs.  You will run over that tar/pea gravel..and it will fling up...to a nightmare coating all over your car or bike..it's rad if you are water cooled oil cooled..and I spent on my 2008 Goldwing  GL1800, the better part of a full day's vacation at a small village car wash...after visiting their local Canadian tire to get VARSOL...and shop rags...I was BEYOND infuriated..and one guy in a new BMW two seater..was right beside me on the car wash lot, .and swearing (an American lawyer) that he was going to launch a lawsuit as soon as he got home....so  with that in mind...the Cabot Trail is awesome..but find out if they are fixing the roads up there...:)

Edited August 22, 20205 yr by Sesquashtoo

You’re quite welcome.  Those are my two favourite places on earth in real life and they shine in MSFS.  

I’ll add that you don’t necessarily have to stop in Golden, you can keep going to Revelstoke and the scenery through the Rogers Pass is also amazing.  I’ve never done that part in real life though, only in the sim (both MSFS and Train Simulator!)

Edited August 22, 20205 yr by regis9

30 minutes ago, regis9 said:

You’re quite welcome.  Those are my two favourite places on earth in real life and they shine in MSFS.  

I’ll add that you don’t necessarily have to stop in Golden, you can keep going to Revelstoke and the scenery through the Rogers Pass is also amazing.  I’ve never done that part in real life though, only in the sim (both MSFS and Train Simulator!)

My wife and I are also budgeting for that Scenic Train ...and we want the Golden Service Level...my sister and bro-in-law took that...and came home RAVING about it...the Golden Service Level by them, was out of this world! 🙂