Back Home in Auburn Again

This entry is for Saturday, 28 May 2011:

I stayed the night last night at my friends' beach house in York, ME. In the morning today I helped out with the summer furniture retrieval from storage, installing window A/C units and things of that nature. Marine fog and mist had settled in overnight and it was in the low 50s and cloudy up until early afternoon. Definitely not a beach day.

After helping out, Elise and I went to Ogunquit,ME to an art gallery called Panache to pick up some wall art that we ordered in April. Elise took her car and I took my bike to the gallery. We were pleased with the pieces that we purchased so I loaded them into Elise's car. I try to limit the time at this gallery because most every time we visit we buy or order something. Elise was checking out some new pieces in the gallery when I suggested that we go to the restaurant next door, Bintliff's, for lunch around 1 PM. Just in time before the next order got placed. We both had the lobster in a croissant and I had the shrimp & crab bisque to go along with it...all very good.

After lunch, Elise took the usual highway roads back to Auburn. Me on the other hand decided to take a different route to get back to Auburn. I know this is a surprise to those who have followed this blog thoughout - not!

I took the shore road between Ogunquit and York along the water to Short Sands at York. I stopped for a couple of photos of Cape Neddick at low tide and the rocky coastline, just north of York. Then I took Rt. 1 south to I-95 south to Rt. 101 at Hampton, NH (the exit just before having to pay a toll). I followed Rt. 101 to Milford, NH and then took Rt. 13 south to Townsend, MA and to Leominster. Then I took Rt. 2 east to I-190 south to Worcester, MA and I-290 all the way to Auburn.

Elise took the requisite photo of me at the end of the ride around 6:00 PM which I have posted. Today's ride was a short 140 miles to get back home to Auburn from York, ME on the route I took.

During this trip the cumulative miles traveled was 6,070 in 16 days of total riding. That is an average of 380 miles per day...not bad of a retired guy.

I completely lucked out with the weather on this trip. I only experience rain for about 30 minutes on two occasions and had the rain gear on for a total of about one hour for the trip. This is amazing considering all the time I was traveling in KY, TN, OH and PA there were severe T-storms and potential tornado warnings issued almost every night. As other have said: Sometimes you are the windshield and sometimes you are the bug. I was definitely the windshield on this trip relative to the weather.

Since I am now back in Auburn, and safely at that, this will be my last entry for Part 1 of my spring/summer adventure for 2011.

Thanks to all who followed the blog and for the occasional comments. I will continue to endeavor to keep the shiny side up and rubber on the road.