GIANT Lobster

 Day 20 Antigonish, Nova Scotia    

Distance traveled: 341.5 km

Cumulative distance: 2851.1 km

Temperture range: 15 -17

Maximum speed: 105 kph

We woke up to light rain today. Nothing onerous but rain nonetheless. It wasn't raining so hard that we donned our rain gear - our riding gear has a limited amount of water repellancy - but still, it takes a certain amount of intrepidity to get out there when it would be so much easier to just sit around and drink coffee hoping it would stop. 

As we loaded our gear, I continued to work on the route, with Skynet's help again. This time, I asked for a route from our motel to my friend Ted's house in Antigonish, in five hours or less, avoiding highways, a scenic route along the coast without highways and all on pavement.  It took me about three tries to get the wording right and we ended up with what looked to me like a pretty good route option, with the exception that the first four stops were in the opposite direction of Antigonish. Rather than ask for a correction and risk getting a poor route, I just loaded the map and then cancelled the 2nd, 3rd and 4th stop. I kept the first stop because, as I was reminded of the GIANT LOBSTER in Shediac, we had to make sure we saw that before we blew this pop stand.

Another suggestion offered up by Skynet was places to eat along the way. I thought, why not? We always check out the reviews anyway so were still going to make our own decision. The first suggestion was some place in Shediac but we were determined we were going to ride more than five minutes before taking a break. The second was in Pugwash, about an hour and a half into the ride. I love that name. Pugwash. We speculated what we might see there, like, pugs getting their faces washed. No luck. But we did find Sheryl's Bakery & Cafe. The third option was a brewery in Tatamagouche. I guess Skynet doesn't realize that beer and bikes don't mix.

On the road, the rain was light and then in short order, nonexistent and even though the pavement was wet everywhere, we were not really getting rain on us. It was noon by the time we got to Pugwash and we found Sheryl's.  The parking lot was very busy and the place was packed full with a lineup at the counter. Of seniors. I thought, "well, at least the portions will be sensibly sized" but there was no place to sit. Nan asked if we should try somewhere else but looking around the room, I saw two tables that could have easily accomodated two more people so I picked the one in the back corner as it looked like the patrons there were just about done and walked all the way through the restaurant. I was going to ask them if we could join them but before I asked, they offered to have us join them. They were more or less locals, a couple, Bob and Colleen, down from Moncton to play music at the local seniors residence. I thought they could be residents of the "home" themselves and then Colleen laughed that they were older than some of the residents. They play 50s and 60s rock.

There we are looking like Bob and Colleen' groupies.

Perfect. They ended up sticking around until we had finished our lunch, then bailed. Then a gal at the next table, also a seniour but wearing a Harley leather jacket wanted to know every detail of our trip. I gave her the Cole's Notes version as we had already been in there an hour. 

Oh, and the food was incredible. The menu was a chalkboard on the wall as you walk in offering hamburger soup, chicken Caesar salad or a sandwich. We each had a large bowl of hamburder soup and split a chicken salad sandwhich, which we didn't need. The bread had obviously been baked that morning. The soup came with a biscuit and I think it was the best biscuit I have ever eaten, which is saying something because my mother made pretty good biscuits as it was an important staple in my father's house growing up so mom really had to step up her game. There were a lot of great looking baked goods on disply but Colleen warned me that if we started, we would be on a slippery slope. She also offered up that Sheryl, the owner of the restaurant, you to babysit her kids (or was it grandkids?).

While we were inside eating, it POURED outside. Amazingly, the rain turned to a light drizzly by the time we went back out to the bike and stopped shortly after leaving. I told the staff that Skynet had recommended their place.

It was generally devoid of rain for the remainder and when we stopped in Pictou for a coffee break, the rain was about done for the day. We had coffee across the street from the old post office, an impressive stone block building on an old street. There is even a window in the chimney!

Don't drop  your mail there now.

We rode up the coast through Merigomish to Arisaig, which we saw from the road as we were riding by. It has a little light house and a harbour so we went down to take a closer

 look. While looking around, we met two bikers who were just out for a day ride and they asked us if we were going up to Cape George. I told hem we were going to Antigonish and they insisted we should take the loop over the cape because we would see a great lighthouse, Cape Breton and expeience some twisty roads. As it turned out, the weather was lifting, with even some blue flecks in the clouds and they said it was only 15 minutes. I knew that wouldn't be the case but it was all the encouragment I needed. Nan needed a little more but we had had a much easier ride than yesterday, though we were still feeling it in unmentionable places. Well, I will have to say that it was probably the funnest and one of the prettiest roads we have ridden on the trip. Totally worth the extra 40 minutes, even though I was sacrificing my friend Ted in the process. We've waited 30 years. 40 minutes wouldn't make much difference.

This house is haunted. We could see ghosts in the window.

This boneyard was just in a random field.

Skynet's favourite restaurant in Pugwash.

These pictures are from Pictou. I think it warrants more time there.

These aren't from Pictou.