Sunday, July 28, 2013 - Day 45
We both slept poorly due to room being to hot and humid and lots of trucks coming and going. We were up at 6:45 AM and after a quick breakfast in our room we packed up our bags and loaded them on our bikes in the room and wheeled them out to the parking lot. We set off for St. John's at 7:45 AM. Again it was overcast and a bit cool so we put on our sleeves and vests. It was a miserable rainy, misty, foggy, windy, hilly day. We had to make frequent stops to wipe our glasses off, to rest our butts, etc. There were no convenience stores or service stations between Whitbourne and St. John's. The only thing that kept us going was the fact that it was our last day of cycling. We arrived on the outskirts of St. John's at 12:30 in cold, rainy and windy weather. We passed several exits and I thought "Great, the next one is where we want to get off." Only it turned out to be another 10 kms down the highway and with several more hills!!! Finally we arrived at 14 Ledum, chez Krista and Mike's, at 1:30 PM. We were thoroughly soaked and chilled it was that windy and cold. I had wanted to go on to Mile 0 for the photo op but because of the lousy weather I changed my mind. It was great to see Krista and Mike who were home to welcome us. We quickly unloaded our essential clothing bags and put the rest of our gear and bikes away in the back shed. Krista showed us our room upstairs and we quickly had showers to warm up and changed into dry clothing. after a short nap, Mike drove us to a nearby Sobey's where we got some groceries and beer and champagne at the liquor store next door. It was still quite windy and bitterly cold. I was glad I had brought my jacket. We returned home and had a beer while Krista prepared fish cakes. I also checked out the Wi-Fi and Bev posted a message on FB re our arrival in St. John's and the completion of our Cross Canada Cycling Tour. Besides delicious fish cakes we had coleslaw, macaroni salad and roasted tomato and red pepper salad for dinner with sticky cinnamon buns for dessert. It was good to be in a warm, dry house and not have to worry about getting on our bikes again tomorrow. What a sense of relief knowing that we had cycled from Trois Rivieres, QC to St. John's, NL, another 2,514 kms to complete our CCCT for a total of 7,994 kms.
At home, Ottawa, ON - Thursday, August 8, 2013
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
CCCT Part II - Clarenville to Whitbourne, NL
Saturday, July 27, 2013 - Day 44
Had a pretty good night's sleep. We were up at 6:00 in anticipation of another hot and muggy day's ride which we calculated would be around 100 kms to our next destination i.e. Whitbourne. After loading our bags on our bikes we were ready to set off at 7:10 AM. It was overcast, quite windy (mostly a crosswind). The paved shoulder along the highway was god, bad and sometimes terrible. Lots of rumble strip. We had to stop many times mostly because of the number of hills and the headwind/crosswind. We stopped at Megan's at Southern Harbour for lunch. I had bacon and eggs, toasts and fries (chopped up because they had run out of home fries). I drank 2 glasses of ice water to help cope with the heat and to hopefully prevent any cramps like I had yesterday. We also stopped at Goobie's and Come By Chance for snacks. we passed the turnoff for Dildo and soon arrived in Whitbourne at 3:30 PM. Bev went in the Ultramar and got 2 cold drinks and next door to the Robin's for donuts. we checked into the Moorland Motel at 4:10 PM. We paid $75 plus taxes for a room with a mini fridge and a microwave, Wi-Fi, etc. I checked the Wi-Fi after we brought our bikes into our room through the side entrance. There was no Wi-Fi. At least none that I could find on my Notebook. I went to the store where we checked-in to complain. The assistant manager went off to reboot the router. Still no Wi-Fi. Watched PGA on TV. Later we had dinner at Mary Brown's. It was very hot and humid. We went over to the Ultramar for Gatorade, etc. Had ice cream for dessert. Bought 2 cold drinks before going back to our room. Bev was very tired and was off to bed at 8:30 PM. I watched TV for a while before putting the lights out at 9:00 PM.
Home (Ottawa, ON) - Wednesday, August 7, 2013
CCCT Part II - Splash 'n Putt, Glovertown to Clarenville, NL
Friday, July 26, 2013 - Day 43
It was a terrible night considering how much we were paying for a good night's rest. The noisy trucks, night time creatures, etc all combined to make it difficult for me to sleep. We were up at 7:00 AM and while I packed Bev prepared some oatmeal to go with muffins, 1/2 a banana and chocolate milk for breakfast. After getting rid of our garbage and dropping off the key we were ready to leave for Clarenville at 8:20 AM. Again it was an overcast day and very humid. We had to stop several times, especially after cycling up the many hills. We stopped at a service station for lunch. Bev went in a got cold drinks (7up Lime) and we sat outside on the curb and ate our snack packs. After lunch we still had 38 kms to go before reaching Clarenville which was our destination for the day. We didn't get very far (10 kms) before having to stop again at a convenience store for cold water. There was a very large floor fan outside which was supposed to blow a mist of water to help people cool off. Because it wasn't working properly the manager used a spray bottle to squirt water on the fan. We both stood in front of the fan and for a minute or two were able to cool off. After several more stops including one at the VIC we arrived at the Clarenville Inn which was on top of one more hill. We had stopped at St. Jude motel at the bottom of the hill to ask how much a room for the night would cost. It was $121 plus taxes. We decided to go on to the Clarenville Inn at the top of the hill which turned out to be more expensive at $134 plus taxes but at least we wouldn't have a hill to face first thing in the AM. We put our gear and bikes in our room and after a shower Bev went over to the nearby service station for food for our breakfast and lunch. She also returned with an ice cream cone which I gladly accepted. NL was going through a bit of a heat wave and the humidity was quite unbearable. I checked the hotel Wi-Fi which was so-so. We both rinsed out an outfit and put them outside on the patio furniture to dry in the sun. I started having problems with cramps in my legs. We watched PGA golfing on TV before going over to the hotel restaurant for dinner. I had a beer and hot turkey sandwich with mashed potatoes for dinner. More cramps. Went for a walk after dinner to help get rid of the cramps. We went over to the gas station convenience store and got some date squares, chips and tea for Bev. I did some stretching in the hopes that it would help get rid of the cramps. I posted our location/destination on FB before going off to bed at 10:00.
Home (Ottawa, ON) - Wednesday, August 7, 2013
CCCT Part II - Gander to Glovertown, NL - Day 42
Thursday, July 25, 2013 - Day 42
We were up bright and early for an early morning departure. After getting our bikes out of the shed and loading on bags on them we said our goodbyes and thankyous and set off for Glovertown at 8:10 AM. It was a very overcast day and after only 10 kms we stopped to change our lenses from dark to clear. It started raining so we had to stop again so I could put my rain covers on my handlebar bag, etc. Thankfully it was only a shower and by 11:00 AM it had cleared up. We stopped at Gambo, home of Joey R. Smallwood, where there was a roadside rest stop with a nice view of the town below. We were able to get a sausage and a cold drink from a fellow who had a BBQ setup there. While we were having lunch a guy from Toronto who was touring with his two children came over and asked if he could take our picture with his two children. He was so impressed with our bikes loaded down with all our panniers and the fact that we were cycling across Canada. We got caught in the rain again before arriving at our destination which was the Splash 'N Putt in Glovertown. It was right on the TCH. We arrived at 1:30 PM very tired, sweaty and dehydrated. The sun had come out again and the water slide was doing a great business. Bev went into the convenience store and got a couple of cold drinks for us. We had originally planned to spend the night camping but my shoulder was to sore to go on. Instead we decided to rent a cabin for the night at $159 plus taxes. We unloaded our bikes and put them on the porch. Bev hit her lip on her T-bar when moving her bike. I showered and lay down for a nap before walking back to the Mary Brown's fast food restaurant for dinner. I had pulled chicken on a bun, wedge fries, coleslaw and a diet Pepsi. Bev had chicken strips, etc. We watched the kids sliding on the water slide and playing mini putt. For dessert I had ice cream, Bev was to full and abstained. we returned to our cabin in the woods and watched TV. There was no Wi-Fi and only 3 channels to choose from on TV. We were off to bed at 10:00 PM. A truck went by at 10:30 and deliberately leaned on his air horn just to remind me that we still had a few more days to go before getting to St. John's.
Home (Ottawa, ON) - Wednesday, August 7. 2013
We were up bright and early for an early morning departure. After getting our bikes out of the shed and loading on bags on them we said our goodbyes and thankyous and set off for Glovertown at 8:10 AM. It was a very overcast day and after only 10 kms we stopped to change our lenses from dark to clear. It started raining so we had to stop again so I could put my rain covers on my handlebar bag, etc. Thankfully it was only a shower and by 11:00 AM it had cleared up. We stopped at Gambo, home of Joey R. Smallwood, where there was a roadside rest stop with a nice view of the town below. We were able to get a sausage and a cold drink from a fellow who had a BBQ setup there. While we were having lunch a guy from Toronto who was touring with his two children came over and asked if he could take our picture with his two children. He was so impressed with our bikes loaded down with all our panniers and the fact that we were cycling across Canada. We got caught in the rain again before arriving at our destination which was the Splash 'N Putt in Glovertown. It was right on the TCH. We arrived at 1:30 PM very tired, sweaty and dehydrated. The sun had come out again and the water slide was doing a great business. Bev went into the convenience store and got a couple of cold drinks for us. We had originally planned to spend the night camping but my shoulder was to sore to go on. Instead we decided to rent a cabin for the night at $159 plus taxes. We unloaded our bikes and put them on the porch. Bev hit her lip on her T-bar when moving her bike. I showered and lay down for a nap before walking back to the Mary Brown's fast food restaurant for dinner. I had pulled chicken on a bun, wedge fries, coleslaw and a diet Pepsi. Bev had chicken strips, etc. We watched the kids sliding on the water slide and playing mini putt. For dessert I had ice cream, Bev was to full and abstained. we returned to our cabin in the woods and watched TV. There was no Wi-Fi and only 3 channels to choose from on TV. We were off to bed at 10:00 PM. A truck went by at 10:30 and deliberately leaned on his air horn just to remind me that we still had a few more days to go before getting to St. John's.
Home (Ottawa, ON) - Wednesday, August 7. 2013
Monday, July 29, 2013
CCCT Part II - Gander, NL
Monday, July 22 to Wednesday, July 24, 2013 - Rest Days 1-3
Or visiting days as Bev preferred to call them. Her main concern was to visit all her friends and former colleagues that she worked with at WalMart. Also, she needed to see a manicurist to have a pedicure as the ingrown nail on her big toe was causing her a lot of discomfort. Bev went off to a nearby Nail Salon after breakfast so I went out to the shed and after doing a bit of cleaning up I started changing Bev's rear tire. Her front tire was showing signs of wear and tear so my plan was to put her new spare tire on her rear wheel and to put her slightly used rear tire on her front wheel and keep the old front tire as a spare. I was able to remove the rear tire and put the new tire on without any trouble but when it came to removing the front tire it turned out to be rather difficult to remove. I managed to break the tip off of one of my plastic tire levers so I had to go to plan B and use a screwdriver. Marilyn was able to locate a flat bladed one but that wasn't enough to get this stubborn beast of a tire off. I had to go to the next door neighbours and borrow a second flat blade screwdriver. Finally I was able to get the tire off. That has got to be the most difficult bicycle tire I've ever had to deal with. The old rear tire went on the front wheel without any problems. After getting both tires pumped up to the proper psi I wiped down and oiled the chains.
While I was working on the bikes in the shed, Lawrence who cuts the grass for Marilyn, came by. He was quite surprised to see me beavering away in Marilyn's shed. I explained that Bev and I were visiting and would be going on to St John's in a few days to complete our Cross Canada Cycling Tour. He was quite impressed but still a bit dubious about my being in the shed. He went over to the house to check with Marilyn if all was OK. He came back a few minutes later and got the lawnmower out to went about the business of cutting the lawn.
Bev wasn't able to get her ingrown toe nail dealt with so went on to WalMart to say hello to all her former colleagues. She returned in time for lunch. In the meantime one of the Nail Salons had called and had a spot for Bev at 1:30 due to a cancellation. After lunch she left again to get her big toe taken care of. She was only able to get her big toe seen to and was soon back home.
While in Gander Bev also wanted to sort through all the stuff she had left in storage with Marilyn. She brought up on storage box from the basement filled with old photos, etc. She soon decided that it would be far to expensive to send everything she wanted to keep back home to Ottawa by Canada Post.
Tuesday we went for a ride on our bikes to visit more of Bev's friends. Edith wasn't home so we went by Guy's place and stopped in for a chat. Next we cycled over to Walt and Ginny's. When I mentioned that I worked for Foreign Affairs before retiring in 2001 they said they knew a Pam Saunders from Gander who worked for Foreign Affairs. What a coincidence!!! I worked with Pam and her husband Colin Suter in Bonn, Germany between 1994-97. Walt, who is heavily into photography, showed me his picture framing/photo editing studio. Wow, it was very impressive and to die for. He took several photos of Bev and I and our bikes.
On Wednesday I went on-line and booked our return home flights from St John's to Ottawa with WestJet. We are scheduled to leave on Wednesday, July 31st, at 12:35 PM and arrive in Ottawa same day at 5:00 PM. Bev also called a bike shop in St John's to inquire about bike boxes that we would need for packing our bikes in for shipping back to Ottawa. She had dealt with Earl's Bike Shop in the past and the owner assured us he would keep a couple of extra large bike boxes aside for us.
Did some packing in preparation for an early morning departure.
Chez Mike and Krista's, St. John's, NL
Or visiting days as Bev preferred to call them. Her main concern was to visit all her friends and former colleagues that she worked with at WalMart. Also, she needed to see a manicurist to have a pedicure as the ingrown nail on her big toe was causing her a lot of discomfort. Bev went off to a nearby Nail Salon after breakfast so I went out to the shed and after doing a bit of cleaning up I started changing Bev's rear tire. Her front tire was showing signs of wear and tear so my plan was to put her new spare tire on her rear wheel and to put her slightly used rear tire on her front wheel and keep the old front tire as a spare. I was able to remove the rear tire and put the new tire on without any trouble but when it came to removing the front tire it turned out to be rather difficult to remove. I managed to break the tip off of one of my plastic tire levers so I had to go to plan B and use a screwdriver. Marilyn was able to locate a flat bladed one but that wasn't enough to get this stubborn beast of a tire off. I had to go to the next door neighbours and borrow a second flat blade screwdriver. Finally I was able to get the tire off. That has got to be the most difficult bicycle tire I've ever had to deal with. The old rear tire went on the front wheel without any problems. After getting both tires pumped up to the proper psi I wiped down and oiled the chains.
While I was working on the bikes in the shed, Lawrence who cuts the grass for Marilyn, came by. He was quite surprised to see me beavering away in Marilyn's shed. I explained that Bev and I were visiting and would be going on to St John's in a few days to complete our Cross Canada Cycling Tour. He was quite impressed but still a bit dubious about my being in the shed. He went over to the house to check with Marilyn if all was OK. He came back a few minutes later and got the lawnmower out to went about the business of cutting the lawn.
Bev wasn't able to get her ingrown toe nail dealt with so went on to WalMart to say hello to all her former colleagues. She returned in time for lunch. In the meantime one of the Nail Salons had called and had a spot for Bev at 1:30 due to a cancellation. After lunch she left again to get her big toe taken care of. She was only able to get her big toe seen to and was soon back home.
While in Gander Bev also wanted to sort through all the stuff she had left in storage with Marilyn. She brought up on storage box from the basement filled with old photos, etc. She soon decided that it would be far to expensive to send everything she wanted to keep back home to Ottawa by Canada Post.
Tuesday we went for a ride on our bikes to visit more of Bev's friends. Edith wasn't home so we went by Guy's place and stopped in for a chat. Next we cycled over to Walt and Ginny's. When I mentioned that I worked for Foreign Affairs before retiring in 2001 they said they knew a Pam Saunders from Gander who worked for Foreign Affairs. What a coincidence!!! I worked with Pam and her husband Colin Suter in Bonn, Germany between 1994-97. Walt, who is heavily into photography, showed me his picture framing/photo editing studio. Wow, it was very impressive and to die for. He took several photos of Bev and I and our bikes.
On Wednesday I went on-line and booked our return home flights from St John's to Ottawa with WestJet. We are scheduled to leave on Wednesday, July 31st, at 12:35 PM and arrive in Ottawa same day at 5:00 PM. Bev also called a bike shop in St John's to inquire about bike boxes that we would need for packing our bikes in for shipping back to Ottawa. She had dealt with Earl's Bike Shop in the past and the owner assured us he would keep a couple of extra large bike boxes aside for us.
Did some packing in preparation for an early morning departure.
Chez Mike and Krista's, St. John's, NL
Monday, July 22, 2013
CCCT Part II - Appleton to Gander, NL
Sunday, July 21, 2013 - Day 38
I got up at 1:30 AM and put ear plugs in but still couldn't get to sleep because of the noisy celebration going on across the river. Something to do with Salmon Fest. Dan was up at 7:30 AM and gave us a shout that coffee was ready. We got up at 8:00 AM. I had a decaf coffee that Millie prepared for me besides blueberry pancakes for breakfast. Derek and Dan were still telling stories out on the deck. Eventually Dan and Donnie left to go fly fishing. This time they were going to use the boat to go to a more sheltered spot and hopefully have better luck. We packed up our gear, loaded up our bikes, said our goodbyes, thanked Millie for her hospitality and left for Gander at 10:00 AM. Derek, who was also all packed up and ready to leave, joined us. He needed to stop in Gander to get a broken spoke replaced in his rear wheel. We cycled to Marilyn's place and Derek went on to Sport Check where he hoped to get his bike repairs done. There was no one home but Bev had a key so we were able to let ourselves in. She got the key for the shed and we put our bikes inside after removing our bags which had our clothing in them. We had some fig bars and "one bite" Brownies while waiting for Marilyn and her daughter, Karla, to return from shopping. They were not surprised to see us when they returned at 1:30 PM. We chatted for awhile then I went up and had a nap at 3:30 PM. When I got up at 5:00 PM Bev and I walked to the nearby WalMart and got a clothesline clamp, etc. When we got back Bev noticed there was a hole in the bottom of the plastic bag and that the clamp was missing. After calling WalMart and confirming that the clamp was still on the check out counter she returned to pick it up. In the meantime Karla had prepared rice and green pepper, onion, and mushroom steak for dinner. We had carrot cream cheese muffins and tea afterwards. Bev went over to the neighbours across the street to borrow a ladder so we could put up a new clothes line to replace the old one that had snapped. Two fellas came over with a ladder and fixed the line. It only took them about 15 minutes. I cleaned up the old line. They asked me if I knew anything about fixing motorcycles as they were having problems with theirs. I suggested they check the carburetor, the gas line, the electrical ground, etc since I had had similar problems with my 1965 Triumph Spitfire. We watched TV news and I updated my journal. Setup the Notebook and connected to Wi-Fi once I got the Network Key from Karla. Checked e-mail/FB and soon it was time to go off to bed at 10:00 PM.
Chez Marilyn and Karla Turner, Gander, NL
I got up at 1:30 AM and put ear plugs in but still couldn't get to sleep because of the noisy celebration going on across the river. Something to do with Salmon Fest. Dan was up at 7:30 AM and gave us a shout that coffee was ready. We got up at 8:00 AM. I had a decaf coffee that Millie prepared for me besides blueberry pancakes for breakfast. Derek and Dan were still telling stories out on the deck. Eventually Dan and Donnie left to go fly fishing. This time they were going to use the boat to go to a more sheltered spot and hopefully have better luck. We packed up our gear, loaded up our bikes, said our goodbyes, thanked Millie for her hospitality and left for Gander at 10:00 AM. Derek, who was also all packed up and ready to leave, joined us. He needed to stop in Gander to get a broken spoke replaced in his rear wheel. We cycled to Marilyn's place and Derek went on to Sport Check where he hoped to get his bike repairs done. There was no one home but Bev had a key so we were able to let ourselves in. She got the key for the shed and we put our bikes inside after removing our bags which had our clothing in them. We had some fig bars and "one bite" Brownies while waiting for Marilyn and her daughter, Karla, to return from shopping. They were not surprised to see us when they returned at 1:30 PM. We chatted for awhile then I went up and had a nap at 3:30 PM. When I got up at 5:00 PM Bev and I walked to the nearby WalMart and got a clothesline clamp, etc. When we got back Bev noticed there was a hole in the bottom of the plastic bag and that the clamp was missing. After calling WalMart and confirming that the clamp was still on the check out counter she returned to pick it up. In the meantime Karla had prepared rice and green pepper, onion, and mushroom steak for dinner. We had carrot cream cheese muffins and tea afterwards. Bev went over to the neighbours across the street to borrow a ladder so we could put up a new clothes line to replace the old one that had snapped. Two fellas came over with a ladder and fixed the line. It only took them about 15 minutes. I cleaned up the old line. They asked me if I knew anything about fixing motorcycles as they were having problems with theirs. I suggested they check the carburetor, the gas line, the electrical ground, etc since I had had similar problems with my 1965 Triumph Spitfire. We watched TV news and I updated my journal. Setup the Notebook and connected to Wi-Fi once I got the Network Key from Karla. Checked e-mail/FB and soon it was time to go off to bed at 10:00 PM.
