Hello All,
Paula and I recently went on a three day trip through Maine, New
Hampshire and Vermont. We covered a total (per the Bike's trip meter) of
705 miles. Here is our general route: http://bit.ly/1a1vb07 We did take a
couple of side trips and such here and there.
This was a trip of firsts - it was the first time that Paula had
spent any significant time in either New Hampshire or Vermont, it was the
first time either of us had gone motorcycle camping and although I've had
my motorcycle license for a long time now - it was the first time I've
operated a motorcycle outside the state of Maine.
The bike, a 2007 Yamaha V-Star 1300 Tour, ran like a Swiss watch,
loaded down with the two of us, and a good amount of gear.
We tried to avoid interstates and we did so, with the exception of
the portion from Augusta to Sanford, ME. Going down side roads through this
portion of Maine would have added several hours to the trip.
There are many different types of road trips - this one was a free
form trip with a minimal amount of planning involved. In fact, the only two
things we planned on were the campgrounds that we stayed at. Other than
that, the only 'objective' was to hit all three state capitols.
We left from Waterville, Maine after spending some time with
Paula's best friend at about 4:45 PM on the 18th. The last thing we did in
Waterville was have me blow out the candle on a cupcake - it was my
birthday. About 25 minutes later, we were at the Maine State House in
Augusta - photo taken, we topped off nearby and headed South.
Some months back - Javier Garcia and I had a discussion on GPS
bags - I wound up buying one that I felt had a better mounting than the one
he bought - http://amzn.to/18g3rWq - and this worked flawlessly all through
the trip - with a Garmin Nuvi inside. My idea of an easy, low stress trip
is to punch the destination into the GPS and improvise if you get hungry or
need fuel. This approach worked very well on this trip - as we bailed off
the Turnpike in Sanford, ME, and worked our way South, pausing at the
'Welcome to New Hampshire' sign for a photo op. Stomachs growling, we began
to look for eateries and the points of interest in the GPS worked out in
our favor. We stumbled on 'The Farm' -
http://www.farmbargrille.com/dover/home - and I can tell you that the
burgers are quite good. After eating - we headed for our Campground -
http://www.saddlebackcampground.com/index.htm - SaddleBack in Northwood,
NH. We arrived at 9:15 PM or so - and managed to put together the two man
tent with the aid of a street light. Note for any tenters - do a test setup
of your tent before you try to use it in the field - it makes things
easier. We turned in - our Pond-front spot allowed us to be lulled to sleep
with the occasional croaking frog.
Morning arrived - we packed up and headed out. A secondary
objective for me at least, was to stay away from chain eateries and go to
local places, meet people, soak in the atmosphere. The Northwood Diner met
these requirements - including being owned by a fellow rider. The first not
so good news of the day was that rain was expected for that area. Breakfast
eaten - we were back on the bike and headed for Concord. Pulling up in
front of the State house - I setup the tripod, using the bike's handlebar
to hold it at the proper height. (It was designed for stuff like this - the
utility of the Gorilla Pod still amazes me - http://bit.ly/8Dplqc - check
them out) Since we left, we had discovered a flaw in the rigging holding
the sleeping bags on the top of the saddle bags. The straps were barely
long enough to do the job, and were very difficult to fasten. This, and an
insufficient sleeping pad required a brief run to the local Wal-Mart. What
we didn't pick up, or bring, was any sort of rain gear. This will come back
later in the story. Paula's do-it-yourself attitude and creativity had the
straps re-made in the Wal-Mart parking lot, as I stood there and wondered
what I've done to find this wonderful, handy, woman. I also took the
opportunity to check the GPS settings and discovered that I had neglected
to set it to ignore Interstates. That small change made and our journey
continued - headed for Montpelier, VT. Our route took us through Andover,
NH and a quick turn brought us to a stop at the Bear Hollow Trading Post -
http://www.bearhollowtradingpost.com/ - and upon our arrival, Molly, the
shop Boston Terrier came over to say Hi. Nice people and with the pending
opening of a bakery next door, it should be a great spot to stop for a
mid-ride snack. We were looking to start Paula's collection of 'States
We've Visited Shot Glasses' and were referred to the Colonial Pharmacy in
New London, known for having a selection of souvenirs. One purchase made -
one Happy Paula - we took a chance on MacKenna's Restaurant. I agree with
the trip adviser rating - http://bit.ly/10Qivbf - Average. We turned
Northwest again, pausing in White River Junction at the visitor's center,
located in the railroad station in downtown. Just a tip - if you're going
on a trip to Vermont - stop in New Hampshire if possible to fill up your
gas tank - once on the VT side of the border, the prices jump.
