Friday, July 19, 2013
New blog site - Life Without Pie
For those of you that followed the bike trip - just wanted to let you know I've started a new blog. It's no transcontinental bike ride, but a lot of good stuff about nutrition and exercise. My link doesn't seem to be working - its www.lifewithoutpie.blogspot.com
Hope to see you there!!!!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Some suggestions for anyone wanting to do a cross country ride.
While we did extensive research into what to take along with us, you can never be sure that all measures will be covered. All in all I think we did a very good job at taking the right amount of gear. We met people along the way that seemed to have a lot more gear than we did. There were comments along the way telling us that we were packing very light. People were surprised that we were able to live out of essentially one bag. You would be surprised at what you can live without when your everyday life is turned into one big ride and eating binge. Everyday clothing is not that much of a concern when you are in one place for one day and moving on the next. No one will see you more than once. And who cares your on a mission anyway. I will say that it would have been nice to have another set of everyday clothes. Wearing the same clothes for sixty days does get old. I did get creative with bike clothes and street clothes. Carrying another set wouldn't have killed me. The choice is yours, don't get carried away.
As far as the gear goes. Find the best rain gear that you can. It makes a difference. I had REI rain pants, worked great. Columbia rain jacket, worked terribly. Your hands and feet are going to get wet. Not a big deal if the weather is warm. If it gets cold, it eventually wears on you. I suffered painful achilles tendon's. A condition, I believe, that came from endless riding in cold wet conditions. Keep them warm. While in Lockport, Jeff introduced me to a product called Halo. A headband for people, like me, who sweat. It works phenomenally. Thank you Jeff. It kept the sweat out of my eyes for the next 800 miles. I just wished I would have bought one in the beginning. Another product that was introduced to me in Illinois by Grant, was the puncture resistant tube by Forte. This tube is a pig. It is heavy and feels as if you could almost run it without air, it is so thick. That being said, it works awesome. Don't worry about the extra weight. Not having to change flats all of the time is worth it. When I needed to change my tire, because it was wearing out, I pulled out three pieces of glass embedded in the tire and didn't end up with a flat. Saved a lot of frustration. Thank you Grant.
I have a road/race bike. And because of that, I had to pull a trailer. I could not attach panniers to my bike. I wasn't about to go out and buy a new touring bike just for this trip. So you work with what you have. I used a BOB trailer and it worked great. It tracks well and rides smooth. I had it going over 50 mph at times and it never felt sketchy. It is recommended to not take it over 25 mph. Oh well. The only thing I would do different is a stronger rear wheel. My rear hub started making noise in SD. I bought a new wheel and started replacing spokes from Illinois all the way to Maine. About 20 spokes in all. There weren't a lot of wheels to choose from, so I took what I could get. It was a lower line shimano wheel. I figured it would get me to the end, and it did. Just with a lot of headaches. Get a strong rear wheel if you are pulling a trailer.
I brought enough tools to do virtually all repairs. You need this. Things will break and you will need to be able to fix them. This trip was hard on my bike, and it is going to get some TLC when I return home. It will need another chain, new cassette, new cables and housing, complete cleaning, new brakes, new handlebar tape, new tires. My front derailleur seems a little bent, hopefully I can fix it. And I am sure I will find some other things while I am cleaning it that will need replacing or fixing.
Tools are important, and know how far it is until the next bike shop. All bike shops are not created equally. You may not get the selection you are looking for in a bike shop out in the middle of nowhere.
Do the research, pack light, and buy it if you need it. And Enjoy, I did.
