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NB Hwy 108 through Northumberland
This area has a lush, thick forest which is why lumber is the number one industry. 50 miles of rolling roads from Plaster Rock to Atlantic CoastNova Scotia’s Cabot Trail
May 27-29, 2010
I finally arrived at the destination that I had been planning for months. The picturesque Cabot Trail where the saying is, “Come for the drive…savour the journey.” I found the Cabot Trail to be one of the most beautiful scenic drives I have every been on considering the rainy weather, fog conditions and an occasional segment of “pure sunshine” that never hampered my delight in arriving here.
But before I get to the Cabot Trail let me bring you up to speed since my last travel blog.
Riding the St. Lawrence Seaway was great and I had several beautiful days of riding weather with lots of sunshine. I decided not to tour Quebec’s Gaspe Peninsula due to weather conditions and lots of predicted rain. The weather forecasters turned out right. This decision allowed me extra time in Nova Scotia, however, I still ran into rain in NS!
After leaving Plaster Rock, NB I made my way across a 50 mile stretch of forest wilderness to Prince Edward Island (PEI) known as the “gentle island.”
Here’s your blog history: In September 1864, PE hosted the Charlottetown Conference, which was
Shediac, NB Home of World
Shediac is a quaint coastal town with lots of character. The town calls itself the "Lobster Capital of the World" and hosts an annual festival every July which promotes its ties to lobster fishing; the largest lobster sculpture in the world is situated at the western entrance to the town. the first meeting in the process leading to the Articles of Confederation Articles and the creation of Canada in 1867. Prince Edward Island did not find the terms of union favorable and balked at joining in 1867, choosing to remain part of the nation of Great Britain and Ireland. In the late 1860s, the colony examined various options, including the possibility of becoming a discrete dominion unto itself, as well as entertaining delegations from the US, who were interested in Prince Edward Island joining the United States of America.
The gentile island was not so gentle the day I arrived. One can get to the island via air, ferry or the 8-mile Confederation Bridge. Now keep in mind the weather was terrible with rain and winds gusting from 40 to 70 km/h (25 to 45 mph). It only takes 12 minutes to cross the stretch but that day seemed like forever. The wind tossed be from side to side on the crossover and I thought that at any time I would be picked up and hurled over the side never to been seen again! It was probably the worst conditions I have ever ridden in…rain, cold and extreme wind
gusts. I thought there would be restrictions to motorcycles but since I did not see any “hazardous condition” signs, I made the decision to cross. Once you are on the bridge you are committed which is what they should have done to me for making that decision. You will have to trust me on this one since I was going to take video on the way over. After that crossing, I decided to take a break and compose my nerves and then go back across the bridge. The wind on the return “sail” was at my back and actually made the trip bearable. Anyway, that’s my experience with PEI.
I found out later that it was one of the windiest days they had in months.
It is presently the longest bridge in the world to cross ice-covered salt water.
While the bridge only has two lanes, and a speed limit of 50 mph, bridge patrol vehicles will assist motorists if they should encounter vehicle problems en route. In fact, emergency call boxes, equipped with telephones, fire extinguishers and an external alarm button, are located along the bridge at 750 meter intervals, all there to assist in safe
Confederation Bridge Structure
Because of its phenomenal length, the bridge uses a multi-span concrete box girder structure. passage. (Like I was going to stop in those conditions!)
After four years of construction using crews of more than five thousand local workers, the Confederation Bridge opened to traffic in the spring of 1997, at a total construction cost of one billion dollars.
After leaving PEI I made my way down from NB to NS. The Cabot Trail winds through some stunning landscapes, along the Margaree River and through the rugged highlands of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park of Canada.
The Cabot Trail was named after Italian explorer John Cabot who reached the area in 1497. Completed in 1932, the Cabot Trail’s 186-mile loop connects previously isolated communities with intriguing histories, including Acadian, Irish and Scottish settlements.
Several things I noticed. The roads were very clean and you did not see trash littering the highways and the roads were virtually without traffic. One might go several miles between car sightings. Since less than 1 million Nova Scotians inhabit an area approximately the size of West Virginia, this is not surprising.
Motorcycle riders planning on visiting the Cabot Trail will need to visit this site: http://www.motorcycletourguidens.com/
You need to experience the Cabot Trail.
PEI Confederation Bridge
At 12.9 kilometres (8 miles), the Confederation Bridge is world’s longest bridge over ice-covered water. It has won dozens of international engineering awards since its construction, and was designed to last for a century. It offers great golf, Celtic music, great hiking trails, whale watching, sea kayaking and salmon fishing to name a few.
There is no doubt the area is the prize of Nova Scotia with unique salt tasting fishing villages, unique culture and bordered by the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Atlantic Ocean.
There are villages like Ingonish, which preserves the influence of the early Scottish settlers, while on the gulf side, French-speaking towns such as Cheticamp, still celebrate their Acadian heritage. The area is home to moose, black bear and bald eagles.
Most of the Cabot Trail skirts the edges of the park, at times clinging to steep Oceanside cliffs that offer some spectacular views of the villages and coast below.
Unfortunately my ride on the Trail had to come to an end and move onto the next destination of Halifax. It was so rewarding and relaxing even though the weather did not cooperate fully. However, it made for some unique photos with the clouds and fog. Watching the lobster fisherman leave on their boats, working hard to earn a living and selling their catch reminded me of the hard work we all do to provide
PEI Confederation Bridge
The bridge also hosts a weather monitoring station, providing real-time information on wind speed, wind direction, air and road temperature, humidity, dew point, and the rate of precipitation. Bridge control staff use this information around the clock to issue electronic Travel Advisories, warning drivers of dangerous conditions for our families.
Nova Scotia, you have an awesome gift in the Cabot Trail. Thank you for taking care of this great resource for generations to come.
Take care everyone.
Rob
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Steve Holmes
non-member comment
Beautiful
Did this Cabot Trail 30 years ago. Brought back many wonderful memories . Be Safe: In our prayers. Steve Garrison, ND PD: Doing our FRG next Tuesday. SPAGHETTI! Indeed we will miss you!