Hampton to Sackville!!!

I made a fairly early-morning departure thanks to a good night’s sleep and was even gifted with some snacks for the road ahead.  It was certainly not blue skies and sunshine in south-eastern New Brunswick, but the fog and rain blew in and out and the winds were not overly uncooperative as I headed toward Moncton.  I stuck to the TransCanada most of the way, pulling over for the occasional snack/water/pee break as desired, and took the old road from Salisbury into downtown Moncton.  

Around 2pm, I was sitting in the foyer of the Moncton Public Library scarfing down some food, willing my legs to re-juice, and evaluating my options:  stop in Dieppe, a few kilometres down the road, and stay with Warmshowers host Claude and his family; or ride the fifty-odd kilometres into Sackville against headwinds that Environment Canada claimed were 30km/h gusting 50km/h, with the exception of the Tantramar Marsh where gusts of 70km/h would be on-going into the evening.  Awesome.  Had it been anywhere else, I would have chosen option (1), but it was Friday and the thought of the Saturday morning Sackville farmers’ market caused me too much excitement.  I gave Claude a call with my regrets, figured that failing to cover 50km in the four hours of daylight left was next to impossible.  A brief chat with my old roommate, Tim, confirmed a spot to sleep for the night, and off I went into the wind.  The ride out of downtown Moncton through Dieppe and Memramcook is certainly familiar, but it was neat to do it in such a context.  As it turns out, Claude pulled up beside me I his car as I rode near his house (note once again that, for whatever reason, it would seem that Nancy and I are rather recognizable laden with panniers and grime).  Though he was sad to hear I would not be at his family’s dinner table that evening, he wished me luck and we made plans to meet up and chat about my trip in the following weeks as he was eager to hear about it. 

                While I might have had a few close calls of unexpected wind gusts with cars alongside, the going was not as slow as expected and I rolled up to Sackville’s one downtown traffic light before suppertime.  The weird familiarity of turning onto Weldon Street, lifting my bike onto the front porch, and taking off my shoes in the doorway of the house that’s been a home on and off for the past couple of years did not escape me, but, well, it was a pretty swell (read: totally awesome) feeling.  I promptly promised my body and Nancy several days of independent living and started thinking about next stops:  the shower, a friend’s house for dinner, a swim in Silver Lake, the stage at Convocation Hall, and whatever might happen to be waiting for me further down the road.

Made it just in time!  Arrived in Sackville, NB on Friday, April 19th after two months and a few days of feeling at home on the road.

Pennfield to Hampton

With early birthday wishes exchanged, stomach full of hearty breakfast, and the insistence of Horace to give me a lift in the truck to the highway on-ramp (he certainly is stubborn with a twinkle in his eye!), I thanked the Youngs for their generosity and continued down the TransCanada.  While the tailwinds of the day before were not to be matched, the ride into Saint John was satisfyingly mellow and a pedestrian’s directions as to how to avoid the construction mess of the main bridge had me navigate no problem.  I stopped to eat some lunch and reached the highway exit for Hampton mid-afternoon.  Warmshowers member Norm had said he and his wife, Mary Beth, would be happy to host me for the night there. 

Saint John, NB

  Though my legs were tired, I was tempted to take advantage of the remaining daylight hours and good weather.  I decided to go into town, check my email with the directions to Norm’s house, and look at other options that might be further down the road in terms of places to stop.  As luck, chance, divine powers, and energies of the universe would have it, I was in the Tim Hortons searching for a wall plug to turn on my netbook when a friendly-looking chap walked over, extended his hand, and told me I had almost made It to the right place.  Inconspicuous, I am not.  A seasoned bicycle adventurer himself, Norm had seen Nancy parked outside and come in looking for a bedraggled internet-seeker.  

When this starts to look appealing it is probably time to pull off the road for the night...

I figured that if that was not a sign it was time to call it a day, I wasn’t sure what was.  I took directions to his house and, boy, am I glad I did.  The three of us had a great evening of tasty food, swapping bicycle and non-bicycle-related stories, and I got some great tips for the roads in the area.  

Machias to Pennfield

Following some leftover quiche for breakfast (delicious), Nancy and I went into East Machias with Maria as I was intrigued to see the fish hatchery where she works.  I got the grand tour, we said our “see you sometime eventually soon”’s, and I headed off on two wheels to the northeast.   Thanks for a lovely visit, Maria!

                Thanks to the advice of Rachel, my Warmshowers host in Freeport, I found myself on some lovely cycling roads even though I was sad to leave the coastal route.  There were stunning views and few cars along the road laden with blueberry fields that took me towards Calais.  I had been in touch with some Warmshowers folks in the area, but the wind direction and glorious sunshine had me decide to give them a call mid-day as I passed the turn-off to their place and wanted to keep going. 

