Day 47 - Peterboro to Rye Beach

Out of Little River B&B at 6:30 for the climb over Temple Mountain.

And then a nice cruise thru Wilton and Amherst.

Getting around and thru Mamchester is a little hectic. A little anxious as I find myself on a 4 lane highway with entrance and exit ramps to Rtes 3 and 293.

Jump back on to Rte 101 East of Manchester, and really flying to the coast.....

..... until I hear a brief siren beep and the state police cruiser pulls me over.

No bikes allowed on this section of 101.

Off to Raymond and back roads thru Exeter to the Atlantic.

As I roll thru Rye and see the Atlantic I am overcome with emotion. Hard to believe that I made it.

Kathy and Brendan meet me at Rye Beach. Ceremonial picture; smelly riding shirt and shoes off; into the Ocean.

Up to Maine for Fried Clams; final end of day milk shake.

What a trip. Long lasting memories of all of you who welcomed me into your homes, provided directions, engaged in great conversation, and provided guidance on the best things to see and roads to ride thru this great country. So many great memories !! So many great people !!

I will be in touch with you soon.

The End !!

Frank
frank@projmgr.com

Day 46 - Bennington, VT to Peterborough, NH

Tough yet beautiful ride today.

I'd been anxious about Vt Rte 9 based on all the news reports I'd heard over the years. Didn't feel it was dangerous though. Lots of good shoulder and, as usual, the truckers were very accommodating.

About 8 miles to 'first' top - Woodford - maybe 3 or 4 at 8% grade. Really pretty ride - Mill Pond, Big Pond, Adams Reservoir, Harriman Reservoir. Woodford is the highest elevation town in Vermont at 2200+ feet. I'm guessing lots of snow up on the top rolling section of Rte 9. On the lookout for Moose !! At Harriman Reservoir there is a 100 mile view lookout.

Down into Wilmington, and anxious to see how it looks - not as bad as I expected. I know Irene restoration is still in progress, but the only obvious hint to me riding thru is the musty smell I detect riding past some buildings.

I thought if would be generally downhill from Wilmington to Brattleboro. Not !!

Wilmington is in a valley and I do some good hills to get up to Marlboro, from which there is about an 8 mile drop into West Brattleboro. If I hadn't 'matured' into a cautious downhill rider this would have been a real rush.

I'd like to get back to this area for some hiking and camping.

Dogs! Last mention was at about mile 975, north of Pocatello, ID. And today. As I am topping out at Woodford two dogs come racing out, snarling and barking. The owner watches from the house window and does nothing. I call her a bad name as I start back pedaling on an uphill section. Why did this happen in my home state??? Not bad, though - mile 975 and mile 3500. Can't complain.

Rest in Brattleboro at a bakery, and then 18 miles to Keene - some good, steep hills.

As I cross into NH, on the lookout for the welcome sign, I first see a NH Liquor Store sign, and then later a Welcome to NH sign - need to set your priorities.

Keene downtown was really nice - lots of really great old homes: Keene State; vibrant shopping area. Great place to stop for lunch.

On to Peterborough - 20 miles - lots of up and down, but hills are longer rather than steeper.

Peterborough downtown is really great; and I finally get a mocha milkshake!!

Peterborough takes historical preservation very seriously, and has some really eclectic shops in a very attractive downtown.

Rob and Paula, at the Little River B&B, are great - and we finally figure out a route to Rye by navigating thru the Bedford / Manchester / Rte 93 tangle. And I get a printout of the prescribed route.

Tomorrow starts with a 4 mile uphill - not what I was hoping for - but not many options !!

As yesterday, only 1 significant picture.

Frank
frank@projmgr.com

Day 45 - Canajoharie, NY to Bennington, VT

On the road a little after 6:30. Straight shot down Rte 5, thru Amsterdam and into Scotia for the first 35.

From Scotia all prescribed routes seemed to weave thru Schemectady and Cohoes highway interchanges, so I mapped out a local roads route.

North on 50; local roads and county highways thru Ballston, Glenville, Jonesville, Clifton Park, and Waterford.

Some tough climbs over Plank Road outside of Waterford, which I assume is the bottom of the Adirondacks, and on to NY Route 7 East heading to Vermont.

In Vermont !!!

Bennington is a really nice town. I haven't been here in years, and it appears to have really kept the downtown area vibrant - lots of arts activities in and around town; good restaurants and coffee shops, restored historical sites. I'm impressed.

Today only deserves 1 picture - the VT welcome sign - so nice to see!

One of my goals, obviously, is to experience the downtowns in the cities I visit. I seek out the best coffee shops, cafes, and ice cream shoppes. And have sat at many old-fashioned lunch counters. In the last week or so I have also passed at least 50 Dunkin Donuts shops, yearning for a sugar jelly donut - yet cruise on by in pursuit of downtown Americana. I think I can hold out for 2 more days !!

Frank
frank@projmgr.com

Day 44 - Cazenovia to Canajoharie

First 10 miles were fantastic - cool, sunny, flat and downhill along the river to Chittenango. Deer picture is from that road.

Turn East onto Rte 5 / NY bicycle route for 80 miles - same road the whole way, E / SE winds at 15, gusting to 25. Not a lot of pictures - head down cursing the wind all day !!

Traffic quite heavy until Oneida ( they make flatware there? ), and then it thins out.

Utica is a bit of an issue for a bicyclist. The road signs had directions to at least 5 different highways, and at times I'm riding on an interchange route with 4 lanes of traffic and lots of entrance / exit ramps. Traffic light though so minimal horns blaring at me.

