Cross Canada Tour

Day 63 - Aug 9th -Trenton to Linwood
102km

 It did rain last night, nothing serious though, but I had to improvise my small tarp for a cooking and bike shelter, again!

 This morning it was quite cool when I left the campsite and continued so for quite a while. In fact I rode with my windbreaker on until around noon! The sun finally came out in the afternoon, but there was still a lot of cloud around. I sure don't seem to be getting a lot of good weather lately, or is it always this bad in the Maritimes? I don't think so.

 Today's ride was a combination of the old Highway 4 and the TC#104. Both roads were pretty easy riding with no major hills. 104 was really busy with lots of heavy traffic, but had a nice wide shoulder for me to ride on except on the hills - go figure. The hilly sections seem to always have a passing lane for the motor vehicles and no shoulder for me. This has been the case on many roads that I have ridden. I'm sure that the shoulders were expropriated and changed to passing lanes! Too bad really, because that's where a cyclist really needs them, but cars and trucks get priority again!

 Scenery-wise, lots of bush and not much else until the end of the ride on that section of 4, some of which presented some nice water views. I stopped in Antigonish for my second breaky. Antigonish is famous for its highland games that have been held there since 1861. There were also a lot of full size carved wooden figures throughout the town, I couldn't figure (pun intended) out who the various likenesses characterized though!

 The campground that I'm staying at in Linwood, is right on the waterfront; my site is very close to the beach with a great view over the ocean. This campground is much better than last night's and a lot cheaper - only $12.00 compared to $20.00 yesterday. No views to anywhere from yesterday's site either, except to the bush and the mozzies . The washrooms, laundry facilities, in fact here, the whole place is much cleaner and better maintained. How some of the campgrounds come up with their pricing is beyond me, I guess it's whatever the market will bear and how desperate someone is for a site. Anyway, this one rates four flat beaver tails from Basil the beaver; yesterday's we'll rate at one and a half beaver tails!

 Nova Scotia is just oozing with its Scottish heritage and evidence of this abounds with the names of towns, villages, businesses etc. In fact, tonight at the waterfront picnic area of the campground, there will be a communal campfire with a piper, piping some tunes on his bag - bagpipes that is - piping while the sun sets! I'm sure that will lull me to sleep! Apparently, this is a nightly occurrence during the summer, weather permitting. I sure hope that it's not the same girl piper that was busking outside the grocery store in Pictou; I'm certain that she was squeezing a cat!

Piping in the Sunset

 Tomorrow I'll be heading onto Cape Breton Island and some of my route will incorporate a small portion of the famous Cabot Trail (with more the next day). It's said to be very scenic, and we all know by now what that means to a cyclist, don't we?

Day 64 - Aug 10th - Linwood to Baddeck
109km

 And no real big hills - yet!

 After a nice quiet ride on Highway 4 with ocean views and virtually no traffic, I had to rejoin 104 to cross over to Cape Breton Island. The Canso Causeway to the island is really narrow, and I was thankful that the swing bridge, over the canal portion, was open to let a boat through, which stopped or slowed much of the traffic.

 Highway 105 from the causeway is a great road for cycling. Nice shoulder, not too busy, sure the hills are there, but they're acceptable. The scenery from the causeway to Whycocomagh is not the greatest, but east of there I started getting some great vistas over the Bras d'Or Lakes. In fact, my campground for tonight is on the lakefront just west of Baddeck (Basil rates this one three and a half beaver tails, it would have rated four, but it's a bit over priced).

 Last night and this morning were very cool again (I'm glad that I brought my warmer sleeping bag along!) and it wasn't until about 11:00 a.m. that the sun produced any heat - but it sure warmed up quick after that! It's been very hot all afternoon and I expect with the clear skies that it will be cold again tonight. Good for riding in the early mornings though - even if the fingers and toes are a bit chilly! Rain seems to have been postponed until Monday - well, that suits me, as I'll be on the ferry to Newfoundland that day.

 I spotted a quite fresh banana skin on the roadside (bananas are the favourite snack food of cyclists) and thought that I would happen upon another of my ilk - but nothing materialised. I feel like an Indian tracker sometimes; peering at and examining roadside banana skins - trying to determine how old they are. One has to take into account the weather and general location of the fallen skin - it's quite an art! But lots of times, I have judged correctly and happened upon another cyclist. What throws you for a loop, is the guy (or girl) who likes eating (drinking) old bananas - yuck!

