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!