Whump, down go the biking shorts.Whip, up goes the bathing suit. According to tradition, if/when that happens, the substitute dancer is “adopted” into the family. Fat Cyclist 4. I lost those fish tacos  and Newfie chips and iceberg beer on the side of her property about 4 feet from the tent. Aside from the warm-up ride, your shortest day will be 37 miles and the longest, 126 miles. We stopped to chat for a while. ... A Long-Distance Cycling Community // 2021 Tours. There were hourly fruit snacks, chocolate bars, ice cream and nuts. We had to be at the ferry and ready to board by 3:30. In the meantime we went for a swim a few kilometres away, again in crystal clear water under a bridge.   Fantastic! Tomorrow we will ride to North Sydney and then take a 16 hour  ferry to Argentia, Newfoundland. We told him we didn’t really have to be up that early and we told him we had our own food. That, salad, buns and potato salad, (which he wouldn’t touch because he dislikes mayo). We thought he was waving at someone else. We planned, schemed, dreamed about it. Even though the ground was a bit damp, as was the air about us, the tent was quite dry. How did you find traffic?  Look left, look right. Thank you to Sue and Ken Templeton for giving us a great place to stay in St John’s, NFL and for giving us the grand tour. The day was slipping on.                                              I’m tired! He told us of how he’d met her at age 21, she 19. We were hot,  the bugs were awful and we were covered in bites and scabs.  My mom and I saw Rita in concert in Calgary probably 17 or so years ago. Cycle America provides a variety of supported bicycle trips. Author and veteran cycle tourist Steve Langston shares his expert advice and a 72-day itinerary to get you prepared for your pannier-filled journey. Yes, usually a principle I follow is not to put anything in my mouth that’s been in someone else’s, but well, since this is another Newfoundland thing, I tried them. I meant that it felt cool when we finally got off the ferry. We headed to Tim’s, located a little more centrally. Anyway, we are snug and comfy in our cabin and sure of a good nights sleep. Crossing into our second province, Alberta, we celebrated with a day off in Jasper, to enjoy the spectacular view from the top of the tramway on Whistlers Mountain overlooking Jasper National Park. Have you biked across Canada? We were mutually delighted to see each other again as yesterday we had not even shared our names. Jack de Wilde has an interesting story. Their adopted son Felix, age about 9, was very enthusiastic about it, especially the bacon.  But it was fun, and we couldn’t have had a better time. She converted an old schoolhouse into her home and then eventually into “Rita’s Teahouse”. Every trucker gave us as much room as he or she possibly could. You suggest the sand bar? Hopefully we will get to host them when they next travel through Calgary. Landing in Vancouver we had a few days to get ready whilst staying at friends. It was close to 11 pm and we went outside before retiring to our cabin. This includes a series of National Park tours in the United States and Canada, an annual Pedal the Peaks Bicycle Challenge and a Coast-to-Coast cycling adventure from Seattle to Boston. The last part inclined sharply but suddenly I had a renewal of energy and I jacked it up, as I reached the top, Charlie beside me! And really, if someone did catch a glimpse, it’s okay; they’ll recover, lol.Â. Pat and Sharon told us they had a downstairs bedroom and that we’d be welcome to stay with them. What a lovely way to finish!! I’d never have known they were tongues.  They were fine. Light, crisp and pure. Create and find the best bike routes through Canada, the world’s second largest country, thanks to the bike route planner.  Many people were swimming the canal. “And raisin toast, Just help yerself.” Another example of the kindness of strangers. Matthew was enjoying his summer before returning to university in the fall. For four days we cycled through mountain scenery as if from a dream, with every corner bettering the last as we meandered past glaciers, lakes, forests, peaks. Tours range from a 2 day, one week, two week to 10 weeks. We spent a good part of the late morning, early afternoon talking downing cups of tea, raisin bread and cheese, talking, but mostly laughing. We wandered through the downtown. They lined up for Charlie to photo. They have to get themselves ready before awakening their year old twins. The time was being eaten up and it wasn’t long before we had to go back to the hills. An older man came out the front door and we chatted for a while. Rebecca, our sister-in-in-law called. The Trans-Canada Highway runs from Victoria to St. John’s, a distance of 7,821 kilometres. floors. I was shaking a bit as I climbed, not only from the effort, but also because of emotional overload. We shared the bubbly, hugged and just enjoyed the moment. Now she says she only married Mark because of his dad! As we were headed to our hosts home, Charlie in front, me tailing about 6 metres behind, a guy opened his car door directly in front of Charlie. The statistics were frightening.  ????? Just before we landed on the Nova Scotia shores I went outside and let the wind whip the drowsiness out of me. The past few weeks almost every seaside town has been boasting about the Tall Ships.   One, the “If and When” was built by General Paton who planned on sailing around the world with his wife if he made it through the war. We heard the occasional loud squawk and the thumping of tiny feet but no crying, no real fuss. I’ve had it before but I wasn’t  sure just how much I like it. ” …tout seul, comme une grande fille!” (Translates to “…by myself, like a big girl!”) A group of 4 people in their late, late 60’s or early 70’s were standing outside the information centre at Placentia.        We’re fine, we’re fleet, reply my feet. He has a big personality. You’re the weak link. An hour or so before we were expected by our “Warm Showers ” hosts, we reluctantly peeled ourselves off the plastic seats and headed to the grocery store. There were only a couple of places that drew our attention. So, did I did I do this on my own?  These days are more leisurely as we have less than 100 km to do and 3 days to do them so we can putter a bit and certainly, we could sleep in for an extra hour. It was jammed full with gummy, sugary treats. All are Welcome.” We usually go to church on Sundays at home. We were off. We were headed into St John’s after camping on the edge of someone’s property on Butter Pot Road, Holyrood. I’m a quick change artist. We didn’t need rain gear but we hàd it at hand. Charlie and our host had gone to meet Maura and Jol at a nearby intersection to retrieve our panniers. Charlie had 2 orders of 3-piece fish meals and 1 piece from mine. Lots of hills but for some reason I felt like I was cruising up them; like there’s some kind of magnetic pull drawing me up and towards our final destination, or like the world is on a bit of a tilt and I’m just charging along the highway. On our way we passed a sign that read,”St Peter’s Church. The circumstances have to be right, of course. Bill Baggs Bikes and Baggs // 2019 Tours. Another reason it was good we’d discovered the nest was because Dutchie planned on staining the deck this weekend. He says he loves travelling on his own, but I know, it can get lonely too. This from our camping host, Dale, of “Chippin’ Dales” famous fish and chips. Now what? Oh, a vacant waterside lot….lets ask next door if we can pitch a tent there for the night. Unfortunately Rita died in 2014 from surgical complications but the teahouse, now operated by her son, is not only a nice place to stop for a break and an expensive pot of tea and/or other treats, but it is also a museum depicting her lifetime: from her birth in 1944 with a harelip and cleft palate, her youth where she was ostracized, her interest in and promotion of women’s rights in the 60’s and 70’s, the births of her two children, her love of Cape Breton and her rise to fame. She is Aline Berube from Rimouski, Quebec, and she did a solo bike ride across this vast country last year at the age of 69, “Seoul, comme une grande fille”. Thanks to Chantal and Aria, we were snug and comfy on the inside. I added another layer of clothing before we headed off. Anyway, he drove off. Oh, I don’t just mean that this experience is cool. But I do have to say, whether it’s nature or nurture, those kids are incredibly well behaved! I live in … Pat had to leave to go to Halifax to pick up his niece, so mid-afternoon, as he left, he tossed the car keys to his second vehicle to Charlie and told us to take it out for a drive. The ferry from PEI to Caribou, Nova Scotia takes about 75 minutes. We said our goodbyes and thank-yous to Chantal and Aria and went on our way. “Have we finished?” Willy, Charlie’s youngest brother called from work, “Were we done yet?” No, but soon. The ground around it was either weedy or marshy. He, like I, prefers camping at a campground where there are showers, laundry facilities and other people. Signs on the chairs in the lounge read ” No sleeping allowed” which would make for a long and uncomfortable night. Thank you to the family members who checked in with us regularly and who came out along the way to support us, feed us or shelter us: Jol, Maura, Rebecca, Willy, Pauline, Mark, Ian,  Kevin, Fraser and Christie, Chantal, Robyn, Dad and Jeannette. Often they are turning points, shifts in either our life circumstances or our attitudes. Yesterday after  Mark and Suzane had invited us to stay, Charlie said “We’re going to have fun with them!” And we sure did! However, we were crazy enough to attempt this feat by bicycle and it sparked the beginning of one of the greatest adventures of our life. You made our trip far more enjoyable and helped us so much. It was very, very steep but there was absolutely no way I was going to put a foot on that pavement. There was no need for a sweater right from the get-go, although it was fresh when we were riding. 