Chez Marilyn and Karla Turner, Gander, NL
CCCT Part II - Bishop's Falls to Appleton, NL
Saturday, July 20, 2013 - Day 37
We both had a good night's rest and were up at 7:00 AM. I got up during the night to close the window and check on our bikes which we left locked up outside our room. It was raining but the bikes were OK. We had buns with peanut butter and banana and juice for breakfast which Bev prepared while I did some packing. We set off for Appleton at 8:20 AM. It was overcast, cool and windy. I counted 10 hills on the way so we managed to work up a good sweat going up the hills then we would freeze coming down the hills! We only stopped twice! Once for Bev who needed to use the great outdoors and once for a snack. We arrived in Appleton at Millie and Dan's place at 11:30 thanks to a nice tailwind. Millie was busy cleaning 5th wheel where we would be "camping" for the night. After putting our bikes in the rather large garage we went in the house for tea and a sandwich. Millie's daughter, husband and 2 children were also visiting. We put our bags in the trailer and went for a walk down to the Gander River which flowed past the back yard. We saw several fly fishermen trying to catch salmon. I took some photos. Millie and grand daughter went for a walk to the beach. I was able to get the Network Key from daughter and set up Notebook on Wi-Fi in trailer. We checked our e-mail, Gmail and FB. Bev went for a walk with the girls while I lay down for a nap at 3:40. I got up at 5:00 just as Bev and the girls returned from their walk. Bev went in the house for a shower. Dan and Donnie (son-in-law) returned from fly fishing. According to Dan it was to windy and when they started hooking each other they figured it was time to give up since they weren't having any luck catching any fish. We drove to OKs Cafe for dinner where we met Derek from Peterborough. He was also cycling to St Johns having started from Yukon last year. We had a chat with him before going in for dinner. Mom and Dad had to take Victoria back home as she was not feeling well. She was having a nasty reaction to a bite on her arm which was quite swollen. I had fish 'n chips and coleslaw and diet coke and ice cream afterwards. Dan treated us. He invited Derek back home to camp in his back yard. We drove around Appleton and returned home and sat out on the deck and swapped stories. Bev and I slept in the 5th wheel. It was very noisy due to celebration across the river which went on until 3:00 AM. I was not amused!!!
Marilyn and Karla Tucker's, Gander, NL
We both had a good night's rest and were up at 7:00 AM. I got up during the night to close the window and check on our bikes which we left locked up outside our room. It was raining but the bikes were OK. We had buns with peanut butter and banana and juice for breakfast which Bev prepared while I did some packing. We set off for Appleton at 8:20 AM. It was overcast, cool and windy. I counted 10 hills on the way so we managed to work up a good sweat going up the hills then we would freeze coming down the hills! We only stopped twice! Once for Bev who needed to use the great outdoors and once for a snack. We arrived in Appleton at Millie and Dan's place at 11:30 thanks to a nice tailwind. Millie was busy cleaning 5th wheel where we would be "camping" for the night. After putting our bikes in the rather large garage we went in the house for tea and a sandwich. Millie's daughter, husband and 2 children were also visiting. We put our bags in the trailer and went for a walk down to the Gander River which flowed past the back yard. We saw several fly fishermen trying to catch salmon. I took some photos. Millie and grand daughter went for a walk to the beach. I was able to get the Network Key from daughter and set up Notebook on Wi-Fi in trailer. We checked our e-mail, Gmail and FB. Bev went for a walk with the girls while I lay down for a nap at 3:40. I got up at 5:00 just as Bev and the girls returned from their walk. Bev went in the house for a shower. Dan and Donnie (son-in-law) returned from fly fishing. According to Dan it was to windy and when they started hooking each other they figured it was time to give up since they weren't having any luck catching any fish. We drove to OKs Cafe for dinner where we met Derek from Peterborough. He was also cycling to St Johns having started from Yukon last year. We had a chat with him before going in for dinner. Mom and Dad had to take Victoria back home as she was not feeling well. She was having a nasty reaction to a bite on her arm which was quite swollen. I had fish 'n chips and coleslaw and diet coke and ice cream afterwards. Dan treated us. He invited Derek back home to camp in his back yard. We drove around Appleton and returned home and sat out on the deck and swapped stories. Bev and I slept in the 5th wheel. It was very noisy due to celebration across the river which went on until 3:00 AM. I was not amused!!!
Marilyn and Karla Tucker's, Gander, NL
Sunday, July 21, 2013
CCCT Part II - Catamaran Park to Bishop's Falls, NL
Friday, July 19, 2013 - Day 36
In spite of all the noise from the transport trucks on the TCH and the cold I did manage to get some sleep as I didn't hear my alarm go off at 7:00 AM. We got up at 7:30 AM. Bev prepared oatmeal and hot chocolate while I changed and did some packing. We were all packed up and ready to leave at 9:00 AM. It was a nice day for cycling, cool with a tail wind. We arrived in Grand Falls-Windsor at 11:00 AM and cycled to the Dominion store. Just as we were about to lock up our bikes and go in the store a local gentleman in his 70s came by and advised us not to leave our bikes unattended as several bikes had been stolen recently. He also had advice on how to prevent "Charlie Horses" etc. Bev went in for groceries while I guarded the bikes. after putting groceries in our panniers we cycled over to a pizza place for lunch. Bev went across the street to a Chinese restaurant to say hello to a friend who worked there. I had a huge slice of pizza and a diet coke. We cycled as far as Bishop's Falls where there was a motel at the Harbour Bretton Junction. Bev was still complaining about a headache and my left shoulder was quite sore. We decided to stay at the motel rather than go on to Notre Dame Provincial Park which was another 30 K down the TCH. A room with mini fridge, microwave, Wi-Fi cost $99 plus taxes. We unloaded our bikes and I got my Tylenol pain killers out. Bev took one and lay down for a nap. I checked out the Wi-Fi which turned out to be very good. I met a young fella from Ottawa selling cars in the parking lot outside our room. He was doing a booming business. He had sold 12 cars since setting up. I lay down for nap at 4:00 PM and got up at 5:30 PM, showered and went over to the restaurant for a cold beer and dinner. I had the cheeseburger platter and Bev had a ham omelet. Later when we returned to our room Bev watched TV while I posted Days 32 to 35 on my blog. I took 2 pain killers and was off to bed at 10:00 PM. Did a bit of reading before turning out the lights.
Chez Marilyn and Karla, Gander, NL
In spite of all the noise from the transport trucks on the TCH and the cold I did manage to get some sleep as I didn't hear my alarm go off at 7:00 AM. We got up at 7:30 AM. Bev prepared oatmeal and hot chocolate while I changed and did some packing. We were all packed up and ready to leave at 9:00 AM. It was a nice day for cycling, cool with a tail wind. We arrived in Grand Falls-Windsor at 11:00 AM and cycled to the Dominion store. Just as we were about to lock up our bikes and go in the store a local gentleman in his 70s came by and advised us not to leave our bikes unattended as several bikes had been stolen recently. He also had advice on how to prevent "Charlie Horses" etc. Bev went in for groceries while I guarded the bikes. after putting groceries in our panniers we cycled over to a pizza place for lunch. Bev went across the street to a Chinese restaurant to say hello to a friend who worked there. I had a huge slice of pizza and a diet coke. We cycled as far as Bishop's Falls where there was a motel at the Harbour Bretton Junction. Bev was still complaining about a headache and my left shoulder was quite sore. We decided to stay at the motel rather than go on to Notre Dame Provincial Park which was another 30 K down the TCH. A room with mini fridge, microwave, Wi-Fi cost $99 plus taxes. We unloaded our bikes and I got my Tylenol pain killers out. Bev took one and lay down for a nap. I checked out the Wi-Fi which turned out to be very good. I met a young fella from Ottawa selling cars in the parking lot outside our room. He was doing a booming business. He had sold 12 cars since setting up. I lay down for nap at 4:00 PM and got up at 5:30 PM, showered and went over to the restaurant for a cold beer and dinner. I had the cheeseburger platter and Bev had a ham omelet. Later when we returned to our room Bev watched TV while I posted Days 32 to 35 on my blog. I took 2 pain killers and was off to bed at 10:00 PM. Did a bit of reading before turning out the lights.
Chez Marilyn and Karla, Gander, NL
Friday, July 19, 2013
CCCT Part II - Wild Cove to Baie Verte Junction to Badger, NL
Thursday, July 18, 2013 - Day 36
I was up at 7:30 AM and went up to watch TV while waiting for the others to get up. Watched the Weather Channel and the Tour de France where the commentator said the riders would be climbing Alpe d'Huez twice? Heard Alex wake up and cry (no very loudly) to be fed. Amy got up and warmed up a bottle for him. I went down to basement where Bev was sleeping and woke her up at 8:20 AM. We packed our bags while Amy and Steph prepared breakfast. There were Belgian waffles with strawberries, blueberries, whipped cream and syrup, left over fried eggs and bologna, etc. I tried to check my Bell Sympatico e-mail using Amy's laptop but for some unexplainable reason Ask.com would not/could not find the login page? Same problem I had back at the motel in Deer Lake. Amy suggested I try using the Ipad but I just got the same runaround. Liam got upset when I tried to use "his Ipad". Amy had to give him a timeout. I started getting the bikes and bags ready for loading on truck. Bev came out to help. Stephanie wanted to put her dog's kennel in back of truck so I got it out of her trunk. I noticed that her right rear tire was quite low. I tried to pump it up using the bicycle pump I had used earlier to pump up our bicycle tires but couldn't get the nozzle on tire valve because of hubcap. Liam helped me look for a screwdriver to remove the hubcap with. I was unable to remove the hubcap due to bolts I think. Amy suggested using Emergency Tire Repair Kit in the back of the truck. Think is, it was buried under all our gear and bikes. Amy got a stepladder and tried to get it out but a large empty plastic water bottle was in the way. I got up on the ladder and managed to pull the bottle out of the way but couldn't reach the "kit". Amy handed me a hockey stick and with the help of the stick I was able to coax it out. Stephanie plugged the electric pump into her "cigarette lighter" and pumped up all her tires before setting off for ? While I was getting the dog kennel out of Stephanie's trunk Liam found a softball and a bat. He hauled it out and got me to play "baseball" with him. When he got tired of that he pulled out a kite and once I got it untangled for him he started running around with that in his rubber wellies. He was soon tired of that and wanted me to climb on the trampoline with him but I managed to convince him that it was still to wet from last night's rain. I was hoping that we would soon all be ready to leave because Liam was killing me and once we got to the TCH we planned to cycle around 80 kms to the Catamaran Park near Badger. I went in to check on Amy, Bev and Alex. Amy still needed to shower and then there was the kitchen to tidy up and the garbage to put out. Finally we were all ready to leave at 11:00 am. We drove into Baie Verte where Amy gassed up the truck at the local Ultramar. Bev went in to get some Gatorade for us. Liam asked for a treat but first, Amy insisted he eat a "Lunchable" as he hadn't eaten any of his breakfast. We drove to Aunt Teresa's and picked up her huge bright green suitcase. She would drive to Baie Verte junction with Stephanie and meet Amy there and then Amy would drive her to Deer Lake to catch her flight to Ottawa. Steph and kids and dog were returning home to Gander. But first we had to make 2 more stops (1) at the convenience store on the way out of town to get some Gummy Bears for Liam (2) and at the trailer at Flat Lake campground to pick up Alex's travel cot. Amy planned to stay over in Deer Lake before returning to Wild Cove. We finally arrive at the Baie Verte Junction at 12:50 PM. It started raining. Amy tried to convince us to stay another day rather than cycle in the rain but I just couldn't see how we would manage to get back to Wild Cove since she had to drive Auntie to Deer Lake. We thanked her for her wonderful hospitality, for driving us around Baie Verte, etc unloaded our bags and bikes and once we had everything loaded on and our rain covers on we set off for Badger. The rain stopped and the sun came out. I had to stop and take my jacket off. As soon as I had it off it started raining again. I put my jacket back on. About 10 kms further down the highway the sun came out and once again I had to stop to take my jacket off. You guessed it. As soon as I had my jacket off it started raining again. The third time I stopped I took my jacket off, which was thoroughly soaked by now, and put my arm sleeves on and my bright yellow vest. We managed to cycle the rest of the way to the Catamaran Park in sunshine and with a decent tail wind. We arrived at 5:30 PM and checked in at the main gate. A campsite for our tent cost $20 plus taxes. We hung up our wet gear in the pine trees to dry them off and set up our tent before walking over to the pool/cafe. When we got there it was 6:30 PM and the cafe was closed. We walked back to the store at the main gate and were told that the lady who runs the cafe closed up early as there had been no customers since lunch. We bought a couple cold drinks and returned to our tent to prepare a dinner of maple flavoured beans, KD and cocktail sausages. There was a gazebo not far from our campsite where we had been told we would get a decent Wi-Fi connection. I checked it out while Bev prepared dinner. I managed to get a half decent connection and checked my e-mail. Bev checked her Gmail. I did the washing up after dinner while Bev took our wet gear to the laundromat to dry them out. In spite of a miserable rainy day we managed to setup our tent in the sunshine and get all our gear dried out before settling down for the night at 9:30 PM. There were still plenty of kids running around in the park but they soon quieted down and except for the noise from the trucks passing by on the highway it was a peaceful evening until a trucker decided to lean on his air horn at 2 AM. If it's not train whistles it's truckers and their frigging horns....
Exploit's River Motel, Bishop's Falls, NL
CCCT Part II - Wild Cove
Wednesday, July 17, 2013 - Day 34 (rest day)
Had a good night's sleep. Got up at 8:50 AM. Amy prepared fried bologna, fried dough (Toutons or Dough Dangs?) with molasses, fried eggs and toasts and juice for breakfast. I watched the news and played with Liam. That kid sure has a lot of energy. Stephanie, Daniel and Alison and dog slept over. Daniel was slow to get up which upset Stephanie. Marilyn (from Orleans) called on Skype. She couldn't get her video to work. I checked e-mail and FB. Jim replied saying he never heard of "Moose Piss" but would bring it up for discussion at the OFARTS round table. Got dressed and drove out to La Scie to look at an iceberg after stopping off in Baie Verte so Bev could go to the bank and Amy did some shopping at Shopper's Drug Mart. Also went to Amy's Aunt Teresa's house to see if Steph, et al were coming to La Scie. They chose to go to trailer to do some kayaking. We arrived in La Scie a day to late!!! The iceberg broke up yesterday and was all gone. I think it's a likely story to get tourists to come up and spend their money. We walked up to the lookout point and took some photos. Liam played on the slide, swing, etc. Drove back into town and ordered fried chicken and chips for lunch/dinner. Bev also treated us to soft ice cream cones. We drove around some more while chicken was being prepared. While picking up chicken Liam asked me to remove paper from his cone but before I could get around to him he dropped his cone on truck floor. I picked it up and threw it in the garbage. A few minutes later he shouted out he needed to go "poo". I went in shop and got Amy to deal with that one. We drove back to Baie Verte and Amy dropped off some fried chicken and chips at a friends house. We also went around to check on Steph, et al at Aunt Teresa's but they had left for Flat Lake Campground where Amy's trailer was parked. We drove out to the campground where we found them getting ready to go kayaking. We sat down and had our lunch of fried chicken and chips. Liam was bouncing all over the place. Steph, et al returned from kayaking and feasted on fried chicken, etc. Amy changed boys into swim suits and they all went to the "beach". I stayed in trailer and updated my journal and did some reading. I got Amy to get their bike pump out as I wanted to check our bicycle tires once we got back home. Eventually the others all returned from the beach. After tidying trailer and locking it up Amy drove us back to Wild Cove. But first Amy had to stop in Baie Verte to get some bread. Bev collected our laundry plus a few odds and ends for Steph and Amy. Earlier I had checked the flat screen TV inputs and noticed that their were two USB ports on the side. Last night, in poor lighting, we had put the thumb drive in the USB port labelled "Service". I tried the port above it but my thumb drive wouldn't fit in it? I copied our (Bev and mine) photos to Amy's laptop and put on a slide show of all the photos we had taken in the Baie Verte region. I collected the laundry, which Bev had placed in the dryer earlier, and brought it up to the living room for folding. It was getting late and I wanted to get up early tomorrow morning so that we could get off to Baie Verte Junction. Did some reading before turning off the lights at 10:30 PM.
Exploit's River Motel, Bishop's Falls, NL
CCCT Part II - Wild Cove
Tuesday, July 16, 2013 - Day 33 (rest day)
Slept poorly. My feet, which were hanging over the end of the bed when I was on my stomach, cramped up several times. I got up at 9:00 AM after Amy left to get Liam (3 years old) tested for pre-school and to get a vaccination for Alex (1 year old). I had toast with peanut butter and marmalade for breakfast. I posted Day 28, 29, 30 and 31 on my blog. AVG took over Notebook to update virus protection. On reboot got a notification from AVG stating that update had failed and Notebook was unprotected. Checked Add/Remove programs and no sign of AVG. Decided to give up on AVG and downloaded/installed MS Essentials. I got all sorts of "SPAM". Managed to get rid of most of it but still stuck with a new tool bar that I really don't like. I had bacon and eggs and toasts and a diet coke for lunch. Amy and kids returned home at 12:30 PM. We went for a ride to Coachman's Cove where we saw a "French Oven" and a shutdown asbestos mine where Amy's relatives worked. We drove to Fleur de Lis and visited Amy's elderly Aunt and Uncle. Stephanie (Amy's sister) and her 2 children, Daniel and Alison, and dog, Cooper, showed up. We then visited Shelley's Island where we took several photos. Finally, we drove back home at 5:30 PM. Amy prepared shrimp, chicken and broccoli pasta Alfredo for dinner. Later we had 3 layer chocolate cake and strawberry shortcake for dessert. I watched TV while Bev, Amy and Stephanie cleaned up. I tried to setup my thumb drive on TV after copying Bev and my photos onto it. No luck. Amy called Mark in Alberta but still we had no luck. I checked e-mail and FB and sent e-mail to Jim Rogers re moose piss on road. Amy put Liam and Alex to bed. Others started watching pay-per-view ($6.99) movie "Jack The Giant Slayer". Said goodnight and went off to bed. I picked out a couple books and did some reading. Off to bed at midnight. Bev joined me at 12:30 AM.
Exploit's River Motel, Bishop's Falls, NL
Slept poorly. My feet, which were hanging over the end of the bed when I was on my stomach, cramped up several times. I got up at 9:00 AM after Amy left to get Liam (3 years old) tested for pre-school and to get a vaccination for Alex (1 year old). I had toast with peanut butter and marmalade for breakfast. I posted Day 28, 29, 30 and 31 on my blog. AVG took over Notebook to update virus protection. On reboot got a notification from AVG stating that update had failed and Notebook was unprotected. Checked Add/Remove programs and no sign of AVG. Decided to give up on AVG and downloaded/installed MS Essentials. I got all sorts of "SPAM". Managed to get rid of most of it but still stuck with a new tool bar that I really don't like. I had bacon and eggs and toasts and a diet coke for lunch. Amy and kids returned home at 12:30 PM. We went for a ride to Coachman's Cove where we saw a "French Oven" and a shutdown asbestos mine where Amy's relatives worked. We drove to Fleur de Lis and visited Amy's elderly Aunt and Uncle. Stephanie (Amy's sister) and her 2 children, Daniel and Alison, and dog, Cooper, showed up. We then visited Shelley's Island where we took several photos. Finally, we drove back home at 5:30 PM. Amy prepared shrimp, chicken and broccoli pasta Alfredo for dinner. Later we had 3 layer chocolate cake and strawberry shortcake for dessert. I watched TV while Bev, Amy and Stephanie cleaned up. I tried to setup my thumb drive on TV after copying Bev and my photos onto it. No luck. Amy called Mark in Alberta but still we had no luck. I checked e-mail and FB and sent e-mail to Jim Rogers re moose piss on road. Amy put Liam and Alex to bed. Others started watching pay-per-view ($6.99) movie "Jack The Giant Slayer". Said goodnight and went off to bed. I picked out a couple books and did some reading. Off to bed at midnight. Bev joined me at 12:30 AM.
