Monday, 29 May 2006

Blackwoods Campground to Seawalls campground

After 2 nights under the trees at Blackwoods Campground, the tent and everything else was covered with a thick film of pollen. It would pay to have hayfever here. the campground was noticeably quieter this morning, many people having packed up to travel home at the end of Memorial Day weekend. I had a leisurely breakfast and then packed up the bike. The day was cool and cloudy - good for cycling. From the campground I headed north on the SR 3 towards Bar Harbor. En route I stopped off at the 'Wild Garden of Acadia' - a small botanical garden which was quite nice but perhaps a little too early in the season to be at its best. Some plant had yet to appear and often it was difficult to tell which plant belonged to which label.

Bar Harbor itself is a pretty bustling little tourist town as you might imagine. I went to the China Joy restaurant for lunch ($.58) my fortune cookiw tells me that "The stars appear every night in the sky. All is well." I spent $10.70 on the internet trying to catch up on blog...

The cloud had suddenly cleared and it was now a hot day once again. I heeaded out of Bar Harbor, after stocking up on food, on the SR 3 so that I could check out the CAT ferry terminal for ferries going over to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Check-in time is 7 am so that will be a nice early start. I also checked out the nearest campsite, which is 3 miles from the terminal. I then headed off on a tour of Mount Desert Island, turning off the busy SR 3 onto Norway Drive and then Crooked Road; both nice quiet roads. I was heading for the quieter western part of the island but was disappointed that the Indian Point Road and later the SR 102 didn't have the scenic views I'd hoped for. Much of the SR 102 was pretty rough, the road surface being very broken up especially at the edges so it can be a rough ride and you have to keep your wits about you. Often I'm cycling close to the centre of the road which is no bad thing as it forces drivers to slow down. (I had a few today driving too close, but that was mainly on the busier SR 3)

It was getting late by the time I reached Bass Harbor so I had no time to stop, expect for a quick visit to the lighthouse. A coouple of more miles brought me to Seawall Campground, another site operated by the National Park Service. there was no-one at the office so I just had to find myself a nice quiet pitch. The mosquitoes here are altogether more annoying and persistent, so even I resorted to lighting a fire but even this is not as effective as you might think. I probably smelled as smoked as a kipper. I don't think my natural oils insect repellent is working too well, it just makes everything oily; unless that's the idea - you apply so much that the little buggers just slide off.

Distance: 39.4 miles
Cycling time: 4:16
Total distance: 501.3 miles

Sunday, 28 May 2006

A day in Acadia National Park

Man, I can't tell you what bliss it is to get a good night's sleep in a tent after a hard day's cycling. I slept like a log - I don't think a raccon or bear breaking in to my tent would have roused me from my slumber. I even treated myself to a lie-in until 7:30. It looked like a beautiful clear sunny morning, and it was pleasantly cool in the woods. I also treated myself to a cooked breakfast (3-minute noodles) and some tea. Only the second time I've bothered to make tea so far on this trip. I had to go down to the camp office to re-register for tonight -for some odd reason their computer system wouldn't let them book me in for 2 nights. Computers, who's have 'em. While I was there I asked about food storage (they recommend locking food in a car, which isn't much help if you don't have a car) and they said they did have some racoon-proof boxes, and would deliver one to my site. I'd just strung up my front panniers from a tree branch about 12 feet up; well out of harms way.

I'd bought a cycling/hiking map yesterday, and I set off hiking at 10 am. The South Ridge trail starts at the campsite and heads up to Cadillac Mountain (1530 ft) via Eagles Crag. From the crag most of the hiking is exposed and it was turning into a scorching hot day. There were impressive views all around. Unfortunately for me, my timing meant that I was here on a bank holiday weekend, so I didn't have the mountain to myself, but the weather was great so I' wasn't complaining.

there is a tourist road that goes up to the top of Cadillac Mountain, so it was pretty busy at the top, and even I was seduced into buying a cold lemonade on such a hot day. From Cadillac mountain I headed east via the Notch Trail, a steep down and up, over Dorr Mountain and then down the Ladder Trail; it's mostly a staircase trail but does have a couple of fixed metal ladders. At the bottom I followed the trail around The Tarn, before I was climbing up again on the Beechcroft Trail, past Huguenot Head to Champlain Mountain (1058 ft) A very hot climb in the heat of the afternoon. At the top I had to stop to cool and dry off, whilst drinking in the views.

Refreshed, it was then time to head south on the Bear Brook Trail, down past The Bowl to Sand Beach. I had thought when I was hot and sweaty and slogging uphill, that it would be bliss to cool off in the sea. In reality of course the north Atlantic was far too cold for a southern softie like me, so I contented myself with getting some sand between my toes and cooling of my feet... Didn't take long!

By now it was 5pm so I didn't have long to sit in the now comfortably warm sun; I still had a couple of miles to do on the Ocean Path and then another couple of miles on the Loop Road to get gat back to the campground. By the time I made it back to Blackwoods campground it was 7pm - just enough time to cook some dinner, and write diary before it gets dark. I also had some serious rehydration to do. I must have caught some sun today; I have no suncream with me - one of the things I've sacrificed to save weight, but only because I don't burn easily. I was careful today; t-shirt with long trackpants in the morning, then long-sleeved top with shorts in the afternoon. (burn half at a time!)

At the campground, when the wind blows, there is a shower of little pine needles. It sounds like rain inside the tent.

Walking distance: 14.2 miles
Walking time: 9 hours (including rest, food and photo stops)

Saturday, 27 May 2006

Balsam Cove to Blackwoods Campground, Acadia National Park, Mount Desert Island (Maine)

I managed to find my way back to my tent in the dark from the laundry room by the feeble light of my head torch against the mist, and slept like a log. What bliss it is to finally have a good nights sleep - cough free. In the morning there was only the sound of a few bird calls and a woodpecker trying to knock itself out. The campsite is in a lovely spot next to what is marked on my map as Toddy Pond. (Looks like a lake to me - 7 miles long and up to a mile wide) It was most shrouded in mist but hopefully the photos will do it justice. I skipped breakfast in the hope of finding somewhere on the way, and cycled the 2 miles back to the US 1. I was in luck; within half a mile I came to Duffy's restaurant: "We're not fancy. If your are... Bucksport is 7 miles west and Ellsworth is 12 mile east" I had a long chat over breakfast in te diner with George Keith (?) who'd motorcycled around the States back in the 70's and who was another fan of Scotland. By the time I'd emereged, the cloud has lifted and the day was already getting warm even though it was just after 9am.

