Day 61 Littleton, NH to Fryeburg, ME

Today was another day of riding that can only be described as nearly perfect.  The weather was great (not too hot and no rain), the route was scenic, and the ride was fairly easy.

We had breakfast at the same place we had dinner last night:  "Topic of the Town," in downtown Littleton.  They fed us well, and then we headed out.

Not far from Littleton, I saw this yard with all sorts of old service station paraphernalia.  It was great!

We rode along the very scenic Ammonoosic River for much of the morning. The scenery reminded me a lot of the Northwest.

I never knew there was a highway from Maine to Oregon!

I love this really small drive-in theatre not far from Bethlehem, NH.

The highlight of the day was in the White Mountains.

Mt. Washington is the highest peak east of the Rockies, and it's in the White Mountains.  We didn't ride over it, but by it.  The historic Mount Washington Hotel was on our route, and we were able to visit it!

Here are some views of the outside.

Here's some of what it's like inside.

Not long after we left the Hotel, we passed through Crawford Notch.  If this was in the west, we'd call it Crawford Pass.  It was an easy ride up and over it.

Here are some views on the downhill side of the notch.

In New York, I have my own town.  In New Hampshire, I have my own Baths!  The parking lot and road nearby were packed with cars and tourists.

This is Cathedral Ledge.

These alpacas had recently had haircuts!

The Swift River Bridge, 1869, is near the town of Conway, NH.  We didn't ride through it, but it was right next to the road we were on.  Margaret and Allen are posing in front of it.  Barb and Allen are taking pictures of the river, which I also took a picture of.

We're in Maine now, but we didn't get here until the last few miles of the ride.

We're staying at the Fryeburg Fairgrounds, and look at the cake the caterers made for us!

We spent most of the day riding in New Hampshire, and I have to say that I really like this state . . . at least what I saw of it today.  Most of the roads were well-maintained with wide shoulders, perfect for cycling on.  Even though it was a weekday, there were many cyclists out.  I'd definitely come back here to ride again.  From the few miles of roads I've seen in Maine and all the roads I've seen in Vermont and New Hampshire, New Hampshire wins the award for most bicycle-friendly state in this part of the country.

Tomorrow we ride a little more in Maine, then back to New Hampshire.  I'll be able to collect more road data . . .

This evening, after dinner, Greg handed out plaques to all the coast to coast riders, as well as the staff.  Larkin gave everyone keychains made with old bicycle chains.  It was all very touching, and I know that it's going to be really hard to say goodbye to everyone on Saturday.

Day 60 Stowe, VT to Littleton, NH

Last night it was pouring, and I was worried that we'd have to start out riding in hard rain.  We didn't!  The rain eased off, and it was mostly dry and not too warm as we left Stowe.  It felt like spring or fall at home.

I took some pictures along the way this morning, and the photos show that the clouds are getting darker and drearier as the morning goes on.

I didn't see any moose.  At least not in the allowed 1,500 feet.

By the lunch stop at Joe's Pond, VT, it was pretty wet out.

I think the duck wanted some of our food.

This little pedestrian covered bridge was not far from our lunch stop.  It's not old (1977), but I like it anyway.

We got on Highway 2 for awhile.  I'm told that this is the same Highway 2 that goes east from Everett, WA.

Here are some more Vermont views.

Peacham is a very cute and historic town.

Riding through Vermont on a bicycle is not easy.  The road conditions are, for the most part, horrible, and there's usually no shoulder.  There are also large trucks and fast cars on all the roads, even the roads that seem like they should be quiet country roads.  Finally, Vermont is the only state where a driver yelled at me to "Get off the f---ing road!"

So, goodbye Vermont!  After crossing the Connecticut River, we said, "Hello New Hampshire!"

I love the symbol for the state highways in New Hampshire.  It's The Old Man of the Mountain.

We were on another Scenic Byway.

Here are some views on the way to Littleton.

The welcome to Littleton sign advertises it as "The Main Street of the Mountains."  It's a cute little town.  It's got a neat old library and a church with a steeple, the kind I've seen in a lot of the little towns we've ridden through.

We're staying at the high school, and to get to the school, you have to go up a VERY steep hill.  As I was struggling up that hill, a man was taking pictures of me.  I learned later that he's from the newspaper.  I didn't get interviewed, so I may not make the cut.  We'll see.

Today's ride was good, but tough, with nearly 5,000 feet of climbing.  We were going up and down all day long.  Tomorrow we go to Maine, and we'll go through another "notch," but with half as much climbing as today.  It should be a great ride!