Exploit's River Motel, Bishop's Falls, NL
CCCT Part II - Deer Lake to Baie Verte Junction to Wild Cove,NL
Monday, July 15, 2013 - Day 32
We were up at 6:00 AM and had Greek yogurt, banana and a carrot muffin for breakfast. We were ready to leave at 7:45 AM but met a lady from Ann Arbour, Michigan in the parking lot. We stopped and chatted about our trips. she was travelling alone in a VW camper with her mountain bike strapped on the back rack. We left at 7:55 AM. It was a very nice day in spite of being overcast. We had a clean, smooth paved shoulder all the way plus a decent tail wind. We stopped after 43 kms at a service station restaurant and went in for a pastry and W/C break. We stopped on the highway at 11:30 AM for lunch which was a "lunchable" pack. I had salami, cheese, crackers and a mini KitKat bar which turned out to be a bit soft because of the heat. We arrived at the Baie Verte Junction convenience store at 12:30 PM where we were to meet Amy. We went in for a cold drink. Bev asked for iced tea but there was none. I asked for a diet coke and Bev ordered a Ginger Ale. The waitress brought a Pepsi and Mountain Dew. Bev made her go back and get a Diet Coke for me and said she had ordered a Ginger Ale by the Mountain Dew would Do! Bev also asked the waitress if there was another restaurant nearby. She replied "We're the best restaurant!" We cycled to the nearby chip wagon, where there used to be an Irving station, and had an ice cream cone. We met several people there including a young couple from Ottawa and a family that were on their way to Barachois Pond Provincial Park where we had just recently camped for a night. We cycled back to the restaurant and sat outside on a narrow bench for 1/2 an hour just killing time while waiting for Amy to arrive at 5:30 PM. Bev did some reading while I updated my journal. We went inside for a cold drink and met a local who lives in a cabin nearby. He told us all about "iceberg alley" and how they would shoot chunks of ice off the icebergs when he was a youngster. They used the ice in there drinks and would ponder the fact that they were drinking 10,000 year old water. We went outside and waited some more. At 4:45 PM we went back in and ordered dinner. I had the cheese burger platter and diet coke. Bev had soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. Finally, just as we finished eating, Amy, Mark (her husband) and two sons Liam and Alex arrived along with Grandma and Grandpa in a separate car. Mark was flying out of Deer Lake to Fort McMurray, where he works, and Grandma was flying out to New Brunswick to visit family and Grandpa was driving them to the airport in Deer Lake. We loaded our bikes and bags in Amy's pickup truck and set off for Wild Cove. It started spitting out!!! We stopped at the Flat Lake campground, where Amy and Mark have a trailer so Amy could pickup some laundry and perishables. We also stopped for bread on the way home in Baie Verte. We saw several signs of Moose piss on the road. Amy says the moose come out on the road and because of their hooves slipping and sliding on the pavement they get nervous and pee which leaves a big wet stain on the road. Unfortunately we did not see any moose on our ride to Wild Cove where Amy lives. On arrival we unloaded our gear and bikes and placed them in the basement. I got Amy to find the Network Key on her laptop and was able to setup a Wi-Fi connection on my Notebook. We checked our e-mail/Gmail and FB, etc. I changed into my PJs after having a shower. After Amy put the kids to bed we sat around and chatted before going off to bed at 11:00 PM.
Exploit's River Motel, Bishop's Falls, NL
We were up at 6:00 AM and had Greek yogurt, banana and a carrot muffin for breakfast. We were ready to leave at 7:45 AM but met a lady from Ann Arbour, Michigan in the parking lot. We stopped and chatted about our trips. she was travelling alone in a VW camper with her mountain bike strapped on the back rack. We left at 7:55 AM. It was a very nice day in spite of being overcast. We had a clean, smooth paved shoulder all the way plus a decent tail wind. We stopped after 43 kms at a service station restaurant and went in for a pastry and W/C break. We stopped on the highway at 11:30 AM for lunch which was a "lunchable" pack. I had salami, cheese, crackers and a mini KitKat bar which turned out to be a bit soft because of the heat. We arrived at the Baie Verte Junction convenience store at 12:30 PM where we were to meet Amy. We went in for a cold drink. Bev asked for iced tea but there was none. I asked for a diet coke and Bev ordered a Ginger Ale. The waitress brought a Pepsi and Mountain Dew. Bev made her go back and get a Diet Coke for me and said she had ordered a Ginger Ale by the Mountain Dew would Do! Bev also asked the waitress if there was another restaurant nearby. She replied "We're the best restaurant!" We cycled to the nearby chip wagon, where there used to be an Irving station, and had an ice cream cone. We met several people there including a young couple from Ottawa and a family that were on their way to Barachois Pond Provincial Park where we had just recently camped for a night. We cycled back to the restaurant and sat outside on a narrow bench for 1/2 an hour just killing time while waiting for Amy to arrive at 5:30 PM. Bev did some reading while I updated my journal. We went inside for a cold drink and met a local who lives in a cabin nearby. He told us all about "iceberg alley" and how they would shoot chunks of ice off the icebergs when he was a youngster. They used the ice in there drinks and would ponder the fact that they were drinking 10,000 year old water. We went outside and waited some more. At 4:45 PM we went back in and ordered dinner. I had the cheese burger platter and diet coke. Bev had soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. Finally, just as we finished eating, Amy, Mark (her husband) and two sons Liam and Alex arrived along with Grandma and Grandpa in a separate car. Mark was flying out of Deer Lake to Fort McMurray, where he works, and Grandma was flying out to New Brunswick to visit family and Grandpa was driving them to the airport in Deer Lake. We loaded our bikes and bags in Amy's pickup truck and set off for Wild Cove. It started spitting out!!! We stopped at the Flat Lake campground, where Amy and Mark have a trailer so Amy could pickup some laundry and perishables. We also stopped for bread on the way home in Baie Verte. We saw several signs of Moose piss on the road. Amy says the moose come out on the road and because of their hooves slipping and sliding on the pavement they get nervous and pee which leaves a big wet stain on the road. Unfortunately we did not see any moose on our ride to Wild Cove where Amy lives. On arrival we unloaded our gear and bikes and placed them in the basement. I got Amy to find the Network Key on her laptop and was able to setup a Wi-Fi connection on my Notebook. We checked our e-mail/Gmail and FB, etc. I changed into my PJs after having a shower. After Amy put the kids to bed we sat around and chatted before going off to bed at 11:00 PM.
Exploit's River Motel, Bishop's Falls, NL
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
CCCT Part II - Corner Brook to Deer Lake
.Sunday, July 14, 2013 - Day 31
I was up at 7:15 AM, showered and trimmed my beard while Bev had a lie in. It was cereal, a banana, toast with peanut butter and jam and O.J. for breakfast. We packed our bags and loaded them in Marilyn's Toyota RAV4. Max helped me get the bikes out of the "store". We cycled to the TCH from 48 Shamrock (9 kms) where we met Max and Marilyn who were waiting there with our bags. We loaded our bags on our bikes, said our goodbyes, took a couple of photos and set off for Deer Lake at 10:00 AM. We stopped at Marble Mountain, a local ski resort, and went into Tim's to use W/C. We arrived in Deer Lake at 12:30 PM. Other than a few kilometers of roadworks as we were leaving Corner Brook it was smooth sailing on the TCH with a nice paved shoulder and a tail wind to boot. We went into Tim's for our lunch of Chicken Noodle soup, donuts and chocolate milk. There was a VIC nearby so we went in to ask about facilities along the TCH to Baie Verte Junction. We were told there were no camping facilities, just 2 service stations. We checked into the Deer Lake Motel at 2:00 PM at $109 plus taxes. Bev had called ahead to make a reservation and asked for a ground floor room. There were none available but luckily by the time we arrived one had become available. It's always so much easier to unpack and store our bikes if we have access to our room from the parking lot. After unloading our bags and storing our bikes in our room we went over to the Irving station for cold beers, drinks, carrot muffins and Gatorade. We returned to our room and tried the Wi-Fi. It was hopeless. I had to go to the reception and was able to use their PC to check my e-mail and FB. I got some ice to take back to our room and finished my left over Gatorade which tasted so much better once it was chilled. Bev also went to the reception to use the PC there to check her Gmail and FB. I lay down and had a nap while Bev watched TV. I got up at 6:30 PM, showered and we went over to the motel restaurant for dinner. I had fish 'n chips and a diet Pepsi while Bev had a wrap and sweet potato fries. I was charged $1.00 extra for gravy on the side which I really didn't want in the first place. We checked Bev's Gmail and FB at the reception PC before returning to our room. We packed up most of our gear and watched TV 'til 10:00 PM. I set my watch alarm for 6:00 AM in order to get an early start and hopefully avoid the afternoon heat and humidity. The forecast was for a high of 34C. We were off to bed at 10:15 PM. The room was a bit to cool for my liking, than to warm as the A/C cycled ON and OFF! Bev talked to Amy (Marilyn of Orleans daughter) on her cell phone. Amy agreed to pick us up at Baie Verte Junction at 5:30 PM on her way to drop her husband off at the Deer Lake Airport tomorrow.
Chez Amy and Mark Ivany's - Wild Cove, Baie Verte, NL
I was up at 7:15 AM, showered and trimmed my beard while Bev had a lie in. It was cereal, a banana, toast with peanut butter and jam and O.J. for breakfast. We packed our bags and loaded them in Marilyn's Toyota RAV4. Max helped me get the bikes out of the "store". We cycled to the TCH from 48 Shamrock (9 kms) where we met Max and Marilyn who were waiting there with our bags. We loaded our bags on our bikes, said our goodbyes, took a couple of photos and set off for Deer Lake at 10:00 AM. We stopped at Marble Mountain, a local ski resort, and went into Tim's to use W/C. We arrived in Deer Lake at 12:30 PM. Other than a few kilometers of roadworks as we were leaving Corner Brook it was smooth sailing on the TCH with a nice paved shoulder and a tail wind to boot. We went into Tim's for our lunch of Chicken Noodle soup, donuts and chocolate milk. There was a VIC nearby so we went in to ask about facilities along the TCH to Baie Verte Junction. We were told there were no camping facilities, just 2 service stations. We checked into the Deer Lake Motel at 2:00 PM at $109 plus taxes. Bev had called ahead to make a reservation and asked for a ground floor room. There were none available but luckily by the time we arrived one had become available. It's always so much easier to unpack and store our bikes if we have access to our room from the parking lot. After unloading our bags and storing our bikes in our room we went over to the Irving station for cold beers, drinks, carrot muffins and Gatorade. We returned to our room and tried the Wi-Fi. It was hopeless. I had to go to the reception and was able to use their PC to check my e-mail and FB. I got some ice to take back to our room and finished my left over Gatorade which tasted so much better once it was chilled. Bev also went to the reception to use the PC there to check her Gmail and FB. I lay down and had a nap while Bev watched TV. I got up at 6:30 PM, showered and we went over to the motel restaurant for dinner. I had fish 'n chips and a diet Pepsi while Bev had a wrap and sweet potato fries. I was charged $1.00 extra for gravy on the side which I really didn't want in the first place. We checked Bev's Gmail and FB at the reception PC before returning to our room. We packed up most of our gear and watched TV 'til 10:00 PM. I set my watch alarm for 6:00 AM in order to get an early start and hopefully avoid the afternoon heat and humidity. The forecast was for a high of 34C. We were off to bed at 10:15 PM. The room was a bit to cool for my liking, than to warm as the A/C cycled ON and OFF! Bev talked to Amy (Marilyn of Orleans daughter) on her cell phone. Amy agreed to pick us up at Baie Verte Junction at 5:30 PM on her way to drop her husband off at the Deer Lake Airport tomorrow.
Chez Amy and Mark Ivany's - Wild Cove, Baie Verte, NL
CCCT Part II - Cornerbrook, NL
Thursday-Saturday, July 11, 12, 13, 2013 - Days 28, 29 & 30
Rest Day 1
I was up at 6:45 unable to sleep any longer. Updated my journal and did some reading while waiting for others to get up at 8:00. After breakfast Marilyn took us shopping for groceries at WalMart and Coleman's. Bev also wanted to get a new "spare" tube but we didn't have the size she needed. Bev treated me to a new chain for my Medic Alert tag at WalMart. Marilyn gave us a quick tour of corner Brook. It was very windy and traffic was quite heavy. A bit on the cool side to go walk about so we just rode around in the vehicle. When we got back home we took out the tent and fly sheet and let them flap around in the wind and sun for 10-15 minutes to let them dry out. I posted Day 25 on my blog then lay down for a nap until dinner was ready. Bev prepared a salmon, noodle, mushroom soup casserole. Earlier I had helped Marilyn pick out 2 bottles of wine for the 103 year old lady that she helps look after and a bottle of Italian Merlot for us. I did some reading after dinner and we were off to bed at 11:00.
Rest Day 2
I managed to sleep in until 8:20. I got up and did some reading while waiting for the others to get up. It wasn't long. Marilyn prepared bacon, eggs, toast and juice for breakfast. I sorted through my clean laundry which Bev had done yesterday. Afterwards I went out to the "store" with Max and he helped me find some needle nose pliers so I could replace the chain on my Medic Alert tag. I was able to post Day 26 on my blog. Isn't it wonderful when you have a solid Wi-Fi connection? Mike sent a reply with photo that Pearl took of Bev and I and our bikes as we were preparing to leave Robinsons. I had another piece of "Jesus" cake. Apparently when Bev used to work at WalMart one of the girls brought in a cake that her mother had baked. Someone had put the cake aside and when Bev came in for her break she asked "Where's the "Jesus" cake?" and so it became known as the "Jesus" cake to this day. I went out with Bev and Marilyn to get a tube for Bev, etc. We went into a Sports Equipment shop and asked for a 27 x 1 3/8 tube. both clerks didn't have a clue what we were looking for. I asked for a 700 mm x 32-35 tube and the male clerk went in the back room and came back with the correct Schraeder tube at $5.99 plus taxes. We also bought some fig biscuits and a T-Shirt for me at the Dollar Store. I had to go looking for Marilyn. She was in the Dollar Store. We went over to Tim's for coffee where Bev put another $40 on her Tim card. It was quite cold inside because of the A/C so we drove back home at 4:00 PM. I was able to post Day 27 on my blog. I lay down for a nap but first of all I wanted to lower the blind as it was a sunny bright day. I couldn't get the blind to lower and neither could Bev or Marilyn. We had to take it down and with the help of Max were able to get the catch to release. Once the blind was back up I was able to get some "rest". Marilyn had to go to work so Bev prepared fried bologna, etc for dinner. We had a couple small cupcakes for dessert and a Bubble chocolate bar and diet coke. Bev had several calls from Brian, her nephew, who came by later. He lived nearby and he was dropping off one of his kids who was visiting a friend nearby. Bev went out to wait for him, Max disappeared and the Nicky, the dog, started to hyperventilate. I tried my best to ignore him. Did some reading and watched the "Tour de France". Marilyn returned home at 11:00. It was off to bed at 11:30 for me.
Rest Day 3
Once again I was up before everyone else at 8:15. I went online and checked my bank account which still had a healthy balance in spite of the large VISA payment due to all our accommodation expenses. Bev and Max were both up at 8:30 and went back to bed. Marilyn got up at 9:00. I had cheerios, a banana, O.J. and toasts with peanut butter and jam and tea for breakfast. I went out to the "store" and patched Bev's tube. Missed the puncture on the first attempt!!! While looking in my trunk bag for my patch kit I discovered that I didn't have a 2nd spare tube as I had thought. I had used up my spare tube in Robinsons and had been cycling without a spare. I called the Sports Shop where we had bought Bev's spare tube yesterday and they confirmed they had a 700 x 28-35 Presta tube for me. We checked Bev's Gmail and FB re news from Amy in Baie Verte where we planned to visit for a couple days. Marilyn prepared hot dogs for lunch with a cinnamon roll for dessert. We drove to the Sports Shop and got my spare tube. Afterwards we went to WalMart and got a couple snack packs and looked for a better NL map - one that indicated camp grounds. No luck. We walked over to Canadian Tire and found a NL map but camp grounds were not indicated. An elderly gentleman who happened to see us studying the map offered to mark in the camp grounds for us!!! We then walked over to the PC grocery store and got some bananas and grapefruit. Once again I had to go look for Marilyn who was driving around looking for us. She thought we were still at the Canadian Tire. We drove back home at 2:00. Bev called Brian to coordinate a visit. He was at Canadian Tire picking up some supplies. We discussed leaving on Monday instead of Sunday so that Bev could have a proper visit with Brian and family. I agreed and went to lay down for a nap at 2:30. Brian called. Bev came in and asked if I wanted to go for a visit. I chose to continue napping so she went over on her own. I broke my new chain while taking it off over my head. I was able to fix it using my tweezers and a pair of pointy scissors. I finished reading "Dark Horse" by Tami Hoag a real thriller about the sleazy side of horse breeding, etc. Marilyn and Max prepared a delicious dinner of meat loaf, mashed potatoes, carrots, peas and corn. I opened the bottle of Merlot but no one else was drinking wine. Bev preferred to have a beer. Watched TV after dinner while Bev and Marilyn went out to Tims for coffee and tea. Since Bev had been able to visit with Brian plans had changed and we were now leaving Sunday morning. I was off to bed at 10:30.
Chez Amy and Mark Ivany, Wild Cove, Baie Verte, NL
Rest Day 1
I was up at 6:45 unable to sleep any longer. Updated my journal and did some reading while waiting for others to get up at 8:00. After breakfast Marilyn took us shopping for groceries at WalMart and Coleman's. Bev also wanted to get a new "spare" tube but we didn't have the size she needed. Bev treated me to a new chain for my Medic Alert tag at WalMart. Marilyn gave us a quick tour of corner Brook. It was very windy and traffic was quite heavy. A bit on the cool side to go walk about so we just rode around in the vehicle. When we got back home we took out the tent and fly sheet and let them flap around in the wind and sun for 10-15 minutes to let them dry out. I posted Day 25 on my blog then lay down for a nap until dinner was ready. Bev prepared a salmon, noodle, mushroom soup casserole. Earlier I had helped Marilyn pick out 2 bottles of wine for the 103 year old lady that she helps look after and a bottle of Italian Merlot for us. I did some reading after dinner and we were off to bed at 11:00.
Rest Day 2
I managed to sleep in until 8:20. I got up and did some reading while waiting for the others to get up. It wasn't long. Marilyn prepared bacon, eggs, toast and juice for breakfast. I sorted through my clean laundry which Bev had done yesterday. Afterwards I went out to the "store" with Max and he helped me find some needle nose pliers so I could replace the chain on my Medic Alert tag. I was able to post Day 26 on my blog. Isn't it wonderful when you have a solid Wi-Fi connection? Mike sent a reply with photo that Pearl took of Bev and I and our bikes as we were preparing to leave Robinsons. I had another piece of "Jesus" cake. Apparently when Bev used to work at WalMart one of the girls brought in a cake that her mother had baked. Someone had put the cake aside and when Bev came in for her break she asked "Where's the "Jesus" cake?" and so it became known as the "Jesus" cake to this day. I went out with Bev and Marilyn to get a tube for Bev, etc. We went into a Sports Equipment shop and asked for a 27 x 1 3/8 tube. both clerks didn't have a clue what we were looking for. I asked for a 700 mm x 32-35 tube and the male clerk went in the back room and came back with the correct Schraeder tube at $5.99 plus taxes. We also bought some fig biscuits and a T-Shirt for me at the Dollar Store. I had to go looking for Marilyn. She was in the Dollar Store. We went over to Tim's for coffee where Bev put another $40 on her Tim card. It was quite cold inside because of the A/C so we drove back home at 4:00 PM. I was able to post Day 27 on my blog. I lay down for a nap but first of all I wanted to lower the blind as it was a sunny bright day. I couldn't get the blind to lower and neither could Bev or Marilyn. We had to take it down and with the help of Max were able to get the catch to release. Once the blind was back up I was able to get some "rest". Marilyn had to go to work so Bev prepared fried bologna, etc for dinner. We had a couple small cupcakes for dessert and a Bubble chocolate bar and diet coke. Bev had several calls from Brian, her nephew, who came by later. He lived nearby and he was dropping off one of his kids who was visiting a friend nearby. Bev went out to wait for him, Max disappeared and the Nicky, the dog, started to hyperventilate. I tried my best to ignore him. Did some reading and watched the "Tour de France". Marilyn returned home at 11:00. It was off to bed at 11:30 for me.
