We finally got out of the room around 8 after finishing our left over Grinders for breakfast, as the Ashford does not offer a continental breakfast and the nearest breakfast place is in Stafford Springs. So up the hill from Ashford, at this point "up the hill" seems redundant. After up and down some hills, we rolled into Stafford Springs and into a coffee shop/breakfast place that turned out to be very warm inside. We chatted with a local yoga instructor about riding in the area and it was clear he had never ridden his bike with any weight on it. Anyway, a bite to eat and yes, up the hill. Pretty town, and as with many of the towns on rivers in the area, some large brick buildings that were previously mills of some sort back in the day. Several of the buildings are now leased out to many firms for various uses. One of the rather nice old mills (not sure "mills" is an accurate description) in Whittinsville is being completely refurbished. There is a lot of money in the area as the towns are in good shape and there are many nice well kept homes along our route. We were close to Boston so I am sure many people commute from the area we have ridden through.
Anyway, on down the road through Ellington on Frog Hollow Road toward Windsor Locks. We stopped and took some photos of tobacco drying in a couple of large buildings (100 ft x 50 ft or so) and rolled on through some nice farm land in the Connecticut River valley.
On Tromley Road we pulled over with the idea of having a bagel. I asked the gentleman working in his garden if I could borrow his tree to lean my bike against. Ok, so I walked over to see his garden. He was picking what appeared to be seed pods of his climbing spinach plant, a new plant for him and me. We introduced our selves and Don Pomeroy, said he had picked spinach off the plant all summer and his wife had made some wonder quiches. We chatted for a while, talking garden stuff and bide riding; his son Peter rides a lot and has mountain bikes as well as road bikes. The dogs in a pen about 20 yards away heard us talking and would interrupt us now and again and Don would hush them with a persuasive, "Shut Up" command. He raises and trains hunting dogs, English Springer Spaniels, and owns Scantic River Kennel. He asked us in for coffee just as his son Robert, one of six children, 4 boy, 2 girls, pulled in to pick up some corn on orders of his Mom. Don, age 81, had been to the doctor this morning and got a clean bill of health and looked and moved very well in spite of having had both hips replaced. We went in and Don introduced his spouse Aggie and said we were here for coffee. We sat and talked for half hour or so and solved some of he world problems but mostly just talked about the important things like family. Aggie's family comes from Waterford, Ireland and we bemoaned the fact Waterford Crystal was closed and/or sold to a German company. Robert suggested they could make some nice crystal beer steins. We mentioned the tobacco and Aggie said the whole valley used to be filled with tobacco fields and the crop has almost disappeared from the area. Robert said that at age 12, under the legal age of 14, he had worked for an old farmer who on payday would gather all the workers around and hand them their pay in envelopes. A nice family and our meeting with them is an example of one of the reasons Rudy and I enjoy our rides. We exchanged e-mails and Aggie said she would try and open our blog on her new computer. After a very pleasant time we were back on the road toward Windsor Locks.
We stopped for lunch at the Pickle Works. I had a salmon caesar and Rudy had a chicken caesar. We had decided to make tomorrow a rest day, but as it was still early we called the motel in Granby listed on our maps. Unfortunately, they only had rooms with one bed. It is only another 9 miles up the road it is 9 miles we would not have to ride on our next riding day. We decided to stay in Windsor Locks which is the location of Bradley International Airport which serves Hartford and this area. Tom, the owner of Pickle Works gave us some suggestions and we settled in the Econo Lodge which has been recently refurbished.
Got settled and rode down the street to the laundromat and did our laundry which we needed to do as our limited wardrobe has suffered in the last few days of hard, rainy riding.
Back in the room and I showered and started my blog. Talked with family at home and Skyped my daughter in Ireland.
We walked a couple of blocks to Papa Ginos for dinner. As we got ready to leave, the skies opened up and heavy rain began to fall. We were standing by the door when Ricky, on break from his job at the local Honda parts distribution center, was leaving. We asked for a ride and he was nice enough to save us from getting soaked.
It is getting late and I am looking forward to kicking back tomorrow.
33 miles today. 37 mph for top speed.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Union, CT, 9/29/2011
We were up fairly early and headed downstairs to the dining room where Karen, our hostess had set up breakfast items the night before including coffee, juice etc. We made some oat meal and toast and got our bikes from the back yard where our host had covered them with tarps. Good thing as it rained pretty good during the night. It was over cast when we left and we took photos of the B&B and will post them along with other photos once I figure it out. We arrived at the corner down the street just as the school bus pulled away from the curb and left the Moms standing there drinking coffee and chatting. We joined the chat and asked the name of their road the bus had just left with their children. After a discussion, it was agreed it was Main which is what we were looking for. Asked about place up the road where we could buy some Gatorade and the answer in unison, without conferring among themselves was "Super Walmart on the right just before you cross Route 148". The group dispersed but the lady with the Bruins shirt lingered and chatted a bit more. The local accents are delightful.
Our route took us by several lakes today and at 9:40 am we entered Rhode Island on Rhode Island route 100 and by 10: 20 am we were in Connecticut. A lot of nice homes along the way as well as a very large state mental hospital. We stopped at the top of a hill near Thompson to have an orange and walked around an old cemetery. Most residing there have been there since the 1800s. We asked a nice lady out for her daily walk (she was older than us by 20 years at least) for breakfast directions and up and down the hill we went to North Grosvenor. Had a pleasant meal and got a bagel and cream cheese to go. Checking our maps, we called a B&B in Stafford Springs looking for lodging but got an answering machine. As we were leaving, a pretty good rain began to fall. We rode in the rain for 45 minutes or so and then it changed to drizzle off and on for the afternoon with some thunder later in the day.
Well, we found the hill that Steve, who we met yesterday, told us about. He said he hit 50 mph going down and I am sure he was on his brakes. We had some very steep hills today at 9% or better. I stopped three times on one rather long hill just to keep my heart rate from going to crazy. I start to think about stopping when it climbs into the 150s. Down hill I hit 39 mph for my fastest today and Rudy hit 41. If the down hills were a bit straighter and you could see farther, I think we could hit a 100, well almost. 39 is fast enough for me.
We called the B&B several more times but never got an answer and began to get concerned as lodging is sparse and we did not want to ride 70 miles, particularly not today because of all the climbing on the steep hills.
