Maritimes Cycling and Camping Tour July 7 to July 23, 2025
Submitted by Alison Goss
Throw camping into the mix of a cycling trip and you have a whole new set of variables to consider such as ensuring a truck fully stocked with kitchen necessities, stove, groceries, drinks, chairs, tables, shade canopies, coolers, etc. Cyclists had to pack their own tents and sleeping bags as well, so more gear for everyone to bring from home. Our tour leader, Bruce Daykin, handled these variables and led a trip that ran smoothly and was most exciting and enjoyable. Bruce has musical talents too, and he livened up evenings with his playing and sing-a-longs.
Bruce playing his accordion.
Our trip started in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, on July 7th with 17 cyclists, most of whom had flown in. That evening, at the Meet & Greet in the hotel, Bruce described the tour’s daily routines and discussed our various responsibilities. Next morning we loaded gear onto the truck, and we were off on our bikes. Our first night we camped at the national park campground in Stanhope and then spent the next five nights at different campgrounds, gradually cycling our way during the days to Wood Islands where the ferry would take us to Nova Scotia. The campgrounds were a mixture of public and private ones, with most offering shower and laundry facilities.
First nights’ camping.
Last nights’ camping
Each day different teams of three people took turns driving the truck, shopping, preparing dinner and breakfast, and providing lunch supplies for sandwiches on the road. Martha was responsible for finding coffee shops, Lorne kept the bar stocked and balanced the books, while Colleen was the wagon master who generously rose at 5:00 a.m. daily to make coffee for everyone. The mixture of camping and cycling makes for a strenuous time: after cycling the truck had to be emptied, chairs and tables set up, luggage brought down, tents erected, and laundry done. The team on duty prepared the food. Then it was time to relax, chat about the day, compare experiences, and enjoy some wine or beer. After the meal, dishes were done, and everything packed away. The next day’s cooks would go over supplies with the current day’s cooks, and prepare the shopping list for food, alcohol, ice, propane, and gas. Many of us were in our tents by 8:30 p.m. while others stayed up to chat or play cards.
Cook team of Jake and Colleen
In PEI the beautiful views of the sea, the iconic red sands, pretty houses, and rolling fields made cycling a delight. The scent of the roses along the roads was memorable and while they may or may not be invasive their beauty was unmistakable. We cycled on smaller roads where possible, but on the busier roads drivers were courteous.
Beautiful red sands of Prince Edward Island.
Martha and Bonnie enjoying the view.
At Wood Islands a 75-minute ferry took us to Nova Scotia where we would eventually face the challenging Cabot Trail and higher daily elevations. Our days in PEI helped prepare us as much as was possible. The Cabot Trail in Cape Breton Highland’s National Park is considered one of the best road trips you can enjoy. You can imagine what cycling the trail is like; not easy with long climbs up MacKenzie Mt, North Mt, and Cape Smokey in the hot sun, our highest one-day elevation gain being 1500 metres. One on particularly tough climb we were rewarded by the sight of our truck at the top, back doors flung open, the cheering shouts of Martin and Lorne offering us water, coffee, cookies, nuts, and chocolate.
Sandy at the Cabot Trail.
Spectacular view of the Cabot Trail.
The scenery of the endless sea, gorgeous beaches, vast headlands jutting into the sea, the lush green vegetation, and the joy of cycling steep, long, curvy downhills made the efforts put in the uphills worth it. Strong unpredictable winds made life more exciting on many a day, especially on the steep downhills.
First order of business as we departed on our bikes each day was to identify and locate the coffee shop sourced by Martha. One memorable one was the Clucking Chicken. 
A great place!
It was humming and packed full of cyclists.
Laurie enjoying treats at the Clucking Chicken.
At another coffee shop outside Sydney, we sampled a delicious coconut pie. We ate ice-cream at every opportunity. As any cyclist will agree, food is important. At our campsites we prepared delicious food with hors d’oeuvres each evening, tasty main courses, indulgent and virtuous desserts, while breakfasts were a variety of muesli, yoghurt, fruit salad, eggs, bacon, sausages, and French toast. We looked forward to mealtimes.
Memorable parts of the trip were the companionship, the pleasure of cycling, beautiful scenery with gorgeous sunsets, the simplicity of a life on the road. Challenging parts of the tour were when we had to cycle over bridges with narrow, or no shoulders, all the while dealing with cars and transport trucks. Because of construction work we found ourselves in situations where we had to pay close attention to our cycling and to the traffic, and in another instance, and again because of construction, we were obliged to cycle on a busy highway. There was one day of constant drizzle and another day when some of us were caught in a windy heavy thunderstorm while cycling on the narrow shoulder of a busy road. We had no major problems, but a few flat tires and one nasty bee sting which led to a swollen and painful hand. In summary, we cycled on paved roads 90% of the time, averaging 66 km per day. Our total distance was 924 km, and our total elevation 9662 m. We had 14 nights of camping, plus two nights of hotels at the beginning and the end. We had one rest day in Antigonish where we spent two nights at the same campsite. We ended the tour in Sydney.
While most of the CCCTs tours do not incorporate camping, the camping of this trip brought an added dimension of engagement between the tour members as we worked together for the good of everyone. Furthermore, after sitting in the saddle for most of the day, it felt nice to move one’s body setting up gear and getting the camp ready for what was always a pleasant evening.
Thanks again Bruce and fellow cyclists for an unforgettable time!
Beautiful Nova Scotia
The gang ready for one last day.