Rest Day 3
Once again I was up before everyone else at 8:15. I went online and checked my bank account which still had a healthy balance in spite of the large VISA payment due to all our accommodation expenses. Bev and Max were both up at 8:30 and went back to bed. Marilyn got up at 9:00. I had cheerios, a banana, O.J. and toasts with peanut butter and jam and tea for breakfast. I went out to the "store" and patched Bev's tube. Missed the puncture on the first attempt!!! While looking in my trunk bag for my patch kit I discovered that I didn't have a 2nd spare tube as I had thought. I had used up my spare tube in Robinsons and had been cycling without a spare. I called the Sports Shop where we had bought Bev's spare tube yesterday and they confirmed they had a 700 x 28-35 Presta tube for me. We checked Bev's Gmail and FB re news from Amy in Baie Verte where we planned to visit for a couple days. Marilyn prepared hot dogs for lunch with a cinnamon roll for dessert. We drove to the Sports Shop and got my spare tube. Afterwards we went to WalMart and got a couple snack packs and looked for a better NL map - one that indicated camp grounds. No luck. We walked over to Canadian Tire and found a NL map but camp grounds were not indicated. An elderly gentleman who happened to see us studying the map offered to mark in the camp grounds for us!!! We then walked over to the PC grocery store and got some bananas and grapefruit. Once again I had to go look for Marilyn who was driving around looking for us. She thought we were still at the Canadian Tire. We drove back home at 2:00. Bev called Brian to coordinate a visit. He was at Canadian Tire picking up some supplies. We discussed leaving on Monday instead of Sunday so that Bev could have a proper visit with Brian and family. I agreed and went to lay down for a nap at 2:30. Brian called. Bev came in and asked if I wanted to go for a visit. I chose to continue napping so she went over on her own. I broke my new chain while taking it off over my head. I was able to fix it using my tweezers and a pair of pointy scissors. I finished reading "Dark Horse" by Tami Hoag a real thriller about the sleazy side of horse breeding, etc. Marilyn and Max prepared a delicious dinner of meat loaf, mashed potatoes, carrots, peas and corn. I opened the bottle of Merlot but no one else was drinking wine. Bev preferred to have a beer. Watched TV after dinner while Bev and Marilyn went out to Tims for coffee and tea. Since Bev had been able to visit with Brian plans had changed and we were now leaving Sunday morning. I was off to bed at 10:30.
Chez Amy and Mark Ivany, Wild Cove, Baie Verte, NL
Friday, July 12, 2013
CCCT Part II - Barachois Pond Provincial Park to Corner Brook, NL
Wednesday, July 10, 2013 - Day 27
We were awakened at 4:00 AM by some YAHOOS who had returned from a night out on the town with car stereo blasting, car doors slamming, shouting, etc. Someone told them to pipe down and they soon thankfully passed out. I had set my alarm for 7:00 AM but we both didn't hear it go off. I must have had my arm burried inside my sleeping bag. I woke up at 7:30 AM. We quickly went to the W/C and had a breakfast of an orange, a banana and a Danish pastry. the crew came around at 8:15 AM collecting garbage. I asked if they could drive us and our bikes and our gear up to the highway. They said they would be back at 8:50 AM. We quickly finished packing up and were ready and waiting for their return. We loaded our gear in the back of the pickup truck with the garbage and climbed aboard for the trip up the hill. We were ever so thankful that we didn't have to cycle up that hill. One of the crew had been to Orangeville to visit his daughter who is not far from where Bev's son lives in Belwood. we set off for Corner Brook after loading our bags back on our bikes at 9:20 AM. The morning started off quite cool but sunny and calm. It was a difficult ride with hill after hill and no shade. The scenery was mostly pine forest dotted with "ponds" and rivers and surrounded by hills. There were no Convenience Stores or other facilities along the highway but for one called the "Pinchgut Restaurant" about 18 kms from Corner Brook where we stopped at 1:30 PM to get a cold drink, some Pecan Butter Tarts and to use the W/C. When going down a hill, near the St. Teresa turnoff, Bev saw a black bear run across the highway just after I had passed going around 50 kph. I was disappointed at not seeing the bear but relieved I hadn't come into contact with it!!! We arrived in Corner Brook at 2:00 PM. I set my GPS for Marilyn and Max's address which told us to take the 1st exit #4 to route 450 then to turn right at 4 kms on Wheeler Street. A new road had just been built which my GPS maps were not aware of. I missed the left turn for Wheeler Street and went flying down a long hill. Bev, who was following behind me, saw the street and yelled at me to stop. But by this time I was to far away and didn't hear her probably because of the wind noise rushing past my ears. When I got down to the bottom of the hill my GPS told me to "Make a U-Turn when possible". I stopped and waited for Bev to catch up. She had to come down and get me it was such a long hill. Needless to say she was not very pleased and neither was I that we had to go back up the f...ing hill. It was a long slow hot climb. Once we were back at the top my GPS was still confused about which way to go. We went down Wheeler a short ways and it was indicating we should go back to the 450. We stopped and asked a lady who was out for a smoke for directions. She confirmed we had to go back on the 450 and continue on for about another 4 kms to the "Surplus" store where we should turn right, etc. Wouldn't you know it was another f...ing hill. We had to get off and walk several hundred meters due to heat and exhaustion. The GPS re-calculated and finally gave us the right directions. We arrived at M and Ms at 3:00 PM. Max was home and showed us where to park our bikes around the side of the house. We went inside and met Nicky a King George Spaniel who became very agitated and kept on panting for the rest of the evening. Marilyn arrived home from work at 4:00 PM. While I was talking to Max, Bev brought in our bags. after a most refreshing shower I lay down for a nap until 6:30 PM when it was time for dinner. Max had BBQd delicious steaks which we had with baked potatoes, salad, garlic bread and wine. After dinner I was able to connect to the Wi-Fi once I learned the Network Key by going into Control Panel, etc and clicking on the box "show characters". Bev and Marilyn went out to do some shopping while Max was helping his son with an outdoor "bridge" building project. (I later learned that a "Bridge" is Newfie speak for a porch/stairs from the 2nd story of the house.) I was left alone to keep the hyperventilating Nicky company. I updated my journal and sent an e-mail to Mike and Pearl to let them know that we had arrived safely in Corner Brook. I went off to bed at 11:00 PM and did some reading while waiting for Bev to come to bed at midnight.
Chez Marilyn and Max Dyke, Corner Brook, NL
We were awakened at 4:00 AM by some YAHOOS who had returned from a night out on the town with car stereo blasting, car doors slamming, shouting, etc. Someone told them to pipe down and they soon thankfully passed out. I had set my alarm for 7:00 AM but we both didn't hear it go off. I must have had my arm burried inside my sleeping bag. I woke up at 7:30 AM. We quickly went to the W/C and had a breakfast of an orange, a banana and a Danish pastry. the crew came around at 8:15 AM collecting garbage. I asked if they could drive us and our bikes and our gear up to the highway. They said they would be back at 8:50 AM. We quickly finished packing up and were ready and waiting for their return. We loaded our gear in the back of the pickup truck with the garbage and climbed aboard for the trip up the hill. We were ever so thankful that we didn't have to cycle up that hill. One of the crew had been to Orangeville to visit his daughter who is not far from where Bev's son lives in Belwood. we set off for Corner Brook after loading our bags back on our bikes at 9:20 AM. The morning started off quite cool but sunny and calm. It was a difficult ride with hill after hill and no shade. The scenery was mostly pine forest dotted with "ponds" and rivers and surrounded by hills. There were no Convenience Stores or other facilities along the highway but for one called the "Pinchgut Restaurant" about 18 kms from Corner Brook where we stopped at 1:30 PM to get a cold drink, some Pecan Butter Tarts and to use the W/C. When going down a hill, near the St. Teresa turnoff, Bev saw a black bear run across the highway just after I had passed going around 50 kph. I was disappointed at not seeing the bear but relieved I hadn't come into contact with it!!! We arrived in Corner Brook at 2:00 PM. I set my GPS for Marilyn and Max's address which told us to take the 1st exit #4 to route 450 then to turn right at 4 kms on Wheeler Street. A new road had just been built which my GPS maps were not aware of. I missed the left turn for Wheeler Street and went flying down a long hill. Bev, who was following behind me, saw the street and yelled at me to stop. But by this time I was to far away and didn't hear her probably because of the wind noise rushing past my ears. When I got down to the bottom of the hill my GPS told me to "Make a U-Turn when possible". I stopped and waited for Bev to catch up. She had to come down and get me it was such a long hill. Needless to say she was not very pleased and neither was I that we had to go back up the f...ing hill. It was a long slow hot climb. Once we were back at the top my GPS was still confused about which way to go. We went down Wheeler a short ways and it was indicating we should go back to the 450. We stopped and asked a lady who was out for a smoke for directions. She confirmed we had to go back on the 450 and continue on for about another 4 kms to the "Surplus" store where we should turn right, etc. Wouldn't you know it was another f...ing hill. We had to get off and walk several hundred meters due to heat and exhaustion. The GPS re-calculated and finally gave us the right directions. We arrived at M and Ms at 3:00 PM. Max was home and showed us where to park our bikes around the side of the house. We went inside and met Nicky a King George Spaniel who became very agitated and kept on panting for the rest of the evening. Marilyn arrived home from work at 4:00 PM. While I was talking to Max, Bev brought in our bags. after a most refreshing shower I lay down for a nap until 6:30 PM when it was time for dinner. Max had BBQd delicious steaks which we had with baked potatoes, salad, garlic bread and wine. After dinner I was able to connect to the Wi-Fi once I learned the Network Key by going into Control Panel, etc and clicking on the box "show characters". Bev and Marilyn went out to do some shopping while Max was helping his son with an outdoor "bridge" building project. (I later learned that a "Bridge" is Newfie speak for a porch/stairs from the 2nd story of the house.) I was left alone to keep the hyperventilating Nicky company. I updated my journal and sent an e-mail to Mike and Pearl to let them know that we had arrived safely in Corner Brook. I went off to bed at 11:00 PM and did some reading while waiting for Bev to come to bed at midnight.
Chez Marilyn and Max Dyke, Corner Brook, NL
CCCT Part II - Robinsons to Barachois Pond Provincial Park
Tuesday, July 9, 2013 - Day 26
After a good night's sleep we were up at 7:30 AM. Mike and Pearl were already up at 7:00 AM. We had scrambled eggs, toast, peanut butter, jam and decaf coffee for breakfast. Afterwards I helped Mike move the 2x6x8' studs and the 2x6x18' headers/footers while Mike figured out how much he had to cut off each stud before he started putting the walls together. I went in and posted 3 days of my journal on my blog. Bev and Pearl went for a walk. Bev was amazed at the variety of wild flowers and the abundance of Pitcher flowers, the National Flower of NL. We had left over "Moose Soup" and garlic bread and scones for lunch. I checked the tire pressure on our bikes and used Bev's pump to inflate them. While doing my rear tire I managed to bend the Presta valve stem. It started leaking!!! I had to replace my tube. I also adjusted Bev's kickstand. Finally we were all packed, bags loaded on our bikes and ready to leave at 2:30 PM for Barachois Pond Provincial Park where we planned to camp for the night. Pearl took a photo of us and our bikes. Mike gave me a cycling cap that he had gotten when he ran the NY marathon in 2000. We cycled up to the TCH stopping at a local bakery for date squares and bread rolls. There were none. We got some Graham Wafer squares with walnuts and chocolate. They turned out to be very tasty. We had only gone 10 kms when i heard those dreaded words that every cyclists fears "Roly, I've got a flat". Bev's rear tire had flatted. In spite of the heat and being on the TCH we managed to put a new tube in her rear wheel and set off again. We arrived at the Barachois Pond campground after a very bumpy 2 km downhill descent. On arriving at the ranger station Bev declared there was no way she was going to cycle back up that hill in the morning. She would canvas the entire campsite until she found someone with a truck to take us up the hill the the TCH. The ranger said we should come to the gate at 8:00 AM and one of the crew would drop us off. We were assigned to #14 site by the "Pond" and once we found it we quickly set up our tent as it was now going on 8:00 PM. We warmed up the tins of spaghetti and meat balls and polished that off with the bread rolls and had lemon pudding for dessert. we walked over to the W/C to brush our teeth after cleaning up. We were both to tired to bother with having a shower. It was now 9:30 PM and getting quite dark. The kids were all in bed and the adults were busy splitting wood for their evening fires. It was off to La-La Land for us at 10:00 PM.
Chez Marilyn and Max Dyke's, Corner Brook, NL
After a good night's sleep we were up at 7:30 AM. Mike and Pearl were already up at 7:00 AM. We had scrambled eggs, toast, peanut butter, jam and decaf coffee for breakfast. Afterwards I helped Mike move the 2x6x8' studs and the 2x6x18' headers/footers while Mike figured out how much he had to cut off each stud before he started putting the walls together. I went in and posted 3 days of my journal on my blog. Bev and Pearl went for a walk. Bev was amazed at the variety of wild flowers and the abundance of Pitcher flowers, the National Flower of NL. We had left over "Moose Soup" and garlic bread and scones for lunch. I checked the tire pressure on our bikes and used Bev's pump to inflate them. While doing my rear tire I managed to bend the Presta valve stem. It started leaking!!! I had to replace my tube. I also adjusted Bev's kickstand. Finally we were all packed, bags loaded on our bikes and ready to leave at 2:30 PM for Barachois Pond Provincial Park where we planned to camp for the night. Pearl took a photo of us and our bikes. Mike gave me a cycling cap that he had gotten when he ran the NY marathon in 2000. We cycled up to the TCH stopping at a local bakery for date squares and bread rolls. There were none. We got some Graham Wafer squares with walnuts and chocolate. They turned out to be very tasty. We had only gone 10 kms when i heard those dreaded words that every cyclists fears "Roly, I've got a flat". Bev's rear tire had flatted. In spite of the heat and being on the TCH we managed to put a new tube in her rear wheel and set off again. We arrived at the Barachois Pond campground after a very bumpy 2 km downhill descent. On arriving at the ranger station Bev declared there was no way she was going to cycle back up that hill in the morning. She would canvas the entire campsite until she found someone with a truck to take us up the hill the the TCH. The ranger said we should come to the gate at 8:00 AM and one of the crew would drop us off. We were assigned to #14 site by the "Pond" and once we found it we quickly set up our tent as it was now going on 8:00 PM. We warmed up the tins of spaghetti and meat balls and polished that off with the bread rolls and had lemon pudding for dessert. we walked over to the W/C to brush our teeth after cleaning up. We were both to tired to bother with having a shower. It was now 9:30 PM and getting quite dark. The kids were all in bed and the adults were busy splitting wood for their evening fires. It was off to La-La Land for us at 10:00 PM.
Chez Marilyn and Max Dyke's, Corner Brook, NL
CCCT Part II - Doyles to Robinsons, NL
Monday, July 8, 2013 - Day 25
We were up at 6:15 AM and after a quick breakfast of oatmeal, 1/2 a banana and chocolate milk we were off to Robinsons. The tent fly sheet was still damp from the morning dew when we packed up. We left at 7:45 on a day that promised to be sunny but cool with no wind at all. we made good time for the first 50 kms or so then we ran into a strong head wind for the last 20 kms. We arrived at the Irving station just before the turnoff to the 404 that would take us to Robinsons. We stopped for lunch and both had a grilled cheese sandwich (mine with bacon) and a diet coke. We arrived at Mike and Pearl's home at 1:30 PM after stopping at the Credit Union so Bev could get some cash. Mike was busy working on the sun room he is attaching to their "mini home". we unloaded our bags and put our bikes in the back shed. I helped Mike shift soffit and vinyl siding material, that he had removed from the side of the house, to the old cottage. Bev and Pearl set off for a walk. Mike stopped to talk to a neighbour about getting a window made for the sun room. We walked down to the "beach" which was all rocks and boulders. The tide was out otherwise, according to Mike, we would have seen salmon jumping about. There was no sign of the girls. Mike was having problems with his foot that he had broken while out jogging several weeks ago. we sat at a picnic table and chatted while Mike rested his foot before returning to the house. Pearl had prepared "Moose Soup" for dinner. We had tea and scones with Partridge Berry & Raspberry jams earlier. There was still some left over for dessert. after dinner I connected to Mike's Wi-Fi and we were able to check our e-mail and FB. Mike insisted we all go out to the store for groceries and ice cream. Bev treated us and we also got some tins of spaghetti and meat balls for tomorrow's dinner. After a quick tour we were back home and soon off to bed at 10:30. Mike promised to put me to work helping him with the 6 x 2 x 8 studs for framing the walls for the sun room.
Chez Marilyn and Max Dyke's, Corner Brook, NL
We were up at 6:15 AM and after a quick breakfast of oatmeal, 1/2 a banana and chocolate milk we were off to Robinsons. The tent fly sheet was still damp from the morning dew when we packed up. We left at 7:45 on a day that promised to be sunny but cool with no wind at all. we made good time for the first 50 kms or so then we ran into a strong head wind for the last 20 kms. We arrived at the Irving station just before the turnoff to the 404 that would take us to Robinsons. We stopped for lunch and both had a grilled cheese sandwich (mine with bacon) and a diet coke. We arrived at Mike and Pearl's home at 1:30 PM after stopping at the Credit Union so Bev could get some cash. Mike was busy working on the sun room he is attaching to their "mini home". we unloaded our bags and put our bikes in the back shed. I helped Mike shift soffit and vinyl siding material, that he had removed from the side of the house, to the old cottage. Bev and Pearl set off for a walk. Mike stopped to talk to a neighbour about getting a window made for the sun room. We walked down to the "beach" which was all rocks and boulders. The tide was out otherwise, according to Mike, we would have seen salmon jumping about. There was no sign of the girls. Mike was having problems with his foot that he had broken while out jogging several weeks ago. we sat at a picnic table and chatted while Mike rested his foot before returning to the house. Pearl had prepared "Moose Soup" for dinner. We had tea and scones with Partridge Berry & Raspberry jams earlier. There was still some left over for dessert. after dinner I connected to Mike's Wi-Fi and we were able to check our e-mail and FB. Mike insisted we all go out to the store for groceries and ice cream. Bev treated us and we also got some tins of spaghetti and meat balls for tomorrow's dinner. After a quick tour we were back home and soon off to bed at 10:30. Mike promised to put me to work helping him with the 6 x 2 x 8 studs for framing the walls for the sun room.
Chez Marilyn and Max Dyke's, Corner Brook, NL
Thursday, July 11, 2013
CCCT Part II - Port aux Basques to Doyles, NL
Sunday, July 7, 2013 - Day 24
We arrived in Port aux Basques, NL, at 5:30 AM NL time. I reset both Bev's and my watches to NL time. We lined up at the snack bar on deck 9 for O.J. and a muffin for breakfast. There was also coffee and tea available but we passed on that. After packing away my sleeping bag I went into the Men's washroom to change into my cycling gear. There was such a line up for the elevator that we decided to take the stairs down to the 3rd deck where we had left our bicycles. The stairs were also quite crowded but at least we were moving. We waited for an hour or so while the ship tied up and the vehicles at the front disembarked before we got to proceed. We stopped a couple times to take photos of our arrival in our last province before going up the highway about a kilometer where we stopped at a gas station for water. Bev walked over to the Tim's next door to get a couple ham and cheese sandwiches for our lunch. I took a few more photos while waiting for her to return. The TCH was well paved with a clean meter wide paved shoulder which made cycling along the highway much more comfortable than we had expected. Once the ferry traffic cleared it was relatively quiet and smooth sailing. It was only 40 kms to Doyles with a few hills on the way and thankfully a nice calm sunny morning. It was the first time we had managed to get started before 7:30 AM!!! We stopped at doyles' Corner Store and asked for directions to the Grand Codroy RV Campsite. We arrived at 9:30 AM and went into the gift shop to enquire about campsite. It was $25 for our little tent and 2 adults ($28 if we wanted an electrical hookup) and free Wi-Fi. We met the person driving the support RV for the double leg amputee who was cycling across Canada to raise money for service dogs. ? had set off just before we arrived and would cycle 120 kms that day. We were so impressed with the size of his "land yacht" support vehicle that we regretfully didn't make a note of his name. I had chosen a site with electrical hookup so I could plug in my GPS to charge it up and also to use my Notebook just in case there was a decent Wi-Fi signal. Unfortunately there was no shade to be had at the designated sites so we set out tent up in the bright sunshine and walked back a short distance to the "office" to pay. We ate our sandwiches at 10:30 AM and washed them down with bottled water. I hadn't gotten much sleep on the ferry so lay down for a nap at 11:00. I got up at 13:15 PM. There was a nice breeze blowing which helped to keep us cool as long as we went over by the washrooms/showers where there was some shade. We just had to keep moving the damn picnic table. When Bev tried to plug in her cell phone to charge it she found out the socket was only good for a large RV/trailer type plug. I was able to get an adapter at the "office" for a deposit of $10 and plugged my GPS in to charge it up. Later on I checked the Wi-Fi and was able to get a connection but it was quite slow. Bev posted a note on Face Book re our arrival at Doyles campground. There was nothing to be had in the way of drinks or groceries at the park so we cycled to the corner store and got an ice cream and supplies for tomorrow's ride. Bev went across the highway to the Pharmacy to see if she could get another book to read. I waited patiently by the bikes. We cycled back to our campsite and had a cold beer before going for a shower. Meanwhile a convoy of about 20 land yachts began arriving. They were a group that had come to NL to get "Screeched IN". It seems they all got on the Internet at the same time as when I tried to update my blog the signal was so poor I gave up in frustration. We prepared KD with maple flavoured baked beans and chopped up cocktail sausages. After cleaning up we went for a walk around the park and returned the adapter in order to get my deposit back. The black flies and mosquitoes were to much to deal with so we quickly got into our tent and called it a night. We wanted to get an early start the following day in order to cycle all the way to Robinsons. So we were off to sleep at 9:00 PM.
