June 12, 2008
Day 31: New Gloucester, ME to Fryeburg, ME
53.28 miles, 4:02:47 Ride Time, 13.16 Average Speed, 31.65 Maximum Speed
Joe was riding his bike to work in Yarmouth this morning, so I was out around 7:15, accompanying him as far as Gray, where I split off. I actually backtracked on yesterday's route as far as Standish, and then found my way to route 113 ("The Pequawket Trail") for the remaining 25+ miles to Fryeburg (pop. 3,083).
The ride was pleasant until the last 20 miles, when I rode into the strongest headwind of the last month. I decided to call it a day in the small town of Fryeburg after only about 50 miles. I still hadn't caught up on sleep after the restless night in the hostel in Dudley. Also, I needed to do a few errands, and clean the bike and panniers, which had been coated yesterday with an insane amount of pollen. The stuff had gotten on/in everything.
Joe and Karen had recommended the Jockey Cap Motel over the expensive B&Bs in town, so I stopped at an auto parts store to ask the guys working there where it was. The first guy didn't there was a motel in town at all, but his coworker was more helpful. (The first guy's unhelpful response might be explained by his answer to my question "What is there to do in Fryeburg?" His answer: "Drinking.")
The motel is next to a general store owned by the same nice couple - the Quinns . I arrived at the hectic height of lunch hour at the store, which is also the motel's office, but was taken care of pretty quickly, and was in my room before 1:00.
After resting a few hours, I gave the bike an overdue cleaning, washed some clothes (the usual half-assed job in the sink), and worked on this journal. Thus the afternoon passed pleasantly enough.
There was no internet access in the motel itself, but the Quinns had told me I was welcome to bring my laptop into the busy store, where there was WiFi. I spent a few hours there uploading photos, half watching CNN, and listening to the lively conversation of the store's employees and customers. (One topic of conversation: The recent sighting of Steven King in the area, and "what must run through that man's mind"). As in Massachusetts, the pronounced accents of some of the people reminded me that I was pretty far from home.
Around 6:30 I was suddenly very hungry, so I walked across the road to a pizza place and ordered the "special" advertised on the sign outside: A 16 inch two-topping pizza, french fries and a 2 Liter of soda (Diet Pepsi, of course). The girl working there seemed impressed/amused/disgusted that I planned to eat all of it myself. While the pizza was being made, I went on a search for "Moxie" soda, which had been recommended to me. This regional favorite was not favored by the people working at the Quinn's store: "Yuck", "It's terrible", and "We don't have it." The grocery store next to the pizza place did have it, but the girl working there was also not a fan, and warned me that I probaby wouldn't like it. Undaunted, I bought a bottle, and took it back with me to the motel with my dinner.
After eating at a picnic table outside my room (everything was good, including the Moxie, despite its odd, indescribable aftertaste), and using my laptop at the store until they closed at 8:00, I retired for the evening, and turned the television to the Turner Classic Movies channel. I stayed up late watching "The Good Earth", which I had last seen, (and been impressed with), when I was about twelve years old. The movie still held up, including the great locust invasion scene, but it does seem odd now that a film about Chinese peasants featured a cast of obviously caucasian Hollywood stars.
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Today's ride: 53 miles (85 km)
Total: 2,210 miles (3,557 km)
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