We stopped at a nice Fly fishing shop outside of Union on Route 190 just west of I 84. Launa, the owner, was very nice, helpful and told some good stories. After confirming the non answering B&B was the only show in town, Launa suggest the Ashford Motel which is just off our route, yet quite close but not listed on our maps. Launa told us the Ashford has a number Section 8 tenants (not that there is anything wrong with that). She called directory assistance and got the number and I spoke with Mr. Patel who confirmed they had a room. Where do we eat? Launa never offered us a dinner invitation but gave us directions to Smittys for some grinders. We went to the Ashford, checked in and showered and took the unloaded bikes to Smittys hoping to not get caught in the rain. Smitty fixed us one roast beef sandwich for us to take out. It was huge and neither of us finished our half. We should have ordered a half and split it. While we were waiting for our sandwich three other customers came in and Smitty sold 4 twelve packs of beer, two Bud Light, one Busch and one Michelob Light. The conversation centered around the end of the Red Sox season or an Epic Collapse as the Hartford Courant reported. We put our purchases on the bikes and headed up the 9% grade Launa had neglected to mention in her directions to Smittys. Even with our unloaded bikes it was hard for our tired legs. We were back in our room working on our monster sandwiches when the B&B returned our call from noon. She was very apologetic and was happy we had found a room and said that if we were out in the rain, she would have come and picked us up.
Anyway, long day 52 miles. More hills tomorrow.Rudy is asleep and I will work on the photo thing another day.
Our route took us by several lakes today and at 9:40 am we entered Rhode Island on Rhode Island route 100 and by 10: 20 am we were in Connecticut. A lot of nice homes along the way as well as a very large state mental hospital. We stopped at the top of a hill near Thompson to have an orange and walked around an old cemetery. Most residing there have been there since the 1800s. We asked a nice lady out for her daily walk (she was older than us by 20 years at least) for breakfast directions and up and down the hill we went to North Grosvenor. Had a pleasant meal and got a bagel and cream cheese to go. Checking our maps, we called a B&B in Stafford Springs looking for lodging but got an answering machine. As we were leaving, a pretty good rain began to fall. We rode in the rain for 45 minutes or so and then it changed to drizzle off and on for the afternoon with some thunder later in the day.
Well, we found the hill that Steve, who we met yesterday, told us about. He said he hit 50 mph going down and I am sure he was on his brakes. We had some very steep hills today at 9% or better. I stopped three times on one rather long hill just to keep my heart rate from going to crazy. I start to think about stopping when it climbs into the 150s. Down hill I hit 39 mph for my fastest today and Rudy hit 41. If the down hills were a bit straighter and you could see farther, I think we could hit a 100, well almost. 39 is fast enough for me.
We called the B&B several more times but never got an answer and began to get concerned as lodging is sparse and we did not want to ride 70 miles, particularly not today because of all the climbing on the steep hills.
We stopped at a nice Fly fishing shop outside of Union on Route 190 just west of I 84. Launa, the owner, was very nice, helpful and told some good stories. After confirming the non answering B&B was the only show in town, Launa suggest the Ashford Motel which is just off our route, yet quite close but not listed on our maps. Launa told us the Ashford has a number Section 8 tenants (not that there is anything wrong with that). She called directory assistance and got the number and I spoke with Mr. Patel who confirmed they had a room. Where do we eat? Launa never offered us a dinner invitation but gave us directions to Smittys for some grinders. We went to the Ashford, checked in and showered and took the unloaded bikes to Smittys hoping to not get caught in the rain. Smitty fixed us one roast beef sandwich for us to take out. It was huge and neither of us finished our half. We should have ordered a half and split it. While we were waiting for our sandwich three other customers came in and Smitty sold 4 twelve packs of beer, two Bud Light, one Busch and one Michelob Light. The conversation centered around the end of the Red Sox season or an Epic Collapse as the Hartford Courant reported. We put our purchases on the bikes and headed up the 9% grade Launa had neglected to mention in her directions to Smittys. Even with our unloaded bikes it was hard for our tired legs. We were back in our room working on our monster sandwiches when the B&B returned our call from noon. She was very apologetic and was happy we had found a room and said that if we were out in the rain, she would have come and picked us up.
Anyway, long day 52 miles. More hills tomorrow.Rudy is asleep and I will work on the photo thing another day.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Whitinsville, MA, 9/28/2011
After a pretty good nights sleep in our notellmotel in Ayer we went up the block to Tony's for something to eat. Two guys sitting at the counter. The older, age 80, asked if we had ridden down the Nashua River Trail. We acknowledged we had and he stated he would never ride it again. A year ago he hit an area that was very rough and took a bad spill, time in the hospital type spill. He banged up his leg and almost severed his little finger. Now he just lifts weights at the gym. Other guy was originally from western Kansas about 100 miles from my home town in western Oklahoma. He was in the service, met and married a young lady from Massachusetts. One visit to Kansas and they settled in Massachusetts.
We met a couple of lady cyclist near Bolton and stopped to chat. One was from Cape Cod and they have ridden most of the route from San Diego to Florida that we rode in 2001. They had to abort the ride as it was one of the years the Mississippi was flooding and the route was impassable. They had the same experience we had on I-8 in California between Jacumba and the valley south of El Centro, CA. There were high winds, which blew our bikes sideways. We rode the entire down hill with our feet out of the clips and braking all the way and it was very noisy as the metal wind barriers were vibrating, creating such a racket that when standing next to them, we could not talk.
We stopped in Britney's Cafe in Northborough, MA for an early lunch as we had been gong up and I suppose down some nice short steep hills. The road names a quite accurate, Sawyer Hill, Solomon Pond. etc. I keep looking for (insert name here) Flat or Easy or Wind At Your Back Street. Not today. Anyway at Britney's, a young couple came in and sat next to us. It was Leah's 30th birthday! She is a spin instructor and her boyfriend is a boxer (welter weight) who has not fought lately due to a back injury. They asked about our ride and Leah made suggestions about nutrition which was timely as I am dragging today. Up hill, into the wind and not eating the best today. More carbs needed.
We headed up the road into Westborough and met Steve, a touring cyclist on his way north. He crossed the street and we talked for several minutes. He has ridden all over the world and told us the hardest part of our ride is yet to come. Connecticut. Very steep hills. Steve said he hit 50 mph on one downhill and 40+ on a couple of others. He is going north and we are headed south so we will be headed up those hills.
We crossed three Interstate Highways today and some major Massachusetts roads and it is hard to find a motel. We are 75 miles from Windsor Locks, Conn and our maps list only campgrounds and B&Bs for lodging. We are not riding the main roads. So, tonight we are in Whitinsville, MA in the Talley's Corner B&B. Very nice place. En route I stopped at fire station to ask directions only to find our street was the next corner, 100 ft down the road. I chatted with the Chief, picked up a department patch for Scott, my son in law, who is a fireman with Healdsburg and told him Scott would be sending him a patch from Healdsburg.
It was a pretty day, not as humid, in the 70s or maybe low 80s. We are on the 3rd floor of the B&B with the windows open and a nice cool breeze coming in the window.
We asked the Inn keeper about a place to eat. She suggested Brian's, not to far down the street. Picked up a card for Mike's Cab so we could call cab for the ride back and headed out for Brian's. As we walked we asked more people about the location and distance to Brian' with different answers. 40 to 45 minutes later we arrived at Brian's and had a good dinner. Quite full, I call Mike's Cab. The number was no longer in service. I called directory assistance and got the closest cab company, which does not serve this area. Our return walk was interesting in that a lot of area had no lights and the sidewalks are a California personal injury attorney's idea of heaven.
