Day 9: Friday, October 10, 2008

Today's Stats:
Point of Origin: New Hope, PA
Destination: Philadelphia, PA
Trip Distance: 38.5 miles
Trip Time: 2 hours, 32 minutes
Average Speed: 15.25 mph

Total Distance: 490 miles (man, I must have been lost)

Well, I finally made it to Philadelphia. I rolled into the city today just before 1pm. I think I was getting into the swing of things because the thirty-six miles from New Hope to Philly seemed like a fairly insignificant distance. Really, with an on-average downhill ride and the thought of ending the journey, the two and a half hours flew by. The other factors on my side were: trying to make up for not getting here yesterday and the amazing french toast casserole breakfast at the Fox and Hound B&B in New Hope.

The route for my final day had me following the river on the PA side down to Washington's Crossing, cutting straight southwest on 532, and then riding for about 15 miles through a progressively more urban landscape. I had been warned that there was no good way to get into the city, but with extremely well-maintained streets and almost ubiquitous bicycle lanes, the ride was actually fairly enjoyable (I think anything looks good after my daily commute on Route 9 in Framingham, MA).

I met Diana at Temple University, waited for her to finish her last class for the day, and then limped after her as she left me in the dust on our ride home.

Thanks to everyone who has supported me on this trip and helped me along the way: my Aunt and Uncle, Meghan and everyone at Starbucks in Natick, Majay at the Sturbridge Day's Inn,
Johanna and Max at the Dingman's Ferry B&B, Shirley at the Belle Reve B&B in Riverton, PA (you might have saved my life), Tom from the New Hope Cyclery (also perhaps saved my life by dissuading me from trying to get to Philly from New Hope after 4:30PM), the folks at the Fox and Hound B&B, and of course the love of my life, Diana.

Day 8: Thursday, October 9, 2008

Today's Stats:
Point of Origin: Riverton, PA
Destination: New Hope, PA
Trip Distance: 61.28 miles
Time: 4 hours, 31 minutes
Average Speed: 13.55 mph

To my great fortune, the number of a bed and breakfast which just happened to be in Riverton was printed on the back of my route map. To my even GREATER fortune, the owner of the Bellereve B & B took me in on last minute notice and even fed me that night, saying that I wouldn't be able to find any food around that area. I have truly been spoiled with hospitality over the course of this trip, which has made a huge impression on me. I was almost banking on this being my last day.

It was just over 90 miles to Philadelphia, and I knew it was probably a bit ambitious to get there, but I rode hard all day, stopping only twice to pick up my requisite junk food items and...well, it's a good thing I was wearing tights [haha, tights]. I really was going pretty fast (between 15-20 for most of the day), but my computer makes me look like I'm going slowly, as it was also calculating me walking across two bridges at 3.5 miles per hour.

I got to New Hope just around 4 pm and stopped at the New Hope Cyclery to see if they had any recommendations for getting down to Philly in two hours, when the sky would start getting dark. The owner there was really helpful in showing me how to get where I needed to go, but we both agreed that there wouldn't be enough time to make it before sunset.

So I decided to stay in New Hope for the evening. After a burrito and a pizza, I'm ready to go to sleep and wake up ready to finish my trip [me too, minus the burrito and pizza!].

I apologize for not posting any pictures today. I was racing time to get to Philly...

Day 7: Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Today's Stats:
Point of Origin: Dingman's Ferry, PA
Destination: Riverton, PA
Trip Distance: 60.66 miles
Time: 4 hours, 34 minutes
Average Speed: 13.28 mph (top speed: 42.47 [woot!!!])

Have I mentioned the Dingman's Ferry Bed & Breakfast? The owners were absolutely amazing. Not only did they offer to pick me up when I got lost in the area, but they also treated me to an incredible dinner of chicken, baked potato, and roasted bell peppers. When I awoke the next day, I was again treated to an omelet with sausage, mushroom, and cheese, and secret-recipe gingerbread cake [I am getting hungrier by the minute, but there is no food in the house right now]. Food aside, the kindness and generosity of these people really shone through.