After a couple more miles on the now quiet US 1, I turned off onto the quieter but longer route 176. This took me south along the eastern shore of Toddy Pond although the lake was hidden by the trees except fora few tantalizing glimpses. In heading north I've moved more and more into the kingdom of the biting insect. This morning when I stop by the side of the road - for a drink or take a photo - they are soon buzzing around your ears. There seems to be two types; mosquitoes and small black flies (like the sandflies of New Zealand) At the moment they don't seem too smart or aggressive (Desperate?) so it's not too bad. I'd bought some natural oil repellent - Cedar, Mint and Citronella - rather than the toxic DEET, so I'll have to see how well it works.

I arrived in Ellsworth around noon after 21 miles. My visit to the library turned out to be a waste of time as I'd typed in half my daily blog, and then lost it all when I tried to save it. My photo upload also failed. Damn. Tomorrow is Sunday and Monday is a Bank Holiday, so no updating for a while... From Ellsworth I followed the SR 230 alongside Union River Bay, but once again it was mostly hidden. the forecast had been rainy, but it was very hot and muggy. By 1:30 pm my cycle computer was reading 31 C. As I couldn't see much on the SR 230 I cut across country on Goose Cove road to Trenton and so saving 4 miles. In Trenton I went to the Chamber of Commerce/Visitor Information to pick up some information on Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park, which is at the end of my current cycling map. I then retired across the road for a Lobster Roll. At $12, expensive for me, but it had to be done. (Must remember that here chip are crisps not french fries)

The Visitor Centre didn't have much information so I headed across the bridge onto the island and found that the was a National Park office that had more information suitable for me. I bought a park pass ($10 for 7 days) and then headed off on the SR 3 to the main Visitor Centre at Hull's Cove. I had to stop en route to buy an ice cream to stop me from melting. At the Hull's Cove Visitor Centre I stopped to look at the displays and buy a cycling/hiking map of the park. The park has a network of "Carriage Roads" - originally designed for horse and carriage, but not mainly for walkers and mountain bikers (and skidoos in winter) I decided to follow the carriage roads through the park to avoid the road traffic. At times it was hard work on the gravelly surface with a laden bike, but it was worth it for some of the views. By the time I'd reached the other side of the park it was getting late, so it was about 6pm by the etime I'd reached the campground at Blackwoods - a pretty big campsite operated by the National Parks Service. Here in New England most campgrounds are in the forest with numbered pitches on compacted gravel - not ideal for pitching a tent on. It's basically a big parking lot in the forest.

The whole place was reeking with smoke as virtaully every occupied site insisted on having a campfire. In the evening the campground reverberated to sound of branches being stamped on to break them for firewood. At least the smake should help to keep the blackflies and mosquitoes away.

I have a mark on the back of each hand - at first I thought it was a bruise, but it's a suntan spot that corresponds to the hole in the back of my cycling mitts. Do you think I can claim the stigmata and get saintly status here? It's sure to be good for some discounts surely?

Distance: 55.3 miles
Cycling time: 5:33
Total distance: 461.8 miles

Friday, 26 May 2006

Camden Hills State Park to Balsam Cove campground

I had another restless and struggled to wake up in the morning. I did have a dream where I met Margaret Thatcher on a train and harangued her about all the despicable things she'd done; miner's strike, poll tax, sinking the Belgrano, Gen. Pinochet, etc. As you can imagine it was quite a long dream.

It was a beautiful sunny morning with a chill in the air. From the State park I had to cycle back to Camden to pick up my route again, so I took the opportunity to stop off for a pot of tea while I was there. I found that the library didn't open until 9:30 and I didn't want to hang around, so I set off north on the SR 52. I was soon grateful for the shade on my side of the road as I cycled the uphill parts. The SR 52 is quite scenic, especially the first part next to Lake Megunticook.

Within 2 hours I had reached Belfast where there was a conveniently located supermarket, so I stopped to do a big shop ($18.93) It took me quite a while to find everything that I wanted. By the time I emerged it was noon and had clouded over. I left the route to cycle into the centre of Belfast and have a look around. I did some blog at the library but again couldn't upload any photos, so I spent some time looking through some plant/wild flower ID books to try to find some of the things I'd seen. After that I went to Chase's Daily, a funky little restaurant/cafe for a latte. then there was just time for a quick tour down by the whark and then it was up to the bridge and over to East Belfast. This is obviously a summer tourist route as the road is lined with Inns, motels and restaurants, arts and crafts, gift and antique shops. I think model lighthouses must be the New England equivalent of the garden gnome.

At Searsport I found an internet place where I could upload my photos, so 20th to 23rd should all now be available... The day was cool and cloudy and threatening to rain, but it bever quite arrived. the route from Belfast was all on the US 1 which was quite busy; there were a lot of [big] caravans and campervans with people heading off for the Memorial Day weekend. I'm not sure I'd want to cycle this route in the summer season which starts mid-June to July and the traffic is nose-to-tail.

I crossed the Penobscot River on the old Verona Bridge - there were some great views of the new bridge under construction (with its as yet unconnected spans) and of Buscksport to the north, but the roadworks and the weather were against me. The was no foot or cycle-way on the bridge so I could not stop for photos, and the sky was a dull grey anyway. I must have spent all of a couple of minutes on Verona Island as the road turns straight away onto a second bridge that crosses back to the mainland at Bucksport. A couple of miles out of Bucksport I stopped at a little bar 'n' grill for a coffee. It was the sort of place the Terminator goes into to get his clothes. You know the place is tough when the tiles are screwed to the walls in the restroom.

