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The City of Brotherly Love 

Alexa and I have realized that one of the most challenging things about this long-distance bicycle trip is… the maintenance of our blog that relates our story.  So, we are going to do our best to catch up.

 Where are we?  We are in Maine, once again.  We have returned for the wedding of Alexa’s step-sister Emily which is this Saturday.  This will be a great weekend spent with some of Alexa’s family, and it will also give us a week-long break from our bicycle trip.

We arrived here today after an hour flight from Philadelphia where we have been spending the last couple of days at the home of Alexa’s Aunt Carolyn and Uncle Larry.  The last ten days have seen us go through southeastern New York state and then follow the Pennsylvania/New Jersey border down to Philadelphia. 

The Shawangunk Mountains in rural New York 

We have had a slower pace in the last week and a half, and we have even taken a couple of days off from long rides.  We arrived in Philly on Monday, and we will return there this Sunday in order to begin again on Monday.

 Our last posting came just after we had entered New York from Connecticut.  That night we attempted to stay at a state campground that had closed after Labor Day weekend.  We were hoping it would be empty, but instead we found that the entrance was gaurded by a live-in caretaker.  We decided on taking the honest route and just asking him if we could stay since there were no other campgrounds within 25 miles (on our route).  Well, he wasn’t so excited about our idea, but he did offer to drive us to a different state campground about 12 miles north (off our route), and we accepted.  This ended up being somewhat helpful since he gave us a route to avoid the steep hills we had planned to ride over the next day.

That next day, we began our ride after a night of threatening rain by taking the NY state park ranger’s advice and following some empty rural roads to get back to our route.  It rained for about five minutes, and I (Anthony) had to fix a flat in my rear tire, but this morning’s ride was really nice.  We made it into Rhinebeck, NY that afternoon where we had a nice conversation with a Thai woman who offered to house us if we ever needed a place to stay in Bangkok (not on our route), and then we bought some yarn and relaxed in a coffee shop until going on to our campsite.

Alexa teaching yoga to a class of noncompliant pumpkins 

For the next two nights we stayed in M.L. Norrie State Park in NY which was on the Hudson River and close to the tiny village of Staatsburg.  It was Sunday, and we were taking the next day off in order to relax after riding every day since leaving Cambridge, MA.  We decided to go eat Indian food at a restaurant we passed getting to the park and that was a great meal.  The next day, we woke up to rain on our day off.  Alexa was up for just riding since there was not much to do in the rain at a campsite, but I subtly insisted that we take the day off and see if it stops raining.  It eventually stopped raining just in time for us to be quite hungry.  We had to bike back 5 miles to Rhinebeck in order to get to an open store because everything in Staatsburg was closed on Mondays.  We spent that day eating and at the library until later in the afternoon where we made the fateful decision to try and see a movie at the small theater in town.  This was an unfortunate decision.

Why?  The wasn’t going to start until a little after 6:00, and we had to bike around 5 miles back to our campground.  We made a foolish decision (based on our own visibility) that we would be fine riding home just after dark.  We saw 2 Days in Paris which was entertaining, bur stepped out to a dark night.  We put on our bright neon yellow jackets and turned on our rear, blinking red lights, but quickly realized that once we left the street lights of Rhinebeck, we wouldn’t be able to see anything ahead of our bikes.  It probably took us an hour to get back to the campsite.  Alexa panicked.  I tried to unpanic Alexa, but eventually we got back to our site, where we were grateful for our headlamps that we had not brought with us that day.  Moral of the story:  Don’t ride at night without making sure you can see just as well as be seen.  Anyways, it was more dramatic than the movie, and that’s quite a feat.

Next day, we woke up to rain again.  We stayed in our tents until it stopped and then rode for about ten miles before stopping for breakfast.  During our meal, it started raining… hard.  This rain continued for most of the day.  We rode in it for about twenty miles, through Poughkeepsie, (pukipsy) NY, taking a 45 minute break under an awning at one point before finally reaching a service station where we saw a beautiful sight, a fellow bicycle tourer.  We met Steve. 

Respite from the rain with a fellow long-distance bike rider 

This was the perfect break we needed.  It turned out that we had seen his bike that morning at the campground where we had stayed but he had left without us getting a chance to speak with him.  In the afternoon, after also riding through the same rain we had ridden through, he was escaping to the precious dryness of the gas station awning.  He, unfortunately, was ending his planned trip to Philadelphia due to the on and off rain of the last few days.  We talked for almost two hours and really enjoyed meeting this positive and warm person.

