Above: Adrian, Jesse and Dan sport their super-hero powers on the way back from Six Flags Great Adventure in Springfield, MA.
Above: Julie, Nicole and Abby enjoy clean sheets, soft pillows and The Office.
Above: Adrian scores a 8.5 in the leaping contest at Greenwater Pond at the top on Jacob's Ladder Pass.The trip's going really, really well. The first few days were pretty tough for everyone. The Taconic and Berkshire mountain ranges didn't cut the group any breaks, but we all shifted down (way, waaay down) and sucked it up. Before long, everyone was climbing like Tour de France champs. To break the monotony, we took breaks at mountain lakes and enjoyed the sounds of Berlioz's "Les Troyens" opera at the Tanglewood venue in Lenox. By the time we crested the last mountains in western Mass., we all enjoyed several miles of downhill riding.
That downhill broght us in to the towns of Holyoke and Springfield, MA. The traffic conditions stressed the leaders out a bit, but the teens impressed us with their marked improvement. Everyone obeyed traffic laws, stayed single-file, and handled themselves very well. The temperature rose into the mid-90s and the humidity was making us look forward to a shower and pool, both of which we found at the beautiful Marriot Inn in Springfield. Yesterday we rode (without luggage, thank goodness!) to Six Flags New England for a day of roller coasters and fried food. We braved a brief but heavy downpour in the afternoon, but managed to ride enough rides to satisfy even the most iron-stomached of the group. Needless to say, the beds felt even better after a day on our feet.
But it's time to move on. Today (Thursday) we're pushing farther east to the town of Sturbridge, MA, known for its historical recreation activities. Hopefully we'll find things to keep everyone from going stir-crazy (shouldn't be too hard, we'll get there after a apx 35 mile ride; one of our longest yet).
We're all doing well, staying healthy and having a great time. It's easy to keep going when each pedal stroke brings us closer to the beach!
