- 10/07/2007 - 0.. kms Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
- 10/07/2007 - 110 kms Plattsburgh, New York, United States
I left Montreal around 8:30AM with a bit of apprehension...which is fine, else the adventure wouldn't be as exciting.
The worst hill of the day soon came... the crossing of the Mercier bridge out of the Montreal Island... So the day's cycling was fairly easy...
Getting out of Montreal by the Mercier bridge is probably the nicest possible way, since coming off the bridge you are in Kanawake Reserve which is essentially countryside... I think it's the only way of getting off the island and avoiding the endless suburbs...
The first village I came to, St. Rémi, is pretty and I took a break there... then Ste. Clotilde is rather boring and Hemmingford hasn't got much to show either... So, by noon I was crossing the border into New York State (the customs officials all surprised of seeing me on a bicycle !) and took my lunch break under a gazebo in a public park in Moers.
THe afternoon was hot and humid so the cycling was much slower as I had to take frequent breaks to cool down... Nevertheless, by 4 PM I was in Plattsburgh and cycling my way to Cumberland Bay (where I had intended to camp for the night in the State Park), I passed a cheap motel and took a room instead.
- 11/07/2007 - 52 kms Burlington, Vermont (ferry from Cumberland Bay to Grand Isle)
The morning was still humid and muggy. I started out around 6:30 AM and was sweating from the start ! I took the ferry from Cumberland Bay to Grand Isle, Vermont... It got a bit hilly on Grand Isle and the wind was blowing hard against me (nothin to curb the wind on Lake Champlain) and once I crossed the bridge from Grand Isle to the Vermont side of Lake Champlain the cycling got really tough.
In Burlington, I stopped at a cycle shop, Old Spokes, which had a huge collection of Antique Bicycles, that was a good break ! Soon after I started cycling again, it started raining hard and I had to take cover at a shopping mall... I waited nearly two hours for the rain to abate, got discouraged as it looked like it would rain again, so I quickly found a motel to wait it out till the next morning.
- 12/07/2007 - 101 kms Rutland (flat, front wheel)
It was beautiful and sunny all day.
The first 10 kms or so going south out of Burlington were relatively flat, but the hills soon started again, nevertheless it was enjoyable.
Coming down a hill into Middlebury, I was going fast and hadn't noticed a railroad crossing, so I hit the rails pretty hard, but there appeared to be no dammage... Soon after, I took a break at a used bookshop and when I got out, my front tire was flat (a pinch flat from hitting the rail). It was fixed soon enough.
There was nothing spectacular about the day, but the mountain scenery, mild weather, made it all enjoyable.
- 13/07/2007 - 98 kms Bennington
There were thunderstorms in the morning when I got up... However, it cleared up by the time I was ready to go.
Coming out of Rutland, the mountains are packed much closer and the road winds its way between the mountains in a narrow valley between two ranges... The view's great, unfortunately the wind gets chanelled in this valley and was blowing hard in my face... I had to fight this wind all the way.
The villages I passed through were all pretty and touristy... 6 kms from Bennington, I got caught in a thunderstorm and had to take cover under some trees, when it let up, I quickly rode into the village to find accommodation for the night as it looked like it would rain again... Still a pretty good distance for the day given that I fought the wind all along !
- 14/07/2007 - 144 kms Cornwall Bridge, Connecticut
I taught that I would cycle into Massachussets and spend the night somewhere in that state... But I ended up crossing the whole state and stoppping in Connecticut for the night !
It was nice and sunny when I started out... 20 kms later I had crossed from Vermont into Massachussets. The Vermont mopuntains gave way to hills in Mass... and the cycling got easier. The road was nice and scenic and the villages I was passing through would've been perfect if not very busy...
There was a theater festival in Stockbridge and the village was a zoo, so I cycled on... Great Barrington seemed to attract a lot of weekend shoppers and the village was also a zoo... So I cycled on... right accross Mass... into Connecticut, which was much quieter. Just before Cornwall Bridge I passed through a State Park, so after stocking up on some groceries at the general store in Cornwall Bridge, I backtracked to the State Park where I spent the night under the tent... No hot shower though... And the water was sooo coooold !
