Island of the Red Sands Tour aka The Beer and Bakeries Tour ;) - half complete

Now with over 6000 km on my bike and just less than 700 km left to ride, it is hard to imagine this trip is almost over. I will update you as far as I can today as I am in Sault Ste. Marie having a rest day with my friend Lauren whom I taught with up north.

The last time I left off, I had just left on the ferry to Wood Islands, PEI. Upon arriving I met two cyclists from Cape Breton Island who had just spent some time cycling on a tandem around PEI. They were a wonderful couple and encouraged me to come back to Cape Breton to spend some more time cycling in their neck of the woods. From there, I cycled into Charlottetown which was a great ride! I was able to be exposed to a glimpse of what scenery was to come in PEI and just how vibrant the red sands are. Upon arriving in Charlottetown, I met up with my friend Ted at the hostel and I proposed that we ride to Summerside to meet up with my Aunt Susan and Uncle Pete. He thought that was a great idea, but had already checked in at the hostel. The decision was made to ride, so we went to the bike shop, picked up the bike and headed out. We left the city by 4:30 and made it to Summerside around 8:00 p.m. Most of the ride was a little bit soggy, but we were happy to get the rain out of the way early on in the trip. Once in Summerside, I gave my aunt and uncle a ring and we met up with them for dinner. The dinner and beer was fabulous and filled the empty pit in our stomachs! My aunt and uncle invited us to stay with them, so we took them up on their offer. The sleep was great and we enjoyed breakfast with them the next morning as well.

Our goal was to make it to Cedar Dunes P.P., but after considering how far away that was, we decided to head towards O'Leary and stay at Mill River P.P. That day was somewhat overcast, but we knew that sunshine was on its way soon. We stopped for a bagel with some hershey kisses, peanut butter, and almonds for energy at lunch. At the spot where we stopped we met a local and he shared some stories with us and made sure we enjoyed our stay. Onwards we pedalled and that afternoon we stopped at a Tim Hortons to refuel before setting up camp for the evening. On the way to the campground we stopped to watch some young girls practicing for their baseball team. It brought back fond memories of when I played when I was younger. Finding the campground that evening was quite the chore and after riding about 10 km more than we needed to, we determined that the campground was almost directly across from where we were watching the baseball practice. Oh the joys of being in a new area and riding a bike! We decided to have a fire that night, but after being sold wet wood, we did not get too far!

The next day began with some great Tim Hortons coffee, doughnuts, and oat cakes...mmm! We pedalled into O'Leary and our first stop was the Potato Museum. We learned everything there was to know and more about potatoes! We even sampled some potato fudge that was delicious. Before heading out of town, we stopped at a Co-op for some groceries and a cafe to have a sweet bite to eat. That day we also went to Skinner's Pond where Stompin' Tom was born and raised. Our ride there was very pretty as we decided to take a backroad instead of the more frequently used highway. The beach down Skinner's Pond road was absolutely beautiful. We shell searched and took about an hour off the bikes to just relax, smell the ocean, and talk to some other tourists. We decided it was about time to mosey on to North Cape. We cycled along the coast where we saw many wind turbines as we neared the tip. We went past a harbour that represented a typical PEI scene with many fishing boats and lobster traps just waiting to bring home the catch of the day. When we arrived at the tip, we could see evidence of the tides beginning to come back in. We grabbed a bite to eat and then headed back down towards Alberton. It was a long day on the bikes, but my aunt and uncle had told us about King's restaurant in Alberton where there was a great fish and chips dinner. We made it there around 7:30 p.m. and we were both ready for some good food. We enjoyed great conversation and the gentleman, Mike, who ran the restaurant showed us where we could set up camp for the night. He was quite the character and said that where we were camped we would be 'safe as a church!'

