We were sad to say goodbye (for now!) to Acadia this
morning. Packing the bikes a nice older couple staying at the same inn was
outside in the parking lot and chatted with us for a while about our
adventures. The gentleman told us that he rode a Harley Sportster back in 1973
on the Cabot Trail, the same destination we will experience in a few days. We
rolled out a bit before 9am with sunny skies and comfortable temps in the mid-60s.
Our route took us north along Route 1 Coastal to our mid-day
destination Quoddy Head State Park in Lubec, Maine off Highway 189. Rob took a
detour to Corea, recommended to us as a pretty town by the owner of O’Donnell’s
Deli in Bangor, Maine. We saw this eagle’s nest at the top of the pole and the
eagle’s white head was peeking out.
Nice surprise! That was really the only surprise as Corea
was a tiny village with about seven homes on a small inlet. We did a U-turn and
headed back.
Around Noon we found the Quoddy Head lighthouse, which has
the distinction of being the eastern most point of the U.S. What a cool place!
Rob and Jerry set up our picnic by the water and we enjoyed probably our most
scenic lunch we’ve ever had on the road.
In 1808 this lighthouse was built to warn mariners of the
black rock cliffs and it was among the first to use a fog bell and later a
steam-powered foghorn. The lighthouse was briefly under British rule during the
Battle of 1812. The current tower replaced the original in 1858.
After a leisurely lunch and a visit to the exhibits, we
suited up and headed back on the road.
Here is a quirky picture of the day along our travels.
And a trio of pretty homes.
It wasn’t long before we arrived at the Canadian border. No
issues crossing over today, as Rob had his license plate memorized and a better
description of his profession. Jerry said the guard was so serious he didn’t
want to try to joke with him. We entered into New Brunswick and headed out on
Canada Highway 1. And, in doing so, we entered Atlantic time zone, leaping
forward one hour.
Our entire day was only about 250 miles, easy, scenic and
tranquil. The Canadian roads were decidedly smoother than those in New England,
we figure the hefty tax dollars at work. We rode along the coastline somewhat
inland and could see the Bay of Fundy in the distance. A stiff wind blowing off
the bay dropped temperatures from 70 to 66 within a few minutes. The route to
St. John was a major highway and fairly empty, lined with evergreens and a few
towns.
We noticed rather quickly that the Canadian highway signage
has a lot of symbols. Passing by at 110 kph we couldn’t decipher all of them
right away, but it gave us something to mull over as we rode along.
We arrived at our hotel around 5pm and got dinner nearby at
Montanas. Rob and Michele shared stuffed chicken and Jerry got a short rack of
ribs. We all shared the skillet cookie for dessert.
Our hotel is located in a shopping area and Jerry and
Michele decided the Gap outlet was too good to pass up. They were giving away
clothes with prices better than anything we’ve seen in NoVa.
Meanwhile, Rob
headed back to the hotel and washed off the bike and trailer and installed the
half cover.
Tomorrow we look forward to visiting Cape Breton and hope to
head out early so we’ll have more time there in the afternoon.
No comments:
Post a Comment