Miles = 17 Buckfield, ME -Auburn, ME Oh this rain is such a downer! The weather we awoke to was rain, angry on the tin roof, and a high of 61 degrees. Cold and rainy. All day. Again. Started gearing up around 8am, but chickened out and ran back into the house, cold and wet [...]
Conway, NH – Buckfield, MAINE Miles = 52 Weather = RAIN. AGAIN. ALL DAY. SOAKING WET. MAINE!!! WE MADE IT!!! THE END IS IN SIGHT! Two more days and we’ll be dipping our wheels in the salt water of the Atlantic Ocean. It is intensely hilly here, and Maine doesn’t grade their hills. One hill, [...]
South Royalton, VT – Conway, New Hampshire Miles = 100.8 Steep Climbs = 6 ; Steep climbs above 1000 feet = 4 Matt is pointing out the climbs on the map. Between his two fingers were the climbs for the day: An award-winning cycle if ever there was one on this trip! 100 miles, LOTS [...]
Ticonderoga, NY – South Royalton, VT Miles – 65 Late start today. Our bike clothes hadn’t been laundered in a while, so we thought it would be nice of us to visit a laundromat–for the sake of Mom Sparacio and PopPop. I think we’ve gotten used to the smell of ourselves and one another. Deodorant? [...]
Blue Mountain Lake, NY – Ticonderoga, NY Miles = 75 The Adirondaks are so beautiful! Almost enough to make us enjoy the back- and leg-breaking labor of the hills. Almost. Almost. Last full day in NY. Getting close to the end. Today was Monday and we expect to dip our wheels in the salt of [...]
Booneville, NY – Blue Mt. Lake, NY Begain the day with some more home-cooked heat-ups–spinach quiche and sausage patties. Beautiful but chilly bike ride through the Adirondaks. No wonder we were getting hills the past few days! The hills got steeper as we began weaving our way through the mountains today. 2 more flats today [...]
Pulaski, NY – Booneville, NY Miles = 51 Said “Goodbye” and “Thanks” to Susan, Mel, and Evan who would be heading for home and switching jobs with Matt’s mom (JoAnn) and grandfather, whom we call “PopPop”. Terrible day. Hills + Rain. Rain + Hills. Not a good mix, especially when thunder and lightening are added ingredients [...]
Sodus Point, NY – Pulaski, NY They’re baaaaaaaaaaaaack! Oh, how we’ve missed the hills…in some strange, self-destructive way. They simultaneously bring more interest, frustration, and fun. You never know the heighth of each hill until you reach the top. You never realize how steep each hill is until you feel the burn in your legs–If it [...]
Rochester, NY – Sodus Point, NY Miles = 41 Finally got the break we’d needed! Planned a short day today. We’re in need of some downtime to relax! Cycled to a tiny shore town called Sodus Point where we found a cottage to stay in for a steal. (Laureen sure knows how to sweet-talk!) It [...]
Angola, NY – Rochester, NY Miles = 90 Weather = rainy, very cloudy Hoped to have a short day today. Didn’t happen. Left Angola by 8am, pushing as hard as we could because of the rain threat by noon. When the skies opened up, we ducked into a Bob Evans for some lunch. Got new [...]