Hiding From The Rain, Pt II

Sleeping opportunity number 1

The photo above shows my potential bed for the evening. It'll do for an emergency, but I wasn't really feeling it. The skies cleared and there was time to head on to De Witt, my original target, before sunset, where I could find a motel with a proper bed, a shower, and nearby food. Gathered all my stuff together, closed the door, and looked around at how bright everything was after the storm. Things aren't usually this bright. I left my glasses on the side - fucksocks! Nope, door was well and truly shut and locked and no windows were open. Whilst I was examining the slightly dodgy window round the back I was surrounded by mosquitoes when BUUUZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz. What kind of bastard mosquito was that?!? Look at the size of it! And it has feathers! And it's a hummingbird.

Which brings us back to the much neglected wildlife list. Going through New Hampshire, Vermont and New York I have seen more grey squirrels, black squirrels, red squirrels, garter snakes, adders, deer, groundhog, beavers, tortoise, eagles, vultures, woodpeckers, tons of butterflies, tons of frogs, midges beetles dragonflies and other bugs bouncing off me glasses, and of course today's hummingbirds.

Back to the problem at hand. No way in, going to have to call the guy who let us in. He wrote his number on the pad that I left on the side inside - fucksocks! Hmmmmmm. Maybe the neighbour has his number. Score - he does! Give him a call, no he can't make it back to let us in. He suggests going in through the window. Going to have to find something to prize the window up. As I'm cycling I've got a fair few tools with me including tyre levers! Window up, through the window, glasses retrieved!

Breaking into the repossessed home of a complete stranger with a collection of medieval style axes - achieved! And comparing sleeping options 1 and 2, it was totally worth it.

Sleeping opportunity number 2

Hiding From The Rain

Little Falls NY

In the last post I was in Fultonville listening to the sounds of the Speedway not helping me sleep. After that I stopped in Little Falls NY. Not too much to say, but next door to the motel was a cinema so I went to watch Men In Black 3. Good film, but better than that was the adverts beforehand. All of them, without exception, were for local businesses (used cars, hardware, more used cars, rubbish collection, the pub) complete with shaky camera action and over-enthusiastic comb-overs.

Last night I made it to Rome. For all you American history geeks, this is the location of Fort Stanwix. For all of you who aren't American history geeks, meh - another town, another motel.

Back onto the Erie Canalway Trail and this morning it was stunning. I even had to stop to put more sunblock on as I'd seen a sign saying it was 33 C at 11 am and it was just getting hotter. After lunch (a Moonpie and a couple of cupcakes) I started running into problems. The USA isn't known for its use of its rail network, but over the past few days I've seen trains on the tracks and moving a number of times which has surprised the locals a lot. Today I encountered another train on the tracks but not moving, right across a level crossing. 100 m detour round the back of the train, carrying me bike, and I was back on me way. That's when the wind picked up and it got dark. Then it started to rain. Heavily. Me trainers were waterlogged within 2 minutes. I pressed on until the path was blocked by a gaggle of geese protecting their goslings and I turned back to the last civilisation to find some kind of help. And that's how I find myself in an empty house, that's in the process of being repossessed by the bank, hiding from a thunderstorm with a collection of medieval style axes. Last night I slept in a king-size bed, tonight I have a bit of sponge. If the weather improves, I may go and find a proper place to stay - it's only 12 miles or so.

Vermont To New York

I seem to be fairly negligent as of late in writing about a place when I'm actually there. This time, I've been to State capital number 11 - Albany NY - and already moved on.

Cycling through a cloud at the start of 6 miles of downhill

In the last post I was in a bed and breakfast in Pittsfield VT and from there I continued me 170 mile journey across a mountain range or two to get from Montpelier to Albany in just 3 days. From the BnB things started fairly rough with a 10 mile uphill ride from 900 feet to 2100 feet. I was cycling through a cloud by the end of it, but what goes up must come down and that 6 miles of downhill was pretty epic.

A chance to stay in Manchester couldn't be overlooked, although the Manchester in Vermont is just a little different to the Manchester back home - few more mountains, and a little more forest. I did overhear a brilliant half a conversation whilst I was having breakfast though...

The officer said that it is allowed here, just as long as you don't touch yourself.

All clear then - when in Vermont, as long as you're touching someone else, it's all good.

