96 Bike Prince Edward Island

June 27, 1996 - Thursday

Got up at 3:30 am and ran 5.1 miles. Barry and Carol Nelson arrived at 5:00 and we got underway about 5:10. Drove north on US29 to I70 to I695 to I83. Met Lew and Kathleen Frain at the rest stop at the Pennsylvania line at 6:00 am. Continued on I83 through Harrisburg then took I76 to I81 to I84 across New York and Connecticut to the Massachusetts Turnpike to I290 to I495 to I95. We stopped many times on the way up and had a picnic lunch in Connecticut. Stopped at the Rodeway Inn Room 122 $37.40 in Bangor, Maine about 6:30 pm. Had a great lobster meal in the Talk Of The Town in the motel for $27.

June 28, 1996 - Friday

Got up at 6:00 am and showered. Had a couple donuts and got on the road at 7:00 am. Followed US9 east across Maine to Calais where we stopped at McDonalds for orange juice, eggs, muffin, sausage and homefries for $4.96. Crossed into New Brunswick, Canada to St Andrews. Very nice with large old hotel and golf course. Followed Route 2 to Fundy National Park and the Rocks Provincial Park on Hopewell Cape. Stopped at the Rose Arbor bed and breakfast in Hillsborough for $72 Canadian. Ate fish and chips, seafood chowder, ice tea and blueberry pie with ice cream for $29 Canadian. Talked with owners until 10:00 local or 11:00 EST and then to bed.

June 29, 1996 - Saturday

Got up at 4:07. Ran with Barry for 54 minutes or about 6 miles. Walked around Hillsborough and talked to neighbor lady. Breakfast of tomato juice, fruit, muffin and eggs Benedictine at 8:00. Got underway about 8:30. Drove through Moncton and then took Canada 15 to Port Torneline, NB. Caught the 10:30 ferry to Borden, PEI. Followed Canada 2 through Charlottestown to PEI25 to Stanhope arriving about 12:30 pm. Asked a man where E T Kottage was and he led us to it in his pickup. Nice guy to talk to. Unloaded and called Bernard Postma who arrived with his son. We paid him (my share was $150 US) and chatted for a while. Biked 7 miles to and along the beach and back.Supper was lasagna and salad. Drove to Charlottestown and walked around. Saw some entertainment on the waterfront. Had ice cream. Got $200 Canadian at an ATM in the Bank of Montreal.

June 30, 1996 - Sunday

Got up at 5:15 and ran 5.7 miles along the beach with Barry. Biked the same way with Barry for 9.8 miles. Walked into the woods to an observation tower overlooking a swamp. Loaded bikes into Barry's van and drove to Souris and parked in the Provincial Park. Biked across the peninsula from south to north on PEI306 and turned right onto PEI16 around East Point and back to Souris after 44.6 miles. Very pretty ride good views of the sea. The road was lined with lupines at many places. They were all colors but predominantly blue. We found lupines along the road all over PEI. The asphalt roads were cracked in many places. A native said this was because PEI had no rocks so the road beds were sand which led to cracking. There were some rolling hills but not very steep or long. It was sunny and breezy, neither warm or cold, perfect bicycling weather. We stopped at North Lake Port to look at the lobster boats and pots. Stopped at East Point at the lighthouse. Stopped at the Woodstove Restaurant for a great fish sandwich for $28 Canadian. Supper was chicken casserole, salad and hot fruit.

July 1, 1996 - Monday

Got up at 6:00 and ran 5.1 miles with Barry. Overcast and windy. Saw an arctic fox run across our lawn. Rained. Drove to Gouda Lady's farm and bought some peppercorn gouda cheese. Drove to Cavendish and had lunch buffet at the Pizza Delight $20 Canadian. Had a beaver tail for $2.50. Biked 10.6 miles. Supper of turkey, macaroni tuna salad, rice and raisin bread. To bed at 11:00.

