Sept. 5, 2003 Vermont & New York

With a lot of work from Marilane & Jerry the trip to Vermont was just a lot of fun. Ray was the one in the group who kept us moving. The only thing I did was get lost. Now Cyndee & Elliott did everything for us in New York. Yes, we got lost there too. Yes, it is true; I don’t do much planning when I am on a trip. Some day it will get me, but not yet.

There are two groups of people on this trip. The bike riders: Cyndee, Byran, Jerry, and Ray, and the OTHERS. Some people call them support. They were Carolyn, Elliott, Ilene and Marilane. (Without support a bike ride is hard to do; you have to come back to point A some time.)

My personal quest was for a maple bar and my obsession was to look through all the cemeteries. There is a cemetery about every mile I think. They can be as small as one stone in Vermont to as large as approximately one square mile in New York City.

9/05/03 - Day one

Our two flights went well. When we arrived at Albany, NY, there were Jerry, Marilane, Carolyn and Ray at the baggage carousel. It was fun to be back among biking people again. Some one who would ride 90 miles and say “that was fun.”

Jerry rented a van and we drove to the Amber Lantern Cabins by Lake George. Jerry’s niece, Lori and her husband, Tom, owned the cabins. There we assembled our bikes that we had shipped. It was a warm humid day. I dripped all over every thing. Lori and Tom treated us to a wonderful meal at their restaurant.

New York and Vermont was a lot like the coast range of Oregon, beautiful and green. The leaves were just starting to turn color.

I might be pushing it a little but it looked like there were about 500 old cars in Lake George. Lots of people and cars. It took 45 minutes to drive through the town on our way out.

We met Cyndee and her husband, Elliott, at her sister’s farm. We were lost. Asking the guy mowing his lawn didn’t help. We were still lost. So the lazy one in the back seat says, “ask the postman” and as usual it’s “turn at this building and go down this dirt road till you come to a hill and it will be at the top.” I love old country towns. A sign now and then would be nice but who needs one when you have a church. It is the only church in town and only one road going out of town that looks like a driveway to someone’s farm.

We finally found Laney and Matt’s farm. They welcomed us and found Cyndee and Elliott for us. Emma, Cyndee’s niece who is four, let us feed the chickens and pigs with her. We are finally all together.

9/06/03

We stayed at the Quill Gordon Bed and Breakfast. This is a great place. It is new, modern, and clean. They have a beautiful yard. You could sit out under the trees by the stream all day if there wasn’t RIDING to do! We will be spending two nights here.

9/07/03 - Day two or day one of the ride

Not too many cars on the ride today, great scenery, and the weather was sun, sun, sun with a little fog in the morning, cold, but warm in the noontime. Jerry, our leader got us lost but it was worth it. What a milestone. He just didn’t see that old house to turn at. (There was a sign.) On the way back I thought I knew where I was and yelled to Jerry that I was stopping for ice cream. It was good but when I left I went by a cemetery. I was gawking at it where I was supposed to turn. After 5 miles and no river, I went back to the Ice cream place. When I didn’t show up after 45 minutes, they came looking for me and saved me again. It was a 70-mile day. What fun! When they originally left me, Ray had the lead and Jerry followed him in at about 25 miles an hour.

Another interesting stop was a visit to an old school house that Laney and Matt (Cyndee’s sister) are refurbishing. Looks like a lot of work to me.

The OTHER group went to the Norman Rockwell Museum and two antique shops. Ilene really liked them. All went to Bennington for dinner at the Madison brewery.

Monday, September 8, we stayed at the Strong House Inn in Vergennes, VT.

The gal running the bed and breakfast got me two times. One time she served fresh grapes and put mint seeds on them. I was picking them off. She told me they belonged there. Then she gave me a mint leaf. Ilene’s was bigger and I gripped so ever one gave me theirs. They are so giving. The food here is very good, a warm morning and no fog.

We left at 9:00 a.m. with our water bottles full. Cyndee, Jerry, and Ray were reading the map and yes, Byran was off gawking. It turned out to be another great riding day. We searched for a maple bar for was Monday the day of “as the shop turns.” People here have not heard of a maple bar. They don’t even know what you are talking about. (This is the land of maple sugar) I am crushed; I am a wuss and I whine a lot. My friends help me through these hard times. “Get your -*-*- on the bike and shut up!” It was a 28-mile day.

The ride that day had a twist. A bee about four lbs was flying at me and I saw it from a long way off. It had a lot of yellow pollen on it and was going to hit me in the face so I ducked my head and it banged into my helmet. Yes, there were knats. My left eye caught one and I blinked a lot. The right eye was not to be out done so it caught one too. I am thinking it is time for Glasses.

