October 2, 2014
Facts about Cow Bay (Prince Rupert)
In 1908, farmers began unloading cows in Prince Rupert’s bay and, as a result, it was renamed Cow Bay. There are also several restaurants and coffee shops to eat and chat at in Cow Bay, an area filled with restored heritage buildings and lots of character. The Prince Rupert Yacht Club building in Cow Bay, built in 1912, is thought to be one of the oldest yacht clubs in Canada.
Friendly Faces
Judson: The owner of the local coffee shop (Cowpuccino’s) allowed us to stay for many hours and use the wifi. He gave us free coffee, and asked a lot of questions about our trip. He has done some travelling by bicycle, including a trip to Spain when he was younger.
Today’s Highlights
Andrew writes: Watching bald eagles play with ravens at Galloway Rapids…all the hours at Cowpuccino’s…surprise dinner at Cowbay Cafe…
Amanda writes:I really enjoyed the leisurely pace of today. We didn’t ride far and had the pleasure of diving into the blog and photo editing.
Today’s Cycling Stats
Amanda writes: Starting point: Prudhomme Lake PP
End point: Prince Rupert
23.8 km distance travelled
16.2 km/h average speed
43.0 km/h maximum speed
1:28 time on bike
What happened…
Andrew writes: I tried feeding a blue jay some breakfast, but I don’t think he likes oatmeal or apples. I do though, and so does Amanda, so we had lots to ourselves. It was a short 25km ride in to Prince Rupert today. The terrain was up and down, and I was surprised because I thought for sure it would be flat or downhill. Oh well, it was short and sweet.
We got into Prince Rupert early and just sat inside a coffee shop all afternoon (Cowpuccino’s), which was recommended to us by two different people. While we were there, friends of ours, Marylou and her husband Dan, offered to buy us dinner at a nearby cafe. The food was amazing. I was left wondering what their special story is about that cafe, and why they chose it for us.
Devlin was so hospitable as far as a host went. She made us feel right at home, right away, and was very trusting of us, as she went off to dinner with colleagues from work. Left to our own devices, we went out for dinner as I mentioned above, and then back to Devlin’s to cook lunch for tomorrow’s ferry ride.
The storm is really coming on strong right now, and I’m glad that we aren’t in our tent somewhere. I am worried that the tent would break. I guess we’ll have lots of chances to try it out in a storm. It’s late, and I’m trying to get to sleep, but all of the crashing outside is giving me a case of nerves, and it’s also exciting as well.
Amanda writes: Any day that starts with a warm embrace with your lover is bound to be a good one. We got moving pretty quickly and were able to pedal into Prince Rupert within a couple of hours. We popped by the local tourist information centre and found out where the best coffee shop was. We walked across the street to Cowpuccino and enjoyed some lovely coffee and shared a sandwich for lunch. When we had first rolled into town we were scoping out places to put our tent. We found many within about 15 minutes of the City so weren’t too concerned. That was until we saw the forecast and listened to the locals talk about the storm coming in. Their shifts on the docks and fishing boats had been cancelled. The storm was forecasted to have 100 km/h winds and up to 40 mm of rain. At that moment we decided to try our luck with a couch surfer host.
Our saviour Devlin agreed for us to stay with her. When we had first reached out to her a few days before she said she could host if we didn’t end up finding anything else. And while we are normally okay in our tent in storms, this one was a bit more intimidating. We had just been online trying to arrange for a host and doing other update items. I was also communicating with my family about funeral services for my Brother. It felt good to make a few phone calls and take care of some pending items. While we were online I got a message from our good friend Marylou. Marylou and her husband Dan said they’d like to buy us dinner! Now dinner out may not sound like a big deal to some, but after camp cooking for two months and sleeping in a tent it was like our birthday or Christmas or something. Not only would we have a warm roof over our head for the storm but we also were treated to a lovely waterfront meal.
It’s times like these where I’m reminded that we are loved and have amazing friends. I said during our radio interview with Simi Sara on CKNW that we really believed that all people are good and we all like to help each other. This day was a very powerful one for me. Just the night before I had this overwhelming feeling that we are doing what we are meant to. Not once have I missed going to work and not once have I felt like I should be doing something different. Combining that mindset with the love from others made for one of my favourite days on the trip thus far. Andrew and I are so lucky to have each other to share our journey with each other and we are extra fortunate that others want to participate.
We are now lying in Devlin’s home at 10pm at night with a warm roof over our heads and full bellies of amazing food. The storm is brewing something fierce around us with the wind blowing and it’s raining sideways. It’s awesome to be enjoying it from inside. The lights are flickering and I’m really enjoying the sounds of the storm. On the flip side I hope that it subsides so that our ferry actually leaves.