On our first day we explored Boston; ate lunch on the Harvard Campus, traversed downtown, the freedom trail and Boston Commons. The weather was beautiful, and with no gear on our bikes were able to get around quite smoothly. The USS Constitution provided the backdrop for our first flat tire, and all in all, had a great day!
Waking up and getting onto the train to Salem and out of the big city was a treat, and our adventure truly began. Riding a bike with 30 or so pounds of gear on the back caused some strain on at least a few rear tires, but we were able to succesfully leave Salem and begin heading up Route 1 to Gloucester. It was definitely a quaint little fishing town with a nice campground to relax in. However right as we finished cooking dinner, a monsoon of sorts decided to roll in and it cut our dessert short. Nevertheless, we all got some necessary sleep and by the time we woke up the rain was gone and the sun was shining again.
We crossed into New Hampshire and explored the Hamtpton Beach area, which was hopping with summer tourists. Our campground that night was spectacular, with a realtively heated pool and hot showers! Our burritos for dinner were beyond filling, and I think just about everyone was asleep before their heads hit the sleeping bags!
On our third day, we began with some group stretching on the beach and then officially made it to Maine!
The roads became increasingly hilly(er) and the sun kept on shining. York, ME was absolutely beautiful, and our ice cram stop on a point overlooking the coast was scrumptious and invigorating.
Wells, ME was our stop for the evening, with a roaring campfire and some marshmallows to roast.
Our flat tires continued until Kennebunkport the following morning, when we stopped at quite possibly the best, greatest and most wonderful bike shop ever to exist. The guys at Cape Able Bike Shop spent a few hours with us fine tuning our vehicles...and since then we have had absolutely no toubles at all! If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend a visit, even it is just to check out George W. Bush's custom made bike (his house is only a few miles down the road).
Fllowing our shop stop, we traversed the coast and countryside, the rolling hills and flat beaches, and came upon the laid-back, biker-friendly, outgoing city of Portland. Everyone here is super friendly and keep asking where we've been and what's our next stop. After checking into a hotel, thats right - no camping for two full nights, we showered, changed and inadvertantly went out to a vegetarian restaurant. After some giggles and groans, it turned into quite possibly the best vegetarian dinner (and first for some) we've ever had! Finally, laying down in those big comfy beds, we slept soundly (and late for a couple extra hours). Today we had a delicious breakfast at a real restaurant, did some much needed laundry, and explored Portland. Our general consensus is that this city is awesome, beautiful and quiet in a very good way.
Dinner next to the Back Cove (a body of water close to the ocean) provided a pretty background, and allowed us to head to the movies and feel connected to civilization once again.
Tomorrow morning we are back on our regular routine, waking up early and heading north to our next campground. We will be camping for the next five days, and should be checking in once we get to Bar Harbor. Hopefully the weather will hold up (mid-70's and sunshine in the forecast) and the hills won't be insurmountable!
Enjoy the pictures and look forward to our next post.
~Andy and Seval