Chez Marilyn and Max Dyke's, Corner Brook, NL
We arrived in Port aux Basques, NL, at 5:30 AM NL time. I reset both Bev's and my watches to NL time. We lined up at the snack bar on deck 9 for O.J. and a muffin for breakfast. There was also coffee and tea available but we passed on that. After packing away my sleeping bag I went into the Men's washroom to change into my cycling gear. There was such a line up for the elevator that we decided to take the stairs down to the 3rd deck where we had left our bicycles. The stairs were also quite crowded but at least we were moving. We waited for an hour or so while the ship tied up and the vehicles at the front disembarked before we got to proceed. We stopped a couple times to take photos of our arrival in our last province before going up the highway about a kilometer where we stopped at a gas station for water. Bev walked over to the Tim's next door to get a couple ham and cheese sandwiches for our lunch. I took a few more photos while waiting for her to return. The TCH was well paved with a clean meter wide paved shoulder which made cycling along the highway much more comfortable than we had expected. Once the ferry traffic cleared it was relatively quiet and smooth sailing. It was only 40 kms to Doyles with a few hills on the way and thankfully a nice calm sunny morning. It was the first time we had managed to get started before 7:30 AM!!! We stopped at doyles' Corner Store and asked for directions to the Grand Codroy RV Campsite. We arrived at 9:30 AM and went into the gift shop to enquire about campsite. It was $25 for our little tent and 2 adults ($28 if we wanted an electrical hookup) and free Wi-Fi. We met the person driving the support RV for the double leg amputee who was cycling across Canada to raise money for service dogs. ? had set off just before we arrived and would cycle 120 kms that day. We were so impressed with the size of his "land yacht" support vehicle that we regretfully didn't make a note of his name. I had chosen a site with electrical hookup so I could plug in my GPS to charge it up and also to use my Notebook just in case there was a decent Wi-Fi signal. Unfortunately there was no shade to be had at the designated sites so we set out tent up in the bright sunshine and walked back a short distance to the "office" to pay. We ate our sandwiches at 10:30 AM and washed them down with bottled water. I hadn't gotten much sleep on the ferry so lay down for a nap at 11:00. I got up at 13:15 PM. There was a nice breeze blowing which helped to keep us cool as long as we went over by the washrooms/showers where there was some shade. We just had to keep moving the damn picnic table. When Bev tried to plug in her cell phone to charge it she found out the socket was only good for a large RV/trailer type plug. I was able to get an adapter at the "office" for a deposit of $10 and plugged my GPS in to charge it up. Later on I checked the Wi-Fi and was able to get a connection but it was quite slow. Bev posted a note on Face Book re our arrival at Doyles campground. There was nothing to be had in the way of drinks or groceries at the park so we cycled to the corner store and got an ice cream and supplies for tomorrow's ride. Bev went across the highway to the Pharmacy to see if she could get another book to read. I waited patiently by the bikes. We cycled back to our campsite and had a cold beer before going for a shower. Meanwhile a convoy of about 20 land yachts began arriving. They were a group that had come to NL to get "Screeched IN". It seems they all got on the Internet at the same time as when I tried to update my blog the signal was so poor I gave up in frustration. We prepared KD with maple flavoured baked beans and chopped up cocktail sausages. After cleaning up we went for a walk around the park and returned the adapter in order to get my deposit back. The black flies and mosquitoes were to much to deal with so we quickly got into our tent and called it a night. We wanted to get an early start the following day in order to cycle all the way to Robinsons. So we were off to sleep at 9:00 PM.
Chez Marilyn and Max Dyke's, Corner Brook, NL
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
CCCT Part II - Iona to North Sydney, NS
Saturday, July 6, 2013 - Day 23
We were up at 6:30 AM after a good night's sleep. Bev went to the restaurant to get sandwiches and bread for our breakfast. When she returned we had peanut butter, jam (for me) and banana sandwiches and chocolate milk for our breakfast. We finished packing and loaded our bags on our bikes. We were ready to leave at 7:30 AM but first of all I wanted to get an itemized receipt of our motel expenses. Eventually we located the manager but had to wait awhile while she booted up her laptop. Then she couldn't get the printer to work. In the end we gave up and asked her to e-mail the bill to me. We set off for N. Sydney at 7:50 AM. It was a very nice ride with a few hills and very little traffic. We stopped at Beaver Cove at a Convenience Store and got a cold drink and butter tarts. The next 10 kms were quite flat and before we knew what hit us we were climbing the Barrachois Hill. Of course it was much hotter by now and we were sweating buckets by the time we made it to the top. We both had to stop several times to catch our breath hydrate. we had planned to go to a Hostel in N. Sydney to do our laundry and get some rest before having to go to the ferry terminal at 8:00 PM. We had been told by Andre back in Riviere du Loup that there was a Hostel in N. Sydney but when I checked the Hostel map there was none to be found. I then looked for a laundromat on my GPS and the nearest one was 4.6 kms away. We arrived at the laundromat at 11:45 AM, sorted our laundry and used the washroom to change out of our sweaty cycling clothes. Bev walked over to a nearby convenience store and came back with cold drinks while I minded the laundry and tried to cool off. We ate our ham and cheese sandwiches which the motel restaurant had prepared for us while waiting for our laundry to dry. We finished folding and sorting our laundry at 2:00 PM and cycled down to the dock where we were able to get ice cream cones and sit in the shade. It was still to early to go to the ferry terminal so Bev decided to go get some groceries for tomorrow's ride from Port aux Basques to the campground in Doyles, NL. Rather than cycle there she decided to go by taxi. The girls in the ice cream shop were very helpful and called the taxi company to come and pick her up. I waited in the shade and did some reading. Eventually Bev returned and after sitting around for another hour or so we decided to go for dinner. We had planned to eat at the restaurant at the waterfront but once the evening manager arrived he was so rude when he asked us to move as he wanted to place a slop bucket where we were sitting. Instead we decided to walk back up to the main street where there was a cafe and have our dinner there. It turned out to be a wise decision as the food was excellent and so was the apple pie with two scoops of ice cream. I know ice cream 2 times in one day is a big no-no but we were in a celebratory mood as we were finally taking the ferry to NL. At 7:00 we left the restaurant and walked our bikes along the main street in the direction of the ferry terminal for 15 minutes or so. There was still quite a ways to go to we got on our bikes and cycled the rest of the way. Traffic was backed up along the entrance to the ticket booths but we were able to go around them and get our boarding passes which were waiting for us as Bev had called ahead the night before to book our passage to Port aux Basques. The lady in the ticket booth told us to go to the front of row #4 where we parked and bikes and waited to be told we could go on board the Highlander the ship that would take across to NL. We left our bikes and went into the terminal where we were able to get some information on camping, etc in NL. It was to hot to stay inside so we went up on the deck and sat outside where there was a bit of a breeze and waited for the announcement that it was time to go on board. Finally at 8:30 they were ready to start boarding. The agent let several motorcycles go on board than he let Bev and I go aboard with our bicycles. We parked our bikes at the back of the ship on deck #3 and went up to deck #7. We sat in the bar and had a cold beer. I took some photos before boarding and of the spectacular sunset. We set sail at 10:30 PM for Port aux Basques. We had to go up to deck #9 to find our recliner seats and once we located our seats we settled in for the 7 hour trip across the Cabot Strait. I had trouble putting my seat back. Bev was already snuggled up in her sleeping bag and drifting off to sleep. There were lots of snorers, people chatting, banging doors, bright lights, etc which made it rather difficult to get any sleep. I got up out of my seat pushed on the leaver and gave the back a good shove and finally got it to recline properly. Thank goodness it was a short crossing and a smooth one....
Mike and Pearl Yetman's, Robinsons, NL
We were up at 6:30 AM after a good night's sleep. Bev went to the restaurant to get sandwiches and bread for our breakfast. When she returned we had peanut butter, jam (for me) and banana sandwiches and chocolate milk for our breakfast. We finished packing and loaded our bags on our bikes. We were ready to leave at 7:30 AM but first of all I wanted to get an itemized receipt of our motel expenses. Eventually we located the manager but had to wait awhile while she booted up her laptop. Then she couldn't get the printer to work. In the end we gave up and asked her to e-mail the bill to me. We set off for N. Sydney at 7:50 AM. It was a very nice ride with a few hills and very little traffic. We stopped at Beaver Cove at a Convenience Store and got a cold drink and butter tarts. The next 10 kms were quite flat and before we knew what hit us we were climbing the Barrachois Hill. Of course it was much hotter by now and we were sweating buckets by the time we made it to the top. We both had to stop several times to catch our breath hydrate. we had planned to go to a Hostel in N. Sydney to do our laundry and get some rest before having to go to the ferry terminal at 8:00 PM. We had been told by Andre back in Riviere du Loup that there was a Hostel in N. Sydney but when I checked the Hostel map there was none to be found. I then looked for a laundromat on my GPS and the nearest one was 4.6 kms away. We arrived at the laundromat at 11:45 AM, sorted our laundry and used the washroom to change out of our sweaty cycling clothes. Bev walked over to a nearby convenience store and came back with cold drinks while I minded the laundry and tried to cool off. We ate our ham and cheese sandwiches which the motel restaurant had prepared for us while waiting for our laundry to dry. We finished folding and sorting our laundry at 2:00 PM and cycled down to the dock where we were able to get ice cream cones and sit in the shade. It was still to early to go to the ferry terminal so Bev decided to go get some groceries for tomorrow's ride from Port aux Basques to the campground in Doyles, NL. Rather than cycle there she decided to go by taxi. The girls in the ice cream shop were very helpful and called the taxi company to come and pick her up. I waited in the shade and did some reading. Eventually Bev returned and after sitting around for another hour or so we decided to go for dinner. We had planned to eat at the restaurant at the waterfront but once the evening manager arrived he was so rude when he asked us to move as he wanted to place a slop bucket where we were sitting. Instead we decided to walk back up to the main street where there was a cafe and have our dinner there. It turned out to be a wise decision as the food was excellent and so was the apple pie with two scoops of ice cream. I know ice cream 2 times in one day is a big no-no but we were in a celebratory mood as we were finally taking the ferry to NL. At 7:00 we left the restaurant and walked our bikes along the main street in the direction of the ferry terminal for 15 minutes or so. There was still quite a ways to go to we got on our bikes and cycled the rest of the way. Traffic was backed up along the entrance to the ticket booths but we were able to go around them and get our boarding passes which were waiting for us as Bev had called ahead the night before to book our passage to Port aux Basques. The lady in the ticket booth told us to go to the front of row #4 where we parked and bikes and waited to be told we could go on board the Highlander the ship that would take across to NL. We left our bikes and went into the terminal where we were able to get some information on camping, etc in NL. It was to hot to stay inside so we went up on the deck and sat outside where there was a bit of a breeze and waited for the announcement that it was time to go on board. Finally at 8:30 they were ready to start boarding. The agent let several motorcycles go on board than he let Bev and I go aboard with our bicycles. We parked our bikes at the back of the ship on deck #3 and went up to deck #7. We sat in the bar and had a cold beer. I took some photos before boarding and of the spectacular sunset. We set sail at 10:30 PM for Port aux Basques. We had to go up to deck #9 to find our recliner seats and once we located our seats we settled in for the 7 hour trip across the Cabot Strait. I had trouble putting my seat back. Bev was already snuggled up in her sleeping bag and drifting off to sleep. There were lots of snorers, people chatting, banging doors, bright lights, etc which made it rather difficult to get any sleep. I got up out of my seat pushed on the leaver and gave the back a good shove and finally got it to recline properly. Thank goodness it was a short crossing and a smooth one....
Mike and Pearl Yetman's, Robinsons, NL
CCCT Part II - Port Hastings to Iona, NS
Friday, July 5, 2013 - Day 22
I had set my alarm for 6:30 AM but Bev was already up at 6:15 AM, dressed and off to the Canadian Tire gas station across the highway to get Gatorade and sandwiches for our days journey. I got up and started packing. We went over to the restaurant for breakfast at 7:00 AM. we both had French toast and hot chocolate. We were all packed and ready to leave at 8:00 AM. After a short downhill we started climbing to get to the on ramp for the #105. The climb went on for 3 kms. Needless to say it didn't take long to work up a sweat which lasted all day. It was again very hot and humid with no wind not even a gentle breeze to help cool us down. we had to make frequent stops to keep from over heating. each hill was harder and harder to climb. we stopped at a gas station in Whycocomagh. There were mostly natives and one guy with a 2 foot long ponytail. He was quite impressed that we had cycled across Canada and were on our way to St. Johns, NL. After filling up his truck he came back to shake my hand. We hadn't yet gone 10 kms when I saw a young deer standing at the side of the road. I was still quite a ways from it when I saw a car coming in the opposite direction. Just as the car was passing the deer it ran across the highway and smacked into the back of the car. The deer did a half flip and once it was back on its feet it ran back into the woods. Bev who was behind me saw the car go by with a big dent in its rear fender. If the deer had waited another second he would have been able to cross the highway safely!!! We cycled to the ferry crossing at Little Narrows. There was no charge for cyclists. According to our map we expected to find a VIC nearby after crossing over to L. N. There was only a convenience store where we were able to get a cold drink and information re a motel in Iona that was a further 23 kms down the road!!! We sat outside the C. S. on a park bench and ate our lunch. At the C. S. we had met a young fellow who lived nearby. It turned out he lived about 8 kms from Iona. We stopped for a moment across the highway from a house where we saw a guy cutting the grass in his front yard. It turned out to be Andrew from the C.S. We went over and asked him for some cold water which he was only to glad to give us. We had to wait outside while he went in to fill our bottles as he had a none to friendly German Shepherd dog inside. Andrew also told us that the Legion in Iona, which was a short walk from the Highland Inn where we planned to stay, was having a roast beef dinner that evening. We finally arrived at the Highland Inn at 2:45 PM and managed to get a room at $99 with mini fridge, TV, Wi-Fi and a great view of the bay. After showering I lay down for a nap and later walked to the Legion for dinner. We were there just after 5:00 PM and still ended up with #40 & 41. We had a couple cold beers while waiting for dinner to be served at 6:00 PM. There was roast beef with mashed potatoes, mashed turnips, gravy and cole slaw and water melon and fresh bread and butter all for $11.50 each. There was also a band that was supposed to start playing at 7:00 but it took them quite a while to set up their equipment and then they sat down to eat. Rather than wait another hour or so for them to finish eating we decided to head back to our motel. Back at the motel we went to the shop managed by the motel and got a small tub of ice cream which Bev and I shared when we got back to our room. The shop also sold beer and liquor so it was doing a roaring business as it was Friday night and everyone was stocking up for the weekend. The Wi-Fi was quite good but I was to tired to do any blogging. Watched some TV, sent an e-mail to Mike Yetman re coming by Corner Brook to visit and have a pint or two. Off to bed at 9:30 PM.
Mike and Pearl Yetman's, Robinsons, NL
I had set my alarm for 6:30 AM but Bev was already up at 6:15 AM, dressed and off to the Canadian Tire gas station across the highway to get Gatorade and sandwiches for our days journey. I got up and started packing. We went over to the restaurant for breakfast at 7:00 AM. we both had French toast and hot chocolate. We were all packed and ready to leave at 8:00 AM. After a short downhill we started climbing to get to the on ramp for the #105. The climb went on for 3 kms. Needless to say it didn't take long to work up a sweat which lasted all day. It was again very hot and humid with no wind not even a gentle breeze to help cool us down. we had to make frequent stops to keep from over heating. each hill was harder and harder to climb. we stopped at a gas station in Whycocomagh. There were mostly natives and one guy with a 2 foot long ponytail. He was quite impressed that we had cycled across Canada and were on our way to St. Johns, NL. After filling up his truck he came back to shake my hand. We hadn't yet gone 10 kms when I saw a young deer standing at the side of the road. I was still quite a ways from it when I saw a car coming in the opposite direction. Just as the car was passing the deer it ran across the highway and smacked into the back of the car. The deer did a half flip and once it was back on its feet it ran back into the woods. Bev who was behind me saw the car go by with a big dent in its rear fender. If the deer had waited another second he would have been able to cross the highway safely!!! We cycled to the ferry crossing at Little Narrows. There was no charge for cyclists. According to our map we expected to find a VIC nearby after crossing over to L. N. There was only a convenience store where we were able to get a cold drink and information re a motel in Iona that was a further 23 kms down the road!!! We sat outside the C. S. on a park bench and ate our lunch. At the C. S. we had met a young fellow who lived nearby. It turned out he lived about 8 kms from Iona. We stopped for a moment across the highway from a house where we saw a guy cutting the grass in his front yard. It turned out to be Andrew from the C.S. We went over and asked him for some cold water which he was only to glad to give us. We had to wait outside while he went in to fill our bottles as he had a none to friendly German Shepherd dog inside. Andrew also told us that the Legion in Iona, which was a short walk from the Highland Inn where we planned to stay, was having a roast beef dinner that evening. We finally arrived at the Highland Inn at 2:45 PM and managed to get a room at $99 with mini fridge, TV, Wi-Fi and a great view of the bay. After showering I lay down for a nap and later walked to the Legion for dinner. We were there just after 5:00 PM and still ended up with #40 & 41. We had a couple cold beers while waiting for dinner to be served at 6:00 PM. There was roast beef with mashed potatoes, mashed turnips, gravy and cole slaw and water melon and fresh bread and butter all for $11.50 each. There was also a band that was supposed to start playing at 7:00 but it took them quite a while to set up their equipment and then they sat down to eat. Rather than wait another hour or so for them to finish eating we decided to head back to our motel. Back at the motel we went to the shop managed by the motel and got a small tub of ice cream which Bev and I shared when we got back to our room. The shop also sold beer and liquor so it was doing a roaring business as it was Friday night and everyone was stocking up for the weekend. The Wi-Fi was quite good but I was to tired to do any blogging. Watched some TV, sent an e-mail to Mike Yetman re coming by Corner Brook to visit and have a pint or two. Off to bed at 9:30 PM.
