I stayed up until 10:30 telling bike touring war stories with my host Jim Smith. I slept pretty well in the barn. Jim had set me up with a single bed frame and a very comfy air mattress. I added my sleeping bag and inflatable pillow and the rest was Zs.

At 6 a.m. we convened in the kitchen for more tales over breakfast. Jim has had his share of bike touring calamities but remarkably things always seemed to work out okay.

I hit the road around 8 and made my way 5 miles back to the route. I mostly hugged the coast today. Moody Beach, Wells Beach, Kennebunkport, Cape Porpoise, Biddeford, Saco, Old Orchard Beach, Cape Elizabeth, South Portland, Portland.

The winds were variable. Parts of the day I had a strong tailwind. The terrain was gently rolling. The Mule and I booked along, often cruising at 14 mph. I was passed by two fit women on road bikes. I kept pace with them for a few miles until I started feeling like a stalker and backed off.

In Kennebunkport I stopped for second breakfast. Three pancakes, sausage links, and coffee. The pancakes were comically huge. I ate a bit more than half of them before taking the rest for roadside lunch. (I ended up throwing them out.)

Jim had warned me that the Bush compound in Kennebunkport was out of the way and unmarked. I never saw it nor did I see a single indication that two presidents had summered here.

Old Orchard Beach featured an amusement park on the beach. It was closed. The big action around here is walking. Most of the hotels had plenty of vacancies. Cool temperatures and rain will do that.

Did I mention rain? At 1, the spitting rain returned. And stuck around, on and off, for the rest of the ride. Darn good thing I brought my rain gear.

In South Portland I finally found an ice cream shop that was open. I celebrated 60 miles with a big cup of cherry, vanilla, chocolate chunk ice cream.

For the last 15 miles I was getting wobbly on the bike. Too little water and too many miles.

The Casco Bay Bridge into Portland was long and high. A good finish to my day.

I had tried to secure a Warmshowers host in Portland but no one responded to me so I booked a bed in the Black Elephant hostel. It’s very clean and they charged me $55 for a bed, half of what the online resellers like hotels.com were quoting.

An hour after I booked the bed, one of the Portland Warmshowers people contacted me about hosting. Too late.

Later in the evening I heard back from a host in Belfast, two days away. She and her husband are very enthusiastic about hosting me. I now have accommodations for tomorrow and Friday.

A place to stay in Bar Harbor on Saturday and Sunday is still up in the air.

Dinner was a chicken parmigiana sandwich with fries and a craft lager at a bar a block away. I am ready for bed and it’s only 7 p.m.

Miles today: 64.5

Tour miles: 886

Chris, my Warmshowers host, had to leave for work by 7:30. I had a good night sleep band didn’t mind the early departure. I rode 2 miles off route into Derry for breakfast at Mary Ann’s diner. Omelet, home fries, toast, and coffee. Couldn’t quite finish it all.

The weather was a bit warmer today. Cloudy but rain free. A light breeze pushed me eastward through Exeter, home of Philips Exeter Academy.

The roads were classic New England windy byways. Scores of clapboard houses on wooded lots with perfect landscaping. This is peak rhododendron country. I’ll never try to grow one again in DC.

I crossed over I-95, stopping in North Hampton for soup and salad. I had a long way to go and would never make it on an empty tank of fuel.

A few miles later I reached the Atlantic Ocean at Rye Beach. This is the first time the Atlantic Coast Route reaches the ocean since North Carolina.

At the beach I took a left and benefited from a strong tailwind and gently rolling terrain. The Mule and I were comfortably cruising at 14 mph, quite a contrast to those hilly slogs of last week. In Portsmith, I crossed the Piscataqua River and entered Kittery, Maine.

I texted my Warmshowers host. He was not going to be home from 5:30 to 7:30 so I reassured him that I would arrive before 5.

Maine is the 38th state I’ve ridden in. Woo hoo.

The road was a bit hillier and the surfaces varied from winter weary patches and seals to perfect fresh asphalt.

After a short bit a mile from the ocean, the route turned back to the water at York Harbor. A few miles later at York Beach I stopped for second lunch. I was getting gassed by the pace. I bought some granola bars yesterday to munch on as I rode. The calories and sugar helped keep me from bonking between meals.

After York Beach I reached Ogunquit. It’s a pretty touristy place which is saying something in the Maine Coast.