- 15/07/2007 - 99 kms Mahopac, New York
Camping in the State Park was nice... by the side of a river and all... but that made it so humid... In the morning there was fog and everything was damp... I didn't have the heart for a cold shower so I left early around 6:30 AM.
The road to New Milford was OK but then traffic picked up and the scenery changed to endless shopping malls until Danbury.
Danbury's a pretty big town and I had a bit of trouble finding my way through it... After asking directions a few times, I made my way to route 6/202 headed for New York State.
Since Burlingtonm Vermont, I had been folowing route 7 south and it was nearly perfect... Route 6/202 was pretty also but I quickly found that it passed through cottage country and had few services for tourists (no campgrounds or motels)... Someone told me the only motel in the area was at Mahopac, so i had to backtrack a few kilometers and I got to the motel exhausted.
- 16/07/2007 - 115 kms Parsippany, New Jersey (plus 10 kms in a Police truck)
Getting out of Mahopac, I rode the #6 to Peekskill... That went well enough but then the 5 kms to Bear Mountain Bridge (which sould take me accross the Hudson River) was a gruelling climb over a very bad road with practically no shoulder.
Once on the other side, I was in Palisades Interstate Park and an attendant at a toll booth (I did not pay a toll) suggested that I should ride the Seven Lakes Drive accross the park. So I headed for the Parkway which would take me the scenic drive some 6 kms down the road...
Well, I hadn't riden half a kilometer on the Parkway that I was stopped by the police... Apparently I couldn't ride on this parkway... so the police called in a police truck and they picked me up with Titus to the start of the Seven Lakes Drive....
The Seven Lakes Drive is a scenic backroad (though nicely asphalted) with very little traffic and well worth the ride. It exited the park on route 17 which I rode to Suffern where I lost time trying to hook up to the 202 south.
The 202 is a fine road in New Jersey, not as hilly as in NY state, but it meanders a lot and is poorly indicated, so I often had to ask for directions so as to remain on the 202.
At Boonton, someone told me that there were cheap motels at the intersection of the 202 with the 46 so I headed ther... It wasn't as cheap as indicated but I was still glad for the place to spend the night as it was supposed to rain...
- 17/07/2007 - 120 kms Newtown, Pennsylvania (2 flats rear tire)
It was nice and sunny when I left in the morning around 7:30... and by 8 AM I was sweating profusely... It would be a hot day !
The road was relatively easy with only long gentle rises and long gentle drops, with the exception of a few kilometers out of Morristown where the 202 was detoured for roadwork... I had to push Titus up a very long steep hill and it was murder in this heat... The detour soon came back to the 202 and the situation improved.
At Ringoes, I switched off the 202 for the 179 at the suggestion of an attendant at a service station where I stopped to cool off. It was smaller and more shaded than the 202. I crossed the bridge into Pennsylvania between Lambertville and New Hope (both these villages were very touristy)... and headed for the 232 which would take me to Newtown and its youth hostel.
I had a bit of trouble finding the youth hostel, but finally someone gave me directions. Its in a parc and very quiet but away from services... With all the heat of the day, I arrived very tired and didn't feel like going back to town for groceries... I figured that I could survive with my emergency food (chocolate, fig bars and dates) but the guest and keeper offered me their leftovers and I had quite enough to rebuild the calories I had burned.
- 18/07/2007 - 46 kms Philadelphia
It was raining when I got up and kept raining while I prepared, but by 8:30 AM it stopped raining and tough it didn't look very good I decided to leave anyways... I had only about 40 kms to Philadelphia and thought my chances were good of getting there before any more rain.
So I rode quickly and it was a bit of a strain since I had to keep concentrating on avoiding the increasing amounts of debries and broken glass on the shoulder as I was approaching Philadelphia... It's not a very pretty city outskirt... Mainly slums... But the people were friendly as i asked directions and I never felt treathened.