40 miles today. Off to Rhode Island and Connecticut in the morning.
We met a couple of lady cyclist near Bolton and stopped to chat. One was from Cape Cod and they have ridden most of the route from San Diego to Florida that we rode in 2001. They had to abort the ride as it was one of the years the Mississippi was flooding and the route was impassable. They had the same experience we had on I-8 in California between Jacumba and the valley south of El Centro, CA. There were high winds, which blew our bikes sideways. We rode the entire down hill with our feet out of the clips and braking all the way and it was very noisy as the metal wind barriers were vibrating, creating such a racket that when standing next to them, we could not talk.
We stopped in Britney's Cafe in Northborough, MA for an early lunch as we had been gong up and I suppose down some nice short steep hills. The road names a quite accurate, Sawyer Hill, Solomon Pond. etc. I keep looking for (insert name here) Flat or Easy or Wind At Your Back Street. Not today. Anyway at Britney's, a young couple came in and sat next to us. It was Leah's 30th birthday! She is a spin instructor and her boyfriend is a boxer (welter weight) who has not fought lately due to a back injury. They asked about our ride and Leah made suggestions about nutrition which was timely as I am dragging today. Up hill, into the wind and not eating the best today. More carbs needed.
We headed up the road into Westborough and met Steve, a touring cyclist on his way north. He crossed the street and we talked for several minutes. He has ridden all over the world and told us the hardest part of our ride is yet to come. Connecticut. Very steep hills. Steve said he hit 50 mph on one downhill and 40+ on a couple of others. He is going north and we are headed south so we will be headed up those hills.
We crossed three Interstate Highways today and some major Massachusetts roads and it is hard to find a motel. We are 75 miles from Windsor Locks, Conn and our maps list only campgrounds and B&Bs for lodging. We are not riding the main roads. So, tonight we are in Whitinsville, MA in the Talley's Corner B&B. Very nice place. En route I stopped at fire station to ask directions only to find our street was the next corner, 100 ft down the road. I chatted with the Chief, picked up a department patch for Scott, my son in law, who is a fireman with Healdsburg and told him Scott would be sending him a patch from Healdsburg.
It was a pretty day, not as humid, in the 70s or maybe low 80s. We are on the 3rd floor of the B&B with the windows open and a nice cool breeze coming in the window.
We asked the Inn keeper about a place to eat. She suggested Brian's, not to far down the street. Picked up a card for Mike's Cab so we could call cab for the ride back and headed out for Brian's. As we walked we asked more people about the location and distance to Brian' with different answers. 40 to 45 minutes later we arrived at Brian's and had a good dinner. Quite full, I call Mike's Cab. The number was no longer in service. I called directory assistance and got the closest cab company, which does not serve this area. Our return walk was interesting in that a lot of area had no lights and the sidewalks are a California personal injury attorney's idea of heaven.
40 miles today. Off to Rhode Island and Connecticut in the morning.
Along The Road
As you travel along the road on a bike you have time to observe things you might not see from a car as well as items that make you think. For instance, Wikipedia lists 49 pages of beer brands made in the US alone. So why is it that we have seen countless Bud Lite cans in the ditch, one regular Budweiser and only one Coors. A few Arizona Ice Tea, some EnSure (?) bottles and two Coke cans. The ditches in Maine were very clean, New Hampshire as well. Massachusetts are not as clean but not to bad.
9/30, a new beer can: Fosters. Also while stopped to take a rest, I noticed an empty airplane serving size Bushmills Irish whiskey bottle lying next to an empty whipped cream can. No signs of any coffee mugs, so who knows.
We have seen little gray squirrels every day in large numbers. Most alive but many who never made it across the road. The last few days we have seen lots little tiny chipmunks. On the Nashua River Trail two ran right in front of Rudy, one stopped and ran back between his wheels.
And of all things, we saw a beaver at the edge of the road on 9/27! There was a small stream and we had seen what appeared to be beaver activity and there he/she was!
We saw several what we called wood chucks in Pennsylvania. And I think I saw another beaver.
Update on road kill. We have seen 5 or so raccoons; 3 opossums; one Red Fox on the road in Valley Forge National Historical Site, one deer; a couple of black birds.
There have been lots of little black and tan caterpillars on the road trying to cross. The only one I know to have made it across the road for sure is the one I picked up and took across. I think he was so shocked he may have headed back across the road.
9/30, a new beer can: Fosters. Also while stopped to take a rest, I noticed an empty airplane serving size Bushmills Irish whiskey bottle lying next to an empty whipped cream can. No signs of any coffee mugs, so who knows.
We have seen little gray squirrels every day in large numbers. Most alive but many who never made it across the road. The last few days we have seen lots little tiny chipmunks. On the Nashua River Trail two ran right in front of Rudy, one stopped and ran back between his wheels.
And of all things, we saw a beaver at the edge of the road on 9/27! There was a small stream and we had seen what appeared to be beaver activity and there he/she was!
We saw several what we called wood chucks in Pennsylvania. And I think I saw another beaver.
Update on road kill. We have seen 5 or so raccoons; 3 opossums; one Red Fox on the road in Valley Forge National Historical Site, one deer; a couple of black birds.
There have been lots of little black and tan caterpillars on the road trying to cross. The only one I know to have made it across the road for sure is the one I picked up and took across. I think he was so shocked he may have headed back across the road.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Ayer, Ma 9/27/2011
Slept well until 1:30 am when the air conditioner started an incredible racket which ceased when I held my foot against it which was not the ideal sleeping position. I shut it off and opened windows. We were in our most upscale hotel, a Hamilton Inn, and they adjusted our bill a bit. A great breakfast at the hotel of fruit, egg thing that wanted to be an omelet, cereal, coffee, juice and I left with a hard boiled egg. We left Exeter in sunshine around 8 and made good time up and down the hills. Exeter is a lovely town and we rode by the Phillips Exeter Academy, school of Daniel Webster, Franklin Pierce, James Agee, a smatering of Rockefellers and du Ponts as well as Amos Alonzo Stagg and George Plimpton. Pretty place, check it out on Google street view. Lots of traffic along our route of people headed to work and kids off to school. The drivers continue to be very good, the vehicles that come the closest to us have been big yellow School Buses! 18 wheelers loaded with all kinds of stuff give us a lot more room.
