Digby or Bust!

The Bay in St John NB

I left Moncton New Brunswick at 6 am on September 1st - destination - St John New Brunswick and the Bay Ferry to Digby.

The matress I saw on the beach - how that ended up in the water I am uncertain ...

I must tell you folks - St John is disgusting. It is official - in my books anyway - that the roads in St John NB are the Worst in all of Canada - worse than ANY place - I mean that from the bottom of my heart. And the Bay Ferry - what a money grab - disgustingly filthy bathrooms at the terminal - worn out carpets on the floor on the Ferry and the cleanliness left lots to be desired there too and the same price for a motorcycle to cross as a car or pick up. $90 one way fare - 3 hour crossing.

RIP OFF - complete and TOTAL!

Shameful - had I known that's what it was going to be I would have ridden from Moncton to Truro and into Digby - seen some fabulous country and saved myself $40 and still been in Digby before the ferry. Another one of those lessons one sometimes has to learn the hard way.

In the Quey for the ferry with a couple - she was from Quebec and he was from Switzerland and behind me is the gang from Conneticut I hooked up with and Ian from

Sylvan Lake...Beanr'e and his crew came in a bit behind us...

Beaner'e and some of the crew ...

Nova Scotia is in sight....

Ian from Sylvan Lake AB, myself, Beanr'e and his crew from Florida all enjoyed each others company and road off the ferry together to the rally head quarters. About 18 of us riders in total. Ian found a place to stay here in Digby. I talked to the organizers of the rally for a minute - they were too busy to deal with me and the shipping concerns I had (DHL lost 4 of the 13 boxes and Grey Dog was really slow in getting the paper delivered - but this morning they finally arrived) - they (the rally coordinators) were trying to get volunteers sorted etc...so I headed off to Yarmouth and my motel at the Comfort Inn.

What a treat - after a day filled with frustrations and disappointments the gals at the Comfort Inn made this road weary girl's day. A hose and rags for Black Betty and a fruit basket for this Betty - man - I felt welcomed and wanted...after 6,300 KM to get here - it was one of the best feelings in the world. Melissa and Tammy were awesome on the front counter.

They showed me on the map how to find where the local riders hang out and after Black Betty was cleaned up and respectable again (thanks to water and a shine with some Hogswipe) we headed for down town Yarmouth. There I ran in to three of the local riders who took me on the most scenic ride along the coast - my only regret was that I had no camera with me as I had already unpacked the bike - I will remedy that later! (Maybe even tonight if I am not too tired when I get back to Yarmouth) I want to thank Jim Grattan, John Ryan and Fred Emin - you guys are great tour guides!

Any how - after a fantastic coffee and sandwich - great company and a fabulous ride back to the hotel I was pleasantly  surprised by a knock at the door. There was Tammy Muise from the front desk - she had printed off some tourism information for me about the Firefighters Museum and the local area churches - we had been talking about what attractions were in the area - she blew me away with her thoughtfulness.

Comfort INN

The hotel chain - the Comfort Inn - they have been fantastic and so very consistent in the amenities and customer service they provide and I am so deeply grateful to have them as one of two major sponsors for the this trip for the Foundation for Injured Riders, Rights & Education

The parking area - man I LOVE the patio doors...and the breakfast area - hot eggs, waffles, cereals, bagels...breakfast is the MOST important meal of the day and I sure have appreciated the good start to the day!

Well - folks - that's the update for now - I will have a report on the Wharf Rat Rally for you all later in the week....until then - Ride SAFE...

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