Confederation Path and Nationwide Parks Biking Tour

Earlier than we even received to the beginning of the famed Confederation Path biking route, I had my eye on the lobster shack at Victoria By the Sea. I like biking; this new-to-me exercise has gained me over and I’m excited to discover new locations by bike. Nevertheless, I REALLY love lobster, and the considered spending 6 days biking PEI and with the ability to eat lobster every single day had me over the moon. Prince Edward Island is made for seafood lovers and bikers…and I’m each.

The place is PEI?

Welcome to Prince Edward Island, Canada’s smallest province, positioned on the Atlantic coast. It could be small in dimension, however it’s huge in character. Finest identified for its pleasant locals, crimson sand seashores, potato farms, lobster dinners, and Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Inexperienced Gables, PEI can also be a bicycle owner’s dream.

This wasn’t my first time in PEI. I visited a couple of years in the past to do a street journey across the island. That’s once I realized of the wonderful biking alternatives that the island had. And it’s been on my radar ever since to come back again and see the island at a slower tempo.

Pedaling for Lobster

In case you didn’t know – I like lobster. And particularly, I’m kind of obsessive about Canadian Maritimes lobster. My plan was to cycle PEI on a collection of trails that crisscross the island and see the very best of the fishing villages, farms, and communities whereas consuming as a lot seafood/lobster as I presumably may! I took a 7-day self-guided PEI biking tour with Nice Canadian Trails which specializes within the bucket record out of doors adventures of Canada!

Searching for extra Canada bucket record journey concepts – try my expertise on the self-guided East Coast Path hike with Nice Canadian Trails in Newfoundland.

PEI Biking – All the Necessities

The fantastic thing about self-guided holidays is that Nice Canadian trails care for all the time-consuming logistics, and also you get the liberty of biking your manner. There are after all advised stops – however it’s finally as much as you so long as you make it to the resort on the finish of the day! Additionally they care for bike leases and supply an app to simply comply with the route and particulars of the journey.

Bike Rental

It begins with the bike – fortunately Nice Canadian Trails organizes this for you! On the primary day in Charlottetown, I picked up my rental bike for the week. Once I walked into the bike store to get fitted for my tour bike, my eyes practically popped out of my head like a cartoon character. It had the most important stock of bikes and equipment that I’ve seen in the course of the pandemic. There’s been a motorcycle scarcity ever because the pandemic, however you wouldn’t understand it right here; that they had every little thing! Not solely did we choose up our bikes, however I used to be additionally ready to decide on our pannier baggage, water bottles, helmets, and different last-minute gear I wanted.

Most individuals get a hybrid bike for the journey, nevertheless, with the shop’s massive stock of bikes and equipment, you too can simply lease an electrical pedal help bike for the 5-day biking journey. That is nice if somebody in your group is new to biking and desires to journey with extra skilled riders. It means everybody can keep collectively and have a good time!

PEI Bike Trails

There are greater than 310 miles of motorcycle trails on this picturesque little island. For my 5 day PEI biking tour, we primarily used the 2 most well-known biking trails in PEI; the Confederation Path and Gulf Shore Parkway. The remainder of the time (which was minimal) we biked alongside quiet nation roads. Total, the paths are medium in terms of hills. The paths are usually fairly flat, however you’ll come throughout a couple of rolling hills on the backcountry roads often – that’s when the ebike turns out to be useful for inexperienced persons!

Confederation Path

The ‘Confederation Path’ is an previous rail line reaching from the far west to the far east coast of the island – it’s identified domestically because the ‘tip-to-tip’ path. We didn’t do your entire factor – nevertheless, we began and ended on the Confederation Path. This completely groomed biking path product of crushed limestone had a slight gradient and plenty of tremendous shade alongside the best way! It connects a bunch of little cities and is a pleasant strategy to traverse the island away from vehicles.