We made good time and decided to continue on into Massachusetts. We stopped for lunch around 11 am at the Waterhouse Country Store, a chicken place in Windham. Kristen our waitress, cook etc treated us very special and the chicken was good. We were talking tonight and I think we never left a tip, good grief. Any way, we had 30 miles in by then and decided to push on to Ayer, Mass. We stopped and rested our feet at the Rose of Sharon Flower shop near Groton and asked about lodgings in Ayer. Called and made reservations at the notellmotel run by Mr. Patel. We rode into Groton and picked up the Nashua River Trail. About four miles of old railroad bed turned into a paved trail. Wonderful flat trail with lots of local bikers, hikers, moms with babies etc. enjoying the lovely day in early fall. We arrived at our motel in Ayer, around 35 miles or so from Boston, and walked up the street to Tiny's. Stacy, our waitress, said people come from Maine for Tiny's sea food. We had a good meal, very reasonable. Back to the motel where we can only get the free wi-fi in the lobby. A fellow guest, maybe the only other one, came in to report his sink was leaking badly. He rang the bell and no one came so he finally called the motel and Mrs. Patel's young teen daughter came out to talk to him. Mom and Dad are not here, come back later. Our fellow guest said the motel used to be quite notorious and some of the rooms are unusual. On the way back to our room, (two double beds) we looked in a couple of the other rooms. Round beds, jacuzzis, mirrored ceilings, tiger pattern bed spreads!
59 miles today.
We made good time and decided to continue on into Massachusetts. We stopped for lunch around 11 am at the Waterhouse Country Store, a chicken place in Windham. Kristen our waitress, cook etc treated us very special and the chicken was good. We were talking tonight and I think we never left a tip, good grief. Any way, we had 30 miles in by then and decided to push on to Ayer, Mass. We stopped and rested our feet at the Rose of Sharon Flower shop near Groton and asked about lodgings in Ayer. Called and made reservations at the notellmotel run by Mr. Patel. We rode into Groton and picked up the Nashua River Trail. About four miles of old railroad bed turned into a paved trail. Wonderful flat trail with lots of local bikers, hikers, moms with babies etc. enjoying the lovely day in early fall. We arrived at our motel in Ayer, around 35 miles or so from Boston, and walked up the street to Tiny's. Stacy, our waitress, said people come from Maine for Tiny's sea food. We had a good meal, very reasonable. Back to the motel where we can only get the free wi-fi in the lobby. A fellow guest, maybe the only other one, came in to report his sink was leaking badly. He rang the bell and no one came so he finally called the motel and Mrs. Patel's young teen daughter came out to talk to him. Mom and Dad are not here, come back later. Our fellow guest said the motel used to be quite notorious and some of the rooms are unusual. On the way back to our room, (two double beds) we looked in a couple of the other rooms. Round beds, jacuzzis, mirrored ceilings, tiger pattern bed spreads!
59 miles today.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Exeter, New Hampshire
Out the door through Wells, Maine and then off Hwy 1 to the road along the beach through the condo rentals along the shore in Moody Beach and then back on 1. We stopped at Qgunquit for some oat meal. We have learned not to order a bowl as it is too much. Well, Bessie's does not offer cups of oatmeal but Toby our waitress split an order. Toby rides a Honda to work at a cost of $1.50 per week and her husband just bought a bike. She thought our ride was pretty cool but declined to join us. Back on the road through York Beach and to York Harbor. A lot of people at the beach including some sun bathers. Everyone is talking about the great weather, the coming of winter etc. Stores are advertising seasonal tune ups, a lot of blades for snow removal are for sale along the road. We stopped briefly at Fort McClary which protected the entrance to Portsmouth harbor. A little late, as it was built after a Confederate ship captured and burned a ship in the harbor during the civil war. The fort was never finished as it was deemed obsolete. Our luck with bridges continued as when we came back up to Highway 1 (we had been on 1A along the beach) we learned the bridge to Portsmouth was closed. Good luck, a young man waiting for the light told us we could still walk our bikes across, which we did with no problem. Bridge was built in 1920 - 1926 and needs paint and repairs. Once we arrived at the other end of the bridge we were in New Hampshire so stopped for photo op and to discuss lunch plans. Don, a local biker who was finishing a 75 mile ride, stopped to see if we needed directions. He gave us directions to the Oar House and we learned he is going to Sonoma County next week to ride in Levi Leipheimer's Grand Fondo. He has done the Vineman in the county and loves Healdsburg and will be staying there. We told him to go to Murphy Goode winery, and tell everyone that Rudy and Larry sent him and to ask for free tasting. Nice chat, then Don headed off to work and we headed to the Oar House for lunch. Great roast beef sandwich for me and pulled pork for Rudy. As we were leaving we were chating with a couple. The gentleman is going to be in Healdsburg next week on business. Naturally, we suggested Murphy Goode to him as well. Small world. Portsmouth is a very pretty town and it would be nice to spend some time there. We have been impressed with this area. The people are friendly, the drivers are aware and drive safely around us, the homes are pretty and well cared for.
We finished in Exeter for the day and are close to Massachusetts but it may be a short day tomorrow depending on lodging or it may been a long day, either around 48 or 75.
Today was 50 miles. Another new state for Rudy.
We finished in Exeter for the day and are close to Massachusetts but it may be a short day tomorrow depending on lodging or it may been a long day, either around 48 or 75.
Today was 50 miles. Another new state for Rudy.
Kennebunk, Maine 9/25
Expecting a long day, we were up early. Pat and Florence came down for a cup of coffee and after a quick photo op we were on the road. We stopped and picked up some GatorAide. Began to wonder about the day when the bridge over the Royal River was closed. We thought about riding down to the bridge to see if we could make it over on bikes and just before we headed down the hill, we came upon a jogger. We asked him about the bridge...jogger said no way, so he saved us a ride back up a steep hill. On down the road and asked a guy working in his yard for additional directions which got us back on track in Gray. Looking for a snack, had to settle for a EggMcMuffin! A town that has no motels, a decent restaurant and a bed and breakfast that won't answer its phone has a McDonalds. It just dawned on me that if you enter an address in Google Earth and street view you can see where we are. Enter Gray, Maine and take a look at the town. Weather was good and people were enjoying the late fall weather. A lot of traffic around Sebago Lake. We stopped for lunch at a sandwich shop at the corner of highway 35 and 114 in Sebago Lake. Kind of like the soup Nazi on Seinfeld. Two young girls fixing sandwiches, no chatting, no smiles, just making sandwiches under the gaze of the boss. After we ate, I thanked the boss and she growled, "Don't thank me, they made them". A lot of anger. While waiting for our sandwiches we chatted with a local who built his own steam boat out of a 26 foot life boat. Twin paddle wheels about 6 feet in diameter. He keeps it on Sebago Lake and spends the nights on it some times or tools around the lake at 5 mph. I never thought to ask him what he used for fuel. A lot of people stopping in for beer, ice etc. Fire engines going by with sirens and lights, a happening place. A couple bought some ice and offered some for our water bottles. They were from Maryland and had been to a wedding in Portland, Maine. On to North Windham where we picked up Highway 35, our route for most of the day Some where along the road we stopped to chat with a group of people washing sheep in preparation for the county fair. I will post a photo one day soon. They put the sheep on stands, secured their heads and had a power washer (using Whisk soap, who knew) and Coors for the workers. I asked what kind of sheep they were and one of the guys standing there said, a variety. It appeared that it was taking about one Coors per sheep.