I shared this amazing breakfast with a very nice couple, and we spent about an hour just chatting. They gave me a map of Pennsylvania as well as a map of Delaware Water Gap National Park. My hellacious climb up to Dingman's Ferry rewarded me with a quick descent back to the Dingman's Ferry Bridge, which I crossed back into the recreation area.

I started out making really good time today. Before I left Dingman's Ferry, I knew I was going to have a long ride through an area with little or no services, so I decided to stock up on food. I thought with all the cycling I was doing, I should probably eat some healthy food, so I got a pint of chocolate milk, a Snickers bar, a package of soft batch cookies, and a Hunneybun [ewww, God!]--all that I would need to make it to lunchtime.

Twenty miles later, I stopped on a bridge to eat the last of my "second breakfast." I did not realize the significance of this bridge at the time and set off again, racing through the woods. After going another 3-4 miles, the road seemed to curve 180 degrees to the north and suddenly I felt as though I was heading in the wrong direction. When after a few more miles, I still seemed to be traveling north, I realized I would have to turn around again, or else I would end up back in Dingman's Ferry.

There was hardly anyone out at all this afternoon, so during this time I only passed one or two cars. On my way back, there wasn't any apparent turn off to continue south, so finally I was able to flag down a driver who directed me back to the bridge where I had stopped earlier. This put me up to 30 miles, although I had only done 20 on my route. I wish I had saved that energy because after crossing the bridge, I climbed uphill for what seemed to be about 2 miles. For an idea of how steep the hill was, I hit my highest all-time speed of 42 mph going down the other side.

I reached the end of the national park, spent a quick and slightly harrowing jaunt on I-85 [silent scream], and crossed the Delaware River into Pennsylvania [like Washington!]. I was hoping to ride like the wind today and cover about 80 miles so I could finish up my trip on Thursday, but night began to fall, and I was about 20 miles short of my destination. As I came into Riverton, I scrambled to find someone who would take me in for the night.


Did he succeed? Stay tuned. Find out tomorrow as Boston to Philly continues...

Day 6: Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Today's Stats:
Point of Origin: Middletown, NY
Destination: Dingman's Ferry, PA [Welcome to PA!!!]
Trip Distance: 53.42 miles
Time: 3 hours, 52 minutes
Average Speed: 13.75 mph

Today was a "bear" of a day. Today was another perfect day for cycling. The terrain was a lot flatter today, so I made some pretty good time going into the last part of New York and into New Jersey. I started the first few miles of the path that goes through the Delaware Gap National Park on a road that winds through the woods with virtually no traffic ["Did you feel like Henry D. Thoreau?" "No."]. I had to leave my route a little bit and cross over into Pennsylvania to get to the Dingman's Ferry B & B where I am staying for the night. The Dingman's Ferry Bridge was a really narrow steel bridge with wood planks and no pedestrian walkway. I thought the motorists might run me off the side! I was also a bit concerned that I would get splinters in my tires [and in other places, too].

The road on the other side of the bridge also ran along State Park territory and was perhaps even more beautiful as the sun was beginning to descend in the sky. I got a little bit lost in trying to find my accommodations for the evening and ended up riding 4-5 miles in the wrong direction. Heading back east, a car honked at me and pointed over to the side of the road. Startled, I turned to look.

When I first saw it, the black bear was 30 feet away in a field of corn. When it saw me, it immediately turned around and ran back into the field of corn. Thank goodness it didn't try to race me--I'm fairly certain a black bear could run as fast as I can bike [I wikipedia'ed this: a black bear can run up to 30 mph...thank goodness Matthew doesn't smell like honey]! I'm still more afraid of cars than I am of bears, but I am more accustomed to cars...

With just five miles to go to get to my B & B for the night, I rode steadily uphill into the golden light of the autumn trees shimmering in the sun. The last five miles were worth the other 45 I had already ridden, and I barely had any energy left to speak once I reached my destination. The owners of the B & B and I had dinner together, and after dinner, I had a game of chess with their fourth-grade daughter, who promptly whupped me in that game.