I carried on along the US 1 for a few more miles until I saw a sign for Balsam Cove campground; it wasn't marked on my map but it was a mile and a half from the US 1 so I thought it would be nice and quiet. I headed down the eerily quiet backroad until I reached a sign for the campground. I then followed a rough track through the woods for another half a mile (beginning to sound a bit like Deliverance?) until I reached the campsite office. It may have looked a little rough and ready, a bit like a travellers camp (which I suppose it is) but at $18 ($19.26 inc. tax) it suited my needs. the shower was hot and there was a laundry room where I could give my clothes a much needed wash. What a way to spend a Friday evening.

Distance: 48.3 miles
Cycling time: 4:54
Total distance: 406.5 miles

Thursday, 25 May 2006

Camden Hills to Camden Hills (RV Resort to State Park)

Overslept again this morning, but this time it was more to do with not being able to get to sleep. There's not much you can do when you've got insomnia in a tent. You can't just get up and watch TV for a bit. I've don't carry a book, except for my book of Guardian Cryptic Crosswords so I struggled through one of those as far as I could. It's not as if I was in rush as I'd been told that Camden was nice so I thought I might spend the day there and camp at the State Park just north of town.

When I'd had to get up in the night, the sky was completely clear, and by the morning there was some high thin cloud but plenty of sun, so the tent got hot pretty quick which helped to dry the condensation. I stopped off at the Rockport Diner again, for breakfast, since it was on my way. By the time I came out to set off to Rockport it had already clouded over and cooled down. On my map, Rockport and it's adjoining neighbour Camden, are shown in a boring tan colour to signify urban area; in reality it is very green and leafy and a pleasant cycle.

In Camden I found that the Visitor Information Centre was based in the Chamber of Commerce, so I'll remember to look out for the Chamber of Commerce in other places. I popped in to pick up some local information and then went to the Deli on Main Street to sit on their deck, in the sun, overlooking the falls and harbour, with a bowl of seafood chowder and a hot latte. Life doesn't get much better. It's like being on holiday!

Having read the brochures they were quite surprised to find me returning them. I cycled out on US 1 to the Camden Hills State Park where I set up the tent. ($20) I then did some of the bike maintenance I had been meaning to do for a few days; mainly cleaning and re-oiling the chain and doing some slight gear adjustments. I had a problem with the chain coming off when I changed down on the front derailleur from middle to small chain-ring; which is a bit of a problem when you're struggling uphill and clipped on to your pedals. I can now change gear with confidence.

Having done my bike chores I set off for a afternoon hiking in the park. (I'm lugging these damn boots around, so I'm gonna use 'em!) It's been a while since I've done any hiking so it was a pleasant change from pushing pedals. I hiked up to Mount Megunticook (1385 ft) which was a bit of a disappointment at the summit as it was in the trees but there were some great views on the way at Adam Lookout and Ocean Lookout. On the return trip I went via Mount Battie with it's tower and views looking down over Camden.

Okay, I'm coming round to the idea that Americans might be a tad lazy; I saw a couple reverse their big RV (Recreational Vehicle) out of their campsite and drive to the wash-house to do their washing up. It took them longer to drive there than it took me to walk there - including the time I had to wait while they reversed out of their campsite. Hilarious. I was on my way for a hot shower. (Bliss.)

After my shower I cycled back into Camden to Peter Ott's Steakhouse and bar for a small (7 oz.) sirloin steak with mash, salad and fresh bread. Excellent ($28.30) Oh, and that includes 2 beers. (My first in over a week) Oh, how tempting it was to have a third.

Distance: 10.0 miles
Cycling time: 1:13
Total distance: 357.9 miles

Wednesday, 24 May 2006

Chewonki to Camden Hills RV Resort (Maine)

There was a light sprinkling of rain in the night to christen the new tent and the new morning was cloudy and sunny. I slept through my alarm so it wasn't until 9 am that I was packed and ready for the off. Maybe I overslept because the new tent is warmer and stuffier that I'm used to. I'm not sure I'd like to sleep in it with 2 people. I'll have to see if I can improve the ventilation.

From the campsite with it's views of Montsweag Bay, I headed back along the busy US 1 for a short distance to Mountain Road, which would enable me to cut across country and get back onto my cycling route. At the junction of the US 1 and Mountain Road was the Wiscasset Flea Market (Car boot sale) and I stopped for a breakfast sandwich and a cup of tea ($3.50) - it's so nice to be be able to sit out in the fresh air and eat. Most of the places I've eaten at are so enclosed, sometimes with no windows looking out at all. It was lovely and warm sitting in the sun watching the flea market, although there seemed to be a shortage of buyers on a Wednesday morning.

I cycled back up to the Old State Road and down into Wiscasset, which ambitiously claimed to be the "prettiest village in Maine". I'm not sure that I agree with that. Guess what - I spent an hour in the library. (I'm going to have to start censoring my library visits otherwise I'm going to have to rename my blog...!) I did set up a link to where I'd uploaded some of my photos, so for those of you interested...

I'd developed a bit of a headache so I thought some food might be a good idea and went to Sarah's Cafe overlooking the bridge, for some Haddock Chowder. It would be nice to have the opportunity to sample more of the seafood for which this area is famed.

I crossed the bridge from Wiscasset to Edgecomb; the route was on the busy US 1 most of the way to Newcastle, but the shoulder was wide and the traffic speed moderate, so it was never unpleasant. The afternoon had turned showery and my rainjacket was on and off a few times. Another shower was passing overhead as I crossed the bridge from Newcastle to Damariscotta, so I ducked into the Salt Bay Cafe for a tea. It's always a good excuse to take a break, meet people, and get some local information. Well sometimes. "Is there anything worth seeing or doing here in Damariscotta?" "No" "Well, I'll just be passing through then!"