Sunday along the road in Maine is much like anywhere else, mow the lawn, go to church, wash the truck, go to the lake, do house repairs in anticipation of winter, etc. About sixty miles into our ride, Rudy is talking about stopping to soak his feet in the next stream. In stead we stopped in front of a house where a young couple were painting their porch. I asked if we could use their nice homemade bench in their yard. No problem,he works in Massachusetts for his father in law as a piano tuner. We asked about motels in Kennebunk and they said they were right by I 95 as you come into town. We rolled into Kennebunk, one motel by the interstate and no eating places in sight. We headed on into Kennebunk to US 1 thinking we might find an old motel. Nothing in sight, so stopped to chat with Alex just getting ready to back out of her driveway. It was her birthday, (35th) and was feeling old but quickly acknowledged she was not going to get any sympathy from us. She gave us suggestions for lodging and dining and called up a number on her iphone for the Econolodge. We arrived just as Jason was coming on for a 12 hour plus shift and got checked in. Jason's primary means of transportation is a bike so we chatted a bit. Gave him the web page for Adventure Cycling Association, who publish the maps we use. Then walked up town on hwy 1 past a big garden center with nice displays for Halloween to Duffy's right next to a nice stream running through town. A new bridge is being built over the river right next to Duffy's and just before it opens, they are going to have a big party, perhaps with dancing on the bridge. (we were invited, but declined).
74 miles on a warm day but feeling good. New Hampshire tomorrow.
Sunday along the road in Maine is much like anywhere else, mow the lawn, go to church, wash the truck, go to the lake, do house repairs in anticipation of winter, etc. About sixty miles into our ride, Rudy is talking about stopping to soak his feet in the next stream. In stead we stopped in front of a house where a young couple were painting their porch. I asked if we could use their nice homemade bench in their yard. No problem,he works in Massachusetts for his father in law as a piano tuner. We asked about motels in Kennebunk and they said they were right by I 95 as you come into town. We rolled into Kennebunk, one motel by the interstate and no eating places in sight. We headed on into Kennebunk to US 1 thinking we might find an old motel. Nothing in sight, so stopped to chat with Alex just getting ready to back out of her driveway. It was her birthday, (35th) and was feeling old but quickly acknowledged she was not going to get any sympathy from us. She gave us suggestions for lodging and dining and called up a number on her iphone for the Econolodge. We arrived just as Jason was coming on for a 12 hour plus shift and got checked in. Jason's primary means of transportation is a bike so we chatted a bit. Gave him the web page for Adventure Cycling Association, who publish the maps we use. Then walked up town on hwy 1 past a big garden center with nice displays for Halloween to Duffy's right next to a nice stream running through town. A new bridge is being built over the river right next to Duffy's and just before it opens, they are going to have a big party, perhaps with dancing on the bridge. (we were invited, but declined).
74 miles on a warm day but feeling good. New Hampshire tomorrow.
Freeport Maine 9/24
Up and out the door in reasonable time in the rain as we start but quite warm. We went over the bridge into Wiscasset thinking of a wholesome breakfast. Just a bakery with one long table for seating. Baked goods looked great and we settled for a cherry scone and coffee. One gentleman and a family of four who moved out last year from Fort Lupton, Colorado. The boy is is a sophomore and plays soccer and his younger sister is home schooled. Boy likes his new school and it has not been locked down recently because a student brought a firearm to class which was not unusual in Fort Lupton. One of my aunts taught school in Fort Lupton years ago and it was a tough school then. They were off to a history thing related to Ethan Allen (I think, might have been Nathan Hale) The other gentleman at the table has been an appraiser for 40 years. I asked if he did residential or commercial, neither, he appraises antiques. Told about an appraisal he did for an older lady and surprised her when he bought the "junk in the basement for $3000 and he expects to sell the items, mostly junk silver for about $4500. He knew the kids running the place and chatted with them, cashier kid runs cross county in high school, never stops moving. Asked for directions to Old Bath Road and as is normal, got all kinds of suggestions. Out the door and up the street into a Circle K for some gator aide. Cashier told us our street was next right up the hill. It seems everything has been up the hill on this ride. One of her regulars came in for cigarettes and she asked him about some one and the answer in a great accent, " He is out "pounding on the island". I assumed they were both carpenters.
On our way and did the equivalent of wind sprints up and down short, steep hills for a few miles. and then a few miles on Route 127 which had poor shoulder and then over the river into Bath. Right at the end of the bridge and stopped in a cafe in the basement. We ordered oatmeal with raisins. A family at next table were very friendly and interested in our travels. We stopped for a bit and watched a couple of boat builders putting together a boat. Out of Bath on a very nice route which got even better when we got on the Androscoggin River Bike Path into Brunswick. Path was very nice and being used by walkers, bikers, etc. Once off the bike path we saw some people around a scull at the river's edge and decided to make it a photo op. However, the people, who appeared to be in their 50s were just finishing a lesson and were in process of getting the scull out of the water. Nice ride through the country on our way to Freeport and spoke to several other bikers along the way doing a ride for cancer.
We arrived in Freeport and stopped at the Azure Cafe, two doors form L.L. Bean which is headquartered in Freeport. Do you think someone ending up with a name like Leon Leonwood Bean might have been a victim of a misunderstanding. Maybe he was going to be Leon Wood Bean? To late now, who would shop at L.W. Bean? The town was full of people shopping at the many outlet stores in town. We shared a chicken Caesar and decide to make reservations for a room down the road. in Gray or North Windham. Not to be, I called county Sheriff dispatch and the Gray public library and neither had any suggestions for a place to stay. So, change in plans and decide to stay in Freeport despite on having put 37 miles in for the day. Zeus, the manager, picked up on what we were trying to do and was a great help, providing telephone numbers and suggestions all the while taking care of the guests in the cafe. I always enjoy watching someone who is excellent in their jobs and Zeus was tops. I called my old friends, Pat and Florence Webb, who were in Portland, Maine for a luncheon and gave them our location and we made plans to meet later for dinner. We checked into the motel and then walked down the the Holiday Inn Express owned by the same company as our Econo Lodge and did our laundry. Chatted with Stephanie, the desk clerk at the Holiday Inn while our laundry was washing. A former Starbucks employee she is now in school at University of Southern Maine studying linguistics.
Pat and Florence show up with a bottle of Navarro Vineyards wine (from Mendocino County) an excellent wine and we head down to the Azure for dinner. Zeus seated us in a very nice table and noted the table was booked for 7:30. We had an excellent meal with complementary appetizer and at about 7:20 had Zeus move us into the bar. All and all a wonderful experience at the Azure and we it recommend highly. Back to the room, to late and tired to write the blog.
