Biking Trip on Prince Edward Island

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The Gang

This is a blog of our Road Scholar bike trip on PEI.  Six days on the bike.  I tallied 167 miles and I have Susan in at 145 miles.  She rode every day and every mile except for Wednesday afternoon.  Wednesday was our longest day and hilliest terrain.

Our group numbered 19 hardy riders, ranging in age between 58 and 83.  Most of the group were very experienced, used to riding 30+ miles a day.

Sunday (We arrive)

We arrived on Sunday in the early afternoon.  We ventured out for lunch and then walked down to the harbor. 

Some houses on Great George Street

The marina

The harbor

Sunday night was our meet and greet dinner.  After dinner, we went over our itinerary for the week.

Monday (We ride)

On Monday, we first listened to Professor Richard Campanaro.  He gave a concise, one-hour history of PEI and its role in Canadian history.  He was excellent. We then boarded our van and were driven to Victoria.  

Last minute equipment checks, but nearly ready to mount our bikes and ride. 

Monday was fairly flat riding.  We would ride from Victoria to Summerside.  We stopped for lunch at the Gateway Village near the Confederation Bridge.  The 8 mile bridge connects the island to New Brunswick. You can see the bridge in the photo below.

We rode to the Loyalist Country Inn in Summerside.  We would spend two nights there.  On Day 1, I believe that we rode just over 29 miles.

Tuesday (A loop ride out of Summerside)

On Tuesday, we started with a one-hour lecture on agriculture on PEI.  Its #1 crop: Potatoes.  About 50% of its land is covered with the potato crop.

Not sure where this is exactly, but I liked the marshy creek.

This is a park where we had our morning pit stop

This and the pictures that follow are of the Church of Notre Dame-du-Mont Carmel.  Call me crazy, but I like graveyards and churches. 

Notre-Dame-du-Mont Carmel serves the Acadians of PEI.  

 Acadians were original French settlers to PEI and Nova Scotia.  They were expelled by the British during and just after the French and Indian War (1755-1763).  Some went back to France (although many had been in North America for several generations), some escaped and stayed in the woods of PEI and some ended up in French Louisiana.  In Louisiana, they became Cajun. 

Lunch!  This was at a very nice park not too far off our path. 

 

St. John the Baptist, Miscouche. 

The interior of St. John the Baptist

I spent more time lounging on the lawn beside the church then inside or walking around outside.  It was about 3 in the afternoon when we arrived and I was ready for a rest. I had us at just over 34 miles on Tuesday.  

Wednesday (our longest day)

Wednesday was our longest ride.  It was also the hilliest terrain.  We were supposed to ride 43 miles, but I ended up at 41.6 miles (more on that later).  Our mission was to ride from Summerside to the Anne of Green Gables property. 

A field of rapeseed. Another big cash crop on the island.  Much prettier than potato plants.

We started Wednesday out on the Confederation Trial.  It is a rails-to-trail limestone gravel trail. 

 This is St. Mary's Church in Indian River.

 Joan and Susan

Our crew making its way to lunch.

This is a view from our lunch stop at Cabot Beach Provincial Park.

After our lunch stop the race was on to make it to Anne of Green Gables.  I believe that Kay, Jerry, Doug, Mike, Randy and myself pulled in just before 3:00.  Bob, after refusing to be hauled onto the van, also rode the entire way. 

Kyle: our guide to Anne of Green Gables.

I picked this picture of Kyle to remember how I felt when I arrived at Green Gables.  After lunch, we had ridden 23 miles of hilly terrain and it was our warmest day.  By the time that we arrived, I was more than a little sun crazy and happy to listen, in the shade, to anything that Kyle had to say.  I did read the book in preparation of our trip and I was pretty sure that Kyle would not shed any further light on the book...and then he did.  He explained that the book is very popular in Japan.  It was secretly translated early on into WWII and was published after the war.  Many Japanese make the pilgrimage here in homage to Anne.  Susan and I split a raspberry cordial.  It is raspberry soda.  I expected something else (I don't know what, but it wasn't soda). Disclaimer: I am not a big fan of raspberries.  I might have been happier with Marilla's currant wine. 

 The Haunted Woods

The House

Our sole selfie of the trip.

Thursday (On the downside of the Bell Curve)

The view from our room Thursday morning (about 5:45).

 On Wednesday evening, we had checked into the North Winds Inn in Brackley Beach.  We would stay there three nights.  Our room was large (huge) and the bed was very comfortable.  My only complaint was the breakfast room was really, really small.  Each day there was a bus group that invaded the room when we did.

The Farmer's Bank of Rustico (led to the development of credit unions)

 

St. Augustine

Getting some riding instructions from Maryvonne

PEI National Park

This is where we had our lunch

Heading to dinner (this is the trail inside the park)

This is the North Rustico area

I just liked this leaning building

North Rustico harbor

 I clocked 27 miles on Thursday.  

Friday (Robinsons Island)

On Friday, we first rode to Robinsons Island. We got an hour tour of the island.  Our guide, Tina, gave us a lecture on the aquatic life in the waters surrounding PEI.  I learned as much as I will ever need to know about mussels, oysters, clams and lobsters.  Tina's real love, however, was jellyfish.  

 

Our ranger guide:  Tina

Marilyn getting a close up of the Arctic Red Jellyfish

From Robinsons Island, we rode to Dalvay-by-the-Sea.  This was a summer house that is now a hotel.  It looked quite comfy.  I could see myself sitting on the porch reading. 

A view from the porch

This is near where we had lunch on Friday.

 On Friday, I clocked 21.9 miles.  Most of the mileage was along paved park trails.  Although the weather was a bit gloomy, the riding was pleasant.  Friday night, Susan and I had potato pie for dinner.  It was totally decadent.  The recipe:  one pound of bacon (serving as the top and bottom of the pie, three pounds of potatoes, and cheese, finished with a sauce of sour cream, mayo, maple syrup and some more bacon (bits). 

Saturday (back to Charlottetown)

 On Saturday, we checked out of the North Winds Inn and headed back to where we started.  Most of the riding was along the Confederation Trail.  

Our last lunch

Just after lunch, Randy, our Road Scholar leader, gave us a lecture on Canadian civics.  Although it was short, I learned a lot.  I clocked just 17 miles on the last day. 

Saturday night was our farewell dinner.  It was a great week and a good group.  I do hope to cross paths with these riders again on future Road Scholar trips.  

I also want to thank Randy, Maryvonne and Mai.  They kept us safe and pedaling all week long.  

Best line of the week: After Randy explained to us that the Confederation Bridge cost nearly a billion dollars to build in 1997, Mai, without missing a beat, said:  "But that's Canadian dollars."  For some reason, it struck the 19 American riders as very funny.  

Best line of the week, runner up:  After Kyle finished up his talk at Green Gables and set us free to take the tour of the house, someone, who shall remain unidentified, said:  "Just kill me now."