Live Free or Die - I'm in NH

Day 81, June 21, 2011, Live Free or Die – I’m in NH

58.2 miles, averaging 13.7 mph

Route from Littleton, MA to Mill Brook RV Resort, Kingston, NH

Best Moment – Near the small town of Danville, as I was making one of the many route changes, Darlene, (I found that was her name later) shouted at me “where are you from?”  I told her Phoenix, and that I’d bicycled here from AZ.  She said, “wait a minute, there is someone that I know will want to meet you.  Let me get her.” 

She got Sarah to come out of the house.  Sarah had just finished a solo bicycle ride from Key West to Bar Harbor.  When Sarah was on her way to Bar Harbor, she met Darlene when she walked up to Darlene’s house to ask if it would be okay to pitch a tent in Darlene’s back yard.  Darlene acquiesced, and now Sarah was staying there on the return trip.  Sarah’s cause was to raise funds for people needing prosthetics or wheel chairs.  The really amazing part of the story is that she is from Thailand, has biked the Trans-Continental Route (sort of mid- US from Seattle to DC.) has cycled extensively in Europe, and is planning a West Coast ride. What a story.

Worst Moment – On a day as good as today was, I’m hard pressed to find more than a minor annoyance.  Since we had camped at the same place for more than one night, we had extended the awning on the RV.  We’ve not really used it much since we’ve had it and therefore not had much practice in bringing it out or putting it away.  If it is out, one of my jobs (Neita isn’t tall enough) is to retract and store the awning before I leave camp.  It is a bit of a challenge to figure the procedure out – especially since I wanted to be on the road.

Today was a relatively short, easy ride.  This New England countryside isn’t nearly as hilly as some of what I’ve been through.  In Ayer, near the train stop we were at yesterday, I got on the Nashua Bicycle Trail.  It was beautiful, flat and empty.  I wish I had been able to just keep right on riding, but the route took off to the east side of Nashua.

A couple of photos from today that I thought were pretty amazing.  One is the flag lined street of the Massachusetts town.  Another is the 1700 cemetery with the stone fence.  I really get to see cool stuff.

Just outside of Hudson, NH, I stopped for coffee at a Honey Dew Doughnuts and coffee place.  I had a very tasty peach muffin, and pre-creamed and sweetened coffee.  The fact that they put cream and sugar in the coffee is sort of unusual. But it worked out okay.  While there, a guy noticed the maps on my bike and asked where I was headed that I needed maps.  He was a little incredulous when I told him what I was doing.  Turns out that he is David Taylor, aka Robbie Dangerfield, a comedienne, actor and NH businessman. He’s in the soon to be released movie Beach Bar: The Movie.  Watch for it on July 15.

If you would like to donate to my ride, my link for the Lance Armstrong Foundation is http://grassroots2011.livestrong.org/billsbigride197.  I really appreciate your support.