From here, we rode about 5 miles to a hotel, yes… a hotel.  We had decided that morning after these few days of rain that we needed to completely dry off.  We did laundry, ate a nice dinner, and slept in a nice, dry bed near New Paltz, NY.

Anthony, not a pumpkin 

Now, some of our journal entries from a day of rest in Philadelphia:

Alexa…….. With the tent hanging over the shower and all doors, we fell asleep with the positive weather report from the Weather Channel ringing in our ears.  The next day we slept in, we couldn’t draw ourselves out of the cozy bed until 8 o’clock, then we rode most of the day in perfect, sunny, chilly weather, stopping for pizza at lunchtime, fighting a smallish headwind, and arriving at the Oakland Valley Campground with a gorgeous site all to ourselves next to the sound of the running river with a dinner of Indian food and tofu.

Anthony….  the next day we rode for about 15 miles or so to the outskirts of Port Jervis, NY.  There, we ate a large breakfast and bought some groceries for the day.  It was fortunate that we bought some food because we quickly entered the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area where there was very little traffic, beautiful scenery, and almost no commercial business. 

The secluded Rails to Trails path along the Delaware River 

The only store was closed for the week because the bridge to PA was under repair at the time.  We refilled our water bottles at a home (thanks to a man washing his truck), and after saying goodbye to some very interested and curious NJ road workers, we kept going through the NJ wilderness.  It was here that we came to one of the steepest hills yet on our trip.  The route was changing from one valley to a parallel valley via a large hill.  We both walked up this hill and then descended the other side very quickly.  Very soon, we began riding next to the Delaware River and entered the Worthington State Forest (NJ).

It was Thursday, and we found a beautiful campsite next to the river in a fairly empty campground.  We had a chile and cheese dinner with pita bread and went to bed quietly. 

Sunset on the Delaware 

The next morning, we woke up really late (about 9) and took our time getting up and ready.  Friday was another planned day off.  We then discovered that an animal (likely a raccoon, probably not a black bear) had stolen our last piece of pita bread that was hanging from the hook next to the picnic table.  The sneaky rodent had stolen what was supposed to be our morning snack that would tide us over till breakfast.  We were both hungry, but first we had to register at the campsite since the office was closed when we arrived the day before.  When we went to the ofice, we were told that we had to switch campsites because the one we had chosen was reserved for Friday night.  We were getting hungrier, but we returned to the site and packed up our stuff, rolled up the tent with half our stuff still in it (and poking a hole in the bottom with a knitting needle left in the tent), and strapped the tent to Alexa’s bike and rode down the driveway to our new, mosquito ridden site.  By now, we were very hungry, so we started biking the four miles to the nearest town.

Moving the tent, in a lazy fashion 

In order to get to the town, we had to cross the river via I-80, on a sidewalk.  That was somewhat loud, and nerveracking, and quickly disturbed our calm, camping demeanors.  When we crossed, I (Anthony) proposed going left in pursuit of a diner that was reportedly (by the campground) located a few miles down the road.  After a few descents, Alexa was mad.  There was no diner, and we were riding away from all potential food.  Finally, we turned around and rode back to the town of Delaware Water Gap where we found the phantom diner and ate a massive breakfast, including chocolate chip pancakes.

At the end of breakfast, the staff informed us that our only options for acquiring food were a Wal-Mart four miles away or the service station a hundred yards away.  We went to the service station and stocked up on snacks and instant pasta.  Then we headed back to the campsite to enjoy our day off with some hiking.

The hiking was great.  We hiked along a section of the Appalachian Trail along pond that was secluded up in the New Jersey hills/mountains. 

Just trying to fit in on the trail 

Then we encountered a snake on the descent that hissed loudly at us as it hid under some low-growing ferns.  It woke us up and forced us to run down the path a little ways.  That was an angry snake.  At the end of the hike, we decided to make our dinner away from our buggy campsite, and then we went to bed.

The next morning we woke up fairly early and left the campground after seeing a large bald eagle high up in a pine tree.