 Baddeck is a resort village, apparently with waterfront boardwalks etc. and geared up for the many visitors to this section of the Cabot Trail. It is also home to the Alexander Graham Bell Museum - where I'm going to go later this afternoon. Perhaps I'll find some refreshment in the town too - one never knows!

Day 65 - Aug 11th - Baddeck to North Sydney 73km

 Well I made it for the Sidney to (North) Sydney portion of my trek, now I just have to reach the most easternmost city in Canada, and North America - St. Johns, Newfoundland. And visit the most easternmost point in North America - Cape Spear. Tomorrow morning I'll be on the ferry pursuing just those quests.

 Today's ride was really spectacular; one of the better days on the road, for sure. The weather stayed mild throughout the night and continued with bright sunshine during the day and warm temperatures.

 Much of today's ride was at waterside or with some great water views. So much of the scenery that I rode by today reminded me of BC (Basil had a little homesick tear in his eye, I think!), especially the 7km climb up Kelly's Mountain. But the view from the top and the descent were well worth the climb. I actually enjoyed climbing the continuous grade rather than some of the never-ending rollercoaster roads that I have had to ride. I also had to cross the large Seal Island Bridge across the Bras d'Or Lakes after the descent from mountain. By the way, I forgot to mention yesterday, that the Bras d'Or Lakes are nicknamed "Canada's Inland Sea," as they are actually salt water lakes.

 Baddeck was certainly worth a visit yesterday afternoon. It's a village, but it's bigger than a lot of the towns that I have passed through. Definitely a touristy/trendy place, but very enjoyable to visit. The Alexander Graham Bell museum was cool too, it's actually a National Historic Site maintained by the Federal Government.

 I'm in a motel tonight a few Klicks south of the ferry terminal, as I have to at the ferry terminal by 5:00 a.m. I hope that Basil wakes me up in time! I'll be on that ferry for 14 hours so no (serious) riding until Tuesday. Before I rode to the motel, I just had to dip my wheel in the Atlantic Ocean, as this was my original destination until I added on the "side trip" to Newfoundland.

Day 66 - Aug 12th - Ferry Sailing
North Sydney to Argentia, Newfoundland
18km (Riding to and from Ferry)

Sunrise and time for sailing!

Day 67 - Aug 13th - Dunville to St John's
130km

 Welcome to Newfoundland and Labrador (the official name of this Province). Dunville is 12km from the Argentia ferry terminal where I arrived last night. The 12 Klicks in the dark last night were quite hairy - to say the least!

 The ferry trip yesterday to Argentia was very smooth - the North Atlantic was calm and the skies were sunny. A long sailing at 14 hours, plus the waiting time at beginning and end made for a long day. Lots to do on the ferry though, movies, eat, drink, eat, read, eat, live entertainment and then eat some more! Not much to view along the way until we sailed nearer to Newfoundland. Actually, the first land we spied were the French islands of St. Pierre & Miquelon. All in all, a nice way to have a forced rest day, and Basil didn't even have to use his barf bag! During the crossing we saw a whale and I think a shark, but it was hard to tell. The whale was hard to catch, as just as I spotted the blow, the tail seemed to be disappearing beneath the waves - neat to see though.

 Well I made it all the way here - I'm elated - it's still hard for me to take in, probably because I still have to go back to Halifax to return home, plus some touring of western Nova Scotia. I feel like grabbing people on the street and telling them that I pedalled my arse all the way from Vancouver Island to St. John's, Newfoundland - 7482km! But they'd think I was strange or something, well you have to be a bit different to ride a bike plus equipment all the way across Canada!

 Today's ride was really good, but the weather was iffy all day. A few times I felt some drops of rain, but apart from overcast skies, nothing materialised. The sun has just poked its head out here in St. John's - it's late afternoon. I have to say that Newfoundland's roads, especially the TC#1 and Highway 100 from the ferry, are some of the best highways that I have ridden since Alberta. Nice wide, well maintained shoulders and there's not much traffic here. But perhaps it seems that way because #1 is a divided highway. I left #1 and rode on Highway 90 then Highway 2 for a while up to Conception Bay South and then rejoined #1 for my entry to the city - even the back roads were in good shape.

