Belfast to Searsport to Bucksport to Verona to Orland to East Orland to Ellsworth to Trenton to Town Hill to Mount Desert to Bar Harbor

Last night Meg, my Warmshowers host, made bean burritos and salad. It was very tasty.

At around 9 we both retired to our bedrooms. I slept well and woke up around 6:30. Once again I couldn’t tell if my host was sleeping or out for a walk. After hanging out for a while, I headed out for the day’s ride. I sent Meg a big thank you message. She was a great host.

I retraced my way to Belfast. This involved a couple of miles on a rail trail along the Passagassawakeag River. A very chill way to start the day.

I crossed the river in town on a bike/ped bridge. The route then joined US 1 which was not particularly busy on this Sunday morning.

In Searsport I stopped at a cafe for breakfast. Eggs, bacon, potato hash, coffee, and some truly delicious blueberry bread.

I think I had a tailwind going up the coast. The road was in pretty good shape too. (Later in the day I endured expansion joints. I hate them.)

As I approached Bucksport, I saw a huge cable stayed suspension bridge. This bridge design is very popular these days. This bridge had two towers, the western tower had an observation deck some 40-stories above the bridge deck.

Heart

0

Comment

0

Link

Log in to comment or reply

Heart

0

Comment

0

Link

Log in to comment or reply

Heart

0

Comment

0

Link

Log in to comment or reply

Heart

0

Comment

0

Link

Log in to comment or reply

I had to check it out. Visibility was good. For $5.50 you take an elevator to near the top. The observation deck has three levels. After my visit I rode across the bridge in a very wide shoulder lane. I get the sense that Maine thinks about more than motor vehicles when they build things.

In Bucksport I stopped at a Circle K gas station convenience store. The clerk inside was singing and saying excessively cheery things to the customers. It felt like a Candid Camera moment. The store actually had my favorite bike foods, bananas and cherry pies in a box.

Just after finishing my snack on a bench outside, a bike tourist pulled up. Nick is from the German-speaking part of Switzerland, just like Martin Arnold whom I met in North Dakota on my 2018 tour. Nick started in Key West and rode the entire coast except for New York City to Boston where he took Amtrak. He was frustrated that so many camping places turned him away. He blamed it on his poor English. His English was actually quite good; the campground owners were just assholes.

I said goodbye to Nick and hit the road. A few miles before Ellsworth, as I was riding up a long gradual hill, I saw a bike tourist zoom down the other side of the road. I can’t blame him for not stopping. A few minutes later a second bike tourist came zooming down. This one crossed the road to chat. Matt began in Bangor (pronounced banger) and was headed to Florida. The other rider was also named Matt, and he was going to Oregon. Florida Matt and I exchanged info and said our “safe travels”.

Ellsworth is a car sewer with all the charm of US 1 in Fairfax County, Virginia or Central New Jersey. I think Ellsworth is where I-95 traffic and US 1 traffic merge to go south to Mount Desert Island. After 20 minutes in car paradise (that’s sarcasm, folks) I pulled over and had a soft serve vanilla ice cream.

After my snack, it was time to finish the ride. The next twenty miles took me onto and through Mount Desert Island. It’s somewhat hilly but the route I took was lightly trafficked and pleasantly verdant.

Down I flew into Bar Harbor town. It’s a very quaint place that would be much nicer without a gazillion tourists. Bar Harbor is the northern terminus of Adventure Cycling’s Atlantic Coast Route. I have now ridden in its entirety from Key West to here.

I walked around the waterfront for a while then went into a bar and had a fried haddock sandwich, a bowl of clam chowder, and iced tea and water. All was good. The bartender must have refilled my two glasses three times. I walked out water logged.

The ride to the motel was a mile farther than I expected. The motel advertised views of the ocean so I was expecting it to be down near the shore. Nope. It’s on a bluff. The last half mile was a pretty challenging climb.

My room is nice and clean. On my way here I bought a beer and a bag of Dot’s pretzels. I am all about healthy eating.

Tomorrow is a day of active rest. I will probably spend the day riding unloaded on the carriage trails in Acadia National Park.

Mikes today: 69.5