Open Road Press

Since breakfast at the Blackberry River Inn was served at eight, and we were interested in more sleep, we slept in. When we hit the road around 9:30, some challenging climbs immediately greeted us. These climbs would not have been too taxing after a rest day, but we were still feeling the effects of the climbing of the past several days–our legs were zapped. Despite our fatigue, we still found ourselves in the midst of some appealing scenery in wonderful summertime weather. Gone is the oppressive heat of the South, although we still watch the afternoon sky for threats of thunderstorms. Today’s cloud cover and forecasts were suggestive of some.

One of our primary interests today was to connect with Debbie’s sister Barb, who lives in Simsbury. We arrived late as we encountered more monster hills after we had made arrangements. We enjoyed a meal and a time of catching up. While we were cleaning up our meal, the curiosity of a man named Bill got the better of him after he looked at our loaded bicycles outside. He came in to ask us about our trip. Soon, he was teasing us about our lack of camping despite carrying the necessary supplies. He challenged us to camp before we ended our tour.

What can we say? We like comfort, especially after long days of cycling in the hot, humid weather. But deep down, we wouldn’t mind throwing in a camping experience, too. Nevertheless, our worn out bodies, underneath cloudy skies, opted for another motel on our second shortest riding day of the entire trip. We’ll rest and refuel for longer mileage days yet ahead.

Late in the day, a bicyclist named Irv met us near the airport, immediately reversed direction, and escorted us to the bridge that crosses the Connecticut River. He was interested in our trip, but admittedly not interested enough to do one himself! He and his wife have owned a tandem for over twenty years and have accumulated 45,000 miles on it. Now that is a lot of miles!