Sunny on the Sunrise Trail

Picturesque Pugwash

AFTER a leisurely seaside lunch in Wallace, we made the decision to continue riding the local area in NS.  We had discussed heading to Pictou and taking the ferry back to the Island but unanimously agreed we'd rather be riding than sitting on a boat looking at water.  After all, I'd personally  had many a boat trip when I had my shop in Moncton and certainly wasn't thrilled with another one.

 

The Smith's... always plugged in!

Heading south thru rolling hills on route 307, I was content to amble along at 65-70kph.  The boys crept ahead, Mike and his Sherpa guiding the way for many miles before I decided to scoot ahead and look for a photo op to catch the guys riding.  It had warmed considerably since 8 am, and the trees filtered a soon to be fall sun sitting lower on the horizon each day.  Traffic was virtually nil... just the way I like it.

Trevor cruising the Blvd in Baie Verte

Mikey

Chris... spotting me, opened the throttle!

Looping around on rte 4 just outside Wentworth, our little group made its way back to Pugwash and the Trail until we reached the west side of the Pugwash river and once again turned south towards Oxford.  Oxford is a quaint little town not far off the TC#1 but you wouldn't have known it sticking to our route.  It's claim to fame is "The Blueberry Capital of the Universe or maybe the World, I forget, but in any case it is a cute little burg.

Sherpa sipping fuel.

Skirting Amherst city center, we hooked up again with 366 and Tidnish Dock, where we backtracked towards the bridge.

While Mike, Chris and I took the old ferry route, now in very poor condition, into Cape Tormentine, I was reminded of all the ghost towns I've come across riding the US SW.  Rusting buildings, chain link fences, decrepit installations that once thrived when the only way to reliably travel to the Island was by car ferry.  Even though the new Confederation bridge is easily visible across the bay, it may as well be a hundred miles away, so run down is the little village.  Much like Route 66 died after the building of Interstate 40, so has it gone here.

This isn't the Arizona desert, this is the New Brunswick coast!

Tormentine may not technically be dead... but it's certainly in a coma. With the ferry/rail and  port facilities gone, replaced by a steel and concrete 14km roadway, the town has literally ceased to exist...

Former rail station at Cape Tormentine

Abandoned lighthouse

Fab beach, no one there!

Old ferry facilities once thriving, now decrepit and run down

There's what made this place obsolete!

After a quick trip across the straight with the setting sun to our backs, a coffee at Gateway Village Tim's in Borden, also much closed down after the short tourist season, we ran the last leg into Kensington and for me the final few miles home to Spring Valley.

My odometer read 385 km for the day, 70 mpg a decent lunch in a seaside cafe, and 11 hours since departure earlier in the day, everybody made it safe and sound.  As always, we experienced a few new things, saw some new sights, enjoyed the warmth of the day and deepened our friendships.

Crossing the 14 km Confederation bridge.

For Mike it was his longest ride ever on a motorcycle, a clear and pleasant victory shunting last season's off Island ride into the darkness of history and for Trevor and Chris, I know a ride is always welcome regardless of the route, the destination or the effort.

Just chasing shadows... as the sun slowly sinks into the west...

The very next day, Chris was talking about perhaps looking for a big dual purpose bike, something that I know from personal experience to be the best choice for riding the Maritimes, if you only have a single bike, 

I wouldn't be surprised to see one in his 'garage' or for that matter... Trevor's soon.