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Warm Showers in Maine Posted by: bcarlton on Wednesday, September 01, 2010 - 01:11 PM
With a free airline ticket in hand and the oppressive 90+ temps of Hot-lanta, my goal was to find pleasant temps, scenic cycling and lobster. Maine! After research I determined the mid-coast section of Maine is considered one of the most scenic destinations in New England. That is the section north of Portland and south of Bar Harbor. I plan a short trip, Sunday thru Thursday, taking my travel bike, the Bike Friday Crusoe. I debate whether to travel self-supported with panniers. I nix that idea since I only have four days and many miles to explore. Fortunately, I rented a car and drive along the coast with short day cycling trips since Highway 1 was very busy and three of the four days were rainy.
While doing my research, I discover Maine is one of the top three popular cycling destinations in the U.S. Definitely worth a return trip with more time to explore. Maine has done an amazing job of providing turn-by-turn cycling cue sheets. See www.exploremaine.org. Additional information was found at www.visitmaine.com. There are so many options of cycling routes that it’s difficult to narrow the list to the top three for the mid-coast. There is a plethora of coastal routes, inland routes, lighthouse routes and towns to browse. I narrow the selection based upon hosts I can locate along the route. A new twist to this trip is my first experience locating other cyclists to host me each night with a bed (or place to pitch a tent) and a shower. I became a member of www.warmshowers.org in which I offer to host cyclists traveling through my hometown in exchange for being able to stay with cyclists along my travel routes. Based on availability (cyclists on this site tend to travel a lot) and projected compatibility (each cyclist writes a paragraph about themselves and may include a web site) I narrow my trip to the section of Portland to Belfast.
I arrive late afternoon in Portland and my first host is William. William lives on the top floor of a 3-story 100 year old Victorian home in downtown Portland, two blocks from the water front. William is a very pleasant 27 year-old with more cycle touring experience than cyclists four times his age. He provides me with a futon and I treat us to a fabulous Indian meal a short walk from his apartment. We talk travels until midnight and the following morning until I leave at 11:00 a.m.
William spent two years in college then worked and saved enough as a cook and carpenter to support his tours. Expenses are minimal traveling with a tent and cooking gear and stay in people’s yards or stealth camp along the road. His 10 month tour began as a short trip to Vermont then he decided to continue traveling across the U.S. to California. Once there, kept going and bought a ticket to Bangkok. He toured Thailand and Laos solo then decided it would be simpler to travel with other cyclists so he skipped Cambodia and Vietnam to travel with some Spanish cyclists to China (Tibet), Nepal and India. Another five month cycle adventure covered France and the Netherlands. Then a three month hiking/hitch-hiking trip with his brother included England and France with a month spent hiking across the Pyrennes on the GR10 route. He also has a passion for the water so he and his brother spent a month building a fabulous wooden sea kayak then another month paddling on the Maine Island Trail, island hopping along the coast of Maine. His next big adventure is to sail and bike from Maine to Argentina once he completes his final two years of college. Oh to be so young!
Monday is drizzly so no hurries to get on the bike. I stop at the DeLorme Map Company in Freeport which has the largest rotating globe in the world and a fabulous selection of maps. I drive north to the harbor towns of Rockport and Camden. Once entering Rockport I am immediately drawn to the large Victorian shop advertising free wine tastings. I do a quick U-turn to Cellar Door Tasting Room, sampling six wines and chatting with some travelers that have toured Chili and Argentina, my winter destination. Most grapes are shipped here from California and then mixed with Maine’s blueberries or maple syrup to make a very sweet wine. Imagine maple syrup in your wine. Sweet!
Next stop is Belfast, another pretty harbor town with lovely homes. The rain has stopped and I finally get to ride my bike enjoying views of the harbor and the lovely Maine homes. Tonight my Warm Shower hostess is Morrigan of Rockland, a very sweet 27 year-old. Her and her boyfriend Alan spent last year riding 11,000 miles in 11 months around the perimeter of the U.S. They were awarded a grant to create a photographic/audio documentary of people’s opinions across the U.S. of our environment. They were not cyclists prior to their trip. The documentary is now complete and is booked in art galleries across the country. Each month it travels to another city and they are paid to lecture. I’m eagerly awaiting its arrival in Atlanta. In addition, they created a huge coffee table book ($110) of photos of their trip. They are currently working to obtain a similar grant involving traveling by bicycle around the world. Their story is at http://www.projecttandem.org.
Tuesday I awake to beautiful sunshine and a forecast high of 70. Time to ride! Morrigan has mapped a very hilly route for me take from downtown Camden toward a popular ski resort. It’s a rural ride with little traffic and beautiful views. Coming back into Camden I stop at the Cellar Door Vineyard to view the rolling fields of grapes. I skip the six free wine tastings since my stomach is guiding me back to town for a seafood lunch on the harbor. In town I meet a family that has ridden self-supported from Boston. The good news is the Adventure Cycling maps they purchased have them spending very little time on the busy Route 1 highway.
