The last ride

There are four kinds of roads in Nova Scotia.  Today, we rode them all.  The worst roads are the '100' highways, often divided and/or limited access, with fast cars and trucks and not much scenery.  A little better are dirt roads and rail trails which you can use to avoid the highways, or get to some cool spots otherwise unreachable. They are lined with wildflowers,  but you can only do so many miles on dirt.  We spent most of our time on the 'old' highways - the 1 and 3.  They've got good scenery with marginal traffic.  But the best roads are the 200 and 300 roads. No traffic (really!), stunning views and they take you to the best spots.  In my humble opinion, and for future riders, our best rides were on the 215 along the Fundy shore, the 309 and 331 on the south coast, the 312 and 219 on cape Breton. They also brought us to our nicest spots - Burntcoat, Sable River, Ingonish and Port Hood.  I'd say overall we spent 80% of our time within a mile of the ocean (and saw water about 25% of the time).  If someone knows another place where this is possible, let me know - we are going.

Today we rode the ferry back to digby and after a short ride out digby neck, we rode back through Acadian country to Yarmouth.  The day started hot and sunny, and fog rolled in after lunch dropping the temperature about 20 degrees.  There were some farms, big churches and a nice 'velo' shop, but the area reminded me of the poorer south coast.  Hopefully the renewal of the ferry will help.  Arrived in Yarmouth around 6:30 both sad, and happy to have completed the ride.  Jumped in the pool to celebrate - my only swim of the trip.  Tomorrow, before the ferry, we will follow Mark's tracks and ride out to Cape Forchu on the 304, which Mark has verified below as yet another beautiful Nova Scotia ride.

Top 10 things I want to remember:
1. Donna's Halifax travel difficulties, especially if Wendy or Mia land up in college here.
2. Jonathan taking an hour to pick out 2 suitcases.
3. Fog rolling in or burning off.
4. The rain in Maine.
5. The sight of Mt Smokey and thinking it would not be doable.
6. The people - the UFO museum tour guide, the old fart walking, the bookstore guy.
7. Lupines on the south and east coasts.
8. Poverty in Chéticamp and where acadians now live.
9. Seeing Amanda. She is something.
10. Real strawberries whenever you want.

72.9 miles, plus 4 to the ferry in saint john.  Trip total - 1000.2.  I didn't fix this number - it's actually a little more as I didn't measure some rides to dinners, stores.  10 metrics over 17 days riding.

Mark did the ride on Sunday, and the bonus Cape Forchu - here are his thoughts.  Expressive adjectives and all (I had to say something Lowenbrau!):

My final day began in Annapolis Royal a little on the late side due to some fog and drizzle. The ride from AR to Yarmouth is 140km, following RT.1 as a way of staying off the highway. The first 40 miles were not as spectacular as the previous three days, with a mix of interior riding, some farms, and occasional views out to the water. Terrific ocean views opened up starting in Weymouth, and continued into Yarmouth-- along with a stiff headwind, which slowed speeds considerably. 

Jenn and Donna will be sad that they didn't get to ride with THIS person from Montreal, as opposed to THOSE people from Montreal --- the picture tells the story. I met this person at a visitor center, and we rode together for about 30 miles. He had already ridden from Montreal to NS via New Brunswick and the Digby ferry, much of it on rail trails. Aaah, youth- no water bottle cages, toe clips, or waterproof bags. Just a sleeping bag, tent, and lots of dry food. Don't think he'll be in the Back Roads catalog anytime soon.

After a stop at magnificent Marivalle Beach, the final 30 miles was a lovely, languid, sunsetty ride into Yarmouth, for an 8pm arrival. No parade or champagne to complete the trip, but a delicious fresh fish dinner, topped by a piece of strawberry cream pie.

85 miles, and a hillier than expected 3600 feet of climbing.

BONUS MORNING

With the prospect of my butt sitting on a ferry for 10 hours followed by a two-hour drive to Boston, I set the alarm early for a quick sunrise ride out to Cape Forchu. It was a magical 15 miles, with the sun burning through the fog, and fabulous views out to the water, before reaching Yarmouth Light. It was poetic to see the Yarmouth-bound Nova Star ferry, which I would be boarding in an hour for the return trip to Portland, cruising in to harbor. 

15 mile ride, and a 3-mile run at the lighthouse, to conclude the trip and get in Day 395 of my PFC. TOTAL TRIP MILEAGE: ~870 miles

And a side-note as I write this while sitting on the ferry: my body is sorer from 3 hours of sitting than it ever was from 13 days of riding.

No wheels today

New Brunswick might be the last province most people want to visit.  BC has the mountains, PEI the beaches, Quebec and Ontario the culture (just joking about Ontario) but all that is here is Fredericton, Moncton, Edmunston and Saint John.  And this summer it has Amanda.  Saint John used to be a wealthy shipping port, home to Irving oil amongst others.  But with the demise of shipping a century ago, people seem to have abandoned a pretty city overlooking the ocean. If you ever make it here, be sure to check out the cool architecture and rockwood park, but skip the reversing falls.  Until it gets repopulated, there are wooden people all over town.  Walked around but didn't get into/onto a vehicle of any sort.  And for the first time, we stayed in the same place for 2 nights.  No packing up.  0 miles.

