I didn’t sleep at all last night or so I thought. I checked my phone and it said it was 4:30. I had been asleep for 7 1/2 hours. Temps fell into the low 40s but I was comfy in my new sleeping bag. Thanks for the recommendation, Corey.

Breakfast was PB&J on pita bread. Not optimal but it would due until I could find something better.

The day began with 25 miles on the Old Mine Road, old being the operative word here. The campground clerk warned me that the road would be bad and it sure was.

To make matters worse there was a long, steep hill that I had no chance of riding up. I pushed The Mule about a quarter mile.

I was hoping for relief at 12 miles when my route took me onto a different road, Highway 615. I came screaming (my front brakes are noisy) down a hill on smooth pavement at 30 miles per hour.

There was a stop sign at the bottom. I didn’t want to overheat my rims and explode a tire so I cruised through it past a barrier curiously placed on only the left side of the road. A half mile later I can to an imposing concrete barrier. It was about 8 feet high and completely blocked the road.

I backtracked and talked to a fisherman about my plight. He offered to help me get over the barrier but said the road was washed out last fall. Even if I could get past the washout, I had no way of knowing if I could get past the barrier on the north side of the closure.

Examining my map I saw a gray line parallel to 615. It was the Old Mine Road. As it turned out this was the really bad part but it got me around the closure. As I started out I saw the Detour sign I had missed, covered my some overhanging tree branches.

The crummy road lasted about 5 miles until I rejoined 615. At the town of Peters Valley I came to what my map said was a fork in the road. It was a 3-way fork. I stopped to make sure that the steepest road was the continuation of the route. Dang if it wasn’t.

Having come to a stop there was no way I could climb the beast so I hoofed it again.

Not long after the roadway improved immensely. I was zooming along when I encountered Zack, a bike tourist headed to the Pacific Northwest. He told me that the side trip to Milford PA across the Delaware had open restaurants, good info this being Memorial Day.

I rode down to the river and used the walkway to cross. It was oddly constructed of a series of flimsy metal planking over metal grates. The sides were stout but you could see through to the river below. It was disorienting.

Glad to be across, I found the Milford Diner in town. I ordered an omelette with home fries and toast plus coffee. The mound of food that came to my table was intimidating but I ate it all but for a bite of toast.

Next I stopped at a grocery story where I tossed the pita bread which was on the verge of a mold breakout and the ham and cheese sandwich that Tracy made for me a week ago. It had fallen to the bottom of a pannier and was probably inedible at this point.

At the grocery I bought bananas and apples and mini tortillas. Also two packets of tuna which work well as emergency food. And a sandwich for dinner.

Back across the river and on route again, I headed up NJ 521 , a mercifully smooth two lane road. Crossing in into New York at Port Jervis, the excellent road conditions continued. I was now out of the Delaware National Recreation Area and into rural America.

I was feeling quite strong as my route took me across the Neversink River. There I noticed that I had been benefiting from a tailwind.

At Cuddebackville I found a gas station with a deli. They open at 5 am, when they serve breakfast.

Two more hilly miles off route took me to my campground for the night.

Miles today: 54

Tour miles: 397.5

I woke at 4:30 am. Ready to go. I waited until 7 to get breakfast at the IHOP next door. It was closed so I went to McDonalds. It was closed. Hmmm.

I rode downhill about 5 miles to downtown l. Nothing was open. I walked my bike across the bridge (after the bridge minder scolded me for riding) to Easton PA and rolled around town. Sunday on a 3-day weekend is not prime time for brekkies around here.

I found a McDonalds and ordered their breakfast. It came with extra plastic. my dining companions were four homeless men who were discussing local politics like they were the city council.

Back into New Jersey, I rode along the river enjoying the gently rolling road that was occasionally augmented by very steep but mercifully short hills

The Delaware to my left, dense foliage to my immediate right. Every so often I’d startle some large sounding critter and hear a commotion In the greenery.

I made my way 30 miles to the town of Belvedere where I stopped for second breakfast. The town diner was packed. The plates were heaped with grub. I opted for oatmeal with banana and blueberries. And a cuppa joe

Next I re-crossed the river into Pennsylvania. I immediately turned onto a riverside road. This one climbed away from the river again and again. I appreciated the downhills but the ups and downs seemed pointless.