*A note here--Matthew and I are both exhausted, so the writing is not as delicious as usual. Please excuse the bear joke at the beginning if you find it unbearable.

Day 5: Monday, October 6, 2008

Today's Stats:
Point of Origin: Hyde Park, NY
Destination: Middletown, NY
Trip Distance: 57.78 miles
Time: 4 hours, 23 minutes
Average Speed: 13.17 mph

After deliberating for 72 hours and obsessively checking the weather, I decided to take today off.

On my day off, I decided to take a bike ride through Shawangunk Mountain. I made my decision at the very last minute, about 5 minutes after I was supposed to check out of my hotel at the Roosevelt Inn in Hyde Park, NY. This inn was a very nice place to stay and had a wonderful "coffee shop" attached to the hotel where I might have been very content to spend an extra day to allow my legs to deflate to their normal size. The forecast was cloudy with a chance of showers, but it barely sprinkled for 20 minutes on my way down the Hudson River to Poughkeepsie.

I crossed the Mid-Huson Bridge in Poughkeepsie, which is a beautiful bridge that gives you a great view of the Hudson River. From this point on, it was another perfect fall day for biking. The terrain was much easier today, with well-paved roads and good signage (my day two of not getting lost!!).

Since it was my day off, I was considering stopping a little earlier on, and New Paltz, NY was one place I considered spending the evening. New Paltz is a very scenic town--the main street winds down the side of a hill in front of the backdrop of the Shawangunk Ridge. I stopped at a bike shop mostly to brag and to show off, but also to pick up a pair of gloves and to borrow a bike pump. The folks at the Bicycle Depot were extremely nice, and just next door, the Karma Cafe served up the most incredible vegan, organic foods and smoothies, where I had the most incredible lunch that would make many people I know gag.

Although I was in Shawangunk Mountain territory, the civil engineers who planned the roads had the foresight and compassion to locate these roads in a valley. It was a day of fast, straight, and smooth biking, and I finally got to use my neglected Eros bars. These are great for cruising but completely useless for mountains and any kind of terrain that requires the shifting of gears (unless you have bar end shifters, which I don't).

At New Paltz, although I had already put in several hours, I was feeling good and figured that another 30 miles or so wouldn't be a big deal. By the time I rolled into Middletown, I was pretty tired. I might have to take another day off...

Today's Thanks:
Thank you to Megan for teaching me how to email photos! Also, we have put up some more pictures on previous posts, so scroll down for some visuals!

Day 4: Sunday, October 5, 2008

Today's Stats:
Point of Origin: Canaan, CT
Destination: Hyde Park, NY
Trip Distance: 58.4 miles
Time: 3 hours, 58 minutes
Average Speed: 14.58 mph

Suddenly I saw Grandpa Woodstock. He was dressed in multi-colored wizard's robes, complete with pointy hat and nail polish. At first I thought someone had slipped something extra into my French toast at breakfast. The experience was beyond strange. As I cruised down Wenchell Mountain Road, I registered something in my periphery that I supposed to be a scarecrow or a statue. Stopping at the bottom of the hill, I studied the map before me and gesticulated to myself. Pondering one of my options, I suddenly saw the "statue" jump; it was as if a wizard had magically appeared or that an inanimate object suddenly came to life. He introduced himself as Grandpa Woodstock and told me he was trying to hitch his way back to Woodstock. [I asked Matthew if he inquired as to why Grandpa Woodstock was dressed as a wizard, to which Matthew replied, "He's Grandpa Woodstock. Of course he's dressed as a wizard." Go figure.]. In any case, Grandpa W. sent me off in the right direction and showered me with blessings of peace and love.

In short, today was another perfect day. I cycled through a part of southeastern New York that seems to be almost entirely farmland (mostly horse farms). The fall colors were brilliant, and after the sun burned away the morning mist, the sky was blue and the clouds were crisp and white. The roads were smooth and quiet. I thought I had made it through the hilly part yesterday, but today topped even the last few days. At one point, however, I settled into some rolling hills where one hill gave me almost enough momentum to make it up the next hill (as long as I pedaled like crazy both uphill and downhill). I think if it weren't for the half hour climb up Wenchell Mountain at 4 mph (my new lowest speed when not standing still), I probably would have averaged closer to 17 mph today.