Alexa…..  Not knowing if we would find a site at the next campground, we set out for he day and rode one of the most peaceful days yet.  Just following the Delaware River all day long, we saw very few cars or people.  Stopping for a late afternoon picnic lunch, the cashier at the local natural foods store remarked at how peaceful we seemed.  At first, I just thought – I don’t know about peaceful, tired and hungry may be more like it- but thinking about it a bit later, I realized that it was true.  I didn’t think when she said, “it must be so relaxing,” that she could be right, but just riding all day with the river on one side and trees on the other, with no steep hills, was indeed peaceful.  The last 8 miles of the trip followed the rails to trails on packed gravel, leading us into a beautiful state park on the Delaware River with plenty of sites for us to choose from.

The next morning it was hard to leave the warmth of our warm sleeping bags, but we rode through the chilly morning again on the rails to trails until we got to a small town where we had an argument about stopping for breakfast that lasted all day.  We didn’t speak till the afternoon where we stopped at a gas station market and an older man, picking up on our tension, approached us, asking if we had money troubles, while handing me a 20 dollar bill.  I (Alexa) tried to explain that we didn’t, but he just said, “It’s Sunday, and it’s my birthday; I got to give it to somebody.”  We later had tuna fish sandwiches in honor of him.

Anthony…..  We had the sandwiches at a little pizza/sandwich shop west of Norristown, PA.  They told us that we shouldn’t stay in Norristown, which had been our plan, but rather we should try to stay in one of the “many” hotels in Conshohocken, PA.  When we arrived in Conshohocken, we realized there were only a couple of choices, a Marriott ($160) and a Marriott Residence.  A few seconds later, a woman stopped and askes us about all our baggage.  Alexa began explaining our trip to her and her husband and they were very excited about our trip, and their own participation in an MS ride coming up.  They offered us luck on finding a hotel, and then rode on down the Schuykill trail towards Philadelphia.  We continued our search for another hotel by asking the woman at a small shop but finally decided to go see about the Marriott Residence, and possibly go back to a hotel closer to Norristown.  Just as we crossed the railroad tracks towards the Marriott, we saw the couple yelling for us as they were riding back down the trial they had just left on.

It was here when our luck continued to get better.  They had returned to offer us their extra bedroom in their house for the night.  We immediately accepted and then rode back down the trail several miles to their van.  They were fantastic.  They were extremely friendly and open to us and they packed their van with the 4 bikes and 4 people, and we drove the 30-45 minutes to their home 50 miles northwest of Philadelphia in Boyertown, PA.  Ironically, we were further from Philly than we had been that morning, but Lonnie and Deb spoiled us to the greatest extent.  They cooked a marvelous dinner of salmon, broccoli, homegrown beets, salad, and ice cream, and we talked for several hours.

There was another comical moment during our dinner when we heard the dog chewing loudly in the adjoining room.  Corey, the dog, had partially destroyed Alexa’s biking shoes, beyond repair.  The shoes were such a small thing compared to the overwhelming generosity of our new friends.

Corey, the dog, joining us for dinner

We slept comfortably in a warm, soft bed, and woke up to a concoction of supplements in liquid form and a breakfast of blueberry pancakes. 

Our new friends, Deb and Lonnie outside of Philadelphia 

A few hours later, they returned us to Norristown where we took the train into Philadelphia, or rather Merion Station, PA, and the home of Aunt Carolyn and Uncle Larry.  They made us a fantastic dinner and were so great to welcome us into their home.

Alexa…..  on tuesday, we had a wonderful day in Philadelphia. 

Logan Square, Philadelphia 

We had no goal, no destination, no need to do or see anything specific, so the day unfolded perfectly, and with a certain spaciousness that created a lighthearted feeling.  We took the train into downtown Philly, bought lunch at Trader Joe’s and ate at a beautiful fountain in the center of the city.  We followed signs and decided that we didn’t want to spend a beautiful day in a museum, but would rather explore the old city.

We went to the Carpenter’s Hall, an old building that was the site of one of the Constitutional Conventions, where we asked a museum guide what he would recommend as the highlights of the city.  He mapped out our whole day, as well as giving us background history about it all.  We explored Benjamin Franklin’s homesite, saw his original septic system (!), and carriage way.  There wasn’t a reconstruction of his house because they didn’t have enough written about it to be sure what it looked like which surprised both of us.  But it was neat to look into the past through the artifacts that were still there.  I (Alexa)  loved to imagine the men and women in their colonial coats and dresses walking through the streets, Benjamin courting his soon-to-be wife Deborah, working in the printing press, and hanging out in the tavern.

