| DAY THREE Queechee, VT to Contoocook, NH 88 miles |
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Morning camp in Queechee as the tents start coming down. My tentmate, a stranger to me prior to Montreal, approached me out of the blue during registration and asked me to be her tentmate. Neither of us snore, so it was a perfect match; I could not have gotten a better tentmate! We rode out of camp together each morning and eventually separate from each other but then meet up again at the close of the night to discuss the day's activities. This is just another example of how easy it is to meet nice, cool people that you can instantly trust, without knowing anything about them beforehand. |
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On the road again. The route was misty and foggy in the early hours, but once again, cleared up quickly. As we rode along the Vermont roads, somehow a new dimension was crossed. While on what I thought were still Vermont roads, I encountered one of the many covered bridges that this area has to offer. Sensing a nice photo-op, I pull over and take a picture of it. The bridge ends in a T-bone to the road that we were riding on. At the end of the bridge's point of view there is a sign saying that one is entering New Hampshire, leading me to believe that the borderline is the bridge and river that it crosses over. Then where did I come from? I wasn't already in NH!?! It felt as if I transcended time and space at that moment--I'm sure that it added a few extra miles to my Ride. Despite this momentous occasion, I jumped back on the bike and continued riding as this self portrait (while en route) can attest.
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This
day's lunch was set on Lake Sunapee in Newbury, NH. There was a festive
New Orleans theme at the lunch spot, with beads and other Mardi Gras
paraphernalia flowing everywhere. More authentic was the heat. Today
marked the late-summer heat wave. I was able to go through the whole
day with just short sleeves not only for the rest of the day, but for
the whole ride. I was getting flack from lotsa people because of my
lack of visible spandex. All I can say in my defense is that I'm not
really racing for time in this adventure nor do I need skin tights for
aerodynamic purposes. It's just a casual stroll through northern New
England. Besides, it's better to look good than to feel good.
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The
rest of the day was a rally to the next camp. The day was much too hot
to waste baking in the sunlight.
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