Starting Location: Wells, ME
Ending Location: Newburgh, NY
Daily Miles Ridden: 352
Cumulative Miles Ridden: 4070
This Day's Route: Hwy 1 south to Hwy 101, Hwy 101 west to
Peterborough NH [3], Hwy 202 south to Hwy 2 near Gardner MA [4], Hwy 2 west to
Williamstown MA [5], Hwy 7 south to Great Barrington MA [6], Hwy 23 west to
Hillsdale NY [7], Hwy 22/44 south to Washington Hollow NY [9], Taconic State
Pkwy south to I-84, I-84 west to Newburgh NY [10].
York Beach, ME, blanketed by morning fog.
Kittery, ME is located just south of York Beach. We lived here when my
father was stationed at Pease AFB, NH, which has also been closed for some time
now.
The drawbridge between Kittery, ME and Portsmouth, NH.
The Portsmouth waterfront.
Today's rain started near Peterborough, NH and did not let up until sometime after midnight. It was the heaviest I'd ridden in yet on this trip. Visibility was especially limited in the Berkshire Mountains where the rain mixed with fog.
Motels were scarce after crossing the border from Massachusetts into New York. I stopped at one place that appeared to have several dozen rooms and only a couple of cars in the parking lot. The clerk informed me that all rooms were taken except their deluxe room that I could have for $129 per night plus tax. Seeing how wet my riding suit was and how hard it was raining, she must have figured I was desperate and would go for it. But I politely declined and told her that I would ride on further. The look of absolute disbelief on her face was priceless!
I was actually quite dry because the gear was doing its job very well and felt like riding some more anyway. After a short time on the Taconic State Parkway I came to I-84 which had many reasonably priced rooms available at the exits. Competition is a great thing.