Maine at its Best (and broken sunglasses, and scraped cameras....)

Day 7, Tuesday, was a long day of 228 miles riding the slow coast roads of Maine.

We stayed the previous night at the Inn on the Harbor, in Stonington. It really is right on the harbour....









































Even though it was misty early in the morning, the scenery was beautiful. The lobster fishermen certainly do start early around here, as the first boats went out at around 4am.

I tried the strangest toast I think I have ever seen - Egg, Bacon and Cheese bread, toasted. It was delicious....





















I went past the 1,000 mile mark on the tour today. I have decided to stop at exactly every 1,000 miles and take a photo looking forward on the road. Then at the end of the tour compare them to see how the scenery looked at each 1,000 mile point and how it has changed across the different states. So, here is the first 1,000 mile picture, taken in Maine....






















The previous day, we had somehow both missed the turn for Arcadia National Park. Wedidn’t want to miss this, so today we back-tracked and toured the park. I understand that you have to pay an entrance fee at each National Park in the US, so I opted for the year-long “America The Beautiful” pass that will allow me access into any National Park on my tour. This works out much cheaper than paying for every entrance fee to each park I will go to. As this was the first National Park on the tour, out came the video cameras....






The first part of the ride in the park took us up Cadillac Mountain, which is not very high and the views from the top were shrouded by mist, buit it did give Paul and I the chance to ride on some twisty roads, which is always good! We went to Sand Beach and climbed rocks ....














































For many of the areas to see in Arcadia National Park you really need to park up and walk. This means it isn’t a great place to ride a bike – most of us on motorbikes like to enjoy the views while riding, As Paul and I were fitting this park in to an already busy day (adding about 3 extra hours riding) we didn’t stop and walk around much.

Next was a real treat that we were not expecting. I knew there was a new bridge recently built over the Penobscot River. The old Waldo-Hancock bridge was suffering from considerable corrosion and the new bridge was built right next to the old one. Both the old and new are both stunning bridges so we stopped to take some photos, including from the top of one of the towers where an observatory has been incorporated....




















































































































Did you notice in the photo looking down, our two motorbikes? I think that is a type of view that not many will have seen of their bikes!

We were making our way to our destination for that night and I suddenly realised I had dropped a pair of (really expensive!!!!) sunglasses off the bike. I had a good idea where they might be and we rode back to see if we could find them. The good news is we did find them!! But they had been run over and were crushed. I wasn’t best pleased at my stupid mistake. We made our way to the Ripples Inn in Rockland and had terrific dinner in the Lily Bistro on Main Street in Rockland, where we chatted to both the chef from the Italian restaurant down the street and the chef of the bistro we were in. The food was excellent.

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We had a leisurely start to Wednesday (day 8). Paul and I sat and chatted over breakfast with Sandie Dillon, the owner of the Ripples Inn in Rockland. Sandie was a pleasure to talk to and a terrific host of a fine Bed and Breakfast. Was laughed at her dog, a small terrier called Isabella Rossellini, after the actress daughter of Ingrid Bergman. The dog must have been one of the most laid back hounds I have ever seen. We both needed to get some writing done, so Sandie was happy that we stay for as long as we like. I can thoroughly recommend the Ripples Inn and here is a photo....
























Before we left Rockland we both got haircuts. I had been suffering with the heat and the subsequent itchy head, so I wanted a trim badly. Right next door is the local train station....
























Before we left Rockland, we took a walk around the harbor....















































Just south of Rockland in Maine, we found the what is possibly the highlight of the tour so far – The Owls Head Transport Museum, which is a stunning collections of cars, planes, wagons, bikes.... well worth a visit and if you are into vehicles (duh!) this is a must. The odd thing is that such a fantastic collection of vehicles is in such a remote place and not at all well known for a museum of its obviously quality. This should be world renowned. There are quite of few of them, but just take a look at the photos of some of the exhibits....

1935 Duesenburg Model J....























Packard....






















