Wednesday, October 10, 2018

New England and the Canadian Maritimes - 2018 Foliage Run - Day 6 - 267 miles - Bar Harbor to Moncton, NB

3-179-9-Canada-1-2. Pics and vids to follow.

New England and the Canadian Maritimes - 2018 Foliage Run - Day 5 - Mt. Desert Island, Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park

Pics and vids to follow

Monday, October 8, 2018

New England and the Canadian Maritimes - 2018 Foliage Run - Day - Portland to Bar Harbor, 160 miles

The theme for today is, "chiiiilllly". The bike says the air temp this morning is 50°F! I say, "Yikes!" I am wearing my riding boots, heavy wool socks, long underwear, insulated jeans, wicking undershirt and underpants, heavy sweater and my Guideware jacket with a balaclava. Actually, with all this, I am quite comfortable. The temp slowly rises to 55 and we end the riding day at 4 PM at 57. Having dealt with the temp, the riding is otherwise spectacular! We leave Portland on 295 North but pick up Rt. 1, "coastal route" at Brunswick. We continue up the coast to Bar Harbor. Again spectacular seascapes and foliage. Each section of the road is better than the last. The small towns of Rockland and Rockport and Camden are beautiful. Lots of great pictures and video to follow.


Sunday, October 7, 2018

New England and the Canadian Maritimes - 2018 Foliage Run - Day 3 - Sharon to Portland, ME

Our luck is running good. Sunday starts out overcast but warm; over 70. Rain is forecast for later in the day, but for now, the heavy shirt is enough. We ride toward and around Boston on 95. It is pleasantly warm. There is remarkably little traffic and it is one of the most pleasant passages around  Boston I have yet to experience. We are in Portsmouth, NH before we know it. 
Once over the Piscataqua bridge into Maine, we leave 95 for 103 and the Maine coast. This is the quintessential tour of the SE Maine coast and Rivka is enjoying the sights, sounds and especially smells along the way. 
We stop at the very scenic and photogenic, Fort McClary State Historic Site. A lovely place to get the feel of Maine.
 As it is a long weekend, the small towns along the way are filled with tourists queueing in the crab shacks and fish markets for their lobster rolls. The tang of the sea and seaweed is all around us as is a fine mist. It remains warm enough to ride in shirt sleeves. Maine-iacs from all over the east coast are in wet suits surfing and boogey-boarding in a fairly rough chop. It is a classic day at the shore.
 As we move north, the foliage is presenting itself in bright patches of red, orange, yellow and green. Wenlook forward to more foliage to come. The pictures and videos will be spectacular (to follow). This  after the more muted early fall colors of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. 
We continue up the coast to Kennebunkport (no sign of 41) and on to our hotel in S. Portland. Aftee a brief rest, we tour the Old Port neighborhood which has been beautifully gentrified. We end our evening with our picnic dinner at Loring Memorial Park overlooking Portland's back cove. A great day and a great ride. 141 miles:  Sharon to Portland. Tomorrow, on to Bar Harbor.

New England and the Canadian Maritimes - 2018 Foliage Run - Days 1&2

We begin on a cloudy and cool morning in Vestal. Last minute packing is done and we head out. I am riding Xray2, the GoldWing. I have the luxury, this trip, of my companion in her SUV. It is about 55 degrees. I am comfortable in my insulated jeans, heavy shirt and insulated Cabela's Guidewear jacket. We advance up 81 North out of Binghamton picking up 88 to the Northeast. Halfway to Albany we transition from partly cloudy to partly sunny arriving at mostly sunny as we cross into Massachusetts on the Mass Pike. The foliage along 88, although spectacular as scenery, has yet to change color much. We will have to see if this changes on the way back. The ride through Massachusetts is pleasant though we hit inevitable traffic that makes us commit to the Connecticut route for subsequent trips. We arrive tired but satisfied in Sharon for a visit with the folks. Saturday will be a rest day with them. 331 miles: Vestal to Sharon.