Lower Argyle, NS to Yarmouth, NS

June 26, 2015

Yarmouth.

Today was our last ride together. Only 20 some odd miles. A relaxing end to a long trip. No rush. No agenda. No place to be. Except Yarmouth.

Today's ride to Yarmouth

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We planned to be there by noon or thereabouts. We thought we might tour the town a bit. I was thinking more along the lines of hitting a pub. But whatever. Tomorrow we take the ferry to Portland, Maine and go our separate ways. But that would be tomorrow!

Today we woke to the lawn being mowed, the birds chirping, and the sun rising. The window had been open all night, and it felt good. We had a breakfast "appointment" for 8:30, our normal "breakfast hour" (Jerry, please forgive us). So the alarms went off at 7:00 (as usual), and we rose at 7:30 (not as usual but sometimes!). Breakfast was delicious.

Then we had the morning views of last night's views!

And the sunset becomes a sunrise . . . looking the other way! And no wind lol!

And then we were on the road. Old reliable NS-3. No traffic and few dogs (one big one that was unleashed only half-heartedly chased me down the road).

A view of one of the numerous bodies of water we would pass today. This part of Nova Scotia is full of inlets, islands, and fingers of land. It's hard to know what you're on and what you're not on.

As we came closer to Yarmouth, we saw more evidence of French Acadia. The tip of the peninsula has a larger French Acadia presence than the rest of Nova Scotia, and we again started seeing many signs in French, which had sort of disappeared when we left St John, NB and arrived in Digby, NS. I had heard French at the pub in Liverpool where we ate dinner. Now I was seeing French on every sign. And it was the lead language. I stopped at this church, which looked like a cathedral with its two spires.

Ste Anne d'Argyle at Rocco Point near Ste Anne du Ruisseau, Nova Scotia.

This is a significant edifice and the third church on this site since 1784.

As we meandered down NS-3, I spied the makings of a rail trail. This is the continuation of the one we've either been on or seen since we left Halifax. As noted previously, the route is planned but not completed, particularly at the water crossings, which are expensive to build. In this case, however, it was clear the money had been invested.

An old railroad bridge used to cross a waterway on the rail trail.

As I checked my map (i.e., Google) and saw that a nearby road intersected it, I diverted off NS-3 to check it out.

From my perspective, there are three major problems here: sand, stone, and ATVs. So after riding on it for a short distance, I bailed after the next crossing with NS-3 and returned to my original route. These trails are good in spots, but when they try to co-mingle ATV users with cyclists, you have a problem with trail maintenance and wear and tear. What might be acceptable or even desirable to an ATV user is not going to suit the cyclist.

So in good time we were in Yarmouth. We went straight to the ferry terminal and purchased tickets for tomorrow, including a seaside cabin! Only $59 more. We then checked into our hotel, showered and changed, and hit the local brewpub on the waterfront, only several blocks away. We spent the rest of the day there relaxing and watching the crowd build on a Friday night, eating and drinking the whole while.

A live local band (that was OK and only did covers).

And another beautiful Nova Scotian sunset. My last for a while.

Today's ride: 24 miles (39 km)
Total: 3,267 miles (5,258 km)

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