Week Three
During the ride, Marie will write a message recounting the highlights and progress of the day. Just e-mail Marie's husband Ron at ronnemec@hughes.net to request subscription.
- June 6 - New London CT - Stratford CT
- June 7 - Stratford CT - New York City, NY
- June 8 - Rest day - visit HDSA in NYC
- June 9 - NYC to Lavalette NJ
- June 10 - Lavalette NJ - Atlantic City NJ
- June 11 - Atlantic City NJ - Cape May NJ
- June 12 - Rest day in Cape May NJ
June 6 - New London CT - Stratford CT
Sunday morning - on our way West today. On Route 1. In past history. This was the "Old Post Road" from Boston to New York.
Crossed over the Connecticut River on the Raymond Baldwin Bridge. At first glance at the map, it looked like we were going to have to load up both bikes and drive across, but there was a separate lane for pedestrians and bicyclists, so I was able to ride across.
Still lots of forests lining portions of the road, but towns now closer together, Many dated back to the 1600's.
Passed through Madison, named for President James Madison. It seems like there is a Dunkin' Donuts shop in every town we've passed in New England.
We rode along at a good pace, and got to New Haven (home of Yale Univ.) and Univ. of New Haven. Lots of colleges along the routes we've taken since Maine.
We had loaded up the bikes to drive through New London, but the map was inaccurate and one if us could have ridden through.
Stopped for our usual lunch. Still enjoying the pineapple and cherries from Lynn Doyle in RI. I rode from New Haven to Milford, and Charlotte finished up the ride to Stratford.
Loaded up in the parking lot of the Home Depot and drove NW through the beautiful CT countryside to Roxbury. Lucia Alworth from the Hunt-Dis list hosted us. She and her husband Kevin greeted us warmly when we arrived. She even had some hors d'ouvres for us - asparagus and little open faced bread with mozzarella cheese, tomato, and basil from her garden.
Dinner was pizza and salad, and a cream cheese torte (perhaps) topped with mandarin oranges for dessert. Lucia's sister Linda, her husband Mike, and 3 young nephews came over, and brought watermelon too! They live next door to the Alworths. Quite a family!
We're just a day's ride from New York City now, and a rest day. I'm ready to give my legs a break!
Today's totals - Charlotte - 35.8
Marie - 27.3 and about 8 miles of SAG
31 cents road change
With love from the verdant CT countryside,
Marie (& Charlotte)
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June 7 - Stratford CT - New York City, NY
Left Roxbury CT about 7:00 am. We really enjoyed the time we spent with Lucia and her family.
It took an hour to drive South back to US1. As usual Charlotte rode first leg, from near Stratford towards Norwalk. Then I started riding, and stopped at Stew Leonard's, billed as the World's Most Famous Food Store, and the "disneyland of Dairy Stores." It is a family owned business dating back to 1969. It has an artisan bakery, fresh seafood, ranch direct beef, specialty cheese, produce, fresh roasted coffee, gourmet food, and a milk bottling plant. There are some farm animals outside too, so it's very entertaining for kids. I had visited here in 2002, with Ed & Bonnie Taylor and John & Marie Elsner. It was also near here that the famous "You'd better be careful, lady, or you're going to get rundover" comment was made.
The towns of Darien and Greenwich are wealthy areas, as demonstrated in the dealerships there: Audi, BMW, Volvo, VW, Infiniti, Porsche, Mercedes Bend, Acura, and Ferrari!!! I rode across the border into Westchester County NY and continued to ride to New Rochelle. I was beginning to worry about where Charlotte was. When she finally showed up, she had missed a turn and had been somewhere out in the country.
We loaded up my bike and drove about 15 miles, through the Bronx, Harlem, and right into downtown Manhattan. Staying at rhe Renaissance Hotel at Time Square. Great views from the 25th floor.
