Last night I supped on spaghetti and salad, prepared by Tom and Kate, my Warmshowers hosts. I had stayed with them about a week ago so we had a fun reunion.

Kate was interested in my 2018 ride across Washington state so she pulled out a road atlas and I brought her along down memory lane.

In the morning Tom and Kate fed me a huge bowl of Raisin Bran, some honeydew melon, and some much needed coffee. I hung around until 9:30 hoping that Walgreens in Damariscotta would fill my prescription. Tom, a retired federal employee like myself, and I talked about our 401k plans, Medicare Part B, and investing in no load S&P 500 index funds. He’s my investing twin.

The drug store didn’t come through so I hit the road in shorts and a t-shirt, a nice change from the rain gear I’ve been wearing recently. I flew all the way to Bath where I stopped for lunch at the same ice cream parlor/deli where I ate at last week. A blackened chicken wrap, chips, a rather dry biscuit, and iced tea. No ice cream.

I couldn’t believe how strong I felt; there had to be a tailwind or maybe Tom put anabolic steroids in the marinara last night.

In Brunswick I left the Atlantic Coast route for good and headed west on the Northern Tier route. I spent a frustrating half hour trying to find my way out of town. Brunswick doesn’t put complete street signs at its intersections. Very annoying.

Once out of town I encountered a very steep 200-foot climb. I had to stop before the top because my legs and lungs had maxed out.

After my punishment, I handled the rollers reasonably well.

I decided not to camp at a Warmshowers place off route past Lewiston. Instead I booked a room at the Super 8 south of Lewiston on the east side of the Androscoggin River. To get there I left the ACA route to cross the river at Lisbon Falls.

I came to a traffic light on a bluff on the left side. Road work had closed the left lane, requiring alternating traffic going north and south. I followed a big black pickup through the green light and went down the steepest hill of the trip. Big fun.

In Lisbon Falls I took state highway 136 eight miles straight to my motel. It was a busy road leading to Lewiston and the Maine Turnpike (I-95). I rode with caution.

Storm clouds were building so I pulled into a covered bank drive-through (the bank was closed) and put on my rain jacket. It rained lightly for two minutes. Yeah, well.

The motel desk clerk (yet another Gujurati!) started chatting with me. He could not believe how far I had ridden. He was so impressed that he upgraded me to a room with a king sized bed.

Dinner at the restaurant next door was beef teriyaki stir fry, a salad, and iced tea. It was mediocre but filled the tank. I topped it off with a two-day old gas station cherry pie in a box back at my room.

Tomorrow I enter New Hampshire. Because of my motel choice, I’ll need to ride 70 miles. I’m going to take my time and snack a lot. I hear there’s an excellent brewery pub in the town I’m staying in. Hydration is my middle name.