[Went to the library]

From Damariscotta the route rejoins the US 1 and it was a thoroughly pleasant and enjoyable day. There were a couple of campsites marked on my map in the Damariscotta area, but I was having such a good time I thought I'd keep going. Big mistake. The route leaves the US 1 and hurtles down a long hill into Waldoboro; there is then a long and brutal climb up through Waldoboro and onwards up the Old Route One road. Stopping at the top to catch my breath I checked the back of my map to read the directions to the next campsite only to find that it was now closed. (I had marked the addenda to the map services on the back of my map but I hadn't thought to cross off the campsite on the map itself. Doh!) The next available campsite was another 16 miles from where I was rather than the 6 miles I was expecting. And wouldn't you know it, there was lots of up and down on the way. The only bad section of road was an uphill section on the US 1 just before Waldoboro where the shoulder disappears and becomes a crawler lane; but even the slowest lorry doesn't crawl uphill at 4 mph!

When I got to the Camden Hills RV Resort I found that it hadn't yet opened for the season. There was a guy there tidying up so I asked him if it would be alright if I could stay. He said it was up to me, he was just a friend of the owner helping out, and suggested I asked at a house nearby. There was no-one at the house, and in a little while the guy came around again. This time he was much friendlier and we had a bit of a chat about Ireland and Scotland. (which he loved) He said the owner of the campsite was English too and was sure it wouldn't be a problem if I stayed.

There was a restaurant nearby, the Rockport Diner, so I went there for something to eat (Deep fried clam with mash, squash and zucchini, $9.95) and so that I could use their facilities. (Which reminds me. I passed a B&B a couple of days ago that had a sign outside advertising their rooms with a list of the facilities such as, cable TV, internet access, efficiencies - what the heck are 'efficiencies'?)

Distance: 43.6 miles
Cycling time: 4:38
Total distance: 347.8 miles

Tuesday, 23 May 2006

Recompense Shore to Chewonki campsite

The morning was uniform grey and chilly. I packed up my homemade tent and [walking] poles for the last time on this trip and cycled back into Freeport to the Post Office. Surface shipping was quite cheap ($30) so I packaged the tent and sent it on it's 4-6 week voyage back home. I'll miss my tent - especially the hammock which I was looking forward to having for lazy sunny afternoons.

[Note to self: 1) Move tie-back loops out of seams. Place on outside of seam, folded back away from the seam; loops to the outside. Attach inner toggle higher than outer loop. 2) Move pegging loops to outside seam approx. 2-3 inches from the edge to create a 'skirt'. 3) Add pegging loops and velcro to groundsheet to match flysheet.]

After that I went back to the library for a couple of hours. (I'm spending more time in the library typing than I am on the road peddling!) (Just kidding; I'm sure I've got a permanent saddle shaped impression in my butt!) I also passed some time in a couple of long chats with a [former cycling] couple at the Post Office and 2 ladies working in the library. By the time I emerged from the library it was nice and sunny and lunchtime, so on a recommendation I went to Isabella's Cafe for a toasted steak sandwich.

Then it was time to take the plunge and pick a new tent. In the end I opted for the North Face Tadpole 23 ($134 That's about 71 GBP at current exchange rates. Amazingly cheap.) By the time I left Freeport it was 1:30 pm and a lovely sunny day with a nice cool breeze; perfect for cycling. I passed through Brunswick onto the Androscoggin River Bike Path which from the name and the map seemed very promising and indeed started out that way, but just ended up running next to the busy US1 before rejoining some quiet country roads.

The next town Bath, was nothing like it's English namesake. I was determined to find somewhere for a nice Latte, and I actually found an information board with a town plan on - something I'd noticed has been missing from most of the places I've been through. As the library was so close I was tempted to pop in briefly. I found that here I could upload my digital photos onto the web (something that is not possible in most places) so I ended up spending an hour uploading most of my photos so far. Now I just need to figure out how to make them available for easy viewing.

By now there was no time for a coffee if I wanted to get to a campsite before dark. Luckily while I was on the internet I checked on where the Chewonki campground was and how to get there as it is marked in the wrong place on my map. It turned out they charged a hefty $30, and they also charged for showers too. (Only 10c for 3 mins or 25c for 8 mins.) It was a bit of a disappointment when I was standing there naked putting my dime in to find that it would accept my money. The shower next door accept my money but delivered no water. There was no-one around so I had to make do with a splash wash from the washbasin. Lovely.

All the campsites I've stayed at so far have been very quiet - usually I've been the only person there with a tent.

Distance: 41.1 miles
Cycling time: 4:16
Total distance: 304.2 miles

Monday, 22 May 2006

Sebage Lake to Recompense Shore

The rain came down heavy at 6:30 pm last night and continued all night. I was struggling to sleep again; a combination of the noise of the rain and my coughing. It's a funny thing, during the day when I'm cycling, I'm fine, but when I lay down in the evening I start coughing and getting all congested. It's soon gone when I start cycling again. By 2 am the rain had eased off and by 4 am it had finally stopped. I had pitched the tent in 'configuration 1' (Tall and boxy - which give me lots more room inside) and this time it coped much better with the rain. It's still a lot more basic than a commercial tent and the hammock inner was a little damp from splashing water.

The morning was cool but by 8 am just before I set off the sun appeared to brighten up the day. For the first few miles my cycle computer refused to work, so maybe yesterday's problems were caused by water in the system rather than the battery. (or both) I stopped at a little general store cum diner to sort it out (and have a cup of tea of course)

For the first time on this trip I found myself battling the wind in the more open areas as it came down from the north. Much of the route so far has been in the woods - there's no shortage of trees in New England. I had decided to have a easier day and catch up with my blog/emails. In North Windham I asked directions to the library and then went on a wild-goose chase looking for it. Maybe I was being impatient and didn't travel far enough, but the road stretched into the far distance and there was no rotary I could see. (Rotary = roundabout) Everything is so spread out here; it's no wonder the Americans have a reputation for using the car instead of walking, you'd just have to. It's not uncommon for even a small town to be several miles wide. The only way you can tell where the centre of town is - there might be an intersection with a gas station. Having said that, there's still a preponderance of gas-guzzling SUV'son the road.