We visited Christ’s Church where George and Martha Washington, the Franklins, and many signers of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution attended services.  We arrived at the same time as a teacher’s association from Pittsburgh so we heard the full description from a museum guide.

We then walked down Elfreth’s Alley, the oldest continuous residential street in America.  Of course, people are still living there today, and we wondered how people could stand having so many tourists walking up and down their street, taking pictures, and looking into their windows.

 Elfreth’s Alley, Philadelphia

We then decided it was time for some coffee, and after viewing Ben Franklin’s gravesite, we spent an hour or so sipping our espresso drinks, knitting, writing, eating chocolate, and taking photos in a cool cafe on Market Street.

Downtime 

We got back to Carolyn and Larry’s , walked the dogs, and a had a wonderful Italian dinner, sitting outside on a warm, autumn night.  It was a wonderful day.

Aunt Carolyn and Uncle Larry with a lot of Italian food

We have been in Connecticut for the last couple of days, just left the state a moment ago, crossing the border into New York.  OH MY GOD!  I have never seen (or felt) hills like this in all my life (and I am not just being dramatic…)  It has been a physical challenge unlike anything I’ve experienced before on a bicycle.  This is also our first four consequtive day of riding with no break or soft cushy bed.  We are getting very strong.  We have also been enduring intense heat and sun with a promise of our first day of rain tommorro…but you never really know.  We have also been staying in some of the most interesting campgrounds either of us have ever seen.  It appears as though folks own thier RV sites and set up shop for the whole summer and it looks like a little competition for who can have the tackiest lawn ornaments (christmas lights and copius flags included).  But it is amazing.  All these campsites have “wilderness sites,” allowing us to camp among the tall pines and maples.  It has been so beautiful.  Connecticut is so beautiful.  Today we rode past the appalachian trail and talked to an angry Italian man at the health food store who seemed to hate America…but he lives here..  We met two other guys from Pennsylvania yesterday on recumbent bicycles who are making their way to Bar Harbor.  It was nice to see that we weren’t the only crazy ones out there, and to swap stories for a little while, even though they seemed a little shy…TOday we are only riding thirty miles, we have done most of our work for the day and are beating the heat at the library.  WE only get 30 minuetes on the computer, so we may not have time to post any pictures.  Okay, here are the pictures.

Alexa in her comfy clothes 

And here are some of our journal entries from the past week:

Anthony 9/5/07

THe last two days since we left Bonnie and PHillipe’s house in Cambridge have been good.  Wehave had ideal weather and we have averaged about 40 miles a day.  YEsterday, we made it to Ayer, MA and stayed in a campground that was a litttle pricey, but it was nice and we made a fire, played some music, and went to sleep as the night became somewhat cold.  During the day we rode out of cambridge and rode to the decordova sculpture musuem.  It was a great break and the art was fascinating. 

The Man listening to the Earth (eerily resembling the man painting the Ouellett’s house in Portsmouth.) 

Then we went to Walden pond and swam again and spoke to a man who had toured quite a bit himself.  It was inspiring to hear his stories and reap all the advice we could from him.  We went to Ralph Waldo Emerson’s houseand went to a cafe in Concord, MA where I knitted and Alexa sewed and we had come caffeine and a cookie.

Today we left Ayer and headed to a bike store in Westborough to see about the wobble in Alexa’s bike.  They didn’t have many suggestions aside from truing the rear tire. THe biggest concern of the last couple of days has been the wobble in Alexa’s bike, Lolly.  It has been happening since we made the repairs in Portsmouth.  It seems to shimmy most often when she is riding at a good speed, but it happens other times, as well.   I don’t think the bike is going to break, but I am worried about the handling of hte bike when its wobbling.  I don’t want Alexa to be so focused onthe wobble that she is not paying enough attention to the road.  It’s a confusing situation and I hope we can get to a point where it’s not constantly bothering us.

Alexa 9/6/07:

Whitman said, “now I see the secret to the making of hte best persons – it is to live in the open air, to eat and sleep with the Earth.”

‘Viewage’ in Connecticut

“What happens in a meadow at dawn?” 

We’ve now had three fulls days and nightsl iving entirely outside, sleeping under the moon and waking up looking at the underbellies of theh leaves on the undersides of the trees.  And we’ve been blessed with perfect riding weather and appreciating it, knowing it will change, as everything does.