I made it to Bilenki Cycle Works where i would get S and S couplers installed on Titus (to allow my bicycle to break up in two and avoid the extra charges that I incurred on my previous trip for future ones) and then made my way to the Fairmount Park Youth Hostel where I settled in and started dismantliong Titus for its retrofit.
I'll be spending a few days here while Titus is getting fixed. There are lots of museums and bookshops and it will be a welcome break after 8 days of cycling.
- 19/07/2007 - kms Philadelphia
The people at Bilenkiwere very nice... They told me about a couple of used bookstores where I might likely find browsing interesting, so after leaving Titus with them, I headed downtown.
One bookstore led to another and by the end of the afternoon I had purchased quite a few books on my hard to find list, much to many to carry with be but fortunately one bookseller offered to mail them to my home.
- 20/07/2007 - kms Philadelphia
Encouraged by my previous day's finds, I headed back downtown to waste the morning browsing for more books... FOund a few more and in the afternoon went back to Bilenki to pick up Titus...
They did a fine job... Not perfect, as I was a bit disappointed at the look of the welds, but I may be a bit picky as it concerns Titus....
- 21/07/2007 - kms Philadelphia
I spent the day reassembling Titus, doing laundry and planning my route out of Philadelphia.
There aren't many good alternatives... If I want to avoid the densely populated areas I'll have to retrace my steps partway.. So tomorrow will be a short day cycling as I'll only be going back to the youth hostel at Newtown.
- 22/07/2007 - 52 kms Newtown
The cycling went well enough... I got a bit confused getting out of Philadelphia, but I managed to find the same road I had taken on the way in.
Got to Newtown in the early afternoon and this time did my grocery shopping before arriving at the hostel. I spent the afternoon in the back yard, amongst the trees and birds, reading.
- 23/07/2007 - kms Newtown
It was raining at 6 AM when I got up and it kept raining till 2:30 in the afternoon... Needless to say that I decided to stay and extra night. The hostel's nice and quiet and the setting, in a park, in peaceful. So I wasted most of the day reading and when the rain stopped I went for a walk...
- 24/07/2007 - 112 kms Parsippany, New Jersey
The morning looked fine but soon after I started it became apparent that it would be another hot and humid day...
I had to take frequent breaks to cool down and got to Parsippany in the late afternoon... same stop as on the way to Philadelphia.
- 25/07/2007 - 109 kms Peekskill, New York
Another hot and humid day....
The 202 is really badly indicated... I lost my way in Pontoon Lakes and probably did an extra 5 or 6 kms before finding the 202 again...
The Seven Lakes Drive is a bit tougher from the south (or is it because I already had some 75 kms done before reaching it ?) and the climb up the road after the Bear Mountain bridge was just a killer !
So I arrived at Peekskill exhausted and hot as hell... No campgrounds nearby so i started checking for cheap motels... Someone told be the Union hotel was what I was looking for, so I made my way to it but found only a vacant lot... The only other alternative was the Peekskill Inn (others would be a least 10 miles away and not on my route) so I had to dish out $120 for a single for one night... What the hell ? I was too tired to cycle anywhere else ! At least I found a little Ecuadorean restaurant that filled me up good with chicken, rice and beans for $3.99 (coke included). They even had roasted guinea pig on the menu but I decided it wouldn't be filling enough.
- 26/07/2007 - 133 kms Torrington, Connecticut
Coming out of Peekskill on route 35/202 was mostly uphill for the first 10 kms then it levelled out somewhat... And then route 7 was easy from ridgefield to New Milford.... Took a wrong turn at New milford and went 5 kms out of my way before I realized it, so I had to come back making it 10 kms for nothing... The 202 to Torrington was hilly and I was getting exhausted as it was hot and humid again... At Bantam I took a rest and a car (with a bicycle on the roof rack) stopped and offered me some energy boost packets (I must have looked really exhausted). I made it to Torrington around dinner time, took a room at the cheapest motel I could find (Super 8 for $80... motel prices sure have gone up in the past few years) and went for dinner at the nearby Friendly's.... They had meatloaf (and I love a good meatloaf) so that's what I had... and it was the worst meatloaf I had ever laid my fork to.... I ate everything on the generous plate but left half of the meat !
