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.