As far as the gear goes. Find the best rain gear that you can. It makes a difference. I had REI rain pants, worked great. Columbia rain jacket, worked terribly. Your hands and feet are going to get wet. Not a big deal if the weather is warm. If it gets cold, it eventually wears on you. I suffered painful achilles tendon's. A condition, I believe, that came from endless riding in cold wet conditions. Keep them warm. While in Lockport, Jeff introduced me to a product called Halo. A headband for people, like me, who sweat. It works phenomenally. Thank you Jeff. It kept the sweat out of my eyes for the next 800 miles. I just wished I would have bought one in the beginning. Another product that was introduced to me in Illinois by Grant, was the puncture resistant tube by Forte. This tube is a pig. It is heavy and feels as if you could almost run it without air, it is so thick. That being said, it works awesome. Don't worry about the extra weight. Not having to change flats all of the time is worth it. When I needed to change my tire, because it was wearing out, I pulled out three pieces of glass embedded in the tire and didn't end up with a flat. Saved a lot of frustration. Thank you Grant.
I have a road/race bike. And because of that, I had to pull a trailer. I could not attach panniers to my bike. I wasn't about to go out and buy a new touring bike just for this trip. So you work with what you have. I used a BOB trailer and it worked great. It tracks well and rides smooth. I had it going over 50 mph at times and it never felt sketchy. It is recommended to not take it over 25 mph. Oh well. The only thing I would do different is a stronger rear wheel. My rear hub started making noise in SD. I bought a new wheel and started replacing spokes from Illinois all the way to Maine. About 20 spokes in all. There weren't a lot of wheels to choose from, so I took what I could get. It was a lower line shimano wheel. I figured it would get me to the end, and it did. Just with a lot of headaches. Get a strong rear wheel if you are pulling a trailer.
I brought enough tools to do virtually all repairs. You need this. Things will break and you will need to be able to fix them. This trip was hard on my bike, and it is going to get some TLC when I return home. It will need another chain, new cassette, new cables and housing, complete cleaning, new brakes, new handlebar tape, new tires. My front derailleur seems a little bent, hopefully I can fix it. And I am sure I will find some other things while I am cleaning it that will need replacing or fixing.
Tools are important, and know how far it is until the next bike shop. All bike shops are not created equally. You may not get the selection you are looking for in a bike shop out in the middle of nowhere.
Do the research, pack light, and buy it if you need it. And Enjoy, I did.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Day 52: North Conway, NH to Portland, ME
Today was a day of lasts... last time we had to pack up the trailer, last motel room on the road, last breakfast, etc. I wish I could say that we had an awesome breakfast for the last one, but it was horrible. I'm beginning to think that all tourist towns have awful restaurants.
We left our hotel room around 9:30 this morning and rode toward town in search of a diner. I saw the "Back Alley" Diner out of the corner of my eye and yelled up to Marc to stop. It was a cute place with a decent menu so we went inside. At first they tried to seat us as this table that was sandwiched between two other tables and even as skinny as we may be- we still couldn't squeeze in. We decided to eat at the bar instead.
After 51 breakfasts on the road, I was ready for something different so I ordered the "Anything Goes" Breakfast. Basically its anything the chef feels like preparing. I was tired of deciding what to eat so I thought it best to let someone else decide - wrong idea! The suspense was fun - I dreaming of a big omelet with a delectable blend of cheeses and meats inside or a big plate of biscuits and gravy. What did I get - Fish Hash with 2 eggs. Fish hash is just as nasty as it sounds. I tried to enjoy the meal, I really did. But trying to stomach fish on an early morning stomach is just too much to ask. Marc later admitted that his breakfast omelet was terrible as well.
We got on the road around 11 am and rode through the busy town of North Conway on to Maine. Our route today would take us through a couple small towns on our way down to the coast and destination of Portland. It was a beautiful sunny day as we rolled along the dense tree lined roads. It was surreal to think that our trip would end today.
We arrived in Portland around 4:30 PM and found our way down to the ocean front. Lots of people were out enjoying the beautiful weather and even a few swimming at the beach. (That must have been cold!) We both sat in silence for a few minutes upon stopping at the water's edge. I'd like to say that I reflected on the meaning of our accomplishment or some other deep thought... but no I was just wondering when we'd get to the motel so I could relax! After snapping a few photos and talking with a couple locals, we headed back to the opposite side of the peninsula to find our hotel. I got a great deal on a room at the Clarion Hotel at its hands down the nicest hotel that we've stayed at yet. We even have a down comforter on our bed!