- 27/07/2007 - 40 kms Hartford
Coming out of Torrington on 202 was a long (3 kms) and steep hill and I was drenched in sweat at the top... it was easier after that but another long steep hill waited for me just after Avon. THen the road to Hartford was downhill all the way.
I'm really getting tired of the traffic... Vermont was fine and western Massachusets as well... But eastern Pennsylvania, south New York, New Jersey, most of Connecticut is just a lot of traffic no matter what road you pick... Where are all these people going ? don't they work ?
Anyways, I took a bed at the youth hostel in Hartford and spent the afternoon walking around the downtown area... Hartford is pretty boring, the highlight is probably Mark Twain's house and I didn't feel like paying to see it... There aren't any small shops like bookstores that I could browse but maybe I wasn't in the right area... Anyways it didn't appeal to me.
Nevertheless, I need a day's rest and I need to do laundry. Cycling in hot and humid weather realy soaks your clothes and once a lot of sweat has dried on your clothes they don't brathe as much and just make you sweat more....
The youth hostel as well is nothing to write home about... It's kept by an old chinese couple and the place is a mess... It's in an old house with poor ventilation and smells musty... But you get what you pay for !
- 28/07/2007 - kms Hartford
I was glad I had decided to stay the extra day cause it rained in the morning (and on and off the rest of the day)... but it didn't seem to help much with the heat and humidity... We'll see what tomorrow brings.
- 29/07/2007 - 96 kms Dudley, Massachusetts
Everything was drapped in fog when I left Dudley in the morning and the fog lasted till nearly noontime... I love cycling in the fog... It was humid but not nearly as hot as the previious days. Riding route 44 out of Dudley was fine and by the time I reached Phoenixville (around lunchtime) the sun was shining.
I then switched to routes 198 and 197... Little country roads with lots of trees to provide shade over the road, low traffic... it was very pretty.
I took a bed at the hostel in Dudley... The place is managed by a charming old couple that won't stop talking... I was offered cookies and grapes while we chatted the rest of the afternoon away...
Then a woman from Brittany, Annie, arrived and we hit it off... Went for groceries and prepared a guacamole and munched on that while we talked the evening away... I needed that !
- 30/07/2007 - 66 kms Harvard
There was a thunderstorm when I awoke in the morning around 5 AM, but by the time I had breakfast with Annie and was ready to leave it was nearly 10 AM and the weather had improved.
I was heading for Harvard where another hostel would provide cheap accommodations... My route was 12/20/140/70 and then 110 and it was mostly fine riding and low traffic. By the time I got to Harvard in the early afternoon it started drizzling so I took cover at a roadside farmer's kiosk and it soon started pouring.
While waiting for the rain to abate, I enjoyed talking with the various people stopping at the kiosk and since the rain didn't seem like wanting to let go a talkative local, George (a local landscaper) affered me a ride in his pick-up for the rest of the way to the hostel... On the way he gave me a tour of the village, showing me his various landscaping projects, Needless to say he's very proud of his work !
The hostel was fine, on a farm, and I picked blueberries for Mary, the lady of the house, who used to race bicycles B.C. (her words, Before Children) and apparently set a number of world records of which for cycling up a volcano in Hawai. Mary cooked a blueberry pie that evening and it made for a deliciously sweet breakfast the following morning !
- 31/07/2007 - 129 kms York, Maine
It was foggy again when I woke but was fine and sunny by the time I left around 7:30 AM. I rode route 110 to the coast and then route 1 north. The road was mostly flat and it wasn't too hot so I figured I'd get as high as possible on the Maine Coast... The area is pretty touristy so I decided to stop at York for the night before hitting the really busy area of Ogunquit...
- 01/08/2007 - 71 kms Portland
Once I reached Ogunquit the traffic really started and didn't relent till Portland... I was following route 1 and never saw the Atlantic, nor did I have the inclination to take the various side roads to the beaches... the traffic would only have been worse !