I have noticed that most motels and campgrounds have vacancies. I think this is early in the season for summah people.

In Moody I stopped to see how far I was from the Warmshowers house. I had passed the turn to it a half mile back.

I bought a sandwich for dinner and headed the five miles off route to the house. No big hills,. No mooses. Just lovely houses on wooded lots.

At the house, my host, Jim, met me and showed me the loft in his barn where I’d be sleeping. It has a single bed with an air mattress so I’ll just need to roll out my sleeping bag.

Jim left me a cold beer. I took a shower and reloaded my water bottles.

Tomorrow’s Warmshowers hosts have not responded to my requests so I’ll be staying in a hotel, probably a chain hotel along the interstate. Beach hotels are double the price.

Miles today: 75.5

Tour miles: 821.5

Noon in Ayer, Mass

I’ve entered the realm of dropped “r”s and Irish faces. Uncharacteristically most Massachusetts drivers are treating me with good care. The roads look bad but I’m having no trouble riding.

I lined up a Warmshowers host for tonight in Derry, 60-ish miles away. The weather forecast called for rain until noon. With each passing hour the end of the rain moves further into the afternoon.

Rather than wait the rain out, I left the hotel at 8:30 wearing all the things. Temps were in the 50s and a light rain and light headwind added to the sheer New England climactic bliss.

The terrain has been forgiving. Either that or The Mule and I are getting lighter. My face is becoming gaunt as it usually does later in a tour. What hills there are seem easily climbed. My breakfast consisted of two cups of weak coffee, two packets of instant oatmeal, and three mini muffins. I apparently get about 8 miles to the muffin.

My Warmshowers host told me last night that he wouldn’t be home until 11 p.m. He texted a few minutes ago saying he’d be home by 7. I wasn’t looking forward to hanging out in his garage for hours so this is a welcome development.

5 p.m. in Derry, NH

After lunch the sun came out! For ten minutes. Sad face. At least the rain was mostly over.

After a five mile ride on a paved rail trail, the terrain became a little hillier. No worries. I am feeling exceptionally strong today except when I get off the bike. Then I feel woozy. I really need to eat and drink more but my mind is focused on the map which has a gazillion turns, many of them unmarked. I went off route several times today. I even missed the turn off the rail trail, more from zoning out than anything else.

A few miles before the finish a hawk swooped down and snatched a squirrel off the road ahead of me. Marlin Perkins phone home. The circle of life is savage!

I’m at the town bar, Hare of the Dawg. Everyone knows everyone else. It’s a bit intimidating but the food is pretty good. My Warmshowers host lives right off the route so there will be no problem finding him.

New Hampshire is the 37th state I’ve ridden in.

Miles today: 64.5

Tour miles: 746

To get out of the cold, I hopped in my tent at 7:30 last night. The camp managers told me not to worry about bears; the only critter they’ve seen in camp was a raccoon. I slept fitfully anyway.

I was shocked that my tent poles stayed in the ground all night. The wind blew hard through the tree tops but my tent never flapped. Maybe the full moon was working it’s magic. Temperatures fell to 45 in the wee hours. I was bundled up from head to toe and didn’t much notice.

I broke camp at 7:30 and backtracked two miles to a family restaurant for breakfast. It’s the first place that served hash browns since Pennsylvania. One disturbing fact about eateries up here: the serve coffee in three-ounce cups. That’s not a cup of coffee; it’s a biopsy.

I started the day riding in long pants. I switched to shorts after breakfast and rode 20 miles until I couldn’t take the chill any more. You’d think it would warm up but it never did. And the wind, mostly a headwind, increased in intensity throughout the day.

The route clipped the northwest corner of Rhode Island, climbing more hills. The hills today topped out at 500 feet. Many featured steep climbs. I managed to cross Connecticut without walking up a single hill. My ego is happier than my knees.

After my tour of Rhode Island I entered Massachusetts. The road surface deteriorated and the traffic increased in volume and speed.

At Manchaug MA I stopped at a convenience store for a snack, and to warm up. Five miles later in Whitinville, I stopped for lunch. I ordered way too much food. A salad with chicken, hot chocolate, and a bowl of clam chowder. (The waiter called it “white”.)

