Not wanting to leave PEI, we rode our way through the north-eastern portion, more or less making a figure eight. The first day after stacking wood, we stopped in the town of Montague and found the 125th anniversary for The Guardian newspaper. They had platforms of papers dating back to 1887. Ryan and I strolled through and enjoyed reading the old columns that talked of a man shooting a woman who was not properly dressed standing in a window to "teach her a lesson", the building of the Titanic and then its run in with the iceberg, to the crowning of Queen Elizabeth. It was all very interesting, and when we read all that was offered, we happily enjoyed a free lunch of egg and tuna sandwiches accompanied with cookies. Talking with a group of local single older women, we were photographed for the paper. I wonder if our picture made it in?
Hitting the bike path after Montague, we got stuck in a storm but were fortunate to find shelter and wifi in the small port town of Cardigan. That evening we treated ourselves to dinner (something we do not often do and greatly miss from our previous life in Boulder). For me, an enormous burger accompanied with a baked potato and coleslaw, and for Ryan, a fried haddock sandwich with a baked potato. The portions were surprisingly large which is not always the case in Canada and the food was delicious. I think we would both recommend a stop at the Light House in Cardigan.
The rain subsided and we rode for an hour and a half before the sun sank below the horizon and we set up camp in the trees along the bike path. These camp spots along the trail are fantastic; soft ground because of the moss, many trees to block anyone from spotting us, both making it easy to sleep without worry and not having to get up at the crack of dawn. I love nights like these. Do people wonder how we put our tent in random places and feel safe? It has become so normal in our lives as we ride that I do not even think about it anymore. The times when I get nervous are when we are close to a city and there is the smallest chance that a crazy person will happen upon our tent. Ryan thinks I have a very active imagination. Yes, I do also realize how ridiculous the chances of that happening are. Thanks a lot dad! When we are tucked in the woods, away from any road, I sleep like a baby. It tends to be more enjoyable than any campground. Silent and cheap, keeping our travels going for as long as they have. Although these days, we are coming to the end of our finances and will get jobs sooner than later. How will we transition back into society?
We rode to St. Peters because of the Blueberry Festival, but to be honest, there was not much to see. A bit disappointing, but you win some and lose some. This one we lost. We met a couple coming in the opposite direction that was exploring the island by bike for a month. Lara took a hiatus from her job for a year to travel and her partner Bram was along for the ride since he did not have to work for the summer. Kudos for them for taking the leap and exploring this wonderful world we live in by bicycle. PEI is a fantastic place for an initial bike tour because it is flat with many bike paths. Nice and easy.
Stashing our tent in the woods maybe 12k outside of Souris, we rode in the morning hours to find a delicious breakfast at The Wharf Harbor. Not a big breakfast, but it was quite delicious and got us a few miles down the road before we again stopped for cookies that were necessary to keep us moving. Ryan and I have both dropped weight on this leg of our travels. The heat has made it tough to eat as well as cook. We often go to bed without a true dinner, something unusual for us both. These cooler temps have made our appetites soar and we both feel like bottomless pits. An hour after we eat we are on the lookout for our next intake of calories.
The prettiest ride on this island came at the end of our stay, the southeastern corner from Cape Bear to the ferry. The road was flat and traveled along farms that sat along the water. It could not have been more beautiful and was quite the way to end our week long stint on PEI. The ferry to Nova Scotia is quite a large ship that carries 2 decks worth of automobiles. It cost $20 per person including the bikes and was a nice to make our way over to Nova Scotia where the wind was in our face and blowing hard. Ah, life on the bicycle.
Hitting the bike path after Montague, we got stuck in a storm but were fortunate to find shelter and wifi in the small port town of Cardigan. That evening we treated ourselves to dinner (something we do not often do and greatly miss from our previous life in Boulder). For me, an enormous burger accompanied with a baked potato and coleslaw, and for Ryan, a fried haddock sandwich with a baked potato. The portions were surprisingly large which is not always the case in Canada and the food was delicious. I think we would both recommend a stop at the Light House in Cardigan.
The rain subsided and we rode for an hour and a half before the sun sank below the horizon and we set up camp in the trees along the bike path. These camp spots along the trail are fantastic; soft ground because of the moss, many trees to block anyone from spotting us, both making it easy to sleep without worry and not having to get up at the crack of dawn. I love nights like these. Do people wonder how we put our tent in random places and feel safe? It has become so normal in our lives as we ride that I do not even think about it anymore. The times when I get nervous are when we are close to a city and there is the smallest chance that a crazy person will happen upon our tent. Ryan thinks I have a very active imagination. Yes, I do also realize how ridiculous the chances of that happening are. Thanks a lot dad! When we are tucked in the woods, away from any road, I sleep like a baby. It tends to be more enjoyable than any campground. Silent and cheap, keeping our travels going for as long as they have. Although these days, we are coming to the end of our finances and will get jobs sooner than later. How will we transition back into society?
We rode to St. Peters because of the Blueberry Festival, but to be honest, there was not much to see. A bit disappointing, but you win some and lose some. This one we lost. We met a couple coming in the opposite direction that was exploring the island by bike for a month. Lara took a hiatus from her job for a year to travel and her partner Bram was along for the ride since he did not have to work for the summer. Kudos for them for taking the leap and exploring this wonderful world we live in by bicycle. PEI is a fantastic place for an initial bike tour because it is flat with many bike paths. Nice and easy.
Stashing our tent in the woods maybe 12k outside of Souris, we rode in the morning hours to find a delicious breakfast at The Wharf Harbor. Not a big breakfast, but it was quite delicious and got us a few miles down the road before we again stopped for cookies that were necessary to keep us moving. Ryan and I have both dropped weight on this leg of our travels. The heat has made it tough to eat as well as cook. We often go to bed without a true dinner, something unusual for us both. These cooler temps have made our appetites soar and we both feel like bottomless pits. An hour after we eat we are on the lookout for our next intake of calories.
The prettiest ride on this island came at the end of our stay, the southeastern corner from Cape Bear to the ferry. The road was flat and traveled along farms that sat along the water. It could not have been more beautiful and was quite the way to end our week long stint on PEI. The ferry to Nova Scotia is quite a large ship that carries 2 decks worth of automobiles. It cost $20 per person including the bikes and was a nice to make our way over to Nova Scotia where the wind was in our face and blowing hard. Ah, life on the bicycle.
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