Day #54
Wednesday October 3, 2007
Bar Harbor, ME to Bar Harbor, ME
46 miles today (25,303 - 25,349)
10,782 miles total
0 new states today
28 states total, 2 “Corners” visited
It took a while for my pain meds to kick in last night, but I did sleep better than I had in a week. I called Nat before turning in and it was good to get “sound medical advice” from the family nurse. I think she’s ready for me to come home, and I’m ready to go…but there are miles and MORE MILES to ride before I get there.
The weather this AM is foggy. I can see the sun burning through the haze in a few spots, but I think it will be an hour or two before it’s all gone. I had breakfast at a nice place, the Log Cabin Inn, about 3 miles west of the motel. 2 bus loads of Baptists from outside of Knoxville (?), TN had pulled in just before I arrived. All seniors, just on a fall getaway to the northeast to see the leaves changing. Breakfast got my day off to a good start. I’ll read a little while the fog burns off, then I’ll hit the park for an enjoyable day of riding and site seeing.
After breakfast I came back to the room to finish getting ready, leather up and head out for the day. I took an Aleve just to keep the muscles medicated. I rode to the visitor’s center of Acadia Nat’l Park and then had to climb 52 steps to get to it. Ouch…my back hurts! I can hardly get on and off the bike, or lift my right leg to the floorboard. I don’t need to be climbing stairs, especially 52 steps! I browsed a few minutes then watched a 15 minute film on the park. On the way out, a guy asked me about riding and through the course of the conversation I found out he was a 1969 graduate of the Univ. of Oregon, now living in San Diego. His interest was in last weeks loss to Cal. Uh...has football season started? When did that happen?
The ride started out a little sunny. That would soon change as I got about 10 miles into the ride. The fog just got thicker and thicker. Although the road paralleled the ocean a lot of the way, I couldn’t even see the water. It wasn’t more than 75 yards or so away, but just not visible. I enjoyed riding the bike without the trailer. However, the views were just about like those I’d seen in Oregon many, many times. The fog just had everything socked in. I walked down to one beach, and couldn’t see people walking less than 50 yards away. I stopped at a place called Jordan’s Pond, had coffee and a snack. The fog lifted just a little, enough so I could see the pond from the deck of the restaurant. After riding to the top of Cadillac Mtn. (highest point in the park), I was reminded of Mt. Washington just last Saturday. The weather at the top of Cadillac Mtn. was again foggy and windy. One of the photos above shows the bike in the parking lot at the top of the “mountain.” I headed back to Bar Harbor, scrapping the idea of riding some of the public roads on the rest of the island. Instead, I parked downtown, and actually strolled through the town in what you might call “shopping” though I didn’t actually buy anything. I did buy an ice cream cone, but does that count? Am I now a “shopper?”
0 new states today
28 states total, 2 “Corners” visited
It took a while for my pain meds to kick in last night, but I did sleep better than I had in a week. I called Nat before turning in and it was good to get “sound medical advice” from the family nurse. I think she’s ready for me to come home, and I’m ready to go…but there are miles and MORE MILES to ride before I get there.
The weather this AM is foggy. I can see the sun burning through the haze in a few spots, but I think it will be an hour or two before it’s all gone. I had breakfast at a nice place, the Log Cabin Inn, about 3 miles west of the motel. 2 bus loads of Baptists from outside of Knoxville (?), TN had pulled in just before I arrived. All seniors, just on a fall getaway to the northeast to see the leaves changing. Breakfast got my day off to a good start. I’ll read a little while the fog burns off, then I’ll hit the park for an enjoyable day of riding and site seeing.
After breakfast I came back to the room to finish getting ready, leather up and head out for the day. I took an Aleve just to keep the muscles medicated. I rode to the visitor’s center of Acadia Nat’l Park and then had to climb 52 steps to get to it. Ouch…my back hurts! I can hardly get on and off the bike, or lift my right leg to the floorboard. I don’t need to be climbing stairs, especially 52 steps! I browsed a few minutes then watched a 15 minute film on the park. On the way out, a guy asked me about riding and through the course of the conversation I found out he was a 1969 graduate of the Univ. of Oregon, now living in San Diego. His interest was in last weeks loss to Cal. Uh...has football season started? When did that happen?
The ride started out a little sunny. That would soon change as I got about 10 miles into the ride. The fog just got thicker and thicker. Although the road paralleled the ocean a lot of the way, I couldn’t even see the water. It wasn’t more than 75 yards or so away, but just not visible. I enjoyed riding the bike without the trailer. However, the views were just about like those I’d seen in Oregon many, many times. The fog just had everything socked in. I walked down to one beach, and couldn’t see people walking less than 50 yards away. I stopped at a place called Jordan’s Pond, had coffee and a snack. The fog lifted just a little, enough so I could see the pond from the deck of the restaurant. After riding to the top of Cadillac Mtn. (highest point in the park), I was reminded of Mt. Washington just last Saturday. The weather at the top of Cadillac Mtn. was again foggy and windy. One of the photos above shows the bike in the parking lot at the top of the “mountain.” I headed back to Bar Harbor, scrapping the idea of riding some of the public roads on the rest of the island. Instead, I parked downtown, and actually strolled through the town in what you might call “shopping” though I didn’t actually buy anything. I did buy an ice cream cone, but does that count? Am I now a “shopper?”
I was really looking for JEWELRY to send home to Nat, but didn't find anything I thought she'd like. Don't tell her!
I came back to my room about 2, then headed to the lobby of the motel to try and get an internet connection. Success! Finally, I got service and worked online and on some expense ledgers for about 3 hours. I came back about 5PM, covered up the bike, decided against dinner tonight, and settled in for the night. Will get up and out of here early tomorrow I hope. I don’t know if I’ll get out of Maine, but I’ll get close.
I came back to my room about 2, then headed to the lobby of the motel to try and get an internet connection. Success! Finally, I got service and worked online and on some expense ledgers for about 3 hours. I came back about 5PM, covered up the bike, decided against dinner tonight, and settled in for the night. Will get up and out of here early tomorrow I hope. I don’t know if I’ll get out of Maine, but I’ll get close.
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