37 miles for the day looking at a long day tomorrow.
On our way and did the equivalent of wind sprints up and down short, steep hills for a few miles. and then a few miles on Route 127 which had poor shoulder and then over the river into Bath. Right at the end of the bridge and stopped in a cafe in the basement. We ordered oatmeal with raisins. A family at next table were very friendly and interested in our travels. We stopped for a bit and watched a couple of boat builders putting together a boat. Out of Bath on a very nice route which got even better when we got on the Androscoggin River Bike Path into Brunswick. Path was very nice and being used by walkers, bikers, etc. Once off the bike path we saw some people around a scull at the river's edge and decided to make it a photo op. However, the people, who appeared to be in their 50s were just finishing a lesson and were in process of getting the scull out of the water. Nice ride through the country on our way to Freeport and spoke to several other bikers along the way doing a ride for cancer.
We arrived in Freeport and stopped at the Azure Cafe, two doors form L.L. Bean which is headquartered in Freeport. Do you think someone ending up with a name like Leon Leonwood Bean might have been a victim of a misunderstanding. Maybe he was going to be Leon Wood Bean? To late now, who would shop at L.W. Bean? The town was full of people shopping at the many outlet stores in town. We shared a chicken Caesar and decide to make reservations for a room down the road. in Gray or North Windham. Not to be, I called county Sheriff dispatch and the Gray public library and neither had any suggestions for a place to stay. So, change in plans and decide to stay in Freeport despite on having put 37 miles in for the day. Zeus, the manager, picked up on what we were trying to do and was a great help, providing telephone numbers and suggestions all the while taking care of the guests in the cafe. I always enjoy watching someone who is excellent in their jobs and Zeus was tops. I called my old friends, Pat and Florence Webb, who were in Portland, Maine for a luncheon and gave them our location and we made plans to meet later for dinner. We checked into the motel and then walked down the the Holiday Inn Express owned by the same company as our Econo Lodge and did our laundry. Chatted with Stephanie, the desk clerk at the Holiday Inn while our laundry was washing. A former Starbucks employee she is now in school at University of Southern Maine studying linguistics.
Pat and Florence show up with a bottle of Navarro Vineyards wine (from Mendocino County) an excellent wine and we head down to the Azure for dinner. Zeus seated us in a very nice table and noted the table was booked for 7:30. We had an excellent meal with complementary appetizer and at about 7:20 had Zeus move us into the bar. All and all a wonderful experience at the Azure and we it recommend highly. Back to the room, to late and tired to write the blog.
37 miles for the day looking at a long day tomorrow.
Friday, September 23, 2011
North Edgecomb, Maine 9/23/2011
We were up and packed and down the road into Belfast fairly early. Overcast, no rain and quite warm, no jacket or arm warmers. We went over the river on Highway1 instead of the pedestrian foot bridge as I missed the turn listed on our maps. Worked out ok as it eliminated climbing up the hill from the much lower foot bridge; however, probably missed a good photo op from the foot bridge. Stopped and asked a city worker laying a border of bricks along the sidewalk where we might get something to eat. Several suggestions and the first one was pastries etc; so across the street to Weavers, one of the oldest bakeries in town. It has been at the present site 47 years. Buildings across the street were beautiful and erected in 1876 and 1886 and I suspect the bakery building was a contemporary. I went to bathroom located in the back. The mixers and other equipment (and maybe the baker) appeared to be 19th century vintage. Nice people in for coffee and conversation. A table of retirees and a couple of tables full of people in town for the Common Ground Country Fair including a lady who lived in Berkeley Ca for many years before moving to Belfast. We have met several people with California connections. We had a huge bowl of oatmeal with raisins, blue berries and brown sugar. This area is famous, and for good reason, for the wild blue berries. They are small but very tasty. We had them in Bar Harbor as well and you see signs along the road advertising them for sale. We made a mistake and took the advise of Herman, a coffee drinker in the coffee shop, and stayed on highway 1 instead of our Adventure Cycling Association maps. Our nice wide shoulders soon became not so wide so we had narrow shoulders along with traffic and noise for a few miles. Riding like that increases the tension and brings your shoulders up around your ears. We came into Camden passing many beautiful homes and Camden itself is lovely and full of tourists.
We had lunch in Waldoboro at Moody's, locally famous. Met a lady on the way out who had ridden in Denmark for three weeks and enjoyed it very much. Denmark is very flat which sounded good as we had some pretty good hills today.
As is our custom we keep a log of animals seen, signs of interest and road kill. Road kill to date on this trip includes several grey squirrels, at least three skunks today, two snakes, a variety of birds. Living animals include one Deer, lots of squirrels, caterpillers determined to cross a busy highway for some reason, and birds and we hear cricketts when not on Highway 1.
Signs include one on Mt Desert Island informing us that Thunder Hole restrooms were just ahead. It struck us funny. Saw a sign today advertising some lots for sale that were surveyed, percolated and covenanted. I understand the first two and my mind ran a bit wild with covenanted....no witches on the property perhaps, or maybe a coven of witches included.
It was warm and muggy today and we saw one sign that said 75 degrees. We called ahead and made reservations at the Pioneer Motel but never asked about dining in the area. Turns out nothing is close. We called the Two Cities Taxi and Mrs Hatch arrived in the company's silver Lincoln Town Car. She teaches kindergarten but is filling in for her husband tonight as he was going out for dinner with his Bulgarian friends who work in the area during the summer. Seems there are a lot of Romanians in the area during the summer as well.
Spoke to my old friend Pat Webb tonight. He lives in New Hampshire and we will probably have dinner tomorrow night with Pat and Florence, perhaps in North Windham if we make it that far.
57.5 miles today. No rain, tired ready to call it a night. Skyped with my daughter in Ireland. Wished my mother in law a happy birthday. Spoke with my sister in Oklahoma. All in all, a good day.
We had lunch in Waldoboro at Moody's, locally famous. Met a lady on the way out who had ridden in Denmark for three weeks and enjoyed it very much. Denmark is very flat which sounded good as we had some pretty good hills today.
As is our custom we keep a log of animals seen, signs of interest and road kill. Road kill to date on this trip includes several grey squirrels, at least three skunks today, two snakes, a variety of birds. Living animals include one Deer, lots of squirrels, caterpillers determined to cross a busy highway for some reason, and birds and we hear cricketts when not on Highway 1.
Signs include one on Mt Desert Island informing us that Thunder Hole restrooms were just ahead. It struck us funny. Saw a sign today advertising some lots for sale that were surveyed, percolated and covenanted. I understand the first two and my mind ran a bit wild with covenanted....no witches on the property perhaps, or maybe a coven of witches included.
It was warm and muggy today and we saw one sign that said 75 degrees. We called ahead and made reservations at the Pioneer Motel but never asked about dining in the area. Turns out nothing is close. We called the Two Cities Taxi and Mrs Hatch arrived in the company's silver Lincoln Town Car. She teaches kindergarten but is filling in for her husband tonight as he was going out for dinner with his Bulgarian friends who work in the area during the summer. Seems there are a lot of Romanians in the area during the summer as well.
