Marine Atlantic Ferry - Highlander (North Sydney NS to Port Aux Basques NL)

 

All packed and ready for our adventure.  We carried most of our clothing in a soft bag on top of our tour pack. 

First look at our ship " The Highlander."  The ferry ride to Port aux Basques is 96 nautical miles and takes approximately 7 hours to complete.

We arrived early for our departure.  You can just see the trike alone in the upper right of this photo.

https://youtu.be/Y1Bu02PWpzw

Here is a video of us driving on the Ferry.   The Ferry has 2 loading ramps. We used the lower section of the ship. 

20230806 111956 - YouTube

 

This video shows other vehicles loading.  When we left Port aux Basques the entire parking lot was full of 18-wheelers. All 12 loading designations were full.  I could not believe that the entire lot was loaded onto the ferry.  

Our boarding Cards 

Kathy paid extra for reserved seating which was a great idea.  You need a key card to enter and exit this area.  The seats were extremely comfortable and had back and leg rest extensions to help you relax.  We had a great window view.

The ship even had a helipad for emergency medical situations. 

The sister ship was pulling into dock as we departed the port.  The sister ship goes to Argentia NL, 280 nautical miles and takes approximately 16 hours to complete.  We decided to tour the western portion of Newfoundland and visit Gros Morne National Park instead of the southeast section which is more populated.   Glad we took the shorter route. 

During our travel we passed an oil tanker on its way West.  

Since we don't arrive at Port aux Basques till 6:45 p.m., we decided to have dinner at the ship's main restaurant.  

Kathy decided on the Cod au gratin, which was delicious.  I had the chicken dinner which was also very good.  There was another smaller fast-food area that served sandwiches, pizza as well as drinks and other items for your eating pleasure. 

MVI 1570 - YouTube

Our first video look at Newfoundland. 

The shoreline of Port aux Basques.  

It was a little tricky getting into the port, however the captain did an excellent job docking.  We were very pleased with the ferry experience. 

  

Prince Edward Island

You can see in the map that Oyster Bed Bridge where we stayed, is at the top middle of the island.   We put just under 500 miles on the trike, so we just scratched the surface.  We didn’t make it to the North Point Lighthouse.  We did make it to the eastern tip of the island at North Lake.  We concentrated our rides in the north central region of the island.  North Rustico area was a favorite. 

 

All setup in our Campground in Oyster Bed Bridge.  Our campground 30-amp power was a little iffy due to a “heat wave” with temps reaching into the 80’s.  Weather for trike riding and sleeping was perfect!  It did rain during our 5-day stay but it was nice enough to just rain at night. 

Oyster beds are located throughout the waterway.  They thrive in brackish water from 2-26 feet deep.  

It can take up to 18 months to grow a 3" oyster.  They dredge oysters and clams.  85% of the lobsters are sent to the U.S. and overseas. 

 

 Lots of agriculture here.  Really surprised by how much field corn is grown here with such a short growing season.  What I thought were bean fields were mostly potatoes fields like this one.  Also, what I thought was wheat was most likely barley. 

 

Fishing villages are colorful and plentiful along the shoreline.   Roads are in pretty good shape but since road repair can only be done during the summer months delays were common.  

Another beautiful fishing village.  You can see the bright colors of the houses.  We thought the terrain would be flatter, but it is mostly rolling hills with lots and lots of water and not just on the perimeter of the island. 

 

There are a lot of Churches on the island, many of which have stunning views.

 

East Point lighthouse, one of the many lighthouses we visited on the island.  

We did purchase an annual national park pass so that we could visit both Prince Edwards and Greenwich NP parks. The beaches and dunes were charming.  Many of the dunes were damaged when Fiona hit the island in 2022.  The fierce winds knocked down millions of trees and the crashing waves eroded hundreds of miles of coastline.  

The beaches were packed when we visited the parks.  

Many of the dunes were marked with red tape which meant "stay away."  It will take many years for them to recover or be rebuilt.  

A look at Cavendish beach which you can see is full of people.  The water temp was about 67 degrees, but it did not deter the Canadians and from enjoying their day at the beach.  Kathy and I did take walks along the beach at other locations while watching the waves.   

Lobster roll is a mainstay for lunch and dinner, 

Side note:  There are no longer any large animals such as moose, deer or elk on the island.  The locals told us the largest animal we might see would be a fox or coyote. 

Confederation Bridge to Prince Edwards Island Canada

 

The Confederation Bridge is a box girder bridge carrying the Trans-Canada Highway across the Abegweit Passage of the Northumberland Strait, linking the province of Prince Edward Island with the mainland province New Brunswick.  Opened May 31, 1997, the 12.9-kilometre (8.0 mi) bridge is Canada's longest bridge and the world's longest bridge over ice-covered water.    

The speed limit on the bridge is 80 kilometres per hour (50 mph) but can vary with wind and weather conditions. When travelling at the speed limit, it takes about 12 minutes to cross the bridge.

Tolls apply only when leaving Prince Edward Island (when travelling westbound). The toll rates since January 2022 are $50.25 for a two-axle automobile and $8.50 for each additional axle. Motorcycles are charged $20.00.

Construction took place from October 1993 to May 1997and cost Canadian 1.3 billion. 

July 10, 2021 - Pintler Veterans Memorial Scenic Highway

Rode about 150 miles on the Pintler Veterans Memorial Scenic Highway. Between Anaconda and Drummond, MT. Beautiful Georgetown Lake about the middle of the ride.

The mountain views along the ride were awesome. 

This is Silver Lake. 

The reservoir impounds the North Fork of Flint Creek.

We did see many great homes along the lake. Lodgepole pines enclose Georgetown Lake and the surrounding mountains, providing a home to abundant wildlife including moose, elk, white-tailed deer and even bighorn sheep.

Georgetown Lake is a large mountain lake spanning close to 3,000 acres at an elevation of over 6,000 ft.

The lake assumed the name of Georgetown when the dam flooded the area known as Georgetown Flats.

We did climb up and down one exciting mountain with several switchbacks where the speed limit dropped to 20 mph. 

Anaconda is the end of the byway. 

This sign was spotted on the Southern end of the highway.