Ah, going out in style.... tomorrow we'll ride our bikes and empty trailer down to the bike shop where they will dismantle them and ship them home for us. This is a much cheaper and easier way to travel then trying to get them on the plane. We have a few days to explore the area so we are going to rent a car and drive up to Bar Harbor for a couple nights.
Stay tuned over the next couple days as I know Marc wants to post a few comments about our trip and tips for those considering taking on a similar journey. Thank you to everyone that housed us, fed us, cheered us on, and followed our travel blog. You are the ones that made this trip possible for us and most of all fun!
Marc's stats
70 miles
15 mph average
Total trip mileage:
We left our hotel room around 9:30 this morning and rode toward town in search of a diner. I saw the "Back Alley" Diner out of the corner of my eye and yelled up to Marc to stop. It was a cute place with a decent menu so we went inside. At first they tried to seat us as this table that was sandwiched between two other tables and even as skinny as we may be- we still couldn't squeeze in. We decided to eat at the bar instead.
After 51 breakfasts on the road, I was ready for something different so I ordered the "Anything Goes" Breakfast. Basically its anything the chef feels like preparing. I was tired of deciding what to eat so I thought it best to let someone else decide - wrong idea! The suspense was fun - I dreaming of a big omelet with a delectable blend of cheeses and meats inside or a big plate of biscuits and gravy. What did I get - Fish Hash with 2 eggs. Fish hash is just as nasty as it sounds. I tried to enjoy the meal, I really did. But trying to stomach fish on an early morning stomach is just too much to ask. Marc later admitted that his breakfast omelet was terrible as well.
We got on the road around 11 am and rode through the busy town of North Conway on to Maine. Our route today would take us through a couple small towns on our way down to the coast and destination of Portland. It was a beautiful sunny day as we rolled along the dense tree lined roads. It was surreal to think that our trip would end today.
We arrived in Portland around 4:30 PM and found our way down to the ocean front. Lots of people were out enjoying the beautiful weather and even a few swimming at the beach. (That must have been cold!) We both sat in silence for a few minutes upon stopping at the water's edge. I'd like to say that I reflected on the meaning of our accomplishment or some other deep thought... but no I was just wondering when we'd get to the motel so I could relax! After snapping a few photos and talking with a couple locals, we headed back to the opposite side of the peninsula to find our hotel. I got a great deal on a room at the Clarion Hotel at its hands down the nicest hotel that we've stayed at yet. We even have a down comforter on our bed!
Ah, going out in style.... tomorrow we'll ride our bikes and empty trailer down to the bike shop where they will dismantle them and ship them home for us. This is a much cheaper and easier way to travel then trying to get them on the plane. We have a few days to explore the area so we are going to rent a car and drive up to Bar Harbor for a couple nights.
Stay tuned over the next couple days as I know Marc wants to post a few comments about our trip and tips for those considering taking on a similar journey. Thank you to everyone that housed us, fed us, cheered us on, and followed our travel blog. You are the ones that made this trip possible for us and most of all fun!
Marc's stats
70 miles
15 mph average
Total trip mileage:
Day 51: St Johnsbury, VT to North Conway, NH
We got a slow start this morning as there was a lot to see and do in St. Jay's (as they affectionately call it.) After a huge breakfast at the local diner, we walked over to the Farmer's Market. We were hoping to find some fruit to bring along for our ride. Unfortunately the farmers in Vermont don't grow fruit. They make loads of Maple Syrup and grow potatoes, cucumbers and carrots but no fruit. So we headed on our way fruitless.
About 1 mile out of town we passed the Maple Grove Maple Sugar Candy Factory. This was one factory tour that I could not pass up. We toured the Maple Syrup Museum and saw all the old tools used for sap collection. The gift shop had samples of all the grades of Maple Syrup and two types of Maple Sugar Candies. I never knew there were two kinds! They make creamy light brown maple sugar candies that you see in the gourmet candy stores. They also had a darker version of this candy that is made from 100% maple syrup. The darker version was impossibly sweet - even for a candy hound like me.