Marie-21.5 miles
Charlotte-23 miles
With love from New York City,
Marie (& Charlotte)
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June 8 - Rest day - visit HDSA in NYC
Slept in this morning, waking about 6:30 am. Breakfast in the hotel room. Fred Taubman from HDSA called and asked us to ride our bikes to HDSA, just in case anyone from the media showed up. It was probably the most difficult 1 mile we had ever ridden. We had to be careful not to get "rundover" by taxis, buses, delivery vehicles, etc. No media showed up. After visiting awhile with Fred and later Chenell and Nancy, Fred escorted us up the freight elevator to the 9th floor. We had a nice visit with most of the 16 employees (Louise Vetter, the CEO and Deb Lovecky weren't there). Nice mid morning snack including cheese, fruit, blue corn chips and salsa. We also toured around their offices. Off-loaded 2 quilts for the NYA silent auction, a dozen t-shirts, and over $1800 in donations. Thanks especially to Nancy in Maine for the fundraiser at Bar Harbor, and to those we met at the many New England gatherings.
Rode back to the hotel and changed into streetwear for the afternoon and evening. We decided the best way to see the most of Manhattan in the least amount of time was via the Grey Line double decker bus.
Manhattan is one of the 5 bouroughs of NYC, 12 1/2 miles long and 2 1/2 miles wide. Originally called New Amsterdam by the Dutch, but the British changed the name to honor the Duke of York when they took over in 1664. We saw many famous buildings including Macy's (the largest department store in the world), Herald Square, the Trump World Tower, the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, (where the President of the US stays while in New York), the UN, the Empire State bldg, and the Flatiron bldg. We spent a fair amount of time at the Ground Zero World Trade Center site, where new buildings are now being constructed. It was more emotionally moving for me this time, compared to when I was there in Spring 2002 with John & Marie Elsner.
Took a regular bus South to 8th St. and walked a few blocks to the Orpheum Theater., where we were privileged to see a performance of the rhythm musical "STOMP." It has been running since 1994. It is an amazing and humorous show with an eccentric cast that does not utter one word, yet demonstrate individuality. With the combination of facial expressions, body movements, along with things you can easily-find around your house, they communicate in the universal language of rhythm abd sound. The cast challenge each other as they unify and layer beats that make you forget they are making music with toilet plungers, Zippo lighters, garbage can lids, plastic bags, boxes of matches, oversized inner tubes, newspapers, water, and even the kitchen sink. They are constantly in motion, sweeping floors, swinging from above the stage as they hit and bang on everything in sight.
Took a bus uptown to 42nd St. and walked the rest of the way back to the hotel in the city that never sleeps.
With Love from NYC
Marie (& Charlotte)
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June 9 - NYC to Lavalette NJ
"Give my regards to Broadway, remember me to Herald Square, tell all the gang at 42nd Street that" it's "time to say good-bye." Really enjoyed NYC but "got to be travelin' on."
Got the van back from the parking garage, loaded up the bikes and gear, and headed out of Manhattan through the Lincoln Tunnel. Took a bit of the New Jersey Turnpike (but didn't "count the cars and look for-America") to Route 1 & 9 and finally got to Rte 36 where bicycling was possible.. As usual' Charlotte rode first as far as Atlantic Highlands. Then I rode, on the Northern part of the "Jersey Shore." although I didn't go up to Sandy Hook" like in 2002. The Jersey Shore is 127 miles, and over 3 days we will ride most of it. It is vacationland for many when folks want to escape the inland heat.
Towns include Sea Bright, Long Beach, Asbury Park, Belmar, Point Pleasant, and Lavalette.
As I was riding along near Point Pleasant, I hear Charlotte call my name, so I turned off Rte 36. Here was Charlotte, standing in front of a fishing tackle store, with her bike, and no van! She had not-found the van, because out of Belmar, she didn't take Rte 35 (took Rte 71) so she missed the van, and just kept riding. It was starting to rain, too. We decided I would ride back and get the van while Charlotte kept riding towards our destination. Rain continued, but-I made it back to the van, loaded my bike, then headed back to catch up with Charlotte.
Finally found her in Normandy Beach. It was really raining now. Loaded up, and drove just a few miles to Lavalette. It is the Northernmost of the barrier islands, but technically it's a peninsula.
