Day #49
Friday September 28, 2007
Potsdam, NY to Twin Mountain, NH
308 miles today (24,158 – 24,466)
9,899 miles total
2 new states today: Vermont, New Hampshire
27 states total
I got out before 7AM today. Finally leaving Potsdam, NY! It was cool, about 55 when I left and went outside. I rode about an hour east to Malone, NY where I stopped for breakfast. The food wasn’t nearly as good as the morning before. There were lots of locals sitting at the U shaped counter. Politics, business, and their own medical conditions were among topics bantered about, peppered with the language of guys who don't know how to speak in public....
Friday September 28, 2007
Potsdam, NY to Twin Mountain, NH
308 miles today (24,158 – 24,466)
9,899 miles total
2 new states today: Vermont, New Hampshire
27 states total
I got out before 7AM today. Finally leaving Potsdam, NY! It was cool, about 55 when I left and went outside. I rode about an hour east to Malone, NY where I stopped for breakfast. The food wasn’t nearly as good as the morning before. There were lots of locals sitting at the U shaped counter. Politics, business, and their own medical conditions were among topics bantered about, peppered with the language of guys who don't know how to speak in public....
The sky is already beginning to lighten up some, even showing some blue here and there. I’m hoping and praying that the sun will break through the cloud cover shortly.
I headed out from Malone south on NY 30 to Paul Smiths, then on NY 86 to Saranac Lake and on to Lake Placid. Lake Placid was the home of the winter Olympics in 1932 and then again in 1980. There were lots of neat buildings, old hotels, and very “historical looking” buildings all over. Of course, there are the Olympic venue buildings. After making a picture of the old post office, I headed out of town on NY 73 to JOHN BROWN’S FARM!
What an interesting place this was. I found his gravesite, his farm house, his barn as well as the 1980 Olympic ski jumping buildings/jumps. The John Brown farm even had a tour guide who was reciting some history about him, his family and his work as an abolitionist. I think he and I have something in common besides our name. He had a HUGE rock in his yard. He referred to it as his “thinking rock.” It was as big as a truck I’d guess. I've told Natalie I'd like a "big rock" in our back yard someday...or a caboose! From here, I traveled on NY 9N to Keene, Elizabethtown and Westport. I stayed on 9N to Port Henry where I gassed up, then crossed Lake Champlain and entered Vermont.
I stopped in Vergennes where I had lunch at the Hungry Bear (I think that was the place) just a block off the court square. I sat directly behind 3 people, whom I would later find out had Oregon connections! When I left and got to the bike, these same 3 people were walking toward me. The man told me he was from Beaverton, Oregon! Wow! Way out here in Vergennes, VT I would meet some Oregonians. Amazing. Of the two women, one was from Thousand Oaks, California. I’ll have to look that up, as I don’t know where that is. I got my second lunch invitation! We visited for several minutes, he made a couple of pictures and we were all on our way.
Once in Vermont, I snaked my way through the little towns of Monkton, Monkton Ridge, Hinesburg and Richmond before finally arriving in Waterbury, VT. If you don’t recognize Waterbury, it is the home of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream! I took the tour, ate some strawberry shortcake ice cream, then hit the road. I wanted to make New Hampshire, so I made a reservation before leaving the ice cream tour at the closest KOA with wireless service. This proved to be more hassle than I realized at the time. It was located in a little out of the way place called Twin Mtn., NH. It was located off of I-93 about 20 miles. The problem was, it was getting to be dusk as I hit the interstate. I stopped at a rest stop to double check my directions, and a stranger cautioned me about the moose in the area, and the fact it would be dark before I got there. There were moose warning signs regularly along the dark road. One particular signed mentioned there were hundreds of moose/auto collisions every year. YIKES! I’ve never seen a moose in my life (that I can recall), and just didn’t know what to expect. Would they charge me? Could I scare them away? I didn’t know…one guy told me to duck, as they are so big I might be able to ride UNDER them! Good grief!! I came to a stoplight out in the middle of nowhere, and as my light turned green a NH State Trooper pulled up to my left at the intersection, signaling he would be turning in my direction. I pulled off immediately after clearing the intersection and flagged him down. This is the 3rd time I’ve flagged down cops and have always got EXCELLENT help! This time, he pulled in front of me and hit the blue lights as it was dark by now. I went to the passenger side and told him I had missed a turn or something, and was looking for a KOA at Twin Mtn. He pointed me back to the intersection, and let me know I was within 2 miles. I thanked him profusely and told him he was a “Godsend” for me! It was getting cold, and I had been cold for a long time.
