Back in the USAJul 26, 2009
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We were just thrilled to follow these guys up the hill at...
Moe and Rose do'n the Trail
Cabot Trail has some great vistas
| Friday 7/24 The day started bright and clear. We followed the Trail to the north slope and then south to Cheticamp where it officially ends. Continuing south, we pick up Rt 19 to take us to Mabou and the Glenora distillery. Little did we know the construction crew had torn this road up and left us with 9 miles of riding on gravel – not something either of us do very well. Glenora was “North America’s only single malt distillery” until very recently - last spring I was at Nick’s in Waldorf and saw a single malt from Virginia. It is still Canada’s only SMD [yes, I made that acronym up]. We took the “factory tour” and each got to taste a dram of their “Scotch”. Naw, not for $80 per bottle! Once we were back on the road the clouds piled in and we stopped to suit-up. We arrive at the Canso Causeway and checked in just as the rain started for the night. There we planned for Saturday – do we go to Halifax and then to Yarmouth for the ferry or head to New Brunswick? I googled the ferry [the Cat] and found the summer schedule has only two trips per week to Bar Harbor, ME, neither works for us [Mon or Tue night only]. The rates went up too -$175 per bike & rider. WOW!! Saturday 7/25 Ok, Plan “B” is in effect – ride to Bar Harbor and get there 1 day earlier than the Cat can do it. We take off Saturday morning [yes, you guessed ] in the rain. Myra and Rose look very “grey” from all the road grime they get in the rain. The rain stopped around Truro but the sky is dark and threatening all day. At our lunch stop, we meet a couple from Ireland touring on a Goldwing and heading for the Cabot trail. They speak English but it was surprisingly hard to catch what he was saying – just different enough not to register, an unexpected experience. We overnight in Saint John, NB, just off the Bay of Fundy. As we walk to the downtown dinner district, we pass the harbor and can see the tide marks on the quays – 15-20 feet. Moe has been waiting all trip to have a lobster – tonight is the night! She is in food heaven and I bask in her joy! Sunday 7/26 Prep for the day – get our passports out and in a easy-to-reach place; put the Canadian bucks away and reload with green backs; get out the Nation Park passports books. USA, here we come. Easy ride to the St. Stephen, NB /Calais, ME border crossing but it looks dark with rain so we’re in the suits again. My rain over gloves really fatigue my hands so I’m not thrilled. There is a bigger line than I expected but nothing like crossing on an Interstate where you wait an hour or more. Once “home” we fill the tank with CHEAP GAS - $2.75/gal. We have been paying CA$ 1.08/liter, figure around $4.50/gal after conversion. Next, stop at the St. Croix Island NP just 9 miles down Rt 1 and get our Maine corner stamp for the Iron Butt Ride. Very few folks know about this “park” – the French first created a settlement in North America here. The destination for today is Bar Harbor, ME and the Arcadia NP. It is a nice ride and we get there around 3 PM. Plenty of time to get our stamp then ride into Bar Harbor looking for a motel. What a crowded zoo this town is! We find a place a few miles out of town just a few steps from a restaurant. Oh! Moe is dialed in tight – they have LOBSTER! Ain’t bliss pretty. |
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