Wherever I May Roam: Day 18

Wow, where to start? Today was a beautiful day, could not have better riding weather if you ask me! I started the day in Saint John, which left me with a little over an hour to get to the USA border. It was a cool morning but the sun made it feel really nice, as did Kutless playing on the stereo. I sometime forget I even have the capability now to play music, which is often a good thing, but today it was nice to hear some worship music.

It was a quick and painless border crossing once again, a look at the passport and a few questions was all it took. A few cars a head of me a family was pulled aside and had to go into the building, so I was wondering what would happen with me.

I was looking forward to the day's ride, but was a little concerned about the large amount of turns and small back roads I'd be taking. It's a bit of a change getting used to not working from a metric system, and it wasn't just simple interstate riding today. The bulk of the day was on smaller roads at 50mph or less, taking right around 11 hours to ride 728km, stops included.

Once I crossed the border it was amazing the amount of bikes I met, I saw more bikes today than in the first 17 days combined, not a word of a lie. I'm sure it helped that the weather was perfect and it was a Sunday. I took highway 9 to Bangor, and then hit the interstate south to Augusta. That's when it got interesting, as the next 300km or so was all on back roads through the heart of Maine, New Hampshire, and into Vermont. That is some amazing country to ride through, and someday I'm coming back to this area to spend some time here instead of just riding through. Rolling hills, tree covered mountains, and winding roads make for a spectacular experience.

It probably helped the experience that it was a Sunday as everyone was out enjoying the day. They were quadding, boating on the lakes, biking, on lakefront beaches, watersking, and BBQ'ing. The smells of campfires and food being grilled added to the relaxation of the day, as did all the scenery one could take in at low speed. Unfortunately I didn't take a lot of pictures today, as there often weren't good spots to pull over. I've often heard that the fall is a good time of year to come through here, and now I know why, it would be breathtaking I'm sure.

After checking in at the hotel I spent some time outside trying to track down an annoying rattle that I've heard the last few days. I never could quite tell where it was coming from, but finally found it today. It's from the aftermarket doors I put on the lower fairings, not exactly a surprise as I was not happy with them when they arrived in winter. At least I know now where it's coming from, and it's nothing important. In the process I got to talking with 4 guys from the Boston area, and we talked riding and bikes for almost an hour. They were pretty jacked at the length of the trip I'm on, and it did kind of put into perspective how much I've seen so far. It really is a dream come true to be taking these bike trips, only problem is the more I do it the more I want to. I guess that's a good reason to get up and work once I'm back at home!