Mike and Pearl Yetman's, Robinsons, NL
CCCT Part II - Antigonish to Port Hastings, NS
Thursday, July 4, 2013 - Day 21
Bev was up and ready to go at 6:00 AM!!! She thought it was already 7:00 AM. She came back to bed. We got up at 7:00 AM and walked over to the Snow Queen restaurant for breakfast. We had a voucher for 2 free breakfasts from the motel. I had scrambled eggs, bacon, home fries and toast (not sliced and well buttered). I made myself a nice egg and bacon sannie. We returned to our room, finished packing, loaded our bags on our bikes and set off for Port Hawkesbury at 8:30 AM. We started off on #4 but had to take the #104 after 3 kms due to a roadblock/detour. There was no way to get through even with our bikes. The #104 had a wide paved shoulder most of the 16 kms we were on it but the traffic and noise pollution was quite heavy. We were able to get back on the #4 at Exit 36A which took us all the way to the CANSO Causeway and the VIC at Port Hastings. We stopped on the #4 several times for butt breaks, snacks, etc. On one occasion an elderly lady who looked like a cartoon character out of the Beverly Hillbillies came hobbling over to us where we were resting in the shade of a big old maple tree. The only thing she was missing was her corn cob pipe and a tobacco pouch hanging out of her shirt pocket. In hind site I should have asked to take her picture. We arrived at the VIC in Port Hastings all sweaty and tired out and ready to pack it in for the day. It was only 1:00 PM but already the temperature was up in the high 20s with the humidex at 36. We were able to get information on motels, restaurants, route, etc. Bev went in the souvenir shop next door and got me a Nova Scotia Puffin pin for $2 and a bottle of water. While she was in the shop I met and had a chat with Billy Joe MacLean the mayor of Port Hawkesbury. He gave me his card. I gave him ours and told him about our Cross Canada Cycling Tour. We cycled to the Hearth Stone Motel which also had a restaurant. A room with king size bed cost $89.95 plus taxes. The grouch at the reception would not budge on the price. We were disappointed to find out there was no mini fridge. It was a large room with a king size bed and a huge 50" flat screen TV. We unloaded our bags and put our bikes in our room. We walked over to the Canadian Tire gas station across the highway and got an ice cream cone and soft drinks. It also had sandwiches and Gatorade which we would pick up in the morning before setting off for N. Sydney. We returned to our room and showered and lay down for a nap at 3:00. We got up at 4:45 and posted Day 20 on blog. we went over to the restaurant for dinner. I had the Seafood Fettuccine Alfredo with a cold beer. Bev had the Quesadilla. It came with a side salad which the waitress insisted she have. She couldn't eat her salad which she hadn't wanted in the first place. After dinner I tried to sit outside but the mosquitoes started bugging me. I went inside, updated my journal and did some reading. We were off to be at 10:00 PM.
Mike and Pearl Yetman's, Robinsons, NL3
Bev was up and ready to go at 6:00 AM!!! She thought it was already 7:00 AM. She came back to bed. We got up at 7:00 AM and walked over to the Snow Queen restaurant for breakfast. We had a voucher for 2 free breakfasts from the motel. I had scrambled eggs, bacon, home fries and toast (not sliced and well buttered). I made myself a nice egg and bacon sannie. We returned to our room, finished packing, loaded our bags on our bikes and set off for Port Hawkesbury at 8:30 AM. We started off on #4 but had to take the #104 after 3 kms due to a roadblock/detour. There was no way to get through even with our bikes. The #104 had a wide paved shoulder most of the 16 kms we were on it but the traffic and noise pollution was quite heavy. We were able to get back on the #4 at Exit 36A which took us all the way to the CANSO Causeway and the VIC at Port Hastings. We stopped on the #4 several times for butt breaks, snacks, etc. On one occasion an elderly lady who looked like a cartoon character out of the Beverly Hillbillies came hobbling over to us where we were resting in the shade of a big old maple tree. The only thing she was missing was her corn cob pipe and a tobacco pouch hanging out of her shirt pocket. In hind site I should have asked to take her picture. We arrived at the VIC in Port Hastings all sweaty and tired out and ready to pack it in for the day. It was only 1:00 PM but already the temperature was up in the high 20s with the humidex at 36. We were able to get information on motels, restaurants, route, etc. Bev went in the souvenir shop next door and got me a Nova Scotia Puffin pin for $2 and a bottle of water. While she was in the shop I met and had a chat with Billy Joe MacLean the mayor of Port Hawkesbury. He gave me his card. I gave him ours and told him about our Cross Canada Cycling Tour. We cycled to the Hearth Stone Motel which also had a restaurant. A room with king size bed cost $89.95 plus taxes. The grouch at the reception would not budge on the price. We were disappointed to find out there was no mini fridge. It was a large room with a king size bed and a huge 50" flat screen TV. We unloaded our bags and put our bikes in our room. We walked over to the Canadian Tire gas station across the highway and got an ice cream cone and soft drinks. It also had sandwiches and Gatorade which we would pick up in the morning before setting off for N. Sydney. We returned to our room and showered and lay down for a nap at 3:00. We got up at 4:45 and posted Day 20 on blog. we went over to the restaurant for dinner. I had the Seafood Fettuccine Alfredo with a cold beer. Bev had the Quesadilla. It came with a side salad which the waitress insisted she have. She couldn't eat her salad which she hadn't wanted in the first place. After dinner I tried to sit outside but the mosquitoes started bugging me. I went inside, updated my journal and did some reading. We were off to be at 10:00 PM.
Mike and Pearl Yetman's, Robinsons, NL3
Thursday, July 4, 2013
CCCT Part II - New Glasgow to Antigonish, NS
Wednesday, July 3, 2013 Day 20
We were up at 7:00 after a very fitful night's sleep due mainly to the heat and the narrow bed. We walked over to the main building for breakfast at 7:30 AM. Only one other couple was there. They were travelling from NL to Fredericton, NB and Etobicoke (?) for a family reunion. We helped ourselves to juice, chocolate milk, cereal (porridge for me) and a banana each. We returned to our room and finished packing our bags and loaded them on our bikes. We set off for Antigonish at 8:25 AM. It was overcast but the weather man on the Weather Channel promised us a "no rain" day with sunshine later in the day. Once we got on Hwy #4 the going was relatively trouble free. The highway was in good shape but without a paved shoulder. Just short hills. After Barney's River we had to get on Hwy #104 at exit 29 and cycle for 6 kms to exit 29A. Fortunately there was a nice paved extra wide shoulder which helped make it reasonably safe. we then continued on #4 to Antigonish. We stopped along the highway for lunch - a turkey and cheese sandwich on an Italian bun which Bev had gotten at Sobey's the day before. We arrived in Antigonish at 1:00 PM and checked in at the Homeward Inn the first motel we came to. It was $84.95 plus taxes for a room with TV, mini fridge, Wi-Fi and plenty of nearby facilities for eating and groceries. After unloading our bags and putting our bikes in our room we went over to McDs for ice cream. Back in our room I checked out the Wi-Fi and sent an e-mail to Mike Yetman a former DFAIT colleague who lives in NL. I got a nasty bite on my back so took a Benadryl and lay down for a nap. bev went for a walk to NEEDS a convenience store and got some Gatorade and chocolate bars. Mike replied. He now lives in Robinsons (not Corner Brook), NL. I sent him a reply re our travel plans. Decided to go out for dinner. We walked over to the Split Crow Bar and Restaurant for dinner and a cold beer. We both had a delicious hot chicken with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and orange cranberry compot. Back in our room I had a diet coke and finished off my Oh Henry chocolate bar while posting Day 19 of my blog. Nothing but repeats of TV so we watched TOR vs DET ball game. Toronto was losing badly so gave up on that and hit the sack at 9:30 PM.
Hearth Stone Inn, Port Hastings, NS
We were up at 7:00 after a very fitful night's sleep due mainly to the heat and the narrow bed. We walked over to the main building for breakfast at 7:30 AM. Only one other couple was there. They were travelling from NL to Fredericton, NB and Etobicoke (?) for a family reunion. We helped ourselves to juice, chocolate milk, cereal (porridge for me) and a banana each. We returned to our room and finished packing our bags and loaded them on our bikes. We set off for Antigonish at 8:25 AM. It was overcast but the weather man on the Weather Channel promised us a "no rain" day with sunshine later in the day. Once we got on Hwy #4 the going was relatively trouble free. The highway was in good shape but without a paved shoulder. Just short hills. After Barney's River we had to get on Hwy #104 at exit 29 and cycle for 6 kms to exit 29A. Fortunately there was a nice paved extra wide shoulder which helped make it reasonably safe. we then continued on #4 to Antigonish. We stopped along the highway for lunch - a turkey and cheese sandwich on an Italian bun which Bev had gotten at Sobey's the day before. We arrived in Antigonish at 1:00 PM and checked in at the Homeward Inn the first motel we came to. It was $84.95 plus taxes for a room with TV, mini fridge, Wi-Fi and plenty of nearby facilities for eating and groceries. After unloading our bags and putting our bikes in our room we went over to McDs for ice cream. Back in our room I checked out the Wi-Fi and sent an e-mail to Mike Yetman a former DFAIT colleague who lives in NL. I got a nasty bite on my back so took a Benadryl and lay down for a nap. bev went for a walk to NEEDS a convenience store and got some Gatorade and chocolate bars. Mike replied. He now lives in Robinsons (not Corner Brook), NL. I sent him a reply re our travel plans. Decided to go out for dinner. We walked over to the Split Crow Bar and Restaurant for dinner and a cold beer. We both had a delicious hot chicken with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and orange cranberry compot. Back in our room I had a diet coke and finished off my Oh Henry chocolate bar while posting Day 19 of my blog. Nothing but repeats of TV so we watched TOR vs DET ball game. Toronto was losing badly so gave up on that and hit the sack at 9:30 PM.
Hearth Stone Inn, Port Hastings, NS
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
CCCT Part II - Brookfield to New Glasgow, NS
Tuesday, July 2, 2013 Day 19
We were up at 7:00 and packed and ready to hit the road by 8:15 after a quick breakfast of Greek yogurt and half a banana. Most of yesterday's clothing, which we had strung out to dry in our motel room, was still damp. We just had to pack it and hope that we would find a laundromat in New Glasgow. My cycling shoes were still soaked as well as my orthopedic inserts. We stopped at a Tim's in Truro, which was just 8 kms up the road. We had oatmeal and chocolate milk for breakfast and muffins to go. We got directions to the Pictou Road which is the old highway #4. It was straight ahead and turned out to be a 2 lane road with a gravel shoulder. Thankfully there was very little traffic and it was fairly smooth with a few exceptions where there were some potholes. Eventually the clouds cleared up and the sun came out which upped the humidity level. It was still fairly cool and when going downhill at 45 kph it felt like 10C. We stopped for a snack of curds and a Granny Smith apple and again for lunch at a roadside convenience store where we were able to sit at a picnic table by a big old apple tree. We shared a smoked meat sub that Bev had prepared the day before. It was much tastier this time around without the pouring rain that we had yesterday while trying to enjoy our lunch. Plus this time I had a diet coke to help wash it down. I checked my GPS and we only had 25 kms to go before arriving in New Glasgow. We stopped at an Irving gas station where there was also a VIC, DQ and Tim's. We were able to get information re motels, laundromat, etc. We missed the turn to go over the bridge. We had only gone 2 or 3 kms when I felt we were going in the wrong direction. I put the address of the Tara Inn in my GPS and after making a U-turn saw a sign that told us we had to turn. There hadn't been a sign coming in the opposite direction??? We arrived at the Tara Inn motel at 3:00 PM and were able to get a room for $85 plus taxes with Wi-Fi and breakfast, etc included. Room 129 was not ready so we were switched to room 130 with the help of the maid who was busy cleaning rooms. We sorted our laundry after unloading our bags and cycled to the laundromat which was located across the street from a Sobey's and the NSLC. After getting the laundry started I elected to keep an eye on it while Bev went shopping for groceries, etc. I did some reading. Bev returned and once our clothes were dry we folded them and returned to the Tara Inn. Bev went across the street to a Pizza place and got some Fish 'n Chips and onion rings for our dinner. It had been recommended to us by the agent at the VIC. She asked for ketchup, vinegar and salt. They gave her 18 packets of ketchup, a small container of vinegar and forgot about the salt. While waiting for Bev to return with dinner I sorted our laundry and hung up our jackets, etc. Bev had gone into the NSLC and gotten two cold beers which were supposed to be a surprise for me. Unfortunately I spoiled the surprise by unloading the grocery bag and putting things away in the fridge. I wanted my beer to remain cold and I didn't know how long it was going to take for Bev to come back with dinner. She returned just as I was about to set up the Wi-Fi connection. It would have to wait!!! After dinner we re-arranged the furniture to make room for our bikes which we brought inside our room. I packed my clothing, updated my journal and posted Day 19 of my blog while Bev watched the Jays vs Tigers. I had to open the motel room door to improve the Wi-Fi signal strength in order to get Day 19 posted. Bev was off to bed at 9:00. I soon joined her at 9:30. Very small, narrow bed.
Homeward Inns of Canada, Antigonish, NS
We were up at 7:00 and packed and ready to hit the road by 8:15 after a quick breakfast of Greek yogurt and half a banana. Most of yesterday's clothing, which we had strung out to dry in our motel room, was still damp. We just had to pack it and hope that we would find a laundromat in New Glasgow. My cycling shoes were still soaked as well as my orthopedic inserts. We stopped at a Tim's in Truro, which was just 8 kms up the road. We had oatmeal and chocolate milk for breakfast and muffins to go. We got directions to the Pictou Road which is the old highway #4. It was straight ahead and turned out to be a 2 lane road with a gravel shoulder. Thankfully there was very little traffic and it was fairly smooth with a few exceptions where there were some potholes. Eventually the clouds cleared up and the sun came out which upped the humidity level. It was still fairly cool and when going downhill at 45 kph it felt like 10C. We stopped for a snack of curds and a Granny Smith apple and again for lunch at a roadside convenience store where we were able to sit at a picnic table by a big old apple tree. We shared a smoked meat sub that Bev had prepared the day before. It was much tastier this time around without the pouring rain that we had yesterday while trying to enjoy our lunch. Plus this time I had a diet coke to help wash it down. I checked my GPS and we only had 25 kms to go before arriving in New Glasgow. We stopped at an Irving gas station where there was also a VIC, DQ and Tim's. We were able to get information re motels, laundromat, etc. We missed the turn to go over the bridge. We had only gone 2 or 3 kms when I felt we were going in the wrong direction. I put the address of the Tara Inn in my GPS and after making a U-turn saw a sign that told us we had to turn. There hadn't been a sign coming in the opposite direction??? We arrived at the Tara Inn motel at 3:00 PM and were able to get a room for $85 plus taxes with Wi-Fi and breakfast, etc included. Room 129 was not ready so we were switched to room 130 with the help of the maid who was busy cleaning rooms. We sorted our laundry after unloading our bags and cycled to the laundromat which was located across the street from a Sobey's and the NSLC. After getting the laundry started I elected to keep an eye on it while Bev went shopping for groceries, etc. I did some reading. Bev returned and once our clothes were dry we folded them and returned to the Tara Inn. Bev went across the street to a Pizza place and got some Fish 'n Chips and onion rings for our dinner. It had been recommended to us by the agent at the VIC. She asked for ketchup, vinegar and salt. They gave her 18 packets of ketchup, a small container of vinegar and forgot about the salt. While waiting for Bev to return with dinner I sorted our laundry and hung up our jackets, etc. Bev had gone into the NSLC and gotten two cold beers which were supposed to be a surprise for me. Unfortunately I spoiled the surprise by unloading the grocery bag and putting things away in the fridge. I wanted my beer to remain cold and I didn't know how long it was going to take for Bev to come back with dinner. She returned just as I was about to set up the Wi-Fi connection. It would have to wait!!! After dinner we re-arranged the furniture to make room for our bikes which we brought inside our room. I packed my clothing, updated my journal and posted Day 19 of my blog while Bev watched the Jays vs Tigers. I had to open the motel room door to improve the Wi-Fi signal strength in order to get Day 19 posted. Bev was off to bed at 9:00. I soon joined her at 9:30. Very small, narrow bed.
Homeward Inns of Canada, Antigonish, NS
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
CCCT Part II - Windsor to Brookfield, NS
Monday, July 1, 2013
We got up at 6:00 AM and went down for breakfast at 6:30. I had 2 yogurts, 2 small muffins and a glass of OJ. I took an apple and an orange for later. We returned to our room and finished packing. We put our bags on our bikes and took them down to the lobby in the elevator. We dressed in our Canada Day jerseys and put Canada flags, that Bev had picked up at a Dollar store before leaving, on the back of our bikes. We got Paul, who was having his early morning coffee outside, to take a picture of us and our bikes. We set off for Brookfield at 7:15 AM. Paul had given us directions but when we got down to the bottom of the hill he had told us to go straight through. But straight through would have put us in some sort of a park!!! We went over to the gas station on the corner and asked for further directions. A lady who was also going in our direction was able to give us more accurate directions. We had to cycle up 4 or 5 hills to get to highway 236. It took us over an hour to cycle the first 8 kms. It was quite warm and humid and very overcast. We stopped in Kennetcook at a gas station for a pit stop. The attendant saw us checking our map and came over to give us directions on how to get to Brookfield. He had a rather interesting accident (oops accent) and was difficult to understand. Nevertheless we thanked him and set off again hoping to reach our motel before it started raining. We stopped in Latties Brook outside the St. John the Baptist Anglican Church for our lunch. It started raining. No lightning so we were able to take shelter under a nearby tree. A lady, cleaning the church, came out to chat with us and offered us sanctuary in the church. She was preparing for her 95 year old aunt's funeral. We put our rain gear on and set off in the pouring rain. No time to take shelter. Besides we had no idea how long the rain would last. We still had about 30 kms to go to get to our motel in Brookfield. The highway was mostly in good shape but without a paved shoulder. Some sections were pretty rough so we had to go slowly coming down the hills in the rain. In spite of having a "dew" rag on my head the rain combined with my sweat was pouring off my forehead and into my eyes. The salt from my sweat was really stinging my eyes so I had to stop and take my "dew" rag off and borrow Bev's helmet cover. She wasn't able to use it because she now had a red flashing light fastened on to the top of her helmet. We finally arrived in Brookfield at 2:00 PM. We stopped at a Tim's and found out we still had a few kms to go before getting to our motel which we had booked before leaving Lawrencetown. It turned out to be about 6 kms from Truro. We paid $75 for a one and half star motel. We had hoped to use the motel dryer to dry off all our wet clothing but it was kaput. We stripped off our wet clothing and hung them up on the furniture, kitchen counter, shower rail, etc. There was no closet space for hanging clothes??? By this time the rain had stopped so I hung my jacket, which was soaked, on the back of a plastic chair and left it outside to dry. When we stepped outside to go to the bar/restaurant for a beer we discovered that it had rained again and everything we had left out to dry was even wetter now. We put them under the eaves and locked up our bikes before going for our cold beers. There was cat and dog hair all over the place. We decided to order a pizza but found out there was no delivery. The manageress offered to send her son to get it for us. The Wi-Fi signal was not strong enough in our room so I gave up and lay down for a nap. At 6:30 I went looking for our pizza. The manageress was on her way to our room with it. We ate in our room and later went to the restaurant with my Notebook so we could check tomorrow's route to New Glasgow. Bev paid $18 for our pizza and a large Pepsi. I paid $8 for 2 Budweisers. Nothing much to watch on TV so I did some reading. Bev off to bed at 9:30. A train came by and blew it's whistle at 9:45. It scared the bejesus out of me. I must have jumped about a foot off the bed.
Gotta get some rest for tomorrow's ride to New Glasgow which promises to be even more hillier.
Tara Inn, New Glasgow, NS
We got up at 6:00 AM and went down for breakfast at 6:30. I had 2 yogurts, 2 small muffins and a glass of OJ. I took an apple and an orange for later. We returned to our room and finished packing. We put our bags on our bikes and took them down to the lobby in the elevator. We dressed in our Canada Day jerseys and put Canada flags, that Bev had picked up at a Dollar store before leaving, on the back of our bikes. We got Paul, who was having his early morning coffee outside, to take a picture of us and our bikes. We set off for Brookfield at 7:15 AM. Paul had given us directions but when we got down to the bottom of the hill he had told us to go straight through. But straight through would have put us in some sort of a park!!! We went over to the gas station on the corner and asked for further directions. A lady who was also going in our direction was able to give us more accurate directions. We had to cycle up 4 or 5 hills to get to highway 236. It took us over an hour to cycle the first 8 kms. It was quite warm and humid and very overcast. We stopped in Kennetcook at a gas station for a pit stop. The attendant saw us checking our map and came over to give us directions on how to get to Brookfield. He had a rather interesting accident (oops accent) and was difficult to understand. Nevertheless we thanked him and set off again hoping to reach our motel before it started raining. We stopped in Latties Brook outside the St. John the Baptist Anglican Church for our lunch. It started raining. No lightning so we were able to take shelter under a nearby tree. A lady, cleaning the church, came out to chat with us and offered us sanctuary in the church. She was preparing for her 95 year old aunt's funeral. We put our rain gear on and set off in the pouring rain. No time to take shelter. Besides we had no idea how long the rain would last. We still had about 30 kms to go to get to our motel in Brookfield. The highway was mostly in good shape but without a paved shoulder. Some sections were pretty rough so we had to go slowly coming down the hills in the rain. In spite of having a "dew" rag on my head the rain combined with my sweat was pouring off my forehead and into my eyes. The salt from my sweat was really stinging my eyes so I had to stop and take my "dew" rag off and borrow Bev's helmet cover. She wasn't able to use it because she now had a red flashing light fastened on to the top of her helmet. We finally arrived in Brookfield at 2:00 PM. We stopped at a Tim's and found out we still had a few kms to go before getting to our motel which we had booked before leaving Lawrencetown. It turned out to be about 6 kms from Truro. We paid $75 for a one and half star motel. We had hoped to use the motel dryer to dry off all our wet clothing but it was kaput. We stripped off our wet clothing and hung them up on the furniture, kitchen counter, shower rail, etc. There was no closet space for hanging clothes??? By this time the rain had stopped so I hung my jacket, which was soaked, on the back of a plastic chair and left it outside to dry. When we stepped outside to go to the bar/restaurant for a beer we discovered that it had rained again and everything we had left out to dry was even wetter now. We put them under the eaves and locked up our bikes before going for our cold beers. There was cat and dog hair all over the place. We decided to order a pizza but found out there was no delivery. The manageress offered to send her son to get it for us. The Wi-Fi signal was not strong enough in our room so I gave up and lay down for a nap. At 6:30 I went looking for our pizza. The manageress was on her way to our room with it. We ate in our room and later went to the restaurant with my Notebook so we could check tomorrow's route to New Glasgow. Bev paid $18 for our pizza and a large Pepsi. I paid $8 for 2 Budweisers. Nothing much to watch on TV so I did some reading. Bev off to bed at 9:30. A train came by and blew it's whistle at 9:45. It scared the bejesus out of me. I must have jumped about a foot off the bed.
