July 23, 2013

We could not find lodging in Bar Harbor, so we decided to stop short of it and ride into the harbor and Acadia National Park the next morning when Dee would be there with the truck. Then we could spend the day seeing the park and not worry about finding a safe place to leave our bikes and gear for the day. Plus, then Dee could tour the park with us.

The weather forecast looked crummy anyway. Rain all day. Nobody was terribly excited to ride in the rain. So, a short day sounded perfect. Dee found a hotel big enough for all of us just outside of Bar Harbor in a town called Trenton. Affordable and clean even.

Riding in the rain is just not something I have learned to enjoy. I have tried to convince myself it is fun, but it simply isn't. Normally on a day like today we would have probably taken a rest day. Heavy rains most of the day, while on a busy road, is not the most safe. Fortunately we found a better route (thanks for the help Tom) by sticking to a major highway. The ACA maps had us take a side road, but had warnings about heavy traffic and no shoulder. Two local cyclists had already also warned us about that stretch. So, we stuck to the main highway, which looks to have been newly resurfaced. Perfect.

Normally Roger takes the rear and Laura the front. We swapped today since Lauras tail lights were far brighter. I actually have pictures of the front of Laura for a change! I got this picture of a bearded fellow trying to stay warm. It was darn chilly. 70F would often be toasty for us, but after this heat wave it seemed really cold.

I didn't get many pictures today because of the rain. After 20 miles we stopped at a Pizza Hut for a lunch buffet. They unlocked the doors a couple minutes early for us drown rats, and we had a half hour to dry off before the pizzas hit the buffet. The place was VERY air conditioned so we dried fast, at the expense of our remaining body heat. With just a few miles left in our trip, we finally needed the warm clothes that we had carried all this time. Katie even got out some hand warmers she had been carrying the entire trip.

Laura stole my sweatshirt, and then wanted to steal the little bit of heat I had left. The raingear never seems to keep the rain out. It only serves to keep you warm. We were reluctant to remove it indoors because while we were soaked, it was keeping the heat in.

Nobody wanted to hit the road for the final few miles to the hotel, but a warm shower sounded darn good.

The ride to the hotel was pretty fast. It was probably the flattest few miles we have had in weeks. The rain was a lot lighter and less cold too, so it went pretty well. The traffic was really heavy and the shoulder was terrible though, so I was darn glad to arrive. Katie was too. She couldn't figure out what was hurting her leg until she found the hand warmers from earlier in her pants. They got pretty hot!

Rog napping on his trike? Notice the lobster traps. Maybe he is dreaming about seafood. Katie and I were already talking about getting him a lobster dinner.

We all had warm showers at the hotel, and I made everyone some brownies from a box mix I picked up a few days ago (in the microwave).

After showers and some relaxing, I noticed the TV was on. This is the first time we have turned on a TV in a month. I quickly found that I don't miss it at all.

Soon Dee arrived, and we all went to dinner together. Sorry, no pictures, and no lobster. Fast food from Taco Bell. Katie has been begging for taco bell. Speaking of which, she has a bed at this place. Strange. I wonder if she remembers how to sleep on a bed. Also, the girl that is always cold is right by the AC.

Tomorrow we will dip our tires and tour the park. It is maybe 15 miles away.........with only a small hill to climb. The map calls it Mount Desert, but it is only 400 feet. It is not even a blip on the radar after cycling in Maine. We did 1600 feet of climbing today, all within a few mile stretch when we got off the primary highway. It adds up fast here.