Empire State Plaza, Albany NY

In Albany I had a well deserved rest-day. It's not too bad a city. There is one street with some fun to be had and a couple of decent sights to be seen. But, despite going to an 'English Pub', I'm yet to be served a warm beer and a menu with Doner Kebab with options such as chicken curry as a filling and no mention of doner is a travesty. There was also a choice to be made: either nail it down to Harrisburg to keep the capital counter up, or add an extra 300 miles or so and head west to Niagara Falls before going south to Harrisburg. The people of Facebook chose, and chose well. Found a bike path that heads west, and when I got onto the path there was a sign saying that it goes all the 349 miles to Buffalo (or close enough).

So tonight I'm in the village of Fultonville. Across the river is the village of Fonda. There's very little here other than a speedway so all I can hear at the minute is the sound of far too many V8 engines on a way too small oval track.

Birthday Boy!

Before I forget, couple of things to finish off. First of all, as it's crept over to the 27th with the time difference, I can say happy birthday to my big brother! 28 again with his first year of experience!


Last thing, over here is a holiday weekend. On Monday is Memorial Day - a day to remember those fallen on behalf of the US armed forces. I'd like to remind everyone of another group of people who have lost their lives...

Ghost Bike, NY

The 10 Capital, 1000 Mile Spectacular!!!

State house, Montpelier VT

When considering the trip I was thinking that I'd be pretty pleased with myself once I made it into double figures with State capitals. Yesterday I achieved that by reaching Montpelier VT. Around the same time I also passed the 1000 mile mark. For any Daily Mail readers that's 192000 double decker buses, 15304 football pitches, or going from Land's End to John O'Groats and making it over half way back again.

Got to say, I like Montpelier. It's a very small place, but seems to have a lot of life there. It seems to be a place that draws people into the centre of town as opposed to many other places in the States where anything of value or interest is custom built outside of town leaving the centre a bit desolate. They also have a quality pub - The Three Penny Taproom which I can confirm sells many excellent beers and I'm sure sells many many more that I didn't try. I also have to thank the good people at Econolodge for the following exchange:

Me: Hi, how much for a room for the evening?

Econolodge: $69 plus tax.

Me: Is there any way that can go lower?

Econolodge: I can do $65, plus tax.

Econolodge: $60 plus tax?

Me: Yeah that sounds good.

Econolodge: OK, I need some ID blah blah blah. What brings you to Montpelier?

Me: I'm trying to cycle to as many State capitals as I can and this is number 10.

Econolodge: On  a bike? A bicycle? Wow! No charge for your room. You can stay as our guest, and I'll see if we can get you some publicity in the paper.

As I said, I like Montpelier, and Vermont as a whole. It kind of feels like a mix of New Hampshire, the way you're pressed into the forest, and Maine with it's mountains and general atmosphere of vastness. When you can see anything from the road all you see is forest disappearing into the distance, up the mountains in the midground and then up the mountains in the background. And today I was following the Mad River along the edge of the Green Mountain National Forest which is just incredible.

Mad River, Vermont

Tonight I'm at a bed and breakfast, kind of in the middle of nowhere, but they had a massive sign promising the best breakfast in Vermont and it was raining and I was knackered so a good place to stop. Had a really nice evening eating with the family who live here and another cheap night as they can't do breakfast for us. Works for me though.

The Way Life Should Be

Drinking: Gritty's Vacation Land Summer Ale

Maine: the way life should be. And I've got to agree. I spent Thursday afternoon floating down the Androscoggin River in a kayak watching bald eagles and taking in the scenery, and this afternoon doing a spot of walking in blazing sunshine listening to the sounds of chainsaws and gunfire echo off the mountains. What more does one need, other than a more comfortable saddle?

Another set of photos stitched into a panoramic. This time from a kayak.

There's A Moose! Loose! About This Hoose!

Word of the week: Melodious

Another day, another State capital. Another night, another Youth Hostel.

Dead end in Maine, and a couple of lads with the right idea.

From Portsmouth I headed north East to follow the coast towards Portland and then onwards to Brunswick. Being New England, all the towns have stolen their names from well know English seaside towns: Portsmouth, Portland, Yarmouth, Scarborough, Freeport, and the well known sea-side town of York. Most of these are like cycling through Scarborough with the beach and sea-front tourist shops and restaurants, except for Freeport which is more like cycling through Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet Village.

From Brunswick I essentially followed the Kennebec River up to Augusta which looks a little like this...

