Gift Guide: Two-wheelers made from rainforest wood

Published November 26, 2012

Mark Richardson

Comment

Left

Right

Many years ago, Ron Dacey and Rhonda Cook found a carver in a south-east Asian village who makes motorcycles from fast-growing rainforest wood.

Their Primitive Designs store in Port Hope sells perhaps a dozen each year of his 1.5- and 2-metre-tall motorcycles, in both chopper and vintage styles, for up to $500 each.

If your loved one doesn’t have the space for such a large sit-on carving, they also sell much smaller wooden bikes that will fit on a display shelf, for $35 each.

Primitive Designs is on Hwy. 28, just north of Hwy. 401 about an hour east of Toronto. 905-885-7516 or facebook.com/primitivedesigns.

Gifts under $100

The Monster Trucks will be roaring around the Rogers Centre on Jan. 19, and it’s always a good time. Knowing you’ve got great seats booked will help the three weeks after Christmas speed by. Tickets are $15 to $52 each at monsterjam.com or ticketmaster.ca.

There are auto-detailing packages to fit every budget, but North Toronto Mobile Car Wash and Detailing will come to you and clean your car inside and out for $50, or your truck or SUV for $60. Don’t just run it through the wash; make it seem like an all-new vehicle. 647-783-7787 or northtorontocarwash.com.

Gifts under $50

With the Lego Technic Off-Roader ($25), more than 140 pieces snap together to create an off-roader with a working suspension and steering wheel. You can build it, put it on the shelf to admire, then smash it up and build it again. Rated for kids 8-14, but adults will love it, too. Available at toy stores or lego.com.

It’s always enjoyable during the winter to plan summer road trips, and the 700-page Canada Back-Road Atlas ($40) from Mapart shows you just about every highway and gravel road in the country. It’s almost like being there. Available at bookstores and truck stops, or at mapartmaps.com.