I found the KOA, checked in my cabin, covered the bike, sent email home and
hit the hay. I traveled a LOT later than I wanted in “moose country” and I was beat.
I headed out from Malone south on NY 30 to Paul Smiths, then on NY 86 to Saranac Lake and on to Lake Placid. Lake Placid was the home of the winter Olympics in 1932 and then again in 1980. There were lots of neat buildings, old hotels, and very “historical looking” buildings all over. Of course, there are the Olympic venue buildings. After making a picture of the old post office, I headed out of town on NY 73 to JOHN BROWN’S FARM!
What an interesting place this was. I found his gravesite, his farm house, his barn as well as the 1980 Olympic ski jumping buildings/jumps. The John Brown farm even had a tour guide who was reciting some history about him, his family and his work as an abolitionist. I think he and I have something in common besides our name. He had a HUGE rock in his yard. He referred to it as his “thinking rock.” It was as big as a truck I’d guess. I've told Natalie I'd like a "big rock" in our back yard someday...or a caboose! From here, I traveled on NY 9N to Keene, Elizabethtown and Westport. I stayed on 9N to Port Henry where I gassed up, then crossed Lake Champlain and entered Vermont.
I stopped in Vergennes where I had lunch at the Hungry Bear (I think that was the place) just a block off the court square. I sat directly behind 3 people, whom I would later find out had Oregon connections! When I left and got to the bike, these same 3 people were walking toward me. The man told me he was from Beaverton, Oregon! Wow! Way out here in Vergennes, VT I would meet some Oregonians. Amazing. Of the two women, one was from Thousand Oaks, California. I’ll have to look that up, as I don’t know where that is. I got my second lunch invitation! We visited for several minutes, he made a couple of pictures and we were all on our way.
Once in Vermont, I snaked my way through the little towns of Monkton, Monkton Ridge, Hinesburg and Richmond before finally arriving in Waterbury, VT. If you don’t recognize Waterbury, it is the home of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream! I took the tour, ate some strawberry shortcake ice cream, then hit the road. I wanted to make New Hampshire, so I made a reservation before leaving the ice cream tour at the closest KOA with wireless service. This proved to be more hassle than I realized at the time. It was located in a little out of the way place called Twin Mtn., NH. It was located off of I-93 about 20 miles. The problem was, it was getting to be dusk as I hit the interstate. I stopped at a rest stop to double check my directions, and a stranger cautioned me about the moose in the area, and the fact it would be dark before I got there. There were moose warning signs regularly along the dark road. One particular signed mentioned there were hundreds of moose/auto collisions every year. YIKES! I’ve never seen a moose in my life (that I can recall), and just didn’t know what to expect. Would they charge me? Could I scare them away? I didn’t know…one guy told me to duck, as they are so big I might be able to ride UNDER them! Good grief!! I came to a stoplight out in the middle of nowhere, and as my light turned green a NH State Trooper pulled up to my left at the intersection, signaling he would be turning in my direction. I pulled off immediately after clearing the intersection and flagged him down. This is the 3rd time I’ve flagged down cops and have always got EXCELLENT help! This time, he pulled in front of me and hit the blue lights as it was dark by now. I went to the passenger side and told him I had missed a turn or something, and was looking for a KOA at Twin Mtn. He pointed me back to the intersection, and let me know I was within 2 miles. I thanked him profusely and told him he was a “Godsend” for me! It was getting cold, and I had been cold for a long time.
I found the KOA, checked in my cabin, covered the bike, sent email home and
hit the hay. I traveled a LOT later than I wanted in “moose country” and I was beat.
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