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<\/a><\/p>\nMany of the New England towns villages we are passing through still have a REAL General Store. Groceries, hardware, bank, Post Office . . . all in one place. If it had been later in the year there may have been a bunch of folks sitting around a pot belly stove drinking coffee and solving the problems of the world, like so many others do in the small diners and stores we have passed along the way. This setting lends it sell to Norman Rockwell type painting!!!<\/p>\n
New Englander’s also seem to be a VERY inclusive and welcoming people. Many of the churches, I believe , are along the lines of the Christian Fundamentalist variety . . . <\/p>\n . . . Breathe . . . Hope . . . Love . . .<\/p>\n . . . these guys may have had love on their mind as Connie and I appeared. The old girl paid them no mind as we rolled by . . . <\/p>\n . . . we are seeing more and more color. Mike, who I met today, had been up near the Canadian border and said things were REALLY ablaze!!!<\/p>\n . . . hey, where is my Smoochie???????<\/p>\n . . . what a beauty. Wonder how many hours went into this restoration????<\/p>\n . . . a living wage here in northern Vermont . . . ?????<\/p>\n As I biked along there was a long uphill into North Haverhill. I saw this fox (coyote) lying in the ditch right next to the road and stopped for a shot. I knew this was going to happen sometime . . . it was still ALIVE!!!! Must have been hit early this morning. Obviously paralyzed, it showed no signs of being frightened or scared . . . just laid there blinking it eyes, looking straight ahead. I felt sick. There were large rocks laying near by and I should have put it out of its misery, but couldn\u2019t bring myself to do it. I rolled on and at the top of the hill there was and elderly women (yeah, like my age) tending her garden. I explained the situation to her and asked if the village had a police department. She said they did and I asked her to call an officer who could come and \u2018dispatch\u2019 (our old WDNR word for killing) the poor critter. As I rolled on I could see her heading into the house to call. I felt better . . . <\/p>\n . . . different kind of church architecture here . . . <\/p>\n I met three people on the road today and the first was Mike. He pulled over to talk bike touring. He and his son Markus are REALLY interested in doing some touring. Marcus is particularly interested in the Surly Long Haul Trucker and had been to four bike shops yesterday looking for one that fit him. He came home empty handed!!! Fun to talk nuts and bolts with someone about what we are doing rather then the usual travelogue discussion. Hope you two find your bikes this Fall yet and get in a short tour. You have BEAUTIFUL state!!!!<\/p>\n We passed through two covered bridges today, the real thing, of course. They are usually over a stream so that means a steep downhill to the bridge and then an uphill out of the river valley again. Here Denise and Anne head back up!!!<\/p>\n Lots of GREAT house viewing today . . . I really liked the covered porches on this one . . .<\/p>\n . . . first \u2018house of stone\u2019 I have seen like this . . .<\/p>\n . . . very stately . . . I could move in tomorrow . . . except what about the remodeling project in MSN emJay is in the middle of doing?????<\/p>\n . . . lots of orchards along the way but here was a VERY controlled tomato growing operation. Under plastic overhead and with plastic mulch. Must be irrigated and fed from below . . . wonder how they taste?????<\/p>\n In Vermont, there have been LOTS of signs for services such as these . . . many right out in them out in the middle of nowhere!!!!<\/p>\n We sort of slipped into New Hampshire, the back way, like we did from ND to MN. There was no grand sign welcoming us to the state. Only this \u2018Keep New Hampshire Clean\u2019 sign sponsored by Caitlin, the Psychotherapist!!!!!!<\/p>\n . . . but NH has a Scenic Byway we would using and it was beautiful riding . . . <\/p>\n Soon I met my second rider of the day Bill, from Burlington, VT. While we were chatting D rolled up and joined the fun. He\u2019s returning to Burlington having made a three week loop as far north as Arcadia Park. We were the first bikers he had seen. Fun discussion. Safe trip home, Bill!!!