Trip Logs
New Brunswick
| Date | Destination | Distance (km) | Total (km) |
| Mon July 9 | Cap-Pelé, NB | 86 | 4673 |
| We woke up this morning at 6:00, but were feeling sluggish so we ended up getting up for real at about 6:30. The bugs were still pretty bad so we packed up quickly and dressed in the shower-rooms, before grabbing breakfast in the campground's restaurant since we had not groceries. While we were there Scott went downstairs and checked out their wine cellar, which he said was very well stocked. I knew I should have taken beverage management as an elective at Guelph. Unfortunately it started to pore with rain as we were getting ready to go, so we hung out in the lobby for a while and Nadia tried to call Housing Services on campus. She couldn't figure out why they were closed until we realized that while it was 8:30 in the morning our time, it was only 7:30 back home. I promise we'll get these time changes right before the end of our trip! Once we did get going I managed to break a spoke again. We should have known it was going to happen since, after all, it was raining. There was no shortage of people stopping to ask if they could help, however. In fact people would still stop even though they saw us wave the guy in front of them on! Hey, it was good to know that help was there if we needed it. You wouldn't see that in Ontario, or at least Southern Ontario, that's for sure. At our first stop we found a grocery store and ate some fresh snacks, grabbed a Globe and Mail, and read up about the trials and tribulations of Stockboy Day. He has definitely been our source of amusement this summer. At our next stop we stocked up on tubes for Bob and our bikes. Nadia is still going strong with only one flat this summer, and I'm thinking of slashing her tire on the last day if she doesn't get one soon! We also picked up some tapes for the road, which were a nice addition to the radios. Rolling through Shediac we saw their big lobster (kind of like the Wawa goose), but failed to get a picture of it. After a late lunch at the grocery store we moved on to Cap-Pelé and our campground. It was like a giant parking lot for campervans and trailers, but at least there were some trees for the bikes. I walked down to the beach after dinner, which had some pretty incredible views. It's definitely since to be on the ocean for the last part of our trip. AB | |||
| Date | Destination | Distance (km) | Total (km) |
| Sun July 8 | Richibucto, NB | 97 | 4587 |
| We slept in for an hour this morning because of the rain, and then got everything that we could get ready taken care of inside the tent before opening the door to the flies. After breaking camp as quickly as possible we regrouped across the road at the gas station for some breakfast. We got going and then I set the fix-the-flat record because of the bugs, and we were off again. Unfortunately when we got to Miramichi (of the lobster wars Miramichi) we found out that everything was closed because it was early on a Sunday. No problem though, because the Tim's was still open. Perfect. I guess people need their caffeine fix on the way to church in the morning, heh heh. Speaking of caffeine, Nadia has converted me into a coffee drinker this trip. Anybody who knows her knows her ability to pack the stuff away. I have my theories to why she's not the tallest girl in the world, but I'll keep those to myself! In the afternoon I seemed to be plagued with flats, and we eventually rotated my tires because the one on the back was getting really worn. Then I almost killed myself because I forgot to close my breaks before starting, and then I had to stop and fix the bulge in one of my tires. Sheesh. No justice, I tell you. :) A little while later Nadia got a cramp, and while she was stretching it out two RCMP cruisers stopped to see if we were all right. Then a little while later two people about our age stopped and chatted with us and gave us some brownies. Turns out that they went to UNB and were friends with Jane Peatfield (Kate from Vancouver's sister). Small world. They also knew some people riding in the Climate Change Caravan. After we were on our way Nadia and I made fun of Scott because he had been worried about accepting brownies from strangers. In the evening we found a motel/campground/hotel/restaurant that we grabbed a spot at and dinner in the restaurant. We didn't feel like finding groceries and I had just had my fourth flat of the day, which we think might be a record! There was a really nice breeze and sunset, but then the wind died and it got cool and - You guessed it! - out came the bugs! Into the tent we went! AB | |||
| Date | Destination | Distance (km) | Total (km) |
| Sat July 7 | Rest Stop Somewhere in NB | 80 | 4490 |
