buzz4

         We had only intended to take an overnight run into New Brunswick and come home the next day, but when two retired "old guys" on motorcycles shake loose from wives and domestic obligations, those plans can quickly change.
         As much as I love my BSA 441 and Triumph 500, lengthy rides are on my Honda CB900F. My riding buddy, Carl, was riding his Kawasaki Ninja instead of his BSA Lightning.
         We left Halifax early Saturday morning and made our first rest stop in the railway hub town of Truro. From there we followed the coastal Fundy Shore Drive which experiences the highest tides in the world. Since I was last there the road has been repaved and the undulating curves were now a joy to ride on.
         It was time for lunch when we arrived in the seaside town of Parrsboro that was once famous for ship building and trade. These days tourist flock there to search for agate and amethyst stones. Leaving town and not filling our gas tanks when we had the chance would come back to haunt us.
         Nearby is the mining town of Springhill, Nova Scotia, the home town of Canadian song bird, Anne Murray, but a visit to the Anne Murray Center, which houses her music awards, costumes, memorabilia, etc., wasn't on the agenda for that day. That would be saved for the next time we're up this way.
         Our next stop was at Spencer's Island, a village famous for the Mary Celeste; a sailing vessel that was built there in 1861. The ship was found at sea with all sails set, but not a soul on board. There were no signs of violence and no evidence as to what happened to the crew and passengers. We paused for a rest at the cairn marking the event and to view the extreme low tide of the Bay of Fundy.
         Further along is Advocate Harbour a small fishing village with one set of gas pumps and the only source of fuel in that remote area. When we pulled up to the pumps a hand-written sign advised that the pumps were empty and with no delivery until the next day. This was alarming to say the least, but there was no choice but to go on; short shift; keep the speed and revs down, and hope for the best. Our only hope was to get to Amherst 57 miles away on the border between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The closer we got to Amherst the more I feared the engine would die at any moment.
         While taking a rest at a cross-road I waved down a pickup truck and enquired about gas. The young driver said that Amherst had the nearest gas station, but that he had a little spare gas if we wanted it. He produced a gas can with about two quarts of gas in it. I shared half with Carl and offered the kind local a couple of bucks, but he wouldn't hear of it. All that he would accept was our thanks and a firm handshake.
         With our gas tanks filled we left Amherst and blasted along the four-lane into New Brunswick eventually leaving it to follow the river road into Moncton then south to Cape Hopewell, famous for the Hopewell Rocks, where we spent the night.
         The next morning we motored to the nearby site of the "rocks", a phenomenon created by thousands of years of erosion of the Fundy tides. At high tide the rocks are nearly submerged under 40 feet of water, but at low tide you can walk on the ocean floor. We hit it just right as the tide was well out and we spent an enjoyable hour exploring and taking pictures.
         The gasoline incident the day before had slowed progress therefore we decided to extend the ride by one day. Leaving Hopewell we motored through Fundy National Park and headed for the Saint John River Valley highway which leads to the provincial capital city of Fredericton. The highway follows the river and was the main road before the days of four-lanes and by-passes. These days it's a secondary road free of 18-wheelers and not heavily traveled.
         Throughout the trip we had been enjoying the ocean breezes, but once we turned inland we hit a wall of wilting heat that is unusual for this part of Canada. The heat wave would last for the rest of the week and I admit to riding in a T-shirt some of the time.
         We checked into a Comfort Inn in Fredericton then walked up the street to a Chinese food buffet restaurant recommended by the desk clerk. The next morning over a continental breakfast Carl suggested that we ride over to Prince Edward Island instead of going straight home. Hasty calls were made to our wives and we were off through the dense forests of New Brunswick to the Acadian coastal town of Richibucto on the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
         The distance between Fredericton and Richibucto is nearly 100 miles and fairly remote, but no moose or deer appeared which could seriously spoil your day. Riding south on the scenic winding Acadian Coastal Drive was a joy. Traffic was light in spite of this being the tourist season.
         When we arrived in the Acadian coastal town of Bouctouche we were hungry and thirsty. It would be pure blasphemy to leave Bouctouche and not sample the local clams and chips together with a cold ale at a sidewalk patio café. It's the French thing to do and after a long hot ride the cold ale never tasted so good!
         Continuing south we reached the Confederation Bridge to Prince Edward Island by late afternoon and paused only to take pictures of this eight mile long concrete engineering marvel. A seafood dinner and a comfortable bed in the capital city of Charlottetown ended a great day of riding.
         The next morning we decided to take a loop of the eastern end of the island along the coastal roads. This route eventually leads to the Wood Islands car ferry to Nova Scotia. Smooth roads, great scenery and light traffic was the order of the day.
         Once again we hit it right on time as the ferry was about to start boarding. What I like about the car ferry is that motorcycles are first on and first off - often to the chagrin of those who had been waiting for an hour or more in cars and trucks in the hot sun.
         The voyage across the Northumberland Strait averages 45 minutes which allows enough time to grab a sandwich and to relax on deck and enjoy the entertainment provided by a local folk singer.
         Departing the ferry terminal in Caribou, Nova Scotia, we decided to stay off the four-lanes and cut across country on lightly traveled undulating roads to enjoy the rolling hills, forests and farm lands.
         What had been planned as an overnight ride turned into a four day event covering 938 miles. Neither of us had ever ridden the exact route we followed, but we had ridden on various parts of it at different times. We both agreed that it was one of the better rides we had been on and vowed to do something similar very soon.