<\/p>\n As we left Bill behind, we rolled onto a 2 mile stretch of packed gravel. This is only the second or third non-pavement surface we have ridden on the whole trip. ACA routes do an excellent job of keeping you on the asphalt!!!<\/p>\n New Hampsirans do not tell a lie and when they CLOSED they REALLY mean closed!!!!<\/p>\n . . . lots of signs regarding this issue. <\/p>\n the organization states, \u201cNorthern Pass, a 192-mile, high-voltage transmission line proposed by Hydro-Quebec and Eversource, is neither green nor clean. The line would carry hydroelectricity from Canada to southern New England, simply using New Hampshire as a huge extension cord to bring power to Massachusetts and Connecticut.\u201d<\/p>\n On our first big climb of the day I met Gretta, from Montpelier, VT who was out on a four day trip. She had overnighted in Franconia Notch State Park and was heading to Orford for the night. She\u2019s done a lot of touring, usually by herself, and did the Northern Tier solo in 2000. Safe riding Gretta!!!!<\/p>\n As I have stated before we don’t read newspapers, listen to the radio or watch TV. Our life on the road is REALLY simple. Sleep . . Ride . . . Eat. That\u2019s about it. Oh and take in everything your senses can sense. Not sure if the Trumpster had done something to make people in New Hampshire mad lately but here was one of his signs discarded on the side of the road!!!! Of course, the next farm down the road still had a \u2018Bernie in 2016\u2019 sign up in the yard!!!!<\/p>\n . . . our second bridge of the day. First you go down . . . and them you go up!!! Nice to see the real thing!!!<\/p>\n We were now on our second BIG climb of the day and would need to cross the Appalachian Trail. After four miles of climbing the top was in site. Connie was getting excited and winnowing . . .<\/p>\n . . . soon we were at the top . . . and right behind David and Rod rolled up too . . . <\/p>\n . . . the old girl had a new strut in her cadence and I knew she was interested in turning from road warrior to pack horse and heading up the trail . . . not this time girl, we need to finish the trip we are on, first!!!!<\/p>\n More of the White Mountains were still ahead and somewhere over one of those ridges is Maine!!!<\/p>\n . . . but first there was a headwall to drop down to descend into Lincoln, NH, our home for the night. At 12% for two miles, Connie can REALLY moving. Top speed for the day, 43.71 miles per hour. Not that safe, but I still remember constantly braking on the TransAm Teton Pass descent and my wheel getting so hot from the friction that my tire blew up.!!! It sounded like a a shotgun blast and brought Connie and me to a screeching halt!!!<\/p>\n We have had A LOT of climbing since we entered Vermont . . . and it will continue into Maine. The steepness of these climbs, some as steep at 15%, has taken a toll on the riders. We climbed more out west but the grades RARELY exceeded 8%. In New England, the \u2018norm\u2019 seems to be 8%!!!The Today we had 3,694 feet of climbing. As we roll out on Friday, it\u2019s \u2018up up and away\u2018as we climb Kancamagus Pass. Nosebleed city!!!!<\/p>\n Tomorrow is a layover day in Lincoln. Ally Gator has an AirB&B rented in town. Since I had one of the beds at the Niagara AirB&B, I would be on the floor or in the tent this time. Rain predicted for tomorrow, so I decided to motel it. I\u2019m staying at the Riverbank Motel and Cabins . . . a great choice!!!<\/p>\n The place is very clean and quiet. Deanna has owned the place for 48 years and is passing off the motel portion to her daughter\u2013in-law, Hilary. In fact, tomorrow they sign all the legal paperwork. Since I am staying two nights, I asked Hilary if the room rate would go up under new ownership!!!!!!<\/p>\n I had room 9, an end room . . .with my own balcony where Connie would spend the night and out of the rain . . .<\/p>\n . . . a HUGE, bright room . . . <\/p>\n . . .with a kitchenette, wifi . . . and the laundermat is just down the road. Everything I need!!!!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Nice sleeping last night in South Stratford but we had an early morning. Moved breakfast up to 6:15am because we needed to be out of the bathrooms and school by 7:30am. School starts today in Vermont!!!! Many of the New England towns villages we are passing through still have a REAL General Store. 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