Before leaving I changed into my long pants. They helped quite a bit, especially when it started to rain. It was a light spitting mist, the kind that would have felt wonderful on hot day. Today was not that day.

My struggles with the weather distracted me from the scenery. So much green. So many lovely homes. Loads of creeks and lakes (mostly kettle ponds, I think. And, of course, so many stone walls.

I climbed another 500 footer before descending into Westborough. Before going to my hotel I went to a bike shop to use their floor pump. Landrys Bike Shop has been around since 1922. They were very nice to me – and to a little girl shopping for her first bike.

Landrys was about 1/4 mile from my hotel but I had to go 1 1/2 miles to get there because Landrys is on MA Route 9, an insane high speed four lane highway with a Jersey barrier down the middle.

My hotel is an extended stay place. It’s basically an efficiency apartment. If I could find a grocery and tolerate another minute in the cold wind I could buy fixings for dinner and breakfast. I will settle for McDonalds next door.

In my tent last night I discovered that in another 25 miles I could have stayed in a hotel in Ayer, MA. I’m glad I didn’t change plans. I’d have frozen stiff.

So there you have it. My three-state day. Tomorrow my plan was to ride to East Derry, NH but I’m not hearing back from my Warmshowers host. It is supposed to rain all morning so a hotel will probably be what I do. There seemed to be plenty within a few miles of my route which skirts Nashua to the south.

Miles today: 44.5

Tour miles: 681.5

It stormed like crazy for about four hours last night. The power went out briefly. I managed to fall asleep and woke up cold. The temperature had dropped about 35 degrees.

After some tea and cereal I headed out using the Google to guide me about 15 mercifully flat miles north, up the Connecticut River to Windsor Locks. It being Saturday morning, the highway I was on was virtually car free.

I crossed the river and continued in the valley for another seven miles. Very gently rolling terrain was the order of the morning.

In Ellington, I stopped for second breakfast at a diner. The stools at the counter were only about two feet above the floor so I nearly fell backwards on my ass. Whoa!

The food (omelet with ham, home fries, toast) was plentiful and tasty and the coffee woke me up some.

Be for continuing, I put on my rain jacket. Temperatures had fallen a bit and I was riding into a steady wind.

I didn’t expect the level terrain to last and it didn’t. There were frequent cups and downs. One downhill was 10%. I’m pretty sure the hills are asymmetric – steeper if you are heading in a westward direction. Some thing to do with receding glaciers, the ice age, you know, earth science.

The next 30 miles featured one climb and descent after another. The hills were not as high as western Connecticut but they were more numerous. Thankfully, the scenery was pretty lovely. Woods. Small farms. Classic clapboard houses. White churches with talk steeples.

The miles seemed to crawl by. At Bigelow Hollow State Park I descended down a long, windy hill. Then had to climb a steep one, stopping three times to let my heart and lungs calm down.

Once past North Woodstock, the road started leveling out, rollers that I could hill hop. I stopped at a diner in Quinebaug, less than a mile from Massachusetts. I ordered a cheese steak and coffee (to warm up).

The sandwich was enormous as was the pile of fries. It was 3 p.m. so I decided this was my last meal of the day.

I waddled out of there, put my ear plug in, and let my Google master quite me to the campground.

It’s run by the Army Corps of Engineers so if you hear about a dam bursting and killing a bunch of campers, I’m your man.

The people running the place are super nice. I’m right next to the bathroom snd showers. The shower was 135 degrees I am told. I stayed in it for ten minutes just to warm up.

The only downside to this place is the hard ground. It’ll be a miracle if my tent stays staked. I managed last summer in Kooskia, Idaho on a concrete slab so I imagine I’ll make it through the night okay.

Tomorrow will be a shortish day because I can’t find accommodations between 40 and 80 miles on my route. It will also be a three state day. Such excitement! Five whole miles in Rhode Island. Woo hoo.

Big thanks to my daughter Lily for letting me stay on her amazingly comfy couch.

Miles today: 65

Tour miles: 637

Last year I took a rest day after a week of riding across Missouri and eastern Kansas. Storms raged through the area all day. In their aftermath came a strong steady tailwind that blew me all the way to my destination the next day.

Today I’m taking a rest day after 10 days on the road. Temperatures here are expected to be the 90s followed by thunderstorms into the night. Tomorrow will be in the 50s with headwinds. You can’t have everything but I’m glad I’m off the road today.