1911 Ford T Torpedo....













































1913 Scripps-Booth, V8 car with two main wheels and two stabilisers....






















1914 Rolls-Royce....





















1909 Bleriot XI (plane) and 1905 Panhard & Levassor Tourer (car)....













































Wells Fargo Stagecoach....




















Milk and Cream cart....






















1907 Cadillac Runaround....





















1999 Captain America Replica (for sale)....






















Wasp Major Pratt & Whitney Engine (see specs below)....












































In the afternoon we rode on fantastic roads, nearly all empty and just 2 lane, which were very easy to ride on. Great riding, in perfect riding weather with the sunlight coming through the trees. It was a perfact day to just enjoy the ride. We found a recycled art exhibition in a front yard, so we stopped and looked and took a few photos. The guys web address is www.recyclesculptor.com His work is all made from old metal and is well, interesting....














































































































































































As we were in the heart of lobster fishing country, we walked onto one of the piers and asked about lobsters, fishing, packing and just about everything else to do with lobsters....



































































































We visited the lighthouse at Permaquid Point. Stunning scenery....

















































































As I walked back to the bike, I liked the sun hitting my crash helmet....




















Then I did a really dumb thing. By mistake I tried to open my saddlebag lock with the wrong key, which then got stuck and try as we could, we were not able to remove it. So I no longer have an ignition key and we had to dismantle the saddlebag lock. Replacements are being sought!

We had dinner at The Boat House Bistro, in Boothbay, which is on 3 levels – we sat on the top roof level and had great tapas.

On the way back we found a bowling alley which was built in 1946 and upgraded in the 50’s to include automatic pins loading machines which eliminated the need for “pin boys”. The owner is 94 and still comes in every day. It is as if time has stood still in this place. Anyhow, we couldn’t resist and enjoyed our game of old-fashioned bowling with small balls....

Paul (a little blurred as he was moving so fast)....



























Yours truly....

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Cats and Dogs, Mist and Laundry....

We had a quiet day today, caused in part by the rain this morning. Riding in the rain is OK, but starting to ride when it is raining Cats and Dogs is often difficult and it was for Paul and I today – it was chucking it down, so we left late today after thge worse of the rain had passed. Last night we stayed at a really good Bed & Breakfast called Elsa's Inn On The Harbor, in Birch Harbor, Maine. Here is a photo of the house....





















What was good about this B&B was breakfast, because many of the family arrived and sat and talked to Paul and I about the history of the house, work, travel and lobster fishing. Megan who runs the house now told us about her Grandmother who used to receive many fishermen and family members each morning for coffee and it seemed the tradition carries on to this day. We found the discussion about lobster fishing especially interesting and we learnt that young lobsters shed their shells as they grow and they are then called “soft shells” and are vulnerable when in this condition, so they hide away in the nooks and crannies until there shells harden – they are then hungry so are relatively easy to catch and as a consequence are worth less. As the lobsters grow they are called “hard shells” and are larger and are worth more. Crabs have seen a big decline, so the demand has gone down, and the price followed suit. It used to be more common to get huge crab catches, but not today.

We stopped for lunch near Ellsworth and had lobster and crab chowder – delicious!

After lunch we missed (it must have been the mist that prevented us from seeing it) an important turning to drive a loop road in Arcadia National Park, so we skipped that (we will do it tomorrow) and arrived early at our B&B on Deer isle, which is driven onto via an impressive looking bridge which is very high, presumably so that it could allow sailing ships to pass unhindered below. We took advantage of arriving early and did something really exciting instead – out laundry. Ho hum, but these things need doing when you are on the road. Here is a picture of the bridge to Deer Isle....

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Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud!

We had some problems on day 5.

First my GPS / Sat Nav stopped working. Many weeks of planning and entering the details into the sat nav system were wasted in an instant. Luckily, Paul has an identical Sat Nav, so this morning we transferred in route info to his device and he was able to lead me on my chosen path. Thanks Paul. I have contact Garmin to see how they intend to deal with this problem.

