Today was another "travel by alternate transportation" day. Tomorrow, the bike!
Although the total mileage between home and PEI was exactly what I expected - just short of 600 miles - there were times today when it felt a lot longer. I definitely stopped at the right point last night. While route 9 east from Bangor was a very nicely paved road, it felt like a lot of really empty space. It was a 2 lane road with paved shoulders and the addition of a passing lane on the uphills. It could be a nice riding road - if you don't mind the short but steep rollers. As I started down one hill there was a sign saying that it was a 10% grade. I have to say that I'm glad I wasn't riding a loaded bike up that grade!
I started my drive this morning under clear blue skies, but before too long I saw a wall of fog ahead of me. It didn't last very long, but along with the white wall the temperatures dropped about 10 degrees. I saw temperatures today ranging from 65 at the start to 55 in the fog to 80 at inland locations and back to the low 70s along the coast. After driving through two serious pockets of fog, I ended my day in bright sunshine.
Just before Calais (pronounced cal-us, not cal-aa as you might expect from the spelling), route 9 East joined route 1 South. I found it very interesting that the signs changed from 9E / 1S to 9 Canada / 1 Coastal just before the border. I still have ended up at the border following a sign marked 9 East; I wonder why they changed the designation.
Ah, a warning sign to remind me to change my watch as I moved from Maine into New Brunswick.
I stopped in St. Stephen, New Brunswick - which claims it is the chocolate capital of Canada - just after crossing the border. An ATM was calling to me to get some Canadian currency, and I wanted to stop at the visitor information center. I've been thinking about stopping along the Bay of Fundy on the way home, and I wanted to find the best time and place for a stop - on my way home, not today. I spent some time chatting with one of the staff members at the visitor center, and one of the things she gave me was the tide chart for Hopewell Cape. I figure on going through there on the 19th or 20th, and low tide is at a reasonable morning hour. I should be able to get there at low tide to walk on the ocean floor. Then I think I'll need to relax there for a while to catch the changing scenery at high tide. On my two target days, low tide is near 3 tenths of a foot, and high tide is at 44.9 feet. That's an incredible difference. Even though I already knew I wanted to stop there, now I really want to see it!
I had to take a photo stop on the edge of New Brunswick. There's a visitor center just before the Confederation Bridge that has an observation tower to assist those of us who are fascinated by the bridge. It's a beautiful and very impressive structure. It gives a simple impression, but it's clear that there was a lot of engineering thought that went into the design. Nine miles long, curved, two driving lanes, high concrete barriers on the sides, cameras along the length. Unfortunately stopping on the bridge is against the rules - as is riding a bicycle across it. Too bad...
Efficient rest rooms in the rest area at the edge of New Brunswick using self-composting toilets (no water...) and rainwater in the sinks.
My first glimpse of the red rocks of the region, on the New Brunswick side of Northumberland Strait.
The weather forecast for tomorrow has had me a bit worried. At the beginning of the week the Friday forecast for PEI just said rain. Not chance of rain, just plain rain. When I checked at the visitor center in St. Stephen, the forecast said 90% chance of rain. And when I arrived at my hotel in Summerside, it had changed to chance of rain. Here's hoping... If I wake up in the morning to rain, it's quite possible I will wait to start biking until Saturday. It seems a bit nutty to start with a rest day, but it could happen. I will just have to call it a rest from all of that driving!
I finally arrived in Summerside after what seemed like a very long day. I settled in to my room after I found the hotel - which is very nicely right across from the water. I'm staying at a place that goes by several different names depending on whether you are looking at the sign outside, at their web site, or at my reservation confirmation. It's the Loyalist Country Inn, or the Lakeview Summerside. Of course the name doesn't matter - I just needed to verify that I was in the right place! And they have very kindly agreed to let me leave my car in their parking lot while my bike and I ride around the island. Dinner tonight was in the inn's dining room, a nice salad and a lobster roll - followed by a walk along the water and a stop for ice cream.
Interesting signs seen on the road today:
- Eagle nesting area - no trespassing. Signs outside of Calais, Maine.
- Warning: duck and turtle crossing. Outside of Calais
- Railroad crossing - with tracks crossing the road. Along a limited access highway with a speed limit of 110 kilometers for hour, in New Brunswick
- Snowmobile crossing. Along the same limited access highway in New Brunswick
