Manchester, New Hampshire - Day 49

What an awesome day. The weather looked threatening as we left so Ward, my domestic, carried both our rain jackets all day. It was great rain insurance.  -- not a drop until everyone had arrived in Manchester. Thank you Ward. After a mile of riding, we crossed the Connecticut River leaving Vermont and entering New Hampshire, the final State. About 10 miles later in Keene, we came across Richard and rode with him the rest of the day. We went up and down hills and in and out of little towns with old houses and white churches. The roads were shaded by trees and bordered by moss covered stone walls. This is New England and I feel at home! 


We when we got to the hotel who should be in the lobby but Ray. Ray broke his humerus n Wisconsin and had to fly back home to London. It was great to have him back for the last night.

I've checked into the last hotel and am about to go to the last rap and the final banquet. Here is the little skit Ward is going to do with me.

Polly and Mimi’s Antique Road Show – Skit

Ward: I believe you all know me as Ward, Mimi’s personal trainer and domestic. What you might not know is I’m also an antiques dealer and connoisseur. I’m here to welcome you to Polly and Mimi’s Antiques Road Show right here in beautiful Manchester, NH where the first shot of the American Revolution was fired.  Oh, no, excuse me that was Concord, NH wasn’t it.

All the other antique appraisers as well as I were thrilled when this unique antique pulled in on her black and pink Orbea. We’ve had this afternoon to check her out and to do some extensive research. I bet you’re all dying to know what she would bring at auction.

Let’s begin by dating her circa 1950. On close inspection we were thrilled to see that she has her original finish. You can see by all the scars left by the mountain bike and trail running crashes, the age spots and myriad wrinkles that she definitely has not had any “work” done—no Botox, no collagen or face lift and that’s real  plus  for increasing her value. The patina is quite lovely except  for at the ankles and top of the thighs where we noticed serious biker tan going on.

We also would like to call attention to her joints. They are all in good working condition – no tendonitis, chrondomalaisia, no knee or hip surgery or replacement. No sign of any plates, bolts, or screws in any of the joints. We did infer, however, based on some of her recent activity that she may have a few loose screws in the cranium area.

Given the good shape of this antique, we were thinking that she will bring a pretty penny at auction. Then we discovered that she has full provenance or documentation. In a small Zip-lock bag she has a passport, driver’s license,, credit card, and most important a laminated America By Bike ID card. Not only is she fully documented, but when we went on –line we discover she has a blog recounting her last 49 days. So this antique can be fully authenticated. Born in Portland, Maine, August 30 1950 and has just ridden to Manchester, 3609 miles from Astoria, OR.

Now most antiques have one purpose.  A chair is for sitting. A table is for eating, a dresser is for  storing clothes. We have discovered that this antique is multi-functional. She cooks, cleans, mows the lawn, teaches kids to read, and reminds her personal trainer to take out the trash. WOW it’s not often a multi-functional antique turns up at the Antique Road Show. Her value is skyrocketing.

Originally, we were thinking if you cleaned her up and put a few pounds on her, her value at auction would be enough to bail out Greece.

Then we realized she was part of   paired set.  The other antique, who is also in mint condition and has full provenance, is currently on loan in Winchester, England at what is surely a splendid and glorious wedding.

We are confident that these two antiques will someday be on permanent display in the Smithsonian. So at auction they would go for between  $4,000,000,000 – $6,000,000,000. But truly, they are priceless.

Day 49

Miles: 78

Total Miles: 3609

Elevation Gain: 4590

Elevation Loss: 4731

Next Stop : Portsmouth, NH (and the Atlantic Ocean)

Link to Mimi's Garmin info

Wow! The last state

Stream near Bennington

Ward at the Monadanock Paper Mill - happy to report the mill is still running

Church with cemetery (looks crooked because it's on a big hill)

Sign in at second sag - Wow we were the first ones there!

Church at sag in Frances town

Building opposite church

History lesson - They are everywhere in New England.

Bud manning the second sag

Dessert at the banquet

Jim
ABB's awesome mechanic

Karen
 Among other things, she's in charge of sag food and the route sheets

Last hotel room - No more clean sheets every night!

Brattleboro, VT - Day 48

This morning we loaded our luggage in "The Box" first (the Budget rental truck) and then had breakfast because the breakfast room didn't open until 7:00. It's good to change the routine up a bit. Ward and I were the last one's out of the breakfast room (another change in routine) because we were talking  about the trip with to two guys from New Jersey who were on a motorcycle tour. Many people are asking about what we are doing. Telling them our story is helping me believe that, yes, I really have almost completed this amazing journey.