Utica is quite large - and empty. Seems that it has become a business / government center with little retail commerce and very few people in the city.

Lunch in Herkimer. This downtown is on the ropes. I think it has been abandoned! A few people outside the diner advise me to watch out for my bike. This is a first. Everyplace else I've been people on the street say "don't worry about it here".

As I approach St Johnsville there is a thunder storm in front of me. I push on it to get to the town to find shelter from the lightning. As it turns out, the storm is moving North; I'm heading East; and I could have saved some energy by just slowing down and letting it pass. Duh !!!

Into Canajoharie a little late. Very pretty town. Roots are in Beech-Nut ( now gone ); Richardson candy is here. All of the pictures except the deer and barn are from the town. Seems that the man who owned Beech-Nut in the mid-1900s was a large benefactor.

Downtown is clean; nicely kept buildings; lots of evidence of restoration. On the Mohawk River / Erie Tow Canal; there is a River Lock at the town, and public docks for boats traveling the Mohawk; I stop by at a Concert On The Green.

I'm glad I stopped here.

Day 43 - Seneca Falls to Cazenovia

The end justified the means !!

On the road at 7:00, and the first half - to Auburn - is rush-hour level traffic on Route 20. Lots of trucks. Traffic thins out in Auburn as Rtes 5 ( to Syracuse ) and 20 split. Route 20 is undulating, nothing very severe, and as I enter Skaneateles village I'm thinking I will be done very early today - nothing today like Saturday's killer hills.

I should have stayed in Skaneateles !

The next 31 miles are very much like Saturday's trek to Geneseo - probably 3 or 4 10% climbs and many of lesser grade; all over a mile long. The pic I included is a hill that is 1.5 miles long with no breaks.

The folks in Cazenovia say that today's ride is tougher than Saturday's - I'm not as tired though.

Skaneateles and Cazenovia are both great towns on the edge of beautiful lakes. Great donut shop in Skaneateles.

And I am relaxing at a fabulous inn on Cazenovia Lake - the Brewster Inn. Patty and Dick Hubbards son is completing a Southern route trip just a few days before I am scheduled to finish. And they know how to take care of a cyclist !!

Check out the picture of the Inn. A glass of wine and crossword puzzle on the lawn; great dinner; jacuzzi. I've clearly celebrated my birthday a day early. I could get used to this !!

In Cazenovia this afternoon a woman stops to chat; she has 10 kids; all home-schooled !! The upside is that they graduate from HS early, and thus go off to college early !

Heading North to Route 5 tomorrow. Terrain should be a lot less hilly since it
parallels I-90 and not far from the Erie Canal towpath. Four 80+ mile days in front of me.

Frank
frank@projmgr.com

Day 42 - Geneseo to Seneca Falls

Glorious morning; sun bright, skies clear, crisp, and empty back roads to Avon / Rte 20. Perfecto!!

Legs feeling sluggish after Saturday's hills. The cure - breakfast at hotel; re-fuel at Patty's Place in Canandaigua; re-re-fuel at Water Street Cafe in Geneva. After the third morning meal it was a very gradual up and down to Seneca Falls. Both cafes were great.

Really nice towns to ride thru - quaint; lots of nicely kept / restored old homes - Avon, Bloomfield, Lima, Canandaigua. Pavement good; wide shoulders

Another great area for an outdoor vacation - camping, boating, bike-riding and more.

After the Patty's Place stop the legs started to come back - bit still tired at end of day. Should be back on track tomorrow.

Seneca Falls has the Cayuga - Seneca Canal running thru town - seems they could exploit it for tourism a lot more than they do.

Rode most of the day on Rte 20; all day tomorrow on Rte 20; some the next day. Good road conditions; pretty views. But it gets a little monotonous being on one road all day.

Pics:
- boardwalk is at Seneca Lake
- Cayuga - Seneca Canal
- 5 arch limestone bridge near Avon
- farm equipment - I'm not in Iowa anymore !!

Frank
frank@projmgr.com

Day 41 - Fredonia to Geneseo

End of week 7.

Planned to start early today - 90 + miles and anticipating hills.

Opened the curtains to see black clouds, and to hear weather warnings on the TV. They are asking all boaters to get off the lake due to anticipated waves. As soon as the storm passes I put on my rain jacket and follow it. I assumed I would not catch the storm, but would be fast enough to miss the next one.

It rained for 35 miles. I turned off Hwy 20 to Hwy 20A - riding due East now toward New England. After seeking advice from a number of people, I chose this route - not sure how hilly. And all the feedback I got was lacking consistency.

Thru Orchard Park and eat / rest break in East Aurora at 11:00. Both towns are really pretty with vibrant down towns; street fair in Aurora.

The next 30 miles were the hardest continuous 30 miles of the trip. Up 1 1/2 miles; down 1 1/2 miles - continuous and very steep. Culminates in Warsaw where trucks and buses are not allowed to enter the town thru the hills due to all the accidents. 3 miles at 10% grade to get out of town.

I was hoping that Orchard Park to NH would be all downhill !!!

As I topped out of Warsaw, there was a beautiful rolling ride to Geneseo.

Thunder, lightning, rain, hills - no appetite for stopping to take pictures. There are a few looking toward Geneseo after leaving Warsaw, and one of the Round Tree Inn where I rewarded myself with a glass of wine and a meal as soon as I hit town.

Geneseo is nice; small, quiet because school is out of session; SUNY campus is really pretty.

Some locals have suggested getting back on Hwy 20 for the next few days. They seem to know what they are talking about !