Home!

Day 21

We are home! 

I'm writing this last entry at 8pm a day after we arrived back home.  On Monday, we stayed at the Whaler's Inn in Mystic and went to the Captain Daniel Packer Inne Restaurant for dinner.  The food was really good and tasted even better when Di said she was going to pick up the tab.  That induced me to splurge on a coffee gelato with whipped cream and strawberries for dessert.  One benefit to biking 40 miles a day is you don't have to worry too much about gaining weight.

The next morning started out pretty much like every other morning: the search for coffee.  We found it in the restaurant of the Whaler's Inn where we had a continental breakfast.  Normally, this wouldn't be enough food for us (well, at least for me because my ideal breakfast is three blueberry pancakes), but we planned on stopping in Westerly, a short eight mile ride away, to get a second breakfast. 

Di entering our route into the Garmin one last time (hooray!)

The ride to Westerly was much hillier than I remembered it.  Di and I had fun riding hard up the hills.  This was our last day so we didn't have to worry about tiring ourselves out for the next day.  We arrived in Westerly and had the same problem we always do when in Westerly -- no cafe.  We finally went into a regular restaurant, but when we told them we were only there to order ice coffee we were politely informed we would be better off going to the cafe a short distance up the rode.  "What cafe?", we asked.  "That one there", said the waitress, pointing to a building that had no sign or any indication that is was open, never mind a cafe.  We walked our bikes to the building and sure enough, it was a cafe.  Why someone chose to disguise the cafe as an unused building, I don't know.  Maybe it is part of some sort of underground cafe where only a select few are ever aware of its existence.

Here is Di eating a vegan health bar

Here is Di pretending to enjoy a vegan health bar

It was a beautiful day for riding.  The sun was out but a gentle breeze, a kindly zephyr, kept us cool while we rode.  Our next stop was Sophie's Coffee, which was the first place we stopped on the day one of our trip.

Di at Sophie's on last day of trip (bikes pointing towards home)

You can tell we are on our way home because our bikes are now pointing in the opposite direction.  Here is a picture from our first day:

 Di at Sophie's on first day of trip (bikes pointing towards Philly)

We sat inside and enjoyed the air conditioning.  I took one more picture of Di and she then said I could take no more pictures -- she was done with pictures.  I guess after having her picture taken a few hundred times I can't blame her.

Last picture of Di on bike trip

And then we rode home.  I'm sad the trip is over because it was a real adventure.  Di and I never knew what each day would bring and rolling with the people, weather, and motorists we encountered was a large part of the fun and excitement we had.  We ended up riding 753 miles and returned home safe and sound, so we are thankful for that.  It was a great experience to spend three days biking with Jen and Ben. They were very generous to Di and me by giving of their time, giving us home cooked food, and letting us be wheel suckers for three days.  Thanks, Jen and Ben!  And thanks to everybody that followed us on the blog and thought and worried about us.  I'm sure you worriers are thankful these rides are only an annual event!

Mystic (redux)

Day 20

We are back in Mystic!  We rode and took three ferries from Southampton, NY on a beautiful day and arrived a little before 6pm.  The last ferry took about an hour and a half and that gave me some time to be reflective and what I reflected upon was that ferry rides are very boring.  Short ferry rides are boring, but at least they have the advantage of ending soon.  Not so with longer ferry rides; their boringness just goes on and on.  Well, I don't want to belabor this point, so I'll just say I recommend avoiding ferry rides.

A few days ago (July 3) we took the ferry from Jersey City to Manhattan.  This day was notable for two reasons.  First, it marked the beginning of my realization that ferry rides are boring.  Second, it provided an opportunity for me to display my navigational skills.  Di had trouble getting the Garmin to show us the way to the Brooklyn Bridge, but I said the Garmin was unnecessary and took charge of getting us to the bridge.  After all, I could see the bridge from the dock where the ferry landed.

          The view of the bridge from the ferry dock

I unerringly guided us to the entrance of the bridge, but a traffic cop then informed me that this was the Manhattan Bridge and not the Brooklyn Bridge.  The Brooklyn Bridge was in the exact opposite direction we had gone.  I was very upset.  Why would anybody build two bridges so close to each other?  That kind of poor planning can only end up in chaos and confusion.  We turned around and rode to the Not Manhattan Bridge, also known as the Brooklyn Bridge.