And it seems like most things – everything would be perfect if one little thing were gone or different, or would change.  The wobble.  Lolly lobwobble.  Her new shimmy constantly makes me say in my mind, “if this was gone everything would be great, perfect, even.”  When I am riding slow or fast or just almost always, Lolly has taken to start shaking.  IT unnerves me, especially with traffic around, going up steep hills.  I just want it to be fixed.  But it can’t.  The mechanic doesn’t even know what causes it. – it will never be fixed.  I am to always – for the next 2,000 miles, ride a shaky bike, and it makes me feel  like a shaky person…but i just have to accept it because I have no choice.  I have come to the conclusion that Lolly’s wobble mirrors my own inner wobble.  So here I am riding lolly lobwobble and everything would be perfect if it was all different.

We’ve spent the last couple of days in Cambridge, MA visiting with some friends of ours, relaxing, and eating some really great food.  We plan on leaving Tuesday morning and heading southwest towards Philadelphia.  We have to be there by the 17th, so we are planning on taking our time and going at a slower pace than we have so far.

Our pace so far is definitely part of the reason why this respite with friends has been so perfect.  We have been averaging at least 50 miles a day, and at times have been biking 60 or more miles in order to ensure that we arrived at our intended destination.  We’ve been doing a little too much.  We arrived on Friday in Cambridge after going 60+ miles and the day before had travelled about 50-55 miles in very hot weather (for the northeast).

Thursday… was difficult.  We got off to a late start from Portsmouth and found ourselves biking in the heat of the midday immediately.  Not surprisingly, hours of biking in hot weather quickly drains you.  By the time we made it about 40 miles, we came to a road that had heavy traffic and very little shoulder.  This road drained the rest of the energy which the heat had not.  I (Anthony) was frustrated and trying to figure out options for cutting our day short, while Alexa was expressing her hatred for bicycling, cars, and hot weather.  We took a short break to rest, but on our way to get back on the road, Alexa’s bike fell over.. with her on top.  Well, after several minutes of gathering ourselves, we decided to just keep going and keep our eyes open for options.

As it often happens, we ran into the longest hill of the day very shortly after this, and then I began to ask people where the nearest campground may be.  At the beginning of the day, we (mainly me, Anthony) had hoped to get to a campground that was about 15 miles further on the map.  That was now impossible, so I thought the locals may be able to help us.  On my second try, we pulled over to a nursery (landscaping, not children) and asked if they knew of any campgrounds in the area.  Before we knew it, they were asking the owner if we would be able to camp on the property.  And, he said, “Of course.”  Then he let us take a shower in their spare bathroom, and just by chance, he also operated an ice cream stand adjoining the nursery.  We then had ice cream for dinner.  We were exhausted.

Thursday forced us to develop a different strategy, which we tried on Friday.  We woke up a little before sunrise, packed, ate a small breakfast, and then we were on the road by 6:00.  We rode for about 20 miles before stopping for a second breakfast at about 8:00.  We then rode another 25 miles or so to get to Walden Pond where we ate an early lunch and went for a swim in Thoreau’s old pondering grounds. 

Walden Pond

Anthony David Thoreau in his cabin writing

Henry David Alexa pondering the simplicity of life

The man himself in cast iron in front of the replica of his house

 This nice break made the last 18 miles to Cambridge fairly easy.  It was obvious we were back in the Boston area when we came to a five-way stop intersection.  We took it easy getting into Cambridge, and we were on a bike path for the last several miles.  Friday was the first day where the task of bicycling was secondary to the experience of travelling down new roads.  Our new strategy was helpful, but another large part was having a known destination.  Having a comfortable bed, friends or family, and good food awaiting your arrival always makes a day go smoother.  We will have to develop some strategies for the uncertainty that will usually arrive at the end of our days.

