| |
| Day 63 - August 29 - Lower Barney's River to St. Peters 145km |
| |
| It's a beautiful day to be on the bike. Like most other days, this one is bright and sunny, the kind of day that serves as a reminder of how lucky I am to be doing this. The weather this summer has most definitely been on our side. No one is complaining, that's for sure. |
| |
| After a late start, Glenn and I stop at a convenience store just 5km down the road. We pick up some basic supplies for the day: water, juice and rice krispie squares. The cashier explains the best route to St. Peters and we're good to go. We shave some distance from the route map and meet up with Karen, Leslie, Murray and Deb who took the longer route. We follow the highway for awhile as the temperature rises steadily. A shady spot under a billboard sign is too inviting to pass up. Even a ten minute break can do wonders for the legs. |
| |
| Lunch is fairly decadent today. With the exception of Dairy Queen and Subway, we generally try to avoid fast food places. We stop at a hotel dining room this time for a change of pace. Port Hawkesbury is just 40km from camp so a big lunch doesn't bother me the way it would with 80km to go. |
| |
| An enjoyable stretch of rolling hills and no traffic takes us the rest of the way into camp. At one point there's a detour sign blocking the road we're instructed to follow, but we take a chance and go through anyway. Quite often what is off-limits to cars is perfectly acceptable for bikes. This time only the bridge is blocked off; the rest of the road is bumpy but do-able. The construction workers don't seem to mind us walking our bikes across. |
| |
| Today's campsite looks quite nice. The showers are close and the ground is soft. I get all my things organized in their typical spots. Strangely enough, everything has a place in my tent. My watch hangs beside the entrance on its velcro strap. My flashlight is by the door and my shoes are outside in the vestibule (aka "the mudroom"). My jacket has its usual place too - under my pillow. Anyone doing this Tour in the future should bring a good pillow. I wish I had done that. |
| |
| At 6:30 I bike into town with Glenn. We're looking for an Internet connection and a hot meal. After all, it's only 3km from camp. The marina is rumoured to have web access for travelers. We're online for 45 minutes and as it turns out they won't accept our money. They hear about the Tour and wish us luck. Small town people treat us the best. No question. |
| |
| We get a sandwich at the nearest restaurant and then we hit a grocery store to get a 2L orange juice and some oat bars. By this time it's getting late. We bike back in the dark and pull in to a silent campground. Everyone is asleep and it's only 9:30. But then, I used to be in bed by 8:30. That was over a month ago when I was getting up at 4:30 most mornings. It's strange to think of how long we've been on the road. Today marks the end of week nine. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