I got to Portland right around lunchtime and right away went to secure my passage on the ferry for the following morning. There were no nearby campground and the cheapest accommodation was at the "Inn on St. John" where I took a room (US$75 for a single with shared bathroom... certainly not cheap !)
I then went to walk the town and was pleasantly surprised by the "Old Portland"... Very much like "Old Montreal" some 20 or 30 years ago, with cobblestone streets and all manners of excentric people... Too bad I had already scheduled the ferry as I could have spent another enjoyable day here !
- 02/08/2007 - 5 kms Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada (ferry from Portland to Yarmouth)
The ferry to Yarmouth was a chore... A high speed jet ferry where you really were stuck freezing inside (the air-conditioning was way to low). I got to Yarmouth mid-afternoon and secured a bed at a backpackers in town. After all the ferry passengers had made their way out of town, it was quiet and peaceful and I spent some time walking around.
I stopped at the local Art Gallery and ended up talking with the attendants about local arts and left with a few addresses to stop at for photographers galleries on my way to Halifax and a free entry for the Halifax Arts Gallery.
Back to the hostel, I met with 2 Australian girls, one of which, Imogen Melgraad, was an aspiring author working on her first novel... I'll have to keep a lookout for her book in the future as she seemed to have a fine mind and I'd be curious to see what she can do !
After 3 weeks in the USA, I'm pleasantly surprised with Yarmouth and will stay here a few days, cycling around and exploring the area.
So the next day I spent the morning walking around town following a self-guided tour... and in the afternoon went for a bike ride with Imogen to Cap Forchu to view the lighthouse and walk along the coast...
The following day rain was forecasted... so I walked around town and found a used bookstore... I was lucky ! found two books on my list ! In the evening a cyclist, Yvon, from Thetford Mines, Quebec arrived at the hostel and we spent some time chatting.
- 05/08/2007 - 148 kms Port Mouton
In the morning I wanted to follow route 103 to Port Mouton, the next hostel on my way to Halifax and a more direct road mainly through forest scenery. Yvon wanted to follow route 3, the coastal and much longer route (I didn't want to saturate myself with the coastline until I arrived at the reputedly pretty Lunenberg and Peggy's Cove areas). So we parted ways.
Although being main highway, route 103 was surprisingly devoid of traffic and a very quiet, though good, road to cycle on. When I got to the area of Barrington I was surprised to find Yvon on this same highway.... Apparently he followed route 3 but then when it joined 103 a few kms back he decided to get on the 103... He was still not convinced that he'd want to cycle the full 150 kms to Port Mouton in the same day...
I pushed ahead and continued my way... Had a nice lunchbreak shaded by the forest along a small river... and met with Yvon again near Shellburne where we decided to stop for a break... Yvon entered the village while I continued on the 103.
I took another break at Port Joli, just short of Port Mouton and Yvon caught up with me again and we cycled the remaining 10 kms to Port Mouton together. I think that Yvon was happy to find that he could cycle 150 kms in a day without too much trouble. He's 58 by the way.
So we settled at the Port Mouton hostel... It's in an old school house and the manager, Goeff, is a very outgoing person and made us feel at home.
Yvon continued on in the morning, but I decided to stay an extra day and spend some time hiking in the nearby Kejimkujik Seaside National Park... It's mostly bog and coastline, but pretty and I managed to see two species of carnivorous plants as well as seals to name just the most striking.
- 07/08/2007 - 71 kms La Have
It rained during the night and the morning was very foggy... Nervetherless it seemed to have spent itself and I felt pretty secure about leaving...
I came off the 103 at Liverpool where I did the little route 3 loop that took me into the village where I spent a little time. Went back on the 103 until the junction with 331 and followed it along the coast until La Have. Route 331 is pretty scenic and absolutely devoid of traffic.
I took a bed at the La Have hostel, above a bakery, and found myself to be the only guest. The manager, Peter, is a retired sea Captain and had many stories for me... And, well... being above a bakery certainly didn't hinder my calories intake !