Second, England lost in the football World Cup to Germany. Let’s not say any more about this! We crossed the border into Canada and back again very easily to find a bar called Dooleys to watch the game. Here are pictures of Paul waiting to cross into Canada, me outside Doolwys and then the USA border....

























































Third, I lost a set of keys for my bike. This is not a problem as I have a spare set with me, but it was very annoying. I will ask my local dealer, Warr’s to mail me a new set.

Fourth, had an off road adventure on some dirt tracks and then a very rough and wet and muddy dirt track!! Let me explain....

We left Calais in Maine and headed east and then south. Not far into the journey, near a place called Pembroke is a place called Reversing Falls. This is a tidal phenomenon where the incoming tide gets pushed between islands and forces a river to flow the wrong way – uphill. The tide then turns and the flow reverses in dramatic fashion with lots of water flowing quickly through the space between the islands. To get to see this you have to ride 3.5 miles on a dirt road. This was no problem because we took it slow and there wasn’t too much loose stuff and it was only rough in a couple of spots.

We went and saw the reversing falls, took photos, admired the view etc

As we rode back to the main road the GPS Sat Nav system directed us back via a different dirt road which we started down. This road soon turned into a track which very soon went from bad to worse with steep sections, overgrown parts and dips that were filled with puddles. Not too bad, but then it got worse – much worse. The track was so narrow we couldn’t turn the bikes around so we carried on. This was getting serious – this was track that many would think twice about taking a dirt bike down and we were on full cruisers loaded with all of our gear! Paul led and got through relatively unscathed. I didn’t. Nearing the end of the track, there was a huge puddle about a foot deep. Paul had got through OK, so I went for it, but I hit an underwater hole and the front wheel dug in, so down went my feet. Trouble was, my feet went down in about 12-15 inches of the softest mud I have ever seen. The bike was stuck. The exhaust pipes were underwater but I managed to keep the engine running and managed to get out with a lot of revs, to find Paul around the corner laughing like there was no tomorrow!

I was soaked and the bike was covered in mud. My boots were full of sticky mud and after riding a short way hoping it would all dry out, it was obvious I had to stop and get changed.

Here are some photos to show you what it was like......

Paul on the first dirt road. Easy......




























Me after riding through the mud....























Emptying my boots....






















My poor bike....


























































Me washing my clothes in a lake to get rid of the mud....

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NYC to Canadian Border, via Boston

On Friday and Saturday the task was to get a long way north of new York so that the ride down the New England coast could then begin in earnest. The journey north was a total of 627 miles and only a small proportion of this was done on the faster Interstate roads. These Interstates are generally excellent if you want to get somewhere quickly, but they are pretty boring, not very safe for motorcyclists and show you little about the areas that you are passing through. I intend to avoid them like the plague and use them only when absolutely necessary.

Getting out of New York was simple and I passed the Yankees baseball stadium as I headed north. All over the world you see the logo with an N and a Y laid over each other on baseball caps and it wasn’t until I pass the stadium that I realised this logo belonged to the New York Yankees. I had assumed that it simply signified New York, but you live and learn!

Leaving NYC I experienced something I didn’t like. I discovered that motorbikes don’t like bridges with gratings in the roadway. I am not sure but I think it was the Willis Avenue Bridge I crossed and I felt quite uncomfortable as I rode over the metal grate surface. I am going to watch out for these in future and take it a little slower....

Going through Connecticut, my route took in the Merritt Parkway – a good road with is wonderfully green and has sympathetically designed bridges that are remarkable for their beauty. They are just regular bridges that carry roads that cross over the Parkway and you see thousands of such bridges everywhere in the world, but these are different. Whoever designed them took great care in making them look simple and stunning. Most use natural looking materials and they blend in very well with the woodland surroundings they are in. No doubt there are many roads that go out of New York, but the Merritt Parkway is a good one to pick.

My friend Paul from the UK is joining me for part of the tour and he arrived in Boston two days ago. Paul previously spent a considerable amount of time working in Boston and so was keen to ride with me in New England to see some of the people and places he knows well. Hence I was headed today for Boston, to meet up with Paul.