Biking down the Gotthard Cross within the Swiss Alps: taking the Tremola Street much less traveled

Gulf Shore Parkway Biking Path

This cycle path traverses Prince Edward Island Nationwide Park and delivers you proper to essentially the most lovely stretches of shoreline in a car-free lane…perfection! It’s additionally excellent as a result of you’ll be able to safely cease alongside the path and take within the gorgeous views and lupine flowers! The Gulf Shore Parkway connects the seashores of Cavendish to North Rustico to Brackley to Covehead to Stanhope.

Day 1 – Biking Borden Carleton to Stanley Bridge

We rode from Borden Carleton (the place the bridge to New Brunswick is) to the tiny fishing village of Stanley Bridge. It was about 33 miles in whole. We spent the morning on the Confederation Path and the afternoon on the backroads. The Confederation Path took us by means of potato and corn fields, and we had been in a position to see the agricultural lifetime of PEI. After lunch, we hit the gently rolling hills of the north of the island the place the solar confirmed up, and we had lovely blue skies, colourful lupines, and so many bucolic views!

Lobster Rolls and Oysters

As I mentioned – as a lot as this was concerning the biking, it was additionally about consuming seafood, and it began on our first cease in Kensington the place we loved lobster rolls and native beer. However the very best seafood cease was pedaling proper into Carr’s Oyster Bar on the finish of the day in Stanley Bridge. Right here I launched my good friend Caroline to the enjoyment of plump scrumptious uncooked oysters. She was a uncooked oyster virgin, so we gave her our greatest recommendation (at all times chew them and benefit from the style) and he or she is now an oyster eater!

Carr’s was positioned proper on the water and had some unimaginable fish and chips with PEI potato salad…a staple to any meal on the island!

The place to search out ocean to desk lobster within the Canadian Maritimes

Day 2 -Stanley Bridge to North Rustico

At the moment on my quest for seafood, health, and mind-blowing views, we arrived on the coast. Wow oh wow these views immediately had been superb! We began the day at Parks Canada Cavendish Nationwide Park the place we found sand dunes, boardwalks, and nice seashores. Individuals had been already selecting their seaside spots and the entire space was buzzing with an excellent summer time vibe.

We additionally biked into the ‘house city’ of Anne of Inexperienced Gables – and the fictional city Avonlea based mostly on the PEI city of Cavendish. Only a bit inland from Cavendish Nationwide Park you discover rolling hills of inexperienced (a little bit of a problem on a motorcycle!) and wildflowers dotting the countryside. We stopped on the put up workplace the place you’ll be able to be taught extra about AoGG writer and her life rising up…in addition to get a particular postage stamp!

The stretch from Cavendish Nationwide Park to North Rustico was my favourite of your entire journey. The journey alongside the coast was magical and we had loads of alternatives to cease for views of the crimson cliffs and Lupines.

That night we stayed in my favourite lodging – little cottages close to the water. This charming resort was a household enterprise that had been working 157 years! I can’t imagine that the resort has been within the household for therefore many generations – and every continues to maintain it thriving within the altering world of tourism. We parked our bikes exterior of our cottages and soaked up the ambiance of this cute property close to the coast!

Native Tip – Lobster Served Chilly

We continued on the Gulf Shores Path for the afternoon to North Rustico…in any other case often known as my lobster paradise. The lovable city had a colourful lively fishing wharf lined with lobster traps (at all times a great signal). We street on the wharf straight to the island’s most well-known lobster restaurant – Fisherman’s Wharf Lobster Supper.

I wasn’t ready for the enormity of this place; it seated tons of of individuals and apparently is house to the longest all-you-can-eat salad bar on the island. I at all times get excited by a great superlative journey cease. I took a seat, placed on my lobster bib, and was able to put again on all of these energy I had burned on the bike.

What number of methods are you able to eat lobster?

“Do you like your complete lobster scorching or chilly?” the younger waitress requested.
Huh? I had by no means been requested this query earlier than in all of my in depth lobster consuming. After an in depth dialog on the professionals and cons of every – I settled on chilly – the best way the locals eat it apparently.

