As we pulled out of Middlebury this morning there sat this great old restored car . . . and what a color!!!

. . .for part of the day we would be on the Scenic Route 100 Byway . . . nice cycling!!!!

. . . typical Vermont Dairy farm. Looks like WI . . .looking for a Ben and Jerry’s Factory!!!

. . .this is one of the streams that had some water in it. Many of them are empty or just a trickle. They must be bank to bank in the spring!!!

. . . we passed through Ripton and right outside of the town was this sign.

. . .we also came upon a satellite campus of Middlebury College, located in Bread Loaf. In fact, the whole campus IS Bread Loaf. Many towns have a similar named smaller town close by. Middlebury ha East Middlebury. I looked on the map for a smaller version of Bread Loaf . . . say, Bread Crumb??? or how about another sister city, Meat Loaf!!!!! Actually, I believe Middlebury College is a Christian School, thus the name Bread Loaf. They also have their own ski hill up from the school. Open to the public too!!!!

. . .great buildings on campus . . .

. . . all painted the same

. . .the whole campus was VERY tidy!!!!

After a 2,000 foot climb up to Middlebury Gap (in the west they call them Passes, here in the east I guess they call them Gaps) we took a break before our BIGGGGGGGGGGGGG downhill into Hancock. It took over 2 hours for this climb and then we descended 1,000 feet into Hancock over 2 miles with a 12% grade!!!

. . .this was ort of an unusual house on the way down . . .

We left Hancock and headed for Rochester, our lunch stop. The USFS has some funny names for their trails!!!

A lot happening in Rochester, pop.1,245. . .they even had a bike shop!!!!

. . .and some nice colors . . .

As we rolled down the road to Sharon, the kickoff town for our second big climb of the day, I came upon what I thought was a new type of memorial for someone who died in a motorcycle accident . . .

. . . ends up it was just an add for a local bike shop!!!!

. . . here was a little water fountain along the way donated by General George Lamb . . . nice!!!

. . . and a local sculptor who donation of this piece of art to thank all those who helped out with the flooding after Hurricane Irene.

Joseph Smith is from around these parts. Dairy Hill was STRAIGHT up from this sign. I think I’ll pass. We will have had enough climbing for one day just to get to our home for the night, South Strafford.

Bethel had a great entrance to their town at this T intersection . . .

big fish . . . nice!!!

. . .and Tessie’s a REALLY nice looking restaurant. Maybe a stop there next trip!!

Right before we left Sharon for the last big climb, Allison’s rear shifter cable broke again right in the shifter handle.The same thing happened when we were in Hayward. The folks there talked her out of getting a new one . . . now she will for sure. But where? . . . maybe our layover day in Lincoln. Until them she may have three gears to use along the way.

Doc Mike and David on the first rise of our final climb . . .

This is what it looks like on the screen . . . gulp!!!! By the time we dropped into South Stratford we will have climbed over 4,100 feet. BIIGGG Day!!!!