Fredericton Area British Automobile Club: Report on Yip Ciders, Kingston Peninsula Run

It doesn't get much better than this...sitting on a wide patio with pizza, good friends, a variety of drinks, under gorgeous skies, with perfect temperatures, and a view of the St. John River. The plans changed a few times as the weather changed a few times, but we eventually got a few folks together and got the heck going.

A quick trip down Hwy 7 got us to the Westfield ferry, followed by a spirited drive along the peninsula to Yip's Cider in Long Reach.

With cold fizzy drinks in hand and a variety of pizzas ordered, the pace slowed to a dead crawl as we wiled away a good chunk of the afternoon reminiscing about great bands and their music, among other eclectic subjects.

The afternoon waned and we headed off in sorta separate directions. Gary and I backtracked towards the Westfield ferry, remembering something about ice cream. Unfortunately the ice cream was back on the peninsula, not on the other side in Westfield.

A big thanks to Carol & John for persevering and getting the run ran (or 'runned'?). We'll be adding Yips to our list of fun places to do nothing for an afternoon.

Oh yes, I learned that Gary always has gum. :-)

Addendum: Despite having cursed the 102 after driving it a few weeks ago, it's been one of my favourite drives since I've been here, so I drove it home and gave it another chance, this time paying close attention to it's condition.

Perfectly tuned Strombergs-- Hwy 7 is a smooth and flat ribbon of perfection that gets one places fast, but like life, the idea isn't to be quick, it's to enjoy the journey. Hwy 7 is boring, and with lots of traffic moving at different speeds, it demands constant attention, keeping one from enjoying the scenery. In contrast, the 102 twists and winds through gorgeous scenery and delivers endless views of the river. From tall trees shading the road to lush fields with cows, the scenery constantly entertains. I counted four spots to stop for ice cream (Yes we did, Gary) with 'Balemans' farm market in Brown's Flats being halfway (and generous with their scoops). The road is mostly fine and well maintained with a reasonable speed limit and sees little traffic.

Oil Leaks-- There's a few stretches that are heavily patched and bumpy. These areas tend to be in the middle stretch. From the Nerapis river almost to Brown's Flats, it's excellent. The same goes for the area from around Queenstown all the way into Burton. There's construction in a couple of spots but that's a good thing...right? Even the rough spots don't present a hazard as there's no potholes or badly broken pavement. It will give your suspension a good workout but that's what suspensions are for...right? Because there's so little traffic, one can drive towards the centreline to avoid most of the rough stuff as it tends to be near the edge of the road.

The 102 is back on my 'nice' list and will be enjoyed often.

Rob E. & SWMBO