After getting our picture taken by the big maple syrup can, we were on our way. It was about 11:15 by then and we had a 68 mile ride ahead of us.
I was feeling really run down on our ride today. It was a welcome relief to stop at the New Hampshire Welcome Center (which was only 15 miles into our ride!) Our stop was not in vain as Marc had yet another broken spoke to fix. I gladly sat in the sun enjoying the views. Just as we were getting ready to take off, a friendly couple pulled up and wanted a picture of me in my South Park Jersey. They were very nice people and had lots of questions about our journey. As we chatted, they pulled all sorts of treats out of their car for us. First it was delicious ice cold sodas and then they gave us a box of Jelly Bellys (YUM- my favorite) and a tube of cookies. After enjoying the soda, I was feeling much more energized and ready to ride.
Our route today was very scenic and hilly. We climbed and climbed and climbed some more. Before entering the White Mountain National Forest, we stopped at a hot dog stand in the small town of Bethlehem. I wasn't particularly hungry but I knew this would be our last stop before entering the National Forest. The hot dog was delicious! The best hot dog I've had on this trip - and I've had a few. Karen, the owner of Queenies Weenies, serves up a delicious all beef hot dog on a soft potato bun, which is a touch sweeter than regular rolls. The owners of the stand were extremely friendly and took quite an interest in our trip. It was fun to hang out and chat with them along with the local sheriff, who liked to hang out at the stand as well. Oh, it reminded me of days down at Mikey's Hot Dog Stand on Pearl St.
It was now almost 4 PM and we were not quite at the halfway point of our ride. I was getting a bit nervous that we wouldn't make it to our destination in time. I already paid for the hotel so stopping early was not an option. Well, soon we discovered why the first half took so long - we climbed almost the whole way. As we entered the White Mountain Forest, the tallest mountain in New England loomed before us at 6500 ft. I thought for sure we'd have to climb a bit more before descending to our destination. Luckily, we didn't have to bad of a climb and quickly found ourselves descending into the gorge. It was a fun 20+ miles worth of downhill to North Conway.
North Conway is a very busy resort town on the Eastern edge of White Mountain Park. Our hotel reminds me of a old ski lodge, rustic but cozy. There was some sort of reservation error in our favor so we are enjoying a small suite with a kitchen, living room and bedroom.
So tonight is the last night where we'll go to bed and have to get up and ride. I cannot believe that our trip is done tomorrow. Wow, its been quick but slow at the same time.
Marc's Stats:
Miles: 70
Avg MPH: 13.4
Winds: Variable - Tailwinds on the way up the mountains and a headwind on the way down.
About 1 mile out of town we passed the Maple Grove Maple Sugar Candy Factory. This was one factory tour that I could not pass up. We toured the Maple Syrup Museum and saw all the old tools used for sap collection. The gift shop had samples of all the grades of Maple Syrup and two types of Maple Sugar Candies. I never knew there were two kinds! They make creamy light brown maple sugar candies that you see in the gourmet candy stores. They also had a darker version of this candy that is made from 100% maple syrup. The darker version was impossibly sweet - even for a candy hound like me.
After getting our picture taken by the big maple syrup can, we were on our way. It was about 11:15 by then and we had a 68 mile ride ahead of us.
I was feeling really run down on our ride today. It was a welcome relief to stop at the New Hampshire Welcome Center (which was only 15 miles into our ride!) Our stop was not in vain as Marc had yet another broken spoke to fix. I gladly sat in the sun enjoying the views. Just as we were getting ready to take off, a friendly couple pulled up and wanted a picture of me in my South Park Jersey. They were very nice people and had lots of questions about our journey. As we chatted, they pulled all sorts of treats out of their car for us. First it was delicious ice cold sodas and then they gave us a box of Jelly Bellys (YUM- my favorite) and a tube of cookies. After enjoying the soda, I was feeling much more energized and ready to ride.
