Day 28
I woke up to rain so I did my usual and slept in.
With not much sun I was barely motivated to get up but I was hungry and wanted something hot. The rain eased back long enough to go sit on the dock again and heat some water for oatmeal. Again talking to a couple of boaters about the day. I learned that the PEI ferry is free for everyone and everything. Only charging to get back. Same for the bridge. So after realizing this, and that the shower building is locked in the morning, I high-tailed it to the station before 11am to catch a boat. Quick stop at the market for second breakfast and again at the visitor center for a restroom and water fill up. Well water. High in iron. Not so good but I’ve drank water in a lot of places not so good.

On the ferry I mostly wifi’d it up in a cushioned seat next to a plug. Also keeping an eye on the weather channel of TV. The storm that was supposed to wreck NYC is on track for PEI. So they say.

Once on the island I had no idea where I wanted to go. So I sat and watch all the cars unload and then all the island cars load while I switched out my maps. Not till the end of the ferry road did I have three choices. I could have gone straight on the 315 and that would have me go straight thru the island toward Montague. And by a nothing (I’m certain) town named Brooklyn. West is the Trans Canada 1. Would quickly get me toward the bridge, maybe too quickly. Or East I could ride along the South coast to Cape Bear and Murray Harbour.
It wasn’t till the intersection I decided. Pedaling to the 4way I sort of thought a little “fuck it” and turned east on the 4. The long way around and opposite the bridge. And of course about 10 km along the way it begins to rain again.
The road was very quiet. I could see the water straight to my right over wheat fields and farm lands. The 4, as a road, was just like any country road in south-west Ohio. I thought that if Ohio was an island it could be the PEI of the Mid-West. But I’ve only seen a little bit so far. Staying straight the 4 became the 18. Not much else changed. The towns on the map were nothing more than a couple mail boxes. But the end of the road did take me to a cool light house. On the point, sitting on a cliff and I arrived just as the rain let up enough to take some photos and eat a lunch. I had the place all to myself. Quiet and pretty.
I followed the 18 around to the 348 to Murray River. Not anything there to make me stop.
Beyond that was a mandatory detour steering me away from the water. I had to take the 4 north. The 17 was out due to closed bridge.
So, inland on the 4 again I followed it a ways. Was gonna skip all the coast till Montague but out in the middle I hung a right on 317 and made my way back onto the 17. A few extra km’s to get to Montague but whatever.
Seemed like the numbers were my friends today. The rain was not. On and off like every 20 min. My rain jacket and rain pants hit all possible configurations today. On and off, back and forth.
In town I stopped at the first place I saw, an ESSO station for some water. One guy working there was helpful.
Outside, while I was taking some cover from the rain, he came out to chat. We talked about my impression of Canada, it’s very good, and he gave me some local info. I might have talked with him more because he was truly interested in what I am doing but I was very hungry (lucky for me this town has a store, two even!) and I felt like the gaps between rain showers where getting closer to being nothing but rain only so I left the ESSO.
My plan was buy food, find a camp spot, and make food.
That’s what I did. With some hot water from the ESSO I gave my stove gas a slight break, maybe I’ll have enough fuel for oatmeal tomorrow.
Pasta dinner. This time I tried something new, to beat the skeeters. Made dinner by just sticking my arm out the tent door to man the stove. It worked well enough.

The odd thing is that from about 10 min before I put up my tent to over an hour later there has been no rain. I like that but worry about tomorrow. Think I might spend the whole day tented up due to that storm coming this way.

As I get close to one month on the road I start to think of ways to travel even cheaper so I may do this longer. I’ll need to work again because on this schedule I’ll eat my way thru my budget before long. And that’s with me not paying to camp.

I don’t remember the last thing I bought that was not food or drink.