I crossed the US-Canada border around two o’clock (which then became three thanks to the time change) and, with a few funny looks from the border official when I tried to explain where I had come from, I was allowed back into the homeland no problem.  Exciting!  Realizing that the last 20 miles to the border had been done mostly on adrenaline in my gusto to get “home”, I promptly turned into the Tim Hortons in St Stephen and, as any good Canadian might do in such times, scarfed down a doughnut.  And then two more. And then another.  OK, there was no fourth one, but I did seriously consider it. 

                My “plan” was to get as far as possible thanks to the lovely strong winds from the north east that kicked in as a tailwind as I left St Stephens in the direction of Saint John.  The TransCanada had a giant shoulder, giant gradual hills, little traffic, and plenty of trees.  While it might have been more varied terrain and scenery if I had chosen to weave through the secondary roads, my experience with road upkeep in rural New Brunswick (generally lacking) and possession of a provincial map showing the roads (also lacking) left me more than content to feel the sunshine on my face, the wind at my back, and my thoughts to wander about. 

                The extensive wildlife fencing adjacent the highway and the spacing of towns had me thinking that I should not wait until dark before deciding where to pitch my tent for the night.  Although it was still fairly early in the evening, I decided to ride into St George (the biggest town according to my USA map shy of Saint John) and suss out the situation.  A friendly-looking diner called my name as I rode off the highway exit and, as it turns out, the people inside were beyond friendly themselves.  In my quest for a safe place to camp for the evening, I wound up chatting with the Youngs who, having known me only for a few minutes, invited me to stay in their home for the night as they left the restaurant.  I was happy to accept and, directions in hand, said I would give them a call once I had finished eating and was heading over.  The next hour entailed a tasty supper, the specialty of peanut butter pie, and the overwhelming kindness of the waitress also offering me a place to sleep and informing me that another family who had been in the restaurant had paid for my meal.  Then, to top it off, Horace Young showed up to give me a lift back to his house to avoid me having to bike over.

                To say that I was overwhelmed by the kindness of that day would be an understatement.  Jackie and Horace immediately made me feel at home and I enjoyed a relaxing evening of television-watching, a tour of their beautiful property and Horace’s fish pond, and even got to meet some family and friends who dropped in.  Also, Horace and I were tickled to learn that we share the same birthday!  While America has certainly been good to me, it is nice to be back on this side of the border and I could not have imagined a warmer welcome.

With Horace and Jackie, a big-hearted couple who took me into their home in Pennfield, NB

Bar Harbo(u)r to Machias

Nancy and I had some quality bonding time on Sass’s porch in the morning before heading out.  I switched out the leaky tube, patched a few outstanding ones, cleaned off some dirt, and oiled up some squeaky parts while listening to music in the sunshine.  While changing a flat by the side of the road is not actually that problematic most of the time, there is a certain luxury to being able to take the time and be overly meticulous.  I  even got to pull out a whack of small pointy things from my tires that had not yet made their way into a tube but might cause problems at some point.  Close to the noon hour, Sass and I loaded Nancy and my gear into her car and, to the tune of some excellent stories from my Bar Harbour host, drove back towards Ellsworth.

Just grand!

                The ride eastward was enjoyable but certainly slow going, especially given my leisurely start time.  Lots of snack breaks, pondering my good fortune of how the previous 24 hours had turned out, and stops to look at the view meant that I was surprised (yet equally not surprised) when it got to be late afternoon and I was still quite far from Machias, home of my friend Maria and my destination for the evening.  I was in Four Corners, debating trying to catch a motorized-vehicle lift in that direction, and decided to give Maria a call to touch base anyhow.  At the mere mention of having reached my ultra-happy-biking-quota for the day, she offered to come get me under the pretence of needing to get groceries.  I was happy to accept and hung around the candy and sticker machines in the warm supermarket until I saw her hop out of a truck. 

                I hadn't seen Maria for a couple of years, but we knew each other from my first years at university where she was just finishing up her degree.  It was wonderful to catch up, make some quiche and blueberry dessert, and just hang out  in her house and talk about adventures yet to come.

Maria holding our masterpiece!

Our attempt at food-blog-style photography

Belfast to Bar Harbo(u)r

Just as I am starting to fall into thinking in terms of days left, miles to cover, and the shortest route home, some wagging finger seems to magically appear telling me that this is no way to go about spending my time.  So, as I ate breakfast and said farewell to Spencer and his housemates, I headed off towards to Belfast Food Co-op.  Joanna and Steve in Durham had expressed that this was a must-do activity, so I was sure to time my departure so it would be open when I rode into the main part of town.  I found all sorts of treasures and replenished my panniers before riding over the bridge out of town.

