Lower Barney’s River to Lake Ainslie, 167km: A day of immense generosity

The day was long as we had to cycle 167km. The wish was to get to camp at a reasonable hour because the campsite was hosting a potluck for us, which was amazing. Although the intent was to get to camp early a few distractions occurred during the day that slowed down the ride; however, each distraction was welcome.

The first distraction was in Antigonish. Myself and a few other riders decided it was time for a coffee break and so we stopped at Tim Hortons. After our break we cycled a few kilometers and then noticed a lemonade stand. A veteran of the tour told me that whenever I encountered a lemonade stand I should stop and buy some lemonade and so the group of us did just that. It must have been an awesome day for those kids because a chunk of our group bought lemonade at the stand.

As we were cycling along Route 4 we noticed a fundraiser barbeque was happening for a children’s hospital so we stopped and bought some sausages, which was significantly tastier than my peanut butter and jam sandwich :) Not soon after our lunch break we noticed a sign at a fire hall in Havre Boucher which said “TDC Bikers.” We would have cycled past had it not been for Gee, Larry and Rob. Inside the fire hall we were met with a great surprise. The sister of a cyclist who did the tour the previous year had rented the fire hall and put together some munchies for the group. It was incredibly generous. I was very glad Gee, Larry, and Rob had gotten us to stop. 

 

At this point I was getting a bit anxious because it was getting late and we still had 60km to go. Although we still had a chunk of the ride left, all the distractions which had occurred were well worth it.

We finally made it to Lake Ainslie and I just had time to change and off I went to the potluck. The potluck was amazing. The owners of the campground organized the potluck, asking campers to sign up and make a dish to share with us. The campers were an amazing group of people; it was a lovely and scrumptious meal. The entire day was full of so much generosity, I was really happy to be a part of it.

Cornwall to Lower Barney’s River, 127km: Hello Nova Scotia!

That morning I awoke to a gorgeous sunrise.

The directions took us through Charlottetown where Louise and I stopped to see Province House which was where the Fathers of Confederation met in 1864. 

 

From Charlottetown the directions took us on Route 1 which would take us to the ferry travelling to Nova Scotia. We had the option of taking an alternative route, Route 23, which was hillier than Route 1; however, there was less traffic and it was slightly shorter so Louise and I opted for that option.  I was happy we took that route because there was hardly any traffic and the scenery was great. We did experience a bit of a scare though because we were chased by a dog.

While cycling, if a dog approaches you, it is best if you slow down and stop to prevent the dog from chasing you; however, Louise decided to do the exact opposite. We were climbing a hill and right when we reached the top a golden lab started running at us and barking. Louise gave a shout and bolted. I followed suit and we pedalled as fast as we could to out cycle the dog. Luckily we were going downhill which gave us some much needed speed because that dog was running pretty quickly. We got away slightly shaken and out of breath but scathe free.

We reached the ferry dock a bit early so we walked to a pretty little lighthouse and had some lunch (and took star-jump photos ;) ).

We caught the 1pm ferry along with Dan, Joyce, Gee, Larry, Rob and Yukon Greig. The ride was 1hr 45min. The ride was nice but the break from the bicycle made us tired.   

When we reached Nova Scotia I had my picture taken by the welcome sign and then the group of us set out to see the ship Hector which is a replica of the ship that brought approximately 200 Highland Scots to Nova Scotia on Sept 15, 1773. 

 

After that the goal was simply to get to camp. Several of us were a bit tired, especially after the ferry ride. It was a nice feeling to have finally made it to camp. We stayed at Cranberry Campground which had a beautiful coastal view. Overall it ended up being a long day but I saw a lot and I made it to Nova Scotia :D Only one province to go.

Murray Beach to Cornwall, 75km: Hi P.E.I., your soil is red....I love it!