Our route today was very scenic and hilly. We climbed and climbed and climbed some more. Before entering the White Mountain National Forest, we stopped at a hot dog stand in the small town of Bethlehem. I wasn't particularly hungry but I knew this would be our last stop before entering the National Forest. The hot dog was delicious! The best hot dog I've had on this trip - and I've had a few. Karen, the owner of Queenies Weenies, serves up a delicious all beef hot dog on a soft potato bun, which is a touch sweeter than regular rolls. The owners of the stand were extremely friendly and took quite an interest in our trip. It was fun to hang out and chat with them along with the local sheriff, who liked to hang out at the stand as well. Oh, it reminded me of days down at Mikey's Hot Dog Stand on Pearl St.
It was now almost 4 PM and we were not quite at the halfway point of our ride. I was getting a bit nervous that we wouldn't make it to our destination in time. I already paid for the hotel so stopping early was not an option. Well, soon we discovered why the first half took so long - we climbed almost the whole way. As we entered the White Mountain Forest, the tallest mountain in New England loomed before us at 6500 ft. I thought for sure we'd have to climb a bit more before descending to our destination. Luckily, we didn't have to bad of a climb and quickly found ourselves descending into the gorge. It was a fun 20+ miles worth of downhill to North Conway.
North Conway is a very busy resort town on the Eastern edge of White Mountain Park. Our hotel reminds me of a old ski lodge, rustic but cozy. There was some sort of reservation error in our favor so we are enjoying a small suite with a kitchen, living room and bedroom.
So tonight is the last night where we'll go to bed and have to get up and ride. I cannot believe that our trip is done tomorrow. Wow, its been quick but slow at the same time.
Marc's Stats:
Miles: 70
Avg MPH: 13.4
Winds: Variable - Tailwinds on the way up the mountains and a headwind on the way down.
Day 48 & Day 49: Ticonderoga, NY to Burlington, VT
Sorry for the missing days! I swear I posted these blogs and then they somehow disappeared into cyberspace.
So what I remember from those days.... Well I definitely cannot forget my breakfast with the colonial forefathers of our nation. I ventured down to check out the free breakfast offerings at the Super 8 in Ticonderoga and to my surprise, the breakfast room was packed full of revolutionary war heroes. Whoa! I had to do a double take to make sure I was in the right room. Sure enough, there was a group of war re-enactment actors staying at our motel and I had the pleasure of sharing breakfast with them!
We had a time deadline that day as we had to make the 3:30 ferry in Port Kent or wait until the final ferry at 6:50. Luckily we made good time that day as we had the winds at our back and only one stop for a broken spoke on Marc's wheel. We rolled into the ferry port with about 45 minutes to spare.
It was a hot day so we used the time wisely and waded in the cold waters of Lake Champlain. Lake Champlain is the 6th largest lake in the US - over 100 miles long and 20 miles wide. Its an impressively beautiful lake framed in by the Adirondacks to the west and the Green Mountains of Vermont to the east.
We boarded the ferry with several other fellow bicyclists. We met a foursome that was biking around Lake Champlain. The all marveled at Marc's trailer and set up. Its funny how the trailer can be a real conversation starter no matter where we go. The hour long ferry ride to Burlington went by quickly as we chatted with the fellow cyclists and with an older couple that lived on the lake.
We arrived in Burlington around 4:30 PM and found a room at the Bel-aire motel about 10 minutes from downtown. For dinner we found the Vermont Brewery with a stellar beer line up for Marc and an even better line up of meat pies for me. If I can't stomach the sweet pies, at least I can do the meat pies. I ordered the "Cock-a-Leekie" Pie. (Marc said it sounds like personal problem.) Oh well, it was a delicious chicken pot pie with leeks and big chunks of vegetables.
The next day was our rest day. We found it easy to kill time in the bustling town of Burlington.
So what I remember from those days.... Well I definitely cannot forget my breakfast with the colonial forefathers of our nation. I ventured down to check out the free breakfast offerings at the Super 8 in Ticonderoga and to my surprise, the breakfast room was packed full of revolutionary war heroes. Whoa! I had to do a double take to make sure I was in the right room. Sure enough, there was a group of war re-enactment actors staying at our motel and I had the pleasure of sharing breakfast with them!
