Ride on, Highway Cat !!: THE RED PLANET !!

Day 51, Murray Beach Prov. Park NB - Pictou NS.(Via) PEI.
Dist, 147 km, 22.3 km/hr, Saddle Time 6:34
PROVINCE #8 and PROVINCE #9

07 06. 2011,
After a terrible sleep, (the wind was relentless, I was itchy from bug bites and was worried about sailing away) it was easy to be up early and on my way. ( Packing up is challenging though when every single item needs to be anchored ). Anyway, I was gone by 7:30, which is good for me. It was a great ride complete with sunshine and a tailwind to the Confederation Bridge !! Awesome ! Iv'e always wanted to see this engineering marvel. Cyclists and pedestrians are not allowed on the bridge, but there is a shuttle service available. A "Shuttle Phone" is available in the "Cape Jourimain Nature Center" at the foot of the bridge. I called for my Shuttle and in no time I was headed to Charlottetown. A pickup truck driven by a young kid with a "power trippy" attitude pulled up. I guess that when your job is to rescue cyclists and pedestrians, you may develop some "Superman Syndrome"traits. Anyway, the little goof got me across just fine and once I was bike ready, I headed to a cluster of retail in the middle of nowhere for some lunch and Joe. The ride into Charlottetown was very easy. I did some poking around and went to the tourism Center for help. I was so damn early that I didn't know what to do. Without a plan, I rolled on. Part of me wanted to get a motel or something and hang out here, but I had no plan and a little voice in my head said " Roll On". The ride was great as traffic was light and the shoulder was very accommodating. I rode through farm fields of bright green and landscapes of red,with the odd house here and there. Absolutely beautiful riding landscape accompanied by blissful weather and mute traffic. I found a nice place to fuel up and veg for a few minutes. Then it was on to " Woods Islands". (about 117 km from the bridge) Suddenly, the traffic ballooned into a torrent of cars. Obviously, I am near the Ferry Terminal. The onslaught of traffic caused an adrenalin rush in my body. I "put the hammer down" in an attempt to board the ferry if needed. After hammering for perhaps 30 minutes, I came to a stop at the top of a hill... To my right was the ferry, straight ahead was the Provincial Park and to my left was a beer retailer. I stopped and looked at my Ferry Timetable, " Ferry leaves in 10 minutes !! "Do I hit the campground or Ferry ?!"... AAARRRGHH !! I had 30 seconds to decide...
Pictou, here I come! I already feel bad for not staying in PEI. Why did I even come here ? Crap. Oh yeah, I wanted to cross the Confederation Bridge. Anyway, the Ferry is a bit lacking in service and comfort as I'm used to the bells and whistles of BC Ferries.. I feel bad about leaving Prince Edward Island, but I had no plan. I feel like such an idiot.
It's tough travelling alone, as you constantly question yourself. Combining cycling and tourism is a daily struggle...
I picked up an accommodation brochure while on the ferry and called the only hotel listed...
The "Braeside Inn" was a very overpriced STUFFY AS HELL piece of crap that I HUGELY REGRET staying at. I managed to stop and dial in some beer for my stay, but the driving rain forced me to have dinner at the Hotel. They have a separate room to wait in until a table is ready. I sat there feeling like a dog at a cat grooming contest. This room was fully equipped with leather chairs and many books and ornamental things. I sat starring blindly cursing myself for staying here. F***, F***, F***...
The owner even downplayed my trip stating that there was a couple visiting from their "around the world trip". I went downstairs to look at their bikes. Clean as hell, upright touring handlebars and pedals. They looked like they could tour Pictou just fine. Climbing some of the mountain passes that I climbed would be interesting on these bikes. I guess that you could tour the world through one airport at a time if you are rich...
I blew $40.00 on a lame dinner (cheapest choice)
Anyway, I'm pissed off and must move on. Although, this is a cool little town.