- 08/08/2007 - 31 kms Mahone Bay (ferry accross the La Have River)
The morning was very foggy but it wasn't raining... (though you couldn't really tell by looking at my glasses since they were covered in water droplets condensing from the fog) so I left La Have by the ferry accross the La Have river (free for bicycles !).
On the other side, I took a shortcut accross the cape (Indian Path Road) and joined route 3 on the other side which took me to Lunenberg after a few kilometers. I spent the morning wandering around the village and its harbor in the fog and learned that there was a folk music festival starting the next day... At midday it looked like rain would be coming so I left Lunenberg towards Mahone Bay where I would settle at a backpacker's hostel. It was a very good move, since at mid-afternoon the rain started coming down !
I decided to stay an extra night at the hostel to allow me the chance to view Lunenberg without the fog... Lunenberg is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and, though touristy, I felt it deserved a better look.
The next morning was cold, cloudy and very windy... So I stuck around the hostel reading... By mid-day the weather seemed to have improved and I started cycling towards Lunenberg. By the time I got there it was sunny.
At Lunenberg, I caught a concert from a local folk band at the harbour and wandered around some more for the rest of the afternoon.Then started the arduous cycle (against the wind) back to the hostel.
- 10/08/2007 - 91 kms Halifax
The next morning, the weather was just beautiful and the wind had died down, so I left for Halifax.
I followed route 3 until it joined 103, then 103 to Halifax. The traffic on 103 was light until about 20 kms from Halifax and about 15 kms later, a sign said that bikes couldn't go further on the 103.... So at exit 2 I switched over to route 3 coming into Halifax.
I found the youth hostel without too much trouble and settled in...
The next morning I went to the Halifax Art Gallery and amongst others viewed an excellent exhibit of Maud Lewis' work... She's very much an "art naE" style painter, born with several physical defficiencies, of which severe rhumatoid arthritis, and lived most of her adult life in a small 12 by 10 feet house (they weren't rich !) of which she painted over most of the flat surfaces... The house has been moved and rebuilt in the Art Gallery... Quite a sight !
In the afternoon I wandered the harbourfront where an International Busker Festival was going on... "Buskers" are street performers and a few of them had surprisingly excellent (as well as original) performances... As well, I met two extravagantly dressed ladies walking the harbourfront from the nearby casino (yep! there is one in Halifax)... had a nice chat and they gave me a $5 chip that can be redeemed on the casino gambling table... Well, I guess I'll keep it as souvenir.
In the evening though I experienced a bout of homesickness and even entertained the idea of going back to Montreal by train... and so I fell asleep in a gloomy state of mind...
The morning though was beautiful and sunny without even a hint of wind... So I decided that if I were to leave soon I would at least cycle to Peggy's Cove and see what all the fuss was about....
Well the 50 kms to get there were easy and the scenery on the way was getting prettier and prettier... and when I got there I headed straight to the lighthouse... Well, it was already hoarded with tourists... apparently Peggy's Cove's lighthouse is the most photographed landscape in Canada, it even houses a post office so that tourists can have a postcard sent home with the official stamp of Peggy's Cove... I still managed a few photographs of the lighthouse, but the beautiful village was mostly empty of tourists and that is where I spent most of my time....
The whole day trip to Peggy's Cove was uplifting and made me feel much better... I was even much more outgoing when I came back to the hostel and started quite a mess of conversations between guests in the common rooms... So I think that I feel fine about continuing on...
Unfortunately, the next day was rainy so I spent the day wandering neighbouring Dartmouth hoping for better weather the next day.Also, I wanted to spend more time seeing "buskers" performances but they were all cancelled on account of the rain...
Well, the following day was rainy as well...
- 15/08/2007 - 158 kms Wentworth
When I got up there was a bit of fog, but once I was ready to go the fog had dispersed and it appeared it would be a beautiful day.