We had a time deadline that day as we had to make the 3:30 ferry in Port Kent or wait until the final ferry at 6:50. Luckily we made good time that day as we had the winds at our back and only one stop for a broken spoke on Marc's wheel. We rolled into the ferry port with about 45 minutes to spare.
It was a hot day so we used the time wisely and waded in the cold waters of Lake Champlain. Lake Champlain is the 6th largest lake in the US - over 100 miles long and 20 miles wide. Its an impressively beautiful lake framed in by the Adirondacks to the west and the Green Mountains of Vermont to the east.
We boarded the ferry with several other fellow bicyclists. We met a foursome that was biking around Lake Champlain. The all marveled at Marc's trailer and set up. Its funny how the trailer can be a real conversation starter no matter where we go. The hour long ferry ride to Burlington went by quickly as we chatted with the fellow cyclists and with an older couple that lived on the lake.
We arrived in Burlington around 4:30 PM and found a room at the Bel-aire motel about 10 minutes from downtown. For dinner we found the Vermont Brewery with a stellar beer line up for Marc and an even better line up of meat pies for me. If I can't stomach the sweet pies, at least I can do the meat pies. I ordered the "Cock-a-Leekie" Pie. (Marc said it sounds like personal problem.) Oh well, it was a delicious chicken pot pie with leeks and big chunks of vegetables.
The next day was our rest day. We found it easy to kill time in the bustling town of Burlington.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Day 59: Burlington, VT to St. Johnsbury, VT
Yesterday we enjoyed a day in Burlington. The town features a pedestrian mall that puts our own Pearl St Mall to shame! After perusing the mall for a few hours and checking out the sidewalk sales, we headed to the opposite end of town to tour the Magic Hat brewery. The best part of the brewery tour was the sample room where you could get a 3 oz sample of any beer you wanted and as many samples as you want too!
So after a good rest day, we were up early to start our ride to St. Johnsbury. The town of St. Johnsbury is on the eastern border of Vermont, directly across from Burlington. Its pretty amazing that we can ride from one border of the state to the other in one day - and we are at the wider end of the state!
Today's ride would take us past the Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory and the Cabot's Cheese Creamery Factory. We were tempted to stop at the Cabot's Factory but it was a 5 mile ride out of our way and all uphill. As for Ben & Jerry's, I did the factory tour about 20 years ago when we came out to Stowe for a family ski trip. All I can remember about the tour was that we were the only ones there and we had about 30 ice cream samples to gobble up (and we did!) Marc said he's not a fan of B&J's so we passed that tour as well.
Northern Vermont is gorgeous! We enjoyed a scenic ride along HWY 2. The towns in Vermont are quite small. We rode through Montpelier, the capital, and we were amazed by the smallness of the town. We turned a corner and all of a sudden there was the gold domed capital- right on the edge of the woods! The town wasn't much more than a few main streets with shops and then we were back out of town and into the woods. Most of the towns we encountered on our route today were tiny hamlets tucked into the tight valleys between the hills.
We arrived in St. Johnsbury around 4 PM and I was a bit nervous that we would not have a room to stay in. I spent about an hour online last night trying to book a room at one of the three motels in town. I finally gave up after spending 20 minutes on the phone with priceline, only to have them tell me that there were no more rooms available. After my ordeal with priceline, I tried booking a room directly with one of the motels but never got a confirmation email. If we didn't have a place to stay in this town, we'd have to ride at least another 15 miles to the next town.
Luckily the hotel had our reservation and we are now enjoying a beautiful room at the Fairbanks Inn. This hotel sits on the former site of the Fairbanks Scale Factory (thus the name). We have a newly remodeled room with a King Size Bed and Balcony overlooking a grassy hillside and pool. Now that our hotel rooms have gotten nicer - I doubt that I'd ever want to go back to any of the seedy motels. Plus, the cheap motels are harder to find out East - believe me I am still searching for the cheapest night's stay but they are getting harder and harder to find.
