Heading East

Dawn sees us heading east out of Edmundston along the Trans-Canada Highway.

 

The morning is cool and damp with mist along the valleys.

 

The sun appears on the horizon.

 

Our third day on the road and another early start as we try to beat the clock and arrive early enough to do all that needs to be accomplished before the end of the business day.

On the road, we see warning signs for moose, which can wander into the road and be extremely hazardous for drivers.  The sides of the highway in New Brunswick are mostly fenced in an attempt to keep them off the road.  Travelling at night is particularly dangerous because they are on the move and most drivers who hit a moose do not live to tell the tale.

 

 

We continue east on mostly quiet roads, as it is still early in the day and commuters are not yet on the move.

Though I had never driven anything of this size before, I did take a turn at driving the truck - 26 feet of truck complete with a 20 foot trailer are a bit different to the last car that I owned, which was a Mini Cooper S.

 

 

As we were heading east, we had the sun in our eyes for much of the day, so I needed the hat to cut down on the glare.  It is impossible to drive without good sunglasses too, as the light is so bright.  

 

We didn't get a photo of the complete rig this time, but this is the view to the rear.

 

Just to prove that I was actually driving, Mr Candytuft decided to take some action photos!

 

 

As we approach the coast, the scenery changes again.  It is very pretty and the air has a special quality to it, which is fresh and clean: a pleasant and refreshing change after weeks of humidity in Ontario.

 

The warnings of moose become more frequent.  We are on a highway which is notorious for moose collisions and the signs warn drivers to slow down at night. 

 

I am co-pilot at this stage and enjoying the scnery, but also following our route on the map.  Here is a little clue to our destination.

 

We are heading for the Confederation Bridge.

 

 

Excitement mounts as we approach the bridge, which is a first crossing for both of us.  We can see the bridge ahead as we approach.

The Confederation Bridge took four years to build and opened in 1997.  It is 12.9 Km (8 miles) in length and spans the Northumberland Strait.

We see wetlands as we approach.

We begin our crossing and I take a photo looking back towards the mainland of New Brunswick.

We approach the apex of the bridge - the height of this fixed bridge allows shipping to pass beneath.  We complete the crossing in about ten minutes.

Our first sighting of a lighthouse.  Welcome to Prince Edward Island.

 I look back as the road curves and get this shot of the bridge in the distance.

We are now entering the smallest Canadian Province - a place of farmland and fields of oil seed rape and potatoes, for which the Island is famous.

Almost at journey's end.  We are booked for an overnight stay at a local hotel before our move-in date tomorrow.