I decided to carry on to Gray to use the library there. I saw my first live wild beaver on the way, but sadly a car scared it off before I could get a picture. The library in Gray was easier to find, but it was also closed on Mondays. Instead I went off in search of a diner and ended up at Cole farms for their lunch special of Maine fried shrimps with fries and coleslaw. Surprisingly it was a sensible portion on a small plate. ($4.95) Plus tea and tax $6.10

This was definitely the hilliest day so far. It was difficult to know what to wear, one minute I'd be sloggin uphill in the sun, sweating and swearing and feeling unfit, and then I'd be zooming downhill with a chill wind blowing through me. One particular hill was very steep and had me promising to shed some weight. (from my luggage)

I had thought of camping at Bradbury Mountain State Park, but it was so early in the day that I carried on to Freeport, where I found the library open and spent the next 2 hours slow typing and doing some research. (tents and ferry times) To make the alterations I need to my tent will need a sewing machine so I am thinking of posting my prototype home and buying a lightweight tent here. I went to L L Beans store to see what was available. A good quality tent here is so reasonable - no, make that cheap! I asked what their opening hours were, and was told that they 'never close'. Imagine that, a 24 hour camping store. I said I'd wheel my bike in and camp in their tent department. I also checked out the North Face store, and they have a sale on, so that's even cheaper. I'll check the specs and decide tomorrow.

When I was cycling around Freeport, a couple stopped me and the man asked: "Do you know where my wife can smoke?" I struggled to keep a straight face. Do I look like I live here? What was I supposed to say: "No, surprise me!" or "On her death bed?" Life is crazy. In Starbucks they had a plaque on the wall next to the restroom (There's a euphemism for you) that said obviously 'restroom', but it also had braille on it too. How's a blind person going to find the plaque?

From Freeport I headed out to the Flying Point campsite, although the only campsite I could find was called Recompense Shore - and it was a really beautiful spot. Right next to the sea with a liitle beach and a sun sinking slowly down.

Distance: 45.6 miles
Cycling time: 4:35
Total distince: 263.1

Sunday, 21 May 2006

York Beach to Sebago Lake

When I got back to my tent after my shower, there was an almighty racket nearby. A flocking great flock of birds must have landed to roost nearby. They quietened down a little as it got dark but they kept up their noise and when I awoke at 1am they were still going. Don't they go to sleep?

The morning was beautiful and sunny, so after a breakfast of hot curry noodles (to help clear my congestion) I packed up and was on the road by 8:20 am. I back-tracked a short way, for a 4 mile round trip to see the Cape Neddick Lighthouse. The campsite owner had given me a local tourist map which was very handy for this. She had given it to me to show me the 'Marginal Walkway' coastal footpath, from Perkins Cove to Ogunquit, which she said was open to bikes until Memorial Day weekend. (next weekend) I had to take a detour on the way due to the road bridge having been washed out in last weeks flooding.

At Perkins Cove - a pretty little former fishing village - I stopped at the 'Breaking New Grounds' coffee shop for a cinnamon bun and a pot of tea. It's these moments of relaxing that making cycle touring so worthwhile. When I got to the Marginal Walkway there was a sign saying no bicycles and being a Sunday the path was quite busy, so I thought I'd better not...

Instead I followed the coast road through Ogunquit, which seemed to be quite an upmarket resort with lots of art galleries and swanky B&B's. After Ogunquit the route detours from Federal Route 1 to pass through Moody Beach and Wells Beach. Here there is a one long road built behind the beach with houses on each side and a large expanse of what looks like marsh or saltmarsh behind. It's very open and reminiscent of parts of Norfolk or Suffolk.

I haven't got to grips with the opening hours here yet, so I stopped a supermarket in Wells to buy some food. I'd rather carry the extra weight than go hungry!

I've noticed that the gas stations here don't have any pressure gauges on the air lines. I guess they expect you to have your own so that you can't sue them in the event of an over or under-fill. I'd finally stopped at a garage and asked; they offered to let me use their air line and gauge for free (it's 75c at a gas station) at my own risk. It's virtually impossible to get a bike tyre inflated to the correct pressure using a little hand-pump, as they run at much higher pressures than a car tyre. Mountain bike tyres are generally rated 55 to 80 PSI.

From Wells I was heading nland again, through Kennebunk, and by about 1:30 I noticed that it had clouded over and become quite dark. The rain arrived gradually and got worse as the afternoon wore on. I passed through Goodwins Mills and Hollis, pausing only for a snack to while watching two teams of youngsters play baseball - a game I have no understanding of. Then through Bonny Eagle to Standish where I stopped for a bite to eat; my cycle computer kept resetting itself and losing the day's data so I needed to figure out why. Possibly the battery. It would also mean that I wouldn't have to cook in the rain at the campsite. I was heading for the Sbago Lake campgound and left the route a couple of mile further along to find the campsite. Shortly after I arrived, 3 other cyclists arrived, 2 of whom had done the whole of the Atlantic Coast route in the last 6 weeks, starting in Fort Myers, Florida.

Distance: 58.0 miles (Calculated from map)
Cycling time: 5-6 hours (Guestimate based on mileage)
Total distance: 217.5 miles

Saturday, 20 May 2006

Hidden Valley to York Beach

It rained in the night but was a bright and sunny morning. I wasn't eager to get up as it felt a bit cold and I had slept somewhat fitfully for my first night in a hammock. Trying to sleep on my back will take some getting used to. I had some wierd dreams - being attacked by dogs in my hammock (me in the hammock, not the dogs) and a separate dream about being attacked my a guy with long blond hair and a Terminator style metal hand. Bizarre. Must be some subconcious fear of camping alone in the woods.

After a leisurely breakfast I was packed and on my way by 8:45. I passed through Danville and after 13 miles came to Kingston. Again the library had free internet so I updated my blog and then went for a cup of tea to catch up on diary writing (chores, chores) it's so good to have free internet access so available (so far) as it makes keeping in touch so easy. How quickly we forget how things used to be - it's difficult now to imagine life before the internet and mobile phones.