Belfast Co-op treats

While I had planned to bypass the well-known Acadia Park on this trip and take a more direct route to the home of a CouchSurfing host in Cherryfield, the sunshine and desire to shake things up made me phone with regrets and head instead towards Ellsworth, the 'gateway' towards Bar Harbour, Mt Desert, and the park.  I must say that the ride into Ellsworth was nothing if not slow-paced and poor Nancy must have thought I was literally dragging my feet.  It was just one of those days and, after going through Ellsworth and heading towards Bar Harbour, I was starting to question if I would even get any daylight hours in the park itself once I made it there.  Relief might be the best way to describe the feeling when I realized that my back tire was suddenly failing to hold air and, well, my back-of-head thoughts of hitch-hiking turned into a perfect opportunity.  A friendly soul in a big van pulled over and, laughing and shaking his head (he has a similar-aged daughter of his own), he helped me load up my gear.

Beautiful scenery

I think that the snails were using the passing lane to go around Nancy and me.

There was no second guessing my decision when I was treated to a guided tour of the area, the gorgeous views of the park in the late afternoon, an explanation of services available around town, and several leads of places I might enjoy camping for the night.  This was the sort of coincidence and experience that I live for on this trip.  I was dropped off in Bar Harbour after our many detours, with a promise to phone if I was left without a safe spot for the night, and Nancy and I walked around town a bit.  I chatted with a few people, had a snack, and decided to have a go at finding an alternative to the obvious choice of fixing the flat tire and cycling to the campground open in the middle of the park.  I happened to walk past a beautiful library building with an 'Author Reading Tonight' sign outside and wandered in, as casually and inconspicuously as one can when wearing noisy cycling shoes and a bright red reflective jacket.  As it turned out, the library was not actually open at the moment, rather some lovely ladies were preparing for a volunteer reception before the author event.  Without outlining every great moment that ensued as you, the reader, fall asleep at the screen, I will just say that I sure am glad to have drifted in that door.  I was warmly greeted, given some grapes to wash as my "volunteer service", handed a phone with a lady named Sass at the other end who offered me a bed to sleep in, and spent a good hour getting to chat with all sorts of people.

I was starting to wonder if what started out as a slightly dreary day could actually get any better, but when I did meet the mysterious Sass it was confirmed that, yes, it could.  We headed up to her house and I got to learn all sorts of things about life in Bar Harbour, Maine, travelling, word puzzles, and, well, the list goes on.  I even got to meet her brother, who lived next door, and Sass made some tasty dinner before I crashed contentedly into the bed in her spare room.

All in all, the day was a prime example of not ignoring a gut feeling, the beauty of throwing plans out the window, and the fact that libraries are full of goodness.  Thanks to everyone who brightened my day south of Ellsworth!

Freeport to Belfast

When the topic of blueberries and cultivation in Maine came up at dinner the night before, Rachel had mentioned that blueberry pancakes for breakfast might be on the table, so to speak.  When I smelled them in the morning, I could hardly contain my excitement.  They were delicious and, after some last-minute bike geek chat in the garage looking at her various noble steeds, I headed off into the sunshine.  I had a second breakfast in Wiscasset of a peanut butter and honey sandwich Rachel had packed for me and enjoyed the company of several people in the vicinity.  I then managed to prolong this second breakfast by getting a large amount of hot chocolate and deciding that I had to drink it then and there to avoid risk of spillage.  A great morning stop.

Unfortunately they weren't open to go inside, but perhaps the mystery of the Bikeman is best

Morning hot chocolate and sandwich stop

The road was great riding when I finally did continue on my way, with lots of shoulder, not much traffic, and plenty of coastal nooks and inlets.  I did, however, note that my long break in the sunshine meant that even when it started to rain I really did need to keep on riding if I wanted to make it to Belfast in the daylight.  When rain turned to hail, I figured that there was no good place for shelter, so I put on all of the reflective gear I had with me and kept going.  After a good 15-20 minutes of this, I rode a few dozen metres past a dark building that said 'Pub', saw the giant hill looming ahead, and turned back to see if the front door was open.  Indistinguishable from a drowned rat, I asked if they had coffee, gave a big smile to the three people inside, and made sure Nancy had a spot out of the elements before sitting down.  I nursed my cup of sugar-laden coffee for nearly an hour while looking at maps, making a few phone calls, and talking to the folks around.  When the hail turned to raindrops, I figured it was time to be on my way and conquer the hill.  Thanks to the caffeine (a shock to body that is not used to coffee, especially at 3pm), the sugar, the low temperature, and the whole ridiculousness of the situation, the hill was not so big after all and I trudged along contentedly.  At one point, I passed a big outdoor store and went inside to "look around" aka drool over their gear, regain feeling in my soggy toes, and chat about routes with the bicycle folks.  If the retail in the area is any indication, Maine certainly knows how to have good fun recreating in the outdoors!

The last few dozen miles to Spencer's, my Warmshowers host for the evening, turned out to be filled with intermittent hail (thank goodness for reflective vests and solid helmets to deflect falling objects), patches of glorious sunshine, and deafening rain.  It certainly suited my mood for the day as, between bouts of squinting through precipitation to try and stay safe and moving on the road, I was flip-flopping between chomping at the bit to get home by the weekend and wholeheartedly savouring the people and places I came across throughout the day.  How's that for philosophizing?

