To Groton CT

May 18, 2024

I'm up early this morning cleaning out bags and pulling anything I can get along without for the rest of the trip, like the swimsuit. I'm not big on swimming and it's too cold now anyway. The hilly roads of New England lay ahead of us, time to lighten the load.

Paring down the cargo. All the stuff in the string backpack on the left is going home today. It feels like there's a good three pounds in there.

Finishing one more post in the warm shower house about our cold windy night in Ocean City NJ last week. The journal backlog is piling up.

Mike says the route goes by dozens of wineries in the North Fork of Long Island today. If we get going soon there should be time to stop on the way to the Orient Point ferry. Our destination is Groton CT, four miles past the ferry landing in New London. I wonder if it's pronounced Grow-ton or Grah-ton; have heard it both ways.

Mike takes off early as usual. Barry and I roll out close to our standard start time at 9:30, then burn some time on a wrong turn and wardrobe adjustments. The post office stop in Calverton to ship my stuff home sets us back some more. There's just one postal worker handling a long line of customers for passports and mail service. While I wait she patiently explains, three times, to the customer in front that she can't apply for a passport without a birth certificate.

By 10:30 we're on the road again with 36 miles to cover to the ferry. If I can avoid more faffing around we can still make a winery stop and get to the boat for the 3:00 departure. It's starting to drizzle though, I just need a minute to dig out my raincoat.

Popeye hawking spinach at a country market. There are lots of farm stands by the road selling asparagus, berries, eggs, flowers and pie.

By noon the drizzle has developed into full-on rain. We get a message from Mike that he is thoroughly soaked and is passing on the wine stop. An hour later the rain lets up as we reach Corey Creek Tap Room, which is the last winery I see on the route. This is all the encouragement I need to stop. We can afford a little time to sample some local wine and enjoy the live music on a Saturday afternoon.

The white Cabernet Franc is a standout in the flight.

Here comes the party. The North Fork Wine Wagon pulls up as we head back out on the road.

The rain returns for the last 15 miles to the ferry. Of the nine ferries we've taken so far this trip, this is the first one I can remember that has a bar. We get some good hot clam chowder and chat with Chris the bartender. He's a fellow cyclist and takes his eight-year old daughter mountain biking. She'll have mad skills someday starting this early.

There's not much wobble room on the bridge from New London to Groton. It's just over a mile, feels longer.

While picking up takeout at the Pokemoto in Groton I get the answer to my burning question for the day - it's Grahton. The weather forecast here and tomorrow in Newport looks cold and cloudy but dry. I guess that's better. Sure hope we get some sun soon.

Heart

Comment

Link

Today's ride: 64 miles (103 km)
Total: 2,292 miles (3,689 km)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	6
Comment on this entry	Comment	0