I was leaving New Brunswick and entering Prince Edward Island (P.E.I) where we would spend one day is the smallest province of Canada. To enter P.E.I we went on the Confederation Bridge. The bridge prohibits cyclists; however, a bicycle shuttle is offered. The bridge is quite incredible. It is curved to ensure drivers remain attentive and it spans 12.9km, the longest bridge crossing ice-covered water. The bridge took 4 years to build and was opened in 1997. 

When we were in P.E.I I got Paula off the bicycle shuttle and a group of us took a photo as Anne of Green Gables :)

We stopped in the village of Victoria where we were advised to check out the chocolate shop “Island Chocolate.” Island Chocolate was amazing. I have always wanted to have a chocolate drink and so I decided to indulge and ordered a shot of Belgian milk chocolate, it was fantastic, I loved every sip. I also ordered fresh fruit with Belgian chocolate drizzle and whip cream, it was heavenly. If I am ever in P.E.I again I will definitely have to visit Island Chocolate because their chocolate is incredible. 

The route took us along the coast which was beautiful. As I was cycling I had to stop and take a photo of a red road. When I laid eyes on the red soil of P.E.I I was in awe. I had never seen red soil before and to my eyes it was amazing. I feel in love with P.E.I’s soil that day :)

As the day was short I took it easy getting to camp. We camped at KOA Cornwall/Charlottetown Campground which was a nice campground with a beautiful beach :) Tomorrow we were heading to Nova Scotia, which was the second last province of the journey. 

Saint-Louise-de-Kent to Murray Beach, 148km: The Big Lobster

I awoke early because I was on galley duty that evening and thus I wanted to get out of camp at a decent time. As I was taking down my tent I was literally attacked by hundreds of mosquitoes. My worst mosquito experience by far occurred that morning in Saint-Louise-de-Kent. I did not bother eating a warm breakfast because I was on galley duty and the mosquitoes were relentless. I just wanted to get out of camp as fast as possible and so I had no patience to wait for a warm breakfast. I had put on pants and a sweater and I was constantly swiping at my head to get the mosquitoes away. While I was eating my cereal I was walking around trying to get away from them. I felt incredibly sorry for the group serving breakfast that morning because those mosquitoes were absolutely dreadful. It is amazing how such a small being can provoke such discomfort, frustration, and annoyance. I was waiting on Louise but I told her I had to leave (but I would cycle slowly so she could catch up) because I needed to escape those buggers. I was so happy to be on the bike that morning.

As Louise and I were leaving Saint-Louise-de-Kent we noticed a sign on the side of the road. A veteran of the Tour du Canada had made a sign using bristol board and balloons welcoming us to the area and cheering us on. The sign was an awesome start to the day and to the final segment of the tour.

As Louise and I were cycling along Route 134 Mary caught up with us and the three of us cycled together for the remainder of the day. As we cycled on Route 134 we took some suggested detours which gave us a beautiful view of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Along those detours I came across some great decorations which people put up in their yards to celebrate National Acadian Day and a building which was made to look like a ship, it was fantastic. 

Route 134 took us to the town of Shediac where we visited the largest lobster in the world, measuring 10.7m in length and 5m in height. The sculpture took 3 years to build and weighs 50 metric tons. 

After visiting the Big Lobster we motored our way to camp. To get to camp we had to take Route 955, which had some rolling hills and gravel sections, but it was a nice quiet road. The wind was also in our back which was a blessing because we had been battling a headwind all day.

At camp I saw the confederation bridge in the distance which we were going to take tomorrow to get to Prince Edward Island. I was so excited! :)

Rest Day in Saint-Louis-de-Kent: Final Rest

Today was the final rest day of the tour. I could not believe it; we only had 8 more days and my summer adventure would end. I was a bit anxious because the final stretch was the longest cycling segment we had between rest days and we would be tackling the Cabot Trail which I had never experienced. My parents had driven the Trail and they hinted it would be challenging. As such, I suspected this final stretch would be difficult but amazing as well.

The rest day was quite uneventful but that is exactly what I wanted because I wished to relax and be well rested in order to tackle the remaining days of Tour du Canada 2013.