Check out those blue skies and hail clouds.  Nancy certainly was decked out in raingear for the day.

After some very slow uphills and gleeful downhills between Camden and the green building just shy of Belfast that indicated a turn in Spencer's directions, I was happy to turn off of Route 1 and find the house address.  While I had thought I might wind up arriving in the dark thanks to my mood- and weather-spurred efforts of cycling procrastination, there wound up being daylight to spare.  Nancy was quickly set up for the night in the shed and I was lucky enough to arrive in time to have supper with Spencer and his housemates.  They were all wonderful cooks and, showing up with only a first-hand weather report from the day and an extra set of dishwashing hands, I was immediately made to feel comfortable in their beautiful home.  An evening of conversation about the joys (and challenges) of technology, travel, bicycles, and all sorts of coastal lore ensued, and I went to sleep feeling excited for the days of bicycling to follow as I near the end of this trip.

Durham to Freeport, Maine

Well rested and well fed (panniers laden with tasty Mexican dinner leftovers), I headed out from Joanna and Steve's house in Durham in the direction of Maine, my final state before heading back into Canada.  Though a bit chilly, the clouds brought no rain and it was a lovely day of riding thanks in part to the scarf wrapped firmly around my ears for frostbite prevention.  I crossed the state line just near South Berwick and, while it may sound silly, I was pleased to see a large, friendly 'Welcome to Maine' sign to greet me.

 For one of the first times this trip, I found myself looking forward to getting back to Sackville.  This was likely due to the fact that, while in Durham, I had lots of time to look at my route for the next few days and realized that home was only about a week away.  Much closer than I had thought based on my mental map.  I could feel myself getting into that 'horse headed back to the barn' mentality, and it certainly surprised me as it came out of nowhere!  I had a morning hot chocolate stop (see photo) and lunch was a bounty of food found deep in my panniers eaten in a Subway parking lot (riding into the downtown of Portland seemed daunting based on traffic). I was happy to just ride along and ponder all the way to Freeport.

The one thing on my to-do list for the trip (decided while I was watching the Food Network with my brothers at some point in Vancouver before departing) was to eat at a place featured on this show as it is central to my 'knowledge' and ideas about American cuisine.  Anyhow, I had almost forgotten, but luckily the Maine Diner had a big sign to remind me and, though I wasn't hungry, the jar of hot chocolate certainly warmed me up mid-morning!

Freeport certainly surprised me as I rode into town.  While I didn't stop as it was getting late in the evening and I was excited to meet Warmshowers host Rachel and her family, I didn't know anything about the town beforehand and simply gawked at this weird outdoorsy-esque, classy-ski-resort-resembling, yuppie-friendly downtown area that emerged off of the coastal scenic Route 1.  I kind of felt like I had been teleported to  Whistler Village as well-dressed families walked the streets adjacent signs for L.L. Bean, Patagonia, North Face, and several nice looking chalet-decor-style restaurants with outdoor patio heaters.  OK, I realize that may all sound overly-hyphenated and cynical, but it was really just a funny impression, especially at the end of an 80 mile day.  The road out to Rachel's house was beautiful, and it was made all the more enjoyable by a friendly man who was commuting home and glad for some companionship.  We talked about the joys of cycling, the route I had to look forward to the following day, and how much he loved the coast of Maine.  I couldn't have asked for a better way to end the day's ride.

I was warmly welcomed into the Farrington household and, after cleaning up and deep apologies for my near-dark arrival, I got to spend the evening enjoying delicious food and getting to know Rachel, Pete, and Ellie.  Each with their own passions, it was really neat to learn about Rachel's many cycing adventures, Pete's race-walking and love of SAG-ing (certainly a sport in itself), and Ellie's dancing, as well as their pursuits as a family.  Rachel also had some great route advice for the rest of my riding in Maine as well as other gems I might want to see in the future.  Thanks for a great stay!

Lake Shirley to Durham, NH

I was excited when Christie and Bill informed me that there was a paved rail-trail I could take for the first bit of my ride and even moreso when Bill said he would like to join me on his bike.  We rode together most of the way to Nashua, and I enjoyed spending a bit more time with him (especially as it took awhile to warm up and rain was threatening).  My legs were certainly feeling a wee bit shocked from the hill-iness of the day before, so it was simply a day of trudging.  Content trudging, certainly, but I'm pretty sure I took in more of the scenery than an observant tortoise would.  I took a nice long break at the Derry Public Library for lunch, partly as I could do some wifi-using and enjoy the indoor warmth, and partly because a mid-day rest was much needed.