Spoke to my old friend Pat Webb tonight. He lives in New Hampshire and we will probably have dinner tomorrow night with Pat and Florence, perhaps in North Windham if we make it that far.
57.5 miles today. No rain, tired ready to call it a night. Skyped with my daughter in Ireland. Wished my mother in law a happy birthday. Spoke with my sister in Oklahoma. All in all, a good day.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Belfast, Maine 9/22/2011
What a difference a day makes. We woke up to cloudy skies and got our gear ready for our first real day of riding down the coast. We grabbed a quick bite at the motel and as we were leaving the first rain drops fell. We put on our rain pants etc. This was our first riding with loaded bikes on this trip and we made good time off the island to Ellsworth and took a very enjoyable ride down Route 172. No shoulder for the first few miles and then new payment with a nice shoulder and little traffic. We stopped in a small store in Surry for a snack and the talk in the store was about niece Michelle's new baby (girl, 7 lbs 13 oz, named Charlotte, born today at 1:15am). The place was run by Mom, daughter, son in law and Ralph who came in for a cup of coffee and upon discovering the urn was empty, filled it, started a new pot, paid for his coffee and left after getting the news about Charlotte. Donna, the daughter and proud new Aunt, said she finds time to laugh out loud at least once every day. A good plan. She also pointed out where to stand in the store so you could look out the window and see the Bald Eagle who spends part of his day in the tree across the street. Good vibes, so so food and nice people and we hit the road still in the rain. After a few miles we rejoined highway 1 and 3 toward Bucksport with nice wide shoulders but lots of traffic. We blew through Bucksport over the Penobscot River onto Verona Island and then over the new Penobscot Narrows bridge. After crossing the bridge we stopped at an over look for a photo of the bridge and two riders rode up on their bikes and asked if we were Larry and Rudy. John and Bill are from Bellingham Washington and had flown their bikes into Bar Harbor Bike Shop same as we did. The bike shop people told them about us. We did not join them as they were going father and faster than we planned for today. They are riding all the way to Key West. We stopped in Stockton Springs for a quick bite and then continued on to Belfast for the night. We cleaned the bikes, got into the room, had a nice hot shower which felt great after riding in the rain most of the day and then walked down the street to PapaJs for baked Haddock and conversation. They had a great wine list including several Sonoma County wines including Chateau St Jean where my son, the economist in Ireland, worked as a Cellar Rat a few years ago. This is end of regular tourist season but the regulars filled the place before we left including Dan who was recently diagnosed with colon cancer. Said he hated going to the doctor so did not go for years. It could end up costing him his life. While we were talking to Dan his primary doctor, a gynecologist, came it. Another story. Back in the room, try write a blog and figure out how to find the photos to put them on the blog. It is best to do this computer stuff when you are not tired.
54 miles today and looking at another rainy day tomorrow.
54 miles today and looking at another rainy day tomorrow.
Bar Harbor
We left our motel en route to the visitors center for Acadia National Park, missed our first turn added a few miles and finally made it to the visitors center. Rudy picked up an old guys lifetime pass the US National Parks. We were leaving the center and a couple, responding to Rudy's Sierra Nevada jersey, asked if we were from California. Yes, where? Santa Rosa. They had previously lived in Santa Rosa and went to same health club where my wife Mary works. Small world.
What a day at Bar Harbor. Weather was absolutely wonderful. We rode the park loop trail to Jordan Pond, had lunch. We had a delightful lunch, (Andrea our waiter was from Sunnyvale) and we took some photos of butterflies and hummingbirds outside our window at lunch. . We the rode the Carriage Road back to the park exit and downtown to the Thirsty Whale for a beer. A lady walked in we had seen on the ride. I had commented what a beautiful day it was when we rode past her and she said we won the lottery. She used to live in Livermore and now lives on Cape Cod. Wonderful views of the ocean along the ride. Rudy took photo of a pair of eagles.
We took the free shuttle back to the motel with plans to write blog etc. I went to the office to ask about local dining and talked to Camile and Darren, owners of the Belle Isle where we were staying, for half an hour. On their suggestion, we ordered delivery from local place. A knock on the door, wow that was fast, no it was Klaus Hohle also staying at the Belle Isle who is on a bike trip around the world with his wife Doris. Check out www.hoehles-challenge.de for infor on some serious bikers. Klaus is 72 and has done the Iron Man in Hawii 7 times and their route on their trip around the world is incredible. After a great conversation with Klaus about their trip he left. A few minutes later another knock on the door, our food? Nope Klaus and Doris. Another interesting conversation (our food arrives in middle of the conversation).
We ate. It was late no blog yesterday. We did 37 miles for the day.
What a day at Bar Harbor. Weather was absolutely wonderful. We rode the park loop trail to Jordan Pond, had lunch. We had a delightful lunch, (Andrea our waiter was from Sunnyvale) and we took some photos of butterflies and hummingbirds outside our window at lunch. . We the rode the Carriage Road back to the park exit and downtown to the Thirsty Whale for a beer. A lady walked in we had seen on the ride. I had commented what a beautiful day it was when we rode past her and she said we won the lottery. She used to live in Livermore and now lives on Cape Cod. Wonderful views of the ocean along the ride. Rudy took photo of a pair of eagles.
We took the free shuttle back to the motel with plans to write blog etc. I went to the office to ask about local dining and talked to Camile and Darren, owners of the Belle Isle where we were staying, for half an hour. On their suggestion, we ordered delivery from local place. A knock on the door, wow that was fast, no it was Klaus Hohle also staying at the Belle Isle who is on a bike trip around the world with his wife Doris. Check out www.hoehles-challenge.de for infor on some serious bikers. Klaus is 72 and has done the Iron Man in Hawii 7 times and their route on their trip around the world is incredible. After a great conversation with Klaus about their trip he left. A few minutes later another knock on the door, our food? Nope Klaus and Doris. Another interesting conversation (our food arrives in middle of the conversation).
