Friday august 17
I hit the road around 9:30. I had to stop for gas then I was off. My side cases and duffle were loaded to the gills with camping gear and food for a few days. I head out toward Greenwich on Rt 29 and took that to 22. I took 22 to cr-26 and went into VT. Before I knew it I was in Dorest VT. I hopped on RT 30 in VT which is a fantastic road. It goes past a few lakes, rolling up and down hills, and has a fair amount of twists.
While riding along I came across this at a repair shop.
Then I took 125 which is another nice road but I was stuck behind a pickup for all 20 miles or so of the road. At noontime I stopped for gas and had a cliff bar and some water. There was a small group of Harley guys there. They didn't even acknowledge me. Oh well. After my snack off I went. The rest of the trip toward Mount Washington was uneventful and took a while since there was construction. Then it was into NH. I stopped in Bethlehem NH for gas again and to take a break. I'd been going about 200 miles pretty much non-stop. I had a breakfast bar and I bought a Starbucks coffee drink and a liter of water for my camelback. I took Rt 302 also known as the Kacamuncus Scenic By-Way . As I motorcycling road it’s just okay. It’s not super twisty and its packed with cars. However, the views are amazing and since it was my first trip on that road so I took in the sites and enjoyed it. I stopped to take some pics of Mt Washington and the Mount Washinton Resort.
Then it was onto Rt 16 to head for Mt. Washington Auto Road. I got there about 3:45. I paid the toll and got my bumper sticker. Then it was time for the 8 miles road to the top. Its less dirt than I remembered. They must have paved more of it. It was pretty cool on top. It was in the low 40s. The views were great. I took some pics then hit the road.
I was hoping to make it to Maine to set up camp before dark. I arrived where I had initially planned to camp abound 5:30 but I didn't feel like stopping and I wanted to drive until around 6:30. I stopped for gas again in Bethel ME. As I was paying for my gas a guy asked me how I liked my S. I was surprised as most people don't recognize the S. He asked where I was heading and I told him NS. He said he has been there a bunch of times. He gave me some tips of things to do and things to watch out for. He said to stay at the Waverly Inn in Halifax. It’s supposed to be close to the Citadel. His name was Mike and I guess he used to own a BMW up until last year. As I was talking to him it started to rain so I closed the vents on my jacket. We said our goodbyes and he gave me his card. His name is Mike Stackhouse and he owns a European specialty motorcycle repair shop called Mason Motorcycle Repair. I head out again along route 2 and found a camp ground in Farmington Maine about 30 miles away. It alternated between pouring and a drizzle. When I got about 7 miles away it really started raining and it was beginning to thunder and lightning. The thought of setting up camp in a storm and having to bring my soaking wet gear into my tent was not appealing. I really was looking forward to camping but not in that. There was a motel across the street so I pulled up and asked how much for a room. $49?! Sold I will take it! I pulled up to my room, number 13 but the number on the door is 31 even though it’s between rooms 12 and 14, odd.
Thats Milts Harley parked next to my S. He and his wife are from Ontario and are traveling up to Nova Scotia as well. I thought about riding with him the next day until he said he didn't have to get home until winter. I think was on a tighter schedule than that.
So I dragged my wet gear in and changed into dry clothes. I cooked myself some ramin pride and watched some tube. I was still hungry so I decided to walk to the Wal-Mart about a quarter mile away. I bought some pinwheel sandwiches and some Ben&Jerrys for dessert. Then it was time for am early bed. I wanted to be on the road at 6am the next morning.
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