One of my close friends, who I know from university, had put me in touch with her family in New Hampshire and, based on the status of my leg-energy-juices (low) and the impending rain/sleet/hail (forecasted for the late afternoon), I wound up picking her parent's home in Durham as my destination, which meant about ten miles less riding than it would be to get to her sister's place.  It started to hail about twenty minutes from Joanna and Steve's place.  When I decided to take a short break and see if it would pass through, I happened to run for cover under some trees and, lo and behold, the man who's property I was on was standing right on the other side of the fence!  He, too, had been outside smelling the roses and was now huddling quite close to them to avoid bruising his bald head.  We had a nice chat, I got to verify my directions, and I was on my way much cheerier than before.  

I wound up spending two nights at Joanna and Steve's.  While it was prompted by the sleet that showed up outside the day after I arrived (no winter tires on Nancy), they certainly made hanging around an easy decision for me!  Getting to spend time with the two of them, Lyddie (the resident hound), and Zoey's sister Haley who came over to visit, it was a lovely rest day in Durham.  I sometimes make jokes about my loaded bicycle being one of my 'homes' at the moment, there's nothing better than being welcomed and being made to feel 'at home' in a new place.  Thanks, Joanna, Steve, Haley, Zoey, and Lyddie, and see you all soon!

Nashua rail trail

The Derry Public Library...perhaps my longest solo lunch stop yet at nearly 2 hours

Steve and Lyddie accompanying me down the road the morning I rode out

Northampton to Lake Shirley

After a breakfast at which I may have amazed Robin's friends by the amount of food I consumed (and hoarded for a second breakfast down the road), I rode off with my sights set on Lake Shirley to the north-east.  I had long been waiting to get my butt kicked by hills after so much time travelling in flat areas.  Turns out I was right that it would come, and I would even go to say that I was a bit shocked.  It was hilly and quite steeply so.  Luckily, I had well-rested legs and lots of daylight, so it was simply a long mixture of awesome downhills, winding roads, and embracing my granny gears (Note:  this is apparently a socially acceptable term in the cycling community for the lowest gears and smaller chainring.  Just to get everyone "up" on all the two-wheeled jargon).

Just one spot at which I felt the need to take a rest on this hill-filled day

 When I did arrive at the Mullen's house on Lake Shirley, I was thrilled to have made it in one piece and they immediately ushered me inside.  Bill and his daughter Christie, a Warmshowers host family (along with Bill's wife who was out of town that night), were clearly enthusiastic bicycle riders and I had a great time geeking out with them as well as talking about all sorts of adventures.  Christie fixed a tasty vegetarian supper and I got some great route advice.  Christie is getting ready to cycle across the US to Colorado and I hope to hear of her tales in the future.  Best of luck to both of you on your upcoming bicycle trips!

Springfield to Northampton

After eating breakfast, I headed off for the relatively short two hour ride up to Northampton, MA.  Robin, a close friend who I know through our time at Mount Allison University, is on exchange at Smith College for the semester and I was very excited to see her.  Riding into town was pretty mellow all-in-all, and riding into the downtown it was clearly a picturesque place.  Robin and I found each other and, with some minor squealing, headed up to campus to put my stuff in her residence room.

I spent two nights at Robin's and had a great time.  She showed me around the town and campus, took me along to several tasty meal hall meals, and we just enjoyed lounging in the sun and seeing a friendly, familiar face.  The beautiful sunshine and relatively high temperatures made for an extra enjoyable visit to be slothful outdoors.  I was also happy to get the chance to meet some of Robin's friends from the university and share in her life for a wee bit.  We even had a granola-making party on the second evening so I would have some snacks for the road. Simply awesome.

The ride to Northampton.  For whatever reason (likely being distracted by Robin's well-missed cackle and company), my camera stayed in my bag for the rest of my stay.

New York to New Haven, CT to Springfield, MA

I left New York by commuter rail to New Haven, Conneticut and rode over to the house of a fellow Naomi who is studying music at Yale.  Naomi and I hadn't seen each other in probably a dozen years, but thanks to the wonders of small world syndrome, my mom had put us in touch after they had run into one another a few months ago and Naomi had heard I would be in New England.  It was great to spend some time reconnecting, eating Thai food, and getting a grand tour of the Yale campus.  I especially enjoyed getting to hang out while she rehearsed with some friends and hearing about life in a college town such as New Haven, which certainly has some of the same university-town challenges as Sackville.


After a morning walk in the sunshine around the campus with Naomi (and drooling a bit at their infrastructure and architecture), I headed off on the Farrington Canal rail trail.  What a great trail!  Other than the fact that it is a work in progress and therefore disappears for a dozen miles or so between two towns, it was blissful riding: well-paved, flat, well-marked, and lots to see along the way.  Glorious!  Because it was a Sunday afternoon, there were tons of people out in the sunshine.

Imagining life at the Yale campus

A fellow Naomi!