5 South America honeymoons that will blow you away, Into the wild: an active New Zealand South Island tour, New Zealand South Island tours: 8 of our favourites, Barefoot bliss: 9 Cook Islands luxury resorts, 8 ideas for an incredible American road trip, 2 weeks in New Zealand: my South Island trip, 3 'surface sectors' in SE Asia to help you get the max from your RTW ticket, My 15-day Canadian Rockies tour through the National Parks, How to combine Central coast Vietnam & Angkor Wat, Chris and Debs on their epic cycle across Canada, Level 7, New England House, New England Street, Brighton, BN1 4GH, United Kingdom. Our next destination was a bike shop where Charlie had his brake pads changed and things tightened up after the accident yesterday. We were a bit early so we stopped at Tim’s. It’s a good one. There were lots of people there exploring the decks of these tall sailboats. Tim Hortons really is that iconic gathering place/coffee house and, once again, we spent some quality time alone together there. Wow! There is a lock system mid-swim and they had to wait for the water level to even out before their swims could be completed. We seem to be like magnets these days; anyone who has ever been on or thought of taking a bike trip comes over to tell us about their journeys. This post includes some affiliate links.   They were animated conversationalists, with lots of stories to tell, often interrupting each other and bickering in that fun way some people who have known each other for a long time do. Prior to this we had very little experience of this kind of trip, having only cycled from London to Paris over 4 days. Ha! Solid, carved wooden staircases and railings. Charlie had, yet again, a3 piece fish and chips, his fries also done Newfie style. I know there are many others to thank too. Let’s go to this one since it’s starting in 20 minutes and we’re already here anyway. The day wore on and we stayed put, both of us content and focused on our electronics. Another peaceful beautiful night. Alan, aged 68, is an Australian. We cycled on through the touristy towns of Banff and then Calgary, the cowboy capital of Canada. We planned on making and eating our breakfast down there and then checking out the watercraft. That’s fine; we are outside most of the time anyway. The ranking was compiled tracking hundreds of bike touring blogs. Travel The Great Trail of Canada Your Way. He had noticed us the evening before at the Chinese Buffet, Now he was excited to run into us again. August 11, 2017, Day 82, Holyrood to Signal Hill, St. John’s, Newfoundland. Who knows us here? Â. I want to hear more stories! He avoided answering, instead calling me a dick head. My socks smell.        54km, August 10, Day 80, NFL ferry in Argentia to Holyrood, Newfoundland. Of course not! Still, he did well, farming Island cattle and he’s a handy man. Dale, the owner, invited us to camp on his property which extended way back to the tip of the lake. Some days, some moments in our lifetimes, are unforgettable. I could have given Charlie a kick under the table. Bangable Dudes in Pro Cycling 3. He’d gotten lost despite his GPS and he found St Johns to be wild with activity. Then we ordered dinner. Now, retired and young enough to really enjoy it, they split their time between Georgia, and Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Where does he put it? I bought one. Most of my years were spent just working, trying to stay afloat, trying to save a bit of money, going to school, raising my son, (now, that was not work! It was as far as I could get. I had 2 fish tacos with fries, Newfoundland style, which means that they put turkey dressing or stuffing on top, then cover them with gravy. Blueberry muffins with  cardomen. Feet…..how are you doing? Our fellow ferry-mates tooted and waved as we rolled away, in their same direction but much, much slower. It is wide, nicely cleared, quite flat as it winds between the hills and was originally graded for trains and it’s covered in reddish gravel, that is perhaps just a little too thick to roll through at any decent speed. He makes an awesome lasagna, by the way, if you’re ever out his way!Â. Tour du Canada is a club, a cross-Canada bike tour and a non-profit corporation. Along the way, the weather varied by 40 degree extremes, with humidity making hills extremely tiring. Thanks also to friends who kept in touch. You can go in and have one if you’d like.”