PEI 13 - Show and Tell

Day 8
Tuesday, July 26, 2016 (continued)

By the time we arrived at the Cable Head Bed & Breakfast in St. Peters, the rain had stopped and the sky was beginning to clear. Even so, we were committed to sleeping in a bed with sheets and a comforter, resting our heads on full-sized fluffy pillows. Camping has a way of transforming the ordinary into a luxury. 

The Cable House Bed and Breakfast

This was just a little more inviting than our tent and sleeping bags. (This picture comes from the website.)

We were not surprised when Dave came out the front door as we greeted the innkeeper in the driveway. Yes, he and Louise were the ones tying up the phone when we were trying to make our reservation from the Shipwreck Point Cafe. 

They had eaten an early dinner, but joined us anyway when we biked the couple miles down the road to Rick's Fish and Chips. You can't beat fish and chips and beer after a day of cycling. Louise assured us that she enjoyed her day of riding in the rain. Rainy day bicycling gets an undeserved bad rap.

That's Dave and Rob. Notice that blue sky overhead. We could have camped after all. But, nevertheless, we enjoyed the B&B.

After dinner we relaxed in the living room. The conversation turned to camping gear, and the challenge of minimizing weight while maximizing comfort. 

I said, "A few years ago, we got it down to the bare essentials. Now we're trying to figure out what luxury items we need. Like a full-size bath towel. And for this trip we brought a chair."

Like that kindergartener who can't wait for her turn at Show and Tell, I went to get our new chair and set it up.

 

Louise and Dave each took a turn and agreed it was quite comfortable and something to consider. Then we moved onto the subject of sleeping pads. 

A number of years ago Rob and I went with a short, thin pad. It barely weighed anything and fit anywhere, terrific for backpacking and a crappy night's sleep. We have since upgraded to a slightly thicker pad, but, still, there's always room for improvement. I recently researched lightweight cots, but they're too big for our tent.

Dave and Louise had a waffle kind of pad that we'd almost bought. Isn't it a pain in the neck to inflate? Dave got his pad and demonstrated blowing it up.

Dave said, "Let's compare - weight, cost, size, comfort."

Dave wasn't sold on our model and Rob couldn't decide what he thought of the waffle kind.

I said, "It's bumpy." 

Dave replied, "But you can hold onto those bumps for security." 

We rode 47 miles on Tuesday.