Still it was a pretty ride. The river makes a hash in the mountains they yield impressive views.

After Portland the road was closed because of rockslides and erosion. The detour was 15 miles including a steep climb over a 1,400 foot mountain. I decided to ignore the detour. All went well until I came to a barrier. I unloaded The Mule and dropped my bags on the other side then hefted the bike over. Success!

Now I could only hope that reports online were true, that the road was passible. The closure lasted only one mile. I saw one rock about size of a softball in the road. The stone retaining wall between the road and the steep drop to the river was severely eroded, a sign that the National Park Service had neglected to maintain the road for years if not decades. Big surprise. Not.

The barrier on the north side of the closure was easier to deal with. I dismounted and walked around it. Done.

I stopped in the town of Delaware Water Gap to buy water and some food for the next 30 miles.

I walked along I-80 across the river back into New Jersey. The sidewalk was protected from the roaring traffic by a Jersey barrier. This short stroll also happened to put me on the Appalachian Trail briefly.

On the Jersey side I doubled back to take the Old Mine Road north along the river. Almost immediately I came to a traffic light that regulated the flow in a very narrow stretch of the road. Of course it didn’t recognize bicycles. A huge pick up truck approached. There was room to pass but the side mirrors of the monster stuck out a foot more than usual. I pulled off to avoid a rude face slap.

The road surface was horrible. Potholes everywhere. At one point I had a drink from my water bottle. Just as I did I came upon a huge pothole. I swerved to the right out of control. A rock face ran along the road and I was headed right for it.

Then I stopped. The combination of one handed braking and some soft black sand on the edge of the roadway brought me to a stop like one of those runaway truck ramps in West Virginia.

I decided that even though I’d ridden only 40 miles I should save the rest of this crazy road for tomorrow. I cancelled my campsite 25 miles north and took a hiker/biker site a few miles away.

The campsite has large furry critters so I’ve been advised to stash my food and hygiene items in the trunk of my car. My improvised plan B is to use my wet sack and stash it in one of the showers with a sign on it explaining it to curious people. It would have been useful to know Spanish and Korean but English will have to do.

My cold is nearly gone. I only used my bushman’s hanky a few times today.

Tomorrow lots of bumps and, then (hopefully) New York State.

Miles today: 44.5

Tour miles: 343.5

Alan and Sheryl were terrific Warmshowers hosts. I was well fed and slept soundly. Alan told me the route ahead featured one big hill then lots a flat to gently rolling roads, mostly along the Delaware River.

The hill came very early on and was definitely granny-worthy. There were a couple of other shorter climbs after that but I handled them nicely.

On one climb a walker came by and told me there was a baby fawn just beyond a tree line ahead. I never would have spotted it. It looked like a patch of soil. I didn’t take a picture so as not to disturb it but it was super cute.

The climb took me away from the Schuylkill River valley. It was followed by a descent to the Delaware River at New Hope.

The short bridge has a steel grate deck so I walked The Mule across on the sidewalk. Now in Lambertville, NJ I stopped for second breakfast, coffee and an everything bagel. I booked a hotel room in Phillipsburg 35 miles away.

The rest of the ride was on a two-lane highway going north along the Delaware. For most of the ride I could have used a parallel towpath but the road was smooth, traffic was light, and the weather perfect.

In Milford I stopped for lunch at a pizza place. Delish.

One surprise has been how inexpensive food is, as long as I stay clear of the touristy places.

After Milford the road along the river became narrower. There were 4 granny hills to contend with. But today is different. With my cold almost gone and my tummy full of fuel the long uphill grinds were manageable.

The hotel in Phillipsburg is your basic cheap eyesore that shows signs of disrepair and is under renovation. The room seems fine though but the breakfast the website said was included is not offered. Given the fact that it probably would have been inedible, I’m not too upset. Also there is an IHOP next door so I don’t have to search for early morning grub.

Temperatures were actually warm at the end of the riding day indicating that my weather luck may be running out.

Tomorrow I ride to the Delaware Water Gap and deal with a rather nasty mountain detour and uncertainty about where I’ll stay.

Miles today: 50

Tour miles: 299

My stay at the Stauffer’s Warmshowers house was terrific. A shower, a bed, breakfast, good conversation, and a grilled NY strip steak that was to die for.

