50 MIles!

I rode 50 miles today!  Last year it was well into the summer before I hit 50 miles!  I didn't plan to ride quite that much but I'll get to that.

I started the day out with a run. Well, I really started the day out lying in bed, looking at the ocean and wasting time on the computer. But once I was up I went for a run.  It was sunny but cool and quite windy.  I headed for my favorite route.

I played a bit with the self timer.  It was hard to get the camera to stay upright with the wind. I had to find a rock so it wouldn't get blown over.  One thing with being alone is it is hard to get pics of yourself. I doubt I will get any on the bike.  I am near the beach where all the surfers were last night. There were a few there this morning.

This is looking back toward the beach. I love the run up this road. There are beautiful views everywhere.  

I stop at the lighthouse of course. I took a picture of the transportation to get there  below. Could you ride on that.......especially in the winds that have been part of this week?  

My run was great but rather slow.  I enjoyed the sights and worried about how I was going to ride in the wind.  Once I got back to my room I changed for biking and thankfully threw a few extra things into a bag (pants) that it turned out I needed. Then I headed out for breakfast.  I have found I don't mind eating out alone at all even dinner. But service for a single gray haired older lady leaves something to be desired.  Yes, I would like more coffee.  Yes, more water would have been great.  

The bike made a great drying rack!  I have to admit I came close to saying it was too windy and I didn't need to go on that long ride I had been looking forward to. I could do it another day, another year, another life.  But I bucked up and went for it.  I was glad I had pants and had 3 layers on top and never regretted it.  I started out parked quite near the Maine Diner and rode to Kennebunkport.  I kept thinking about how I didn't like where my car was. It was isolated and the road from there to Kennebunkport was very boring.  I didn't want that to be the end of my ride.  Once I figured out where else I could park it I rode back and got it and had 11 miles of my ride done in my new parking place. This turned out to be a GREAT decision.

We came to Maine a lot as our kids were growing up.  We always brought bikes and I had ridden a lot of these roads before and this part was a trip down memory lane. The ride along Ocean Avenue is very nice and looks out on the very prime piece of real estate the Bush family owns.  I'd love my own little peninsula in Maine.  Then I headed to Goose Rocks Beach with an out and back to Cape Porpoise too.  I really enjoyed this part.  

Cape Porpoise above and below

When the kids were even younger we stayed near Goose Rocks Beach. As I rode by where we used to stay all prepared to get all sentimental the place had been changed into condominiums!  Oh well. I did go down to Goose Rocks Beach and along the shore - very nice. 

on the way to Goose Rocks Beach

As I continued I was getting into some new territory where I had never ridden. I came to Fortunes Rocks which was amazing. I rode along the shore - so beautiful and wild - in what seemed to be a more isolated and less populated area.  

Then I came to a place where the ride took me out and back on this fairly long peninsula. I am not sure if this was still Fortunes Rocks. When I got to the end it was wild wild wild and oh so gorgeous!  My pictures don't do it justice at all. I think it is called Biddeford Pool.

It was definitely a cool ride.

The last new place that I came to was the College of New England. I was glad to get here as it meant I would be turning around and heading south again.  I stopped there on this oh so lovely bench and had a snack. 

 Once I started out again it was just riding back, no more ocean views.  The route kept to back roads which was nice but after a bit I couldn't figure out my directions any more.  I turned around as nothing made sense and went in the opposite direction.  Again I got confused and eventually asked a policeman for directions. Problem was when I got to the second turn I was so tired  I could not remember what he had told me.  I went right a fair ways and then turned around and went a different way. Well of course eventually I got where I needed to be.  It ended up being 49.45 miles so I rode along the beach where I was parked until I hit 50. I was so glad I was not headed up Route 9 to end my ride. 

Since my way home took me right by the Maine Diner I stopped for dinner.  What would you have after a 50 mile bike ride?

If it was a cold beer.....

a cup of clam chowder 

and a lobster roll this was the place to be.