          Di on the Brooklyn Bridge

We stayed that night in a cheap motel called the Red Carpet Motel.  I hate when we stay in cheap motels because I can never get a good night sleep.  This is because Di, when in a cheap motel, always suspects there are insects just waiting to get at her and during her sleep continually and spasmodically strikes at these imaginary bugs.  I've never been bitten by bugs at any of these motels, but I have been slapped a number of times by Di during her sleep.  At least she tells me that she was sleeping.

We rode to Southampton on July 4th.  That was the day the remnants of Hurricane Arthur came through the area.  This blog is rate MA (mom approved), so I'll just say we really enjoyed those moments it wasn't raining on us.  Like the time we stopped in a McDonald's, for instance.

Di drying her clothes and self in Mcdonald's

There really isn't much more to say about that day and retain our MA rating, so I'll just move on to our stay in Southampton.  I don't like Southampton.  Its the kind of place where people talk very loudly into their cell phones so you can't help but overhear their conversations.  On our first day there some guy on the sidewalk was practically yelling into his phone "All six of you have to come up with your $500,000 now.  I can't wait any longer, so I need EACH of you to give me FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND NOW!"  And at the motel where we were staying, one of the guests put his phone into speaker mode to tell his mom her $250,000 investment was required now.  What is funny about that conversation is that I could hear her tell her son that she wouldn't give it.  I thought the son would be embarrassed, but this was not the case.  He was proud to be in the money game, even if this deal wasn't going his way.  Its also the type of place where people dress to be seen.  I'm sure some of those casual summer outfits I saw people wearing cost more than my bike!  We went to Cooper's Beach, which is a very beautiful spot, but even there people felt a need to dress in an attention-getting style.  For example, look at this guy obviously trying too hard to be a trend setter:

We enjoyed two rest days of being financially gouged each time we ate a meal or bought a coffee.  We stopped to buy lemonade from three young girls at a stand they set up in front of their yard and had to pay $1.50 per cup.  Di said it was the most she had ever paid for neighborhood lemonade and I agreed, but I also said it was probably the best deal in Southampton.  At least the girls were pleasant and the lemonade was good.

We left Southampton this morning and after riding for about six miles our directions brought us to a dirt path through the woods.  It looked really inviting.

Inviting path through woods

But, like Southampton, the superficial beauty hid the insidious core of the path.  And what made the core insidious is that it was made of beach sand.  Imagine how much fun it would be to ride your bike along the soft sand of the beach.  If you are having trouble trying to imagine this, then I can help you by saying you should imagine it is not fun.  Unless, of course, you think it is fun to frequently fall down while riding your bicycle.  Or that it is fun to walk your heavy bike through thick sand on a hot day with the sun beating down on you and horse flies eating your face.  If this is your idea of fun, then this bike path is for you.  It wasn't fun for Di and me.

Di de-ticking herself after the bike path from Hell Southampton

Then we rode some ferries.  Those rides were uneventful.

Here is Di suffering from ferry ennui

We rode on the Rt 95 bridge from New London to Groton and had a very enjoyable and easy ride into Mystic.

Di here ...

Today is the last ride to complete our 21 bike-day tour.  A short 39 miles before we can then divert our attention to watching Le Tour De France :).  One might expect the feeling of happiness when finally being home after such a long vacation, but last night Steve and I discussed being sad that our bike tour has come to an end.  Perhaps the tone of Steve's post above is because of this or because he found a nasty deer tick on his leg while on that dirt path and its memory had ticked him off, no pun intended!

Day 19

Second rest day in Southampton, NY.  No post.

Southampton (1st Rest Day)

Day 18

Yesterday we did what vacationers would say - absolutely nothing.  And it felt great! Although we got up earlier, we were tired.  The three previous days of riding - total 165 miles, wiped us out.  We started our day at the Sip and Soda.  A terrific little diner that serves a great breakfast.  We then tooled around town, in and out of shops, and drank coffee and water.  I was still dehydrated from the riding and Steve wanted more coffee, iced coffee or otherwise.

Southampton is an interesting location.  A perfect place for a junket weekend; a bit pretentious, but enjoyable, so many shops and restaurants that nothing is really missed. It even has a bike shop, so not so bad!  It is a place where the rich and famous frequent.   We saw Jessica Sarah Parker strolling around and Daniel Baldwin. We had just missed Fabio showing off his new Lamborghini said Thomas, the innkeeper at the motel. After a few hours of this, we decided to retreat back to the motel about a 1/2 mile away from the center of town.  For those who might visit Southampton, we would definitely recommend this motel - the Southampton Villiage Motel; it is one of the nicest places we have stayed so far and the most expensive, but everything in Southampton is expensive. The motel was recently renovated 6 week earlier; it has a comfortable bed, built-in cabinets and is pristine! Just a perfect place to stay!