My daughter Lily’s apartment is spacious, with more than enough room for The Mule and me. Yesterday I stopped at a bank and bought a roll of quarters for today’s wash-it -all laundry event.

Last night I took Lily to dinner at a burger place in West Hartford. If you didn’t know better you’d swear you were on Bethesda Row in Maryland.

My plan for tomorrow was to stay at a farm reputed to offer bicyclist-only camping. I called the farm and learned they are no longer allowing camping.

The B&Bs in northeast Connecticut are either booked up or too expensive. My only option was to book a campsite farther along my route. The software would only let me book two nights so I’m ghosting my site tonight. I hope it works out because I’ll need to ride 70 miles to get there.

My plan is to stay at a hotel in Westborough MA Sunday night.

Today Lily and I went out for lunch. On the way back I stopped in a hardware store and bought some small, narrow velcro straps meant for holding computer cables together. I’m going to use them to deal with my gluing snafu from the other night. They should help expand the inside of my tent. Fingers crossed.

My first B&B experience turned out well. After I arrived I spent some time on the double decker porch, just chillin with the breeze. A local pizza place delivered a chef salad and a bowl of pasta fagioli soup. I couldn’t eat it all but I gave it my best effort. I spent the rest of my night guzzling ice cold water. I must have downed a gallon. Climbing hills in this heat will suck the life out of you.

Breakfast was pancakes, eggs, bacon, coffee, and an English muffin. Ready to roll.

I had thought my first few miles to Norfolk would be a downhill glide next to a small river. Well, it turned out to be an uphill slog as the river was running opposite to what I assumed. I think I climbed about 1,000 feet.

After Norfolk things mellowed out until I missed a turn. After a half mile of climbing I stopped to double check my route. Oops.

At least I had the downhill as compensation.

Back on track I made it to Coldbrook, a quaint crossroads. There were detour signs and after checking the Google I learned that the road ahead on my route was blocked.

I followed the detour for a few miles and stopped to check my progress. A guy in a pick up stopped and told me to turn left. “You’ll go down a very steep hill and rejoin the route near Robertsville.” He ought to know. This hilly road used to be the Atlantic Coast route before southbound bike tourists complained about the ridiculously steep climb. The driver gave Adventure Cycling a new route – the one that was now closed. The only drawback for me was the less-than-ideal road surface. Also the road was shaded making irregularities in the asphalt hard to see, especially at speed. I had to feather my brakes most of the way. I’m sure I broke 30 mph much of the way down anyway.

I’d lost my 1,000 feet but gained a beautiful windy road along the Farmington River. Connecticut may be hilly but it has some awfully nice roads between the mountains.

At Pleasant Valley I crossed the Saville Dam and began another 1,000-foot climb over Pine Cone Mountain. I won’t lie; it put the hurt on me but granny and I made it all the way up. Then it was a screaming downhill to Granby, just me and a ton of traffic. Again the road surface kept be from letting The Mule romp but it was still a blast of a descent.

After stopping at a Cumbalun Fahms for a tuna sammie, Gatorade, and chips I turned my fate over to the Google again. I left the Adventure Cycling route to head south to West Hartford where my daughter Lily lives.

Amazingly I rode half the distance on a paved trail, the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail. It was sweet. At one point it was covered in cottonwood snow. No wonder I’m feeling under the weather; it’s tree pollen season up here.

In Simsbury I rejoined the motorized rabble and climbed over Tapscot Mountain. Not bad. I cruised into downtown West Hartford and celebrated my day with a bowl of Cherry Garcia.

After some chain maintenance and checking brakes for rubbing (they’re not) I headed to my daughters’s place a mile away.

Miles today: 55

Tour miles: 572

Today was a day full of surprises.

I learned that when I glued a tensioning strap back onto my tent last night I installed it upside down and backwards. Doh. What’s done is done.

The hotel breakfast at the not-so-Grand Hotel was actually quite good. Real china and utensils. Fresh eggs, sausage, taters, coffee and OJ was round one. Round two was shredded wheat and an everything bagel. This made up for my in-room dinner of PB&J on tortillas.

At breakfast I noticed a man and a woman who looked like bicycle tourists. As it turned out they were. Andy and Fiona are from England and riding from Jacksonville FL to Boston. They left the hotel before I did only to be stymied by school traffic.

