First day of summer June 21

 Today was the warmest, sunniest day of the trip so far, truly feeling like the first day of summer.  We rode 32 miles from Sussex to St. Martin, back on the Bay of Fundy.  Even on my ebike, the ride was challenging, with 2270 feet of climbing, some of it very steep.  I was so grateful to be able to push the power up and keep moving.  And what goes up must come down, especially when your destination is very close to sea level.  A couple of riders got up to 47 mph on the steepest downhills. I kept my speed to a more modest 33 mph.  

A peaceful lake along the way

Lots of buttercups are now everywhere 

Columbine near the Bay

At fairly high tide, the rock beyond the lighthouse was almost submerged. We can see it from our air B&B, and at low tide it looks like you can walk out to it. 

This is the view from my bedroom.  Of course the campers have an even better view. 

Hope and Sharon cooked dinner, and it was warm enough to eat on the patio.  That is quite a change even from yesterday. 

New Brunswick farmland June 20

 We rode 55 miles today from Moncton to Sussex, leaving the water for a day to roll through rural woodlands and farmland, a very different feel from the fishing villages where we have been in for a while.  The ride was different for me because my little bike computer had nor charged properly, so I didn’t know speed or distance.  At the end of the day it gives me a read-out of how much we have climbed, and we climbed lots of hills in parts of the ride, everyone was disappointed not to have justification for our tired legs  

Some days our lunch spots aren’t so scenic.  We were waiting in this decidedly bleak spot for Cal to arrive to set out the sandwich makings. 

Queen Anne’s lace has been added to our roadside bouquet.

We have ridden some rough roads over the last few days.  Within a few miles today, Sharon’s mirror and Hope’s water bottle cage both broke.  Margaret S. helped Sharon reattach the mirror, but the bottle cage was beyond repair.

While the repairs were underway, I was admiring the scenery and dramatic clouds. 

Off our bikes. June 18 and 19

 Sunday, June 18 was cold, rainy, and very windy, and our route included more than 20 miles on unpaved roads and trails.  We loaded up our bikes and rode in the van to Moncton.  Monday, June 19, was a planned day off, so we once again drove to some scenic spots not easily accessible by bike.  Nancy does a fantastic job of making sure we get to interesting places.

We visited Hopewell Rocks on the Petitcodiac River, which flows into the Bay of Fundy.  At low tide, you can walk down among rock formations carved out by erosion and the impact of 45 foot tides.  The beach is closed 1 1/2 hours before high tide to keep everyone safe.

It does not feel like the first day of summer is the day after tomorrow. 

What are Cindy and Margaret S. looking at?

Rock pigeons on the rocks just on the other side of the fence. 

We went looking for a waterfall, but the overlook overlooked the falls—completely.  We did have a lovely, misty view that felt like West Virginia.

Fishing boats in a harbor in the small town of Alma. 

I have trouble not taking pictures of water and rocks.  The rocky beaches were difficult to walk on but worth the effort.

Bridge to New Brunswick June 17

 Today we rode 26 miles to the Confederation Bridge, where we were shuttled across the eight mile span connecting Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. We then got back on our bikes and rode 22 miles along the coast to a motel right on the beach outside Port Elgin. It’s a bit windy and chilly to hike on the beach, but the view is lovely.

A decorated picnic table at a rest stop along a trail this morning 

A photo of a photo of the bridge

Looking back on bridge from the New Brunswick shore

Old abandoned church right by the water

Remains of the French Fort Gaspareaux, built in 1751 in the unsuccessful attempt to defend New France against the British

Miss Rumphius was here

Anne of Green Gables June 16

 We rode a very pleasant 37 miles from Charlottetown to Cavendish, with a stretch of well maintained trail, a sunny ride through rolling farmland, a foggy ride along the shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and a  nice bakery stop about half way through the ride.  Cavendish is the town that Lucy Maud Montgomery fictionalized as Avonlea in her Anne of Green Gables series.  Those of us who grew up on the books and shared them with our children were delighted to visit the Anne of Green Gables Heritage Site right next to our motel.  We toured the house that had belonged to Montgomery’s cousin, on which she based the Green Gables house and walked in the woods that were described as Anne’s haunted woods in the book.  We agreed that it felt a bit like a pilgrimage. 

A foggy shoreline

A statue of a fisherman seen through the fog

If you are looking for Green Gables, a picture is enough.

The famous Green Gables

And a Lego model of the house

Lucy’s bedroom, which looks pretty much the way I pictured Anne’s room. 

The woods didn’t seem very haunted on a beautiful afternoon.

Forget-me-nots in the woods, appropriate for a day I will remember. 

Sightseeing in Charlottetown June 15

 We are staying in Charlottetown, the capital of Prince Edward Island, for two nights, so today we played tourist.  It was so nice not to have to pack up this morning.  Charlottetown has a lovely historic district near the water and also is famous as the birthplace of the Canadian Confederation.  I was embarrassed to realize how little I know about Canadian history, as the founding of the Confederation was a completely new story to me.

Many well preserved old homes in the old city

I posed in the room that replicates the chamber where agreement was reached in 1867 that brought about the political structure of Canada that we know today.

Colorful flower beds outside a hotel

I had PEI Malpeque oysters in PEI!  Can’t get much fresher than that!

Beating the rain June 14

 We had another early start today, this time to get off the road before the rain began.  As we had only 30 miles to ride to,Charlottetown, we arrived in time for coffee and donuts at Tim Horton’s, and then opportunity to do a bit of exploring.  Fortunately, we could check in to rooms in a college dorm early, as the afternoon was very wet.  Dorms aren’t what they used to be.  We are two each in a three bedroom suite, complete with small kitchen.  Not only do I have a room to myself, we have parked our bikes in the extra bedroom.

We saw this little mouse near the harbor.  As a cruise ship was docked, there was lots of touristy activity in the old part of the city. 

The scales on this sculpture of a bluefin tuna are made of aluminum spoons, which reflected me in my bright raincoat multiple times. 

Love locks near the harbor 

Now that is an ice cream cone!