It had clouded over by the time I set off cycling again and was cooler but at least dry. Saturday is obviously Yard Sale day and everyone was out passing on their bric-a-brac to someone else. I saw a couple of skidoos for sale - a sign of global warming? There were quite a few recreational cyclists on the road, this being a Saturday, but no-one else foolish enough to be hauling 30 kgs (rough guess) of luggage around.

From Kingston the route was pleasant but uninspiring. I did pass a road called Pickpocket Drive which made me laugh. Exeter is the biggest town I've passed through so far since leaving Boston and it looked quite pleasant, but I didn't stop. I did stop a couple of hours later for a Latte at the Red Ginger Cafe at Foyes Corner. Portsmouth is even bigger than Exeter and like its English namesake has a naval base. The route bypasses most of Portmouth however and in crossing the Piscataqua River on the Memorial Bridge I also crossed my second state line, this time passing from New Hampshire into Maine. I was now on the Atlantic Ocean coast and from Kittery Point to YorkBeach I was cycling along the coast road. I could smell the fish and chips as I rolled into York Beach.

Just as I arrived at the York Beach Camper Park it started to rain. I pitched the tent in 'configuration 2' (long and thin) as I think that might currently be more resilient to the rain. It's not so convenient to use as it's much lower, so it's more difficult moving around and doing things inside. We'll see.











I



I passed a few very big churches today - and I mean big. Like factories, and I guess they are; churning out the next generation of brain-washed zombies. (I'll be keeping that opinion to myself) (BTW: Have been cycling along and heard the sound of automatic rifle fire!) On a lighter note: my favourite road-sign so far is the speed limit sign that says "Thickly settled, 30" - always makes me think of a neighbourhood of Homer Simpsons.

Distance: 51.7 miles
Cycling time: 4:47
Total distance: 159.5

Friday, 19 May 2006

Wyman's Beach to Hidden Valley Park

The rain had returned by morning - it was cold and grey. I went back to bed to see if things would improve, but by 7:30 if anything it was worse. At least my homemade tent had passed it's first test. I was missing my old tent (Terra Nova Solar 2) which was more comfortable but not as flexible as my pitch 2-ways or hammock and flysheet contrivance. I think the thing I miss most about my old tent, is the fact that I had a routine; everything has a place. I don't have any such routine yet with the new tent. Also, I'm already thinking of how I could have made it differently, and alternative designs. After an hour of heavy rain I started to get some water coming through the seams at the places where I had put some elasticated tie-back loops. I had worried about that but it didn't seem too serious as they are right at the ends, but when it drips to the ground, it does tend to splash quite a way. (Hadn't thought about that! You don't always camp on grass.) The other seams seem to be okay so I don't know what I can do about this. (Any ideas...) I should definitely have had a trial run before setting out. (I worried about that too)

Anyway, with things starting to get wet, I packed up and by the time the bike was loaded up the rain had more or less stopped. I cycled back to the route again (I am following a cycling route published by the American Adventure Cycling Association http://www.adv-cycling.org/ Atlantic Coast, Section 1) at Dunstable and then headed to Tyngsborough. I passed a sign for the Town Hall and Library, so I stopped off to use the internet. By the time I came out again the rain was coming down very heavily - but coming straight down, so at least there was no wind. I set off in the rain but soon stopped at the Dream Diner for Brunch. Food is the one thing I could afford to indulge in here if only everything else wasn't so expensive. Egg (over-easy) home fries, Kielbasa (A sort of Polish sausage - sort of like Saveloy I guess, can't remember exactly what Saveloy is like, it's so long since I've had any.) wheat toast and tea $6.83 The thing I really like about America is there no being stingy on tea or coffee. No poxy little pot or cup. Sometimes you don't even have to ask; a free refill mug just arrives with a fresh tea-bag in. Bliss

The rain had eased off by the time I set off again, crossing the Merrimack River which was so much in the news a couple of days ago with all the flooding. Soon I was crossing my first state line, leaving Massachusetts and entering New Hampshire, The Granite State. I also stopped at my first big supermarket to suss out what they're like over here - pretty much as you'd expect but I just need to get used to the layout and find out what I can and can't buy of what I'm used to. My next stop was at a bank to get some more cash (where does it all go!) and ask directions. It's lucky I did as I had missed my turning half a mile back. I'd just stopped to take off my rainjacket as it was looking brighter when there was a huge clap of thunder overhead. Thunder is bigger and better here too; much louder and just roils around for ages. Sure enough a couple of hundred metres down the road the rain came down heavy again.

I was soon lost again and had to stop for directions at a Fire Station. Maybe it's my European eyes not picking up on the road signs or not following the directions. Some of the bigger/busier roads have numbers and a direction (east/south etc) but there are no direction signs - you know, "So and so" this way. Usually at junctions there are street names but often not even that. Often my directions say something like "Turn left onto such and such street (unsined)" - how do I know if it's "such and such" street?

Pointed in the right direction I picked up the route and stopped for a tea at a gas station diner at West Windham (Had a funny chat with 2 fat birds) I'd done less than 30 miles and it was already after 3pm. I'm struggling to put on the miles here, but it's early days yet. No rush.

The sun put in a brief appearance. I set off again. The rest of my ride was dry with lots of short but sometimes tough up and downs. After 40 miles I turned off the route to Hidden Valley Park where camping was $27. (Better than last night's $32, but still seems expensive to me) After my experience with the tent this morning I opted to pitch the tent in hammock configuration. Not sure how well I'll sleep on my back after at least 30 years of sleeping on my side or front.