The town of St Johnsbury is exactly what you'd imagine a quaint Vermont town to be. Its full of beautifully restored homes, churches and buildings all dating back to the 1800's. The Fairbanks family, who owned the scale factory, was quite generous to the town and donated money for many beautiful buildings. I was especially excited to discover that St. Johnsbury is the home of the largest Maple Sugar Candy Factory in the world. YUM! I told Marc that stopping for a factory tour is a must! Something tells me that he's not as excited about the tour as I am.
Last but not least, I saved room for dessert tonight and I wasn't disappointed. Marc and I dined at Christie's Bistro. The Friday night fish fry left us both a bit hungry so we shared a healthy slice of New York Style Cheesecake with a light drizzle of pure maple syrup. It was one of the best slices of cheesecake's I have ever tasted. The syrup added just the right amount of sweetness without being overpowering. Delicious!
Marc's stats:
78 miles
14 mph avg
So after a good rest day, we were up early to start our ride to St. Johnsbury. The town of St. Johnsbury is on the eastern border of Vermont, directly across from Burlington. Its pretty amazing that we can ride from one border of the state to the other in one day - and we are at the wider end of the state!
Today's ride would take us past the Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory and the Cabot's Cheese Creamery Factory. We were tempted to stop at the Cabot's Factory but it was a 5 mile ride out of our way and all uphill. As for Ben & Jerry's, I did the factory tour about 20 years ago when we came out to Stowe for a family ski trip. All I can remember about the tour was that we were the only ones there and we had about 30 ice cream samples to gobble up (and we did!) Marc said he's not a fan of B&J's so we passed that tour as well.
Northern Vermont is gorgeous! We enjoyed a scenic ride along HWY 2. The towns in Vermont are quite small. We rode through Montpelier, the capital, and we were amazed by the smallness of the town. We turned a corner and all of a sudden there was the gold domed capital- right on the edge of the woods! The town wasn't much more than a few main streets with shops and then we were back out of town and into the woods. Most of the towns we encountered on our route today were tiny hamlets tucked into the tight valleys between the hills.
We arrived in St. Johnsbury around 4 PM and I was a bit nervous that we would not have a room to stay in. I spent about an hour online last night trying to book a room at one of the three motels in town. I finally gave up after spending 20 minutes on the phone with priceline, only to have them tell me that there were no more rooms available. After my ordeal with priceline, I tried booking a room directly with one of the motels but never got a confirmation email. If we didn't have a place to stay in this town, we'd have to ride at least another 15 miles to the next town.
Luckily the hotel had our reservation and we are now enjoying a beautiful room at the Fairbanks Inn. This hotel sits on the former site of the Fairbanks Scale Factory (thus the name). We have a newly remodeled room with a King Size Bed and Balcony overlooking a grassy hillside and pool. Now that our hotel rooms have gotten nicer - I doubt that I'd ever want to go back to any of the seedy motels. Plus, the cheap motels are harder to find out East - believe me I am still searching for the cheapest night's stay but they are getting harder and harder to find.
The town of St Johnsbury is exactly what you'd imagine a quaint Vermont town to be. Its full of beautifully restored homes, churches and buildings all dating back to the 1800's. The Fairbanks family, who owned the scale factory, was quite generous to the town and donated money for many beautiful buildings. I was especially excited to discover that St. Johnsbury is the home of the largest Maple Sugar Candy Factory in the world. YUM! I told Marc that stopping for a factory tour is a must! Something tells me that he's not as excited about the tour as I am.
Last but not least, I saved room for dessert tonight and I wasn't disappointed. Marc and I dined at Christie's Bistro. The Friday night fish fry left us both a bit hungry so we shared a healthy slice of New York Style Cheesecake with a light drizzle of pure maple syrup. It was one of the best slices of cheesecake's I have ever tasted. The syrup added just the right amount of sweetness without being overpowering. Delicious!