The OTHERS visited Hildene (It means Hill and Valley), the 500-acre summer cottage of Robert Todd Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln’s descendants lived in this 24-room Georgian Revival mansion until 1975. Ilene’s favorite part was the Aeolian Organ, installed in 1908, with its 1,000 pipes.
We all went to the Maple Sugar factor and ate some Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. They were both great if you like sugar. I only like it by itself and in something.
September 9, and another great day. The natives say it has been raining a lot. We went 36 miles and rode by Lake Champlain. Yes, there were lots of graveyards. The size of the cemeteries were anywhere from one stone to a whole field of them. The houses were so big and the yards were about 4 or 5 football fields; every one must have a riding lawn mower. There were lots of cornfields too for feeding stock.
We arrived in MiddleBury and had a hot dog. They didn’t have any rearview mirrors for bikes in this town.
The Ladies went on the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory Tour in Shelburne. Elliott passed on this one. The tour showed how they were sewn and how the jointed arms and legs were done. The bears are well known, very cute with all their outfits, and very expensive. The girls enjoyed it.
We stayed at the Inn at Blush Hill this day and the next. Yes, I am up to no good here. I conned the OTHERS (Elliott was too smart) into a walk to a graveyard by way of the west and south fence of this B & B. I didn’t know my nickname only had four letters in it.
9-10-03
There was a golf course across the street from the B & B. One interesting thing is there were no worms after dark on the golf course. I know you wanted to know that; a lot of people asked.
We rode to Waterbury. There were very few cars on this 40-mile day. When I arrived back at the B & B, they talked about a reservoir two miles away. A side trip is in order and off I go down the hill. Water is usually at the bottom and it was fun biking back. There was very little water in the reservoir; they were fixing it.
The OTHERS shopped till they dropped. We all went to the Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream tour. Free Samples included in your $2 tour price!!! I could learn to like this ice cream. Dinner tonight was at a fine restaurant called Sarducci’s.
9-11-03
Four people sitting on a wall looking at a map - changing our route (modifying) our options back to original plans to E. Burke. We had dinner at The Old Cutter Inn, the restaurant connected to our B & B. We will be here two nights. It was very good and we got to try Escargot. Since we were all about the same age, Cyndee wondered who had been married the longest. Cyndee and Elliott had been married 34 years; Ilene and I, 35 years; Jerry & Marilane, 36 years; and Ray and Carolyn, 44 years. That makes 149 years combined marital experience.
9/12/03
It is a sad day because we are having a lot of fun and it is our last day of riding. The book says rolling and flat. All I can say was “he was a good strong rider.” The cemeteries kept coming and I got to look at all of them. The lakes are great to look at but to describe them would not do them justice. The book said there would be lot of traffic and if you went this other way not so much. Jerry said, “If this is a busy road, I wonder what an unbusy road looks like?” One of the natives said getting hit by a moose would be better odds on the other road.
I stopped and picked apples along side the road. The OTHERS stopped at the store and bought all kinds of vegetables to cook and a yummy cake. There was no meat just vegetables and applesauce. The ladies cooked up a great meal. It was a six star. It was better than any restaurant so far. We ate outside on a picnic table and enjoyed great food and great friends. What a way to end a week!




9-13-03

We left Cyndee and Elliott this morning and started driving toward Lake George once again. Jerry was our driver. We stopped about halfway in Weston, VT and visited the Vermont Country Store. It had about everything but a maple bar but a great place to shop. Jerry was watching the bikes and got a little hurt when some guy was asking about my $500 bike. His $5,000 bike was next to it on the bike rack.

When we got back to Lake George, the bikes went back into their boxes. Fine Dinning Adventures: Jerry quote “So far it is off the scale.” On a 1 to 10 it is a –0.

9-14-03

Jerry and Marilane dropped us off in town an their way to Mass. Ray and Carolyn went one way and I went another. Ilene washed clothes at the cabin. I found this shirt that was just like the natives wear. When it came time to pick me up, they left me. I blended in so well my friends could not find me. Now you would think a BRIGHT Tie-dyed t-shirt would have been bright enough to see. My wife was the only one who could find me in the crowds. (Actually, I was the only one on the sidewalk).

Ray, Carolyn, Ilene and I went on a two-hour boat ride and then I went on a tour of Fort William Henry with Ray. I liked the fort. Jerry & Marilane picked us up at the boat and the gang all had ice cream together. It was then a little more shopping and back to the cabins. We visited out under the trees for a while and then left for dinner. It was the last night with a great group and dinner this night was much better than the previous one.
9-15-03
Jerry and Marilane took Ray and Carolyn to the airport and then dropped us off at the train station in Albany. We took the train to Penn Station where Elliott picked us up and then gave us a tour of Manhattan and Queens. We saw Park Avenue, Times Square, and Rockefeller Center. Marilane said we would not see the sun for the big buildings and there would be a sea of yellow taxi’s. She was right.