I was enjoying a day of semi-solitude, in that there were lots of people around but I was quite content to simply smile and nod rather than try to start up conversations. After so much time in the city, it was kind of nice to be able to hear myself think and embrace a basically car-less day of riding.  When I passed a middle-aged woman running the other direction in the late afternoon, she hesitated before asking if I had any water to spare.  Apparently she had not accounted for the warm weather and had another 5 miles to go til home.  I was happy to hand over what I had left, based on the fact that it was much easier for me to go find some more, and her gratitude was unbelievable.  She could not stop thanking me (and saying "God Bless, a blast from the past).  Not a big deal, but the warm fuzzies it gave me afterwards was a good reminder that often by asking for help, and giving someone else the opportunity to do so, both people get the winning end of the deal.  Thought of the day.

I got off of the rail trail and rode over to the home of the Benjamins, Warmshowers hosts in Springfield, MA.  I had been outside for only a moment before Peter rode up to the house to greet me and get me settled in.  I really enjoyed my evening with the Benjamins, and I really felt at home in their house as I got a taste of Peter's homemade pizza and watched some basketball on TV (no Dad, the pizza was not "better", just different than yours!).

The Benjamins, my lovely Warmshowers hosts in Springfield, MA

New York, New York

I wound up spending almost a full week in New York.  Sam was around until Thursday, at which point
he headed off in the direction of Montreal (his final destination).  What a fun-filled week it was!  In an attempt to not put my fingers into over-use paralysis, I will recap:

-Visit to the Natural History museum, one of my favourite places from the last time I was in NYC.
They had an exhibit about food and culture that I found especially neat, talking about the past, present, and future of feeding humans on the planet.

-Wandering around Chinatown and introducing Sam to the world of coconut buns.

-Meeting up with Ali, who I met on the train en route to New Orleans and spent the day with in Chicago, for an afternoon of cycling around the city.  Ali showed Sam and I some of his favourite parts of Brooklyn and Manhattan by bicycle, and he was kind enough to treat us to Italian food for lunch.  Thanks, Ali, for a fun day!

-Having the pleasure of staying with Amy, another Warmshowers host, in Queens for a few days.  Amy was happy to share ideas about what to do in the city and was simply filled with positive energy and enthusiasm.  She also introduced us to a crazy horoscope book filled with insight and 'rusks', these tasty South African tea-biscuit-like-treats.  Thanks for hosting us, Amy!

-Participating at the Triscuit sampler event in Times Square, for which we had to sign a waiver and then taste all sorts of Triscuit-related specimens.  Favourite moment: Wondering why the speaker was saying "only 100 calories per serving" as though it was a good thing.  Ah yes, the bicycling mentality.

-Lazing in the sunshine on the outdoor furniture in the Highline Park

-Buying a pair of $1 pants as I had realized the past week or two that my limited wardrobe was not conducive to 'camouflaging' amongst the non-bicycle-dependent population when it was cold outside.  Aka I had no proper long pants.  Problem solved.

-Staying with Warmshowers host Carolyn, once Sam had headed off, in Manhattan and getting to have dinner together.  It was really interesting to hear her ideas about geographies and the different places she has been to and lived, not to mention her own zest for life and bicycling.  Thanks for a lovely stay, Carolyn!

-Getting to spend time with my cousin Eric and Ariana, who I hadn't seen since their wedding last May.  We got to have lunch together and catch up, and I even got to meet their dog and experience a New York dog park with Ariana.  It was great to see you guys!

Amidst all of those thing that I discernibly "did" and "saw", I really just enjoyed being in the city.  It was nice to spend a fully week in one place.  It was also the first sign of familiarity that I have had since leaving New Orleans.  I got to walk in places I had been to in May and see family.  Everywhere up until this place was completely new to me, whereas New York was certainly not an old hat but there were places and people that I actually recognized.  Just an observation.

Michael Phelps typical breakfast...I think Sam and my's food consumption may be close to on par at times

Ali and Sam on our afternoon of cycling sightseeing

Walking about on the highline

People-watching in Union Square.  There was an excellent street theatre performance about the story of Jesus and faith.

Point Pleasant to New York City

     After some seriously enjoyable vegging out in Point Pleasant and a bit of last-minute searching for a place to stay in New York City, we rode down the road on Sunday morning to the train station. Wanting to avoid the pretty much guaranteed headache of trying to ride into the Big Apple, we decided to arrive via the New Jersey transit line into Penn Station.  It was a busy Easter Sunday on the train and it took a wee bit of convincing on several occasions to convince the staff that we should, indeed, be allowed on with our bicycles, but in the end we got in no problem.

 

       Emerging from the front doors of Penn Station was awesome.  No other way to put it.  It was overwhelming and terrifying yet felt totally normal at the same time.  Not only were there huge buildings, people everywhere, and tons of taxis honking, but Sam and I both seemed to have this recurring "We made it!" feeling that came in waves.  After some initial mental preparation, we got on our bikes and made our way in the direction of Brooklyn and the home of Shira, our Warmshowers host.  Lots of people had warned me about riding in NYC.  I had been worried about riding in NYC.  Given my tolerance for cities, fast-moving things, high levels of noise, etc. (a fragile soul, perhaps?), I figured that it would be doable but perhaps like ripping off a band-aid.  Boy, was I wrong.  It was so much fun.  There were other bicycle riders all over the place, bike lanes to be found with well-timed lights, and a bit of a free-for-all feel that made it feel manageable. 