| We were all ready to go this morning when I found out that I had a flat AND a broken spoke. That may have been why I felt so terrible near the end of our ride into Pointe-Verte, although since it was a particularly long day who knows for sure. When we did get going we were flying along towards Bathurst when we were stopped by two women in a blue car for a donation. The drive-by donations are always the most fun, because they come out of nowhere and are totally unexpected. Scott was annoyed with himself for not getting tax receipt info from them, but oh well. For the past couple of days we've been talking about how we're going to get home after we arrive in St. John's. Today was no exception, and we were tossing around tons of different ideas: Flying, taking the train, the bus, renting a car, buying an old beat-up car and selling it when we got home, everything. We were still talking about this when we rolled into the Bathurst Canadian Tire and saw the answer: A combination go-cart riding lawn mower. How cool is that? We also stopped in McDonald's while we were there. Did you know that out east you can order McLobster? Don't worry, we passed. That afternoon we were rolling along and now Scott had the flat tire/broken spoke combo. Unfortunately for him none of his tire patches were holding and after three tubes we were finally able to go again. After grabbing dinner in a restaurant we decided to call it a day and grabbed a spot to sleep in the Rest Area across the road. We tucked ourselves out of the way as to not get caught, but as the evening wore on more and more people rolled in. I guess free camping also exists in New Brunswick. Cool. The flies were unbelievable, and were definitely rivaling parts of Labrador in their intensity. It was unreal. AB | |||
| Date | Destination | Distance (km) | Total (km) |
| Fri July 6 | Pointe-Verte, NB | Rest Day | 4410 |
| We all slept in today, and then were treated to a fantastic breakfast when we did rise. Did I mention that making friends with people whose parents run Bed and Breakfasts is a good thing? :) Part way through the day Mrs. Thibodeau asked what I had been up to, and my answer was something along the lines of, "I was reading for a while, then I slept, then I read, then I slept some more, then I had a shower, then I read, had another nap, then ... ." All and all, we didn't do too much today, except watch a really cool thunderstorm roll through, and just generally hang out. Back to riding tomorrow, AB. | |||
| Date | Destination | Distance (km) | Total (km) |
| Thurs July 5 | Pointe-Verte, NB | 169 | 4410 |
| Oh man, was today ever long. While it wasn't our longest day of the trip, it was close, and it definitely felt like a marathon. Cheers to Scott, however, for pushing us (especially me) through to Shannon's parent's place in Pointe-Verte. We were up and going around 7:00 in the morning, and after being eaten by No-See-Ums (one of the more scientific insect names that I've come across) we grabbed breakfast at the local Petro-Can. It was drizzling all night, and pretty cold, which only carried on into the morning. Luckily though, we found a good place for our first break inside a cool looking covered bridge and got some photos of some fly-fishermen in the river. The weather is perfect for them, if not for us! We eventually finished the Gaspé crossing and made it down to Metapedie in time for a late second breakfast or early lunch, depending on how you looked at it. Outside of the restaurant we met a guy who had moved out east from Toronto, and was very interested in our trip. From there it was across the river to New Brunswick and - Drum Roll Please - WE GOT THE TIME CHANGE RIGHT! There was no "Welcome to New Brunswick" sign, so we took a picture of a regular highway sign and moved on, only to find the "Welcome to New Brunswick" sign 500 m down the road. Oops. As we moved on to Cambellton, we passed by a guy who was mowing a field that looked to be about 8 acres big with a little push-mower. Poor Bastard. After grabbing a break at the Visitors Centre in town and then the local Timmy's, we got riding again only to come face-to-face with the steepest hill of the trip, which was a 13% grade! Nadia and I walked it, but I'm pretty sure that Scott rode the whole thing. The New Brunswick coast was beautifull to ride, but unfortunately we were dealing with a slight head-wind, and it didn't help that Scott wasn't exactly sure how far along the Thibodeau's place was. "Hey this looks familiar, only a few minutes now!" wasn't quite cutting it when the only time he had been there before was by car. However, we did make it to Gite Toutes Saisons Bed and Breakfast and we were treated to a great meal from Phil after we showered and got cleaned up. For one of the few times this trip Nadia stayed up late, but it was because she had received her package from the university and had to do room assignments for International House. Rest Day tomorrow! AB | |||
