Day 2
Sat 4th Aug 2012
- Start Time9:21
- Finish Time16:36
- Time Spent Moving4:18
- Miles Done42
Day 2 started with an egg and bacon sandwich from the cafe at the campsite, Normandy Farms in Foxboro, with a large cp of coffee. I started the days ride at around 9.30 riding on the shoulder of the dual carriageway I was on yesterday. After a mile or so I turned off and started down some smaller roads that led me through some small towns. 15 miles of riding brought me to my first state line that of Rhode Island. I stopped for the obligatory picture in front of the sign, I refrained from doing a dance like I have seen videos of other people doing.
The first large town I came to was Pawtucket where I came across a small park with a large fountain where some people were paddling, I thought as I was rather warm I would do also - this was most refreshing. There was also a farmers market going on so I bought some apples and a large bag of cranberries. I was soon in Providence where I was amazed of how beautiful the city was. The architecture was so typical east American brownstone. I found another fountain where one of the nozzles was broken and was pointing out so I stood under that for a while - again very refreshing. The day was very very hot and I soon dried off.
Just outside of Providence city center I joined a bike path that was an old railway track. I was tarmac and wonderful to ride on. The heat was getting unbearable so I had to keep stopping in some shade to rest. I came across a small store that was advertising frozen lemonade, I just had to have some of that - and it was air-conditioned - frozen lemonade is just like Slush Puppie back in the UK but is was so good. Back on the bike path and I was starting to look forward to stopping for the night. When planning the trip I had found a campsite called Cowells campground just off the bike path but before I got that far the tarmac ran out and I was riding on soil that was extremly bumpy - just like the ones you skiers out there leave us snowboarders to scream about! I only had half a mile or so of this but it was an omen for tomorrow.
I found Cowells at around 5pm and was given a nice shady spot near some caravans. When I say near, they were about 50 feet away from each other. I had some dinner of pasta - of course! - and was just about to hit the sack when the guy in the caravan next to me called me over to see if I wanted to join him and his wife for some beers. Of course I said yes and we spent a couple of hours putting the world to right, comparing our 2 countries and how they differ. They spend a long time of the summer at the campground and it seemed to be their second home although their first home was only a few miles away. We were also joined by the lady from the caravan behind my tent so I was explaining my trip again. I have kind of got it down to a few sentences now!. Thanks to Ed, Leslie, Sandy and Tom for a great evening.
Day 2 - 40 miles - about 4 hours of riding.