I felt much better this morning. Still a little sick and lacking energy.

Nelson Stauffer who is Pennsylvania Dutch and grew up around here, told me that the 2-foot rut on the roads is caused by the steel horseshoes worn by Amish buggy horses.

I lit out at 7:40 headed for another Warmshowers host near Warrington. These folks are vegan so no more steak for me.

Theresa Stauffer told me that there was a long downhill in store for me this morning but I didn’t believe her. After a couple of not-so-hard granny climbs I found out she was right. It was a gradual downhill grade for miles. I think it was a descent into the Schuylkill River valley.

Once the route left the main road I was treated to country lanes with classic old homes from the late 18th and early 19th century. Quite a change from the places I passed last summer out west.

On one back country road I was starting up after a short break when a full grown white tailed deer burst from the roadside bushes and bounded across the road in front of me. How the on-coming SUV missed it is beyond me. There couldn’t have emote than a foot between its grill and the side of the deer.

From time to time the road was mercifully level, a big and welcome change from yesterday’s hill fest.

A bit later I cruised through Valley Forge. I checked out General Washington’s headquarters and followed a paved trail through the park. The weather was absolutely perfect so it is had to imaging the brutal, frigid conditions that his army endured while bivouacked there.

After my history lesson I rode the Schuylkill River Trail about ten miles to Conshohocken. Level all the way.

After leaving the trail and climbing a bit I came to Ambler where I had a late lunch at a pizza shop. A hot Italian sun on pizza bread. All the salt please!

With 2 1/2 hours to kill I hunkered down in a coffee and pie place for desert. I went all in coffee, a chocolate chip cookie, and a hot cinnamon bun.

Burp.

About ten miles to go….

Update: I made the last 9 miles more like 14 because I went through a wormhole at the very end of the ride. After arguing with the Google for 20 minutes, I set things right and found my Warmshowers host.

Along the way I met a local bike tourist who told me about a campground for tomorrow they apparently is inaccessible. He also told me the hills on Connecticut are a bitch.

So it goes

Today’s miles: 62.5

Tour miles: 248

What a great day. What a grind.

After a horrid hotel breakfast and some chain maintenance, I lit out from East York on a highway headed for the Susquehanna River. Temperatures were in the low 50s and I was comfy once I warmed up. My head cold was still in evidence making me feel drowsy.

The terrain was relatively flat and the road surface smooth. I made good time ten miles to Wrightsville where I crossed the river. I had some worries about this crossing but the shoulder was massive and debris-free. No problem at all. On the east side of the river the terrain began to roll. It was actually surprisingly manageable. I was feeling quite full of myself.

Lancaster slowed me down with its traffic lights and steep hills. Once I was through town I stopped for an early lunch at a family restaurant. This area of Pennsylvania is thick with family restaurants (basically they are diners). And the food is cheap and good. I had a bowl of potato and cheese soup and a tuna melt sandwich. They hit the spot.

After the restaurant the grind began. The modest rollers of the morning gave way to big descents and steep climbs. I think each climb was about 200 feet. For the next 30 miles I used my granny gear about 1/4th of the time.

I’m in Amish country. Horses and buggies are common. I saw a boy, perhaps 14, plowing a field with band old tiller pulled by six draft horses. Amish people work hard.

I had arranged to stay with a Warmshowers host near Elverson. I told them I’d be there between 3 and 4 pm. I barely made it thanks to the climbing and an unexpected detour. (Hilly, of course.)

The hosts say I must be gone by 7:30 which is good because tomorrow will be a long day. I’ll be riding through Valley Forge and on a section of the Schuylkill River trail before ending to another Warmshowers host south of Doylestown. It should be about 50 miles.

Today’s miles: 54.5

Tour miles: 186.5

I slept like the dead in the pitch black guest room at Mark and Terry’s house.

I woke up and my sore throat was gone but my general fatigue remained.

Mark made scrambled eggs and bacon and Terry made coffee and all the other things.

Terry provided me with two sandwiches on pretzel bread which didn’t get squished in my panniers.

At 8:30 I worked my way back to the Monuments route and followed it with only one wrong turn into Baltimore. It was much hillier than I expected which became a theme of the days

I rode past the sports stadiums and made my way due north from the Inner Harbor area. The first few miles were past run down buildings. Eventually I came to Johns Hopkins University where commencement was underway. After Hopkins I a posh residential area.

