TransCanada 2012

Nov 25 - Dec 1 Bangor to Revere

From Bangor we rode down to Belfast. It was a treat being back on American roads, which have much fewer cracks and wider shoulders than the Canadian ones. We got to Belfast just as it was getting dark. It was cold and we were tired so we asked at the first house if we could camp in their back yard. The family was very welcoming and invited us in. They served us hot tea and Thanksgiving turkey soup. Then they said we are most welcome to stay in their spare apartment which was being renovated at the moment but it was much better than the tent. 

THANK YOU SO MUCH NANCY, OWEN AND KEITH FOR YOUR HOSPITALITY!

The house where we stayed.

Maine country side. Partially frozen pond....winter is coming!

The following night we got to stay in another spare apartment with a very kind couple near Gardiner. We took the opportunity to make another load of flat bread. 

Next day was uneventful. Chilly, gray day. Just put some music on and ride, ride, ride. Near a town called Brunswick we decided to call it a day and again looked for a place to pitch our tent. At house surrounded by a small field which bordered some woods we asked for a camping spot. The lady said it might be more comfortable in their tree house and took us down to the woods to show it to us. Of course we could not turn down such an cool offer. 

THANK YOU KATH AND DON FOR THE PLACE TO STAY!

Next day we did not get as far as we had hoped but that turned out to be a great thing because we ended up meeting Larry and Priscille. We got stuck in an urban area near Biddeford as it started getting dark so we just rode down a peaceful looking street and asked to camp in the back yard of the most inviting house we came across. This turned into a very memorable evening with a great family who made us feel so welcome and at home. Larry retired from a very demanding career in the army not too long ago and the family is now enjoying a more settled life in their home town near friends and relatives. We were invited in for dinner (pizza!) followed by a movie (It's a Wonderful Life) in the cozy, extremely festive living room along with popcorn and the signature Humpty Dumpty potato chips.

James, I, Larry and Priscille, ready for a popcorn feast.

About to hit the road again after a lavish breakfast out. 

THANK YOU SO MUCH LARRY AND PRISCILLE. SAY HI TO JAMIE AND JACOB! IT WAS SOOOO GREAT TO MEET YOU! LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AGAIN SOMETIME!!

This day we made it to Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It was a nice ride except for the very end where the secondary highway, including the bridge, was closed so that we were forced to take the main highway into town, despite all the CYCLISTS PROHOBITED signs. These few kilometers were a bit stressful because it was rush hour traffic and we were a bit nervous about potentially getting fined for ignoring the NO CYCLING signs (even though we had no choice due to the road closure). At one point we had to cross a big bridge which was prohibited to both cyclists and pedestrians, but again we had not other way to cross the river. There was no room for us in the main lanes so we decided to push the bikes along a narrow, unofficial walkway between the railing and the traffic barrier. That worked fine but at the end the barrier and the railing got closer and closer together to a point where our bikes were stuck. Frustrating! We were tired, irritated by traffic and the setting sun directly in our faces and now the bikes were stuck. The only way to free them was to take the bags off one side to narrow the bikes and carry them for the last few meters to the end of the bridge. More scary rush hour kilometers followed but I can gratefully say that we made it to Porthsmouth unscathed. 

Stuck Bicyclette. 

After an extended search for a camping spot in this busy place we finally found a house where the owners allowed us to set up our tent near the bushes beside their house. We had just laid out the tarp and unrolled the tent when the man came out again and told us he and his wife had decided to let us sleep in the spare room. From then on, until we left next morning, we were totally spoiled by what we felt were our newly adopted grandparents. Joan did our laundry, cooked us a delicious dinner, James (her husband) showed us a safe place in his shed for our bikes and told us numerous stories of his life and both were very interested in our travel adventures. Joan even packed us a lovingly prepared lunch and snacks for the next day.

James, Joan, I and James

THANKS SO MUCH JAMES AND JOAN. YOUR KINDNESS IS SO INSPIRING! IT WAS SO GREAT TO MEET YOU AND HOPE TO SEE YOU AGAIN SOMETIME!

The following day we made it to a town called Revere just north of Boston.  Again we had a hard time finding a hidden spot for camping so we had to ask around if anybody would let us stay in their back yard. At this point we were riding along the Beach Boulevard in Revere which was lined by rather posh looking houses.  After several futile attempts, a lady not just allowed us to camp but invited us in, fed us and gave us the spare room along with an invitation to stay an extra day or so if we felt like it. Her name is Brenda and she is an avid cyclist herself. She was quite surprised that we had "found our way" to her house and was delighted to exchange cycling stories with us. 

Ocean view from our room.

Revere Beach.

Brenda on the balcony.

THANK YOU BRENDA FOR THE WARM WELCOME AND YOUR KIND HOSPITALITY! IT WAS SUCH A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU AND WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU AGAIN!