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.