Day 67 Portland, ME

June 30, 2019

ALMOST an uneventful day

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We left Ogunquit this morning with a choice of 51, 42 and 35 mile routes. Rain was forecast for early afternoon, but we figured we'd see what happened as we rode.

It was a good ride. We spent much of the day on US 1. There was a good shoulder most of the time and the traffic wasn't too heavy.

We haven't seen many corn fields lately.

We always say that we follow the berries north. Strawberries are ripe in this part of Maine now.

There were also some interesting automotive sights.

Someone's been waiting for this tow for a long time.

We rode up to Scarborough. There we had the choice of the long way through Cape Elizabeth or the much shorter (and flatter) way straight up US 1 to Portland. It was overcast, but not raining and there was a little blue sky visible, so there was no way Kerry was going to take the short way. It was a pretty ride around Cape Elizabeth and we ended up at Fort Williams Park and the Portland Head Lighthouse.

There were some steep hills into the park and lots of people walking around, so we got lots of encouragement as we pedaled up. We talked to a few people about the bike and the trip, but I didn't get any names or pictures. I wasn't inclined to chat for long because the sky ahead looked like this:

We made it just about a mile toward Portland from the park when the rain started. We were very lucky to be right at a planned stop at a gas station when the big drops came. We hung out and talked with the very interesting clerk while we waited for the storm to pass. After about twenty minutes, the rain had nearly stopped and the lightening had passed over us, so we headed out for the last nine miles. We could have taken a short cut to the hotel about two miles in, but Kerry wasn't sure of the route and he really wanted to go to this train place he had found online.

We visited the Maine Narrow Gauge RR Museum. They offer rides on a little train and have a small museum.

There were five narrow gauge railroads in Maine from the late 1800's until the last one closed in 1943. The Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes was the first one in 1879.

The railroad company bought this 1926 Model T and modified it to ride on the rails. The railroad superintendent was the primary user, but the town doctor also used it to transport patients who needed urgent care in a larger town.

The narrow gauge tracks - only two feet apart

Just as we were ready to leave the museum, another thunderstorm hit. This one took a full half hour to pass, but Kerry didn't mind as it allowed him more time to explore the museum. After the storm passed, we only had four miles to go. The route was on a bike path which all the rain had left with huge puddles. Kerry was able to maneuver around them and kept us dry.

We were riding on the Back Cove Trail and saw this. It is the Back Cove Swing Railroad Bridge, built in 1848. The bridge remained in use until 1984 when it was severely damaged by arson. It is now open all the time.

We turned off the trail onto the street to the hotel with less than a mile to go. We were feeling so pleased to have ridden the entire planned route and avoided riding anything but a few sprinkles. Then BOOM! Our rear tire failed and the tube exploded. Kerry kept control of the bike and we stopped safely. It was only 1/2 mile to the hotel, so we pushed the bike the rest of the way.

Once in the motel, Kerry installed new tires and cleaned and lubed the bike, so we're good to go tomorrow.

Today's ride: 51 miles (82 km)
Total: 2,560 miles (4,120 km)

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Keith A. SpanglerGuys, congrats on the safe travels so far. I’ve enjoyed your travels; been familiar with the routes so far. Can’t wait to see the Canada routes. Stay in touch
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5 years ago

Alain AbbateGlad you were able to keep control when the tire blew. There's no good place for a tire failure, but at least you were close enough to your destination to walk it in.
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5 years ago