SWITZERLAND JOHN SWITZER


The Valley calls and beckons


I love touring the open road with


all its possibilities and without any real planning beforehand. We met as usual at the Timmy’s in


Stittsville, and while pondering which direction to take, a bolt of inspiration hit. We asked ourselves that age-old question: “When’s the last time ya had baloney for breakfast?” This question may not be raised


in polite society, but it can challenge a road tripper when the answer is: “I don’t know” and the outcome is: “Let’s go find a truck stop that serves this culinary delicacy!” In our part of the world, a truck


stop is the Antrim Truck Stop, just west of Arnprior (aka The Prior). So off we rolled, down the Carp


Road onto the March Road. Ignoring the highway, we sped up the Upper Dwyer Hill Road, watching the ridges and small holdings evolve into the flat mega- farmland, to our destination. We wandered into town, crossing


the bridge with its view of the post office tower, west past the legion and its APC (armoured personnel carrier) lawn ornament and back over Hwy 17 to the Antrim Truck stop. (We learned something new. The restaurant is actually called the Hangar Restaurant.) When we entered the building with


54 BOUNDER MAGAZINE


its shops, bakery and restaurant, we were bowled over by the heavenly site of three ladies packaging up over a dozen coconut cream pies. And then,


while still recovering from this divine effigy, we were informed that these were the Big Rig Bakery’s famous “blue ribbon” cream pies. (This important discovery singularly justified the time required to wander out this way.) The restaurant did serve baloney


for breakfast. It also had personal payphones in the booths at the back of the large, bright and friendly room. They had “trucker only” seating, so I assumed the other seating was designated for us road trippers. After breakfast we meandered back


across Hwy. 17 (for a Timmy’s), then east to the river and north up Route 1 along the scenic Ottawa River. This picturesque route is punctuated with small villages, farms and new mega- houses overlooking the river and whose front yards had the train tracks recently ripped out. We happened onto “McGregor’s


Produce” farm on the Lochwinnoch side road. Here we met Ian, who explained the farm was a family affair that had started 30 years ago. Its focus on taste and quality of their home-grown products was obvious. It was then that we realized that we had stumbled upon the home of the famous McGregor’s sweet corn, which is touted as the best in the valley. On the same Lochwinnoch Road,


we were diverted to the Valley Carver, having spotted a lovingly-restored 1957 Studebaker Hawk.


www.bounder.ca


I was lucky enough to meet


Frankie, the carver’s wife, who is a wonderful, patient and gentle gardener. It was she who, when I commented on the dog’s name (“Harley”), proudly proclaimed that Dub (Dub Juby, the carver) still rides. “He’s in his 80s, you know,” she said. Yes, we loved the carvings


that spoke of the river, farm and country. But it was worth going just to meet the gentle gardener. Do yourself a favour and look for the unique drift wood fence and abundant carvings when you are out this way. We continued up Route 1,


swinging onto the Chenaux Road towards Portage-du-Fort, where we finally found it (a road that is)! I had always known there was a back road running beside the Ottawa River on the Ontario side. We uncovered it by turning onto the Kerr Road. (I had always previously assumed it was only an access road to the dam.) This route led off north via


a short dirt road, then back onto pavement (which our biker friends


continued on page 64 www.bounder.ca


www.bellscornersbia.ca JOHNSON WELDING WORKS


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