Wed August 19 Green Park Prov Park, PEI

(Photo: my domestiques)

Slept well last night with the AC and a full belly, got up early and got going. The route to the Confederation Bridge is pretty flat, along fairly major highways and with the wind at my back most of the time I did the 65 km at a 28 km/hr average. Got the shuttle (12 passenger van and trailer for bikes) to PEI to find that the PEI end of the bridge was like an amusement park - excited people running from T-shirt building to ice cream parlour to info centre etc. Even fender benders in the parking lot and angry people arguing with their spouses. InfoCentre people helpful, probably most of us forgetting we are on a tiny island so most questions must seem stupid to them. Like NB they have 4 scenic routes. Better than anywhere else, the r/r has been abandoned completely so there is and end to end bike-ped route with "spur lines" to the cities and ports. Unfortunately it is mostly gravel so I won't be using it. Rode out to Summerside and the "North Cape Coastal Drive". Summerside is hosting the Canada Games at the moment - I believe Charlottetown next week. As I arrived a group of roadies caught up to me as they were practising the road race course. I drafted them for a while - my domestiques - until I saw a liquor store sign. Knowing how difficult it was to find beer in NB I let them go while I did my shopping for dinner. Found out later PEI puts the liquor store directions on the tourist directional signs like they are just another gas stn., museum or B&B. People here are great - near the bridge they ignore the tourists but everywhere else they wave from their porches, mailboxes, from the car. Everyone wants to chat and top up my water bottles. As it was getting close to "quitting time" I headed for this Prov Park. When I was about 6 km away the humid weather with hazy visibility turned to a shower. At first I was liking the light rain and its cooling effect. The clouds didn't look too dark but fearing it could turn to heavy rain I started looking for a place to hide. The sides of farm roads were mostly swampy, impassable ditches or driveways to houses that I didn't really want to use. Then I crossed the bike - ped (r/r) route and it had a covered picnic table. Perfect. The cover wasn't much bigger than the table but when it started to pour and hail briefly, I had to stand on the table, in the downwind corner to keep dry. I made a couple ham and cheese bagels and by the time I was ready to eat them the sun was shining again. Made it to the park to find yet another campground that is under used. They have a couple dozen hut-cabins (I think one in use) a couple dozen unserviced sites - only me and another tent but I haven't seen a person there, and a couple dozen serviced sites (I didn't go over there but they might have 4 RVs.) I'm on the beach - hopefully not a 15m tide here - the swimming is not that great b/c the water is only ~1 foot deep, however I did see 2 party boats - one fishing type boat with about 20 kids jumping from the roof of the cabin. Looks like this campground will be a freebie as the "ranger" just went by in a golf cart cart, said hello and kept going. Twice. I might have a curious skunk in the neighbourhood though.

OD 6793.4 km, 7:09:19, 166.02 km, 23.1 ave, 54.1 max