The flags were still snapping in the wind when I went to sleep last night, but all was quiet outside this morning. The sun was out and there was blue sky and white clouds. There was still a little wind but I suspect that is probably normal here. A chilly start, but it was good riding weather.
My first riding destination of the day wasn't very far. Actually, my intent was to visit the Greenwich section of Prince Edward Island National Park of Canada when I arrived here yesterday, but even the short six miles from my motel to the park entrance would have been very difficult if not impossible in yesterday's wind. (Considering that I could barely walk, riding didn't sound like a good idea at the time...) Today it was an easy ride, ending in a walk to the Greenwich Dunes Trail. The highlight of the trail is a view of the parabolic dunes found in this area. Apparently this type of dune is rather rare; it was definitely an interesting sight. The trail also has a floating boardwalk crossing a pond and leading to a path across the dunes to the ocean. (Or is that still the Gulf of St. Lawrence?) I walked along the surprisingly white sand beach for a while. I'm pretty amazed that this beach was white as opposed to the red I've seen elsewhere on the island. I asked about the color of the sand and was told that when the red sandstone erodes or decomposes, the particles of sand are actually in three colors - white, black, and red. And for some reason this north shore beach ends up with more white sand particles. That sounds a little odd to me, but for now I guess I'll have to believe it. I'm very glad I didn't miss this park - it was absolutely beautiful. I'm hoping I have some decent photos, but I have a strong feeling that today was a day for a camera with a big lens. There are good images in my mind, now I'll just have to see if any of my pictures measure up.
Yes Rover, this sign on the trail to the sand dunes and the beach in the Greenwich section of Prince Edward Island National Park does say no dogs are allowed. But haven't you been telling me that you're not a dog?
By riding across the island yesterday in my south to north voyage from Montague to St. Peters, I skipped the northeast corner of the province. So the second part of my ride was to head further to the east at the top of the island. As expected, most of the road was a bit inland, although there were occasional glimpses of the water along the way. The road was a simple 2-lane road, no shoulders to speak of. Shoulders weren't really needed though since there was very little traffic even though I was on a part of the loop around the east of the island known as Kings Byway Coastal Drive. I wonder if this road carries more traffic during the summer, which appears to be the peak tourist season.
I have to tell you that this sign really surprised me. I was not too far out of St. Peters heading for the north coast, essentially in the middle of farms with a few houses around too. A little further down the road I came upon the reason for the sign - a B&B with a little plane parked next to it, and some mowed grass that looked like it must have been the runway. A private plane that gets its own impressive sign on the road!
A short loop off of the main road took me to Naufrage Harbor. I parked my bike next to the road and started heading toward the water to get a picture of yet another small lighthouse. When I returned to my trusty bike, a van bearing a couple from Washington had stopped by my bike to say hello. They drove across the states, hoping to see some of the color changes both here in Atlantic Canada and in New England too. Why did they stop? To say hello to a fellow Bike Friday owner, of course! They had their bikes with them, folded and hidden away in a case hanging on their vehicle. Their bikes - New World Tourists I think they said - come out to play whenever their owners want to ride. Not a bad way to see the world, with a bike along for the ride! Hopefully they will be in the northeast long enough to see some of the fall colors.
I spent a bit more time at Naufrage Harbor before I headed out on the road again. There is a single-lane wooden surface bridge over an outlet to the sea. I crossed over, and watched a boat - I assume it was a fishing boat - heading out. As usual I tried to catch some pictures of sea gulls, and the sea weed, sand, and water made some beautiful images. As I headed back to my bike, I had a short conversation with someone who appeared to be involved with the harbor and boats. He asked if I noticed the moss floating in the water. It was Irish Moss, and apparently it can get caught up in the boat's engines. It sounds like they are hoping it disappears with the next high tide.
It was a day of out and back rides in two different directions, and I was riding pretty close to unloaded. I had a single pannier on the bike to carry a few things like extra layers and my lock, a nice change of pace. Tomorrow I'll be moving again though, heading to the west. It's supposed to be a warm day, cool in the morning but warming to summer-like temperatures in the afternoon. That will be a nice change of pace, although a few more crisp, cool, dry days would be greatly appreciated. Unfortunately, the forecast doesn't correspond with my dreams. Weather wizard, are you listening?