It seems chilly PEI lobster is as scrumptious – reminding me that the locals are at all times proper. This iconic lobster restaurant delivered in each manner…they usually transformed me to being a chilly lobster lover! Take a look at my tales immediately to see my disappearing lobster dinner!

Plus – the longest salad bar additionally included all-you-can-eat desserts. Can I come right here each evening?

Day 3 – Brackley Seaside to Saint Peters Bay

This was the longest day of driving (37 miles) however it included coastal bikeways, backcountry roads, and the famed Confederation Rail Path. The primary leg alongside the coast was one among my favorites, and I even stopped for just a little refreshing dip on Cable Head seaside which was abandoned at the moment within the morning! Then we joined up with the Confederation Path once more biking by means of boggy wetlands till we reached the tiny city of Saint Andrews for a lunch break.

The second half of our journey was stuffed with lovely bridges all the best way to Saint Peters Bay. Our app instructed us that this was thought of essentially the most lovely part of the Confederation Path and I’ve to confess – it was correct. We rode by means of blueberry nation, previous church buildings, and over lovely inlets into Saint Peters Bay proper to our B&B!

Lobster Rolls and Poutine

Within the little city of Saint Andrews, we had been handled to some small-town island allure. We stopped on the cutest little native bakery run by two sisters. And sure…that they had lobster sandwiches and allowed me to ‘poutine-ize’ my fries! Their lobster sandwich got here served on do-it-yourself white bread which aligned with the entire nostalgic really feel of this little café. After all, we additionally took some baked items to go…that’s what the panniers are for – proper?

Day 4 – Biking Greenwich Dunes

After which the rains got here…torrential rains. Once I arrived in PEI for this journey the forecast was for rain all day every single day…however then that by no means occurred – the forecasts would change every day to sunny. I used to be beginning to assume that we had been so particular that Mom Nature modified the climate for us and our journey…till immediately.

However that didn’t cease us! We rode within the rain (a few of the mentally hardest driving I’ve finished) to go to Greenwich Nationwide Park and the well-known Greenwich Dunes and seaside. We rode so far as we may into the park, locked up our bikes, and took off on foot. This park is gorgeous with floating walkways that go over a giant inlet and dunes out to the seaside.

No shock – the seaside was fairly empty on a wet day, however that didn’t cease Caroline from having a swim! We had the place to ourselves!

We biked again into St. Peters Bay and located the native espresso store, Black and White Bakery, to cease in and heat up with some candy treats…as a result of we deserved it after that journey! We walked in a pack of dripping-wet bikers on the lookout for a spot to dry off and reset mentally. As a testomony to the kindness of PEI locals, the espresso store proprietor supplied us towels, and heat drinks, and even supplied us a journey to our B&B if we wished to get out of the rain.

Take Away Lobster – Sure Please!

After our very moist journey (actually – each a part of me was drenched) – all we wished to do was get house and dry off and keep inside for the evening. No drawback…since we had been staying at a B&B close to St. Peters Bay, it had a kitchen we may entry permitting us to get meals take-away and have an evening ‘in.’

Every little PEI city has an area fish market, that sells recent native lobster and seafood. We stopped at Julio’s Seafood Market in St. Peters to take a look at the recent seafood. We grabbed 3 totally cooked lobsters, threw them in our backpacks and pedaled again to our B&B, and ate them that evening chilly! I instructed you I used to be now a chilly lobster convert!

Day 5 – St. Peters Bay to Souris

The ultimate day of biking alongside the Confederation Path was excellent climate! We spent the morning biking alongside the Confederation Path traversing by means of farmland and forests. We arrived within the cute city of Souris. This pleasant city of 1300 folks has a stunning seaside park with little retailers and naturally a lobster shack. Our ultimate resort had essentially the most lovely views of the coast, making the ending a bit bittersweet. That evening we sat on the resort porch consuming beer watching the sky evolve to pink because the solar went down. An ideal ending. However wait…is it actually excellent till you’ve had lobster dinner?

