Leg 4 – Hampstead to the Island – #LexGoFurther – A Ford Escape

This leg of the trip was more leisurely than I expected.

I had arrived at Dani’s after her girls had gone to bed, so I expected to wake up at the crack of dawn to the sound of a household of young teens getting ready for the early bus to school. I expected to get a little tiny amount of bustling time with them before they got on the bus and I got on the road for the island. And most of that happened, but rather than staying up Dani was kind and suggested I go back to bed. So I did.

When I got up for real she made me a wonderful breakfast, I made an outrageous 9 phone calls to confirm my parking plans for the Ford Escape while I was on the island and some back and forth on coordinating crossing.  I expected just to park, and walk across the river, but others had other plans.  The benefit of that was I got a great visit with Dani and, in the afternoon, Jenny too!

In the morning Dani & I went and visited her horses up this outrageously steep hill, the kind you would see in San Francisco which is why San Fran always reminds me of home.   Her in-laws live on the hill and have a magnificent view of the Saint John River.

Dani tended the horses while we chatted about my plan to drive the ice road.

They started making up news headlines for when things went wrong New Brunswick Native Drowns While Driving The Ice Road”; “Lucky Torontonian Cheats Death After Going Into The River”; ”  “Ford Adventure Goes Horribly Awry”.   Oddly enough, no one said “Boring Crossing as Lex Drives The Ice Road With No Incident”.

After much laughing, some of mine nervous, Dani and I went on a tour of Hampstead. We visited her favourite potter,

Went down to the Hampstead Wharf where the river boats used to stop regularly

and then headed back to her house for lunch.

I was back on the road at around 3pm.  Driving the back route down to Quispamsis.

The back route is mostly comprised of short drives between ferry rides.  In fact, while it takes a little over an hour, it’s only about 50 km and 3 ferry rides.  And all the ferries in New Brunswick are free, so it’s like 3 mini cruises.

First the Evandale Ferry

Then the Belleisle Bay Ferry

And finally the Gondola Point Ferry, which I drove right onto, so there was no photo op.  I parked the Ford Escape at a friends, where it would stay for a couple of days while I was on the island and hustled to the river.

I got on a skidoo for the very first time in my life and “drove” home.

Trip Stats – Hampstead to the shore of the Kennebecasis

Departure:  2:50pm         Arrival: 4:17pm
Time: 1:06h
Leg 3 Distance: 47.7km

Average Fuel: 9.4 l/100km
Distance to Empty:  89km
Gas purchased: $95 = $61 (43.916l @ $1.389) + 34 (25.972 @$1.309 )

Total Gas Costs: $151.71  (113.812l)

Odometer: 018716
Photos taken:  654 (not counting the 120+ Jennie took when she got control of the camera)
Total Distance Travelled:  1564km

Leg 4 Photo Slideshow

Note: this post is part of my Lex Go Further – A Ford Escape series sponsored by Ford Canada.  If you want to know more about what trouble I get into, you can read my disclosure statement here.