Kennebec River, Maine

I got Hugin working so that I can stitch photos together for panoramic scenes. But, I made it up to Augusta for State capital number 9. Not too much to say, but the racoon (roadkill) on the wildlife list can be replaced with racoon (alive). Also, the cycling is beginning to take its toll on my body. The roads are pretty cracked and all the vibrations coming through the front wheel are turning my forearms to jelly. I had a really nice roast crispy duck the other day and had to eat it like a toddler because I just can't hold a fork properly. I think I'm getting close to having to sign my name with an 'X' too. I've got no idea how I managed to control two very short straws this morning to use them as chopsticks to have a pasta salad for breakfast.

There's one youth hostel in Maine at Bethel. Surely I could make that in one day. My average is hovering around 40 miles a day with the most I've done so far a solid 60 miles through Delaware. Delaware was flat. The 65 miles between Augusta and Bethel goes into a mountain range and isn't anything close to flat. Plus, there's nothing there apart from wildlife (I saw some more deer and I think I saw a porcupine, but it was a bit flat to know for certain). Some nice views though...

North Pond, near Bethel ME

Heed the warning - beware the moose with three legs

Tonight, I was in Bethel for some food and a beer or two. About to start the 5 miles or so back to the hostel but there's a bit of a thunderstorm brewing and me legs are actually killing so call in a lift off the guy who runs the hostel. The mountains look incredible being lit up by lightning. We also saw another entry to the wildlife list. Moose trundle across roads similar to deer, but at a quarter of the speed, maybe less. They're also all legs and then a tonne of moose meat at windscreen height. Probably the closest I've come to death for a while.

The Pond

Listening to: The Beatles, All You Need Is Love

State House, Concord NH

After the pissing rain in Derry NH, things seem to have gotten a little better. For now anyway. Up in Concord I walked into a bar with apparently the best timing ever. No idea what the joke was, but it had something to do with the big red 'S' emblazoned across me chest. Had a pint and some food thinking 'could just do with a bit of Beatles' when All You Need Is Love comes on. Next day I was in a diner in the middle of nowhere outside of Concord thinking 'could do with some Beatles here' when Boom! All You Need Is Love comes on the radio. Good times.

I've been told before that New Hampshire has the second highest tree population in the States, and after cycling through it I can believe it. There's the odd house, the odd lake, but otherwise there's nothing but tree. People do wonder about how lonely it must get to be doing this by myself, and it does get lonely. For a good portion of the day there is nothing to do other than think about names for cheese shops (Curds & Wahey!). But then, as you fly down a hill, surrounded by woodlands, meeting a picturesque stream at the bottom of the hill in the blazing sunshine you begin to think about the people back home, sat at the computer fiddling with Excel spreadsheets and trying to stop Word from reformatting all the pictures. Sucks to be you - it's beautiful out here.

Somewhere in New Hampshire

What a day I had yesterday! Simply incredible. Nice easy day of cycling planned to get me from Durham NH to Portsmouth NH going round the Great Bay which is only about 20 miles. Got off the main road and could smell the salt and ozone of the sea. Things were going to be good - THWUNK! Look down and me back wheel is going all over the place. This needs looking at. Bike is upsidedown for a minute before another cyclist comes past and invites me back to hers, just round the corner, where her partner has all the tools I could need for a fix. Score! Unhook the rear brake and limp it round the corner to have a better look at the problem and I've broken a spoke. Terri and Chuck give us a lift into Portsmouth to the quality bike shop Papa Wheelies. While the bike is on the mend, myself Terri and Chuck go off to the Coat Of Arms, a British pub, for a pint and some lunch. Back at Papa Wheelies, Steve is so inspired by me journey and by Terri and Chuck's generosity there's no charge for the fix. I was beaming as I went into town to see what was going on and to kill some time before finding a motel.

Heroes of the day - Steve of Papa Wheelies, Terri and Chuck

Sunset from Portsmouth

Portsmouth is fairly well known for its nightlife, and on a stunning Saturday it had to be good. Went to the Portsmouth Brewery for a couple of local ales and spent the evening talking to a few random but brilliant people at the bar. Went somewhere else for some music and ended up pretty much crashing a hen party. Fantastic day, and a much needed evening. Many, many thanks to Terri and Chuck for their help and company. Many thanks to Steve at Papa Wheelies for the bike fix. And many thanks to anyone I met last night for making it a great night. I've heard before that Portsmouth is a great place, and you've all proven it.