This morning I made a call to Richard of Brunswick, also on www.warmshowers.org to inquire whether I could stay at his home tonight. In my message I explain who I am and give him my blog address (www.brenda2travel.blogspot.com) to research me. Within an hour I have a return call and an invite to join him that evening for a mountain bike ride, the following 5:30 a.m. for a group ride and at 6:00 p.m. for another road ride followed by dinner. He and his wife Tina are such warm and welcoming hosts. Richard retired five years ago at 59 and began exercising, loosing 40 pounds. He began doing triathlons (winter and summer) and Xterra races going to nationals three times. His most amazing feat is riding solo the full length of the Great Divide route, a 2,700 mile mountain bike route from Banff, Canada to the Mexico border. This year he and Tina attempted a 1,100 off-road route in Spain and Portugal but had to bail due to so many roads washed out from a 500 year flood that just occurred. Next Richard is planning a self supported trip to south-east Asia and Tibet.
Wednesday turns into another rainy day so I use the car to explore a scenic finger drive that takes me to Bailey Island. In the afternoon I attend a Tai Chi class with Tina along with sampling the 4th Indian restaurant of my trip. A quick drive south takes me back to Portland and the last hosts of my trip Steve and Nancy who live near a downtown Portland park. They are very warm and welcoming. We share dinner and spend four hours exchanging travel stories. They have cycle toured for 20+ years having visited 25 countries. Once again, I am inspired by my hosts.
Thursday is a beautiful sunny day and I spend the morning cycling the downtown area and out to the Portland Headlight, a famous Maine lighthouse. There I met a French cyclist that has spent three months (4,500 miles) cycling across from Seattle to NYC. Most of the trip he used free state maps he got as he crossed into each state. People have welcomed him along the way. I have traveled four days and had four fabulous Warm Shower hosts. Is it just my good fortune, is it the friendly nature of Maine residents or is it the plethora of active cyclists living in Maine? I am so inspired to do more adventure cycling.
If you are interested in seeing pictures:
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Come join us for two days of great riding in the North Georgia Mountains. Rides vary in length from 21 miles to 70 miles thru mountains and valleys. The most riding is strenuous and you should be in good condition to enjoy the weekend. The campground has mt. bike and hiking trails, horseback riding and a lake to swim in. The ride fee includes camping for Friday and Saturday nights and maps for riding. Due to space constraints there will be two tents on each site. If you have someone that you would like to share a space with please let us know. Every attempt will be made to accommodate you but there can be no guarantees. There are cabins available for a weekly rental those who don’t camp. Saturday night we will have grills set-up so everyone can cook their dinner. Bring you favorite beverage. Ice, dinnerware and some condiments will be available. SBL Member for weekend: $45.00 Non-SBL for weekend: $55.00 Day riders: $32.00 For more information, email Ellen Sharp: escycles@yahoo.com.
A Marietta, Georgia event to raise awareness and funds for LIVESTRONG. June 19 - June 20, Marietta cyclist will attempt to ride his bike for 24 hours on the Marietta High School track. Stop by to show your support, make a donation "In Honor of" or "In Memory of" a loved one or friend that has been affected by cancer and place a balloon around the track in their honor. Details at http://24hoursforlivestrong.com
(If this is too long, let me know and I'll send a shorter version. I have pictures too if you would like to use them. Let me know where to send them. Thanks!).
By Brenda Carlton
www.brenda2travel.blogspot.com
My search for warmth and flat countryside in February landed me in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico. I booked a trip for three weeks and spent the first week on an organized, self-supported cycling tour with Basil and Alix of www.bikemexico.com. This was my first foray into cycling with panniers. Last year I did a short trip in Sonoma, CA on my Bike Friday (www.bikefriday.com) pulling my trailer which is a piece of Samsonite luggage converted to trailer by adding wheels and a tongue. Using the panniers for Mexico, I reduced the weight approximately 17 pounds. My total bike/baggage weight (staying at hotels) was 53 pounds plus the weight of the 5 bottles of water I carried. After a challenging day riding in Burlington, VT last year consisting of a slit in my rear tire, five flats and two non-functioning pumps, I opted to carry my own mini-shop into the rural areas of the Yucatan. I carried a spare tire, five tubes, patches, 6 spokes, extra rack/cleat screws, pump and cartridge. Fortunately, all I needed was one tube.