Staying the night at the home of Carol Rockett, a member of the Lutheran Church here. We showered there, then walked towards the ocean and boardwalk to the home of Andrea, the church secretary. She fixed us chicken parmisan, salad, bread, and brownies for-dessert.
Charlotte went to bed at 8:00 pm but I did a load of laundry and got caught up with my Daily Messages. Sorry I was remiss, but I needed my sleep the last two days.
I'm not "singin' in the rain," but am happy to be dry-and-warm in Carol's lovely home.
Marie-21.3 miles
Charlotte-33 miles
plus 51 SAG miles, driving out of NY.
"Hit for the cycle" on Road Change, which included 45 cents.
With love-from the Jersey Shore,
Marie (& Charlotte)
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June 10 - Lavallette NJ - Atlantic City NJ
We decided to take a respite from our usual "tag team" riding after yesterday's misadventure. Decided to ride the barrier islands on the central NJ shore.
We rode from Lavallette south on Rte 35 to the tip of Island Beach State Park. This is one of the few undeveloped barrier beaches on the Atlantic Coast. It has one of NJ's largest osprey colonies, in addition to many other species of waterfowl, shorebirds, and migratory birds. The maritime vegetation is the same as it was hundreds of years ago. To accommodate recreation and to protect this natural vegetation, the park is divided into three management areas: the Northern Natural Area, the central recreation zone, and the Southern Natural Area. Mostly we saw vehicles with vertically mounted fishing poles on brackets attached to the front bumper. Tires have to be inflated to drive off road on the sand. I walked out to the ocean's edge to see if I could see Barnegat lighthouse, but I couldn't.. Rode back to Carol's home, where we had left the van. 26 miles for each of us.
We loaded up bikes and gear and drove back inland, and South on US9 to Rte 72 where we crossed the Intracoastal Waterway and drove onto Long Beach, another barrier island. Ate lunch alongside the Intracoastal Waterway; very peaceful and beautiful.
Drove a couple of miles North, parked the van, and road together the 6 miles to the tip, where the Barnegat Lighthouse is located. Ron and I had been there last year when we were on vacation. The name Barnegat comes-from the Dutch word "barendegat" meaning "place of the breakers." A small lighthouse only 40 ft tall was built in 1835, but it did little to reduce the number of shipwrecks. In 1856, guided by recommendations and plans from then Lt. George G. Meade of the US Army Bureau of Topographical Engineers, a "new" lighthouse was constructed in 1858, with a Fresnel lens weighing nearly 5 tons. At the turn of the century, due to the encroaching sea and seemingly inevitable collapse, local residents raised enough money to construct permanent jetties to protect the lighthouse. It is 172 ft tall, with 217 steps, and is red on the top and white on the bottom. Since Ron and I were there last year on vacation, this makes the second time that I have climbed "Old Barney," .
Rode back to where the van was parked, and loaded up. Drove back off Long Beach Island and South to Atlantic City. Atlantic City is sort of the Las Vegas of the East Coast. The street names in the Monopoly board game are from Atlantic City. For example, we are staying in a church on Baltic Ave. Other streets I have seen are Mediterranean, Ventnor, Boardwalk, Virginia, Vermont, Connecticut, Tennessee, New York, Kentucky, Indiana, Atlantic, Pacific, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. I think Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. replaced Illinois.
Today, Charlotte and I each rode 38 miles, so that 76 miles exceeded the actual miles of the route we drove.
Road Change - 20 cents
With love from near the Boardwak in Atlantic
Marie (& Charlotte)
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June 11 - Atlantic City NJ - Cape May NJ
Started out the morning with a brisk ride on the famed Boardwalk. It was the world's first Boardwak. It was invented in 1870 by Jacob Klein and Alexander Boardman to help keep sand out of the resort=s swank new hotels. "On the Boardwak in Atlantic City" was first heard in the 1946 movie "Three Little Girls in Blue" starring June Haver, Vivian Blaine, and Celeste Holm.
