Chateau Montebello Tour
UMN
June 7, 2025
This was a C2M2-2025 Test Run of the Chateau Montebello 2 Tour (reverse direction).
Well, the day started off beautifully and the weather was fantastic! Ten Miata’s rolled out of the C2M2 Base Camp on schedule and in tight formation and this went on for most of the Tour. We ran into our first snag when we tried to enter the second leg of the Sir George-Etienne Cartier Parkway but soon found out it was closed off for Bicycles! Well, the tour needed to be re-adjusted quickly! (This was a lesson in why we are practicing for C2M2. A note to all, that some routes have both Friday and Saturday directions to accommodate Bike Days. We won’t run the Friday route on a Saturday during C2M2.)
Well, the tour got back on track very quickly and were soon on a ferry to Masson Quebec (QC) but not before we dealt with a very Impatient motorcyclist who passed us all and thought he was somehow going to get the ferry all to himself, wasn’t he surprise to see all ten Miata’s board the same ferry. That is what you call MX-5 Karma.
We were soon on the QC side and had a beautiful drive down the RTE-148 going through lovely villages and municipalities. We reached the beautiful Chateau Montbello grounds a bit later than scheduled. But we adjusted the time allowance for the lunch break and it all worked out great in the end. We left Chateau Montebello and headed for lunch at Stephanie’s!
After lunch, we were off for our last stretch of the tour through the back country roads of municipalities along the beautiful Ontario riverside to our home base for C2M2.
Jo Da Ponte
Reposting event stories from our members.
Today we started in the Tuscany region and traveled cross-country on our way back to Rome. About an hour into the journey, we stopped for our first bio-break when a message came over the radio: “I think I left my phone at the hotel.” The voice, of course, belonged to the recently underwear-less Tom Montor. […]
Today was another beautiful day. It was 7 degrees when we get up but 29 degrees by Lunch time . We started early today to get ahead of the Labour Day weekend crowds – May 1st is a National Holiday in Italy. As per the norm – we switch cars each day. Today was our […]
Today was an early start so we could get ahead of the crowds and we headed to San Gimignano, a world heritage site that once was the “Manhattan of Italy”. It was a Center where taxes on goods were paid. Towers were the name of the game here! 72 Towers once stood on the site and […]
April 30, 2026
Driving Tours
We left the Collomedia resort and drove roads better than tail of the dragon! It is better because there is minimal to non-existent traffic. Early start! Today’s roads were unbelievable! Switchbacks and hairpin turns were the order of the day. Nausea was real as cars shifted back and forth with so many turns where the steering wheel […]
April 29, 2026
Driving Tours
Day 3 was a circle route visiting. Leaving the Collomedia resort travelling through Umbria region and the day was filled with amazing routes through spectacular scenery! The Afternoon was spent a local Karting track where the group held Kart racing competition. Ladie’s Cup was won by Bob Gauthier-later disqualified in gender testing 😉 . Suzie made a daring pass […]
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Driving Tours
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April 27, 2026
Driving Tours
As excited children are unwrapping a gift, the UMN members were taken by limo from our spectacular Rome Hotel to the Miata Garage and found out what today’s car would be. The cars that we are driving range NA, NB , NC and ND along with a Fiata and a Mercedes convertible. Cars are changed […]
September 13, 2025
Driving Tours
By UMN
Our small group of 6 cars started in Manotick at The Clock Tower. Everyone was early and anxious to get going. So, after some banter we were off to the Boat House Cafe for a great breakfast. We arrived early so it was a perfect opportunity to chatter and take some pics. Then at 10am, […]
September 5, 2025
Driving Tours
Nine cars gathered in Manotick to voyage down and participate in the Watkins Glen Heritage Grand Prix festival. Travelling down secondary roads via Clayton NY to a waterside patio lunch, we dodged rain for a while, before tops up were required. The rain finally ended and one car put their top down before deluge rain […]