The disadvantage of using panniers rather than converting my Samsonite case to a trailer is “what do I do with my luggage?” The one-week bike tour was round trip so I left it at the hotel. The following week I took the loaded bike and luggage onto a 1st class bus for a two hour trip to Merida, a city of 1 million. Five days later I took a taxi back to the bus station with my luggage and panniers in the trunk and my bike folded in the back seat. Once again, I was allowed to put the loaded bike and luggage into the luggage compartment on the bus (not allowed on a Greyhound in the U.S.). I arrived in Playa del Carmen at the beach area known as the Mayan Riviera and dropped my Samsonite case at the hotel where I would stay the following week. Freed of the case, I rode my loaded bike to catch a ferry to the island of Cozumel.
I was quite impressed with the bus system of the Yucatan. Each segment of my trip I used a 1st class bus run by ADO (www.ado.com). The ADO buses and stations were spotlessly clean, service was prompt, a movie played on the bus and it was never crowded, so I had two seats to myself. They laid my bike (with panniers attached) in the rear of the luggage compartment away from other luggage.
The one week guided tour was an intimate group of seven - the two guides (Basil & Alixandria) and five tourists. The five of us were virgins to the Yucatan and all sported brand new panniers. Mark and Carol came from the Fresno area, Karen from Portland and Sergio from Mexico City. Sergio rode a low-riding 3-wheel trike which was challenging to clear the multitude of speed bumps (topes) at every village. Karen and I rode steel Bike Fridays. Basil and Alix use full-sized Surly steel bikes with two couplers allowing them to pack their bikes in airline friendly luggage. Mark and Carol converted their road bikes to touring bikes by purchasing a modified rear skewer and rack from specialty company Old Man Mountain. The shock of the multitude of speed bumps made Carol very nervous since she was on a very light-weight Carbon bike. She and Mark are now interested in travel bikes for future trips.
Basil and Alix are from Canada but have spent the last 10 years living and leading tours in Mexico. Their intimate knowledge of the people, culture and roads took us to places most tourists rarely visit. We traveled in rural areas of mostly indigenous Mayan Indians. Most homes are cinder block or stick. Roofs are thatch or metal. The language is Mayan but some also speak Spanish. The Yucatan area is very friendly and safe and nothing like the news stories in the U.S. about the drugs and kidnappings in Mexico. It’s sad how our TV/radio lumps all of Mexico into one bucket of crime. One night was a home-stay in a Mayan village. A grandmother cooked our meals. Dinner was a yummy vegetable/bean soup with handmade tortillas. Dessert was sugared papaya cooked all day over an open fire. Breakfast was delicious eggs with chaya (like spinach) served with Atole, a thick corn based drink served in half shells of dried gourds. This village in Tihosuco was larger than most and included a museum converted from a Spanish hacienda built during the years of Spanish rule. Our male host translated all the wall placards to Spanish then Basil translated to us in English. It was very enlightening (and sad) to learn of the Spanish domination of the Mayan Indians and the long Caste Wars fought to obtain their freedom from slavery.
Mayans typically sleep in hamacas (hammocks), as did we. The technique is to lie flat is to sleep in a diagonal direction. Don’t forget to put a blanket under you too. The stick walls are only insulated with cardboard. Our hut was next to the chicken/turkey lot and they, along with the dogs, “sang” to us for two hours then started up again at 5:00 a.m. Our night on Isla Holbox (fishing island) was also noisy with the sounds of Carnival partying late into the night. Our other nights were spent in small towns in family-owned budget hotels costing $20 - $30 for a double. If staying one night in a Mayan village is “too much culture” for your taste, most of the Bike Mexico tours do not include that option.
Total mileage for five days riding with one day off at the beach was 300 with two long days of 78 and 80. The shorter days allowed time to tour ruins or swim in cenotes. A cenote is unique to the Yucatan. This region seldom has above-ground rivers or lakes. Instead, huge sinkholes have formed requiring you to climb down ladders or steps to swim. They are quite beautiful with the vines and roots hanging down 50’ – 100’ from the top. Mayan ruins are another huge tourist draw. We stopped early in the day at two ruins before the crowds arrived – Elk Balaam and Coba. Hiring a local guide to explain the history shed a whole new light on what we were viewing.
Another major concern going to Mexico was water quality. Before departing I made an unnecessary trip to R.E.I. to buy two types of purification pills. Our hotels had filtered water dispensers. Using panniers, I carried five bottles. Along the way we could purchase water at shop-ettes. The Mayan villages have trucks delivering jugs at homes. We never drank tap water nor brushed our teeth with tap water. For food on the road, we carried nuts, peanut butter or jerky brought from home. We bought fresh fruit (peel-able) when available. Basil taught us to make oatmeal the night prior by adding water and letting it sit over-night.
