Vickie's Ramblings: Singing Around the Campfire

Today's mileage:63
Cumulative elevation gain: 3140 ft
Weather: sunny and 70's
Attitude: Blissful

Tonight and tomorrow night we are at the Harraseeket Inn in Freeport, Maine, just two blocks from the L. L. Bean mothership. This place is divine. I have a jacuzzi tub in my room. The windows in my room actually open, and I'm on the 2nd floor so I can leave them that way. The internet service is good. There's complimentary afternoon tea, two good restaurants right in the hotel, and many more just down the street. There is an excellent coffee shop inside LL Bean's. This is by far the nicest place we've stayed on this trip. And no bedbugs.

Tonight after another delicious dinner (gourmet mac and cheese, and greens) we had a mini-bonfire in the parking lot, and our wonderful guide Michelle played her guitar and sang for us. And a few of us attempted to roast (or burn) marshmallows.

Today's ride started out flat but got pretty dang hilly by the end. We went up one whopper of a hill that quite a few walked; I huffed and puffed and made it to the top on my bike, not much faster than the walkers, but then had to rest for about 10 minutes at the top until my legs no longer felt like jelly. They will be very happy to stay off the bike tomorrow, thank you.

I have lost my main two riding partners to poison ivy / bug bites / who-knows-what / infections.... bad enough that they've both been to the doctor and are on antibiotics and off their bikes. Poison ivy does seem to be the main roadside greenery here and I'm surprised that I've been able to avoid it, having had to use the "green room" along the road quite a few times.

I put my phone in a ziploc bag a few days ago because it was supposed to rain. When I took it out I found out it was a bag that had previously held my PB & J. Keys are not working too well now.... perhaps this will be my excuse to finally upgrade to a smart phone. There are many times on this trip I wish I'd had one with me. For instance, yesterday, when the cue sheet (more aptly, we've started calling them "clue sheets") directed us onto the expressway.....? (I found an alternate route)

Tonight after dinner a few of us walked over to peruse the LL Bean store. It is huge, and open 24 hours a day, 364 days a year. In fact, there's a whole "campus" of different stores.... the main store, the bike, boat, and ski store, the "home" store.... will take pictures tomorrow.