July 2, 1996 - Tuesday

Got up at 5:35 and ran 5.7 miles with Barry. Overcast and windy. Breakfast of orange juice, bagel and bread with jelly. Drove to Alberton and dropped Lew's van. Drove Barry's van to Elephant Rock park for a picnic lunch of turkey sandwich, macaroni tuna salad and cookies. Drove to Tignish to drop Barry's van. Biked 29.6 miles from Tignish to North Cape and then down Route 12 to Alberton. Was sunny and not too windy. Walked out on gravel bar about 200 yards at North Cape. Lots of seams, cracks and holes in the road. Drove to Summerside for supper of shepherds pie, salad and beer at O'Farren's Pub for $28 Canadian. Drove home arriving at 9:07. Had a homebrew and shower. To bed at 10:30.

July 3, 1996 - Wednesday

Got up at 5:48 and ran 5.1 miles with Barry. Breakfast of toast, orange juice and milk. Virtually no wind and overcast. Biked west along the beach to the end of the road and then backtracked to Route 25 to Route 6 to North Rustico. Rode beach road through park and along and along rolling cliffs to Cavendish. Great scenery. The weather seemed to be clearing as we rode but then started to close in as we arrived in Cavendish. Stopped for cafeteria lunch of seafood sandwich, potato salad, salad, beer and blueberry pie for $21.83 Canadian at the Happy Fisherman. Continued south on Route 13 which was quite hilly. Turned east on a dirt road that connected to Route 6. Stopped for blueberry cheesecake ice cream for $1.50 at oyster Bay Bridge. Turned left on Route 25 into beach park. Started raining with a head wind. Anne's rear tire flatted and I couldn't find the cause. Was getting chilled in the wind and wet. Got in about 3:00 after 50.3 miles. Showered and went to dinner at the crab claw for lobster, salad, potato salad, seafood chowder, broccoli, carrots, ice tea and coconut cream pie for $55.94 Canadian. To be at 11:10.

July 4, 1996 - Thursday

Got up at 5:38 and ran 5.1 miles with Barry. Breakfast of orange juice, milk and bagels. Drove to Montigue and biked coast for 31.3 miles to Murray River where Carol Nelson met us with the van.It was overcast but cleared up, then clouded over and we rode the last 4-5 miles in a light rain but really didn't get wet. Lunch of hamburger and seafood chowder for $23 Canadian at the Terrace Restaurant. Drove back to Charlottestown and dropped the women at shopping. Barry, Lew and I went to MacQueen's bike shop where we met Gordon and his daughter, son Dan and another son. Had a great time chatting. Bought a water bottle and T-shirt for $21.88 Canadian. Drove to North Rustico to the Fisherman's Wharf for supper of lobster, salad, mussels, etc. for $74.09 Canadian.

Got up at 5:44 and ran 5.1 miles along the beach with Barry. Breakfast of orange juice, milk and English muffins. Drove below Charlottestown to where we biked 25.1 miles around a small peninsula on the west side of the harbor mouth. Very scenic with a stop at Fort Amherst. Some wind. Drove to the Bonnie Brae Restaurant in Cornwall for lunch of chowder, fish and chips and ice tea for $20. Very good! Drove to MacQueen's bike shop in Charlottestown and bought Kevin a T-shirt. Rode an old bike with a very large front wheel. Drove back to the cottage and showered. Supper was boiled potatoes, turkey and salad. Went to bed at 10:25.

July 6, 1996 - Saturday

Got up at 4:30 and packed up. Started to ferry at 5:00 which took about an hour. Caught the 6:30 ferry. Drove across New Brunswick through Monkton and Fredericksburg to Maine and I95. Drove until 6:15 when we arrived at the Super 8 Motel Room 203 for $52.37 in Manchester, New Hampshire. Ate at Kirk's Restaurant for $27.50 near the motel.

July 7, 1996 - Sunday

Picked up the route we followed up at Worcester, Massachusetts and followed it backwards to Columbia arriving home about 5:45 pm. Ate lunch at the Skyliner diner in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania for $14.46.