Maine Coast Trekkers Complete 400+ Mile Adventure

The last day of biking turned out beautiful for the Maine Coast Trekkers.  They enjoyed a ride through beautiful hills with almost no traffic.  Before checking into their hotel in Bangor, they picnicked on the banks of the Penobscot River and visited the Cole Land Transportation Museum, which had a great exhibit on biking.

At a bakery they'd found earlier in the day, the Trekkers had picked up some mixed berry pie and blueberry crumble -- and both were still presentable and tasty for lunch after after 25 and dinner after 30 miles.

In the morning, they all caught a bus back to Boston, where they had one last lunch together -- burgers at Five Guys!  Everyone made sure to trade email addresses and phone numbers before they parted ways.  We're thrilled that another group had such a great trip where they accomplished a lot, learned a lot, and had tons of fun.

Maine Coast Trek Winding Down

A rainy morning got the Maine Coast Trekkers on the road early to say goodbye to beautiful Acadia National Park yesterday.  They biked 26 miles before lunch, the group's top early mileage for the entire trip.  They found lunch at the biggest Walmart any of them had ever seen and did a little window-shopping for guns to introduce Samuel, a Trekker who hails from France, to that aspect of American culture.  They had lots of time to swim and take some long, hot showers when they got to their campsite and pulled out the stops for their last night cooking together to make "some crazy creative Sloppy Joes."

Today, they're biking to Bangor -- with stops along the way for back rubs and baked goods.  One more night, and then the Trekkers will meet up with their families to start sharing stories of their biking adventure!

Maine Coast Trekkers Get Ready to Summit Cadillac Mountain

Our Maine Coast Trekkers went an entire 24 hours without biking, but they found more than enough to keep themselves busy.  They did some laundry, popped out to explore downtown Bar Harbor, then had lunch and played hacky sack on the village green.  In the afternoon, they went swimming at Sand Beach. For dinner, they gave themselves a night off from cooking and went out for pizza, then enjoyed an ImprovAcadia show.

Tomorrow, they're hoping for good sunrise weather -- everyone's ready to bike Cadillac Mountain before sunrise, then coast back down to Blackwood Campground for breakfast burritos.

There's essentially no cell reception in the park, so leaders Andy and Carol are in the same tech-free environment as the teenagers in the group.  They're going retro, using paper maps and asking strangers where to find the best spots in the park.

One more night camping out, then a cozy night at a hotel in Bangor, and this group's Trek will be finished!  They're going to squeeze everything they can out of it.

Maine Coast Trek Reaches Acadia National Park

Today, the Maine Coast Trekkers are headed for Blackwoods Campground, where they'll stay for three nights, hiking through beautiful Acadia National Park.

They've had a mostly smooth ride, with only minor stops for repairs.  Here, the Trekkers are getting a lesson on how to oil a chain from leader Andy:

After their interlude in Acadia, the group has only a couple more biking days before it'll be time to head back to Boston, where their journey began.

Maine Coast Trekkers Cycle North Towards Acadia

Yesterday was the longest day our Trekkers had biking up the Maine Coast, and they hope it will also end up being their hilliest day. In the morning, they visited Bowdoin College.  It started to rain as they headed out, but they found a family homestead where they could have lunch.

By the time they reached their destination for the day, Duck Puddle Campground, a jam band concert was in full swing! With covers of songs by Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd, and The Who in the background, they cooked some delicious pesto chicken with rice and veggies for dinner.

They're just over halfway through their Trek!

Maine Coast Trek Arrives in Portland

The Maine Coast Trekkers have been enjoying Portland (and the air-conditioned hotel rooms they're staying in).  On their way there, they discovered an "awe-inspiring" candy store and had pastries and coffee at a cafe called Mornings in Paris.  They coasted the rest of the way into town, aided by a great tailwind.

They've been exploring the city, admiring the architecture, and checking out restaurants downtown.  Next, they'll head on up the coast to Freeport.

Biking and Bagpipes for the Maine Coast Trek

Riding through Newburyport, the Maine Coast Trekkers discovered the town's Yankee Homecoming Parade, and they biked backwards through it from beginning to end, riding past a jazz band, marching bands, a drum and fife corps, and the Ancient Order of Hibernians bagpipe corps.

They've been enjoying scenic, hilly rides, and evenings around the campfire after cooking dinner:

They're about to enter Maine, where the hills might get a little steeper.  We hope they still enjoy their ride!

Maine Coast Trek Makes Some Friends in Northeastern Massachusetts

Riding up the Maine Coast, our Trekkers had a fun day of getting a little lost, biking through rain, and helping some friendly farm owners put up a canopy before they had a BBQ! 

They got a tour of the farm, meeting flocks of chickens, ducks, and geese, and had lunch in a dry part of the property out of the rain.

After getting to Cape Ann Campground in Gloucester, the group played cards, made chicken stew, baked potatoes in the fire, and made s'mores. Tomorrow, they'll bike into New Hampshire.

First Day for the Maine Coast Trek

The Maine Coast Trek got a bright start this morning!  Most the Trekkers met at Boston North Station this morning and boarded a train to Lowell, where they picked up the last two members of their group.

In Lowell, they visited the American Textile History Museum, participated in a scavenger hunt, and biked around downtown before heading to their first campsite, nearby in North Andover.