Day 59 - Moncton to Cap-Pele NB - 60.5 kms
Day 59 - Progress to Cap-Pele NB - 6,005.2 kms
Getting ready for today's ride With our late night arrival into Moncton, and needing to catch up on the photo gallery from Day 57, the night slipped away far too quickly. After the long day, we were both exhausted and once the photos had been uploaded on a very slow hotel internet, we decided we would complete the blog in the morning and get to bed.
The alarm came too early and we ended up blogging before, during and after the free breakfast in the lobby of the Travelodge. The picture uploads were much faster in the lobby because we were closer to the wifi signal.
The alarm came too early and we ended up blogging before, during and after the free breakfast in the lobby of the Travelodge. The picture uploads were much faster in the lobby because we were closer to the wifi signal.
Navigating the streets of Moncton We had made the decision last night to change our Day 59 destination from Port Elgin to Cap-Pele' so that we could travel along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean (via the Gulf of St. Lawrence) as we rode towards the Confederation Bridge which would take us to PEI on Day 60. This meant that today would be just 60 kms (one third of the distance we rode yesterday) and so we were looking at today as a bit of a "mini rest day". We took full advantage of the 12:00 check-out time and didn't ride away from the hotel until about 12:15PM. We took a scenic route through Moncton which really didn't make a big impression on us. We were only there a short time, but our experience was that the drivers in Moncton seemed particularly impatient with cyclists compared to what we have noticed in most other cities.
Our route to Cap-Pele' took us 35 kms to the town of Shediac located on the coast. We rode through beautiful countryside with forests, farms, old and new houses, cattle, barns, silos.... Cam felt no compulsion to hurry the ride, rather wishing to slow it down. He found himself drawn to look closely at the houses he was riding by trying to take in all of their details while wondering who lived there and what life there was like. He breathed deeply as they rode through the forests wanting to be able to remember the smell of New Brunswick after we are gone, and he noticed that the air began to taste of salt as they moved closer to the ocean. A cycling adventure like this lets you get about as close to our country as you can while you cross it, however, he has found that even seeing it in this way leaves him wishing he could experience it more closely - meeting more people and being able to stop and experience more of the world that was passing by...
He also realized as he was riding along why this blog that he and Ken have so painstakingly maintained is so important. It is great to be able to share our adventure with our family and friends in this way, but it is through these entries that we will be able to remember and to cherish our adventure. They will help us to remember the smell of New Brunswick, the character of Quebec, the characters of Michigan, the challenges of BC, the many friends who supported and cheered us along the way, and so much more.
He also realized as he was riding along why this blog that he and Ken have so painstakingly maintained is so important. It is great to be able to share our adventure with our family and friends in this way, but it is through these entries that we will be able to remember and to cherish our adventure. They will help us to remember the smell of New Brunswick, the character of Quebec, the characters of Michigan, the challenges of BC, the many friends who supported and cheered us along the way, and so much more.
That's a big lobster! At about 2PM, the Gulf of St. Lawrence came into view shortly before we arrived at Shediac causing a rush of excitement and a growing sense of accomplishment. We had ridden from sea to sea!
As we rode into Shediac, we got a further rush of excitement to see the world's largest lobster proudly displayed there...! After the obligatory photos, we had a craving for lobster - or at least seafood - for lunch. Fortunately there are several local establishments featuring seafood on the menu, so we had no trouble satisfying our appetites. In fact, Cam had a double serving, later stopping at McDonald's as we had seen an advertisement for a "McLobster" sandwich and he just had to give it a try. It was quite a treat, but it could have used a little less of the sauce - which is pretty similar to the sauce on the McChicken sandwich...
As we rode into Shediac, we got a further rush of excitement to see the world's largest lobster proudly displayed there...! After the obligatory photos, we had a craving for lobster - or at least seafood - for lunch. Fortunately there are several local establishments featuring seafood on the menu, so we had no trouble satisfying our appetites. In fact, Cam had a double serving, later stopping at McDonald's as we had seen an advertisement for a "McLobster" sandwich and he just had to give it a try. It was quite a treat, but it could have used a little less of the sauce - which is pretty similar to the sauce on the McChicken sandwich...
The Gulf of St. Lawrence After lunch, the road to Cap-Pele' followed the shoreline of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, making for plenty of photo stops. It was also in this stretch that we reached another distance milestone at 6,000 kms!!! We once again stopped to mark the milestone, did a high five, and got back to the business of completing the ride. We arrived in Cap-Pele' at about 5PM and stopped at a visitor information booth to explore our accommodation options and to get some supper recommendations. Unfortunately, our accommodation options were limited to Seely's Sandy Beach Motel. Fortunately there were plenty of rooms available.
L'Aboiteau Beach On our way to supper we rode down to nearby L'Aboiteau Beach! This beach features a beautiful sandy shoreline. According to the posted tide schedule we were there precisely at high tide for today - 7:14 P.M.
We then headed to Fred's Seafood Restaurant for some local seafood, followed by a quick trip to a convenience store for some snacks. This will provide the fuel we need for our late night blogging.
And so, we head to bed on the eve of the last day of our adventure. Tomorrow will be a longer ride at 122 kms and we will need to arrive at Charlottetown by 4PM so that we can get our bikes to a bike shop to be crated for our flights. Therefore, we want to get away from here by 9AM at the latest. This will mean a very early alarm compared to what we have grown used to over the last few weeks.
From the East coast....Good night...!
We then headed to Fred's Seafood Restaurant for some local seafood, followed by a quick trip to a convenience store for some snacks. This will provide the fuel we need for our late night blogging.
And so, we head to bed on the eve of the last day of our adventure. Tomorrow will be a longer ride at 122 kms and we will need to arrive at Charlottetown by 4PM so that we can get our bikes to a bike shop to be crated for our flights. Therefore, we want to get away from here by 9AM at the latest. This will mean a very early alarm compared to what we have grown used to over the last few weeks.
From the East coast....Good night...!
Ride Details:
- Distance: 60.4 kms
- Riding time: 2 hours, 57 minutes
- Average speed: 20.5 kms
- Wind: Negligible
- Temperature: 22 degrees Celcius
- Cumulative: 6,005.2 kms
Tomorrow's Destination: Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island - 122 kms
For more ride details see Strava and for more photos from today's ride see our Photo Gallery.
- Distance: 60.4 kms
- Riding time: 2 hours, 57 minutes
- Average speed: 20.5 kms
- Wind: Negligible
- Temperature: 22 degrees Celcius
- Cumulative: 6,005.2 kms
Tomorrow's Destination: Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island - 122 kms
For more ride details see Strava and for more photos from today's ride see our Photo Gallery.