The Countdown is On (June 9)

We had our last rest day yesterday, and now three more days of riding.  We had a great day yesterday.  May T., one of our Southern Tier 13 friends, had ridden with us the previous day and then yesterday she invited four of us who she had cycled with in the Rockies last summer to visit with her at her cottage.  And - she drove us from Freeport, rode the ferry with us to Little Diamond Island, fed us a scrumptious lunch, gave us the full walking tour of the island (no cars on the island), and returned us to Freeport.  It was a terrific day!  Some of the other riders also caught up with friends and most people made at least one trip to LL Bean.  I think we collectively did a good job of stimulating the economy of Freeport.  Our hotel was quite luxurious (for a change) and set a new standard for hotel buffet breakfasts.  Sad to leave, but time to make the final push for Bar Harbor.

I really liked today's cycling route.  We had a nice variety of riding conditions - about 15 miles on US1 (a busier 4 lane road, but with wide and fairly well-paved shoulders), about 3 miles on a bike path through the city of Brunswick, a long river crossing (Kennebec River), about 10 miles on state roads and the rest on fairly quiet & hilly roads with only a bit of crappy pavement.  We went through a number of really cute towns and I stopped to stroll through shops in a few of them.  In between towns there were lots of art galleries, pottery studios, furniture shops, etc.  I could have spent several days poking around everything.

Lots of hills in the first 9 miles to start the day.  We then went through Brunswick, a city of about 20,000.  We rode by Bowdoin College, a private liberal arts college of almost 2,000 students which was recently ranked among the top ten liberal arts colleges in the US.

Then through Bath before heading over the Kennebec River.

Through the town of Woolwich on the other side and then onto quiet rolling hills until the town of Wiscasset, which was really lovely.  I went into a coffee shop/bakery there and gained 3 pounds just looking at all the goodies!  Alas, I walked out empty handed and passed by the still-closed seafood places on my way over the Sheepscott River.

The next little town was Damariscotta; another very cute little village with lots of great little shops.  I wandered through a few and bought a few things that would fit in the bag on my bike.  Being on a bike with limited carrying capacity is likely good for the wallet.  After a welcome SAG stop, we turned onto my favourite road of the day - Back Meadow Road.  Pretty, quiet, hilly.........

Several more river crossings today.  I can't remember which one is pictured below....

Then the obligatory quilt shop (for Rose Lynn).  It was a lovely little shop.  Lots of great fabric and some very colourful finished quilts on display.  I wonder how many years it will be before I finish the little project I'm currently working on.  Wish I was a bit more talented....

Through Waldoboro and on to Rockport/Camden - our destination today.  Just before the hotel was a huge Maine Sport shop - clothing, biking, hiking, paddling, skiing, etc.  Lovely shop, but I really don't need a thing.  Tonight we're staying at the Country Inn.  A really nice little spot.  Nice hotels three nights in a row; the tour must be wrapping up!

A great day!  One of my favourites, even though the weather was less than perfect.  Overcast all day, and fog/drizzle for pretty much the second half.  Not enough to put a jacket on, but I did put my booties on to keep my feet dry from the road spray.

Stats for the day:
110 km from Freeport ME to Rockport ME.  4855 feet of climbing.  Temps cool - between 13C and 18C, with fog/drizzle for about half the day.  A bit of wind at times; more tailwind than headwind.