. Thanks to Don who reminded me that I didn’t have to tackle the whole mountain at a time, only the few metres in front of me. As we ate together, Pat talked,  his voice booming and  I wondered how Sharon could sleep through it. “Oh, she won’t be up until 10 or 11. Every corner led to another jaw dropping sight, with classic views of high snow-capped peaks in the background, breathtakingly stunning turquoise lakes (created by glacial silt in the water) and fir tree forests. We have less than 100 km to ride and 4 days to do them in before we catch the ferry to Newfoundland so we can afford to linger around a bit. I had my coffee, Charlie some OJ and we blogged. Bike Snob NYC (Tie) 9. She, her husband, her brother and sister-in-law were exploring St Johns on foot. It was my job to assemble our breakfasts together while Charlie waited in line  for his turn at the lab.  We were recognized by the gent who we’d met at Tim’s. The day ahead was looking more and more like the kind of day that should be spent curled up with a good book. We may not have cycled all the roads in the world, but we would think there can be few more scenic than this one. Gone were our days of watching what we ate - we were ‘forced’ to choose the highest calorie snack on the shelf and how we loved it! They gave us big hugs and started to take some pictures of us and of all of us together. Dave, “The Wandering Canuck. Once there we purchased food to make a salad and some things for lunch for the following day. Finally we were reaching our goal, completing our ultimate test. She can zoom in on that spot. As you can tell from the sheer amount of travel pages below, I spent quite some time cycling through Canada. Charlie felt fine but because sometimes injuries become more painful later he decided to call the police to make a report. I don’t like how the basements smell, how the windows don’t quite fit, how drafty and miserable they can be in the cold weather. The morning was very misty but the weather report said it was going to be nice with a high of 20 degrees. I have wanted to bike across Canada since I was 22, ever since my brother, Kevin, and I cycled from Banff to Vancouver. Poached? Charlie had an appointment at a lab again and usually the earlier you get there, the shorter the line-up. For many years Mark and Pauline lived in Japan, then in Madagascar. No thanks. We had lots of time and the air was warm, fresh and ocean-infused, the scenery, pretty but similar all along; many wildflowers and thick green foliage. This list is an attempt to highlight some of the best blogs about bicycle touring that can be found on the web. We stuck with the hills for an hour or so, then went back to try the gravel again. “What time are you usually up”, Pat asked us the day before.  They have never met us before and not only have they opened their home to us, now they’ve leant us their car. If the next car had been going faster it would have driven right over him, but thankfully it was moving slowly and was able to stop in time. Â. The roads were great! I might have to try that at home. We’ve been planning this for years and now it’s going to happen.  The First Nations dancer was from Afton, Nova Scotia. Thank you home group for your encouragement and support. Breakfast was assembled and eaten down at the waterfront. The 10 Best Motorcycle Rides in Canada is a cumulative snap shot of the best rides one can do on a motorcycle. That certainly put our trip into perspective…. Overcast skies and a brisk chill wind. It had nothing to do with its colour or clarity, whether it’s “nose” was fruity or oakey or even if it was good! They were up! Veronica and Adam are up extra early every morning. On this, the second last day of our cross country bike trip, I reflect on the one person who has been either in front of or behind me for the past 29 biking days. There were hills to climb! He stopped and asked us where we were headed tonight and told us he’d meet us there. Thanks to the truckers! Vital MTB 7. This route is popular, and there are some big cities along the way. Easy for Charlie. I ate a Cows ice  cream cone, and  took pictures. We packed up our things from camping beside the manse. He became her favourite customer. I don’t think she’s been this way recently. After the service we hung around a bit and talked with a few people. Do you want to? It was slow going on this beautiful morning. Â, We had a good wash at the sink in the restaurant and now, since the campground is full, we’ve pitched our tent at the manse, in the shadow of the old Catholic church. Thanks to the hotel managers and bike repair guys we met on our way. This was where the restaurants,  lounge, shops, etc., were. After 800 miles swimming against the flow of the river, jumping up waterfalls and dodging bears, the salmon finally reach home, lay their eggs and die (no doubt from sheer exhaustion). T absolutely sure with these elusive Hunters circumstances or our attitudes and dastardly potholed.. 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