Ted's House - Motorcycle Trip Reports
Canada, 1996


Day 8
Cabot Beach Campground, PEI to Quebec City, Quebec

When I woke at 7am it was still dark and grey from the night's activities and I decided that enough was enough. I was finally getting sick and tired of seeing incredible views of the ocean so I decided to make up time by skipping Gaspe and heading "cross-country" to Quebec City, Quebec. It would be a long ride, but I had spoken to several of the increasing number of riders I had seen on BMWs and all recommended this one road, Route 108 from Chatam to Grand Falls.

I did want to see the "Green Gables" house, and the red "sand" beaches on the south of PEI so I took a two-hour mini-tour of the island. Greg Pink is quite right that the vast seas of delicate white potato blossoms are a sight (and scent) to behold, as was the patchwork fields of hay and clover. On PEI, if it isn't moving I bet someone is trying to plant something on it. After dipping my feet in the ocean I made my way over to the ferry.

As I pulled ahead of everybody in the l-o-n-g line I noticed a red motorcycle closing fast in my rearview mirror. It was a fellow from Bangor Maine riding the exact same bike as me, a red '88 K75S (same reaction: "Nice gold rims" "Want to trade?" "Nope".) Gary and his Hungarian girlfriend had just finished a ride of PEI and he had to get beck to work as a sports medicine Doctor. The other doctors he worked with were not happy that after a month in New Zealand he came back and promptly took off again for a week (this guy had the correct priorities IMHO ;) Anyway, we were waved up to the front of the line and were boarding when two huge Harley Davidsons roared up and cut us off to get onto the ferry first. When we got onto the boat we overheard them talk with another cruiser rider that had pulled in on a V-Max. Turns out they are Dentists from New Jersey and had paid someone to trailer the bikes up to Halifax for them so they could ride around the maritimes. Another fellow on a Harley (Paul) pulled in behind us and joined us as we watched these two explain to the V-Max rider why the Harley was the only real bike and that, and I quote here, the owners are members of an "Exclusive Fraternity." Paul interrupted the one doing all the talking and asked him how many miles he had on his bike. "What does that matter?"

Boy we all broke out laughing and went upstairs for coffee. Gary, Bobi & I went out on the upper deck though it was too foggy to see anything. Bobi talked about growing up in Communist Hungary and how elated everyone was when Democracy finally came and as I looked out the fog was clearing and I distinctly remember feeling really good to be right there right then.

I hopped on Route 11 north to Chatham (it is another of Canada's Scenic Routes) and ran into another couple riding bikes, her on a K75 standard and him on a MotoGuzzi. They were heading to a big BMW gathering in Fredericton and asked me to ride with them. I thought about it but I had always wanted to see Quebec, plus I really wanted that feeling of having traveled outside the country and that only comes when someone doesn't understand your language (or pretends not too...;-)

Rt. 108 is very long, has pine trees on both sides, and is very long with pine trees (though occasionally there are clear-cut patches.) In the middle of the 200+ mile road there is one gas station, and that is it. The weather had steadily improved to a cloudless sky with a bright warm sun and carving the slow sweepers over and through the deep green balsam-scented forest was a real experience.

There was no traffic so I made exceptional time, and had reached Riviere-Du-Loup right before sunset. As I gassed up the bike I was treated to the most amazing sunset yet, across the St. Lawrence seaway the mountains turned several different shades of purple as the sky exploded in colors from a deep red to a burnt orange and vivid rose. The few puffy clouds in the sky seemed as though they were on fire.

When the sun sets up here, it gets cold no matter what time of year. I pulled over twice to layer up, the second time to put on cotton glove liners I had bought as an excuse to get an Irving gas station to change over my US dollars at the 35% exchange rate. If this warmth is what heated grips do, you all so lucky to have them are way ahead of the game! As I neared Quebec I started running into the Halifax syndrome, namely every single damn motel/hotel was booked solid, and way overpriced at that! As I crossed the bridge over to Quebec I saw that friendly Holiday Inn sign and lucked out that someone was there at the desk canceling one of his two rooms as I was there begging for even a closet.

It is tow hours since then, I have had a hot bath, a mug of Coco and the TV is showing a dubbed-into-french version of James Bond's Octapussy. Tomorrow, Old Town Quebec City!

About 750 miles, One roadkill Moose
(Still haven't seen a live one!)
and one more incredible sunset!

Next Day...


Intro -- Day  12 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - Epilogue

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