Eastern Shore part 2

Beautiful as the scenery is, there's lots of this on the back roads

IT had been a long day...

Having now covered several hours from our home on Prince Edward Island, along first, the back roads leading to Borden and the Confederation Bridge, followed by a short stint South through Port Elgin and feeling like we were sneaking into Nova Scotia by some illegal route, at Tidnish Cross Roads...

Several derelict hulls in Spanish Ship Bay 

Temperatures hovered in the low thirties (That's eighties for my American readers) as we passed through Northport, Port Howe, carrying on to picturesque Pugwash, Wallace and the remainder of the Sunrise Trail via Tatamagouche, Seafoam and the massive roundabout in Pictou... pointing South to the TCH.  After a very short stint on the highway, we had no problem finding our turnoff onto 374 at Stellerton.  I am amazed at the construction jobs added or upgrading highways, building sub divisions for both industrial and residential use, there seems to be  a very large amount of currency being spent in Eastern Canada.


GET YOUR MAPS OUT

Route 374 is in very good shape, gentile climbs, forests, rivers, gorgeous sweepers... the kind that you can enter at any reasonable speed, lay the bike into an arc, and roll the power on from gear to gear, and NO people.

So rocky, Sly would have been proud!

I don't think I saw more than 6 cars once clear of Riverton until the gas stop at Sheet Harbor.  At the T intersection giving us the choice of Sheet Hbr to the right and Canso to the left and seeing few dots on the map, I played it safe and rode the undulating coastal highway into the village.  With nearly 375 km on the trip meter, I still had another 175 or so between my legs.  The V Strom certainly has long legs even though I do not!

Epic countryside

I nearly dropped the bike to the right at the T, thus once again pointing out to me that the V Strom, even with a lowering kit, was still too tall and heavy for me.  In fact I became even more motivated to look into a further lowering.  The compromise is narrow, as getting the bike down means we are more than likely to bottom out given the undulations, pot holes and broken pavement I often encounter on my rides.  This is the real world right... not the world of Austrian Autobahns!

After buttoning up wallet, gear and gas cap, we retrace our steps to the road we just left... one we had become pretty intimate in over the last hour or so and began following the coast road towards Fort Dufferin to points east.  The road is punctuated by steep blind hills, the outlying barrier Islands to our right, and many little settlements.

I love the names of Maritime villages!

There's East Quaddy and Moosehead.  Then there's Ecum Secum, Liscomb Mills and Goldenville , I wonder if that's where Lisa's husbands ancestors came from, he being a Golden ?  (just kidding)

Further up the road is Stillwater, Seal Harbor (which has an exclusive subdivision just for seals I'm told?!) and Larry's River.  I did not know a person could own a whole river?!

My favorite on this leg being, Spanish Ship Bay.  Did Spaniards discover this?



Just past the 374 turnoff we come flying over the hill looking well ahead to a stoppage in traffic on the highway, something we'd be doing often that day.  Remembering there are two seasons in Canada, winter and construction, I'm not particularly  concerned, most delays are measured in minutes not hours.

If there is one thing Nova Scotians have in abundance (that PEI doesn't) is gravel.  We are looking here at mountains of gravel, so much so that later riding the Canso Strait where Chedabucto Bay narrows for it's Atlantic dash towards the Northumberland Strait separating PEI from the Ocean great heaps are being removed and gladly being sold onto the Island!  Gravel means rock and this land I am traversing is rocky to say the least!

I'M getting tired.  We've ridden for several hours, covered close to 500 km and I let Brenda know we should be on the look out for a home for the night, preferably one that won't break the bank.

Overpriced but it delivered.

There is a thriving tourist season out here and during the off months, rates drop substantially, but this is not an off time, this is full on 30C plus, drop dead views and few choices. Coming around a bend and over a short rise, we find ourselves passing a pretty little motel roadside in Sherbrooke. On my right is a large empty highways department gravel lot... I'm hard on the brakes and into the gravel, stopped.  We have a brief confab and decide, this is as good as any.  I remembered having seen this place online, and it was motorcycle friendly.  A quick U turn and we pull up onto the hillside, park and enter.

Parked right out the door of our room.

..

It was

This could be a motel in the Kootenays by the design of it, much the same as many such commercial buildings you'll find anywhere.

Steep at $125 plus taxes but quaint, well kept and has a room available where I can park the Wee and keep an eye on her.  All my traveling life I have been very cautious in this regard.  I am always cautious of the view I have for my bike and gear.  I'm too old to change now!

It's still pretty early, early enough that once situated, we strip (stop that:) from riding gear into shorts and t-shirt... like actual tourists are dressed.  With some instruction from the gal at the front desk, armed with my camera, we walk the kilometer or so into town.

Man... what a pretty little burg Sherbrooke turns out to be.  Tiny, but with a gas station, a decent grocery store and a real live well kept restored museum in the shape of a walk about old town along the like's of say... Fort Steele in southern B.C.

Inside view

Having had our walkabout we swing by the food store, pick up a few sweet sticky buns as my buddy Ron labels them, for the morning before departure.

Old Courthouse at Heritage village in Sherbrooke

We drop our stuff off in the room and then back to the lobby from where we get a sit down home cooked meal.

Just plain pretty!

Bellies full, bed soft, bike secured... it's not long before we are off in la-la land of dreams.  In my dream that night I dream of another V Strom arriving from Ontario and taking the room next door.

First BMW 310 I'd seen anywhere!

Of course when I wake in the morning, I find a V Strom 650 complete with aluminum panniers packed, for travel and an Ontario plate attached to the fender!

Boy, the thing you dream up after a hot day on the trail...

What are the chances?  Meeting a 2nd DL 650 from Ont in NS?!