We stopped for a coffee and a cinnamon bun the next morning before making our way to Cascumpec for breakfast. Today was a short ride as we only needed to make it to Tyne Valley where we were going to attend an Oyster Shucking festival. Breakfast was great and we ended up meeting this couple that was driving their little green sports car around PEI. They had encountered some vehicle troubles and were sharing their story on getting their car fixed as it was a car that not many mechanics had the knowledge to solve the problem. They were in the right place at the right time as an Islander spoke up and said that he had worked on their type of vehicle before. It was fixed and they were off in no time. Upon making it to Tyne Valley we had a chocolate milk (which I am sure we must have consumed over 10 L per person!) and a whoopie pattie (Cream sandwiched between two pieces of cake-mmm). We decided that we would make a stop at the local library to check our emails. When we arrived the library was closed, but another guy pulled into the parking lot. Michael was from Missisauga and he had been travelling around the island as well, taking day trips on his bike. He was also staying at the same campground we were about to head to. We said we would see him back there as he had some errands to run in town. It was an early day to be off the bikes and after setting up camp at Green Park P.P. we threw some laundry in and went to see what sort of adventures we could find on the beach. The beach was mediocre as there was a lot of seaweed. While out in the water, I did find a starfish which was pretty neat. We dove in and had a quick dip only to be covered in a white residue - something I was not used to having only swam in fresh water! We met up again with Michael while walking back from the beach and we asked if he would mind giving us a lift to the Oyster Festival. He said, 'Not a problem.' We made our way to the Oyster Festival that night and had a big serving of oysters and scallops along with some salad, fries, and a delicious piece of pie. We soon found out what a raw oyster tasted like and also found out what shucking was. This was quite the festival and the competitors got right into it. The best part was the one competitors response to the question - 'So what brings you here?' - 'I just wanted to drink some beer and hang out with my friends!' The whole experience was surreal!

The next day we hoped to make it to North Rustico as we wanted to go Deep Sea fishing the following day. We cycled to Kensington and we heard some live music that we wanted to check out. It turned out to be coming from this neat pub, but we had a hard time finding a table. There were some folks that were just leaving, so they said we could have their table. We got talking to them and they mentioned where they were from which ended up being about 20 min away from where Ted lived in southern Ontario. What a small world! After having a beer and some sweet potato fries we checked out some stores around the area and pedalled on to our destination. We cycled through Cavendish, which is one of the most highly sought out places to go in PEI. It was almost as if there was an explosion of tourists after we crested one hill. We had some Cows ice cream and then pedalled the rest of the way to White Sands Campground. That night we pedalled into town to grab a bite to eat and to check out the Deep Sea fishing for the following day. We met up with a local who tried to quiz us on a bird that had built it's nest up on top of a hydro pole. He said, 'I bet you don't know what that bird is up there.' I said, 'Might it be an osprey?' He was absolutely shocked! From there on in, I was termed the bird queen by Ted. We then rode out of town to the liquor store to get some beer for around the campfire. We arrived back at the campsite and I thought that we should split the wood, so we went over to another campsite to ask them if we could borrow their axe. They said, borrow our axe - you should just come and join our fire! So, Ted and I went over there equipped with our wood and beer and got to know these other campers. Marco, Monika, and two gorgeous girls, Viktoria and Kiara would end up being our entertainment for the night. We had a great time sharing stories and watching the stars - they were beautiful that night! Little did I know that I would end up staying with this wonderful family when I arrived in Montreal, which is where they were from.

It was a gorgeous morning the next day and we decided to get a bite to eat before heading out on the boat. After getting some nourishment we headed towards the wharf where we would be leaving from to go catch some mackerel. We got talking to one of our guides and somewhere in the conversation I mentioned that I was interested in the Tour D'Afrique. He then proceeded to say that his aunt and uncle wrote a book about that trip and that they were just having lunch in a restaurant across the way. He took Ted and I over there and introduced us. We quickly chatted about our experiences and Bernie and Beryl gave us each a signed copy of their book.

Well folks, I know I am leaving you hanging, but I have had enough of the computer today. I will be sure to back in touch soon and catch all of you up to speed!

Smiles and laughter,
Ashley :)