Both I 89 and Route 14 head Northwest out of WRJ - let me tell you
something, Route 14 is a very scenic piece of asphalt. A few miles up 14
in Sharon, VT is the Sharon Trading Post. Quite possibly THE stereotypical
country store - Gas - a deli - the usual snacks and T-shirts that say
'Sharon, VT - What happens here, stays here - but nothing ever really
happens here'. Yeah, I could have stayed for a while. It also happened to
be a spot to pick up the Vermont shot glass for Paula's collection - that
done - we rolled further North west.
A few miles up the road we encountered the first rain we really
hit the entire trip. It wasn't much - but it was enough to make us think
about adding some trash bags to our bags in hopes of keeping everything
dry. In addition we were getting to the point where I figured the reserve
fuel light could come on at any time. Not knowing the area - I tend to fuel
up early, not late. We pulled up a few towns later to a gas station and I
topped off the tank. The weather looked considerably clearer than it had
maybe a half hour earlier and I told Paula not to bother with the trash
bags. Mental note - 'Better to be safe than sorry' - remember and execute
that more often :-)
By the time we rolled into Montpelier, it was beginning to rain. I
setup the camera in front of the state house - using the bike as a tripod
holder again - and we jumped back onto the bike, after trash bagging our
baggage. It was a damp ride to St. Johnsbury - periods of rain mixed with
periods of drizzle. Given the rain - it was decided we would postpone
dinner until the tent was setup and we had at least stowed our gear. We
rolled into the Moose River Campground - https://mooserivercampground.com/ -
where we were met with a wonderful reception. Our site setup, we jumped
back on the bike and went for what might be the best pizza in St. Johnsbury
- http://bit.ly/16PRSYW - Ramunto's Brick Oven Pizza. Try one with 'The
Works' - you can thank me later :-) Back at the campground - the rain
continued off and on throughout the night. Our tent was located very close
to the nearby stream - and this bubbling soothing sound was one that was
very easy to fall asleep to.
The morning of the 20th, we awoke to a light rain that of course
got heavier as we broke camp. With the bike loaded, trash bags in place for
additional water proofing, we made for Littleton, NH. Although off our
route, it added a couple of nice opportunities - one, a Wal-Mart with Frogg
Toggs and two, the unexpected pleasure of the Littleton Diner, featured on
the Food Channel. Its worth the trip. An old diner thats been restored -
not updated - with good food: http://bit.ly/16PUh5H - Make the trip if you
can. After breakfast, we scooted up through Whitefield, NH and picked up
Route 2 east. A brief stop for a stretch and gas in Gorham, NH, we were
soon over the line and back in Maine. Turning left in Rumford, we made for
Kingfield, about 50 miles from the Canadian border. Being as we were on the
early side of the tourist season, we found the only restaurant in town open
- Longfellow's: http://www.longfellowsme.com/ - good food and a view of the
river out the back windows.
Taking the long way home, we dropped into Skowhegan, then down
Route 201 to Waterville, then cut over to the Unity and East on Route 9
towards home.
We arrived - the Dog very happy to see both of us - and wished we
could have kept going :-)
An illustrated version of this trip report is coming - as soon as
I can get all the pictures from the various cameras together and posted.
Enjoy!
-Joey
--
-Joey Kelley
JoeyKelley.com - My Life Online
JoeyFixesComputers.com - Its What I Do!
JoeyKelleyPhoto.com - Photographing Today, For Tomorrow
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