There are volumes written on Yucatan cooking which has no resemblance to what we call Mexican food. It is not spicy unless you choose to spice it yourself. Chicken and pork are popular. I ate Mero fish nearly daily which is a type of grouper. The prices are wonderfully inexpensive. My favorite drink is Horchata made from rice milk, cinnamon, spices and sugar. Our tour was during the week of Carnival which meant daily celebrations. For the family-oriented Mayans, this meant children’s parades, dancing and singing in the streets along with food vendors.
We thoroughly enjoyed Sergio, from Mexico City, on the tour. He is a well-rounded, successful patent attorney who gave us yet another perspective of life in Mexico which goes far beyond our network news. He has a distant relative who owns a hotel on Isla Holbox who treated us to a fabulous 5-star meal. Isla Holbox was a tiny fishing village five years ago until it was “discovered”. It is still small and quaint and all the streets are hard-packed sand.
In the rural areas of the Yucatan, bicycles are often their method of transport. It is common to see bikes carrying a load of firewood to cook dinner that evening in their outdoor kitchen. Men may have a rifle strapped to their back for hunting or a machete or other tools for work. Three wheeled bikes (two in front) with a plank seat serve as taxis or for transporting the family. Mexico is a 3rd world country and reminds me of stories of life 100 years ago in the U.S. What I could really appreciate is their family unity and support since the family doesn’t get scattered like in the U.S.
Sadly, our tour ended and we went separate directions. Most had extended travel plans in the region after the tour. Karen and I took our Bike Fridays by bus to Merida. Karen stayed a couple of days then rode solo 50 miles to Izamal. From there Karen took a bus to the beach at Tulum. I spent four days exploring the festive, colonial city of Merida. Every Sunday is a huge cultural day with festivities and performances at the Plaza Grande. A five mile stretch of road is closed for bicycles. Merida has an old town along with a modern city with sleek hotels and shopping centers. Many ex-pats, including Americans, live there. Our own Ken Scott (former SBL VP) and his wife retired there from Atlanta. They feel very safe there, as did I. Walking alone at night is not a concern. They have a beautiful home in the hubbub of Avenue Paseo Montejo. To Atlantans, think of our midtown. Ken just purchased a Bike Friday (New World Tourist) for riding around the city or doing tours. Ken took Karen and me on an afternoon tour of Merida on our Bike Fridays. If you never leave the old historic Centro (downtown) section of Merida with all the one-way narrow streets (many are brick) then you would have no idea Merida is a modern city. It has Wal-Mart, Target, new malls, a glass-encased Hyatt and many other mega stores/hotels. In Merida the typical February temperatures of 80’s returned versus the previous week when we were blessed with a “cold front” of 70’s. Merida is 30 minutes from the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico. On Sunday three of us went sailing on a 10’ sail boat in the bay and amongst the mangroves. We were fortunate to sail close to a dozen pink flamingos feeding in the waters.
Next stop was a two hour bus trip and 30 minute ferry ride to the island of Cozumel for some sun, beach and snorkeling. On one day I decided to ride my bike around the island. Thinking it was 42 kilometers, I kept a very leisurely pace stopping frequently. Near the end of the day while enjoying drinks with some newly made friends, I was informed it was actually 42 miles, not kilometers. Ooops! I have 10 miles to go and it’s nearly dark. Many folks don’t think a little bike with 20” wheels can go very fast. Oh contraire! Speed is based on gearing and gear inches. A Bike Friday can be geared with identical gear inches of a full-size road bike. With my lights back in the hotel room (another oops), I made it to the edge of town and street lights just as the darkness fell.
My final stop was five days at the beaches of Playa del Carmen on the Caribbean side referred to as the Maya Riviera. My daughter joined me for this segment which is definitely the area highly populated by tourists from all over the world. Here you find less of the real Yucatan culture replaced by the resort scene with beautiful beaches, lots of shopping, restaurants and bars. Final words….don’t let our news media keep you away from a friendly and safe cycling destination.
Frazier Cycling http://www.fraziercycling.com/FCI_kids.htm
based in Gwinnett County, GA is excited to announce F.I.T. (Frazier In Town,) a junior cycling program inside of Atlanta's I-285. Frazier Cycling's junior development program currently has 35 members ages 7-18 that focus on core fitness, weekly training rides, and racing. FIT makes it easier for in-town riders to participate in this program with new weekly practices and rides. New FIT members are also welcome to attend practices and rides in Gwinnett County.
A free seminar for prospective juniors, ages 9-18, and their families will be held on Thursday, March 18th from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. at REI Atlanta, 1800 Northeast Expressway NE, Atlanta, GA 30329. Learn how the junior members of the Frazier Cycling team train, race and win National championships together through a year-round program that promotes overall fitness, safety, family participation, having fun and making new friends. Meet team members, their families and coaches, see their equipment and hear how you can get involved! Info or RSVP to Tom Tomaka, ttomaka@fraziercycling.com or 770-315-0675.
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