I brr we benefited from some pretty sweet bike infrastructure. Alas, I was also treated to a few dozen red lights which made the ride tedious.

North of Baltimore I continued my red light tour eventually finding the rail trail to York. Foe the next 42 miles I did not encounter a single traffic light. Yay.

Unfortunately the trail angles upward by one degree or so creating a false flat. You think you’re on level ground but you’re working hard to break 10 miles per hour.

It was quite a grind but the scenery was grand and the unpaved riding surface was surprisingly firm.

I had originally planned to stop in Freeland MD and camp but I had no cell signal and I wasn’t about to risk wandering into the hilly countryside only to find the place couldn’t accommodate me.

It was only 3 pm so I figured I’d ride another 20 miles to another campground. As luck would have it the trail was slightly downhill once I crossed into Pennsylvania. My speed jumped 4 miles per hour.

I managed to get a cell signal and contacted the place. They had space for me. An hour later I pushed my bike through a field with one porta potty. Beyond that were 20 or so RVs. The notes at the campground office said $36 for a primitive site.

Not for me.

I rode the rest of the trail into York and found a dubiously named Quality Inn. I have a bed and a shower and a “hot breakfast” – almost sure to be not so hot.. I really needed to get the dust of that trail off me. The hotel had a ten percent off deal at the Mexican restaurant next store. The meal was also of dubious quality. (Yeah, I ate it.)

The hotel clerk had a bike in the lobby. It’s a 1947 Swiss Army bike. Very cool. I meant to ask him if it came with a corkscrew but I forgot.

I’m working on lining up a Warmshowers host for tomorrow. I’m about 30 miles farther than planned.

Todays miles: 73.5

Tour miles: 132

The day began at 4 a.m. with a sore throat. I woke up and gave myself a Covid test. Negative. I went back to bed for a couple more hours then trudged downstairs for breakfast and a section be Covid test. Negative.

Feeling lousy I resisted the urge to crawl back to bed. I read the newspaper then loaded up The Mule for the first day of my 2,500 mile adventure.

I managed to forget only one thing, eye drops for glaucoma. NBD.

Today’s ride began in Mount Vernon, Virginia and ended in Linthicum, Maryland just came south of Baltimore where I would stay with Mark with whom I toured in 2019 and 2022.

At 10 a.m., I took suburban streets to the Mount Vernon Trail. Using the 14th Street bridge I crossed the Potomac River into DC. After passing the Jefferson memorial I picked up some cycletracks and trails that went passed the Wharf, Fort McNair, Audi Field, and Nationals Park to the new Frederick Douglass Bridge over the Anacostia.

Because Mark lives well to the east of the Adventure Cycling Atlantic Coast route, I cobbled together my route from my knowledge of DC area trails and a ride event I did many years ago.

The past ride was the Monument to Monument event in which riders go from the Washington Monument in DC to the one in Baltimore and back. I found the cue sheet from that ride buried in a file in my basement.

Today’s ride featured comfortable temperatures, some high haze caused by Canadian wildfires, some rolling hills, and a light headwind.

Miles today: 58.5

My path followed bike trails along the river north many miles to Edmonston, Maryland where I switched to the Monuments cue sheet.

I followed the cues until about 1 1/2 miles from Mark’s place where I switched to Google maps for the rest of the ride.

Since I had done nearly the entire ride before it was not a particularly exciting ride.

I stopped in Bladensburg for lunch and a couple more times for snacks. My cold and the sheer weight of my loaded bike made me far more tired than I had anticipated.

After only a single missed turn, I made it to Mark’s house by 4:30. Mark’s wife Tracy made a pot roast feast. Mark and I told tall tales about our bike adventures.

At 10 p.m. I crawled upstairs for some shut eye and Advil PM.

Today was a bit of a slog. Hopefully this cold will fade away in a day or two.

Tour miles: 58.5

It’s about 8 p.m. the night before the start of my ride to Maine and beyond. I have been buzzing around like a madman trying to get ready. Here’s a recap of my last five days of normal living.

