Connecticut

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We began the day waking up on our wooden deck. The campground at Rudd Pond is on a hill so nearly all of the camp sites feature large wooden decks for you to pitch your tent. Rach checked her bike and had lost a bolt on her rear rack. Thankfully we have plenty of spares. The chill was in this morning. I put on my arm and leg warmers for the very first time on the trip and we rode about three miles to rejoin the route in Millerton, New York. We had a leisurely breakfast at a classic diner with gleaming chrome sheet metal paneling.

There was certainly less drama today than yesterday.  I think we both liked it that way. We made it to a new state: Connecticut. Lots of climbing. Longer and more gradual than in recent days. I set a new maximum speed of 46.8 mph on one of the descents. Lots of charming small towns with bakeries and general stores and beautiful stone libraries and picturesque park benches and fountains. Also a fairly depressing stretch where rows and rows of young calves were fenced into what appeared to be plastic dog houses. Lots of English names for the places and wide open vistas when we crested the top of the hill or made it around a bend. Stunning forests and streams that wind and follow the curves of the road. This has been a very pretty stretch.

Leonard from Warmshowers didn't respond to our request to stay so we chose the second best option and are resting our legs at the Rodeway Inn in Windsor Locks. There's a pool but we got tired and have been lounging about instead. Suppose that's about it - rode some miles, great scenery, ate some snacks, now time for bed.

Early in the day

American Salisbury

American Salisbury cathedral

This one's for you Don

Heading toward Norfolk

Buttermilk Falls

Barkhamsted Reservoir

Tractor museum

Comments

  1. the Old GuyJune 11, 2018 at 11:06 PM

    Thanks for calling today, it's always great to hear from you two in person. After we got off the phone we checked the mail and in it was a t-shirt that is now in your room. I am healing nicely after my crash. I haven't checked on the bike yet. Tomorrow.

    This retirement is getting to be more than I can handle. I think I had more free time when I was working. Got a lot cleaned out at Yorkshire over the last three days but there is still plenty more to do. As I am writing, the owls are screeching outside. It may be beautiful and haunting to hear a gentle hoot from an owl, but all of this screeching is not sonorous. It reminds me of trump. More like an ass braying than anything else. (But ask me how I really feel.)

    Katie took care of the dogs for Aunt Kellie and apparently Daisy was a handful. Kellie has sent a couple of photos from Guadalajara and says she really likes it. Today was a photo of a bunch of guys on a pole who were tying ropes to their ankles preparing to spin around the pole, head down until they supposedly some how end up safely on the ground. Sounds like a good way to get scabs on your scalp to me.

    Hot here today. In the 90's the whole way back on the 15 Freeway. Weird to hear that it was cold for you two this morning. I thought it would be warming up as the summer solstice grew nearer, even in the Northern reaches through which you presently pass. One more reason not to live on the East Coast.

    Keep up the posts if you can. We love to hear from you and it's nice to know you are safe. P.S. : Steer clear of the bears and other wild creatures; they're no more trustworthy than politicians, although they generally smell better and are a bit more intelligent.

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