Safely back home July 2

 It seems a long time since that nice ride into Windsor on June 27.  We were correct in our expectation of bad weather the following day; we were in and out of torrential rain most of the day as we drove in the van back to Halifax.  Nancy found a great Mediterranean restaurant where we had a leisurely lunch, watching the rain.  I don’t think we had a bad meal on the trip!

I drove about 3 hours Wednesday afternoon to Yarmouth, where the ferry to Bar Harbor left early the next morning.  As I was driving back alone, I decided to take the ferry and eliminate about eight hours of driving.  On Thursday, I had about six hours of driving to Hartford, where I had a nice visit with cousins.  Friday’s six hour drive back home took eight hours, with traffic getting worse as I got closer to D.C.  I was very happy to pull safely into my driveway.

Cindy, who frequently says things better than I can, summed up the trip so well that I am quoting her here:

But that being said let me say that this has been a great trip!!  We’ve spent four weeks together with a group of people I know and love. Through all the decisions about to ride or not to ride, to change routes, to add just a section of shuttle I never heard one complaint. It’s been a challenge for Ken and Nancy to respond with up to 12 of us through uncertain conditions and I know we all really appreciate their effort. THANK YOU BOTH! And Cal driving van and trailer through all that fog and rain, helping us move our stuff in rain or shine,  and being the techno wizard who kept us all in touch with each other,  we also say THANKS! 

And I say thanks to Cindy. Here’s to next year!

Making sure the bike rack is secure before I started my drive  

Ready to depart.  Hope took these pictures, and John G. Was hiding.

A great apple rhubarb pie for my last dinner in Nova Scotia

A nice final ride June 27

 Today was not nearly as rainy as originally predicted, much better than yesterday.  We avoided a section of trail that was in bad shape by ferrying up the road in the van from Kingston and had a very pleasant 32 mile ride into Windsor, Nova Scotia, which the Weather Channel wants to confuse with Windsor, Ontario.  Tomorrow, with rain predicted again and a planned ride that Nancy described as just connecting the dots, we elected to drive back to where we left our cars nearly a month ago.  We are staying in a nice B&B tonight and looking forward to a fancy and leisurely breakfast.

This section of the rail trail is in fine shape.  Margaret S. and John G, are heading into a tree tunnel.

The trail was lined with wild roses and honeysuckle and smelled wonderful.  A bee did try to sting me under my chin but failed to do serious damage. 

Once off the trail, we had a few good views of the Bay of Fundy. 

Our lodgings in a grand old Victorian house are definitely a step up from the standard motel.  My bed also requires a step up.  It is a four poster, so high that I use a step stool to get into it. 

The owner of the B&B has quite a collection of cars, some fancy sports cars that I can’t quite appreciate, and some old vehicles, like this Model T and 1937 Chevy, that I find much more fun. 

Wet weather June 26

 We rode 37 miles today from Annapolis Royal to Kingston.  Sharon, Hope, and I took the road route, as opposed to the rail trail we had expected to use, as we heard that trail conditions were not good.  The road alternative was very nice, albeit damp.  We rode in and out of light rain and arrived in Kingston by 1 pm, in time for lunch at a very pleasant cafe.  As we were eating, the skies opened, and we watched a 45 minute downpour in which everyone else was riding. We were damp, but warm and well fed, while the others were soaked and chilled. Rain is predicted for the next two days, the final days of our trip.  We have generally had very good luck with weather on our trips, so on average we figure we are ok. But as John Senning says philosophically, “Sometimes you are the windshield, and sometimes you’re the bug.”

My only picture from today was of drying my shoe with a hairdryer.

Here’s our whole group, minus John G., showing off our trip shirts. 

Exploring the oldest settlement in Canada June 25

We were up early this morning to take an 8 am ferry across the Bay of Fundy, back to Nova Scotia.  We intended to unload our bikes and ride about 30 miles to Annapolis Royal.  But it was very foggy, and after our trail adventure the other day we were uncertain about conditions, so we stayed in the van to the day’s destination.  Annapolis Royal is a fascinating, historic town, and we were happy to have more time to explore it. The town was established by the French in 1605 and was fought over for more than century, until it was taken over by the British in 1710.  It has many well preserved old houses, the remains of the fort, and an impressive historic public garden.

Not much of a view from the ferry into the fog,

Part of the original French fortifications.

One of many old buildings near the waterfront 

Just a few of the flowers blooming in the historic garden. The peony was easily the size of my outstretched hand. 

And a little whimsy in the garden, maybe not so historic 

We had dinner at a family-run German restaurant and bakery.  As we were the only diners, we had time to visit and learn that the family had a bakery in Germany for 100 years, and they have been in Annapolis Royal for 21 years.  I had some of the best sauerkraut I’ve ever eaten with my fine bratwurst. 

Day in St.John June 24

 Our day off in St. John, planned because we have a very early ferry back to Nova Scotia tomorrow, was especially fortuitous after yesterday’s exertions.  And after three days of glorious sunshine, we are back to cool fog.  Fingers crossed on rain for the last few days of the trip. 

Hope, Sharon, and I, with Cal driving the van and taking this photo, did get out to see a bit of the city. 

St. John’s most noted phenomenon is known as the Reversing Falls.  If you look carefully at the water around this handsomely posed heron, you may be able to see it swirling.  At certain times in the tide cycle, the river is flowing two ways at once, causing little whirlpools in the water. 

 New Brunswick humor

Challenging ride June 23

 After all the hills the day before yesterday, Nancy shortened our route by nine miles, which we hoped would eliminate some climbing.  It was a good decision, as it took us about six hours to ride 40 miles from St.Martins to St.John.  We had some long hills, particularly early in the ride, and totaled 2300 feet of climbing for the day.  But the real fun began when we entered a trail.  We knew it was primarily a hiking trail, but we had been on other segments which were rideable.  Not so the first stretch of this part.  We walked our bikes for about three-quarters of mile, through heavy gravel and up and down very steep hills.  Fortunately the remaining stretch was what we had expected, slow going but very rideable.  Then the route to our hotel involved pedestrian walkways and bridges that had on and off our bikes. We were a tired crew when we finally arrived at our destination.

An attractive old house on our way out of St, Martins. We saw several houses with this distinctive design, in various states of repair, in the area.

We have been seeing lilacs for three weeks.  We stopped for a break after a particularly wicked hill next to this late blooming variety. 

The trail started benignly, but the gravel was hiding just over this rise. 

Near the end of the trail was a mountain bike skills park with a repair shed in an old shipping container. 

After the trail we found a lunch spot at a park next to this lake. 

No guilt coconut cream pie to end the day

Exploring along the Bay of Fundy June 22

 We stayed in St. Martin today, exploring by bike in the morning and by van in the afternoon.  It was another warm, sunny day, and we luxuriated in the blue sky and blue water. 

Although we haven’t been any place where we could see the tide rushing in, we have seen some dramatic examples of the difference between low and high tide. 

Boats aground at low tide are called in hard.  These photos were taken about six hours apart. 

You are really walking on the sea floor at low tide. 

Sharon and I enjoyed lobster rolls at lunch. 

We hiked down some ingeniously engineered steps to a gentle waterfall.

Nancy, one of our trip leaders, enjoying ice cream on our way back into town. 

Hope took this photo of us giving our bikes some TLC.