A bit more trivia on the street names. Richard Osborne, a Philadelphia engineer, gave Atlantic City its name in 1852 when he mapped its layout. The main arteries were named after seven seas and the cross streets after states of the Union. Later, more avenues were added with names of the state capitals. An unemployed Philadelphian, Charles Darrow, invented a board game which he dubbed "Monopoly" in 1930. He sold his homemade game to Department stores in Phily before Parker Brothers bought rights in 1934. It added millions to Darrow's personal Community Chest.
The main ways to see the Boardwalk include walking, jogging, and bicycling. But back in 1877 William Hayday, a hardware store owner, started renting wicker wheelchairs to people with disabilities. He knew he had a good thing going when folks started requesting them for joy rides. The rolling wicker chair has been a mainstay on the Great Wooden Way ever since.
After each of us put in almost 13 miles riding back and forth on the entire length of the Boardwalk, we loaded up our bikes and gear and headed South on Atlantic Ave. Stopped to look at Lucy the Margate Elephant, a 6 story tall historic landmark built in 1881. One million pieces of timber and 4 tons of bolts were used to build this 90 ton attraction which was to have lured prospective land buyers to the area. Check out www.lucytheelephant.com
Contined to drive as far as Strathmere, where we ate our lunch on the stairs over the fenced dune and towards the ocean. Charlotte rode the first leg down through Stone Harbor. I then rode over a long toll bridge, through the Wildwoods to the outskirts of Cape May. We loaded up and drove the last few miles to Cape May, following the signs for the lighthouse. Ron and I had been in Cape May last year on vacation, so it was familiar territory.
We are staying with Ned and Mary Claire Cancelmo from the HD Community. They are in the process of remodeling a lovely cottage on acerage within view of the Cape May lighthouse.
They took us out to dinner at Godmothers. Lovely Italian fare. We then drove to Sunset Beach for the poignant flag lowering ceremony, started in 1973. A recording of "God Bless America" by Kate Smith, the "Star Spangled Banner," and "Taps" were played. Afterwards, Mary Claire took us to the gift shop and bought each of us a lovely "Cape May Diamond," made from quartz that washes up on the shore, and is tumbled/polished. What a thoughtful and lovely remembrance.
Route mileage - 53
Marie - 24.5
Charlotte - 25.5
Road Change - 3 cents
With Love from Cape May
Marie (& Charlotte)
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June 12 - Rest day in Cape May NJ
What a pleasure it was to actually sleep in this morning! Woke up at 7:00 am.
After breakfast, our touring began. We drove to the Cape May Lighthouse, which is visible from the Cancelmo's home. The lighthouse is 157 1/2 ft tall, and is the third lighthouse built on this site. My right knee is bothering me some, so I didn't want to climb the lighthouse. Charlotte didn't want to spend the $7 fee. We took a nice walk through the nature preserve part of Cape May Point State Park. There is a combination of ever changing shoreline, sand dunes, coastal freshwater marsh and ponds, and forested islands. It is the premiere bird watching site, home to many species as well as a feeding and resting spot for birds migrating South along the Atlantic flyway, the busy migratory corridor.
We drove into Cape May to shop and take a 45 minute trolley tour of the historic Victorian structures. This Victorian heritage is carefully retained in several hundred beautiful houses. In 1761 Cape May became the first seashore resort in America. Famous visitors to Cape May include John Philip Sousa, P.T. Barnum, Civil War Generals Robert E. Lee and William Sherman, Abe Lincoln before he became President and Presidents James Buchanan, Franklin Pierce, Ulysses S. Grant, and Benjamin Harrison.
After the tour we drove to Wildwood, which hosts the National Marbles Championship at the end of June. There are eight platforms set up on the beach, painted with a large pale yellow circle inside a pale turquoise square. For more information, www.nationalmarblestournament.org There was a parade going on in Wildwood (wasn't sure of the occasion) which had over 200 units!
Drove back to the Cancelmos and visited some. Then we went to a neighborhood catered outdoor dinner on a sand dune in Cape May Point. Nice meal with chicken, pulled pork, potato salad, cole slaw, and fruit. It was pretty windy but still enjoyable.
Such a busy and varied day today. Hardly a "rest day" really, but it was over too quickly. The Cancelmos have been wonderful hosts.
With love from Cape May,
Marie & Charlotte
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