 I'm in a super nice B&B for two nights here, yep, another day off to celebrate the emergence of a new Transcontinental cyclist! Kinda neat eh! And of course, we have Basil the Transcontinental beaver! Not many other beavers can compete with that accomplishment, can they?

 I'm still amazed by the lack of visible wildlife. It's ages since I saw anything exciting (apart from the whale). Although seeing a moose on last night's night ride would have constituted "exciting" - indeed!

 Factoid: There are no snakes or skunks on Newfoundland (and no bears on the Avalon Peninsula)!

 Believe it or not: Being in St. John's, Newfoundland, I am closer to Italy than to the west coast of Canada!

 Well I have to forage for food, and I have a busy schedule tomorrow - haircut then a local brewery tour (and sampling) at 1:00 p.m. - It's a tough life!

Day 68 - Aug 14th - Rest Day - St John's
0km

Some views around St. John's

Day 69 - Aug 15th -St John's to Butter Pot Provincial Park
89km

 If I had come straight down the highway from St. John's it would have been only a 30km ride to here. But I just had to go to Cape Spear, didn't I? Then I took Highway 11 south to Bay Bulls and Witless Bay, and then 13 west to here.

 What a ride up to Cape Spear; 17km of horrendous hills! I questioned my sanity - again - and thought to myself that this would have been a smarter thing to do with an empty bike on my day off yesterday. But no, I had to drag all my crap, all the way to the most easterly point in North America! It was really cool to get there though. Instead of doing the tire dip in the Atlantic Ocean - which fortunately I did in North Sydney as there wasn't a good spot to repeat it in St. John's, or Cape Spear - I took photos at the Cape Spear sign of me, the bike, all my crap and of course, Basil was hanging in there too! It was a blustery cold summer day at the cape; I can only imagine what a stormy winter's day would be like out there! Well worth the extra calories that I burnt riding out there all the same. I met a (another) couple of ladies from Quebec there, who had passed me whilst I was grinding up one of the grades. In their heavily accented English, they said, "You are very courageous riding your bicycle 'ere!" Well, I could have replaced "courageous" with some other adjective! Nonetheless, I had a great chat with them and we went our separate ways - or so I thought!

 St. John's was an interesting city (and very hilly - much hillier than even Quebec City!) to spend a day in yesterday. Tons of history there, after all it was the first city founded in North America. Lots of old townhouses bunched together and old stores downtown. I stayed at the Prescott Inn B&B which was located right downtown in a row of old townhouses that were built in 1846! It was a very reasonably priced and comfortable room, good food and run by two very friendly ladies - highly recommended! I walked and wandered all over the place and even hiked up Signal Hill to the Cabot Tower where, besides various military events over the years, Marconi received the first wireless radio transmission across the Atlantic.

Some distance down the hill is the Johnson Geo Centre, a geology museum where most of the museum is underground - an interesting place to visit.

 Today from Cape Spear, I continued to ride a hilly route through the very scenic coastal villages of Maddox Bay, Petty Harbour and Witless Bay. All these villages were picture book replicas of what one would envision a Newfoundland fishing village of old to be. In fact, the village of Bay Bulls was founded way back in 1635! Imagine!

 Second breaky was at Goulds, and I needed it by then! I pulled into the parking lot of a small restaurant, where a lady was fishing around in the trunk of her car, she turned and saw me and just started howling with laughter. It was one of the two ladies from Cape Spear! She said that they had just been talking about me a few minutes before and were wondering how long it would be before I would have a chance at a hot breakfast. And here I arrived - they couldn't believe that I had not taken much longer then they had in their car! They took my photo and we chatted some more before they drove off.

 The scenery in Newfoundland has been dramatic, to say the least. Sometimes it compares to BC while other areas that I have visited, have a flavour all of their own. Like riding on 13 today; lots of small lakes (or "ponds" as they are called here, regardless of size), bogs and greenscape just littered with large rocks - totally different! These large rocks are called "erratics" and are leftovers from when the ice age glaciers retreated. But all in all, it seems to me that Newfoundland has a lot to offer anyone considering a visit here - great scenery, boat trips to visit bird colonies, whale watching and, of course, great seafood!

 However, the weather changes quickly and constantly here; every morning has been overcast together with mist or drizzle. The sun comes out periodically, in the afternoons, from behind a constant barrage of clouds rolling in from the ocean. Without the sun, the temperatures are fairly cool, not bad for riding though and anything's better than steady rain!