I ended my summer doing two of my favorite things – riding my bicycle and connecting with the friends I have made through my work in Haiti.  Len and Cheryl Ann Gengel invited me to their beach house in Wells, ME.  I had to say yes to the good people, good food, and good beach.  Then I decided to ride my bike, 95 miles each way, to experience New England at that turning point of summer to fall.  I biked through 26 towns in three states, eight hours each way.  Here is a bit of what I saw along the way.

Cambridge, MA – Fresh Pond was my start and end point.

Somerville, MA – I crossed over Powderhouse Blvd, where I lived when my children were born.

Medford, MA – The Royall Mansion

Malden, MA – Salem Street is full of aging commercial

Stoneham, MA – The Fellsway is a great bike route close to the city

Melrose, MA – Melrose has a smashing new Middle School

Wakefield, MA – Lake Quannapowitt and the gazebo are this town’s landmarks

Lynnfield, MA – Beyond Route 128 everything spreads out.  Lynnfield has an extensive historic district.

Peabody, MA – Yikes!  The bike trail that was supposed to by-pass Route 1 is not paved so I have to navigate the spaghetti of highways as best I can.

Danvers, MA – Sylvan Street seems to be the best way to keep off the highways…

Beverly, MA – …until I enter Beverly and realize I am way off track

Wenhem, MA – There are horse signs everywhere.

Topsfield, MA – I finally get back on track in Topsfield.

Ipswich, MA – I have a long slog on Route 1, but there is little traffic and a wide shoulder and the view across the marshes is still spectacular.

Rowley, MA – I skirt the highway to explore Rowley, where I find great barbeque for lunch on my return.

Newburyport, MA – This is the midway point. The worst stretch of the whole trip is the mile leading to the Merrimac River bridge.  A sudden cloud douses me with rain, there is no shoulder, I hit a pothole, and my front light goes flying.  It’s a minor inconvenience but it rattles.

Salisbury, MA – Route 1A turns east and I finally get to the beach!

Seabrook, NH – The ride up the NH coast is incredible. Even the Seabrook nuclear plant cannot diminish the exhilaration of a perfect cycling day.  75 degrees and overcast; by now my legs rotate on their own accord.

Hampton Beach, NH – On my way up, I take a break to enjoy the honky-tonk and have a sausage and pepper sub along the beach.

North Hampton, NH – After climbing a cliff out of the strip, mansions surround me.

Rye Beach, NH – I pass one beautiful beach after another…

Portsmouth, NH – …and descend into the lovely city of Portsmouth, where all kinds of festivals spill into the street.

Kittery, ME – I continue to hug the coast along Route 103.  I see my first tree that has turned to gold. Fort McCleary is a cool resting spot.

York Harbor, ME – Going north, the coastline gets more and more dramatic.

York Beach, ME – I stop for a soft serve at Fox’s, right on the beach.

Ogunquit, ME – Back on Route 1 the traffic through Ogunquit is tough for cars, but easy for me gliding by on the right.  The Front Porch is packed, as always, on a nice summer day.

Wells, ME – The beach at Wells is worth the trip, but even better is seeing Len and Cheryl Ann and about 20 of their friends for a surf and turf buffet and hours of good stories.