I had the best huevos rancheros of my life at the Mountain Cow Cafe in the small town of Pine Planes, NY, the midpoint of my trip today. After a refreshing lunch, I climbed, crawled, and sailed into the Hudson River Valley. I pulled up into the FDR Historic Site and got my first view of the Hudson River. If everything goes as planned and I don't get lost, I will be crossing the Hudson soon!

And the future looks bright. Today was the first day of my trip that I did not get lost.

Today's Thanks:
That's to the folks at the Mountain Cow Cafe and at Antonella's in Hyde Park, NY for feeding me so well. I can't think of a better day of eating on the road.

Today is also the unofficial midpoint of my journey to Philadelphia! Total mileage: 218 miles down, 225 miles to go! [woot woot!!].

Day 3: Saturday, October 4

Today's Stats:
Point of Origin: Windsor Locks, CT
Destination: Canaan, CT
Trip Distance: 61.6 miles
Time: 4 hours, 43 minutes
Average Speed: 13 mph (top speed: 38.6 mph [dude!!!])

I set out this morning with a new sense of confidence, as I was no longer relying on routes that I had generated myself. Windsor Locks was the start of the section of the East Coast trail I had ordered from the Adventure Cycling Association, and the first 8 miles of my day were smooth and uneventful. I stopped in the nice little town of Granby, CT to get my Starbucks fix [his 250 calorie drink!] and spoke to a nice couple who were also cyclists and avid walkers.

The next five miles were also very smooth, and they led me to believe that because I was now on this superior route that I could expect fairly level terrain and easy, rolling roads. I was so lulled into complacency that I continued south through Simsbury, CT and ended up about 12 miles out of my way. I have to say that the sheer pleasure of the ride was worth the couple extra miles [couple??]. I located a route that would allow me to cut west to meet up with the planned route without having to backtrack my path all the way north again.

The road was no more than 5 miles and was cleverly disguised by the numbers "309"--but if those numbers had been words, there would have been the word "hill" in the name. Cycling is interesting in that speed, time, and distance are never quite exactly correlated; because I was crawling uphill with a headwind of about 6 mph, that one shortcut took me about an hour. I almost lost all hope 3/4 of the way up when I saw a McCain/Palin banner. Suddenly, the image of Sarah Palin field-dressing a moose in the frozen Alaskan tundra inspired me with new hope, and I climbed to the top [I really want to insert a comment here, but I won't].

I've heard a story that Leonardo da Vinci went to the court of some European king and when asked to produce the finest work of art, traced a perfect circle on the floor. I find the best way to climb a hill like that is to stand up on my pedals, put my head down, and just continuously trace perfect circles with the balls of my feet I guess this is a commonly practiced cycling technique known as "spinning circles."

Today was quite possibly a perfect day--one of the nicest days I've spent cycling. The leaves were approaching their peak of color, and the air was cool, crisp, sunny, and clear. It's a good thing I'm not a photographer because I don't think I would have made it ten feet!

I continued to Winsted, CT. As I was riding through the town, a motorcyclist pulled up beside me and asked me where I was going. When I told him I was headed to Philly, he pulled over to talk to me. I don't want to give away any private information, but let's just say he shared a name with one of the Beatles. John is a tri-athlete who probably knows more about cycling than I do. He was interested in doing some touring and wanted to see my bicycling set-up, and he also shared some good cycling and traveling tips with me.

From Winsted, I actually took a detour from my scheduled route because I was passing so close to the summer camp where I worked about 10 years ago. This detour, although characteristically uphill, was definitely more than worthwhile. Holbrook, CT, home of Camp Jewell, has a town center consisting of a post office, a country store, and a congregationalist church [Is there a cemetery? Yes...1/2 mile down the road]. I want to live there when I grow up. I appreciated the familiar scenery at Camp Jewell, and while I know there are some former coworkers there still, I failed to track them down. Instead, I filled up my water bottle, sat up on the hill looking at the lake for a few moments, and hit the road again.

