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