Further Day 4

It always takes a bit longer than you expect to get anywhere in New York and this was no exception.  However, the long climb to the George Washington Bridge yields some amazing views even though it takes more time and effort than you think it should. 
Additionally, we got to pass the 8 year old me's favorite street sign in the world.  I know. I know.  I should grow up some time...just not now.  (My second favorite sign is in Jamaica Plain on Green Street: the sign for the Hugh B. Hynds square.)
We topped off the day with a dip in the pool at Mark and Kim's.  Also great views of the city.

Day 5

Day total 62

Trip total 305

Said goodbye to our good friends and gracious hosts Mark and Kim.

City biking proved to be even more challenging than expected
Getting out of North Bergen, Jersey City and Newark was ardous.
We continued to follow the East Coast bike route, which suppossedly links Florida to Maine via bike friendlyish roads, as we have off and on since Boston. Sometimes it is very helpful to see the signs directing you where to go (like getting to a sidewalk crossing two highway bridges out of Jersey City) and sometimes they just aren't there, particularly when you need them the most (like getting off the bridges without using an exit ramp).

The best part was definitely when we got on the Delaware and Raritan River Canal Trail. It was shady and flat and serene, which was a welcome contrast to biking through Newark.

Also, on the side on the trail we saw the largest freshwater turtle I have ever seen in my life! 

We are staying with Francis' sister Teresa tonight. We just left Triumph brewery where we watched USA beat Germany 2-0!

Further Day 3 photos

Still trying to figure out this blog thing.  Here are a few more pictures from day 3.

Day 4 Rest Day (almost)

Day total 10

Trip total 243

Today was a rest day. Nik and I went our separate ways to rendevous with friends, he at the Brooklyn Brewery with Justin while I had breakfast with Langston in midtown and a lesisurely afternoon on the High Line with Emily.
Convient that NYC is probably the only place Nik and I will separate because this city where I formerly lived for 8 years and is organized on a grid is probably the only place in the world where I don't get lost (really I didn't)!

Did I mention I LOVE the High Line?

Day 3 from Nik

Day total 82

Trip total 233

When you are traveling, there is rain, and then there is RAIN.  Last night it RAINED. It was enough that we were worried that if it continued into the day  we would have to wait in New Haven for a day.  It was a little early for a first rest day and as our hosts said, New Haven is at best: meh.

Fortunately the rain abated a bit, so on a very misty morning we set off along the northern edge of the Long Island Sound. This section wasn't too long or hilly but it required checking the map every ten minutes or so due to there being no single road from New Haven to New York but rather a conglomeration of small towns strung together along the way.

That being said, and despite the constant drizzle, the ride was quite lovely. We did learn a lesson: if Google Maps steers you off a direct route for one slightly less direct, it is probably taking you around a hill.

Side notes from Molly
We made it to New York  City, Inwood to be exact, which was absolutely surreal to arrive somewhere by bicycle that I have traveled to so many times before my virtually everyother means of transit; bus, train, car, plane.

The part about this particular leg of the trip was the transitions between areas. A fasinating facet of biking is the view it gives you in between the places eveyone usually deives through or flies over. When you are biking you are acutely aware of the transition beyween say Greenwich CN and Port Chester NY (although because of our route there was no "Welcome to New York" sign so you will just have to take our word thst we are in fact one or third state of the trip.

Day 2

Today 60 miles
Trip total 151

First day jitters have given way to a calming routine that is lovely and wonderful and goes something like this: pedal, pedal, pedal...

Also, in lessons learned bike trails are our friends. We left Wilamantic, CT headed for New Haven mainly on the Air Line Bike Trail, and mostly down hill the whole way. Pretty freakin sweet! 

Nik adds: The Airline Trail was an old railroad right of way to connect New York and Boston, "as if by a line drawn from the air". It was much more direct than the current line through Providence but that area has lots of hills so the grading and the bends it still had to take led the line to fall into disuse.  Now it makes a lovely bike trail. Like Molly said, bike trails arw our friends. 

We had lunch with Nik's old swing dancing partner from Rice, Chandra, at this awesome place called Eli Cannon's where I tried aligator for the first time. It tasted sort of like a mix of fish and chicken, but it was fried and I was hungry so it was good. Good beer list, too. 

We had to hurry from there because of an impending storm, but we made it to Nick and Lauren's before the rain which was fortunate. Nick is this master chef and made is some incredible salmon and fancy greens. Now sleep.

Nik, Me, Chandra

Day one from Nik

Just to add my two cents and a few photos. 

Yes that is Molly skinny dipping in a pond in Connecticut. We had stopped for a break; Molly really wanted to jump in but I was hesitant to trespass.   At that moment the owner drive by to check her mail and said, "You should jump in to cool off." You didn't have to tell Molly twice.

Yes that is the first of many grease marks on Molly calf.

Lastly, one state down.  Many to go.

Nik

Day 1

91 miles down
3, 909 to go

I am only 1 day into our bike ride cross country and I have already:

Gotten a flat tire  (in Needham 5 miles in)

Ripped off all of my clothing and jumped into the private pond of a kind stranger, somewhere out there in the more bucolic part of Conneticut

Shared craft beers with more kind strangers at the Willimantic brewery (were Nik met the owner, David, who was so impressed by Nik's handmade leather growler carrying case he offered to fill it for free with some awesome IPA, which we drank as we watched the US women beat China at the home of our first warmshower host, Peter)

Got invited to a grateful dead cover band concert in New Haven tonight (I hope we go)

Also, gay marriage passed nationally on Friday June 26. I think that is important to note this here for a few reasons; 

1. It is a big long-awaited deal.

2. This blog serves the purpose of not only reassuring our friends and family that we are alive, but also it is a means of recording our adventure for ourselves and to remember the summer of 2015. I think it is important to put our trip exists within a context, and to acknowledge that two white people biking across country is not the only thing that happened the summer of 2015.