Phillipe and Bonnie and their bikes in front of their new Cambridge house before taking a bike ride through the city to go to Cambridge Insight Meditation Center for some moments of much needed meditation

Bonnie and Anthony and Phillipe riding through the city, Alexa taking pictures while riding…

Cambridge Insight Meditation Center

Buddha

Thank you so much to Bonnie and Phillipe and Melanie and Eric and John and Selena for such good company, conversation and friendship!

met this man in the bike shop after my (alexa’s) back wheel broke who told us the story of the time he was on a bicycle tour in Alaska and his frame broke, which he had to fashion back together with clamps to ride 1500 miles to a bike shop. He laughed with a nostalgic look in his eye and said sympathetically, “the first three days are always the hardest…”

We are now back with my family after completing the first four days of our tour from Maine to Tennessee. We have gone around 215 miles, give or take (we don’t really know because we don’t have a bicycle computer). The first three days have been very hard. I’ll share with you the two entries from our travel journal. The first was written by Anthony:

8/25/07 Belfast, ME

Today we rode about 60/65 miles. We began at Mt. Desert Island campground where we camped last night. Alexa’s dad brought us to Bar Harbor last night and rode with us today.

This

m

In the morning, we left the campground at about 9:45 after packing and loading our bikes. We immediately made a wrong turn and went about five miles out of the way (round trip). This whole time, Alexa’s bike’s rear wheel had slipped from the quick release and was rubbing against the frame. Alexa didn’t know what was wrong and we just assumed the weight of her gear was really slowing her down. Alexa was about to give up. I was wondering how this was happening, and Neal was trying to encourage Alexa. When we stopped for a drink, I looked and saw the rear wheel and realized that we had just created a lot of misery for her. We fixed the bike and continued on our way. It was kind of ridiculous, the whole thing, the wrong turn, the extremely hard ride for Alexa.

After this, we went for about 20 miles and stopped for lunch at a little market. The road was nice and not too trafficky until we turned onto a different road at Ellsworth. Then we turned on another fairly empty road, but it became pretty hilly. Alexa then had a little breakdown and we kept riding but it was fairly slow and Neal and I tried to keep Alexa positive. Finally, we turned onto route 1 where we stopped for water and Alexa began being more positive.

We stayed on Route 1 through Bucksport, Stockton Springs, to Searsport until we stopped right before Belfast. Route 1 was pretty busy with a wide shoulder, and we occasionaly rode over or next to ocean, but the water was usually just out of sight. There was a short stop near Verona where we rode acoss a large new suspension bridge and Alexa played with an 8 week old black lab named Sarah Ann.

The ride was fairly hilly with a couple of long, gradual climbs. We finally made it to our motel/cottage at about 5:45. We then ate at a great seafood restaurant where I had lobster pizza, Alexa had manicotti, and Neal had lobster penne. We ate sooo much. Now we’re back at the hotel.

It was a very long first day. Alexa had a rought beginning and the trip seemed to be very close to cancellation, a couple times. We learned a lot, as usual, and we will probably try to take it easy tommorro since we went a little farther than we should have today. But, we did very well today.

Here’s a picture of Dad’s big break away…he had to ride fast for awhile because he rode behind my slow bike all day long

August 27 2007 (written by Alexa)

Today is Anthony’s birthday and I vow NOT to complain. I know it is going to be a challence since I’m riding dad’s mountain bike – with the sort of handles that cause carpal tunal, but i vow not to complain, and not to cry.

Yesterday was a rough day. it started out hot – very hot, very sunny and extremely humid with never-ending hills. It took awhile for our tired legs to become warm and strong – and they finally did. Some down hills were so stepp that they propelled us right up the next up-hill. That was great. We stopped to take pictures and even go for a lovely swim in a clear lake just before the steepest, longest hill of the day.

Then we found ourselves in beautiful, scenic, Camden where the richest of the rich were dining on the pictqueresque waterfront.

J

Just as we were making our way into Rockport my chain fell off – my foot got stuck in the pedal – then I fell off and landed flat on my fack, feeling quite sorry for myself and whimpering a bit(my second fall in two days while the bike was not moving…) But it was bad news, we saw that the smallest front chain ring was bent – meaning no more low gears for the steep hills. Dad was on his way to meet us and we rode to the bike store and found out the bad news – the back wheel was also shot, then the mechanic said Lolly was too big for me, that it was unsafe to ride. They didn’t have a new wheel. The next few hours were spent switching everything from my bike to Dad’s mountain bike.

I felt defeated and mourned the loss of my beloved Lolly. Anthony felt defeated and also responsible. Dad brought us to our campsite where we quickly got eaten alive by mostquitos while we cooked Indian food ont he stove after four failed attempts to get the darned thing working. We drank Kava tea to calm our nerves late into the night while watching the almost full moon dance behind hazy clouds at chawonki campground in Wiscasset, ME. We spoke calmly about the ordeal and Anthony fell asleep feeling very very sad.

