Sunday, August 25, 2004, 58.6 miles: We left Andrew and Kelly to the peace and quiet of Rockcliffe Dr. and started off on our tour to PEI. First leg was to Truro and a warm showers host. To start off, however, we first had to navigate two and a half miles of gravel road through Charlie’s development and a logging area which was closed to traffic. Going this way meant some gnarly gravel riding, especially fully loaded, but it saved 15 miles (and still 2.4 miles of gravel riding) vs. going into Parrsboro first. We averaged 5 mph for those first 2.5 miles, but also saved a hour and 12.5 miles. Fortunately, we had ridden that road in the other direction on our first ride, so we knew what was coming.
The rest of the ride to Truro was uneventful. There are hills, but the grades are so low (2-3%) that sometimes it’s hard to tell you’re climbing. Traffic at the start was pretty sparse, but increased during the day. Like the US, most Canadian drivers are very respectful of cyclists, but also like the US, there are the impatient risk takers. Never felt in danger, but sheesh, you can’t see what’s coming around that curve either! The first 34 miles on Rt 2 were without paved shoulders and when we finally got them, it was a much nicer ride. Except for the last couple of miles into Truro, that stayed the case.
The temp was in the 80s and apparently that’s quite unusual for the locals. We loved it, but once in Truro we were looking for some liquid refreshment. You know, the kind with carbs, water, a little bit of fat, and anesthetic — that is, BEER. While seeking out an NSLC store (Nova Scotia Liquor Control — much like PA before the Liquor control board opened things up) and the ONLY place to buy alcohol except in some restaurants. On our way there, a nice lady stopped and told us that there was live music in the park so we got our beer and headed there. It was live, but not compelling, and our host had texted that he had cold beer waiting in his fridge. That was enough and we headed up the hill to Glenda’s and Bob’s.
Glenda and Bob were delightful! We stowed our bikes in their garage and hauled our stuff to our room for the night. Bob is an American from Massachusetts who finished an MBA in business and moved to NS and started a maple sap harvesting business. Glenda taught school in First Nation schools in Labrador and both were now retired. Glenda cooked up a great pasta meal (with a veggie version for Dana), and we had Bob’s homemade bread to sop up the goodness of the meal, and wine of course. As usual with W.S. hosts, we shared touring stories and heard of Bob’s son’s adventures in the USAC and his marriage to a Cirque de Soleil acrobat. Great evening and we headed off to bed around 10.
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