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.