We ate. It was late no blog yesterday. We did 37 miles for the day.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Bar Harbor Maine 9/20/2011
Well, after sleeping poorly because I was thinking about things that still had to be done before leaving for our trip and also thinking of a few things that had not been done such as a few miles on the bike, it is time to get on the road. I made one more call to Liddy at the Bar Harbor Bike Shop and confirmed our bikes had been received (via FedX) then Mary and I went to Rudy's. Picked up Rudy and Mary dropped us off at the Santa Rosa Airporter in Rohnert Park and our trip is underway. Arriving at SFO with plenty of time, we ate and made our way to the gate for for the red eye flight to Philadelphia with connection to Bar Harbor. The flight was full. Young man next to us was going to Virginia where he is a 2nd year law student at William and Mary, he had helped his girlfriend get settled at Stanford University where she is a grad student. He promptly went to sleep and slept the entire flight to Philadelphia. After arriving we sat for a while in the white wooden rocking chairs between B and C concourse watching the airport wake up. It is cloudy outside and from the way people are dressed maybe a little cool. We went to the Legal Sea Food restaurant and opted to have the Steel Cut Oatmeal served with walnuts, raisins and brown sugar, in lieu of the famous clam chowder (served at presidential inaugurations) as it was 5:30am. We then walked over to our gate and discovered one of our plane mates from SF was sleeping on a few of the chairs, snoring very loudly. We chatted with Boots who had been to her sister's wedding in Denver. Her sister is Lannie of the famous Lannie's Clocktower Cabaret in the 16th Street Mall in Denver, Colorado. Lannie is in her 60s and Boots said it was a great wedding. Boots was on her second day traveling en route home to Maine. Canceled flights due to equipment failure, long delays, overnight in a hotel with no luggage, she was ready to get home and we were five minutes from our scheduled departure time and no mention of boarding. I woke the sleeping snorer and asked him if he was going to Bangor, uh uh, back to sleep. We got on our flight to Bangor to find the flight was not full. As we take off one end of one of the ceiling panels dropped down a few inches. Flight attendant reports same to crew chief and rows 11 to 13 are emptied in case the panels continue to fall. We are in row 14. Boots moved to the front and I am thinking whether it is save to have her so close to the pilot as she seems to be plagued on her trip home. No problem, the flight is good and we land with no problem. Boots' ride and her long gone luggage are at the airport and our shuttle is at the door. James the driver has one of those meeting people signs with my name (misspelled of course )on it. Helen the Shuttle person had called my cell phone when we landed to confirm we were there and to direct us to James. Helen is our age and has ridden the same route from San Diego to Florida we rode 10 years ago. We say goodbye Boots, a very pleasant lady and Paul, her ride home, and take the shuttle the 50 miles or so to Bar Harbor. We are the only people on the shuttle and James stops at our motel for a second while we check in, drop our bags, put on some riding gear, back on the shuttle to the Bar Harbor Bike Shop. Our bikes are in good shape, and Fred and Joe at the shop discuss local riding with us. We locate the local free shuttle, stop by the police station to chat with the chief, a FBI National Academy grad, about local eating etc. He suggests one place and tells us to avoid the "two swipe" place on the corner. The department is working a case involving credit cards being swiped two times for same meal, not by accident. We had our lobster dinner/lunch at Geddys. Chatted with a couple from Illinois who are in town on the Caribbean Princess cruise ship, one several to make port this week. It is windy, misty and forecast for tomorrow is sunshine. After a brief ride/walk around town,we opted to take the free island shuttle back to our motel as the road is busy with no shoulder. On our walk we listened in on a tour and discovered the local Civil War Memorial has a Confederate Soldier on it. Seems the manufacturer of the statue made them for both Southern and Northern cities and a town somewhere in South Carolina has a Union soldier on their monument. The mistake was discovered about two years after delivery and the towns opted not to spend the money to exchange statues. In the room, called home, tried to write a blog but was having trouble getting on line so called Brian my neighbor at home for suggestion and discover in mid conversation the problem is my mind is gone as I haven't slept well for two days. I figure out the problem and shower and go to bed at 6:30 local time (3:30 California time). Rudy is already asleep. We are up at 6:30 am, sunshine as promised, coffee in the room, finished my blog and we are off to face the day. We are in Bar Harbor today and leave in the morning.
Larry and Rudy, looking forward to checking out the island and Arcadia National Park.
Larry and Rudy, looking forward to checking out the island and Arcadia National Park.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Santa Rosa, CA 9/18/2011
Well, it has been a while, but our plan to circumnavigate the continental US on our bikes is back on track.
As most of you are aware we rode from San Diego to Miami in 2001 and earlier posts in this blog detail our ride from San Francisco to San Diego completing our west coast ride.
Tomorrow, we are flying to Bangor, Maine on the red eye flight from San Francisco via Philadelphia. We have shipped our bikes to a bike shop in Bar Harbor, Maine and will be in Bar Harbor Tuesday afternoon. Our current plan, following the Adventure Cycling maps, is to ride from Bar Harbor to Washington, D.C.
Much has changed since our ride in 2001. Mostly technical equipment. In 2001 we had a Sony Vio computer which was the state of the art at the time. We submitted e-mails when possible and had no way to upload photos. I used a throw away camera which I mailed home for Mary to develop. We had to depend on call up access to the internet and that was not always possible. The Sony did not have a USB port!
Rudy has an IPad for this trip and a digital camera and Iam continuing to use my HP notebook with WiFi and access to the Verizon network.
Rudy has Weather Bug on his IPad so we will have up to date local weather. Weather has been great in Bar Harbor this week but looks like it might get a little damp later in the week. Our route takes us down some areas that were hit quite hard by Hurricane Lee but we are anticipating no major problems.
We are still riding our Bianchi Volpe bikes and I will detail our gear in a later blog.
Oh, we had planned to leave a bit earlier this year but Rudy had shoulder surgery and then he wanted to attend his 50th high school reunion held last night. He said he had a good time and what is typical of 50th high school reunion attendees, was home by 10 pm.
Larry and Rudy in Santa Rosa, anxious to hit the road.
As most of you are aware we rode from San Diego to Miami in 2001 and earlier posts in this blog detail our ride from San Francisco to San Diego completing our west coast ride.
Tomorrow, we are flying to Bangor, Maine on the red eye flight from San Francisco via Philadelphia. We have shipped our bikes to a bike shop in Bar Harbor, Maine and will be in Bar Harbor Tuesday afternoon. Our current plan, following the Adventure Cycling maps, is to ride from Bar Harbor to Washington, D.C.
Much has changed since our ride in 2001. Mostly technical equipment. In 2001 we had a Sony Vio computer which was the state of the art at the time. We submitted e-mails when possible and had no way to upload photos. I used a throw away camera which I mailed home for Mary to develop. We had to depend on call up access to the internet and that was not always possible. The Sony did not have a USB port!
Rudy has an IPad for this trip and a digital camera and Iam continuing to use my HP notebook with WiFi and access to the Verizon network.
Rudy has Weather Bug on his IPad so we will have up to date local weather. Weather has been great in Bar Harbor this week but looks like it might get a little damp later in the week. Our route takes us down some areas that were hit quite hard by Hurricane Lee but we are anticipating no major problems.
We are still riding our Bianchi Volpe bikes and I will detail our gear in a later blog.
Oh, we had planned to leave a bit earlier this year but Rudy had shoulder surgery and then he wanted to attend his 50th high school reunion held last night. He said he had a good time and what is typical of 50th high school reunion attendees, was home by 10 pm.
Larry and Rudy in Santa Rosa, anxious to hit the road.
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