Dewey Beach - Crosstraining

We had a great sea food dinner last night.  This area is known for its crab, and I had the best crab cakes I have ever had; no breading, all crab.  But the highlight of the evening was watching the bartender pour our beers from the bottom of the cup.  The restaurant bar has a machine that makes a perfect pour, with little foam, through a hole in the bottom of a plastic cup.   The hole is then covered with a chip, which is properly positioned by a magnetic field.  We were so fascinated we were compelled to have several.  Today, after I did my laundry for the first time on the trip, we walked three miles to Rohoboth Beach for lunch (see above).  Since we hit the coast yesterday, we have been riding through several resort charming communities with nice homes on or near the beach.  However, the towns pretty much shut down after Labor Day.  Rohoboth and Dewey beaches are typical, except that Rohoboth Beach is very touristy, with lots of shops and a nice boardwalk.  After the six mile round trip walk, I went body surfing in the Atlantic.  It was a beautiful day and the waves were surprisingly good.  This is the first time I've ever body surfed in the Atlantic, since my previous experience swimming in this ocean was off Miami.  Tomorrow we head further south to Pocomoke, Maryland.

We felt safe on the ferry from Cape May, NJ to Delaware

Hamminton, NJ to Dewey Beach, DE - 82 miles +

It was an easy ride to the snack stop (SAG) at 37 miles.  However, as we left the SAG the skies opened up again.  So we took shelter in a meat market that was undergoing renovation (see above).  After the rain slowed, we decided to hit the road, because we had a ferry to catch.  However, probably because of the rain, I had my first flat of the trip, immediately followed by my second.  They say wet tires are more susceptible to punctures and I proved the point.  After I removed a piece of glass and replaced the tube, I had another flat about a half mile down the road.  Another piece of glass, which CrossRoads' CEO Tracy fixed for me.  At the 47 mile mark, we again hit  the Atlantic Ocean, the first time since we left Portsmouth, NH, 545 miles ago.  We then continued south to Cape May, NJ, where we boarded a ferry for the 90 minute ride to Delaware.  One of our guys forgot to turn off his Garmin GPS on the ferry, so he logged 99 miles for the day;  I think that's cheating.  After departing the ship, we had another 10 miles to ride before we got to the hotel.  As has become the custom on this trip, we got caught in another downpour.  This time we hid in a post office.  We had a great dinner tonight in Dewey Beach, an area known for crab.  The crab cakes were great and the beer wasn't bad either.  Tomorrow is a well deserved rest day after 615 miles and 19,000 feet of total elevation gain.   We will be hugging the coast the rest of the way, so at least the elevation challenge is over.  From now on, our biggest problem will probably be the coastal headwinds.

Somerset, NJ to Hammonton, NJ - 81 miles

We started the day by upsetting several New Jersey commuters.  Our route took us out of the hotel at 7:30 along a very busy two-lane road with no shoulder.  And it was raining.  As has become the case when it rains, I was leading the group.  As I rode along, I was amazed at how many cars were  lined up bumper-to-bumper going the other way.  But there weren't too many passing us.  A mile or so down the road my cycling buddies yelled at me to pull over.   After we did, I realized that several trucks couldn't get passed us and that we were holding up a long line of traffic.  Today's route again took us through more neighborhoods and the elevation gain is beginning to taper.  This was the first day with less than 1,000 feet of climbing on the trip.  The highlight of the route was seeing Grover's Mill (see picture above).   This is where aliens landed on October 30, 1938, according to the CBS radio broadcast by Orson Welles.  The radio show was performed as a series of news bulletins, which apparently scared several people who turned on their radios on in the middle of the broadcast.  The show was an adaptation of The War of the Worlds, written by H.G. Wells in 1898.  We were fortunate with the weather again to day.  After the early rain, skies were dry until just after noon.  Fortunately, one of our riders wanted to find a bathroom about that time, so we pulled into a restaurant.  Just as we were about to leave, the skies opened up with a classic east coast downpour.  We stayed for lunch.  Normally, we wouldn't have a big lunch with 30 miles to go, but this was an exception.  By the time we finished, the skies had cleared.  Several other riders were not so lucky and got drenched.  Tomorrow we leave New Jersey and head for Dewey Beach, Delaware, the site of our first rest day.  After eight days of riding, my butt could use a break.

Riding in the rain on the first day (9/22/11)

Suffern, NY to Somerset NJ - 66 miles

A complicated ride through southern New York and Northern New Jersey today.  Our route map (que sheet) had 66 lines, each of which is either a turn or a street crossing.  Most of the trip was through lovely, residential neighborhoods progressing from those with average homes to areas with large mansions.  As with our entry into New York, there was no indication of when we crossed the state line because we were on the back roads.  As was the case on the first day, I ended up leading our group, and for the same reason.  It turns out that when it rains (like on day one) or is foggy (like today),  everyone's glasses fog up and they can't see their que sheets.  Fortunately, my eyesight is good enough that I can see my que sheet and the road without my glasses.   I didn't realize my unique talent until I pulled into the first stop on the first day with about eight people behind me, all of whom asked me not to leave them on the next leg.  Somerset is 39 miles from Wall Street (a little too close for me), as our route is designed to skirt the New York Metro area.  Tomorrow, we head further south to Hammonton, New Jersey.