My first flat (and last?)

First (but by no means the last) post ride victory beer of the trip

And we are off...

Ceremoniously dipping our back tires into Jamaica Pond

The morning of June 25th was remarkable only in how unremarkable it began. Like almost every weekend morning of our married  lives, we woke up made a french press of coffee, cooked up some eggs and greens, ate our breakfast, packed up our bikes and started riding.

Unlike all other bike rides this time as we rode into the misty morning to the Jamaica Way we were greated by rain gear clad friends and family huddled around the boat house and cheering us on. Their energy jump started our trip as we ceremoniously dipped our back tires into Jamaica Pond.

Last breakfast in our kitchen (for a bit at least)

Nik's last shirtless breakfast (NOT!)

Packed

His

Hers

Pictures above show all clothing we are bringing on our trip. All of it fits in one pannier which is sort of a miracle.

Molly's Stuff

Bike Clothing
3 pair bike shorts
3 tank tops
5 pair if socks
5 pair underwear
2 sports bras
1 pair rain pants
1 rain jacket
1 long warm sleeve shirt
1 light long sleeve shirt (for when I am super sunburned)
2 pair bike gloves
1 pair bike sleeves
1 bike jacket

Street Clothing
2 t-shirts
1 pair jeans
1 athletic dress
1 athletic skirt

Shoes
Crocs
Chaos
Sneakers
Bike shoes (not pictured)

Toiletries
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Deodorant  (I debate for a long time if this was actually worth it, since I will smell as summer anyway)
Earplugs

Other
Kindle (currently reading,"Life Is a Wheel" by Bruce Weber, Recommended by Micheal Frank
Journal
2 Bandanas  
1 buff
bug spray
sunscreen
whistle (you have all seen "Wild")

We are debating about sending some warmer clothing to Denver, but that is yet to be decided.

Our apartment right now looks like REI blew up in it. We have our panniers packed, our backpacks packed with some extra hiking stuff that we will send to Seattle, our garmet bag packed with clothes to wear to Francis and Heidi's wedding and a bin of stuff for hiking the Long Path post wedding. It is overwhelming because it feels like a lot of forward planning. Weird to be thinking on June 24th, the day before my last day of school, what I will be wearing in October.

Nik and I have different approaches to stuff; Nik=MORE STUFF, Molly=LESS STUFF, so that has been interesting.

Final Practice Ride

Nik and I spent Memorial Weekend biking from Boston to Ogunquit Maine and back. This trip felt like a fitting last practice ride as it was on this weekend last year, that I really feel hard for biking touring.  I specifically remembering the hill I was coasting down when I distinctly thought to myself, “This is AWESOME. I must do more!”

We left early on Saturday morning and biked a scenic route up along the Massachusetts and New Hampshire coastline into Southern Maine. Well, the scenic part starts when we are actually on 1A (the old highway we take all the way from Peabody to Ogunquit), before that it is a very different type of urban beauty that only places like Revere and Saugus can offer.

1A is great from a few reasons;

1.    Not a lot of traffic (95 is so much faster)

2.    Big shoulders for bikes

3.    Hugs the coast which is gorgeous

4.    Most importantly, it brings you right past White Farms Ice Cream, possibly the best ice cream ever and we stand by this even as people who had JP Licks ice cream cake at our wedding

Nik biking into Hampton Beach

      We stayed at an old farmhouse owned by family friends the Fortenbaughs’, who generously let us use their home with a liberal frequency that makes it feel like our own.  It smells like my childhood (in a good way).  

Then, we went to Ogunquit beach.

This is really where the relationship breakdown occurs between Nik and I.

I am a beach person, while Nik, is sadly in some sort of misfortunate, sickened state right now where his body and mind are not able absorb the beauty of a good beach day. A day where all that is asked of your is to bask in the sun, dip in refreshing water and maybe part take in some quiet reading time or a leisurely walk. Please know that Nik’s inability to appreciate this is not his fault, it is a disease that forces him to feel “restless” when surrounded by these elements.

Thank you to Tyler, a good friend of mine from Boston who drove up to meet us at the beach and bring the ultimate beach game, Fresco Ball. This is a Brazilian paddle ball game. Think Bad Minton, but with more oval paddles and a smaller ball. Tyler, also generously chauffeured us around to pick up BBQ supplies, a task admittedly easier when you succumb to the conveniences of a motor vehicle.

BBQ back at our place. Old fashion Memorial BBQ of hot dogs, hamburgers, grilled eggplant grilled corn, Smore’s. and a good portion of a slowly dwindling Harpoon stash. Sparklers, poker, good times.

Monday we were back on our bikes headed to Boston, after a blueberry pancake power breakfast. Century number two for the weekend. On the way back I felt like I was actually getting better at biking.  The long ride forces me to pay attention to nuances in my form.  I found that by pushing harder on my pedals with my legs I use more leg muscle and rely less on my always aching shoulders (especially the left one).

This will be our last practice ride not so much because we don’t need more practice but because there are limited days left to spend time saying good bye to our friends in New England. We plan to spend the rest of our weekends here packing in the Boston Love.

Governor of New Hampshire's House

Portsmouth