When all these problems arise, I keep asking myself, how do I be happy in the midst of all this? But it’s so hard sometimes. Emotions are so intense, bug bites are so itchy, and preferences for comfort are so strong. Letting go seems to impossible…and at the same time, letting go is the only answer. My father kept saying, “bike touring is all mental.” Well, isn’t everything? It’s amazing how uncomfortable discomfort can be. THe littlest (or very biggest) bug bite can drive me absolutely crazy. But we’ll see – we’ll see how strong I can be.

Today is Anthony’s birthday – and even though I have saddle sores and bug bites all over my bottom, I will not complain today…it could be the greatest birthday gift of all time. I will not cry.

That is where our journal entries end so far, but I will fill in the rest in present time (while Anthony returns birthday phone calls he hasn’t had the chance to make for two days)

So…We had to switch all my gear to dad’s mountain bike, and it is here where I have to say that I have the best father in the whole world. He unending moral support those two days where incredible and I was continually astonished at how he took everything in stride, adding jokes, and hugs and much, much cheering on. He road behind me the whole first day, just telling stories and jokes and coaching me from time to time. He kept us laughing the whole weekend. His generosity was amazing…he gave me his bike to ride! Not to mention buying all the parts needed to switch my gear to his bike. He was amazing. When I watched him drive out of the campground and head home in the truck, I had the same knot in my throat that I felt when he first dropped me off at college. I was so sad to see him go! I have the best dad in the world. What a lucky daughter I am.

And…I didn’t cry or complain on Anthony’s birthday (he said I should just imagine every day is his birthday). And his birthday was a great day. The only set back was a flat tire on my bike which occured, even though I made a deal with the universe that we would have no mechanical failures that day.

We rode into Freeport where L.L. Bean is located and talked to the mechanic there to see if he could raise the handlebars on dad’s bike. He gave us all sorts of advice about everything, including a route into Portland to visit Russ and Lily and Dali the wonderdog. We didn’t think we would be able to go there because it seemed to complicated but he gave us the insider scoop, which ended up being the most beautiful ride of the whole trip so far. We had ice cream and talked to a bunch of people, an older woman who had done tons of bike touring, who shared a few stories and agreed, “the first days are the hardest.” and we met a young couple with a small infant from Kentucky who wanted to know all about the trip and offered there place to stay at when we get to Kentucky. All the support from kind strangers in Freeport boosted morale and we whizzed into Portland (55 miles that day) where another kind stranger riding on the bike path rode us all the way to Russ and Lily’s doorstep. We celebrated Anthony’s birthday with good company, good pizza (anthony and I ate wolfed down one each) and creme brule for desert! We passed out on the floor underneath the awesome portrait russell painted of us (you can see it on artorbust.com) , and woke up the next morning ready to ride all the way home. Russell and Lily rode their bikes with us on the bike path to the edge of the city, russell offering sound advice all along the way.

 It was sad to watch them ride away as well, but we were so happy to spend time with them again. I hear he has written a blog on his site – artorbust.com about the adventure.

Today…Lolly fixed, safe to ride, back on the road tommorrow. Boston or bust…but for now, a little more time with the lovely family.

Here’s my awesome stepmother in the driveway in Portsmouth

Here’s mom and doug and metta at the beach in kittery, ME, near their house

We guess it’s about time to explain our trip. Since, well… we’re beginning tomorrow.

Tomorrow night, Alexa’s dad is driving us, our bikes, and all of our gear up to Bar Harbor, ME where we will begin our trip on Saturday morning. He is also riding the first day with us on our way down the Atlantic Coast. (He is then returning the 65 miles or so to retrieve his truck the following day. All on a mountain bike which will handicap him enough to ride at our speed.)

From there, we will head back to Portsmouth, NH and will arrive a few days later, just in time for a bed and hot shower. We will leave the next day for a quick two day trip to Boston where we will spend Labor Day weekend (off the roads) with some friends.

From Boston, our next time marker is visiting Alexa’s Aunt in Philadelphia on the 17th of September. So, we will likely take a detour through rural Pennsylvania since it would not take two weeks to get to Phil. From there, we return to Eliot, ME for a wedding on the 22nd. (By plane, of course.)

When we leave Philadelphia, it will take us about a week to arrive in Fredericksburg, VA, Anthony’s mother’s hometown. We will stay there for a few days, hopefully meeting up with Mom and some family. This would be the first week of October.