Fishkill, NY to Suffern, NY - 54 miles

Today was probably the best scenery yet as we headed southwest in rural New York state.  We started out south along the east side of the Hudson River, though we couldn't see it for the lush trees, before crossing at The Bear Mountain Bridge (see above).  It is a beautiful bridge and the view both up and down river from mid-span is impressive.  The Hudson is very wide at that point, much like the Columbia at Vantage, WA, but with much more foliage.   Following the crossing we rode several miles in Bear Mountain State Park, passing more lush forests and some beautiful lakes.  At one point, we saw more damage from hurricane Irene.  The rushing lake water had moved the entire road about 30 feet to the south (see the picture above).   We had a little fog in the morning but beautiful weather for the scenic part of the trip.  Tomorrow we cross into New Jersey.

Windsor Locks, CT to Fishkill, NY - 98 miles

First of all, I've decided to assume the information on my Garmin-bike computer as correct.  All the riders who have these satellite-based computers are getting the same information, which is different than that supplied by our tour company, CrossRoads Cycling Adventures.  For example, today's ride was 95 miles on our route map, but the Garmin and my legs say 98.  The Garmin also says we had a total of 7,600 feet of elevation gain, the sum of all the up hill climbs.  It was a beautiful ride through more picturesque forests in Connecticut and northern New York.  The weather was good again today and I had to break out the sun screen for the first time on this trip.  I wanted to take a picture of the welcome to New York sign, but there was none;  must be the budget cuts.  Sorry dear, no visual evidence that I entered the state where my lovely wife was born and raised.  Maybe I can take a picture on the way out, looking back.  But that won't come tomorrow because we will still be in New York as we head to Suffern, wherever that is.

Worcester, MA to Windsor Locks, CT - 68 miles

We lucked out with the weather again today.  It was supposed to rain, but we made it the entire way without getting wet.  This was the first day in the past three when I didn't take a shower with all my clothes on to wash off the mud and sand.  We had a pretty ride through the thick forests of southern Massachusetts with some early evidence of fall; a few patches of red and yellow among greens.  As we were leaving our snack stop in Groton, CT, we came upon an area of heavy tornado damage.  Several houses with the roofs missing among forests where trees had been flattened.  For someone who is not from hurricane or tornado country it was pretty impressive.  Because we only did 68 miles, I got to the hotel in time for the west coast football games, which I will have to follow on the internet because they are not on TV here.  Tomorrow we enter our fifth state as we head for Fishkill, NY.

Portsmouth, NH to Worcester, MA - 93 miles

Today was a much better day than forecasted.   Though it was supposed to rain all day, we made it 79 miles before the skies opened up.  It was a nice ride through New Hampshire, though it was foggy in the morning.  We left the ocean but saw beautiful, rolling hills and more New England style homes in southern New Hampshire and northeastern Massachusetts.  The rain picked up as we left the Dairy Queen at mile 79 and followed us into the industrial city of Worcester.  We had heavy, rush-hour traffic as we entered the city but made it to the hotel in time for a beer before a nice dinner close to the hotel.  More bad weather in the forecast tomorrow as we head to Windsor Locks, Connecticut.

Portland, Maine to Portsmouth, New Hampshire - 70 miles

It was raining hard as we left the hotel. The rain slowed but never stopped all day. Although we were riding along the Maine coast the whole way, about the only thing we could see were seaside hotels with vacancy signs. We did stop close to the Bush Estate in Kennebunkport for a picture by the ocean, but we didn't want to get too close. It's actually not as big as I would have thought. Though we didn't see much of the ocean, we crossed several bridges adjacent to picturesque harbors with lots of fishing and pleasure boats. There were also many beautiful New England-style homes along the way with their size increasing the closer they were to the ocean. After 68 miles, we crossed into New Hampshire, where we had a nice lunch at a sandwich shop in downtown Portsmouth. Portsmouth is a beautiful New England town with quaint shops and restaurants. It is also home to the Portsmouth Navy Shipyard, which I attempted to enter after I made a wrong turn. The guards were kind enough to point me in the right direction. My brother-in-law Jim worked for the Navy Department there for several years before he retired. Once we reached the hotel, I took a shower with all my clothes on to wash off the mud and sand. I probably should leave a tip for the housekeepers. Rain is in the forecast again tomorrow when we head 94 miles inland to Worcester, Massachusetts.

Portland, Maine - September 21, 2011

This morning I retrieved my bike after a three-week absence.  I shipped it to Maine early because concern about transportation disruption from hurricane Irene.  It felt good to do a 30 mile warm-up today on my road bike after about 500 on my heavy mountain bike the past three weeks.  It was a beautiful day and we rode out to the Portland Head lighthouse.  On the way back, we passed a brewpub where I spotted two of our buddies from the 2010 cross-country trip on the deck having a beer.  They had just driven in from their homes in the Boston area.  Fortunately, it was only a couple of hundred yards from the hotel because it wouldn't have been polite to let them drink alone.  After a couple of beers, we returned to the hotel for introductions of the 25 riders .  An interesting mix of people from past cross-country rides ranging in age from 76 to 41.  The average age is 63, making me feel better than my last ride, when the average was 58.  At 65, I'm still above average, but just barely.   We are all excited to get started tomorrow when we head south along the coast to Portmouth, New Hampshire.