I guess if you put driving in New York City into one word, it would be “amazing.” The yellow line in the road is not used and the pedestrians rule the roads in town. New York City driving has to be experienced. Elliott and the others seem so relaxed, yet alert. It works well for them; they are used to it, but I have no desire to drive there. The people have the right-of-way and as Cyndee says the cross walks and lights are for wusses. It is more fun in the middle of the block. We are having a great time.
That night we met Cyndee and Elliott’s son, Tom, and his girl friend Lindsey. We enjoyed visiting with them over a nice dinner at their home.

9/16/03

Our day started with a car ride, then a train ride, our first cab ride, and a 3-hour boat tour. The tour gave us so much information on New York that my mind could only take in about a tenth of it.

After our boat trip we visited the Empire State Building. We went up to the top and saw the City from the “clouds.” It was awesome. Cyndee and Elliot picked us up. We went to an old tavern with sawdust on the floors. A very colorful place. They went to a play with their son and we went out to dinner and then Starbucks while waiting for them.

9-17-03

We went to Coney Island. The rides were closed for the season but we were still able to get a famous “Nathan” hot dog. We went to the aquarium. There was this Walrus who, Elliott said, thought it was show time. You would have to have been there. They are so big. There were little Sea Horses that looked like specks and many other neat things.

I went down on the peer and watched them fish. It was the usual, well not really. A guy put in this square net that caught fish about two inches long for bait. The guy next to him brought up nothing and that is the usual part.

The boardwalk was wide - about 50 feet or so. We put our feet in the Atlantic and I was wishing I had my suit. A short swim would have been fun. There were a few people swimming and it wasn’t cold. It was warm on the beach; the sand is harder than here. I could have spent the rest of the day there.

Well back to New York and one of the best dinners yet, but before dinner we visited the Irish Hunger Memorial. We ate outside at the Southwest NY Restaurant with the most magnificent sunset behind the New York City skyline. It just didn’t get any better than this. After dinner we took a walk and saw the big footprint where the twin towers use to be.

9-18-03

In New York there are not many places to put your car and it is very expensive to park it for any length of time. We wanted to try the public transit and give Elliott a day to do his things. Elliot took us to the train station. We rode to Penn Station then to South Ferry on the subway, picked up the Ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Yes, we got a little misplaced going back but Ilene figured it out and we made it back before we ended up in the Bronx. The wind from Hurricane Isabel was blowing hard but it was still quite warm and humid. It was good for walking and the spray from the mouth of the Hudson River was blowing over the walk.

Elliot made a great dinner for us. Meatloaf and blueberry pie and blue berry Muffins that I ate for breakfast the next morning.

9-19-03

We saw the U.S.S. Intrepid, an Aircraft Carrier commissioned in 1943 and fought through numerous campaigns in the Pacific during WW II. She survived several kamikaze, bomb, and torpedo attacks. In the 1960’s she served as a prime recovery vessel for NASA and served 3 combat tours during Vietnam. We also saw the USS Edson, a destroyer, and the first guided-missile submarine, the U.S.S. Growler.

We used the cab service four times from Penn Station to the docks. There was one time the driver took us for “a ride.” Oh well, it could have been worse. Ilene and I got a big laugh out of it.

Time to eat again. Went to the Crab House for dinner – A great place, decorated in antique/garage sale. The food was great. I had a one-pound lobster, little neck clams, mussels, crab, ribs, BBQ chicken leg and thigh, a portion of onion rings and corn on the cob. All this for only $25.50. I am still full. Ilene had a prime rib that was 2 inches thick x 14 inches and looked like a roast. It was even too much for the Adkins diet.

9-20-03

Elliot & Cyndee drove us to the train and showed us how to retrieve our train ticket, which we purchased on line. We took a cab from Albany train station to Albany airport. Two flights later, we are at PDX Airport and there are Myran and Trina waiting for us.

What a fabulous two weeks! What does a guy like me do when he gets home? Cut firewood. A tree was cut down making way for two houses and the wood was going to be Recycled. Greg said, “come and get it if you want it.” It was about five foot at the base and 150 ft. tall. Eleven pick up and 5 trailer loads. My dad (85 years old. I hope I am still walking then.) and I did most of it with help from Myran and Greg. Now to finish splitting it and stacking it. Retired life is so boring.

There are about four places to consider for next year: California, Colorado, France, Rails to Trails, and then there is always Kansas. It will be great to be back with my biking friends and the OTHERS!