We read books, worked on cross-word puzzles, and napped for the rest of the day.  We did manage to get out for a fabulous dinner the European style - at about 10:00p.

I am outside in the yard area of the motel now drinking coffee and writing this blog as Steve sleeps a couple more hours.  Today we plan to head to the beach; it looks like another beautiful, sunny day in the Hampton!

The Motel, a great place to rest

The Yard, a great place to relax

Steve showing off his tan and his leg muscles

A European style dinner under the stars

Southampton, NY

Day 17

We made it to Southamption!  We left the Red Carpet Inn, thank God (and Jen you know why) at 9:00a.  We intended to leave earlier knowing the storm was on its way, but we overslept :(  It wasn't raining when we left, but soon thereafter, about 6 miles later, it started coming down hard; we decide to duck for cover at A&M Deli.  Let me tell you - everyone was extraordinarily weird in there, but they had a great potato and egg omelet; Steve had an egg sandwich that he very much enjoyed.  

After about an hour, the heavy rain subsided so we decided to ride to get some miles behind us. It was a good decision because it only lightly rained so we rode another 15 miles.  We stopped at Duncan Donuts for lunch and to dry off.  I changed my clothes to stay warm. At this point in the ride I learned that a waterproof rain coat and a splash guard for the rear tire was imperative.  Unfortunately I didn't have either; Steve had both. I won't make this mistake twice!

It took us 2 hours to get our nerve to embark on the 2nd half of the ride.  We were monitoring NOAA storm radar so we knew the next few hours were going to be wet.  We also knew that we had to get back on our bikes or we would not make it to Southamption before dark; we left the D&D at 3:30p.

For the next 16 miles it rained like cats and dogs.  Heavy winds in our face and what seemed to be up hill all the way.   Luckily there were very few cars on the road and we were riding green roads so we had a dedicated bike lane most of the way. Water drainage surprisingly was not a problem given the heavy rain.  We did not encounter flooding at all.

We were desperate to stop, so we pulled over at a McDonalds.  Like I said, we were desperate!  We ate the healthiest thing we could find on the menu - grilled chicken breast and salad (me) and grilled chicken breast sandwich (Steve), and we changed our clothes again. According to NOAA storm update, the storm had near passed at this point, so we left at about 6:30p.  We had about 16 miles to go, so we knew we would arrive before dark.  This leg of the ride was extremely easy, light mist only and hills in our favor.  We made great time and arrived before 8:00p.

At many times during the day, Steve and I discussed stopping to get a hotel along the way and we also looked into the Long Island train to catch a ride to Southampton, but in the end we got back on our bikes to ride it out (57 miles total). We are very happy that we are here and that the next two days are rest days. Not to mention the fabulous weather forecast for the weekend!

Here are some pics from previous days ...

Day 13 - returning to Princeton.

On our ride to Princeton we saw our first corn field.  It brought back great memories from our Chesapeake Bay bike trip.

Steve of the Corn

Here is Tom.  We met him on our ride back to Princeton.  He basically collected us.  He seemed lonely.  Nice guy.

Tom

Here below a memorial for Colonel Mercer; he was killed in this field during the Revolutionary War.

Steve enjoying history

Day 14 - rest day in Princeton.

Steve proud of his makeshift clothes line

Day 15 - riding to Jersey City.

Brian, a fellow rider

We crossed many bridges on our way to Jersey City.  Here below is additional proof for the moms that we safely used the pedestrian walks.

Steve praying we make it

Another bridge

Day 16 - riding to Bay Shore

This is a shot of Steve on the pier as we were boarding the ferry over to Manhattan.

Steve and NYC skyline

We stopped at Starbucks for a coffee and oatmeal before crossing the Brooklyn Bridge.

Steve in NYC

One last look at Manhattan.

NYC

Steve just loved crossing this bridge!  As you can see, a dedicated lane for bikers and walkers.  NY did it right!

Steve on Brooklyn Bridge

Another shot of Steve on Brooklyn Bridge

No pics from me today - Day 17.

Bay Shore, NY

Day 16

Today we rode through Brooklyn and Queens, but first we had to take a ferry across the Hudson River from Jersey City to Manhattan, then ride our bikes over the Brooklyn Bridge.  What a thrill!  

