Chapter 1: Easing Into It

Friday, June 7 - Saturday, June 8, 2019

Even though I had been telling people that we would start our trip on June 6, I think a part of me didn't really believe it would happen. The trip, I mean, not the start date. Even after four days on the road I'm still not convinced it will happen.

And we didn't start on June 6 either.

Our son got married in Colorado on June 1. We flew back to New Hampshire on June 5, arriving late in the evening. I had an eye doctor's appointment at 9:30 the next morning. Rob had a dentist appointment at 11:00. We also had an entanglement of loose ends to unwind and tie up - a few errands to run, a few bills to pay, snail mail requiring attention, last minute odds and ends to pack, emails to answer, computers to shut down and store for a year. It was hardly realistic for us to leave on June 6. Better to get an early start on Friday morning. We didn't. The loose ends seemed to multiply overnight.

Finally, Friday, June 7, at one o'clock, we began our adventure. Our goal is to circumvent the Continental United States, tucking into Canada a bit, by bicycle. We have until August of 2020 to complete the task, although I want to be done and home in Madbury by this time next year. Bicycling up the east coast and into New England in the summer holds no appeal for me.

But at this rate we may need a few years. Our second day went something like this. We slept until after eight o'clock. We were camped at Pawtuckaway State Park in New Hampshire and no one was lighting firecrackers under us to get us to move so we weren't on our bikes until eleven. Then we thought it would be a good idea to stop at the park visitors center to use the bathroom and, while we were there, to do some yoga stretches. Then Rob's chain fell off going up a hill. It was a steep hill and he's loaded with about 45 pounds worth of junk (he insisted on bringing a folding chair) so he had to walk up the hill after he put his chain back on.

"Do you want me to see if I can get it adjusted so it doesn't happen again?" I asked.

"No, I think I have it figured out."

Then it came off again. When Rob caught up to where I was waiting, I searched through my panniers for the screwdriver set and fiddled around with the set screw on his front derailleur. But I did too good a job. When we started up the next hill, I heard Rob yelling, "I can't get into my small gear!" I waited, got out the tool bag, and we tried again. That seemed to do the trick.

When we came upon a Rite Aid I pulled into the parking lot and Rob watched our bikes while I went inside for batteries and cough drops.

After 14 miles we stopped for a rest in the shade on the grass next to a church and a nice woman came out and asked if we wanted some water. Yes, we did, thank you. Rob went inside to fill our water bottles while I lay down under the tree and admired how the sun was shimmering through the leaves. It occured to me that as a child I often lay on the grass doing nothing except look up at the sky but as an adult I seldom do. Except when I'm taking a break on a bicycling adventure. Rob came out with fresh water and we snacked on peanuts, dried mangoes, and chocolate. Then lay down on the grass and did some stretches while looking up at the tree above us. The sun gave the leaves a brilliant spring green as they shimmered in the gentle breeze.

No wonder it took us five and a half hours to ride 27 miles to Londonderry. 

We spent the night at a Warm Showers home where the host trusted us with his home even though he wasn't there.

We expect our journey will take us through the following states and provinces. Note that I can already cross the first one off the list.): 

1. New Hampshire
2. Massachusetts
3. New York
4. Ontario
5. Michigan
6. Wisconsin
7. Minnesota
8. North Dakota
9. Montana
10. Alberta (maybe)
11. Washington
12. British Columbia (why not?)
13. Washington (again)
14. Oregon
15. California
16. Arizona
17. New Mexico
18. Texas
19. Louisiana
20. Mississippi
21. Alabama
22. Florida
23. Georgia
24. S. Carolina
25. N. Carolina
26. Virginia
27. Maryland
28. Delaware
29. New Jersey
30. New York (again)
31. Connecticut
32. Rhode Island
33. Massachusetts (again)
34. New Hampshire (and home)

Day 1, Friday, 6/7/19: 32 miles Newington to Pawtuckaway State Park, NH

Day 2, Saturday, 6/8/19: 27 miles to Londonderry, NH

Warm Showers host Devon