There was a Club ride today brought on because of the forecast for a warm dry day...well...it was warm, but a tad foggy this morning. I would love to tell you about the Club ride but...I didn't make it on it...let me tell you what my plan was...
Tom said at the meeting that the weather was to be good and that if we didn't ride today we would be kicking ourselves. The plan was for a Thursday "Mystery ride" type of ride, Dunkin at 10am, lunch at "the Grille" in Hamburg..or Niantic, I'm not sure, then break up and head home.
Seeing as it was to be nice out and it was to be a short ride I figured I would start early, 8 am or so, and make more of a ride out of it and I would take a couple others with me. We were to ride for a while, then stop for breakfast at the Mystic Diner, then run to Dunkin and finish out the day with the Club....
That was the plan....
And it worked...up to a point, we (Jerry Miner (who was not been on his sled since September due to the knee surgery after effects), and Tree), rode, then we stopped for breakfast at the Mystic Diner, While we were there I had an Australian couple come over and tell me how much they liked Charlene and that they ride down under, Then Linda (Schwarz) showed up and talked, then the Old Mystic Fire Chief joined us, (I am a Life Member and Jerry is the former Assistant Chief (retired). By the time everyone was done chatting it was 10:15 and we still needed to top off the bikes, so much for riding with the Club, Instead we decided to headed to Palmer Mass for Lunch at the "Steaming Tender" Restaurant. So...that was the next plan....
That worked for a while, let me tell you what happened there...
I led them up Lantern Hill to 214, to route 2, to 201, Up Cossaduck Hill to Northwest Corner road which took us over to 164. A right on 164 took us up to 138 and then route 12 through Jewett City. I was on back road mode by this time, so it was across Butts Bridge to 169, then a left on Bennett Pond road to Lisbon Road to 14. A left on 14, then a right on Brooklyn road. A few miles up the road we came up behind a slow moving dump truck loaded with firewood, so we executed a U turn, rode back a mile and hooked a right on Raymond Schoolhouse road to Windham road. As we were cruising along I glanced to the right and saw a couple people working at the Nascar track*, so another U tun and we pulled in for a visit. We talked, we had coffee, we talked some more, then it was back on the road. Windham rd to route 97 north, Massachusetts was officially cancelled. This took us to the Hartford Turnpike, we cruised 6 until we passed the Back Door and came up on route 203, which, we did not take, instead we hooked a right on North Windham road extension, to Mansfield road, to Bassetts Bridge road through Mansfield Hollow and out on 195. A right turn took us into sunshine and blue skies. We slid through UConn then grabbed the Middle Turnpike (44) to route 32. We cranked a left on 32 in beautiful warm sunshine rode south to Eagleville then hooked a right on 275 past the dam and through the woods to 31 in Coventry. We pulled in at Bidwells for lunch.
A Scotch and Coke, some shrimp, a salad and Garlic Pepper wings later we were back on the bikes. Up 31 then a left on Cross street to South street, through the rotary up through the hills past Nathan Hales homestead, down hill to the Willimantic Turnpike (6). The sun was left behind and the clouds were back, and the temperature was noticeably cooler. A right on 6 a left on Steeles Crossing, then Bolton Center road to ... Bolton Center (go figure). A turn onto Hebron road then East street brought us back south to route 85. We took 85 south across the Mother Road (66). South to 207 to Lebanon, right on 87 to 32, then through Yantic and Norwich to route 2 where we made a final stop for coffee at the Dunkin just north of the Emerald City (Foxwoods). Here we lost Tree, she headed straight along 2 towards home, we hooked 214 down to Shewville, then 184 back to Groton. I was in the driveway by 4:30pm. Not a bad day for a short hop.
I have to say though, the ride was necessary, It has been a while since I spent and entire day on the bike and it was great!!!
Let the winter weather roll in...I am ready for another 2 month of short hops only.
All that's left now is the ride to work tomorrow in the rain...
I can hardly wait.
klay
*Nascar track: go ahead...check it out, Google Maps, Windham road, Hampton Ct. north side of the road you will see the oval track in the back yard. All kinds of "Horsepower" there.
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