Over the course of the past eighty-one days, there have been a precious few where ideal weather, smooth road conditions, and gentle terrain intermingle in perfect harmony. Today we had just that. It was sunny and warm (the first day in recent memory where we didn't feel a drop of rain). The hills were long and gradual and the highway had wide, paved shoulders.
We started late out of Miramichi in order to enjoy the comfortable bed as long as possible. By the time we finished breakfast and a quick grocery shop it was already 11am but we were full of revived energy after the surge of support and encouragement we received from the amazing staff and rehab program members in Bathurst and Miramichi. Our first 45km along highway 11 were fast and wonderful, the kind that remind you of why it's fun to do this kind of trip. Just before St. Louis we were re-routed due to an accident on highway 11 that closed a section of the road for the better half of the day. We ended up on secondary highway 134, which is a little bit bumpier and sometimes without a shoulder but its advantage is it runs through communities whereas highway 11 bypasses them.
We enjoyed chatting with local residents as we rode and stopped for food and water breaks. We have been incredibly touched by the kindness and generosity of people we've met along our route and everyone following our story. Whether it's encouraging words, a night indoors, or a free slushy, all of the things and sentiments people have shared are what we'll appreciate most when we reflect back on this trip years down the road.
More immediately, tonight we had intended to camp close to Moncton and skirt our way in tomorrow. We're visiting with a rehab centre in Moncton on Friday morning and are lucky to have another donated hotel stay at the Ramada Crystal Palace lined up for Thursday evening. Our plans for this evening changed as we got ever closer to Moncton with no camping option in sight. We were still feeling fresh so we continued all of the way into the city. Now we have tomorrow to get acquainted with a new city and find some service for the bikes, they need and deserve it!
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