Best laid plans… We were all set to take the ferry from Wood Islands, Prince Edward Island to Pictou, Nova Scotia. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate and high winds meant the ferry was canceled and we had to go back over the bridge. We paid this time. 🙂
Prior to heading to where we were supposed to catch the ferry, we drove around the coast of the eastern half of Prince Edward Island. It was very beautiful and very rural, with lots of farmland.
We drove the Sunrise Trail along the northern coast of Nova Scotia for the majority of our drive. Very scenic, with lots of little towns and communities along the way. We happened upon a brewery on our way through, Tatamagouche Brewing Company, and had a couple of samples and picked up a couple beers for later. Their Baltic Porter was outstanding!
We arrived in Pictou at around 5 p.m. and were greeted by the local police, who had a roadblock set up and were looking for impaired drivers. We actually drove through it twice, as we were looking for Uncle Leo’s Brewery, before deciding to check into our hotel first. The second time through, the policeman recognized us (not surprisingly) and waived us through.
Uncle Leo’s was a similar setup to Tatamagouche: no tap room. We picked up a couple of bottles there, but ended up having both of the ones we purchased at Fat Tony’s Bar and Grill, where we had dinner. Both were very good, but I liked the altbier the best. We had hoped to watch the Nebraska vs Wisconsin football game there, but it wasn’t available. So, we watched LSU beat up on South Carolina instead while Amy followed along on her phone and via text messages.
We stayed in a beautiful bed and breakfast, the Auberge Walker Inn, in Pictou (population 3,400). It was a great experience, and the proprietor, Sam and her two dogs were wonderful hosts. Highly recommended!
One thing I didn’t mention from my PEI update is that I sprained my ankle and fell while running. It happened at the halfway point, so I imagine I was quite a sight running back the remaining 3.5 miles with blood dripping down my leg. I had hoped that it would be temporary, but yesterday it got very sore and swelled up quite a bit, so I will probably be unable to run – or do much hiking or walking – for the next several days.
- Miles traveled: 305.6
- Time in car: 6:35
- Provinces: Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia
- Exercise: 3,616 steps
Souris Beach, on the northeastern edge of Prince Edward Island
Farmland on the eastern side of Prince Edward Island
The ferry – as close to it as we got…
Tatamagouche Brewery
Uncle Leo’s Brewery
We found football!