DAY 72: BAKER BROOK TO LIMESTONE SIDING, 108 KM

12 August 2007

We started off the morning with a quick ride into Edmunston, where we did our laundry and ran a few random errands. It seems that New Brunswick is quite hilly, but a different kind of hilly than northern Ontario or BC: the hills here are usually pretty short, but very steep.

We took a nice, small highway with little traffic along the St. John River. We're so close to the end of our trip now that nothing really motivates us to do very long days. So, once we reach about 100 km, we feel as though we've covered respectable ground, and are allowed to stop. Today we started looking for a camping spot at just about this point, but found nothing until we hit a small bar and convenience store near a town called Limstone Siding. There was a nice field behind it that was surrounded by trees, and we were dying to go swimming in the river. We went into the store to inquire about the field. Brenda, who was working there, and also happened to be the owner's wife, told us that the field belonged to the lady next door. Instead, she offered us a small patch of grass behind the store, and told us we could even move one of the picnic tables onto the little 'site'. She advised against swimming in the St. John River, as it was extremely polluted, and instead offered us the use of the bathrooms to wash up a bit. We graciously accepted, pitched our tents, and washed the layers of grime off of ourselves. When we were finished, Brenda came outside and offered to cook us dinner. What a treat! We sat inside the bar and had beers--on the house!--while Brenda made us burgers and fries. We were starving, and this was just what we needed. When we finished, we sat inside and watched TV. I left my wet clothing in the bar to dry overnight, and Brenda offered to make us some breakfast before we left in the morning. We are ever so thankful for Brenda's New Brunswick hospitality!