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!