Woonasquatucket River Watershed Ride

It was a beautiful day for the third annual Woonasquatucket River Watershed Ride.  If you live in the SouthCoast of MA or Rhode Island and ride a bike, you should get on the e-mail list so you won't miss this next time.

A 5-10-27or 50 mile option was available.  We chose the 50 naturally and found ourselves being challenged on a few occasions.  There were some pretty good hills to conquer especially in the northern section of the ride.  We moaned a lot but in reality they were not that bad.  Some took our breath away but there really wasn't one that toasted our legs.  Close a couple of times, but we rode them all and  crested each with a smile.

Would we do it again?  Youbechya!

Where Do You Want To Ride?

The conversation was like an ACME routine.  Don't acme, I don't know nuttin.

"Where do you want to go?"
"I don't know. Where do you want to go?"
"I don't care."
"How about the Canal?" 

We decided on an easy 50 mile ride to the Cape Cod Canal and back.  Naturally we stopped at Dunkin Donuts for our packed lunch.  David has finally come around and now brings a sandwich for our long rides that go through the lunch hour.

It was a great day for riding and we saw a motorcycle benefit ride with a hundred bikes of all shapes and sizes.   To top that off we began to be passed by bicyclist in the town of Onset.  I caught up to one of them and she said it was a ride called the Foundation Fifty Five Charity Bike Tour. 

Wareham Ma. 

Looking from the Stone Bridge in Onset

 

Onset Inn and Restaurant

Onset Ma. Beach

Stone Bridge,  Onset, MA

Scallop Festival next weekend in Buzzards Bay, MA

RR Bridge Crossing the Cape Cod Canal

Bon Jour

It was game day at ORR High School which found me on busy route 6 in Mattapoisett Ma just as dusk was setting in.  Up ahead I spotted a loaded touring bike with a  Bob Yak trailer attached.  I drove ahead to a restaurant parking lot so I could offer any help to the rider.  There have been a few passing through town on their way to Cape Cod, but this is the first time I have spotted on heading west.

I waited a few minutes for him to round the bend wondering what could be taking him so long.  I decided to back track and found him on the sidewalk checking his map.  I yelled across the busy road for him to meet me in the parking lot.   Michele and I hit it off pretty easily and I invited him to stay with Brandon and me for the night.  He told me all his concerns were gone once he saw seven bikes in my garage.  I told him that we are regular tourers and my wife is now touring with a group in Germany and Austria.    It seems Michele has been touring every summer, sans one,   since 1989.  His latest was Australia last year.

After a hearty supper I supplies him with directions to get to Providence, RI and Newport RI.  Fall River, MA is the point where he has to make a decision.  East to Providence or West to Newport.  I mentioned that if he did Newport first, he could do both without backtracking.  Michele needs to be back home in Northeastern Quebec by October 4th.  He has been traveling for 31 days and doesn't mind the solo touring in the least.

We left my house at 8AM and I rode along with him and gave a poor mans tour of Fairhaven.  The Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket steamship authority maintenance area was a hit because two big car and truck carriers were in for repair.   We rode to McLean's wharf where the lobster boats dock and the two commercial shipyards in town.  I would have like to give a more in depth tour but had to cut is short for my nine o'clock appointment to get my hair done. 

If you bike tour you have experienced the goodness people demonstrate to the riders like we got this summer in upstate NY.  It was very gratifying to be on the giving end for a change.

Biking In Europe

 

Unfortunately it's not me.   Because of my high school soccer coaching job I had to pass on this one so wifey went with three friends.  They left Boston last night for an overnight flight to London.  They transferred there for the second leg to Prague.  

Here is the trip itinerary.  I really wish I could have gone.   Next year maybe.