By Dave Pelletier
Welcome to our Rally Month! As I write this, we are just over 3 weeks away from our Gathering of the Clams Rally!
Our September Tuesday Breakfast is at Cindy’s Diner on Rte. 6 in Scituate. Hope to see you there!
Nova Scotia – August 2024
About 2 weeks ago, My wife, Pat, and I set out on a trip to Nova Scotia. This is a trip that I have long awaited for and was very pleased when Pat expressed interest in joining me, as she only recently started riding with me. I knew that I would not be riding up to Nova Scotia, as she is not comfortable riding longer distances. So, plan “B” was to take the car and trailer the bike. She also is not a fan of boats on open waters where she cannot see land, which meant we would be driving the distance instead of taking a ferry.
Four days before our scheduled departure, Pat informed that a tropical storm was to hit the area of Nova Scotia when we were scheduled to be riding there. With that, we spend 2 hours on the phone, changing our reservations, and those for our 2 dogs in the “spa” and left 2 days early.
Our first night was in St. John, New Brunswick for a quick night stay. We then headed to Jacob’s Ladder in Truro NS, where we climbed the 200 steps to a waterfall, which was not flowing much as they had not received a lot of rain. It was, however, a nice place to walk and stretch our legs.
The drive to Baddeck, NS took 2 days. We had found a place to stay and leave the car and trailer while we rode the Cabot Trail. Although the Trail is about 190 miles long, we had decided to do it in two days, with many sightseeing stops, and stopping for the night in South Harbor, where we secured a Dome type of Yurt with a bathroom. The dome was a little disappointing, as it was just a glorified tent without air conditioning. The thin, uninsulated walls did little to dull the laughter from close by neighbors around their campfire. To add to the disappointment, there was NO COFFEE to be found in the morning!
We stopped at the Groovy Goats where the Goats were very friendly, and Pat was able to feed them and make some new friends.
We rode counter clockwise and the scenery was beautiful, as you are riding on the side of hills that extend directly into the ocean. There are many pull offs to take pictures. As in many similar places, you have to limit your “scenic stops” or you will never get to your destination.
On the second day on the Cabot Trail, we entered Cape Breton Highlands, a National Park in Canada. Here the hills become mountains with several tight turns and elevation changes. You also have to be very aware of “bumps” in the roadway, as there seems to be a shortage of warning signs in Canada. One time, Pat did become airborne off the seat! (yes, I heard about that one!)
Back in Baddeck, we toured the Alexander Graham Bell museum, as he had settled in Baddeck in his later years. I was unaware of many of his inventions and marveled at the wall of telephones, many that I have used in my younger years.
We loaded up the bike onto the trailer and headed to Halifax, where we found an enjoyable city with a great riverside boardwalk with many eateries. We also drove through Lunenburg and Peggy’s Cove, where the storm surge gave us some much exaggerated waves crashing onto the rocks near the lighthouse.
We took 2 days to return home, stopping in Freeport Maine for the night, with the obligatory stop at LL Bean, then Kittery Trading Post on the way home in the morning. I was surprised to find that the primary language of Nova Scotia is English, as no one initiates a conversation in French, as in other areas of Canada. The road surface was good, but with some rougher sections tossed in here and there. I did notice that the drop off from road surface to parking lots was abrupt with about a 4” drop, which can be tricky when returning to the travel lane. The people were extremely friendly and courteous, and the exchange rate was in our favor at about $1.35 Canadian for every US Dollar.
As much as I would recommend this trip, I’m not sure that I would return, as there are so many other areas within the US that I would rather ride in; Blue Ridge Parkway and Smokey Mountain being two.
We put 2,000 miles on the car and 220 miles on the bike. All in all, a very enjoyable trip that I feel has had a positive impact on Pat and riding!
Ruber side down!
Dave Pelletier, OSBMWR President