A Close Second

Day 80. Grand Falls to Woodstock. 77 mi. 5002 miles TTD. 2140 ft elevation. Weather warm with a little headwind

New Brunswick is quickly becoming the second best place in Canada to bike. By the end of my time here, it might even take Quebec’s first place position.

Today, I had a trail from Grand Falls almost to my motel in Woodstock. Not only was it a fairly good trail, but it was also beautiful. If I wasn’t next to the St John River, I was in beautiful farmland for over 70 miles. It was literally one of those days where I wonder why I am so fortunate and when I wish every one of my loved ones and friends were with me so that they can enjoy this amazing place.

I realize it’s weird to take pictures of bathrooms, but when you’re from Pueblo where all the bathrooms are locked or destroyed a clean bathroom with flush toilets in public area is astounding and worth a picture.

The small towns scattered along the trail were not just clean but incredibly attractive. The pavilion in the picture above is just a park at the edge of town. The flowers could have been in the Botanical Gardens in Denver, but they were literally just part of a public park. The picnic tables didn’t have graffiti on them. In fact, you could probably eat off of them.

I stopped for lunch at a donated lookout. It was in honor of someone that had passed away.. Between those posts, there is glass, and the wood decking is in the shape of a maple leaf. There were two nice benches to sit on. I enjoyed my lunch comfortably looking out over the St John River. Again, no graffiti and the benches clean and well kept.

When I wandered off the trail into the town of Hartland to find a convenience store, I happened upon the longest Covered Bridge in the world. That’s what the sign says over the bridge, and I’m going with it. I considered riding through it, but it was a single Lane, and even the cars going opposite directions seemed to be struggling with whose turn it was at any given time.

When I came to the outskirts of Woodstock, I was on the east side of the river and had to take a bridge over to the town on the west side. This is looking back up the St John River that I just came down.