Germantown, New York to Williamstown, Massachusetts

August 15, 1981 to August 16, 1981

Down on the Farm

Statistics:

August 15, 1981 - Germantown, New York to Williamstown, Massachusetts - 68 miles;

August 16, 1981 - Williamstown, Massachusetts - Day Off.

Description of Events:

August 15, 1981: Despite having rinsed off in the Hudson last evening, I woke up feeling so sticky, itchy, and grimy that I couldn't stand it anymore. Grabbing some soap and a cooking pot, I went into the public restroom and proceeded to bathe myself completely in the sink. It took a while, but when finished, it was a new day for sure!

Still in New York State, we stopped to get something to eat and drink at a small store.

Back on the road, we headed North, then East, crossing into Massachusetts at the town line of Richmond. This would be our last state. It is a relatively small one but we still had an adventure or two before this trip would be over. We were headed to Williamstown to visit some relatives of a friend from back in LA.

While we were back there, Debbie-S, a co-worker and friend, insisted that we visit her sister, brother-in-law, and brother who lived there. We promised we would and now, not wanting to disappoint her, we headed further North instead of taking off to the East toward our final destination.

The wonderful town signs, unique to Massachusetts. This one stood right on the border with New York.

We crossed the Bay State Line on this day.

Williamstown sits in the far Northwest corner of the Bay State, bordering New York and Vermont. Nestled in the Berkshire Mountains, it is a tremendously scenic place. Richmond is a small town and the part we went through did not have much civilization. At Pittsfield, there was a lot more going on. We stopped there for a break and then headed out, on SR-7, toward Williamstown.

The Jersey Cow and driveway to the place where Dan and Jen-R lived, in Williamstown.

The ride there turned out to be relatively easy, contrary to our expectations but it was welcome. We'll take easy anytime! When we turned into the driveway of the home of Dan and Jen-R, their Jersey Cow welcomed us and then Dan came out of the house to greet us. We had arrived!

The antique shop, located adjacent to the home of Dan and Jen.

After exchanging pleasantries and getting to know each other a bit, we settled in. Dan and Jen had prepared a wonderful farm feast for us. All of the ingredients came from their farm, including beef, vegetables, butter, and milk. Our hosts are essentially self-sufficient and nothing goes to waste. Dan supplements their income by doing farm work for other folks, snow-plowing in winter, cutting and selling wood, and they have a small antique shop adjacent to their place. Dan built the shop. His brother-in-law, Mike-S, helps out. We would meet Mike tomorrow.

We all sat around talking until 11:30 PM. Then it was lights out on yet another great day on this long bicycle tour.

August 16, 1981: Although it wasn't planned, we ended up taking a day off and spending more time with Dan and Jen. It turned out to be a good one, as we met Debbie's brother Mike, spent some time at the antique shop, and really got to know Dan better. He turned out to be a good guy.

We woke up late today. Dan and Jen had been up early and were over at their antique shop, setting up and getting ready to open. We made our own breakfast and then went over to talk with them and Mike-S, who is the brother of Jen and our friend Debbie, from LA. Around 12:30 PM and unbeknownst to me, Dan and Jen had asked Paul if we wanted to stay for another day. Since he said yes, we were committed. In reality, I was happy about it too. This day off gave us time to regroup for what would be the home stretch of this long tour.

At the antique store and husking corn, in Williamstown, Massachusetts, on August 16, 1981. From the left, Paul, Mike-S, Dan-R (seated), and Jen-R.

At the antique store and husking corn, in Williamstown, Massachusetts, on August 16, 1981. From the left, yours truly, Mike-S, Dan-R, and Jen-R.

We went into town to find a laundromat. After finishing there, we returned to the store to help out. It turned out to be a very good day in many ways. While Mike and Jen were relatively easy to talk with, Dan was rather aloof at first. But later on in the afternoon and evening he opened up a bit. He had been in Vietnam and had seen combat action. He was a helicopter mechanic who would sometimes be dropped into a battle zone, in Cambodia, to make repairs. There were more times than one might like to think about where he wasn't sure he was coming out alive. It is further amazing that Dan has managed to keep his head on straight after having gone through those experiences. He and Jen run a nice place here and Mike helps them out, as well. Debbie, our friend out in LA, is also a great person. We ended up forming a good bond with all of these folks before we departed. Riding the extra distance to get here, when we could have turned East and been done by now, was well worth the time and effort.

Today's ride: 68 miles (109 km)
Total: 5,069 miles (8,158 km)

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