Day 35 – Newburyport, MA

Actually, this is just day 34 extended. I only rode 15 (25 km) miles today, just down into town for a nice breakfast with the local ham radio population and then over to the Atlantic Ocean to dip my wheels. I also managed to dip my feet and shoes. The waves were very unpredictable and try as I might, there was no avoiding the waves. The water temperature was actually quite nice and swim-able.

This brings to an official end the coast-to-coast bicycle ride. I found it tougher than hiking the whole Appalachian Trail. Was it because I was riding a fully loaded touring bike? Was it because I was 11 years older (71)? Or, is it just a tough ride? I’ll never be certain. New England was, without a doubt, the toughest part of the ride. All those ups and downs from Troy, NY on were killers. The roads in Massachusetts were challenging and dangerous. The drivers were okay, the road surface on MA119 was abominable. Whoever is responsible for maintaining that road should be replaced.

In all, I was thrilled to be fortunate enough to live long enough to complete this ride. I’ve seen things that I would have never seen from an automobile and wouldn’t trade that for anything. The joy of seeing a mountain lion run out in front of me, to see stars like nowhere else in Montana, to experience the desert heat and storms, and to meet truly interesting people made it all worth it. Maybe you don’t have time for such an epic ride, but even a few short days on a local trip can bring many joys that you’ll never experience in an automobile.

The bottom line is: get out there and do things. Turn off the television, get away from the computer and experience the world…the clock is ticking.

I stopped at Bob Lobster and had a clam chowder for lunch. Bob Lobster is one of these local New England seafood places that have dynamite food and fresh seafood. I ate outside, at the picnic tables, and enjoyed the sun, air and the roar of jet engines.

Just up the road is the Plum Island Airport. This tiny airport is for small aircraft. Every year, around this time, they close the airport to regular air traffic and have a celebration of small, radio controlled aircraft. Today, in addition to some spectacular propeller aircraft, they had several jets. These are actual jet aircraft, about six feet (two meters) long. It was fascinating to see these things roar through the sky. I had never seen the hobby jets in action, they look just like the real thing. People were having a really good time.

I’ll spend a bit more time in Massachusetts, then head back home to Sarasota, Florida. I will continue to post things related to this trip, as well as long-distance bicycle touring in general. Thanks for following along, I hope you have enjoyed this and do leave comments, I love to hear from folks.

Speaking of comments, I have one follower that, for whatever reason, has not been able to post comments. I’m going to close today with a comment that the follower sent via email, I think it sums things up:

“Dennis, You’ve endured mountains, deserts, plains, extreme heat, vicious attacks from the air, rough shoulders, Amish drag racers, Canada! (The horror, the horror), Rain, cold, and the loss of at least one tooth.

Author: Dennis Blanchard

Dennis Blanchard was born in Bristol, Connecticut. He and his wife Jane moved to New Hampshire in 1980 where he has climbed thirty 4000-foot mountains, biked the trails and enjoyed the wilderness. Never living very far from the Appalachian Trail, Dennis was always aware of the seductive siren’s call to hike it. Dennis is an electronics engineer who has freelanced for amateur radio, technical and motorcycle adventure magazines. He now lives in Sarasota, Florida. View all posts by Dennis Blanchard