Gotta get some rest for tomorrow's ride to New Glasgow which promises to be even more hillier.
Tara Inn, New Glasgow, NS
Sunday, June 30, 2013
CCCT Part II - Lawrencetown, Annapolis Valley to Windsor, NS
Sunday, June 30, 2013
We were up at 7:00 which really pleased Molly who liked to stick to her established routine. We quickly ate breakfast, finished packing our bags and loaded them on our bikes. Bev had, unbeknown to me, gotten them our of the garage and placed them next to the basement door where we could easily load them up. Pat and Almont were up to say goodbye, wish us a safe journey and take some pictures. We left for Windsor, NS, at 8:10 AM. It was cloudy, there was a tailwind, we had smooth pavement but no shoulder. We took a few breaks on the way. Our legs and butts had gotten a bit soft over the last 3 days of rest. We stopped at a gas station in Kingston where I saw a model of a white 1957 Mercedes 190SL sports car just like the one I had bought for $700 in 1967 when I was on posting at the Canadian Embassy in Brussels. I took some photos of it and asked Darcy, the attendant, if the owner would be interested in selling it. He took my contact information and said he would ask and let me know. We stopped at a Tim's in New Minas for lunch and a pit stop. I filled my 2nd water bottle up in the washroom. Once we got to Kentville we left the Annapolis Valley and the going got tougher. We ran into several long climbs where I finally had to use my "Grannie Gears". After Wolfville the highway turned South East and we now had to cope with a strong crosswind and for the last 15 kms we had a strong head wind which really slowed us down. We stopped at a gas station just 2 kms outside of Windsor for a cold drink. We were both really parched by this time. The humidity had really gone up with the appearance of the sun. We passed a motel on the outskirts of Windsor and passed it up hoping to find something in town with more shops, etc around. We stopped in Windsor and asked a couple who were sitting down to a late lunch (3:00 PM) or an early dinner re motels, etc. We were given bad directions and ended up cycling 3 or 4 kms out of town. I finally set my GPS for the Super 8 Motel. We had to make a U-Turn and cycle back into town and a further 1.5 kms before we finally arrived at the Super 8 which was on top of a %&#@ hill. I went in and managed to get a room for $109 plus taxes down from $119. It included breakfast, swimming pool, Wi-Fi, etc. We took our bikes up to our room on the 2nd floor using the elevator one at a time. We arrived at the motel at 4:00 PM and once settled in our room enjoyed a late lunch of ham and cheese on croissant buns. Bev decided to walk down the hill to the Atlantic Superstore and get some groceries for our dinner and tomorrow's lunch. I checked out the Wi-Fi and updated my journal. I also posted a note on FB re today's ride. Bev returned with a Hungry Man Turkey dinner for me and a Swanson Ribs, mashed potatoes, corn and Brownies for dinner which she warmed up in the motel microwave.
Well it's getting late and that's enough blogging for this evening. Time to get some shuteye as we need to get up at 6:00 AM tomorrow if we want to beat the heat and make it to Brookfield, NS, tomorrow.
Super 8 Motel, Windsor, NS
We were up at 7:00 which really pleased Molly who liked to stick to her established routine. We quickly ate breakfast, finished packing our bags and loaded them on our bikes. Bev had, unbeknown to me, gotten them our of the garage and placed them next to the basement door where we could easily load them up. Pat and Almont were up to say goodbye, wish us a safe journey and take some pictures. We left for Windsor, NS, at 8:10 AM. It was cloudy, there was a tailwind, we had smooth pavement but no shoulder. We took a few breaks on the way. Our legs and butts had gotten a bit soft over the last 3 days of rest. We stopped at a gas station in Kingston where I saw a model of a white 1957 Mercedes 190SL sports car just like the one I had bought for $700 in 1967 when I was on posting at the Canadian Embassy in Brussels. I took some photos of it and asked Darcy, the attendant, if the owner would be interested in selling it. He took my contact information and said he would ask and let me know. We stopped at a Tim's in New Minas for lunch and a pit stop. I filled my 2nd water bottle up in the washroom. Once we got to Kentville we left the Annapolis Valley and the going got tougher. We ran into several long climbs where I finally had to use my "Grannie Gears". After Wolfville the highway turned South East and we now had to cope with a strong crosswind and for the last 15 kms we had a strong head wind which really slowed us down. We stopped at a gas station just 2 kms outside of Windsor for a cold drink. We were both really parched by this time. The humidity had really gone up with the appearance of the sun. We passed a motel on the outskirts of Windsor and passed it up hoping to find something in town with more shops, etc around. We stopped in Windsor and asked a couple who were sitting down to a late lunch (3:00 PM) or an early dinner re motels, etc. We were given bad directions and ended up cycling 3 or 4 kms out of town. I finally set my GPS for the Super 8 Motel. We had to make a U-Turn and cycle back into town and a further 1.5 kms before we finally arrived at the Super 8 which was on top of a %&#@ hill. I went in and managed to get a room for $109 plus taxes down from $119. It included breakfast, swimming pool, Wi-Fi, etc. We took our bikes up to our room on the 2nd floor using the elevator one at a time. We arrived at the motel at 4:00 PM and once settled in our room enjoyed a late lunch of ham and cheese on croissant buns. Bev decided to walk down the hill to the Atlantic Superstore and get some groceries for our dinner and tomorrow's lunch. I checked out the Wi-Fi and updated my journal. I also posted a note on FB re today's ride. Bev returned with a Hungry Man Turkey dinner for me and a Swanson Ribs, mashed potatoes, corn and Brownies for dinner which she warmed up in the motel microwave.
Well it's getting late and that's enough blogging for this evening. Time to get some shuteye as we need to get up at 6:00 AM tomorrow if we want to beat the heat and make it to Brookfield, NS, tomorrow.
Super 8 Motel, Windsor, NS
CCCT Part II - Lawrencetown, NS Rest Days
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, June 27-28-29, 2013
Day 1
We had hoped to have a lie in but Molly, the black lab, was on a different schedule and she felt we should be up at 7:30 AM. After breakfast we drove into Middleton with Pat in her 2008 Chrysler van with all the bells and whistles including a rear-view back up camera that beeps when you get to close to any obstruction. We parked in the grocery store/NSLC (Nova Scotia Liquor Control) lot and walked to the General Store. It was a combination gift shop/antique shop/shoe shop/clothing shop/souvenir shop/etc. Bev found a dress that she liked. Apparently she buys a dress in this shop every time she visits Middleton. We then did some banking. Bev at the Credit Union and I did mine at the RBC. While I had been to the "Dollar Store" there was an accident at the main intersection where a new traffic light had recently been installed. Apparently a pedestrian was hit while crossing. There were several police vehicles and an ambulance there and quite a few spectators. It was the highlight of the day for most of them. We continued doing our shopping by purchasing a 6-pack of beer at the NSLC and some groceries at the shop next door. On the way back home we stopped in at the VIC to see if they had a NS pin for me and Bev was able to get a map of NL which we will need later on when we take the ferry over.
Once back at Pat's home we checked out her garden which consisted of a few raised beds containing a variety of plants including some tomato plants one of which had been severely decimated by deer. I also checked out her very large garage - big enough to store a dozen on more sports cars. Of course they would have to be stacked to the ceiling which was quite high. My tummy started to grumble so it was time to go in for lunch. I had a chicken sandwich sandwich, a diet coke and some of Almont's home made Blueberry Grunt. Don't ask me to describe it or how it's made - you'll just have to Google it. Needless to say it was strangely delicious. I checked out airfares from St. John's, NL, to Ottawa compared to cycling to Argentia, taking the ferry across to N. Sydney and renting a U-Haul to transport all our gear home. If we post most of our gear home and just take our bikes on the plane it half the cost of taking the ferry and renting a U-Haul. I also tried to help Pat create a business card using Avery free templates but for some reason it would allow us to create one card and not 10 at a time as I had done for our cards.
Almont BBQ steaks while Pat prepared smoked spare ribs which we had with potato salad and cucumbers and tomatoes. There was a birthday cake with strawberry coulis and fresh whipped cream for dessert.
Day 2
I spent the morning after breakfast cleaning our bicycle chains, derailleurs, etc. There was a pair of coveralls in the garage which I found handy for keeping my clothes from getting messed up. They also helped to keep me warm as it was pissing down rain and quite chilly. Bev did our laundry and helped prepare lunch. I had pea soup and a chicken sandwich and a diet coke. I managed to complete another day of my blog and after lay down for a nap.
Almont and Pat returned from grocery shopping with lobster tails for dinner. But first Almont invited me over to his house, which was just two doors over, to show me his hobby which was all about building model airplanes, making medal displays of former fighter pilots, etc. In the past he has interviewed many decorated fighter pilots and military veterans. He has an extensive military library and memorabilia collection. It was all very impressive.
We had surf and turf for dinner i.e. lobster tail, steak, baked haddock, mashed potatoes, leeks, Brussels sprouts, fried mushrooms and onion for dinner. Dessert was Angel Food cake with strawberry coulis and whipped cream. Yikes!!! All the weight I've burned off since starting to cycle again from Trois Rivieres is starting to pile back on.
Pat asked me if I knew how to setup Netflix. I'm still a bit of a dinosaur when it comes to the latest TV technology. When I asked her what it was she was having a problem with she explained that she wanted to hook up her laptop with WIN8 on it to her HD Flat Screen TV. I Googled it and was able to find a video on Youtube explaining how to do it. The difficult part was figuring out where to find "Devices" in WIN8 so we could change the configuration to "dual monitors". But after an hour or so of messing around with WIN8 we finally found it and Badda-Bing-Badda-Bang we had video and sound. After showing Pat's family cruise photos from last year I was able to show my slide show presentation from my France/England 2009 cycling trip.
Day 3
I finally got up at 8:15 and let Molly out. She had been outside our bedroom door rattling her collar and dog tags since 6:30. I assumed she had to go real bad but all she did was go out on the porch and dance. I guess she wanted me to go out with her and relieve myself!!! Anyway she came back in without doing anything. Bev got up and let her out and she did her business knowing that when she came back in Bev would have some dog food waiting for her. Go figure.
After breakfast, Almont and Pat invited us to go to Wolfville to the Farmer's Market. It was a 75 km drive and it was a very overcast day so we decided to go along if not only to check out the route that we would be cycling tomorrow on her way to Windsor. Since we were on the #1 highway in the Annapolis Valley it was reasonably flat and quite straight most of the way. Once we got to the FM we walked about and checked out all the various stalls offering a variety of farm produce, baked goods, canned goods, meat products, locally produced wines, cheeses and food vendors. Bev bought some croissants for tomorrow's sandwiches and some date squares. I took some photos. We decided to go to Pete's Market for lunch as they served healthier food there. I ended up having a spinach and cheese soup and a spinach and Feta cheese Samosa. All very tasty. We then did some grocery shopping before going next door to check out a bicycle/stove shop. Bev was able to get a new tail light to replace her old one as the lens had fallen off and gotten lost somewhere on the way to St. John. I got a white "Dew" rag for myself. We also saw a really neat bright orange Sugoi jacket with removable sleeves that were held in place by magnets. Never seen anything like it in the Ottawa bike shops. Come on Ottawa - get with the times!!!
When it came time to pay I tried to negotiate a discount. I asked for a bicycle club discount but the cashier refused. I then asked for the "Seniors Cycling Across Canada Discount". It agreed to give us a 10% discount. He then told us a story about a senior cyclist who also asked for a discount. He told him that he would have to chop one of his fingers off to check and see how old he was. Sort of like how you check the rings on a tree trunk to see how old it is. The customer then held up his had with two missing fingers and said "Will this do?". The cashier was dumbfounded. The manager who had overheard everything then said "I guess he stumped you!!!". We all had a good laugh. Bev then treated us all to ice cream in a cup. They were out of cones. On the drive home, Almont began to get drowsy, so I took over and drove the remaining 50 kms home. Bev did some last minute laundry for me and I had a quick nap before we drove into Middleton for dinner at the Pasta Jax & Ribs Restaurant. Bev and I ordered Spaghetti with Italian Sausage and a garden salad. Pat and Almont ordered to daily special a Seafood Crepe which came with mussels. The manager had gone by with an order of Seafood Crepe for another table and there were no mussels on the plate so it was quite a surprise to Pat, who is not a fan of mussels, to find them on her plate. She did try 2 of them and passed the rest to me. It was a very delicious meal in spite of the unexpected mussels.
Once back home I packed my clothing for tomorrow's early morning departure. It was very hot and humid. I also once again tried to help Pat with creating a business card. In the end she found a site online that allowed her to create a business card with graphic, etc and they would print off 250 cards for $12. Of course it was a US company and by the time the taxes and shipping charges were calculated it all came to $26 I think. It was time for dessert so we all had a piece of apple pie before going off to bed at 10:30
Super 8 Motel, Windsor, NS
Day 1
We had hoped to have a lie in but Molly, the black lab, was on a different schedule and she felt we should be up at 7:30 AM. After breakfast we drove into Middleton with Pat in her 2008 Chrysler van with all the bells and whistles including a rear-view back up camera that beeps when you get to close to any obstruction. We parked in the grocery store/NSLC (Nova Scotia Liquor Control) lot and walked to the General Store. It was a combination gift shop/antique shop/shoe shop/clothing shop/souvenir shop/etc. Bev found a dress that she liked. Apparently she buys a dress in this shop every time she visits Middleton. We then did some banking. Bev at the Credit Union and I did mine at the RBC. While I had been to the "Dollar Store" there was an accident at the main intersection where a new traffic light had recently been installed. Apparently a pedestrian was hit while crossing. There were several police vehicles and an ambulance there and quite a few spectators. It was the highlight of the day for most of them. We continued doing our shopping by purchasing a 6-pack of beer at the NSLC and some groceries at the shop next door. On the way back home we stopped in at the VIC to see if they had a NS pin for me and Bev was able to get a map of NL which we will need later on when we take the ferry over.
Once back at Pat's home we checked out her garden which consisted of a few raised beds containing a variety of plants including some tomato plants one of which had been severely decimated by deer. I also checked out her very large garage - big enough to store a dozen on more sports cars. Of course they would have to be stacked to the ceiling which was quite high. My tummy started to grumble so it was time to go in for lunch. I had a chicken sandwich sandwich, a diet coke and some of Almont's home made Blueberry Grunt. Don't ask me to describe it or how it's made - you'll just have to Google it. Needless to say it was strangely delicious. I checked out airfares from St. John's, NL, to Ottawa compared to cycling to Argentia, taking the ferry across to N. Sydney and renting a U-Haul to transport all our gear home. If we post most of our gear home and just take our bikes on the plane it half the cost of taking the ferry and renting a U-Haul. I also tried to help Pat create a business card using Avery free templates but for some reason it would allow us to create one card and not 10 at a time as I had done for our cards.
Almont BBQ steaks while Pat prepared smoked spare ribs which we had with potato salad and cucumbers and tomatoes. There was a birthday cake with strawberry coulis and fresh whipped cream for dessert.
Day 2
I spent the morning after breakfast cleaning our bicycle chains, derailleurs, etc. There was a pair of coveralls in the garage which I found handy for keeping my clothes from getting messed up. They also helped to keep me warm as it was pissing down rain and quite chilly. Bev did our laundry and helped prepare lunch. I had pea soup and a chicken sandwich and a diet coke. I managed to complete another day of my blog and after lay down for a nap.
Almont and Pat returned from grocery shopping with lobster tails for dinner. But first Almont invited me over to his house, which was just two doors over, to show me his hobby which was all about building model airplanes, making medal displays of former fighter pilots, etc. In the past he has interviewed many decorated fighter pilots and military veterans. He has an extensive military library and memorabilia collection. It was all very impressive.
We had surf and turf for dinner i.e. lobster tail, steak, baked haddock, mashed potatoes, leeks, Brussels sprouts, fried mushrooms and onion for dinner. Dessert was Angel Food cake with strawberry coulis and whipped cream. Yikes!!! All the weight I've burned off since starting to cycle again from Trois Rivieres is starting to pile back on.
Pat asked me if I knew how to setup Netflix. I'm still a bit of a dinosaur when it comes to the latest TV technology. When I asked her what it was she was having a problem with she explained that she wanted to hook up her laptop with WIN8 on it to her HD Flat Screen TV. I Googled it and was able to find a video on Youtube explaining how to do it. The difficult part was figuring out where to find "Devices" in WIN8 so we could change the configuration to "dual monitors". But after an hour or so of messing around with WIN8 we finally found it and Badda-Bing-Badda-Bang we had video and sound. After showing Pat's family cruise photos from last year I was able to show my slide show presentation from my France/England 2009 cycling trip.
Day 3
I finally got up at 8:15 and let Molly out. She had been outside our bedroom door rattling her collar and dog tags since 6:30. I assumed she had to go real bad but all she did was go out on the porch and dance. I guess she wanted me to go out with her and relieve myself!!! Anyway she came back in without doing anything. Bev got up and let her out and she did her business knowing that when she came back in Bev would have some dog food waiting for her. Go figure.
After breakfast, Almont and Pat invited us to go to Wolfville to the Farmer's Market. It was a 75 km drive and it was a very overcast day so we decided to go along if not only to check out the route that we would be cycling tomorrow on her way to Windsor. Since we were on the #1 highway in the Annapolis Valley it was reasonably flat and quite straight most of the way. Once we got to the FM we walked about and checked out all the various stalls offering a variety of farm produce, baked goods, canned goods, meat products, locally produced wines, cheeses and food vendors. Bev bought some croissants for tomorrow's sandwiches and some date squares. I took some photos. We decided to go to Pete's Market for lunch as they served healthier food there. I ended up having a spinach and cheese soup and a spinach and Feta cheese Samosa. All very tasty. We then did some grocery shopping before going next door to check out a bicycle/stove shop. Bev was able to get a new tail light to replace her old one as the lens had fallen off and gotten lost somewhere on the way to St. John. I got a white "Dew" rag for myself. We also saw a really neat bright orange Sugoi jacket with removable sleeves that were held in place by magnets. Never seen anything like it in the Ottawa bike shops. Come on Ottawa - get with the times!!!
When it came time to pay I tried to negotiate a discount. I asked for a bicycle club discount but the cashier refused. I then asked for the "Seniors Cycling Across Canada Discount". It agreed to give us a 10% discount. He then told us a story about a senior cyclist who also asked for a discount. He told him that he would have to chop one of his fingers off to check and see how old he was. Sort of like how you check the rings on a tree trunk to see how old it is. The customer then held up his had with two missing fingers and said "Will this do?". The cashier was dumbfounded. The manager who had overheard everything then said "I guess he stumped you!!!". We all had a good laugh. Bev then treated us all to ice cream in a cup. They were out of cones. On the drive home, Almont began to get drowsy, so I took over and drove the remaining 50 kms home. Bev did some last minute laundry for me and I had a quick nap before we drove into Middleton for dinner at the Pasta Jax & Ribs Restaurant. Bev and I ordered Spaghetti with Italian Sausage and a garden salad. Pat and Almont ordered to daily special a Seafood Crepe which came with mussels. The manager had gone by with an order of Seafood Crepe for another table and there were no mussels on the plate so it was quite a surprise to Pat, who is not a fan of mussels, to find them on her plate. She did try 2 of them and passed the rest to me. It was a very delicious meal in spite of the unexpected mussels.
