163.1k.....but who's counting. Another century ride. That's what happens when you don't have a plan with a set destination. The general plan was to get just past Rochester so I would have clear sailing to the ferry port the next day, about 80k. So I get to Rochester in good shape, look at the map and think another 15 miles to Sandford where there is suppose to be some camping, let's go! Get to Sandford and pass the camping but see more camping at Alfred just 4 more miles. And then past Alfred and the next town and the next until I'm wasted. It's 85F. Sunny. My great eating habits have me living off Coke, chocolate milk and an egg salad sandwich from a 7-11. Actually bought the egg salad because I figured it wouldn't take as much energy to chew it. When I finally ran right out of gas I stopped at a motel. $100us and I was willing to pay it until one of the staff offered to help find a campsite. Which she did. Which was another 3 or 4 miles. Which is where I'm parked now. Just past Saco, Maine. Looks like about 20 to 25k from Portland and the ferry and the Atlantic.
So stupid day, but puts me close to one of my targets and that was the Atlantic. Pretty awesome bike ride. Pretty weird thinking how far I've come. Pretty awful thinking it's only half way. I actually fear riding back the way I've come. So I'll just keep going farther. Makes perfect sense to me. The ferry tomorrow back to Canada hopefully...Yarmouth NS. Then maybe up to Halifax which is a lot of k's...then it gets scary....because I'll have to head back. The ferry? Back through the hills of NH and Vermont? Maybe take the long Canadian route home. Not as many hills...I don't think, but it's 500 or 600k farther if I remember correctly. Lots to think about. Still lots of time. It's only July 19. I've been gone a whole 9 days....seems a lot longer. I'd like to get back the third week of August. My LOA doesn't end until the first week of Sept. And when it comes right down to it, I really have no constraints. No real plan. No constraints. Not sure...but I don't think I function very well in that environment.
Excitement for the day? Or more correctly bonehead move of the day. In Concord things got a little complicated. Remember I'm just kind of winging it re directions. Basically I'm following 9 and 202 and 4. So I follow which ever of those I can. But then interstate 393 pops into the mix. I do notice and think.....maybe bikes shouldn't be on interstates, but there are no signs excluding bikes and the highway signs show 202 and 4....so let's go for it. Down the on ramp and away I go. I made it two exits before I bailed. Actually kind of sprinted it because I was pretty sure I wasn't suppose to be there. But there was a nice wide shoulder. I was going in the right direction. And not too many motorists were yelling at me. Still don't know if in fact it was wrong and what jail they could have tossed me into, but I'm pretty sure it stands as the bonehead move of the day.
Oh..and the sign of the day: (only in the US)
The sun is out. The guns are out. Order your tanks today.
What were they selling?
Screen printer for t-shirts. Makes perfect sense, but in the US I've got to believe somebody would be trying to order the real thing.
Sent from my iPad
Sent from my iPadDay
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