Day 28: Dudley Home Hostel (Northwest of Dudley, MA) to West Windham, NH

June 9, 2008

88.08 miles, 7:12:17 Ride Time, 12.22 Average Speed, 33.82 Maximum Speed

A long, hot day with several things gone comically wrong at the end.

I got only a couple of hours of sleep in the hostel last night, after waking up repeatedly, and finally, at about 4:00, I was up for good. I had packed everything on the bike the night before, and had slept in my cycling clothes, in an attempt to make my earliest start ever in order to beat the expected heat and humidity (several people yesterday had told me, a little too gleefully, that it might even reach 99 degrees).

I rode out at 4:45, as soon as it was barely light, and a half hour later when I rode through Oxford (pop. 13,352), I was already sweating. Most of the next several miles was unexceptional, except around West Sutton, where I rode on some of the roughest pavement I'd seen in a month.

Traffic was heavy as I rode through the larger towns of Westborough and Northborough, where I stopped at a police station to double-check the route through town, and was told to go straight after "the rotary." I was puzzled briefly - did he mean the Rotary Club building or something? - until I saw that "rotary" is what people here call a traffic roundabout.

After making my way through Westborough and Northborough, it was a relief to ride into a nice (if hilly) section on quiet country roads - farms, stone fences, several shady stretches, and not much traffic.

I stopped near Bolton at a farm that lured me with signs advertising ice cream, pies, honey, apples, pears and sandwiches, but was disappointed to find the place closed (despite a large "OPEN" sign that was visible from the road). This has happened to me several times - how do these places stay in business with their erratic hours, anyway? While I was verifying that no one was there, I walked up to the window where you would place your order (if only someone were there to take it), and found a box containing a large, warm apple pie. Someone's name was on the outside of the box; it must have been left there for them to pick up (and I must have just missed someone at the farm). I was tempted, but I left the pie alone.

On to Harvard (pop. 1,200), another nice little town. I stopped at an old-fashioned looking general store, only to learn from the owner that the place wasn't opening for ANOTHER WEEK. How many times has this happened to me on this trip? On the guy's recommendation, I went off the Adventure Cycling route onto the busy State Route 110/111 for a few miles and stopped at a Dunkin' Donuts, where, after a flatbread sandwich, smoothie, and Diet Pepsi, I felt much better. Going off the route had actually shaved off a few miles, which was helpful on what was turning into the hottest and most humid day yet.

Somewhere around Groton or Dunstable I passed the seventy-mile mark for the day, and it was barely 1:00 - probably a record for me. Soon I rode into New Hampshire, where the day turned to crap.

Hudson (pop. 22,928), a few miles off the route, was big enough to have several motels, although I would have to ride through the usual non-bicycle-friendly roads to get to any of them. Earlier, I had settled on a Days Inn as the closest one to my route, but of course, in the heat and traffic, it seemed farther. After a couple missed turns, I did finally spot it in the distance, but when I rode into the parking lot, I found that it had gone out of business.

I stood in disbelief in the weed-choked, trash-strewn, cracked-pavement parking lot of the place, and had a minor meltdown. After a few phone calls to Peter and Kristie, who helpfully agreed to make some calls to find other motels in town, I moved across the street to a Dunkin' Donuts, my new favorite place in the world. The only other motels in town were expensive, and even farther off my route, so I just backtracked several miles through the busy traffic in Hudson (made worse by some road work), and rode about ten miles to the Great Eagle Motel.

The Great Eagle was in the middle of nowhere on State Route 111, and was the typical old, semi-shabby place probably built in the 1950's, and not renovated since. There was no ice machine on the premises; the only ice available was in the crusty little tray in the refrigerator in my room. The air conditioner could not keep up with the 95+ degree heat. The wireless internet, which actually emanated from the residence, above my room, of the Indian family that ran the place, worked intermittently at best.

Because I was at least a couple of miles from anything, and was definitely finished riding (or walking) for the day, I ordered a large pizza and three COLD liters of soda from a pizza place. Despite my (repeated) emphasis on COLD, the kid who delivered my pizza handed me three warm bottles. No tip for you!

I quickly ate my pizza, which was actually pretty good, and drank as much of the Diet Coke as I could before my eight ice cubes melted. In a final insult of the day, a guy on an imitation Harley checked in next door, and entertained himself revving its loud engine. Those guys do like their annoying, noise-polluting toys. There oughta be a law, etc. etc.

Today's ride: 88 miles (142 km)
Total: 2,013 miles (3,240 km)

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