South Route 7 - A Different Take...........Pages 30

Par 3 golf course, or from the outdoor patio, look up at the Saamis from the bottom of the valley.

The menu is full of comfort food, perfect for after a round of golf (or for after a long road trip, in our case).

A great deal of care has gone into sourcing local ingredients and supporting the farms and producers from the area, including brews from the three local craft breweries, and cocktails using Grit City Distillery.

Some of the vegetables are from the Rolling Hills Greenhouse right up the road! They also grow some of the fresh herbs onsite. They have repeatedly won local awards for their exceptional dining experience, so if you’re wanting a great meal, it’s definitely the place to go!

The golf course itself is very accessible, offering adult green fees under $20,or a large bucket of balls for the driving range for under $10. This is a great stop to finish your ride and enjoy some time in Medicine Hat.

Food Tourism Strategies Inc. is a Calgary-based consulting and event company that produces Alberta on the Plate, a platform that highlights and celebrates Alberta food and drink, as well as hosts a province wide dine around festival every August during Alberta Local Food Week.

Learn More: AlbertaOnThePlate.com | FoodTourismStrategies.com Follow on Instagram & Facebook: @abontheplate | @foodtourismstrategies

Become a CMTA Member for FREE When you purchase your Rumble Alberta Event Pass!

With discounts at several regional and national hotel chains, the Never Ride Alone Program and 30 days of Premium Membership on the Wolf Pack App this is a great FREE Membership whether you Ride or not!

Buy your Rumble Alberta Pass today to save! www.rumblealberta.com

Visit: motorcycletourism.ca to learn more!

Story and photos by Craig Oldfield of Ridin’ Alberta A Facebook Group

My first full day in Grande Prairie had started off with a meeting over breakfast with Renee ‘Belt Drive Betty’ Charbonneau, the executive director of the Canadian MotorcycleTourism Association.

We mostly chatted about why I was brought to Northern Alberta and how I would go about promoting the region as a destination for two wheeled tourism.

I’m not new to the tourism game since I graduated with an Ecotourism and Outdoor Leadership degree from Mt. Royal University and spent the last 6 years as a “local” guide in the Canadian Rockies.

After sorting out a few details Renee and I set out for one of the local motorsports shops where we would meet Chase.Chase is A 20 year resident and an avid motorcycle rider with plenty of experience riding one of his many bikes on almost every backroad around the Grande Prairie Region. He also happens to be a salesman at Stojan’s Power Sports & Marine.

Chase and I discussed a few options and after getting the rest of the day off to go out riding with me we set a meeting time and place. Having a planned ride with a local to guide me made me very happy since by now I was itching to get out of town and see some new countryside.

I of course was running late and my tardiness was compounded when I realized I didn’t bring my preferred riding gloves and had to make a pit stop at one of the bike shops to grab a new set.

I hated to make Chase wait but it took a couple minutes to choose new gloves since you need to get the gear that not only fits but also feels good.

Riding gear is kind of like hockey equipment in that equipment needs to feel just right, almost to the point of being superstitious. Luckily I had found a perfect fit and so off we went on our exploration of some gravel backroads south of Grand Prairie.

Once off the highway and onto the secondary gravel road Chase and I stopped and decided I would lead since I usually ride a bit slower than he does and this allowed me to set a comfortable pace. important intersections or spots where he knew we could get some good photos. So off we rode.

A few minutes down the road he did exactly that and signaled left as we crossed the bridge over the Simonette River.

We pulled our bikes right up to the bank and managed to get some nice shots with the river as our backdrop. It’s easy to take great photos anytime you have streams, lakes, mountains, valleys and other wild places in the background. All things we have an abundance of in our beautiful province.

Once we felt we had exhausted every possible angle and had a quick drink we set off again.

Back on the bike we now found each other’s rhythm. Each rider has a different style and it can take a while to adjust to riding with someone new but this time we feel into the same groove quickly.

Our duo now moved quickly on the hard packed gravel and the miles sped by.

There aren’t too many roads in this area that lead off of these main arteries so sticking to the “right” road is fairly easy and after another stop and about an hour of riding we made a turn signaling our halfway point.