At the bottom of the drive, I took my last wrong turn of the day and ended up back in Massachusetts [is he coming or going?]. Fortunately, I recognized a clue and turned around again. On the last stretch of road to Canaan, I suddenly found myself staring at a restaurant that I had eaten at 10 years ago, so I had dinner there and then rode the last six miles into the Locust Tree Bed and Breakfast, where I can't wait to eat breakfast tomorrow.

Today's Thanks:
I'd like to thank my bicycle, Bianca. I fell in love with her the first time we met, but when we climb hills together, she still makes me weak in the knees [I'm jealous].

Day 2: Friday, October 3

Today's Stats:
Point of Origin: Sturbridge, MA
Destination: Windsor Locks, CT
Trip Distance: 45.25
Time: 3 hours, 47 minutes
Average Speed: 12.5 mph (top speed: 38 mph [wow!])

Did I mention that I forgot to look at a topographical map when planning my route through western Mass and eastern Connecticut? Maybe I just should have used the context clues. If a street name in western Mass contains the word "hill" in it, chances are that it's going to be a hill. About three miles into my ride, just after passing Sturbridge Village, I began a nearly vertical assent into Connecticut, where I was averaging about 6 mph as I climbed hill after hill. I'm not sure if karma holds true for geography, but in most instances, you get lucky with an uphill being followed by a downhill [I personally like the uphills in karma]. I lost faith in this principle between Sturbridge and Stafford, CT. This region is so godforsaken (and by godforsaken, I really mean breathtakingly beautiful) that I had no idea that I had actually arrived in Connecticut; fortunately, my uncanny sense of direction saved me again.

Afterwards, it was smooooooth sailing, except when I was pulled over by a policeman [!!!!] while following a route that the state of Connecticut had sent to me. I was just minutes away from the fabled canal trail which would lead me directly into Windsor Locks on an automobile-free route, when I heard the unmistakable horn of a patrol car ring in my ears.

Like all good law-abiding citizens, I tried to pretend it wasn't me, but then I finally rolled down my imaginary window and asked the officer if I had been speeding. He pointed to a sign that said, "State Highway: Rollerblades, Scooters, Skateboards, and Especially Bicycles PROHIBITED." [He's being serious]. Fortunately, he pointed me to a route that led to Windsor Locks that was only an additional 3-4 miles.

But these were just logistical details. Really, biking into Connecticut featured some of the most scenic roads I have ever been on--almost no traffic to speak of on quiet, single-lane country roads where sunlight flickered through the autumn foliage. Have I used the simile "like hiking through the woods" yet?

I rode through many small towns in Connecticut that looked like they hadn't changed in 30 years; I didn't know that places like that existed any more. There are numerous congregationalist churches and also graveyards. In fact, I think Connecticut has some of the nicest graveyards I have ever seen. I used to be opposed to graveyards because of my belief that dead people should not be able to own property, but I think I am coming around--after all, they make better neighbors than your average city apartment dwellers [we are sooo not living next to a graveyard]. I think that when I die, I'd like to move to Connecticut [I'm making sure he's buried vertically to save some room for me].

After 2 hard days of work, my bike deserved a good cleaning. After all, a clean bike is a happy bike. Come to think of it, I could probably use a cleaning myself...

Today's Thanks:
I am particularly grateful for Majay (sp?) at the Day's Inn, Sturbridge. His hospitality and generosity were incredible. He provided me with many useful traveling tips, and his young son even sent me off with a juice pack for the road when he heard I was heading down to Philly [sooo cute!]. And I can't believe I forgot to thank John Ellis and the staff at Belmont Wheelworks! John spent over an hour with me making sure that my bike was perfectly set-up for the trip, and the mechanics made sure that everything was lubed and bolted down properly. They turned my my Big Wheel into a Cadillac [pink Cadillac, cruising down the street...].