Once back home I packed my clothing for tomorrow's early morning departure. It was very hot and humid. I also once again tried to help Pat with creating a business card. In the end she found a site online that allowed her to create a business card with graphic, etc and they would print off 250 cards for $12. Of course it was a US company and by the time the taxes and shipping charges were calculated it all came to $26 I think. It was time for dessert so we all had a piece of apple pie before going off to bed at 10:30
Super 8 Motel, Windsor, NS
Friday, June 28, 2013
CCCT Part II - St. John, NB to Lawrencetown, NS
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Got up at 7:30 AM. It was raining. We had scones with peanut butter and a banana for breakfast. I left a $5 tip for Billy and note thanking him for the cold beers and suggested he try a different type of battery in the smoke detector alarms i.e. alkaline batteries seem to work best if I remember correctly. We finished packing our bags and loaded them on our bikes. By this time the rain had eased off. I programmed my GPS for the St. John - Digby Ferry Terminal and set off at 9:15 AM. We arrived at the terminal at 9:45. Rain had stopped. We paid $33 each (senior fare) and $10 each for our bikes = total $86. We had a hot chocolate while waiting to go aboard the ferry. several passengers approached us asking about our trip including a 76 year old lady from Pennsylvania travelling to NL in her camper van on her own and a gentleman from Stittsville who recognized my KNBC jersey. At 11:30 AM we went outside to wait for our turn to go aboard the ferry. It was quite windy and a bit chilly. Finally we got the go ahead and walked our bikes onto the ferry up to the very front, parked them and went up to the cafeteria for lunch. We both had crispy chicken with fries for lunch and shared a Danish pastry. We watched a movie "Saving Planet Earth" and a Bay of Fundy documentary and did some reading during the 3 hours it took to cross to Digby. We arrived at 3:00 PM, returned to our bikes and waited for 30 some cars to drive off before we were allowed to proceed with our bikes. Pat, Bev's sister, was there to meet us. We unloaded our panniers into her van and cycled to Lawrencetown stopping at a VIC for highway info. I asked for a NS pin and the person helping us gave me the pin off her lapel. I gave it to Bev as it was her birthday. We also got maps for NS and the Annapolis Valley. We stopped at a German Bakery for pastries and a cold drink. Bev paid $14.++. We had to put up with quite a strong head wind so took turns drafting for the last 30 kms. We arrived at Pat's at 8:15 PM and put our bikes and bags away, showered and sat down to a dinner of spare ribs and BBQ chicken, potato salad, salad and birthday cake with a fresh strawberry sauce and whipped cream. I chatted with Almont, Pat's partner, while Bev and Pat cleaned up and got caught up on the latest family gossip. Eveyone was quite tired to it was off to bed at 11:00 PM.
Springall Residence, Lawrencetown, NS
Got up at 7:30 AM. It was raining. We had scones with peanut butter and a banana for breakfast. I left a $5 tip for Billy and note thanking him for the cold beers and suggested he try a different type of battery in the smoke detector alarms i.e. alkaline batteries seem to work best if I remember correctly. We finished packing our bags and loaded them on our bikes. By this time the rain had eased off. I programmed my GPS for the St. John - Digby Ferry Terminal and set off at 9:15 AM. We arrived at the terminal at 9:45. Rain had stopped. We paid $33 each (senior fare) and $10 each for our bikes = total $86. We had a hot chocolate while waiting to go aboard the ferry. several passengers approached us asking about our trip including a 76 year old lady from Pennsylvania travelling to NL in her camper van on her own and a gentleman from Stittsville who recognized my KNBC jersey. At 11:30 AM we went outside to wait for our turn to go aboard the ferry. It was quite windy and a bit chilly. Finally we got the go ahead and walked our bikes onto the ferry up to the very front, parked them and went up to the cafeteria for lunch. We both had crispy chicken with fries for lunch and shared a Danish pastry. We watched a movie "Saving Planet Earth" and a Bay of Fundy documentary and did some reading during the 3 hours it took to cross to Digby. We arrived at 3:00 PM, returned to our bikes and waited for 30 some cars to drive off before we were allowed to proceed with our bikes. Pat, Bev's sister, was there to meet us. We unloaded our panniers into her van and cycled to Lawrencetown stopping at a VIC for highway info. I asked for a NS pin and the person helping us gave me the pin off her lapel. I gave it to Bev as it was her birthday. We also got maps for NS and the Annapolis Valley. We stopped at a German Bakery for pastries and a cold drink. Bev paid $14.++. We had to put up with quite a strong head wind so took turns drafting for the last 30 kms. We arrived at Pat's at 8:15 PM and put our bikes and bags away, showered and sat down to a dinner of spare ribs and BBQ chicken, potato salad, salad and birthday cake with a fresh strawberry sauce and whipped cream. I chatted with Almont, Pat's partner, while Bev and Pat cleaned up and got caught up on the latest family gossip. Eveyone was quite tired to it was off to bed at 11:00 PM.
Springall Residence, Lawrencetown, NS
Thursday, June 27, 2013
CCCT Part II - Oromocto to St. John, NB
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
We were up at 6:30 AM in view of the long ride to St. John which we had ahead of us. Also, the forecast was calling for a hot and humid day. We went down to the dinning room for breakfast. Again it was a Continental breakfast of juice, yogurt, large muffin and fruit. I took a banana and an apple to go. We had to wait awhile for a baggage cart. Once we got one we loaded our bags on it and took them down to the reception area. We loaded our bags on our bikes which Bev had gotten out of the storage room earlier. We set off for St. John at 8:00 AM. Because of the forecast of thunder storms we decided to take hwy 102 which was the longer way but with more places to seek shelter and drinks. The 7 would have been shorter but did not offer any shelter, etc. We made many, many stops because of the heat and high humidity. Several times we heard thunder booming off in the distance. We stopped twice at homes along the way to ask for cold water. At the first stop the lady had just had a new well dug and the water was still to muddy so she took us across the highway to get water. Marge, who lived across the street, was slightly deaf and well into her 80s was expecting us. She said she had passed us earlier and knew that we would be stopping in for a cold drink. I also had to stop several times because of cramps in my right leg due to the tough hills, high heat, etc. We arrived in St. John at 6:30 PM. We managed to escape the rain and thunder and lightning. I checked my GPS for nearby motels and headed for the closest one which turned out to not exist!!! We stopped at a nearby garage and were able to get direction to motels another 2 kms further down the highway. The first one turned out to be closed due to recent renovation and according to the sign in the office window was scheduled to reopen on June 25th. It was June 25th but there was no sign of anyone. There was another motel across the highway that looked like it had seen better days but by this time we were both exhausted and at $60 the price was right. We had to get Billy to sort out the smoke detector alarm which seem to have a dying battery. When checking in I had asked where we might get a cold beer. Billy said he would be glad to drive us to the nearest beer store. I said we only wanted a couple cold beers and sometime later he returned with two cold ones. Bev went across the highway to get some groceries. we ordered pizza for dinner. Billy couldn't sort out the alarm. I think he was using the wrong kind of batteries. I believe the type of smoke detector required alkaline batteries only. Anyway he put the battery in the alarm in the next door room which we shared a bathroom with. There was no one in the other room. Bev paid for the pizza which finally arrived around 8:00 PM. By this time we were ravenous and quickly devoured the entire pizza. Bev called her sister in Lawrencetown, NS, to let her know that we had arrived in St. John and would be taking the ferry over to Digby tomorrow at noon. Pat called back a short time later and agreed to meet us at the Digby ferry terminal on arrival at 3:00 PM. The plan was for her to take our panniers and that way we could cycle the 80 kms or so to Lawrencetown without the extra weight of our panniers to slow us down. There was no Wi-Fi so we watched TV and did some reading. Bev was off to sleep at 9:30 and I joined her a short time later after updating my journal.
Springall Residence, Lawrencetown, NS
We were up at 6:30 AM in view of the long ride to St. John which we had ahead of us. Also, the forecast was calling for a hot and humid day. We went down to the dinning room for breakfast. Again it was a Continental breakfast of juice, yogurt, large muffin and fruit. I took a banana and an apple to go. We had to wait awhile for a baggage cart. Once we got one we loaded our bags on it and took them down to the reception area. We loaded our bags on our bikes which Bev had gotten out of the storage room earlier. We set off for St. John at 8:00 AM. Because of the forecast of thunder storms we decided to take hwy 102 which was the longer way but with more places to seek shelter and drinks. The 7 would have been shorter but did not offer any shelter, etc. We made many, many stops because of the heat and high humidity. Several times we heard thunder booming off in the distance. We stopped twice at homes along the way to ask for cold water. At the first stop the lady had just had a new well dug and the water was still to muddy so she took us across the highway to get water. Marge, who lived across the street, was slightly deaf and well into her 80s was expecting us. She said she had passed us earlier and knew that we would be stopping in for a cold drink. I also had to stop several times because of cramps in my right leg due to the tough hills, high heat, etc. We arrived in St. John at 6:30 PM. We managed to escape the rain and thunder and lightning. I checked my GPS for nearby motels and headed for the closest one which turned out to not exist!!! We stopped at a nearby garage and were able to get direction to motels another 2 kms further down the highway. The first one turned out to be closed due to recent renovation and according to the sign in the office window was scheduled to reopen on June 25th. It was June 25th but there was no sign of anyone. There was another motel across the highway that looked like it had seen better days but by this time we were both exhausted and at $60 the price was right. We had to get Billy to sort out the smoke detector alarm which seem to have a dying battery. When checking in I had asked where we might get a cold beer. Billy said he would be glad to drive us to the nearest beer store. I said we only wanted a couple cold beers and sometime later he returned with two cold ones. Bev went across the highway to get some groceries. we ordered pizza for dinner. Billy couldn't sort out the alarm. I think he was using the wrong kind of batteries. I believe the type of smoke detector required alkaline batteries only. Anyway he put the battery in the alarm in the next door room which we shared a bathroom with. There was no one in the other room. Bev paid for the pizza which finally arrived around 8:00 PM. By this time we were ravenous and quickly devoured the entire pizza. Bev called her sister in Lawrencetown, NS, to let her know that we had arrived in St. John and would be taking the ferry over to Digby tomorrow at noon. Pat called back a short time later and agreed to meet us at the Digby ferry terminal on arrival at 3:00 PM. The plan was for her to take our panniers and that way we could cycle the 80 kms or so to Lawrencetown without the extra weight of our panniers to slow us down. There was no Wi-Fi so we watched TV and did some reading. Bev was off to sleep at 9:30 and I joined her a short time later after updating my journal.
Springall Residence, Lawrencetown, NS
CCCT Part II - Nackawic to Oromocto, NB
Monday, June 24, 2013
I had a bit of trouble getting off to sleep in spite of having taken 2 Benadryl. It was quite warm in our little tent and perhaps having had to much to eat may have a little to do with my unrest. Eventually I fell asleep and the next thing you know it was 5:30 AM. Two crows had taken a dislike to our tent and were cawing away at each other or at us. We got up at 7:00 AM and packed our things. Breakfast was a muffin and some Greek yogurt. George, the park manager, offered to get us a coffee but not being coffee drinkers as a rule we both declined. We set off for Fredericton at 8:15 AM. It was another tough day with hill after hill. The first one was 6 kms long with a slight downhill in between. We met up with the young couple, Marie and Eric, again still on their way to Fredericton. they had also got caught up in yesterday's rain and had spent the night in Nackawic. Not sure where as they didn't say. we managed to get through Fredericton without incident. By this time it was getting very hot and humid but since it was only 1:30 PM we decided to push on to OROMOCTO which would make tomorrow's ride to St. John that much shorter. We arrived in Oromocto at 3:30 PM after several more stops and went into the VIC to ask about hotels, etc. Only 2 available i.e. Days Inn which was just around the corner or a motel 4.5 kms at the other end of town. We picked the Days Inn as we were quite exhausted and Bev wanted to do a load of laundry at the local laundromat which was nearby. I stayed in the room to check out the Wi-Fi and hopefully get caught up on my blog. It turned out to be painfully slow and unreliable. In any case I had expected to pay around $130 for our room at the Days Inn but managed to get it at $103 plus taxes and it included a Continental breakfast. We loaded our bags on a baggage cart and took them up to our room on the 4th floor. We left our bikes in the alcove at the reception. We sorted our laundry and put it all in one of my large rear panniers. Bev went out to do laundry while I checked out the Wi-Fi, showered and updated my journal. Once Bev returned and had showered we went down to Relishes for dinner and a cold beer. I had a very delicious Texas burger with BBQ sauce, etc. Bev had the Simpleton turkey burger. Very interesting coleslaw and sweet potato fries. Once back in our room we packed our bags for an early morning departure, watched TV and did some reading. Wi-Fi was a total waste of time. Took a Benadryl and was off to bed at 9:30.
Springall Residence, Florenceville, NB
I had a bit of trouble getting off to sleep in spite of having taken 2 Benadryl. It was quite warm in our little tent and perhaps having had to much to eat may have a little to do with my unrest. Eventually I fell asleep and the next thing you know it was 5:30 AM. Two crows had taken a dislike to our tent and were cawing away at each other or at us. We got up at 7:00 AM and packed our things. Breakfast was a muffin and some Greek yogurt. George, the park manager, offered to get us a coffee but not being coffee drinkers as a rule we both declined. We set off for Fredericton at 8:15 AM. It was another tough day with hill after hill. The first one was 6 kms long with a slight downhill in between. We met up with the young couple, Marie and Eric, again still on their way to Fredericton. they had also got caught up in yesterday's rain and had spent the night in Nackawic. Not sure where as they didn't say. we managed to get through Fredericton without incident. By this time it was getting very hot and humid but since it was only 1:30 PM we decided to push on to OROMOCTO which would make tomorrow's ride to St. John that much shorter. We arrived in Oromocto at 3:30 PM after several more stops and went into the VIC to ask about hotels, etc. Only 2 available i.e. Days Inn which was just around the corner or a motel 4.5 kms at the other end of town. We picked the Days Inn as we were quite exhausted and Bev wanted to do a load of laundry at the local laundromat which was nearby. I stayed in the room to check out the Wi-Fi and hopefully get caught up on my blog. It turned out to be painfully slow and unreliable. In any case I had expected to pay around $130 for our room at the Days Inn but managed to get it at $103 plus taxes and it included a Continental breakfast. We loaded our bags on a baggage cart and took them up to our room on the 4th floor. We left our bikes in the alcove at the reception. We sorted our laundry and put it all in one of my large rear panniers. Bev went out to do laundry while I checked out the Wi-Fi, showered and updated my journal. Once Bev returned and had showered we went down to Relishes for dinner and a cold beer. I had a very delicious Texas burger with BBQ sauce, etc. Bev had the Simpleton turkey burger. Very interesting coleslaw and sweet potato fries. Once back in our room we packed our bags for an early morning departure, watched TV and did some reading. Wi-Fi was a total waste of time. Took a Benadryl and was off to bed at 9:30.
Springall Residence, Florenceville, NB
CCCT Part II - Florenceville-Bristol to Nackawic, NB
Sunday, June 23, 2013
First of all I must apologize for the lack of postings of late. As you will learn Wi-Fi was not always available or of very good quality.
We got up at 7:00 AM and went up to the dinning room for our "Free Continental Breakfast". There was cereal, juice, toast, fruit, etc. After breakfast we returned to our room and finished packing and loaded our bags on our bikes. We set off for NACKAWIC at 8:30 AM. We followed hwy 130 to HARTLAND. Because the bridge was under repair we had to take hwy 105 which turned out to be quite hilly and quite rough. We met a young couple who were cycling from Quebec City to St. John's, NL. They were also from Ottawa. we stopped for lunch at 12:00 noon by the hwy at a home where there was some shade. A lady came out to quieten her dog and she offered us a cold drink of water which we gladly accepted. She brought out a jug of cold water which we used to refill our water bottles. We caught up to the young couple who had made a pit stop and passed them and left them far behind. With about another 20 kms to go to NACKAWIC it started raining. We had to stop to put our rain covers on. Eventually we reached the intersection for the ??? It was raining. While we were deciding which way to go a Lady stopped and said we could use her gazebo to get out of the rain. She also told us where to find the Nackawic Motel. We stopped at a gas station for further directions and supplies for dinner, breakfast and lunch. We found the motel but it had a NO VACANCY sign at the office window. By this time we were thoroughly soaked and chilled to the bone. There was nobody around. The motel appeared to be deserted so we both went around the back and pissed on it!!! We noticed that several cars were stopping at a building a couple lots over so we decided to go over and ask for help in finding a place to stay. It turned out to be a Vietnamese Restaurant. We were told that there was a camping site across the river about 9 kms back or an RV camping site a further 1/2 km up the highway. We chose the latter. We wasted no time finding the RV park and as we were about to call the manager he appeared from across the park. He advised us to put our tent up in the "ring toss" area as it was flat and had some nice grass. The rain had stopped so fortunately we were able to set up our tent in the dry. Our location was also next to the reception area where the showers and toilets were located. It would also provide shelter in case a further storm should develop. After setting up our tent we had a snack under the shelter. We shared a "Pumpkin Chip Whoopie" pie and a bag of chips. After freshening up we cycled back to the Vietnamese Restaurant for dinner. I was feeling rather hungry so I ordered 2 spring rolls and the Cantonese Noodles. Bev ordered a combo plate which included chicken fried rice, chicken balls, fried wonton, etc. The restaurant was not licensed so we had to settle for some soft drinks. NO BEER - NO WINE!!! After Quebec it's a bit of a letdown. My dish was huge - I couldn't eat it all!!! We cycled back to camp. Tried to connect to Wi-Fi but without any luck. George, the park manager, even got out his notebook with the Network Key which was a string of 32 or more characters. The flack flies and mosquitoes were gaining on us so we decided to seek shelter in our tent and have an early night i.e. Off to bed 9:00 PM
Springall Residence, Lawrencetown, NS
First of all I must apologize for the lack of postings of late. As you will learn Wi-Fi was not always available or of very good quality.
We got up at 7:00 AM and went up to the dinning room for our "Free Continental Breakfast". There was cereal, juice, toast, fruit, etc. After breakfast we returned to our room and finished packing and loaded our bags on our bikes. We set off for NACKAWIC at 8:30 AM. We followed hwy 130 to HARTLAND. Because the bridge was under repair we had to take hwy 105 which turned out to be quite hilly and quite rough. We met a young couple who were cycling from Quebec City to St. John's, NL. They were also from Ottawa. we stopped for lunch at 12:00 noon by the hwy at a home where there was some shade. A lady came out to quieten her dog and she offered us a cold drink of water which we gladly accepted. She brought out a jug of cold water which we used to refill our water bottles. We caught up to the young couple who had made a pit stop and passed them and left them far behind. With about another 20 kms to go to NACKAWIC it started raining. We had to stop to put our rain covers on. Eventually we reached the intersection for the ??? It was raining. While we were deciding which way to go a Lady stopped and said we could use her gazebo to get out of the rain. She also told us where to find the Nackawic Motel. We stopped at a gas station for further directions and supplies for dinner, breakfast and lunch. We found the motel but it had a NO VACANCY sign at the office window. By this time we were thoroughly soaked and chilled to the bone. There was nobody around. The motel appeared to be deserted so we both went around the back and pissed on it!!! We noticed that several cars were stopping at a building a couple lots over so we decided to go over and ask for help in finding a place to stay. It turned out to be a Vietnamese Restaurant. We were told that there was a camping site across the river about 9 kms back or an RV camping site a further 1/2 km up the highway. We chose the latter. We wasted no time finding the RV park and as we were about to call the manager he appeared from across the park. He advised us to put our tent up in the "ring toss" area as it was flat and had some nice grass. The rain had stopped so fortunately we were able to set up our tent in the dry. Our location was also next to the reception area where the showers and toilets were located. It would also provide shelter in case a further storm should develop. After setting up our tent we had a snack under the shelter. We shared a "Pumpkin Chip Whoopie" pie and a bag of chips. After freshening up we cycled back to the Vietnamese Restaurant for dinner. I was feeling rather hungry so I ordered 2 spring rolls and the Cantonese Noodles. Bev ordered a combo plate which included chicken fried rice, chicken balls, fried wonton, etc. The restaurant was not licensed so we had to settle for some soft drinks. NO BEER - NO WINE!!! After Quebec it's a bit of a letdown. My dish was huge - I couldn't eat it all!!! We cycled back to camp. Tried to connect to Wi-Fi but without any luck. George, the park manager, even got out his notebook with the Network Key which was a string of 32 or more characters. The flack flies and mosquitoes were gaining on us so we decided to seek shelter in our tent and have an early night i.e. Off to bed 9:00 PM
Springall Residence, Lawrencetown, NS
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