TIP-TO-TIP RIDE FOR OUR FORTY-FIFTH

This is us in June 1970, in Elva’s yard, with my brand-new Yamaha Enduro 175cc bought as a high school graduation gift from Sportsmen’s Motorcycle Services in downtown Wellington. We were a little less bulky back then and a little hairier but very excited to go on our first ride. We’d been going together for about eighteen months. Fifty years later, we’re still going together. Our motorcycle phase has passed and we’ve moved on up to pedal power.

A couple of weeks ago, I asked Elva where she wanted to go to dinner to celebrate our 45^th wedding anniversary on August 15. Next morning, she gave me her answer; “I’ve always wanted to do the Tip-to-Tip, so why don’t we do it this year.” An hour or so later, I had the route mapped out and our hotels booked on booking.com. We’ve usually been quick to agree on things and this adventure proved to be no exception. And we’ve always tried to do something different. It’s what’s kept our best-friendship alive and well these fifty-two years later.

For those who don’t know, to an Island cyclist, the “Tip-to-Tip” is a ride from one end of the Island to the other, usually in one day. I’ve done the North Cape to East Point one-day ride three times: in 1987, 2006, and 2009. The first time was a fund-raiser for Le Centre préscolaire Évangéline and I rode it alone. We raised about $4,400, equivalent to $10,000 or so in today’s dollars, and my knees never forgave me. The next two were done with groups of riders and with me much better prepared for the 260-kilometer journey.

We left home early the first morning, headed for our destination at North Cape. Our route that day would take us from the northwest tip of the Island to the Mill River Resort and back, a distance of 82 kilometers. We stopped for a moment at the pocket port of Seacow Pond to watch fishers and their helpers load lobster traps on their boats on the eve of setting day.

Our ride from there through Tignish and onto Route 2 was uneventful. We made it to the halfway point at Mill River, stopped for a snack and headed north to our starting point. By 11:30, the temperature had hit 30C and it was starting to get to me. I was glad to get off the bike and turn on the air-conditioning. We had a nice meal in Tignish and spent the afternoon exploring, coming across this fella hanging around at Gavin’s Auto Service: “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”, according to the sign. Our stay at the Mill River Resort was very pleasant: a nice, clean room and two good meals.

Day 2 would see us pedal 38 kilometers from Mill River to Goodwin’s Corner near Wellington. We headed south first in order to have the wind at our backs on the return journey. It turned out to be an easier ride than the first day’s because the winds were lighter and we finished before the temperature became unbearable. There isn’t much to see on that section of Route 2 so, after lunch at Tim Hortons, we took the long way round, stopping at West Point for a short walk on the beach.

Chez Yvette in Urbainville was our next stop. We were treated like la parenté by host Yvette (à Edmond à Clément) Deschenes and had a lovely overnight stay. Day 3 dawned warm and windy. It was a relatively short ride to Kensington, 30 kilometers or so, and we had to contend with some fairly strong crosswinds. On the way back to our car at Goodwin’s Corner, we detoured into my home village, Wellington. 

The photo below shows the house where I grew up, built by my grandfather in 1913. Elva and I lived there from 1979 to 1990 and our three children spent their early years there. The caboose and speeder are among the few reminders of the railway’s importance to Wellington from 1875 until the last train came through just over a century later.

Back in Kensington, we checked in to The Home Place B&B, got cleaned up and drove through Cavendish and North Rustico, taking a stroll on the lovely village boardwalk, one of my favourite places on our beautiful Island. Our hosts, Angie and Greg Hitchcock were very gracious and served us an excellent breakfast before we hit the road.

Day 4 was the toughest: only 48 kilometers but very hot, very hilly, and with a stiff crosswind. Elva suffered more than I did but she made it to Charlottetown. A friend drove our car from Kensington to home, saving us the trouble of doubling back. The rolling countryside was beautiful to look at but rolling downhill in a 40 kph crosswind doing 50 kph required some serious concentration. We were glad to spend a night in our own bed and enjoy a home-cooked meal.

Day 5 was as close to cycling bliss as it comes: slight tail wind, not too many hills, nice wide shoulder, and not too hot. The old Chubby’s Roadhouse, Bud’s Diner and Spoke Wheel Car Museum in Dunstaffnage look pretty shabby these days but I’m old enough to remember the 1970s when such roadside attractions were popular with tourists and locals alike.

We rolled along the Hillsborough River to Mt. Stewart and from there to one of my favourite rivers, the Morell. I fly-fish upstream from the bridge on Route 2. At St. Peters Bay, we left Route 2 for the Northside Rd. to avoid the hills between Souris and East Point. Friends drove our car to a spot in Clearspring and parked it there for us. The odometer read 74 kilometers when we got there, none the worse for wear on my end but Elva’s was suffering from a case of “hotfoot”. Time for new shoes, I guess.

Since this was to be our Island staycation, we’d decided to stay at the Rodd Crowbush Resort. We weren’t disappointed. It’s a beautiful spot, right on the championship golf course and a few minutes walk to the beach. The view from our balcony wasn’t hard to take either! We watched the sun set over the Gulf of St. Lawrence, satisfied with another wonderful day.

Day 6 started at the East Point Lighthouse and our task was simply to ride 33 kilometers to Clearspring and back. An early morning rain shower and the unusual calm air amplified the late-summer smells, taking me back in time to childhood memories of blueberry picking. Of course, they were half eaten by the time I got home and Mom would ask: “How am I supposed to make us a pie with that?”

The Northside Road used to count several thriving fishing and farming communities, complete with schools and stores. Today, many of the fields are grown over, only a few active farms remain between St. Peters Bay and East Point, and the shoreline is dotted with summer homes. The contrast between modern windmill farm and abandoned farmhouse is striking.

Priest Pond and North Lake Harbour are among our favourite places along this shore and we stopped at each for a few minutes to take in the views. Before we knew it, we’d turned onto the Lighthouse Road and were coasting down to the northeastern tip of the Island, high-fiving one another, satisfied with our accomplishment.

We’re very glad to have done this ride and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate our 45 years as a married couple. Elva says it will be her last Tip-to-Tip. Me, I never say never. Fact is, in this unusual summer of Covid-19, we’ve met Islanders everywhere who have chosen to do things differently and explore this magnificent place we call home. Who knows what next year will bring.

An old bachelor gave me some advice one day when I was a young teenager: “My father told me what to look for in a woman: ‘Find yourself one that’s good on the harrows and looks like she could stand a hard winter’”. I took his advice and have never regretted my choice!