Stops & Rest

Day 98. Charlottetown to Rodd Crowfish. 52 miles. 1300 feet elevation. 5932 TTD. Weather perfect with a nice tailwind. I did the early-morning drive and car drop-off so we would have a car for the evening shuttle, and I could add some extra miles.

The trail out of Charlottetown required us to backtrack. Unfortunately, not everyone was aware, despite supposedly being experts and having their map apps ready. I wasn’t with the group because I had driven a car out to the end of the route with my bike to have a shuttle back. While I was riding back towards Charlottetown, a good portion of the group was riding in the wrong direction and enjoyed about a six- to seven-mile detour. Of course, this was not a pleasing thing for most. They were looking forward to a short day.

Being the fourth day, many of the butt and leg complaints were dying down as everyone settled into riding. There was still the powertrain up front, with the teenagers plowing forward. The three little ones in the wehoos and tagalongs were very pleasant as they got pulled along. And the mothers were happy that the kids were either up front or on Dad’s wehoos.

One mistake we made, in my opinion, was not taking enough stops. Part of that had to do with not knowing what was along the route, but it was also the sense of racing that became a bit prevalent. Teenagers were definitely out in front racing, and Logan was often starting each day about the time some were getting out of bed. Next year, I think we’ll try to schedule rest stops at the start of the day.

On my ride back from dropping the car off at the end of the ride, I came across a sign pointing up through a narrow trail cut in the brush. The sign said “bakery.” I was hungry and headed up through the brush and past a cemetery to finally find a house. It seemed an unlikely spot for a bakery until I noticed a sign on the garage door saying “The Bakery.” I tentatively walked in and found a self-serve bakery with wonderful homemade goods. They made a little more on my purchases as I only had American money. Can you imagine a self-serve bakery in Pueblo?

There weren’t an abundant number of places to stop or snack along the trail today. However, there was a small bakery/café and a lovely gazebo. We were able to get some snacks, including an egg roll donair, which I found quite tasty.

A couple pulled up on a tandem and were clearly touring. In my ever-friendly mood, I chatted with them. They were touring around PEI from Ohio. They told me about some of the other riding experiences and that they had covered about 12,000 miles over the last 6 years, doing a tour each year. I then caught up with the group as we finished the last leg of our ride to Rodd Crowbush Beach and Golf Resort.

A short ride day gave us time to play. The resort was perfect as it was near the beach on the North Shore of PEI. We all spent some time on the sand and in the Atlantic. It was a beautiful afternoon, followed by a seafood dinner for most. It was a true PEI experience for our last evening on the trail.