Hurricane Earl hits PEI

Ha, and to think that I thought I was through with extreme weather conditions. Seemingly endless thunderstorms in BC, flooding in Alberta and Saskatchewan, narrowly escaping typhoons in Manitoba, record breaking heat in New Brunswick, and now hurricane Earl. Of course, being cycling nomads we don't really have time to pay attention to the weather or news, and so the fact that there was hurricane brewing off the coast of the Atlantic escaped our knowledge until the day before it hit the Maritimes. Luckily, after we visited lovely Cavendish Beach and Green Gables we found a cozy little cottage in North Rustico to hole up in while the winds gained strength and rain pelted down. But as usual, I'm getting ahead of myself...

We arrived at the base of Confederation Bridge on Thursday afternoon, heading to the info center on Journiman Island to dial the pedestrian/cyclist shuttle hotline. Within a half hour, a van appeared to take us across Canada's longest bridge. The woman running the van told us that they were expexting high winds and lots of rain, "We're preparing for a full shut down of the bridge, ferry, and airport for all of Saturday". Since Toby had a flight to catch from Charlottetown on Sunday morning, this caused a little concern, but the van driver assured us that these things usually pass over quickly, so he should be alright.

Once across the bridge we grabbed a map of PEI and a few groceries and went out in search of a home for the night. Our game plan was to head northwest to Sunnyside, then north to the beaches and the home of dear Anne before arriving in the capital city of Charlottetown on Saturday night. We wanted to stay off the main roads, take it easy, and eat some potatoes. My cousins had warned me that PEI was nothing but potatoes fields and red earth, and groaned over my heartfelt desire to explore the island. I'll have to say, they were partly right, but nonetheless I loved every moment of my time there :) The "gentle island" is just as friendly, just as photogenic, and just as charming as it appears in postcards and descriptions. We savoured the scent of potatoes growing in the fields, the sight of corn stalks waving in the breeze, and the views of charming old farm houses.

That night we didn't make it too far before darkness set in. We spotted a home with a nice big lawn and few trees in a corner, and rolled up the driveway to ask permission to set up camp for the night. We bumped in to the shirtless homeowner in the garage, who was shaking a spray bottle,
"Hey there folks. Need some bugspray? Hah hah, just joking! It's a can of paint! But seriously, if you want some bug spray, we've got plenty."
Not only did he allow us to set up in his yard, but he also invited us to take a dip in the pool. It was a hot, humid evening and even though we'd already been swimming a few times that day, we were eager to cool off once more. Having a blast practicing our underwater handstands and swimming round and round in circles holding our breath, I again wondered if I was a grown up or a child.

The next morning we cruised into Sunnyside, bumping into the friendly homeowner on the road. It turns out he was a potato farmer! Then we made our way north, tackling a few hills and stopping for gelato before arriving at the red sands of Cavendish Beach. This part of the island has a resort/touristy feel, with water slides, an amusement part, and lots of mini golf. I was glad that there were no big eye-sore monstrosity hotels or shopping malls though. Lots of cabins, cottages, and low profile motels, but nothing gigantic and overbearing.

We stocked up on food, splurging on Havarti cheese and chocolate covered craisins, then headed east along the north shore, stopping to visit Green Gables, the home that inspired the setting for L.M. Montgomery to create her beloved tale of a red-haired orphan, Anne of Green Gables.

The storm was forcasted to hit sometime in the late night/early morning/ We debated whether to take a chance and camp, or just get a room for the night. Even though it was a long weekend, since there was a tropical storm advancing on the island there were plenty of vacancies. While making our way towards North Rustico we saw a sign advertising cheap cottages for rent, and that sealed the deal. We were in luck: not only did we get a room with a kitchenette, but also a pool to swim in, free laundry service, and a visit from a friendly fox.

Unfortunately, when we went to leave the next morning the storm was in full swing. Dark, ominous clouds flying around in the sky, rain blasting against the windows, and wind breaking the filmsy screen doors. Luckily, we were on PEI, home to more friendly people per caipita than anywhere else I've traveled. Richard, the husband of the receptionist at the cottages came by in his little white pickup truck and we tossed our bikes in the back, squeezed ourselves into the front, and sped off towards Charlottetown. He dropped us off at the Sherwood Motel by the airport so that Toby could easily make his 7:00am flight out of town the next morning. The wind got worse and so did the rain, and we were just thankful that we weren't camping or biking in this wretched weather.

By the evening, things had calmed down and we found a ride into town with one of the hotel owners. He gave us the grand tour, then dropped us of in the city center with a warning that we "might not be able to find much open to eat at, since most places lost power". The rain had ceased and the air was warm; it was hard to believe the anger that brewed in the skies just a few hours ago, except for the big puddles and downed branches on the road. We smiled as a water grate spurted three shoots of water up in the air like a fountain while tourists and locals passed by.