Last Wednesday I drove to Albany to attend my 50th high school reunion. Along the 400-mile way, I stopped at Hyde Park to see the FDR house. It was a bit of a pain to get to but I did get to drive over the Mid-Hudson Bridge which is a state-of-the-art span built in 1925. The winding approach goes through a gash in rock. As I drove across I could see the Hudson River Walkway, part of my tour route, to my left.

Hyde Park was interesting. I thought it was on the Hudson but the view of the river is obscured by trees.

The ride from there to Albany is mostly on the roads that are designated as New York State Bike Route 9. I expected it to be hilly but, other than being a bit trafficky, it looks quite rideable.

I arrived, ate dinner, and went to bed.

On Thursday I drove to my brother Jim’s house. Jim and I did a 22-mile ride, mostly on the new Helderberg Hudson Rail Trail. The trail goes from the Port of Albany to the village of Voorheesville, west of Albany. Along the way it passes by the neighborhood where I lived for the first five years of my life. On the way back we swung by the old house, which looks remarkably unchanged but for an enclosed breezeway between the garage and the house.

After returning to Jim’s house, I drove to my sister Margaret’s house near the University of Albany (known to old timers like me as the State University of New York at Albany or SUNY Albany). My sister and I went to lunch. At about 3 p.m. I left her place and drove to a cemetery to see my parents’ and my younger brother’s grave. They are right where I last saw them but the pin oak tree that was planted in my father’s memory in 2005 is now enormous. He’d have like that.

Next, I drove up a hill to another cemetery to see President Chester A. Arthur’s grave. Ooh. Exciting. He was such a big deal that I had no idea he was buried in Albany until Margaret told me over lunch.

Back to the hotel I drove to clean up for dinner. I drove about and hour into the Adirondack foothills to have dinner with Jim and my other sister Roo and their spouses. The restaurant in the town of Galway was The Cock and Bull. It was a steak house in a barn. I had jambalaya and it was quite good. A quartet called Corner House played on a very small stage after we ate. They describe their style as influenced by Irish, Scottish, Appalachian Stringband, and Bluegras music. The space is so small that they interacted with the audience and even left the stage to play an impromptu acoustic encore sitting practically in our laps.

I arrived back at the hotel at 11. Too tired to sleep.

The next morning at the lobby complimentary breakfast I ran into a couple of classmates. Oddly the three of us are all born within 48 hours as I recall.

Then it was time for the main event. I drove to the school to meet up with about 15 classmates (our class had 40 graduates, all boys. 35 are still alive.). How strange it was to see people I haven’t seen since 1973. I didn’t recognize three of them at all. Some of my classmates didn’t recognize me. Touche.

After lunch I wandered around campus with Dave, a classmate that I had lived with briefly in college in a dilapidated old warehouse on the Boston waterfront. (The building has since been properly modernized and now probably costs a fortune to live in.) We were stunned to see the new indoor athletic building which included a very impressive indoor track. And we also saw the new swimming facility, a major upgrade from the musty old pool crammed in the back of the 150+ year old main school building. (I learned that the elementary school boys swam in the nude back in the day.)

After the tour, we attended an awards ceremony for the school’s Arts Hall of Fame. One of our classmates was inducted but we arrived late and missed his part of the event.

Next up was a playoff high school baseball game. It was a tight contest. The good guys won on in a walk-off, on a bases loaded walk.

After that came the reception in a tent outside the school. I met some classmates of my oldest brother, Bill. To be honest, despite being five years older, they looked better than my classmates.

After drinks (actually a beer for me) we had dinner in the open air outdoor pavilion which was paid for by the class of 1970, which included my brother Joe. Twas a lovely repast. We were joined by some 50-year celebrants from the girls school across the street. The separation by gender is being phased out as was the mandatory military program at the boy’s school.

After dinner we all decamped to a bar where some of my classmates had reserved a room for us. We hung out and chatted. A nice time for sure. And thankfully not nearly as alcohol intensive as my 25th reunion. (I had a single beer. What a lush.)

On Saturday I drove home in a driving rain. Ugh. Lucky for me the storm had bypassed my place so I mowed the lawn. By the time I was done I felt exhausted. My daughter had come home from law school to attend her 10th high school reunion. She warned us that she might be calling us to come pick her up if she had too much to drink.

Before she left, I opened some early Father’s Day gifts. Shorts that actually fit (I was stunned that I am now a size 36. No wonder my old pants kept falling off) and an Ottlight for reading.

