Wow....you are doing the Cabot trail counter clockwise right?

 

We have done the Cabot Trail twice. Definitely worth riding and ride it counter clockwise for sure. The view is incredible!
Enjoy and ride safe!

 

Hope you get to see some bald eagles.

More: http://www.novascotia.ca/natr/wildlife/conserva/bald-eagles.asp

 

Yes, counter clockwise. Looking forward to it.

 

Love the East Coast! My wife is from Nova Scotia, just shipped the bike out there today and will do some riding while we're there for 6 weeks including doing the Cabot Trail for the first time. Then riding home to BC!

 

Day 6 .... A much more comfortable day with no rain! YAY! Even the leather coats that had retained a bit of dampness overnight soon dried out completely in the breeze and the sunshine that came and went between the clouds. It was also a shorter ride today which added to the comfort, as temps again stayed in the 50s.

Wish we could have snapped a picture of the 8-mile bridge linking New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, but a ground level snapshot really only captures a minute part of its amazing construction! Google "Confederation Bridge" and see some of the aerial images that are available.

New Brunswick, from my perspective on a motorcycle is beautifully rolling, lightly populated, and heavily wooded. Of course there could have been entire cities, farms, and prairies just a half-mile off the road, but the woods were so thick I would never know it. The sparseness of crossroads and gas stations would indicate I am close to correct. Also, based on the number of large signs warning drivers to stay alert for moose wandering out into the roadways, I would also assume those heavy woods are a major breeding ground for thousands of moose. We didn't see a one, but I assure you we obeyed the warnings and stayed alert!

Prince Edward Island is a lovely place. Gently rolling, apparently rich farming land interspersed with lots of trees, farms, and periodic little communities, the countryside reminds me a lot of Ireland both in the rich greens and topography. We are staying in a nice B&B in Charlottetown and have really enjoyed our afternoon and evening here.
Besides good food and comfortable lodging, my wife found a Laundromat and we can start all fresh in the morning, which made her happy, and I found a Harley shop in town which took his trike in with no wait to tighten up an exhaust fitting and end an annoying rattle, so I was equally happy. It's been a good day. Tomorrow (Thursday, July 7) we head to the ferry and off to the Cabot Trail.

A few pictures, the last 3 we did not take,but I wish I had , they are from the web...

 

I can tell you the road you took from Bathurst to the bridge to PEI made you miss the coastal beauty of NB but you would be correct about the moose, the thick woods and the sparse population. The center of the province has woods, rivers and lakes. All the population is on the edge of the province.
It was a nature haven growing up there.
As you saw the area in Petit Rocher, it's an excellent place to raise a kid.
When I ride my bike up there 2014 in August I saw 1 moose about 10 minutes before I got to Bathurst, it made me pucker up as it lumbered across the road in front of me....it will make you sow down. I am sure you saw the miles and miles of Moose fences on the sides of the road with the Re-entry gates.

 

HI Mike, I have been following your trip with interest....I am in Saint John NB and you may be passing through here on your way home. Last night just as I was getting on the highway I saw a couple walking and holding hands heading towards a hotel in our City center. He was wearing an HD shirt and my guess is that they had walked to a restaurant for supper. Just then it dawned on me that it may have been you, I thought there was a resemblance. I cruised out the highway and doubled back to see if it was you so I could just say "welcome". The couple was nowhere in sight and I checked the parking lot for your bike but didn't see it. I now see that you were not in SJ but if you happen to be in the next little bit and need anything at all please look me up. By the way when my wife and I were just dating we took my '92 FXRS around the Cabot Trail....You will love it. Ride safe and once again post here or PM me if you are in my neck of the woods and need anything.

 

Hi Mike,

Wife and I just got back from Cape Breton/Northumberland area of NS and NB. Great riding and there is more than just the Cabot trail (we went counterclockwise) which was great The lake loop is sweet but
we had to bail on it due to rain (no point in riding the lakes when you cannot see them :-) )
(warning, there is a bit of construction ongoing on one of the mountain areas of the Cabot Trail but not a huge deal). Didn't get to PEI as we spent time on the Fundy Coastal ride and the Sunrise Trail in NS.
Both were good rides (Fundy ride is particularly good from St John out to Montcon -- Hopewell Rocks, Cape Enrage etc. Glad you are having a blast!!

Dave

 

Day 7. We headed out after breakfast in time to board the ferry at 9:30 a.m. They are very motorcycle friendly! All bikes board first and are first off the ferry. The water was very calm this morning, but tie-down hooks are available to stabilize motorcycles if the ferry is rocking. Amazingly, ramps appeared in the floor to load an entire lower level of cars, then closed again to fill the main deck with more cars and even several fully loaded logging semi trucks. It was a beautiful day for the 75 minute ride from Prince Edward Island to Nova Scotia.
Once off the ferry, we topped up with gas and headed up the coast to Cape Breton Island and the Cabot Trail. The island is gorgeous, and is mostly a mountain. The road skirts the edge of the mountain, rising and falling and twisting back and forth with stunning views of the coastline ahead, behind, and below. We might have been discouraged from making the loop if we had known that there were several miles of MAJOR road repair/construction going on. Fortunately, we were on very stable trikes --- I, for one, would have been a bit intimidated by parts of it if I had been on two wheels still (NOTE: "I" is Mike's wife, Lesley. I'm quite sure he would NOT have been intimidated! But since I'm writing these updates.... LOL ). One portion of it climbed a steep hill for about a half-mile of loose, large gravel, ruts, and swirling dust from the cars maneuvering just ahead of us, then dropped back down the other side on an equally long, steep, rutted, graveled slope swirling with dust. We saw a number of riders on two wheels struggling with gritted teeth to maneuver safely through the obstacles. We were SO happy for sunshine! It would have been even worse had it been raining.
But it was worth it for the views and experience! The Cabot Trail is in the top-10 list of motorcycle tours in North America, and it certainly lived up to its reputation for us. We completed fewer miles than some other days, but the ferry ride and the slow progress around the Cabot Trail still filled the hours, and we are happy to be filled with hot potato soup, warmed with a hot shower, and comfortably relaxing in our room overlooking the ocean. We still have about 60 miles to complete the Cabot Trail loop in the morning, then should easily reach New Glasgow tomorrow afternoon with time to explore the town.