Day #53
Tuesday October 2, 2007
Calais, ME to Bar Harbor, ME
208 miles today (25,095 – 25,303)
10,736 miles total
0 new states today
28 states total, 2 “Corners” visited
I was up and going by 6AM. I had to stretch quite a bit to get my back loose enough to walk around. I was on the road, after a “continental breakfast” (i.e. not a REAL breakfast) by 7:35 AM and it was cool! The Weather Channel showed Calais at 39 degrees this morning. I did NOT put on my long underwear underneath my jeans as I had the 2 previous mornings. The sun was fuzzy behind some very thin foggy looking clouds. I have finally neared the Atlantic Ocean close enough that some of the inlets and bays are now visible from US 1.
NOW I feel like I’m on the eastern seaboard.
I traveled down US 1 as far as Harrington where an accident on 1A diverted the traffic through town. It was only then that I realized I had missed Eastport by an hour. I had overshot the turn off and just blew right by it. I wanted to go there to see “The Largest Whirlpool in the Western Hemisphere.” But it wasn’t worth the extra hour to go back. I quit early yesterday, about 3:30, to give my back a rest. I wanted to get to Bar Harbor early today, again for the same reason. I got into Ellsworth just after 11AM. It is about 15 or so miles out of Bar Harbor. It was still a little early to eat lunch, so I headed to the island where Bar Harbor sits. The traffic was very heavy. As I got closer to Bar Harbor, I began to see lots of motels and inns, some cottages, and a few B&B’s along the way. I went right into Bar Harbor, right downtown and immediately said “this is NOT for me!” This is someplace I would take Natalie, but it would hold NO interest for me! It is a typical tourist destination with block after block of shop after shop. A shopper’s paradise…and that just isn’t me! My goal for being here was to see Acadia Nat’l Park and take a bike ride through it.
I stopped at 4 different motels and found either a) no vacancy or b) no internet service. I definitely wanted internet so I could catch up on the blogging. As I found out, this is the last week before Columbus Day and the weekend that some folks will have an extra day or two off from work. Some places are booked all the way through NEXT week! In addition, one cruise ship was docked here, and the QE2 was in the harbor shuttling people to the shops. So, lots and lots of tourists here. I was getting hungry, and cranky. I was getting where I couldn’t think. I needed lunch. My “continental breakfast” had long been consumed trying to keep me warm. I had driven down into Bar Harbor, the 15 miles back out to Ellsworth looking for rooms, and now was headed back towards Bar Harbor. It was nearing 2 PM by now and I made my way back within 2 miles of Bar Harbor where I found a very nice place called the Bar Harbor Motel (not Hotel, as there is one of those too). I can park the bike and trailer right in front of my door, there are only 4 units per building so I don’t feel crammed in, and it has everything I need. I got one of the last few rooms. Even the laundry is on site.
I unpacked, went and had lunch, did laundry, took some of my prescription pain pills (first time on the whole trip) for my back and am going to turn in early so I can rest up for the ride tomorrow. It is nice to ride the bike without the trailer. It is just more enjoyable and a whole lot more responsive to my leaning and turning. Tomorrow I’ll ride the loop within Acadia and just try to have an enjoyable riding day.
0 new states today
28 states total, 2 “Corners” visited
I was up and going by 6AM. I had to stretch quite a bit to get my back loose enough to walk around. I was on the road, after a “continental breakfast” (i.e. not a REAL breakfast) by 7:35 AM and it was cool! The Weather Channel showed Calais at 39 degrees this morning. I did NOT put on my long underwear underneath my jeans as I had the 2 previous mornings. The sun was fuzzy behind some very thin foggy looking clouds. I have finally neared the Atlantic Ocean close enough that some of the inlets and bays are now visible from US 1.
NOW I feel like I’m on the eastern seaboard.
I traveled down US 1 as far as Harrington where an accident on 1A diverted the traffic through town. It was only then that I realized I had missed Eastport by an hour. I had overshot the turn off and just blew right by it. I wanted to go there to see “The Largest Whirlpool in the Western Hemisphere.” But it wasn’t worth the extra hour to go back. I quit early yesterday, about 3:30, to give my back a rest. I wanted to get to Bar Harbor early today, again for the same reason. I got into Ellsworth just after 11AM. It is about 15 or so miles out of Bar Harbor. It was still a little early to eat lunch, so I headed to the island where Bar Harbor sits. The traffic was very heavy. As I got closer to Bar Harbor, I began to see lots of motels and inns, some cottages, and a few B&B’s along the way. I went right into Bar Harbor, right downtown and immediately said “this is NOT for me!” This is someplace I would take Natalie, but it would hold NO interest for me! It is a typical tourist destination with block after block of shop after shop. A shopper’s paradise…and that just isn’t me! My goal for being here was to see Acadia Nat’l Park and take a bike ride through it.
I stopped at 4 different motels and found either a) no vacancy or b) no internet service. I definitely wanted internet so I could catch up on the blogging. As I found out, this is the last week before Columbus Day and the weekend that some folks will have an extra day or two off from work. Some places are booked all the way through NEXT week! In addition, one cruise ship was docked here, and the QE2 was in the harbor shuttling people to the shops. So, lots and lots of tourists here. I was getting hungry, and cranky. I was getting where I couldn’t think. I needed lunch. My “continental breakfast” had long been consumed trying to keep me warm. I had driven down into Bar Harbor, the 15 miles back out to Ellsworth looking for rooms, and now was headed back towards Bar Harbor. It was nearing 2 PM by now and I made my way back within 2 miles of Bar Harbor where I found a very nice place called the Bar Harbor Motel (not Hotel, as there is one of those too). I can park the bike and trailer right in front of my door, there are only 4 units per building so I don’t feel crammed in, and it has everything I need. I got one of the last few rooms. Even the laundry is on site.
I unpacked, went and had lunch, did laundry, took some of my prescription pain pills (first time on the whole trip) for my back and am going to turn in early so I can rest up for the ride tomorrow. It is nice to ride the bike without the trailer. It is just more enjoyable and a whole lot more responsive to my leaning and turning. Tomorrow I’ll ride the loop within Acadia and just try to have an enjoyable riding day.
No comments:
Post a Comment