Halifax, NS to Chester, NS

June 22, 2015

We woke to an overcast sky with some evidence of rain. Nothing heavy, and by the time we were packed and headed to breakfast, it was gone. Temperatures were in the low 60s, but it was breezy. Breakfast was at the Bluenose II in downtown Halifax, not far from our course out of town. We planned to do 50 miles today, so there was no rush. I was more concerned about traffic and the climb over the hill than much of anything else.

Breakfast was good, highlighted by a real local character: a Canadian cyclist who had been cycling since 1967 (he said he was 71). He saw our bikes and approached us in the restaurant. He was one of these types who never stops talking, and the conversation was decidedly one-sided. At first we tried to participate, but that clearly was a waste of time. After one too many anecdotes about cars and girlfriends, the manager finally came over and gave us some relief. He was not the first person like this who had taken an interest in us and will not likely be the last. The vulnerabilities of travel!

So we hit the road, climbed over the hill (past the Halifax Citadel located on the highest point), and headed northwest into the prevailing wind. Traffic was light, and we made good progress clearing the city.

Today's ride to Chester

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One thing we decided to give a try was the rail trail leading northwest and down the peninsula toward Yarmouth. I had routed our course along NS-3 as I thought the trail would be unsuitable for our loaded touring bikes. However, the section we joined at around mile four proved paved, so we took it knowing we could revert to the original plan if things turned unacceptable.

Our entry point to the Chain of Lakes Trail.

True to its name, it passes by many lakes.

Somewhere about mile eight, the trail becomes the Beechville Lakeside Timberlea Trail and is unpaved. Yikes, I thought, I was just starting to really enjoy this. But the treatment of the surface was perfect (hard-packed base with cinders), and, even after the heavy rains, proved solid for riding.

A perfect ride out of Halifax. The woods limited our views of the urban surroundings (a good thing) and also provided protection from the wind (another good thing).

Of course, the trail was not entirely perfect, but the "potholes" were easily navigated.

At about mile 20 we stopped at this former rail station now turned into The Bike & Bean, a side-by-side coffee shop and bike shop.

We stopped for about 30 minutes to relax for a bit, and Happy grabbed a cup of coffee while I plotted our next steps. The trail was nice, but it was starting to wander a bit, and I was keen on riding NS-3 along the shoreline of St Margarets Bay. It had also started to rain, and we would make better time on the harder road surface. So we jumped off the trail and onto NS-3. We were now far enough from the city that traffic was pretty quiet, and the ride would be comfortable. And hopefully we'd have great views.

The rest of the ride was along this road, with mostly gentle rolling hills and flatland along the shore. We arrived in Chester after about 45 miles. Chester has the oldest pub in Nova Scotia, The Fo'c'sle, so we enjoyed a good meal and walkabout of the town.

Today's ride: 47 miles (76 km)
Total: 3,074 miles (4,947 km)

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