Day 61
July 13, 2018
The day dawns sunny and clear again! It was cold last night while we were sleeping, but it is warming up quickly. The wind is relatively calm while we are eating breakfast but by the time we cycle away from camp, it is steady. Once we get going on Miscou the wind seems to be coming from every direction at once. It’s not the strongest wind I have ridden in, but it is definitely the most changeable in terms of direction. I imagine this is how it feels when you are stuck inside a small cyclone and trying to push your way out. There is no town along the way, but we pass lots of small houses and farms and cottages.
The island is quite flat and there are low trees and peat bogs dominating the landscape. Miscou is a Mi'Kmaq word meaning "wet, boggy, low-lying terrain" One huge bog preserve has a boardwalk and interpretive signs. There is almost nothing I like better than interpretive signs about botany, so this is shaping up to be a fantastic day!
There are orchids blooming, cotton grasses, and acres and acres of blueberry bushes in the bog.
We can ride our bikes the entire way through the peat bog. The bog covers a great many acres and is full of little lakes and ponds.
After 18 kilometers we reach the lighthouse.
I guess it is so windy out here, the wooden structure needs to be held up with these cables.
Miscou Lighthouse is a wooden lighthouse built in 1856 at what is the southern entrance to Chaleur Bay. It is an eight-sided tower made of hand-sawn timbers and covered on the outside with shingles. There are many layers of bright white paint on the those shingles and they really stand out against the blue sky. This isn’t the tallest or mightiest looking lighthouse we have seen, but it is one of the oldest in the St. Lawrence region and it looks great for its age.
From the point, we have to get back off Miscou Island and the wind direction is still “variable” to put it kindly. We head back mostly west and a bit south off the island.
By the time we cross the bridge to Lameque Island we are pretty nearly starving for lunch. But, there isn't any place to stop and we are out of bread and need to find a grocery store. We normally do our best to find the perfect scenic lunch stop. Today we are absolutely off our game in this regard.
It is a long way to Tracadie but we are going to try to make it there tonight. While riding on a short section of bike trail we meet a couple of people who ask about where we are traveling. By the time we are finished chatting we have an offer of a place to stay for the night. I exchange phone numbers with Laurie R. and we figure we will be at his house in a couple of hours to set up the tent in the yard.
It is a long tiring ride and we are having some issues with both the Ride with GPS software and Google maps directing us to snowmobile trails which we cannot ride on. We are trying to stay off busy Route 11 and finally we find a way.
After a really excellent fish dinner in Tracadie at Capitaine Frank Restaurant which Laurie recommended, we finish our 71.2 mile day in his front yard. Our host is surprised that we are going to set up the tent and invites us in for a night in a comfortable bed and a hot shower. Wow! Talk about welcoming the stranger!
Mary, a neighbor and cycling firend of Laurie arrives with a New Brunswick lager in a corked bottle and some snacks. After riding so far, you would think we would be exhausted, but Laurie is a history teacher and I really want to learn about the Acadians. What passes is a most enjoyable evening and a condensed high school local history course. I can't give you all the information here, but make sure you look up the history of the Acadian people in Canada. It is the age old clash of religion and pursuit of empire building. The current separation of families and deportation of an entire culture that is happening today in the USA is reminiscent of the actions taken against the Acadians way back in the 1750's. It is a sobering thing to ponder.
The next morning we say goodbye to our new friend and host for the night. It is a gift to have met Laurie and Mary and to have shared our lives and our stories for a brief time. I will never cease to be amazed by the trust and generosity of the people we have met on this trip.
July 13, 2018
The day dawns sunny and clear again! It was cold last night while we were sleeping, but it is warming up quickly. The wind is relatively calm while we are eating breakfast but by the time we cycle away from camp, it is steady. Once we get going on Miscou the wind seems to be coming from every direction at once. It’s not the strongest wind I have ridden in, but it is definitely the most changeable in terms of direction. I imagine this is how it feels when you are stuck inside a small cyclone and trying to push your way out. There is no town along the way, but we pass lots of small houses and farms and cottages.
The island is quite flat and there are low trees and peat bogs dominating the landscape. Miscou is a Mi'Kmaq word meaning "wet, boggy, low-lying terrain" One huge bog preserve has a boardwalk and interpretive signs. There is almost nothing I like better than interpretive signs about botany, so this is shaping up to be a fantastic day!
After 18 kilometers we reach the lighthouse.
I guess it is so windy out here, the wooden structure needs to be held up with these cables.
Miscou Lighthouse is a wooden lighthouse built in 1856 at what is the southern entrance to Chaleur Bay. It is an eight-sided tower made of hand-sawn timbers and covered on the outside with shingles. There are many layers of bright white paint on the those shingles and they really stand out against the blue sky. This isn’t the tallest or mightiest looking lighthouse we have seen, but it is one of the oldest in the St. Lawrence region and it looks great for its age.
From the point, we have to get back off Miscou Island and the wind direction is still “variable” to put it kindly. We head back mostly west and a bit south off the island.
 |
| All the lobster fishing equipment is up on land for now. |
By the time we cross the bridge to Lameque Island we are pretty nearly starving for lunch. But, there isn't any place to stop and we are out of bread and need to find a grocery store. We normally do our best to find the perfect scenic lunch stop. Today we are absolutely off our game in this regard.
 |
| Grocery store lunch includes fried chicken (for Tom), donuts, yogurt, fruit, veggies and dip and iced tea which we devour while sitting near the loading dock by the Co-op grocery store in Lameque. |
It is a long tiring ride and we are having some issues with both the Ride with GPS software and Google maps directing us to snowmobile trails which we cannot ride on. We are trying to stay off busy Route 11 and finally we find a way.
After a really excellent fish dinner in Tracadie at Capitaine Frank Restaurant which Laurie recommended, we finish our 71.2 mile day in his front yard. Our host is surprised that we are going to set up the tent and invites us in for a night in a comfortable bed and a hot shower. Wow! Talk about welcoming the stranger!
 |
| This home was built in the 1980's but it is in the style of a turn of the century farmhouse. It is decorated with antiques and Laurie knows the story and the past of each and every item. He even has his Great Grandma's scrap quilt and her knitting basket with some socks waiting to be finished. |
The Acadian Flag flies proudly all over the peninsula
Comments
Post a Comment