I left Halifax through route 2 going north and though I had planned on taking route 102 I ended up following route 2 through to Truro... The road was fine, heading inland through increasingly rural scenery and traffic was non-existant. It followed mostly a railroad track and thus was reasonably level... It was a pleasure to ride !
Met Richard, a "cycling musician", on my way to Truro, going the other way... He had cycled from Vancouver and was about to finish in Halufax.... He was giving a series of performances throughout the country, some being reviewed by the CBC who qualified his tour of being the "greenest" one on the road !
From Truro, I tried 10 kms or so on route 104 (the trans-canada) but reverted to route 2 (too much traffic on 104). The whole day had gone well and mostly effortlessly... but when I switched to route 4 I soon found myself climbing for nearly 20 kms up until Folly Lake... The grade wasn't that bad, but after having done some 125 kms before starting it I found myself struggling and cursing all the way up... To booth, when the road levelled after Folly Lake, it started raining ! The last 10 kms to Wentworth was done through increasing drizzle !
At Wentworth I took a bed at a hostel... The hostel is located on a remote farm with nothing but disused fields and forests all around... Though the hostel can sleep 22, there are only 2 other guests... So it's nice and quiet here !
- 16/08/2007 - 136 kms Moncton, New Brunswick
I got up and it was still dark, but I was encouraged because I could see stars. When the sun dawned there was a bit of fog but it soon cleared to a sunny blue sky.
I left Wentworth by route 4 which joined the trans-canada 25 kms later... I was a bit apprehensive about cycling the 104 (trans-canada) but there was little choice for a direct route into New-Brunswick and anyways, the traffic wasn't nearly as bad as what I had experienced in Pensylvania, New Jersey or southern New York... And the situation improved in New Bruswick... In Nova Scotia, the trans-canada has but a 2 feet shoulder, but in New Brunswick the trans-canada has a 6 feet shoulder !
The only sour note is that I was cycling mostly against a 10 to 15 km/h headwind for most of the way.... just have to grin and bare it !
Moncton's pretty big but it doesn't feel like a city... The backpacker's hostel here is really friendly... the owner, Cindy, crossed Canada on a bike from Victoria to St. John, Newfoundland, four years ago, so she's very accommodating to cyclists. There's a kite festival in the neighbouring town of Dieppe, there are a few bookstores to browse so I guess I'll spend a few days here getting a feel for the place...
- 19/08/2007 - 148 kms Miramichi
I decided to leave Moncton on Sunday morning... Leaving along route 126, it was uphill for the first 25 kms until past Magnetic Hill, then the road levelled off most of the way to Miramichi... The road was pleasant with low traffic and a mixed scenery of forests and farming but it was some work cycling mostly against a steady low wind. As I neared Rogersville I could see dark broken clouds spilling rain up ahead... but as I entered the village it seemed that if I hurried through I could pass between two rainy patches... Pretty lucky, huh ?... though nearing Miramichi, I couldn't avoid getting a little wet...
- 20/08/2007 - 100 kms Nigadoo
I left Miramichi by route 8 but seitched to route 134 as soon as I could... much less traffic.
The first 50 kms seemed mostly uphill but I don't think it really was. Though hilly, I was fighting a moderate headwind which made it feel like an uphill battle. I stopped at Allardville for a break and then at Bathurst and decided to call it a day at Nigadoo.
- 21/08/2007 - 96 kms Campbellton
On the advice of locals at Nigadoo, I left for Campbellton by route 11. It was a highway with lots of traffic but the locals assured me that it would be much safer than route 134 which had no shoulder and substantial large truck traffic.
There was little pleasure in riding the highway and I fought a strong headwind gusting up to 35 km/h at times... so I had ample leisure to contemplate the rest of the way home... I had covered the likely route 3 years ago so there would be few discoveries to entertain me along the way... and most of the way would be against the wind... So I resolved to investigate the train and/or bus options at Campbellton. I settled on taking the bus back home.
- 22/08/2007 - 20 kms Montreal, Quebec (bus from Campbellton to Montreal)
Total cycled on this trip : 2877 kms
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