Day 1: Thursday, October 2

Today's Stats:
Point of Origin: Southborough, MA
Destination: Sturbridge, MA
Trip Distance: 52.75 miles
Time: 4 hours, 22 minutes
Average Speed: 12 mph (Matthew also walked a mile...in the rain)

This is Matthew speaking with Diana taking dictation (the comments in brackets are Diana's additions to Matthew's ruminations):
I love maps--they are an amazing invention. I was able to map out my first four days just drawing a line across a page full of streets and highways. The only problem is that I always forget to remember that street maps aren't topographical maps and that north isn't uphill and south isn't downhill, so I plotted a route leading me uphill regardless of the direction I was heading [ew, yuck]. I could also say it's probably the reason why I biked sixteen miles out of my way, but I think that has more to do with being bad at reading road signs that it does with maps.

My first surprise for the day was seeing a sign that said, "Caution Cyclists: Grooved Pavement Ahead" just outside of Worcester. Not wanting to get a flat on the butchered pavement, I walked my bike for about a mile; unfortunately, during this time, the ominous dark cloud that sat on top of the city began to shower me with liquid sunshine. Before I left, my aunt asked me for a worst case scenario, to which I replied, "Well, I can get rained on, and I can get lost." So about 2 hours into my trip, I already experienced one of my two worst case scenarios. The rain was light and continued sporadically for the next 20 miles or so, and the roads got very wet. However, it was still a beautiful day, and somehow the sun and blue sky were still in full view even though I was getting wet. Also, just outside of Worcester, I saw the most amazing rainbow that I have ever seen, and I followed it for about five miles [to the pot of gold!].

Because I am such an excellent map reader but such a poor road sign reader, I ended up going farther south on Route 12 than I anticipated and ended up in Oxford. So here, 20 miles into my trip, I could check both worst case scenarios off of my list. While this was a beautiful part of the trip, it was completely unintentional and around this time, it began to get fairly dark and cold. Because I had absolutely no idea where I was, I pulled up to a gas station and asked for directions [thank goodness!]. Fortunately, someone was kind enough to put a map of the area into my hand and send me off in the right direction, which saved me from certain disaster. While there, I put on a nice long-sleeved shirt that my aunt helped me pick out and mounted my light to ward off the encroaching darkness.

I got back on my course and did some of the most beautiful riding of my life (even though it was mostly uphill). At the top of one hill (the beginning of Carpenter Hill Road), I passed a farm where there were no streetlights on the road, affording me an amazing view of the stars, which were the clearest and brightest stars that I have seen in a long time. Standing at the top of the hill and looking up at the stars without seeing any lights around reminded me why I decided to bike instead of take public transportation to Philadelphia.

For the next 10-12 miles, it was like hiking through the woods, except on a bicycle. There was a very narrow road, and the trees formed an archway above me. I made just 2 more fairly significant wrong turns (or more specifically, lack of right turns) and finally managed to make my way to Sturbridge. I passed every single hotel that I looked at but didn't book on the way to the one I did. I plopped down on the bed, did some stretching, talked to my baby, and am in the process of eating a black olive and onion pizza [he promised to eat 8 slices for me].

Finally, there are numerous people that I need to thank for helping to make this trip possible. Thank you to the kind soul who gave me the map of the area, otherwise I would be in deeeeep trouble [and we don't want that]. I would like to thank Dr. Susan Tomassino for fixing my faulty glasses prescription so I can see again. She also helped me find a very nice pair of glasses that not only stay on my head but also keep the sun out of my eyes. I'm almost certain that if I did not have these glasses, I would not have made it to Sturbridge. I would like to thank all my homies from Starbucks and my manager Megan who chipped in to buy me a cellphone so that I could keep in touch [you guys are awesome]. I would like to thank my aunt and my uncle for doing everything for me, including taking me into their home, driving me around to purchase last minute items for the trip, and feeding me so exceptionally well that I probably won't run out of calories for the next three days. Thank you for your help and support in making this trip possible [you guys are incredible]. Last of all, I would like to thank my sweetheart Diana, without whom I would have no reason to make this trip [aw].

So now I'm off to bed to ready myself for Day 2!