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.

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