When it comes to mornings, our mantra has always been “best time of day”. Early mornings, in particular, seem to be our most productive hours regardless of weekday or weekend.

On our recent road trip, this sentiment rang true every morning, heading out on “Big Blue” before 8am (Tony renamed Tigger, that’s a whole other story he will have to tell). Some mornings were clear, warm and sunny, some cloudy with threat of rain and others sometimes hot, sticky, and muggy. Starting each morning in a different city – or province – brought different temperatures, sights, sounds and smells. The beauty of two-wheel travel is how close to the environment you feel. There’s no “cage” around you! Each slight dip in temperature or change in atmosphere is felt immediately.

Leaving Toronto that first morning, there was a misty, humid haze in the air that wrapped itself around us as we set out North. I could feel the layer of dampness on my face and it seep its way through my armor jacket while coating my helmet visor in a fine mist. The humid smell of the city as it woke up and we beat the morning traffic. Haze burned off to clear, sunny skies by the time we hit cottage country and the rest of the day’s ride to “The Soo” was warm and pleasant.

Northern Ontario mornings bring the scent of dew in the forests and a slight bite to the air. Prairie mornings offer smells of farm crops and livestock with roads and skies that appear endless, farmers riding their tractors in the fields. The Rockies. Oh, the Rockies! They smell and look like my childhood. Bears on the side of the road, seemingly oblivious to the masses of ridiculous tourists pulling over and getting out of their cars for a closer look. Rugged mountains, glaciers, fresh, cool air and the scent of fir and spruce. West Coast mornings are all cool breezes bringing with them the smell of the salty Pacific Ocean.