Then… suffering. Well, mountains. We will leave Fredericksburg and take a sharp turn west at Richmond, VA. From there we expect to run into some of the most challenging riding (and potentially cooler weather) when go through western Virginia and eastern Kentucky. It will also be extremely beautiful.

Our next (tentative) plan, is a stay at the Abbey of Gethsemani in central Kentucky. This is the former home of the remarkable Catholic mystic Thomas Merton. We will visit the monastery for sure, but we are on the waiting list for a 4-5 day retreat starting in mid-October. Although we really hope to have two spots open up, we are going to have to make really good time through the mountains in order to get there.

After Gethsemani, we will meander through western Kentucky before turning southeast towards Nashville, TN. The home of the Grand Ole Opry and… Anthony’s family. Then,… we’re done biking. Potentially forever. Just kidding.

Estimated arrival is the last few days of October.

There are probably some more details that would be interesting, but they will likely be revealed as the trip happens and as we continue typing in the future.

Some details: We are carrying camping equipment and will usually be camping unless we are staying with family, friends, or we are soaked to the bone from hours/days of rain. The whole trip will be around 2500 (mapped) miles and we are taking more than sixty days. So, average of around 40 to 45 miles a day. We do not have a cycling computer, which would constantly be doing our math for us, so our trip will be one long rough estimate. We do have maps that show mileage, points of interest/non-interest, and selected services. We will use these maps, in case you were wondering.

Okay, I believe that is enough for now. This trip is going to be perfect. There are so many variables that we have come to the conclusion that the trip will be perfect no matter what happens. Can you follow that reasoning? -ants

We are finally done our training period, and hopefully we’re ready…we are ready. We’ve been having an amazing time these past two weeks exploring the beauty of southern new hampshire and maine by bicycle, here are some photos of the loveliness surrounding my homeland.

Here’s a photo of Anthony riding on the great short cut he discovered on a wet dirt (more like sand) road…that was fun…

Here is me riding (almost fully loaded) by a lake next to my father and stepmother’s lakehouse…it was the most perfect biking day!

And here’s us at Anthony’s birthday dinner at my mother’s house…don’t worry it was early…you still have time to call him and wish him happy birthday on Monday!

Well that’s all for now, we’re off and we know we’ll be great. From all this training we’ve got some good muscles, and our hearts are filled with love -lex

On Friday, we went on a long ride of around 60 miles. We ran into a couple of mishaps along the way. First, I had a flat tire on my bike which we had to stop and patch. In a great show of northern hospitality, the lady in the house we were parked in front of came out and offered us her help. After leaving this scene, we quickly came to the end of Papa Ouellett’s detailed route instructions, and we realized we were a long way away from home and not sure how to get back. Another couple of sweet northeasterners at the next gas station pointed us back to Dover, NH and we headed home. This ride was another great example of how kind people are always available, especially when there is a flat tire or you’re lost and buying two bags of sugar-filled candy.

We rested our bike riding legs on Saturday in hopes of climbing the summit of Mt. Eisenhower. When we left southern Maine it was sunny skies and warm weather. As we drove to Crawford notch the clouds came in and the temperature dropped. When we arrived at the AMC (appalachian mountain club) hut, the weather report on the top of mount washington read thirty degrees with rain and 50 mile and hour winds. So…we drove south a bit and opted for a sunnier day. And yet here we are, bundled in many layers on the top of Moat Mountain, freezing our tootsies and hurrying to get back in the trees…there’s August in New England for you!

Russell and Lily and Salvador Dali the wonderdog create our new blog page in their portland, ME apartment on a warm summer’s evening

A charming photo taken at Nubble Lighthouse in York, ME right before Alexa fell off her bike with the clipless pedals in front of many tourist on-lookers…very embarrassing!

Portsmouth, New Hampshire…enjoying the cityscape as the drawbridge goes up to let a sail boat go under

Anthony has two flat tires in twenty minuetes…without riding at all…slow start to the morning leaving Loveland camping lot

Anthony Climbing up Left Hand Canyon to Jamestown…first mountain climb on a single speed bicycle

Getting very sunburned on Ms. Lolly’s (my red Trek many speed bike) first overnight trip in Colorado’s violent sunlight

We make it up to Jamestown, what a cool little colorado town