And We're Off!

Well... actually when the alarm went off at 6am for us to leave on a maaaany miles bike trip after going to bed at 1:30am the night before, Katharine decided she wasn't going unless the train tickets to Maine were rescheduled for 11am.

Take two: we got up at 9am and rechecked/reloaded everything.... actually, we loaded everything onto our bikes for the first time ever, at which point we realized they were a) veeeery heavy and b) we needed to make some adjustments. With Paul and Mahsa's encouragement and assistance with screwdrivers and tire pumps, we set off to the train station at a fast pace. Despite Paul implying that we were about to miss our train, we made it - phew!



The train ride was nice and scenic but overly airconditioned. We de-trained in Portland, Maine at 2:30pm and stopped to get a bite to eat since the train ride was very arduous. Then, finally, we started biking. The scenery was beautiful along the Maine coast. People were very friendly and curious about where we were going. Everything was quaint and Katharine decided that she needs to move to somewhere along the coast in the Northeast. The weather was strange and beautiful; it was very hot and very chilly at the same time but didn't mix in the air. We arrived in Freeport and camped at a brisk coastal campground.

Day's Mileage: 25.28 miles

Providential Moments: On the train, we met a family of four from Walla Walla, WA. The dad was very interested in talking to us about bicycle touring and very happy that we were just setting out. When we arrived at the campground in Freeport, we pulled up alongside a minivan carrying the same family! Not only was it providential that we were staying at the same campground, but it is also noteworthy that we arrived at the same time - we on bicycles and they in a minivan.