I finally rode the "World Famous" Cabot Trail with my sweetie on her birthday which is today. We trailered the Triumph with us on our month down east. We did a fun drive on the Acadian Peninsula in New Brunswick although it pales in comparison to todays ride. We left the fishing shack we rented for 5 nights in Margaree Forks (not Margaree Valley, Margaree Harbour, Margaree Centre or East Margaree all named after one of the best fly fishing rivers in Canada) this morning as the mist was clearing. It was a blue bird day with large puffy cumulus clouds over head as we hit the first road construction detour which took us into the interior however signage was a little absent and we wound up doing a half hour loop but not on the road we wanted. It was kind of obvious when we passed a couple out for a walk for the second time ( we passed them for the second time I am sure they have done many more walks then that) Back on track we stopped for a gas up in Beddeck (Alexander Graham Bells home and also where Marconi made first wireless transmission across the Atlantic) where the springs on my kick stand fell off at the pump but with the grace of a pump repair guy and his channel lock pliers and another guy who told us he rode the Dragons Tale we got back on the road. We were told take the Englishtown ferry which is the best way to get up and on the twisties and from there it started and now I know why it is concidered one of the top three driving roads.
Maybe I should have prefaced this with the fact we drove the road in our car about 8 years ago but in a clockwise direction fun but not the same, today we did the counterclockwise direction which is the recommended for the views and if one stops most of the turn outs are on that side of the road. You rise from sea level up through small towns and forests to highlands that remind one of Scotland (probabaly why so many Scots settled here) and then back down to sea level then back up to elevation. Once across the highlands you start a decent through tight twisties down towards Chiticamp, on that section which is shear cliffs it has all of the best photo opps of the route and is what is always published in tourist brochures.
If you ever get a chance to do this route this is one of the best times of year as the tourist season is at least two weeks away so there are few cars with scenery gawkers behind the wheel and much safer to ride but the weather is improving. It is/was a spectacular day with a good bottle of wine with dinner for Janes birthday and a fantastic ride.