Marc's stats:
78 miles
14 mph avg
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Day 56: Lake Luzerne, NY to Ticonderoga, NY
Today could easily top the list of one of the most scenic bike routes in the US. Our ride today followed the shoreline of Lake George for most of our 50+ miles ridden.
Eventhough it was a gorgeous ride, I had a mental block about riding today. I think it was seeing all the people enjoying and playing in the lake that made me envious of their activities. In the morning, I was teased by the busloads of people going whitewater rafting and tubing. Oh that sounded wonderful, I thought to myself. I'd love to sitting in a nice tube gently flowing down the river.
And then when we got to Lake George...it really hurt. People everywhere were swimming, boating, sailing, jetskiing, parasailing, etc. Oh, I just wanted to throw my bike in the lake and join them.
We did make a few stops in Lake George, its a cute vacation destination with lots of tourist activities. Our first stop was at the Tiki Inn. I had seen an article in a tourist magazine about this hotel and it looked really cool. Marc's step-brother, Travis, is a Tiki God - literally that is what his license plate says! So Travis, we stopped in honor of you and took a few photos of the Tiki Bar and other tacky tiki stuff. Photos to follow.
Our next stop was at the Lake George town beach. It was painfully beautiful and I wished for the day that I could just be one of those sunbathers on the beach. We took a few photos, enjoyed the scenery and the 25 cent binoculars on the dock that allow you to spy on every boater in the water.
So, back on the bikes we went and rode the hilly shoreline route to Ticonderoga. The scenery was simply breathtaking with cliffs overlooking sandy shorelines below and quaint towns with antique stores and ice cream shops. Ticonderoga is an Indian word for "land between the waters" as it sits in between Lake George and Lake Champlain. There are many historical buildings in town and I'm eager to take the walking tour of the downtown area.
Tomorrow's destination is now up in the air... originally we were to meet our friends in Lake Placid but we have just received word that they had a death in the family and will be leaving town tomorrow. Its too bad, we were really looking forward to visiting with them! On the positive side, we were going to travel about 50 miles out of our way to see them, so this means that we could possibly have shorter rides to Maine or spend some extra time at our final destination. Hmmm, check our tomorrow for more info... like that suspense!
Eventhough it was a gorgeous ride, I had a mental block about riding today. I think it was seeing all the people enjoying and playing in the lake that made me envious of their activities. In the morning, I was teased by the busloads of people going whitewater rafting and tubing. Oh that sounded wonderful, I thought to myself. I'd love to sitting in a nice tube gently flowing down the river.
And then when we got to Lake George...it really hurt. People everywhere were swimming, boating, sailing, jetskiing, parasailing, etc. Oh, I just wanted to throw my bike in the lake and join them.
We did make a few stops in Lake George, its a cute vacation destination with lots of tourist activities. Our first stop was at the Tiki Inn. I had seen an article in a tourist magazine about this hotel and it looked really cool. Marc's step-brother, Travis, is a Tiki God - literally that is what his license plate says! So Travis, we stopped in honor of you and took a few photos of the Tiki Bar and other tacky tiki stuff. Photos to follow.
Our next stop was at the Lake George town beach. It was painfully beautiful and I wished for the day that I could just be one of those sunbathers on the beach. We took a few photos, enjoyed the scenery and the 25 cent binoculars on the dock that allow you to spy on every boater in the water.
So, back on the bikes we went and rode the hilly shoreline route to Ticonderoga. The scenery was simply breathtaking with cliffs overlooking sandy shorelines below and quaint towns with antique stores and ice cream shops. Ticonderoga is an Indian word for "land between the waters" as it sits in between Lake George and Lake Champlain. There are many historical buildings in town and I'm eager to take the walking tour of the downtown area.
Tomorrow's destination is now up in the air... originally we were to meet our friends in Lake Placid but we have just received word that they had a death in the family and will be leaving town tomorrow. Its too bad, we were really looking forward to visiting with them! On the positive side, we were going to travel about 50 miles out of our way to see them, so this means that we could possibly have shorter rides to Maine or spend some extra time at our final destination. Hmmm, check our tomorrow for more info... like that suspense!
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