Lodging Is Dictating This Trip!

I am very positive on the Adventure Cycling routes, but there is a downside to pretty little back roads. Pretty little back roads do not have motels or inns. Little towns usually don't even have a gas station or a market, much less a motel or inn. The nearest hotel to Exeter, almost on my route, was a metric century away from Exeter (62 miles) and 4 miles off of my route. Tonight I am staying in Uxbridge, MA, which is 10 miles off of the route. Tomorrow I pedal to East Windsor, which means I will be pedaling 65 miles, my longest day so far. And Connecticut is supposed to be very hilly, so it might be the most climbing, also. I plan on leaving early and going slow.

     Bill and Mary Hunt, Stow, MA. My marvelous hosts.

 

Last night I had the pleasure of staying with Bill and Mary Hunt in Stow, MA. Mary saw me assembling my bike on the porch of the inn where I was staying and came over and talked to me. Then she called Bill over and we all talked some. They were both finished with a one week canoe trip in Maine and they were both cyclists. They were very interested in my trip and they took my card with my blog address and said when I got down near Boston, I should stay with them. I was honored and pleased at the invitation, but these things usually don't work out. And I being on a bike, I am not that mobile. But, they kept their end of the deal and followed my blog. And when they saw I was getting close, they once again invited me and gave me a back road biking route to their house. And it really was not that far off route. So last night I stayed with Bill and Mary at their home. And we had a great time visiting. And because I preferred to visit, I did not blog yesterday. My FaceBook followers saw my pictures and my day's ride, but no blog.

Technology is wonderful. I have my routes on my Garmin 810. It communicates by Bluetooth to my phone which is transmitting my route nearly real time to nine people that are following me. My brother in Philadelphia is very diligent and attentive to my progress. And if he sees I have been delayed for a long time in one spot, he texts me to make sure everything is alright. Bill and Mary had a Massachusetts bike map with bike friendly roads highlighted. So I took a picture of some of the areas I would be in, and recalled the picture and enlarged the area where I might be looking for a road. Also, now that many times my lodging is off the route, sometimes ten miles off route in a place I am not familiar with, I need a way to find the place. So when I make my reservations, I email myself the address, so I can find it quickly. Then the next day, when I get within 10-15 miles of my destination, I bring up the email. Then I click on the address and Google Map comes up showing where it is, which by itself is not all that helpful. But my Android Google Phone has a Navigation app, with voice navigation and options for bus, car, bike or walking routing. So I choose the bike route option and my phone is soon telling me, "Turn left on Bolton Road in 400 feet." A huge time saver and frustration reducer.

I hope my 65 miler goes well tomorrow.