Distance: 41.0 miles
Cycling time: 4:35
Total distance: 107.8 miles

Thursday, 18 May 2006

Concord to Wyman's Beach campsite
I'd had an early night and slept a bit better, but I still awoke congested and with a splitting headache. The free continental breakfast was much better than I expected and I filled myself up for the road ahead. (I certainly eat much more fruit when I'm travelling than I ever do at home.) After breakfast I took a couple of paracetamol and went back to bed for an hour. I didn't feel much better when I got up again, but maybe fresh air and exercise would help. I packed up the bike, checked-out and headed and into Concord. (Pron. "Conquered") It was just after 9am when I left so the library was open (the swankiest looking library I've ever seen!) and so I stopped to use the [free] internet for half-an-hour.

It was a beautiful sunny day and Concord was itself looking beautiful with tthe fresh leaf and blossom on the trees. I stopped at the Colonial Inn for a pot of tea - this sore throat means I am constantly thirsty. They wouldn't serve me out in the fresh air on the porch/veranda and lead me through to the posh dining room. I didn't like to refuse as they were so helpful. Part of me wants to push on and cycle, and part of me is determined to relax and take it easy. (Probably my bottom!) It's not as if I have any sort of schedule.

From Concord the route is mainly on quiet country roads, and with the weather warm and sunny it is very pleasant. I stopped off in Acton to buy an 'Italian Sub' for lunch and then found a quiet spot to stop and eat it. How quickly you forget the places you pass through - I already have no memories to distinguish Littleton, Ayer or Groton, save for the fact that I stopped for a fruit smoothie in Groton. There seems to be a lack of nice tea/coffee shops here; somewhere with tables outside where you can sit in the fresh air. It all seems to be plastic takeaways.

I passed lots of big swanky houses with perfectly manicured gardens. The route was quite hilly but I wasn't quuite as tired as yesterday; still not full of beans though.

I left the route at Dunstable (lots of English place names but I guess this is New England) to find a campsite for the night. Wyman's Beach campsite must be the most expensive campsite I've ever stayed at. $32 - that's about GBP 17! And it's not as if the facilities were anything to write about - so I won't.


With hindsight, I'd been lucky to arrive in Boston whhen I did; I'd had one wet day in Boston, but two lovely days of cycling weather.

Distance: 39.1 miles
Cycling time: 4:32
Total distance: 66.7 miles

Wednesday, 17 May 2006

Quincy to Concord. (Massachusetts)

I didn't sleep great, but it was a beautiful clear sunny morning which immediately made me feel better. I strolled out to buy some bread and 'gas' (Unleaded petrol for my camping stove) It must have been the smallest sale ever at the gas station ($.043) I then went for breakfast at the "Egg & I" once again to fuel my self for the road. By 9am the first few clouds were appearing in the sky. I was feeling excited but apprehensive; excited to be starting out cycling, but a little apprehensive because I don't much like cycling in big cities and towns. I much prefer being ouot in the wilds.

The steps at Wollaston station proved to be the first obstacle and I nearly lost control of the bike rolling it down. More patience required. Luckily there was an escalator up to the platform. At Charles/MGH (Mass. Gen. Hosp.) station however it was even more tricky; 3 flight of steep metal stairs. There were roadworks and building work going on which made it a bit tricky finding the Charles River Bike Path, but once I'd found it, it was a pleasant and easy cycle. At one point further on I was advised to cross over to the cycle path on the northern bank of the Charles River, which meant that I lost the route in Watertown but met up with it a bit further on. It was quite a warm day and I was glad I had opted for shorts and sandals. From Watertown onwards the route became a bit more hilly.

By early afternoon it had clouded over and I was feeling a bit weary as I came to the DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum (http://www.decordova.org/) so I decided to stop for a few hours and then find some local accomodation. The park and museum are very well presented (and with a nice cafe which is always a bonus) and I spent the rest of the afternoon happily wandering around. The payphones in the museum didn't accept coins, so they kindly let the switchboard phone to find some accomodation. I ended up having to book in at the Best Western in Concord a few miles further on.

I was feeling a bit tender when I climbed back on the bike; I haven't been on a bike for 8 months! One compensation though was a bath in the hotel room to soak may aching muscles. (and bum!) I'm a bit over budget for my first few days, but hopefully I can recoup this later. (I saved a bit of money by eating in my room)

Distance: 27.6 miles
Cycling time: 3:17
Total distance: 27.6 miles

Tuesday, 16 May 2006

Boston (Massachusetts)

I went to bed ‘early’ – well it was 2 am UK time but still only around 9 pm Boston time and awoke at 3:30 am local time. I forced myself back to sleep intending to get up at about 6 am to go for breakfast, but in the end I didn’t get up until nearly 9 am feeling congested and headachy. Breakfast at the “Egg & I” was a big plate full, with 2 mugs of tea for only $5 including tip. (About £2.50) It’s going to be difficult to refuse the option of eating out when it seems so cheap relative to UK prices.

The ticket machines at Wollaston Station wouldn’t accept my credit or debit cards (I hope this isn’t a sign of problems to come!) so I paid cash for my 1-day visitor pass ($7.50) and then rode the Red Line in to Park Street in the centre of Boston. They were very helpful at the Tourist Information but a little amused that I was planning to go off cycling in the midst of a state of emergency. They advised waiting for a day or two, but the forecast for tomorrow is dry so I may make an early start and see far I get.

I then took the Green Line out to the Institute of Contemporary Art (Modern Art Museum) only to find it was closed due to relocation in progress. Damn. I headed back into the centre and spent a short while checking email and the weather (In the space of about 5 days they’d gone from 5 inches below average rainfall to 10 inches about average!) before heading out to Harvard to the Museum of Natural History. It was a little disappointing – lots of stuffed animals – but it had a few interesting things. The collection of glass plants was interesting; they must have been so fragile, and were mostly life-size and very realistic, but quite faded. I wonder how bright they were when they were new. Some of the enlarged flower parts looked like something from science fiction.

It’s odd that in a country so technologically advanced there is such a fundamental opposition to evolution. Obviously in the Natural History Museum evolution is openly presented; maybe if they had the funding to match the creationist lobby then the exhibits would be much more impressive. I guess you don’t have to understand technology to use it. Even if you could prove the Bible to be a work of fiction (as if you can’t already) there would still be people who would believe it. People are always looking for something to believe in and give a purpose if not a ‘meaning’ to their life.