I left a little after 8 and was happy to get away from Poughkeepsie’s crazy traffic. My brain said I’d be riding brutal hills all day but the day really came in three parts.

First the country roads out of Dutchess County were very pleasant. Plenty of rollers to hill hop, riding down one and using the momentum to climb the next. There were two short steep climbs. As this was in the first 20 miles I decided to walk them, saving my legs for the torture ahead.

The second hill featured a scary, steep downhill, the kind I’d hate to do in less-than-ideal conditions. Lucky me. The road surface was perfect, the curves banked, and the weather ideal. I feathered my brakes during the descent to keep The Mule under 40 mph.

What followed was the second phase of the day. I was fully expecting a brutal hillfest but got lovely flat to rolling countryside. I was hoping to refuel at Mabbettsville but there was no food to be found. After riding east about ten miles, I turned north and picked up the Harlem Valley Rail Trail, a paved gem that gained one degree or so of elevation as I rode.

I left the trail in Amenia and ate lunch at a deli. The garden salad nearly filled me up but I managed to inhale a bologna, turkey, and cheese sandwich too.

I left the deli only to find the temperature had risen about 5 degrees. I stopped at a Cumberland Farms store and bought two liters of cold water. After chugging one of my water bottles, I refilled it with the cold water from one liter, pouring the rest over my head. It felt wonderful.

Back on the trail I stopped to chat with Alan and Fiona who were sitting in the shade eating their tortilla lunch. Birds of a feather.

After a pleasant chat, I carried on for phase three of the day.

I turned east onto US 44 into Connecticut and the dreaded hills of certain doom. What I got were picture pretty New England clapboard houses with This-Old-House landscaping. There were hills but none of the soul sucking variety I was expecting.

The bigger issue was the heat and haze. Temperatures rose into the low 80s which made me glad I had bought two liters of water instead of one. The haze is from fires in Nova Scotia. It’s not a big deal but does put a damper on the scenery.

I was expecting to ride the last 15 miles in grind mode but I made very good time through Lakeville and Salisbury. After Salisbury there was a big climb. It wasn’t walk-worthy but it gave my granny a real test.

After resting at the top, The Mule and I headed down our second steep descent of the day. Once again the pavement was excellent but unlike the earlier downhill this was on a busy two-lane highway. The bike gods were with me; there was no traffic behind me. I took the lane and let fly. The speed limit was 40 but The Mule paid no attention. I was busy checking my mirrors and scanning the road ahead for bumps and potholes. I glanced down and saw 41. Yeah.

I passed through the quaint crossroads town of North Canaan and found myself 2 miles later at the Locust Tree Bed and Breakfast, my home for the night. I am sitting on the porch in the shade letting the breeze lull me to sleep.

Miles today: 64

Tour miles: 517

Another splendid month is in the books. Not having my notes handy I recall watching A Man Called Otto and a bunch of Nationals games including one in the flesh.

I participated WABA’s Sweet Ride and survived lots of climbing. Good preparation for my tour.

I saw two concerts. KT Tunstall and Martin Sexton at the intimate Birchmere made for a fun evening. Crowded House at The Anthem was the bomb. Neil Finn’s still got it and reforming his band to include Nick Seymour, Michell Froom, and sons Liam and Elroy worked like a charm. My favorite moments included Neil soloing on piano with the old Split Enz song Message to my Girl and the Crowded House obscurity Elephants.

I managed to squeeze a trip to Hyde Park to see FDR’s home. After that I spent time with family before attending my 50th high school reunion. (Holy crap, my classmates are OLD!)

As for riding, I managed to do my usual daily meanderings before setting off on a bike tour to Maine and beyond (knock wood). I rode 1,089.5 miles on May. 517 of those miles were from my tour. Lord only knows how many thousands of feet I’ve climbed so far.

I’ve ridden 4,384 miles so far this year.

loving

Last night before I hit the tent, a neighboring camper gave a mini-concert. He played guitar and sang, sometimes accompanied by a woman singing high harmonies. They were east Asian but I’m not sure which country they were from. The singing sounded very much like English or Spanish and the music was definitely western folk style.

I slept pretty well considering the lumpy ground at my tent site. Temperatures dropped below 50 but my new sleeping bag kept me warm. I broke camp around 6:30 and headed 2 miles back to the route.