        We got ourselves sorted out at Shira's and then, at her suggestion, the three of us biked over to Williamsburg to check out some thrift stores and see the neighbourhood.  We had a delicious dinner together along with a friend that evening filled with vegetables and a successful salmon 'experiment'.  Basically, the day can be summed up in the fact that I had Alicia Keys playing on repeat in my head.  Sort of surreal, yet just another part of this bicycle travel adventure.

Vinedale to Point Pleasant, NJ

We set off from Vinedale with full stomachs and anticipation for the day's ride to Sam's family's place  on the New Jersey shore.  With promises of me getting lost thanks to the intricate network of backroads which involved lots of turning and twisting (and the fact that I had failed to pick up a New Jersey map, whoops), it was a beautiful day of riding.  The roads were fairly quiet, well-paved, and went through some beautiful countryside.  At one point, I thought I was in the middle of quiet farmland and started to get confused by the train of cars headed in the same direction as me.  It turns out I stumbled across a giant soccer tournament!  As a soccer player and having attended many a tournament, it struck me how weird of a sport it seemed when seen from the back of my bicycle.  It was really neat though, and I stuck around to watch most of a game while having something to eat.

I rode on, periodically asking for directions and road advice whenever I saw someone out in their yard, and had a lovely lunch break with some fellow bicycle riders (OK, they might have identified as "cyclists").  When I pulled up to a sandwich spot after seeing one of Nancy's long lost carbon fibre cousins, I was greeted with a "Where'd you come from, California?"  When I replied with my actual state of cycling origin, there was a bit of silence and then some sheepish laughter.  I got some great lunchtime company and route advice for the afternoon and left feeling rejuvenated.  Sure enough, the roads continued to be bicycle-friendly and, with a slight stop to help a spandex-clad roadie with his flat tire and an unplanned extra 10 miles due to me doubting my directions and trusting road signs, I was simply enjoying the sunshine.  The last few dozen miles to that day's destination were rather busy as I got closer to the Jersey Shore on a Friday afternoon of Easter weekend.  Despite an oddly recurrent tendency that NJ drivers seem to have that involves driving half in their lane and half on the shoulder, I survived unscathed.

I was happy to arrive at Bay Head to the smiling faces of Sam and his family, a welcome sight after what turned out to be a 100-ish mile day thanks to my creative sense of direction.  I was quickly ushered in and made to feel like part of the family as I got to partake in a memorable evening of basket-ball-score-monitoring, dinner-feasting, late-night-ice-cream-seeking, and a lively game of Apples to Apples.  Ready to hit the hay in my luxurious accommodations, I was looking forward to a mellow couple of days to hopefully kick the last of my cold.

Greensboro to Vinedale, NJ

After a filling breakfast with the Leavells, Sam and I headed off eastward in the direction of Lewes, Delaware where we would take the ferry to New Jersey.  It was a beautiful morning of tailwinds and games of 'Animal, Vegetable, Mineral' while cycling ensemble.  While I was still feeling under the weather thanks to my lingering cold, it was well disguised in the morning and I arrived at the ferry just in time for departure.  The had awesome bike racks on the ferry, big props for cyclist-friendliness there.  While I had done well for the morning's ride and had the energy to chat with some people on the boat and have some snacks, I was not looking forward to the large number of miles that were to follow in strong headwinds as we rode towards the north.

When I whimpered/voiced this lack of enthusiasm to Sam, he stepped in and saved the day with his intelligence and iPhone (that I never miss an opportunity to mock but greatly appreciated at this point in time)!  He discovered that there was a NJ transit bus running from Cape May through to our Warmshowers hosts for the night.  With no second thoughts on my part, we were guided by his trusty electronic device only to arrive at the bus depot just in time to hop onboard.  It was a slow bus ride that took several hours and one transfer, but I was happy to not be cycling as I got to drift in and out of fever and nap-mode for the afternoon.

We got off the bus in Vineland, NJ and rode down the road to Tom and Tammy's only to be greeted warmly and with the offer of a warm place to sleep indoors.  We gladly accepted and spent a lovely evening together filled with pasta and bicycle routes.  I was quite tuckered out by the end of the day and had a grea sleep surrounded by an array of plants in their front room!

Retracing my steps...Washington to Greensboro

As Sam and I had become a bit overwhelmed looking at routing to New York through the direction of Baltimore and Philadelphia.  We decided that since neither of us really wanted to spend much time in those cities on this trip, it actually made more sense to head back the way I had come, across the Chesapeake Bridge, and go across the peninsula to a ferry that would take us to Cape May, New Jersey.  The ride out of DC was equally enjoyable as on the way in and, when I arrived, it turns out Sam had met Paul, a friend I had made in Annapolis the first time.  Small world!  We hung out and chatted, got to meet another fellow bicycle adventuress from the region, and had some snacks.  Then, Sam and I meandered over to Mary's place of work, as she and Bill were kind enough to agree to host me a second time.  It was great to see a familiar face and, with some finagling of the bike rack Mary's friend had offered, we drove over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and back to their place in Greensboro.  While I had been very fortunate finding a comfortable lift westward over the bridge, it was great to not have to deal with getting a pair people and bikes across via hitchhiking (especially at rush-hour), so thanks for being so accommodating, Mary!

