NE Scramble: Days 1-3, Boston to Windsor Locks | Here We Grow Again 🚴🏼‍♂️🚴🏼‍♀️

Riding Stats Day 1

Riding Stats Day 2

Riding Stats Day 3

Accommodations

Route Tracker

Getting to Cambridge, a smallish town outside of Boston went off without a hitch in our rented mini van. After a six hour drive from Rochester, NY we dropped off the mini van and took to our Salsas. Everything we need (at least what we THINK we’ll need) for the next 1,000 miles we’ll carry on our bike, well except food and water. We’ll buy that along the way.

We figured out on our 15 hour drive it was exactly five years ago when we took off from Anacortes, Washington, and cycled 4,200 miles to Maine on our very first long distance bike tour. Wow! So much has happened since then. Weddings, more grandkids, two more cross country bike tours, our last state marathon in Hawaii, Tom’s retirement and well let’s just say pickeball!

Once loaded, we began our journey on the Minuteman Rail Trail. It was over 90 degrees but the shade made for a nice ride.

One of the best parts of seeing our beautiful country from a bicycle seat is we get a good look at it from a different perspective. Slower than a car and faster than walking, bikes work for us.

What we’ve noticed so far here in Massachusetts are there are lots of rocks, stone fences and wild turkeys. Who knew? 🤷🏼‍♀️ The rhodos are in full bloom and there’s an abundance of colonial history which apparently includes some “thickly settled” areas. Lol never saw this sign before. I had to Google it.

We found a sweet campsite in Littleton at the Minuteman Campground where we spent our first night on the tour.

Our second day brought LOTS of hills, more 90+ degree heat and an afternoon thunderstorm. I’m tellin’ ya folks, Texas “Hill” Country’s got nothing on these rollers in the northeast.

And who doesn’t love to listen to a New Englander talk about the Fish N Chips they had for lunch? Allll good! That’s exactly what we enjoyed at Peg’s Diner in Whitensville which is a dining car from a retired train.

We crossed two new states off of our 50 state bike chase today adding Rhode Island and Connecticut to the “done” list. ✅

We kept Day 3 short and stopped at Windsor Locks to dry out our clothes and tent, take a proper shower and enjoy a hot meal. A cold front moved in today and it was 40 degrees colder than yesterday. No guest laundry meant laundry done in the sink and hung dry. That works too!

For the first time ever on a bike tour we stayed at a hotel property at an airport. The window in our room overlooks the runway. ✈️ It cost just a few bucks more than our campsite two nights ago. Thanks Anne for the friends and fam rate!

Back to the tent tomorrow and on to New York!

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