Lobster + Colville Oysters

This final day was equal elements biking and consuming! Not solely did we cease and have lobster rolls for lunch, however we additionally discovered a unbelievable ice cream store – Cherry on Prime. We had simply completed 5 days of biking PEI –I wasn’t passing up ice cream. Plus, it was unattainable to refuse the 2 extraordinarily passionate girls working on the ice cream store. It was a few of the finest ice cream flavors I’ve had – all do-it-yourself…even right down to the sprinkles!

Souris is house to the Colville Oyster Firm, so I had been trying ahead to recent oysters all day as I pedaled alongside. The Fiddling Fisherman restaurant had excellent water views and loads of recent oysters for a begin to our final lobster dinner. Additionally they supplied some new variations on lobster – similar to lobster flatbread!

Native Kindness

The islanders appear to like bikers on the island. Very similar to the theme of Anne of Inexperienced Gables – your entire island neighborhood was welcoming to us. All of them went out of their strategy to make us really feel like we had been welcome and belonged.

Nobody exemplified this greater than George our driver. His solely actual accountability was to drive us to our drop-off factors and choose us up on the finish – in any case, this was a self-guided tour. Nevertheless he repeatedly went above and past taking the time to share the historical past of the world, cease at chocolate retailers, and checked in on us day by day. He cared for us like we had been his ducklings.

The Finest Time to Bike PEI

I cycled PEI of their shoulder season – June! I believed June can be busy because it’s the start of summer time journey season for many Individuals. Nevertheless, the excessive season in PEI is June and July – that indicators when youngsters are out of college within the space.

June is a good time to bike PEI since there aren’t huge crowds, busy roads, and the seashores are fairly empty. Plus, that is the time of yr when the lupines bloom which brings your entire countryside to life with shade!

The one draw back to doing all of your PEI biking shoulder season is that implies that not all of the eating places are open in small cities. That is simply solved although by speaking to your transportation particular person about what’s open within the city that you just’re staying in that evening and pondering forward one or two days. George at all times saved good observe of us and was updated on openings.

What to Pack For Your PEI Biking Tour

Nice Canadian Trails contains many of the important gear – however there have been a few issues that I introduced further for the biking journey.

• Sun shades – I take advantage of Tifosi glasses for biking. They make bike glasses for folks with prescription lenses! Additionally they make common wrap-around biking glasses which can be nice for providing you with solar safety from each angle.
• Electrolyte combine in your water bottles – when you have a favourite it’s nice to convey your personal.
• Helmet – they do present a helmet – however when you have your personal that you just love that’s at all times most well-liked.
• In case you use clipless pedals usually, then you’ll be able to request these pedals from the bike retailer, and presto…you might be arrange similar to at house! Simply convey your footwear!
• Bike helmet mirror for these sections you might be on the street.
• Biking rain gear. Sadly I wanted that I had introduced higher rain gear after that day biking Greenwich Nationwide Park in a downpour. After this journey, I really invested in some good biking rain gear from Gore.
• Plastic baggage or dry baggage for retaining issues dry. The biking packing baggage you get from the bike retailer are waterproof – however if you wish to be further cautious or wish to shield one thing that isn’t packed in a pannier, then convey a few of your personal waterproof baggage too.

Lobster Overload?

I lined 115 miles biking PEI in 5 days and had lobster in some kind every single day! Did I ever get my fill of lobster? No! In truth, in an try and go full circle, as I drove off PEI again to Nova Scotia I ended again at Victoria By the Sea, the place we began our journey, to have one ultimate scrumptious, buttery, candy lobster roll.

Biking PEI is the right strategy to expertise the island at a sluggish tempo. It jogged my memory how essential it’s to search out pleasure within the little issues in life; such because the church steeple within the distance that indicators there’s a village close by, the odor of the ocean, the dancing lupines within the wind that fill the roadsides, and naturally, the primary crack of the lobster claw.

---

How one can Bike Throughout PEI – Nice Canadian Trails Prince Edward Island By Bike

Associated