When I left the Natural History Museum it was dry and bright so I actually got out my camera for a few snaps as I walked back through Harvard Yard to Harvard Square. I popped into the Harvard Coop Bookstore to browse their maps of Boston cycle routes and went to their café for a yogurt and tea. By the time I came out it was raining again, so I took the Red Line ‘home’ to Wollaston; it was the start of the rush hour so it was quite busy. At the station I checked out whether I could take the bicycle on the train as I figure that will be the best way to get to the start of my cycle route in the centre of Boston. Bikes are allowed between 10 am and 4 pm, and after 7 pm. There is no lift (elevator) access at Wollaston. Quincy Central does have a lift, but it was out of order. Somehow I expected the States to have better disabled facilities.

Back at the hotel I spent a good part of the evening packing the panniers for the morning. (It takes a lot longer than you might imagine!) As I was putting things onto the bike I discovered that one of the struts of my aluminium (aloominum) Blackburn Expedition rear pannier rack was broken, so I had to do a repair before I’d even started. I guess it must have had a bit of a whack en route. Hopefully my repair will hold out.

Later on I took a walk in the other direction on Hancock Street (south) to find somewhere to have a bite to eat; spicy chicken pizza and Guinness, a combination that left me feeling really stuffed!

Monday, 15 May 2006

Over to Heathrow and over to Boston (Massachusetts, USA)

(Over is the village in Cambridgeshire where I grew up and where my parents still live.)

The day started early with a 5 am departure to drive to the airport. Sunrise is officially at 5:09 am but its light for about an hour before that. I know that because I couldn’t sleep once I’d woken up at 2:40 am. I hate the days leading up to a departure; all the planning, packing, double-checking and fretting. I don’t often get stressed, but this is one occasion when I do. Once I’ve checked in my luggage at the airport I can relax.

The packing is especially tricky when travelling with a bicycle and lots of camping equipment. Being limited to two pieces of check-in luggage means that lots of extra items have to go in the bike box around the bike, like the panniers, although one rear pannier I can carry as hand-luggage. Everything else has to go into the rucksack, which is a heavy item to cycle with but useful for the flight and the occasional walking trip. In the past I’ve had to open and re-pack a bike box at the airport when it’s been too heavy (more than 32 kg!) so this time I tried to limit the weight by packing some of the heavy items (like pedals, bike lock and tools) in the rucksack. I had no way of weighing the bike box until I got to the airport.

My (ex-)brother-in-law Chris was good enough to get up early to drive me to the airport. The roads were quiet at that time of the morning, but by no means empty. There were no jams until the Heathrow exit from the M4; from there it was a start/stop 15 minute crawl all the way to terminal 3 for an overall journey time of 2 hours. England was looking very green, with the white hawthorn and fields of oilseed rape still in full bloom. I wonder how long it will be before I see her hedgerows and fields again.

Check-in was the quickest and easiest I've ever known. The bike box, at nearly 5 feet long was too long to fit through the maze of cordons snaking up to the check-in desks so they directed me around the side and straight up to a free check-in desk. They didn't bother to weigh the bike box (which is lucky as it was over 26kg, which is slightly above the free luggage limit, at 23 kg.) They also didn’t complain about the tent strapped to the bottom of the rucksack which I thought they might.

Having checked in so quickly I bought a Guardian and went off in search of breakfast (a poor quality ‘Full English’ as you might expect at an airport) as I had plenty of time before the flight at 10:55. Internet was a rip-off at £6/hour – I’m sure more people would use it if it was reasonably priced.

Having had little sleep last night, staying awake until boarding time was a bit of an ordeal, but at least it meant that I slept through a good part of the flight. For me, those little fold-out wings on the headrest that stop your head lolling around while you snooze are far better than any in-flight ‘entertainment’. With 2 hours flying time left, the flight display indicated that we were flying over St. John’s in Newfoundland – approximately 950 miles from Boston as the crows flies; I wondered if I would make it as far as St. John’s and if so, how long it would take me. Even at 50 miles per day, it would take nearly 3 weeks, and of course, I’m sure the distance will be much more than 1000 miles by road.

According to the Guardian, “cake” is slang in the US for the female genitalia; something I hadn’t heard of before. I must make a mental note to be careful when saying something is a ‘piece of cake’ or ‘to have your cake and eat it’!
Boston was cold, grey when I arrived, 10 C, misty and raining. But it was worse than that. As I queued up in immigration the radio was playing and I was listening to the news… It had been raining for 5 days, and with impeccable timing, I'd arrived in Boston during the worst flooding for 70 years. (Since the big flood of '36) A state of emergency had just been declared in Massachusetts...! Oh good. The floods were expected to peak in the early hours of tomorrow morning. Luckily I’m not planning to go anywhere tomorrow, except by train into Boston.

It took quite a long while to clear immigration, so my luggage was already waiting by the time I'd got through. Then it was just a short $45 taxi ride in an oversized taxi van to my hotel, the Presidents City Inn in Quincy. The start of a journey can be pretty inspiring, but I haven’t really started travelling yet, and I was feeling pretty low; alone in a hotel room with the prospect of being alone for months to come. The weather was crap and my plans in possibly disarray before I’d even started, and I was struggling to get the bike back together properly with my minimal tools. To make matters worse I was feeling a bit flu-y; I can’t remember the last time I was ill – certainly not for a long time. I’d spent much of Sunday “entertaining” my 5 year old niece and I think I’d caught her cold.

I went out a bit later, and immediately felt better for being out and about. I bought some fruit and supplies at a Chinese supermarket and went to a Murphy’s Bar for something to eat and drink; 8 oz baked Scrod (spicy cod?) and mash – huge obviously, for $10.99and a couple of medicinal Guinness. The only good news so far seems to be the £/$ exchange rate which at nearly $2 to the £ makes it a good time to visit the US.