The ride from NYC to Boston was 254 miles but as I mainly took my time and kept off the interstates, it took all day. A couple of times I deviated from my planned route and took minor roads, just to see what was there. I think I will do this each day where something looks interesting. Simply seeing the USA from main roads is not going to let me understand much about the real America. So, while my route is already carefully mapped out, I want some spontaneity of just tuning left or right to see what is there. I did this a few times on route to Boston and found myself riding through residential areas both affluent and poor – the contrast was quite remarkable and I enjoyed seeing both. I will write more about this in later postings, but the owners of one house I saw must have been from England as the entrance and driveway was covered in English flags – not doubt to show support for the England football team in the World Cup....





















Near to a town called Deep River in Connecticut I saw and stopped at Plattwood Park and took a couple of photos of a strikingly beautiful park....








































Whilst the goal for today’s riding was to get quite a long way quickly, I had seen on a map the Chester – Hadlyme ferry that crosses the Connecticut River. The first ferry crossing of the river here was made in 1769 and it seemed fitting that I should use it. I am glad that I did. It is very small and takes probably no more than about 15 cars at a time. The crossing takes just a few minutes using two 150hp engines. Here are a few pictures of the ferry and my bike (I really must give it a name!) on it.

























































I arrived in Boston to be greeted by David and Mellissa who are friends of Pauls and whose house I would be staying in tonight. They live in the suburbs of Boston in a nice house on the edge of a wonderful lake. Then we immediately left for dinner at more friends of Pauls – Carl and Barbara. We arrived to find them both not getting ready for dinner, but changing the tire of one of Carl's motorbikes! Cool. Greasy handshakes followed and a quick tour of their garage – full of bikes! Carl does most of the riding and Barbara has plans to get a Ural with a sidecar. I will put Barbara in contact with some of my fellow bloggers in case she needs any advice about the nuances of these strangely wonderful machines.













































Dinner was fantastic – great company and great food. We had lobster and steak, with Pimms to drink. I have never seen lobster cooked at home before, so both the watching and eating were terrific. Many thanks to Mellissa, David, Carl, Barbara and Paul for such a splendid evening.

























































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Paul and I left Boston early with a long way to go today, about 360 miles. Here we are about to depart....





















Almost straight away I saw a road sign that made me wonder and smile “CAUTION. REDUCED SALT AREA”. Silly me, I thought reducing salt levels was a good thing, but Paul later told me it was to prevent salt water run-off into streams and lakes.

We stopped for coffee and something to eat in Betsys Kitchen in North Hampton, which turned out to be quite eventful, as there was a gas leak in the kitchen and we had to evacuate the building. We fled the scene, but in case it did explode, I took a last photo of the building....




















We stopped at Seacoast Harley-Davidson on route 1. There was a ride out just finishing and we guessed 500 bikes were parked in the parking lot. Amazing! This must be the only H-D dealership that has a boat hanging from the ceiling....



























Paul has the same Garmin GPS / Sat Nav system as I do, although for some reason the two were giving considerably different routes to travel on, despite identical set-ups. Try as we might.....

As we were riding along, Paul had the radio on listening to the soccer. My deepest commiserations go to the USA team that were knocked out by Ghana – you did well in the World Cup and each time you play, your soccer team gets better. As I type this we are in a bar in St Stephens in Canada watching England vs Germany.

We stayed last night in a B&B called Greystone in Calais, which is right on the border with Canada. Very nice place which I am pleased to recommend.....

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Hot in the City....

On day 2 yesterday I thought it would be a good plan to ride around Manhattan. It wasn’t.

With record New York temperatures for this time of year, cars have it easy for one reason – air conditioning. On motorbikes, we rely on the wind from keeping moving to cool us down, but in Manhattan, with all of it’s traffic congestion, keeping moving is almost impossible, so in hot weather we fry. I certainly fried yesterday and it got to be so hot that I gave up and went back to the hotel to cool down. I was beginning to wonder why I didn’t see many bikes in NYC and now I know why!

I did however manage to get a short video of the ride....

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