We rode over the Hudson River in Troy, wound our way past farms, and into Vermont. The morning was humid and hazy. After the town of Old Bennington we had a climb through the Green Mountains to the summit of Hogback Mountain. Then it was pretty much downhill to Brattleboro. There wasn't much of a shoulder and plenty of traffic, but I felt quite comfortable. All those miles have toughened me up. I decided Highway 9 in Vermont is nothing compared to those first rainy days in Oregon riding on Highway 30 with logging trucks flying by.


We went straight to a bike shop when we pulled into Brattleboro to see why my bike has been making a clunking sound when I pedal hard. Polly listened to the sound all across the country. Ward said it reminded him of the crocodile who swallowed the clock in Peter Pan -- clunk, clunk ,clunk. We determined it wasn't the pedals and might be the the crank or bottom bracket. At any rate, I think the bike will make it two more days and God willing so will I.


Tonight is the last time we'll be scrounging for quarters, ripping off our dirty clothes, and running to the washing machine to be at the front of the line for the one washing machine. It is the last night that we will Efferdent our water bottles. (We put Efferdent, the stuff that cleans false teeth, in the bottles to sanitize them.) It will be the last time I fill my little Ziplock bag with a  supply of Bag Balm for the road. Hallelujah!  


The end is in sight! I'm filled with disbelief, amazement, and anticipation of the what I will actually feel as I dip my wheel in the Atlantic. 


Day 48 
Miles: 79
Total Miles: 3531
Elevation Gain: 5591
Elevation Loss: 5636
Next Stop: Manchester, NH


Link to Mimi's Garmin Info

Ollie, a policeman from Hamburg, Germany
sporting his kit in the breakfast line. This one
is for David, our German son!

Your daily corn

Farm with hazy mountains in the background

Living the good life

Molly Stark was the wife of Revolutionary General John Stark.
She has all kinds of things named after her and she is the
ancestor of my childhood friend Molly Stark Alldrich.

Church in Old Bennington, Vermont

Lake near Willmington,VT

Yes , Mimi and Ward made it to the second to last state. My arm is around Polly. Here in spirit!

Latham, NY - Day 47

We left Little Falls with sprinkling rain and heavy clouds then climbed to a ridge overlooking the Mohawk Valley. It's right up there with my favorite views of the trip -- beautiful old farm houses with barns and green wooded hills. The towns we went through Canajoharie, Fultonville, Amsterdam,Rotterdam Junction, and Schenectady were full of interesting, old buildings. Each day is so different and surprising and beautiful. I am continually in awe of what an amazing country we live in.  We spent most of the day along side the Mohawk River and were able to ride on paved bike paths to avoid heavy traffic.



As we checked into the Holiday Express this afternoon, all of us were saying in disbelief, "Only three more days." I asked myself: Have we really come this far? Are we really going to make it over the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire to dip our wheels in the Atlantic? Right now the trip seems like a blur. The hotels, the cities, the buffets, the raps and sags have blended together. Remembering each day is like playing  the game of Concentration where you just can't quite remember where that darn card is -- at least it is for my tired brain. I'm just hoping we all stay safe and healthy for the last few days. It's descending the mountain peaks on the home stretch where many accidents occur,so I'm staying vigilant!


Yesterday our challenge was the Garmin. Today we had a little camera trouble. My battery was dead for the first picture. Ward took over with his camera. We bought new batteries (remember we're back in civilization) for me. Ward's batteries died. I left my camera at the first sag stop. Let's see what we have...


Day 47
Miles: 76
Total Miles: 3452
Elevation Gain: 2897
Elevation Loss: 3002
Next Stop: Brattleboro, VT


Link to Mimi's Garmin info

Leaving Little Falls

Cliffs above Little Falls

Looking across the Mohawk Valley

Farm on the ridge overlooking the Mohawk Valley

An old building in Canajoharie

Upscale sag stop at Karen's Produce and Ice Cream -with facilities

Bridge over the Mohawk River

Artistic bridge shot taken while Mimi
 retrieved forgotten camera

Lock number 8 - Now you see the boat.

Now you don't.