At the Valero gas station I took advantage of the deli inside and had eggs, sausage, home fries, and coffee for breakfast. It was pretty mediocre. Despite that, I bought a roast beef sandwich for the road and headed east up over a ridge line.

The climb was probably 500 feet but the road was forgiving, never steeper than I could handle. And the road surface was smooth.

I dropped down into Otisville which is about as exciting as it sounds. I headed north through a valley with small farms. It was nice riding. I knew from the terrain that I’d be doing one more climb before descending into the Hudson River valley.

I turned east and there it was: an absolutely absurdly steep climb. No way! I rode to the base of the monster, dismounted and walked. As I neared the top the road became much steeper. I couldn’t ride up this hill on an empty bike.

Walking toward me on the shoulder was a tall, thin young man, dressed in black, unmistakably an Hasidic Jew. I said hello but he ignored me. A man on a riding mower seemed to deliberately spray him with cuttings as the man walked by. Is area of New York has a considerable Hasidic population. I saw many more. None would return my hello. Must be a thing.

I rode past a house where three pre-school aged girls dressed in formal looking clothes sat in the grass in a line. I didn’t say hello but as I passed I heard one girl yell a big hello to me.

The pavement on the road was superb. I re-mounted The Mule, took one look at the ridiculously steep descent ahead and let ‘er rip. I broke 35 mph within a few seconds. The Mule held steady and we cruised for a mile or so.

We made the turn to the east toward Walkill where I sat in a park and ate my sandwich. It was huge! Very tasty.

My daughter in Connecticut texted me advising me that there have been a large number of bear sightings. She advised against tent camping as I had planned to do tomorrow night.

After using the facilities at the town hall (as instructed by a sign at the library) I headed north.

I picked up the Walkill Valley Rail Trail. judging from the clippings the trail had only recently been cleared of high grass. The trail itself was dirt and more often than not single track. The best I could do was 8 mph.

The trail cut through some woods. I ran over some scat. All I could think of was “I hope that wasn’t from a bear.” I stopped later on and confirmed it was from a white tailed deer.

After 1 1/2 miles I bailed out to a paved side road. In the town of Gardner I rejoined the trail, now a proper paved trail.

I was sad to leave it because I had to turn east at New Paltz, a city with narrow streets and way too many massive pickups pulling even massiver camper trailers.

I stopped at a Walgreens for supplies: scissors to cut loose threads off my riding pants and my sleeping bag, generic Flonase to tame my sinuses that continue to wear out my bushman’s hanky, gorilla glue to re-attach a stay that holds the inside of my tent away from me, and a can of iced tea.

While drinking my tea I reserved a room at the Grand Hotel in Poughkeepsie. It was more expensive than other hotels but was closer to my route, thereby keeping me out of any more crazy traffic. (The only problem was the fact that all the restaurants near it are closed.)

Back on the road, after crossing over the Thruway , I picked up a side road and got out of the crazy traffic.

Five miles later I found the entrance to the Hudson Valley Rail Trail in Anthony Williams Park. The surface was in great condition, packed dirt with crushed limestone on top just like the GAP Trail in western Pennsylvania.

My speed immediately popped to 16 mph. It took very little effort. After a few miles the trail reached the Walkway over the Hudson, a linear park with a concrete deck. It’s much higher than the rinky dink MidHudson Bridge way down there to the immediate south.

The views from the walkway are amazing. For a Tuesday afternoon there seemed to be quite a few people enjoying the span. What a great idea.

Once across the bridge I used the Google to guide me to the hotel. It’s big but it’s far from grand. Still my room mid quite big.

I made myself busy making arrangements for tomorrow night. I called the campground I planned on using and asked about bears and bear boxes. They sounded clueless so I called a couple of B&Bs and booked a room just off the route a mile or two from the campground.

After washing up, I rinsed out my riding clothes. They’ll dry overnight.

Then I used the scissors to deal with the loose threads. Next I used the glue to fix the tent (I hope), discovering the process that another attachment point was coming loose.

These pix are from the Walkway. Upper left is the view to the north. Upper right is the view to the south. Bottom left is the bridge deck. Bottom right is the rail trail approach from the west.

Tomorrow I enter Connecticut which is sure to feature some imposing hills.

Miles today: 55.5

Tour miles: 453