Once in Brooklyn and based on Bethany's recommendation, we successfully avoided the Brooklyn ghetto and Ozone Park.  We rerouted to busier roads to keep out of the neighborhoods and off Pitkin Ave.  Instead we were mostly on Myrtle and Merrick Blvd for the first 20 miles.  We did manage to ride on a great street named Willoughby (I instantly though of all you Jane Austin fans) for a short while.  This street was populated with such fabulous brownstone apartment buildings.  So basically, we did 20 miles of city riding.  It was slow riding; lots of traffic lights and lots of black cars with tinted windows.  Surprisingly, I thought the Brooklyn drivers were very considerate all things considered.  The key to riding in the city, Steve and I thought, is to ride aggressively otherwise drivers would take advantage of delays on our part.  We owe this lesson to Jen and Ben really.  This is how they rode their bikes in Philly; we simply modeled after them!  

The further we rode East on the Island (Long Island) the nicer it got.  Lots of beautiful houses, quaint towns, and fewer traffic lights.  The final 32 miles were on just great riding roads. We really moved on these roads and made up a lot of time.  We finally rolled into Bay Shore at about 6:30.  It would have been earlier, but I accidentally set the route end point (basically the Hotel) to 501 West Main Street and it should have been 501 East Main Street.  It took us about 2 miles in the wrong direction; basically adding about 4 miles.  Thank goodness we felt great at that point and easily could take the added miles; probably because the roads were pretty flat the whole way; no hills to tire us out.

Sadly I am having difficulty posting pictures because the internet is very slow tonight.  I'll have to post pictures tomorrow.  I have this really great picture of Steve on the Brooklyn Bridge to post!

So tomorrow may be our first day of rain to ride in.  At least the forecast says so.   They've been wrong before.  We'll keep you posted!

Jersey City, NJ

Day 15

Just a quick post to let you know we made it safely to Jersey City - 58 miles.  We stayed at the Hyatt Regency right on the Hudson River.  So beautiful, you could see the NY skyline from our window.  We didn't get a chance to post last night because we decided to take in a movie and order room service instead :). 

We will make up for it later!

Princeton (Rest Day)

Day 14

I'm two days behind on my blogging, so I'll start off with day 12.

Day 12

Ben wanted to get an early start on Sunday morning, so the night before we all agreed to get an early breakfast so we could start our ride as soon as possible.  When we met the next morning to get some coffee before breakfast, however, Ben was conspicuously absent.  It seems he was still asleep!  Di, Jen and I went to a cafe and got some coffee and by the time we were done Ben was finally up and ready to meet us for breakfast.

          Breakfast at the Wooden Spoon in Phoenixville

After breakfast we quickly got our things together and got ready to roll.  

          Jen and Ben outside the hotel

          Ben pumping up Di's tires (what a gentleman)

We left the hotel and took a left down Main Street.  I thought we should have taken a right, but I was out-voted.  We then took a right that brought us up a steep hill, took another right, then took another right that brought us down a steep hill and, to no surprise to those of you good at geometry, we found ourselves in front of the hotel again.  I think the hardest part of bike touring is figuring out the maps.  Eventually we found the bike path that would bring us back to Philly.

          Jen and Ben enjoying the beauty of the bike path

We stopped for lunch in some town that is known for catering to bicyclists.  Ben found a great sidewalk cafe for us that served exceptionally good ice coffee.

          At the cafe (with other cyclists)

It was an easy ride back to Philly because we were on the bike path pretty much the whole way.  There  is so much good biking around Philly that I am jealous of Jen and Ben!  Di and I went to our hotel to relax for a bit while Jen and Ben went shopping for our meal.  Jen had graciously offered to make us dinner and we were happy to accept partly because it would be a nice change from eating out, but mostly because Jen is a great cook and we knew our meal would be delicious. 

Enjoying our fabulous salmon, veggie and salad dinner

                           

Louie makes yet another appearance in the blog

                                              

After dinner, Di, Ben and Jen worked diligently with Google Maps and the Garmin routing web site to come up with a good course for us to take from Philly to Princeton.  I would have helped them but hey, somebody has to take the pictures.

Working hard to set a course to Princeton

Once the course was set and loaded into the Garmin, we agreed to meet for breakfast the next morning and Di and I headed back to the hotel.

Day 13

We met Jen and Ben for breakfast on Monday morning at 7:30.  We went to Sam's Morning Glory Diner, which is right next to our hotel and also happens to be one of Jen and Ben's favorite breakfast spots.  It was very thoughtful of them to come by and see us one last time, especially because they had spent just about every waking minute of the last three days with us.  Di and I thanked them for making the last three days of riding so enjoyable.  We also thanked them for making the rides easier for us by always riding ahead of us so we could draft behind them and, for much of the ride, not even peddle!  These last three days have been a lot of fun and Di and I were sad to see them head out of the restaurant and off to work.  Of course, we weren't as sad as we would have been if we, too, had to head off to work.