Stopped at the lock - Mimi, Rosy, and Jordan

 Stopped at the lock - Ward and Mimi

Second sag - Ward checking the directions

Second sag - our stellar hosts Kathy and Jeff

Second sag- Bob gets creative with banana, pb, raisins and Cheetos.
Eat you heart out Martha Stewart

Bike path along the Mohawk River into Latham

Little Falls, New York - Day 46

Today we had a great day, not too hot, not too humid, and no head winds! Hooray! We are definitely getting into more densely populated areas which makes it easier to find those stores or gas stations for the afternoon caffeine drinks. Cold Frappucinos are going down pretty easily these days. We were on some busy roads and also some really quiet back roads. I'm happy to report the road surfaces were smooth on them all. It's the little things that make your day.   


Some how we managed to get to all the sags and into Little Falls without Polly here to navigate. My Garmin wouldn't turn on this morning, so Ward had to be the mileage guy. Last night Ward had spent an hour trying to get the route sheet mapped onto a his Garmin, but lost it all, so high tech was not an option. Finding our way was a bit like the blind leading the blind. I can't see well enough to read the road signs or my direction sheet and Ward only has one eye. This "not so good" situation was  exacerbated by the a departing gift from Polly.  She bequeathed her rear view mirror to me. This is a tiny mirror that attaches to you glasses so you can spot the cars that are overtaking you from behind. You see them in the mirror, yell "Car Back" to warn your friends and then brace your self for a near death experience as they zoom by. If all goes as planned, you have steered you bike as close to the edge of the road as possible and are still alive. Well, I spent most of the day trying to look for cars in the mirror. All I saw were the tops of trees, Ward's arms, three yellow lines on the road that were converging, my left cheek-- everything but approaching cars. Needless to say, I didn't look at the route sheet and was no help at all with directions. Come to think of it, it's quite miraculous that I didn't wind up back in Niagara Falls.


Despite the navigational challenges, we did indeed ride along the Mohawk River and into Little Falls without getting lost. The city was big manufacturing center in the 1800's when the canal was in full swing.They also produced cheese here. Little Fall's lock, number 17, is one of the largest lift locks in the world.(It's amazing what you can learn in a bar or by reading the placards along the street as you walk to the ice cream store and laundromat. 


Day 46
Miles: 79
Totall Miles: 3376
Elevation Gain: 1939
Elevation Loss: 1952
Next Stop: Latham, NY

Old barn and roadside flowers

House that belongs to barn

A New York farm on twisty road

Mason Lodge and house in Little Falls - now privatized

Old Stone Mill now houses an art center and the best ice cream in town

Cockpit - note digital Garmin and analog route sheet

Liverpool, New York - Day 45

Last night there were huge thunderstorms and pouring rain. Glad we got that weather out of the way at night! The roads were dry as we set out this morning under thick, grey clouds to ride along the Eerie Canal. What fun to see joggers, walkers, and cyclists enjoying the path. Polly started early and rode with our friend Melanie to the first SAG stop. Then Richard, Ward and I picked Polly up and off we went along route 31 for most of the way to Liverpool. Once again, we rode past farms and through little towns. We realized a day has not gone by when we haven't seen farms or ranches. For the first time old, white farm houses with green shutters are stationed by the roadside, a sure sign that we are approaching New England.


Dennis was waiting when we arrived at The Quality Inn. Polly hosed off her bike -- it was wet and muddy on the Eerie Canal trail-- hopped in the shower and then was off for her next adventure. Peterborough with Sue, Cambridge with Peggy, and flight across the pond for Triona's wedding. Her energy, strength, enthusiasm, friendship, and fashionable outfits will be sorely missed by everyone, especially me!


Day 45
Miles: 93
Total Miles: 3298
Elevation Gain: 2251
Elevation Loss: 2441
Next Stop: Little Falls, New York


Link to Mimi's Garmin

The Eerie Canal - Station House at the first lock of the day

Lock number 33 of 83

"You always know your neighbor and you always know your friend if you've ever navigated on the Eerie Canal". Guess what song was looping through my head all morning.

Okay,I Know, there's a lot of the canal, but Richard was changing his flat tire

Soft Serve anyone?

History Lesson - We have to get some culture!

Polly and Richard changing her last flat tire at the second sag

Mimi riding next to Onondaga Lake in Liverpool, NY. 

ABB's most popular rider loading up in Liverpool.

Riding buddies Jordan, Rosy, Polly and Richard
Polly's ride is to be continued and so will these friendships!