At 3 a.m. we got the call from our girl and drove the half hour to DC. After tracking her down using an app, we retrieved her car and drove home arriving around 4 a.m.

Are you exhausted yet? I am. By now my sleep cycle was completely screwed up. On about 3 1/2 hours of sleep I started assembling all the stuff I’ll be taking on my trip. Then I went for a 30-mile on Big Nellie, because that’s what I do.

Sunday night we drove in to DC to see Crowded House perform. They put on a stellar show as usual. We arrived back home at 11.

Today, I finished packing and took The Mule on a loaded 2 1/2 mile test ride. It felt a bit like I was riding a buffalo but I’m sure I will get used to it after an hour tomorrow. Then I went for a 28-mile ride on Little Nellie.

When I arrived home I saw my daughter off then dealt with a medical billing issue that I’ve been dealing with. I am being charged a “facility fee” for my December colonoscopy. I never had to pay one before so I’ve been going back and forth between the doctor’s billing office and the insurance company. Somehow my procedure which heretofore had been termed “routine” was now defined as “diagnostic”. (Aren’t all colonoscopies diagnostic by definition? Oh well.) There difference in this one word could cost me $320. The insurance company has promised me a review. I am not optimistic.

And there your have it. Five days of mayhem. Just what I needed to get in the mood for my bike tour. To be honest I am not feeling all that good about this one. Hopefully, my attitude will improve after a couple of days in the saddle. Tomorrow I ride from Mount Vernon, Virginia to Linthicum, Maryland just inside the Baltimore beltway where I will stay at Mark and Tracie’s house. (Marc and I rode half the Trans Am Trail last summer with his lifetime pal Corey.) It should be about 55 miles with near perfect weather.

I hope to hit the road around 9. Judging from how tire I am at 8:45 p.m. it will be a minor miracle if I make it out of here before noon.

Stay tuned for daily updates. I will be posting fewer pix on the blog in the interest of saving some memory but any others will be posted on my Instagram and Flickr accounts. (Both under my goofy nickname Rootchopper).

I forgot that I saw Jefferson’s grave so now I’m up to six dead presidents.

It’s been a hectic month so far with no let up in sight.

A week ago my wife and I went to see KT Tunstall play at a small venue. KTT was terrific as usual. Her opening act, Martin Sexton, was super entertaining. Ya gotta love a singer who’s not afraid to yodel.

After the concert I spent a bunch of time rounding up more things for the tour, and getting my wife some Mothers Day goodies. I think I passed the audition.

Today I drove 400 miles from Mt Vernon VA to East Greenbush NY outside Albany. It occurred to me after growing up around here that there is no West Greenbush or even a plain, vanilla Greenbush. What’s up with that?

On the way here I stopped in Hyde Park to see FDR’s home. It’s a lovely place, not nearly as posh as I was expecting. The house has a manual (as in pull on a big rope) elevator that he used to get upstairs to his bedroom. Dang.

FDR and Eleanor are buried in the rose garden near the house. It’s only the fourth presidential gravesite I’ve seen. And amazingly Grant’s Tomb isn’t one of them. I could have stopped at Martin van Buren’s grave today but one dead President a day is enough for me. (Can you guess the other three?)

As it turns out I’ve now seen two presidential birthplaces. (Guess again!)

Hyde Park is very close to my planned route. It’s actually on New York State Bicycle Route 9 which, despite being on somewhat busy roads, looks like a decent place to ride. New York State highways have big shoulders that somehow seem free of debris.

Tomorrow I’m doing a rail trail bike ride near Albany. Tomorrow night I am having dinner with siblings about an hour away.

Friday I go to my 50th high school reunion. I had planned to ride to it but had to drive instead. It turns out that with temperatures in the 30s overnight I’m rather glad to be riding my Accord rather than The Mule.

Sometime between all these events I’m going to meet up with one of my sisters and visit family gravesites nearby. I’ve never seen my great grandfather’s grave. His name is Sylvester. He was married to Hattie. If nothing else this proves that Americans have lost their baby naming mojo over the past 200 years.

Saturday I drive home in the rain. Ugh.

Sunday I start packing for the tour, mow the lawn, and go see Crowded House.

Monday I finish packing.

Tuesday is liftoff.