Back on a ferry

Woke up and headed west towards digby on the straighest, flattest road in the province.  After Berwick, the traffic went away and we rode through farmland along the Annapolis river. Donna let us stop for lunch after 48 miles in Annapolis Royal.  Jonathan would not have been happy.



Got a little hillier and we arrived in digby for the ferry, which is an extra 5 miles out of town.  Meanwhile, Mark is on the ferry back to Portland.  Excited to see Amanda in new Brunswick!  It was her getting a job there that was the germ for the idea of this trip.   70.9 miles.

Deja view

I now know every pothole, farm, rest stop on the Wolfville-windsor ride.  But the real deja vu is Donna's flight to Halifax.  Ten years ago, we were here camping and her flight was cancelled, delayed and then she ultimately flew to St John and drove.  This time, it was only cancelled and delayed.  As we didn't start riding till 2:45, we rented a car and drove to Windsor, avoiding 40+ unpleasant miles.  Air Canada - be prepared as you are getting the bill.  Rode on to Berwick, through the unattractive town of new minas.  Road was arrow straight and flat. Staying at a b&b, in a room named the 'love nest'.  Donna and I are a little baffled, as it has 2 single beds!  42.8 hot miles into a headwind.

And then there was one

Cycling is a semi-social sport.  You constantly have conversations, which are broken up by cars, hills and stretches where you ride alone.  But today was different, as mark and I headed in opposite directions. So left on my own, here are some random thoughts as I rode the mostly unattractive roads to the Halifax airport.

- you are more likely to see the following outside your average Nova Scotians home: a Canadian flag, a clothesline that is in use, their names (first and last) on the mailbox
- GPS is a randomly effective technology.  Garmin wanted to route me 50 miles out of my way because of a fire gate (and a bad dirt road), while Google thinks nothing of sending me up a 500' hill to save half a mile. But it does find some good back roads.  And yesterday, it correctly told us we had to go an extra 37 miles because there is no bridge over the Avon river.
- I was sad to learn that after the British kicked the French out of Acadia (and renamed it Nova Scotia) in the 1700s, they exiled all the acadians out, who then went to New England and Louisiana amongst other places.  Not sure I remember learning  it like that.
- 160 billion tons of water flows in and out of the bay of Fundy twice daily.  Enough to fill the grand canyon, more than all the river flows in the whole world. Can't we figure out how to get some tidal energy from this predictable event?
- was fun to spend 2 weeks with my Canadian friend in Canada (plus a week skiing this year).  Nothing bad to say about  Jonathan, Jenn or Donna but Canadians love being home. Thanks for waiting for me as I dragged the surly up all those hills Mark! Where we going next year - St Lawrence river from headwaters to Atlantic ocean?  California?  Europe?
- it wouldn't have been possible without the Halifax airport, so it gets some recognition here.
66.8 miles, most of which I'll be doing again tomorrow

Two posts are in order today. Here is Mark's:

The day is sunny, hazy, and warm. Mark rides through the farmland of the Annapolis Valley, avoiding busy Rt.1 and taking RT. 221 to Middleton and then 201 from Middleton. A pleasant ride, with open farm views much of the way. Hillier than expected on RT. 201. A nice stop at an old one-room schoolhouse turned into a small museum, also serving home-made ice cream. Arriving in Annapolis Royal, which seems the unofficial capital of the Anapolis Valley. I was here nearly thirty years ago with Jenn on a winter weekend getaway from Halifax. The Bread & Roses Inn, where I think we stayed (I'm cheaper now than I was then!) is still there and looks great. There are beautiful views to the river. Satisfying Jon's curiosity, there is a tidal power plant here, apparently the only one in North America. We are curious to find out more.

A sunny, hot, moderately hilly 75 miles from Wolfville to Annapolis Royal. 

A Mini-Canada

These were the words used to describe Nova Scotia by the woman who sat next to us while we were munching on bread and cheese at lunch in the otherwise unimpressive town of Brooklyn. Overall a beautiful ride from Burnt Coat in the morning, passing pastoral farmland with views down to the bay.  Also stopped at the no longer operational Kerosene lighthouse in Walton.

The stretch from Brooklyn to Windsor was unpleasant, but we got off the main road and added a few miles, which included a jaunt down go Grand Pre, a UNESCO site and the center of Acadia in the 1700s. Impressive visitor center and grounds. Very Canada as Jon would say.

The day ended in Wolfville, a pretty busy place (for Nova Scotia). Serendipity stuck again as we walked into a bike shop and were advised a different and quieter route through Annapolis Valley. Tomorrow, Mark heads to Annapolis Royal,while Jon rides to Halifax to pick up Donna.

A sun-splashed, warm, hilly, 72 miles, 3600 vertical.  By guest blogger  Mark.

And then there were 2

There are very few global natural constants.  Sunrises vary in time, boiling points change with altitude and weather can be extremely local.  But sea level is the same around the world. Except in Burncoat, where high tide is 40' higher than low tide. After a nice ride through (flat!) farmland west of truro, and a tearful farewell to Jenn in south Maitland, we found the shangri-la cabins, the only place to stay for 100 miles.  Our nicest cabin yet, and we did the nature walk out onto the ocean floor.  Check the GPS image!  No restaurants so its pb&j for lunch and BBQ for dinner.  37.2 easy miles.