Day 73: Shediac to Borden-Carleton, Prince Edward Island

Yesterday morning, I rode all the way from Shediac to the Confederation Bridge shuttle stop. I decided not to camp at Murray Beach Provincial Park Campground because I was so early in getting there.

I arrived at the shuttle stop at 11:45 AM and had to use the phone to call the shuttle service. A driver in a Ford EV pickup truck came. After putting my bicycle on the bike rack and loading my panniers in the frunk, the driver also had to guide a truck that towed a huge mobile home. The bridge was closed for the opposite lane so the mobile home can get through.

The Confederation Bridge doesn’t allow bicycles and pedestrians because the wind can be so strong. It’s the longest bridge in Canada at 12.9 km long, or about 8 miles, and was completed in 1997.

After the driver dropped me off on the other side of the Confederation Bridge in Borden-Carleton on Prince Edward Island, I looked for a place to have lunch and ended up having a fried haddock with fries at Yumi Chowder House.

I rode my bike to the nearby lighthouse to take a look before I went to the Borden/Summerside KOA Journey campground. I rode 46.6 miles.

At the campground, I was charged CA$49, or about $36 USD, for some grass to set up my tent. That’s the most I’ve paid for a campsite. The good news is that there’s a swimming pool. It's been hot these few days. The temperature was 83 F in the afternoon. I went into the pool for a bit then took a shower.

It was early afternoon so I had plenty of time. I was able to call my dad and wish him a happy birthday via Google Voice. My US Google Voice number works in foreign countries through Wifi.

Later, I chatted with Howard, the cyclist I had met on day 16 of my trip when I was on my way to Utica, NY. We’ve been messaging on WhatsApp before and I was able to call him through the app. We had a great conversation and I felt Howard is some kind of a sage who lived through multiple lifetimes from all the different things he did, including running a peace center in San Francisco, being a psychotherapist, and rebuilding bicycles.

After setting up my tent, I went to bed. Around 4:45 AM, it started to drizzle. There was only a 10% chance of rain according to the forecast and with my luck I got rained on since I didn’t put the tarp over my tent.

There were so many hungry mosquitoes waiting for me as I put up the tarp. When I came back into my tent, there were over a dozen of these bloodsuckers inside my tent. I spent some time killing most of them then slept for two more hours. Obviously, my sleep wasn’t that good due to the rain and the mosquitoes. This is why I hate camping.

In the morning, I packed up everything and rode back toward the town so I can have breakfast at Tim Hortons. I will be staying with a Couchsurfing host whom I thought lives in Charlottetown, but he actually lives outside of the town on a farm.

It’ll be a 32 mile ride over there and I have plenty of time since I have to be there after 2 PM.

Riding through Cap-Pelé

More rural roads

This sign means I'm on the Acadian Coastal Drive, a scenic route showcasing the Acadian culture and heritage.

Haven't used a phone booth in years. Had to use this one to call the shuttle service.

Crossing the Confederation Bridge

First meal in Prince Edward Island

The lighthouse in Borden-Carleton

Confederation Bridge

Some kind of a memorial by the lighthouse and the bridge

Another view from the port of Borden-Carleton