We returned to our hotel, got our bikes and gear and got ready to ride to the Ben Franklin bridge.  We started off by going right on 10th street, to a left until we reached 5th street, took a left that brought us through the center of town, and then took another left because we were now lost.  And yes, as the geometrically inclined among you have probably surmised, we were pretty much back to the point where we had started.  We were now on 11th, one block from where we started on 10th.  Sometimes you just have to laugh.  This wasn't one of them.  Anyway, we eventually found our way to the bridge and crossed by using the pedestrian walkway.

Di crossing the Ben Franklin bridge

The pedestrian walkway was great, but when we reached the Jersey side the sidewalk ended in a long stairway instead of a ramp.  A gentleman waited at the bottom of the stairs and watched as we first removed our bags from the bikes, brought the bikes down the stairs, then went back up the stairs to get our bags.  When we finally were done climbing the stairs the gentleman asked me why I didn't just use the small ramp built into one side of the stairway.  "What small ramp?", I asked.  "That one", he said while pointing to a very obvious ramp.  "Oh", I said.  "Why didn't you use it?", he asked again.  I could see where this was going so I just cut to the chase.  "Because I'm not to bright?".  "No", he said, "its not that.  Its because you didn't know.  First time I took those stairs I did what you did and carried my bike down.  A fellow pointed out the ramp to me and that's how I learned to use the ramp."  "Thanks", I said, "next time I pass this way I'll be sure to use the ramp."  And then he said, "Even a fool, if he knows one thing, can teach a wise man."  I didn't know what to say.  If I agreed, then would I be saying he was a fool?  If I disagreed, then would I be saying he can't teach a wise man?  And also that he was a fool?  My mind couldn't compute the correct response to this trick statement, so I just fixed my face into a fake smile and stared at him.  Eventually he left to ascend the stairs, using the ramp, naturally.  Di commented that she was very disappointed in my conversational skills.  I explained the dilemma and dared her to come up with a suitable reply to the paradox the man presented.  She said all I had to say was, "Well sir, you are certainly no fool because you at least knew about the ramp and were kind enough to teach us about.  So, thanks again."  She then looked at me very smugly.  Sheesh, I must have missed out on conversation training somewhere along the way.  The worst part is that given a similar situation in the future I will probably respond the same way.  

The ride into Princeton took us along parks and farmland -- thanks again, Jen and Ben!

  

Di resting in a revolutionary war battlefield

We returned to the Peacock Inn, relaxed for a bit and then went to a Brew House pub for dinner.  They specialize in craft beers, of which I decided to partake.  That decision explains this pose:

Day 14

Today (Tuesday) is a rest day!  Thank goodness, because we both have tired legs.  We walked down to Cafe 44 for breakfast.

Di is pleased her oatmeal came in a little cast iron pot

We met the owner of Cafe 44 and Di told her a little of the movie Fed Up we had seen in Phoenexville.  The owner told us she had opened the cafe a little while ago after giving up a corporate job that had her traveling 40 weeks out of the year.  She said all that traveling and eating out made her gain 75 pounds over the course of a few years.  She said she realized she had become big after trying on some clothes in front of a store mirror and she was horrified.  She came home and yelled at her husband, "Why didn't you tell me I got fat?"  He replied, "What, I say that and then go to sleep?"  Di and I looked at her with confused expressions.  She explained, "You know, if he says that then when he is sleeping I will kill him with the knife!"  "Oh, yes, of course", we replied.  "Well, anyway, I've lost 50 pounds already and I'm going to lose the rest soon."  That was good news for her and probably her husband, too.

We went back to the Peacock to get our bikes and clothes and rode the mile and a half to the laundromat.  I don't like to put my bike clothes in the dryer because I think it ruins them over time, but Di said I wouldn't have any choice this time.  However, I found a bike rack out in the parking lot that I commandeered for the purposes of drying my clothes.  Hey, it is a rack designed to aid bicyclists, after all!

Clothes drying on bike rack in Princeton shopping mall

We finished our clothes and we to the Small World Cafe for ice coffee.  Later, we walked across the street to have dinner at a pub and eatery called Agricola.  The food was really good and the crowd was very boisterous because they were watching the U.S. play Belgium in soccer.

Rooting for the home team (though for 15 minutes I wasn't sure which team that was)