RA85: Ticonderoga NY
Late night last night watching those great old movies, so late rise this morning. Super 8’s super breakfast was a humorous attempt, but I did enjoy the coffee. The team, including Jesse but minus Roger, convened in the breakfast nook and yucked it up for more than an hour. It really felt good to be taking a day off.
A roll to downtown Ticonderoga to the laundromat. We put our clothes in and strolled over to the Corner Café for a more proper breakfast. Unfortunately, our order for French toast and burrito went unfilled for over an hour while the server and cook bickered back in the kitchen. In the meanwhile, I left to transfer our clothes to the dryer, only to discover that all the dryers were out-of-service due to a propane gas leak.
We eventually got served and had a nice conversation with the restaurant owner, who said he’d led an effort to have the laundromat’s propane tanks moved from beneath his bedroom. We returned to the laundromat and waited another 30 minutes before the leak was fixed and we got on with the day. Man! I was imagining 22 articles of wet clothing hanging off the backs of our bikes tomorrow.
Some of the guys went off to Fort Ticonderoga for a visit, but I think that, while Jack and I would have enjoyed it, we didn’t mind missing it and just vegging. I consulted with Roger for a while on route options for the next week, and through the Super 8 managed to print out a copy of our AC maps to the coast. These should really help him because the roads in Maine are many and tangled. He then joined us in our room for Stage 1 of the American Pro Cycling race from Colorado. He again plans to camp in the outskirts of Ticonderoga tonight, despite our invitation for him to stay in our room.
Takout Subway dinner and Jurassic Park III tonight. During the day I’ve managed to fully catch up on the blog, although there are many comments from family and friends I have not been able to properly respond to. Please know that we love getting the comments and encouragement.
Tomorrow we cross Lake Champlain into Vermont, and face some reportedly steep climbs.
Keep moving on Rich. I will try to take good care of your best girl once she arrives in NJ. I will make sure she packs a hug from me in her bag when she leaves NJ to meet you at the end of your journey. I think my journal will read….the summer of Rich & Linda and their adventures. Tom and I wonder how many people have taken a trip like yours? We are awed!
Good luck with the hills/mountains coming up. I’m so proud of you. Esp. loved seeing your tan lines. How funny! Are you using sunscreen at all?
What do you think about the stock market stuff these days? I am meeting up tomorrow with a new Schwab advisor (mine left) to discuss my portfolio. I won’t do anything rash, but didn’t really want to bother you on your trip. Did you hear about that earthquake centered in mid Virginia yesterday? Mom felt it in Phila. Go figure. Wonder if you felt it where you are????
janel: “WHOA. is that an optical illusion?”
aldo: “WHOA. he is too white.”
Those tan lines. . . be still my heart! (actually I am not sure which made my heart race faster – the tan lines or seeing 4 men in a laundromat!
Having returned to Tucson I have had an opportunity to go back and re-read many of your postings … I am thinking you should have titled your journal “Eating My Way Across America on Two Wheels”.
From reading Jesse’s latest postings it sounds as though you are getting close the the finish line, but that the hills/climbs are a-many. Ride on my friend … see you in Phx sometime in the future.
Well done.
If you pass through Lyndonville Vermont. That’s where I went to college. Near St. Johns bury. NE corner of Vermont.
rich i just saw the news on the hurricane in ny with all the fluding hope you are all ok your trip pn all thoes small roads has got to be better than ever ever ever bill
well rich i read jessy s blog and figured you guys ran out of batteries hope your finish is good and the hurricane did not hamper you i am in ah of what you all accomplished the scenery looked absolutely wonderful.. bill