I really enjoyed being back in the Leavell's home for the evening, and even got to meet Sheryl, a fourth  family member (or sixth, if counting Brandie and Snowball).  With murder-filled options for Sam (his terminology for meat, not mine), delicious vegetable-filled quinoa pilaf, and ice cream with crazy coconut toppings, we went to sleep with our stomachs full of food and the feeling of contentment that comes with joining a warm family at their dinner table.  Thanks for a great second visit!

Washington DC

The days spent in Washington DC were welcome rest days, especially since I managed to come down with a bit of a cold while there.  At the same time, thanks to an in and out fever for large chunks of it, the days kind of blur together with this whole retro-active blogging business.  So, just a brief summary.  Our hosts were all wonderful, Nancy got some fixing-up and maintenance, and I did wind up going to the photo exhibition suggested in Annapolis called "Documerica".  If anyone reading is in the vicinity, I highly recommend it.  It was a series of photos taken through an EPA program in the 1970s that showed daily life all across the USA and the role and concern about the environment and environmental protection.  I would say it was well worth the hour or so that Sam and I spent in the near-freezing rain in line to enter the National Archives building.  Luckily, times like these are great for games, so I got to introduce him to 'Animal, Vegetable, Mineral'.  Awesome.

I also went to the Natural History Museum and spent some time cycling around the city as well as out to the Velocity community bike space.  Met some great people there and got to put on a new chain, even left with some cycling shoes to try out and a set of SPD pedals should I decide I want to transition to clipless.  A great way to spend the afternoon and cleaned tons of muck and North Carolinian sand out of the gears.

When we did leave DC, it was in the direction of Annapolis once again.  Sam and I had sort of planned to head up northeast in the direction of Baltimore and Philadelphia, but when we realized that routing was quite complicated and neither of us had a burning desire to spend great amounts of time in those cities, we opted to go back the way I had come and take a ferry to New Jersey.  Thanks to Chris, Dani, and Sarah for a great time in DC and helping one of those Northerners to enjoy your capital city!

Awesome orchid exhibit at the Smithsonian.  I learned that vanilla is derived from an orchid!

Highly worth a stop for anyone passing through.  The people in here were friendly, happy to help, and doing some great community outreach programs!

Greensboro to Washington, DC

With traces of frost on the ground and clear sunny skies, I headed out in the direction of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.  While Mary and Bill had offered a ride over it to Annapolis, it was so beautiful outside that I opted for my original plan of cycling closer to the bridge and then finding a friendly soul with a pick-up to give me a lift across.  I was quite enjoying it, but the 20+mph headwinds made for slow going, to the point where I was going down a hill and if I stopped pedaling I started to go back up it backwards.  Less than ideal for getting from A to B.  After a couple dozen miles, I came across a 'Park and Ride' lot.  Still a good distance away from the bridge, I figured it was a good time to have a snack, slowly oil my chain, and ponder my situation.  I was amidst shoveling trail mix into my mouth when I heard a fellow say, "You've got courage, girl".  Of course, it took about three repetitions for me to catch what he was saying, but I've gotten used to that.

We wound up chatting and, as it turns out, he seemed like a friendly soul.  With a truck, no less!  We got Nancy loaded up and, when his friend joined us, we piled in and headed to the bridge.  These two were certainly characters and I could not have asked for a more fun truck voyage.  Both in their sixties, they were roommates in college and proceeded to give me lots of wisdom and hilarious tales about life, love, and the trials and tribulations of women and online dating.  Awesome.  Once over the bridge, we even made a photo-op stop and then they dropped me in the quaint downtown of Annapolis so I could poke around in the sunshine before continuing my ride.  Thanks for a great time!

I spent a few hours wandering around Annapolis, had some delicious cake for lunch and chatted with a man who teaches law in Washington.  He told me about a photo exhibition that was open at the archives that sounded really neat, so I'll be sure to check that out.

The rest of the ride into the city was quite lovely.  There was a good dozen miles of beautiful secondary highway which, finally, had some rolling hills and twists and turns.  It made me very excited for the rest of the trip through New England.  There was also a good cycling path most of the way into  downtown and I arrived, was reunited with Sam, and we went to our hosts' place.  The rest of the evening entailed catching up on our respective trips and routes and locating delicious Greek-Turkish food.  

In Annapolis

I refrained from posting all the pics I took of Route 450.  Great cycling road!

Quaint cookie shop in Annapolis