To Kittery, Maine

Leaving the morning of Monday, August 16, I headed south from Freeport. It's always sad to say 'good-bye' to Bustins Island, but it was a fabulous stop on my tour. On my way from Freeport to Kittery, I stopped at National Ski and Bike shop and bought myself a new bike pump, and new bike gloves (the old ones were really gross). Thanks to those folks.

Just after the bike shop, I caught up with a serious biker who was treating himself to a day off from work and a trip to a pizza place for lunch. We chatted about trips and biking and gears and the Mount Washington Hillclimb, and he mentioned the reason for his day off was that he competed in a 24-hour bike race the day before. I think that is one of the most awesome things!

The ride to Kittery from Freeport was really not all that much fun, because the entire way I travelled Route 1. For those of you who don't know, this is essentially a long strip of car dealerships and other stores dealing with car parts, and other not so fun things to pass on a bike (or in a car). Traffic was pretty heavy most of the way, and there were a couple of accidents and construction zones. I didn't mind the construction so much because I ride in the bike lane (improperly known as the breakdown lane) so I just kept passing car after car after car. I hear that some of Route 1 in New Hampshire, on my next stage, is actually nicer, but I bet it is even heavier traffic.

One really cool bit of my ride to Kittery was Portland. I was fearing Portland on Route 1, and I had no detailed maps to go by, and no ways that I knew around the city. But sort of by accident, I ended up on a bike route along nice streets that led me to a parking lot where I saw a biker. I asked him the best route back to Route 1 south of Portland and he told me to follow the beautiful bike path along the water, which I did and was very thankful for his help. Thank you to Portland for its beatiful trails and bike ways!

The other really cool thing that happened on this stage occurred about 2:30, after the regular lunch time. I passed what I took correctly to be a hot dog stand, which looked unmarked. It was unmarked because he was packing up, but I didn't get that right away. I asked what he had to offer, and he ended up giving me a hot dog and cream soda. For free. YAY! So, if you are ever travelling along Route 1 at lunch time look out for Jimmy T's Deadly Dogs!!!

I had originally planned to stay with my friend Tyler (who I know from UMass Juggling Club) and his folks on my way to Fryeburg (Stage 7), but I didn't organize it with him in time. It turns out that it works better for me to visit him on my way South, and I did communicate with him in time to do that, though just barely.

He actually met me out on Route 1 with a pickup truck that he is currently borrowing, and he drove me to his friends' place where his friend cooked dinner for everyone. Dinner was better than words can describe, but I'll tell you the menu: a whole roasted duck, green curry noodles, mango, and sauted mushrooms. Thank you Eben! Tyler and I then hung out at his place, both that night, and the next morning. He also gave me the grand tour of Portsmouth, NH, and we drove out to the beach in Rye, NH. I hadn't been to the beach and in the water in years! In the bunch of things we did while hanging out, we included passing clubs, which neither of us had done enough of recently. It was great! Thanks Tyler!

Total trip distance:  75 miles
Total trip time:  8.25 hours (I made lots of little stops.)
Net elevation change: 0 feet

On to Stage 10: To Byfield, Massachusetts

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