Late summer tar run day 2 - VT, MA, NY
Marilyn Mason
masonjs at nrtco.net
Sat Sep 19 16:41:24 PDT 2009
Wednesday I awoke at the excellent B&B provided by Rob & Michelle.
Rob whipped up breakfast--some excellent scambled eggs with some fabulous
toasted cheese bread. I'll have to get a recipe for that.
We got away about 9:30 hr heading south. I think I'll either have to
release the grip on sonme of my brass or ask St. Nick for a GPS. I was
impressed with the one Rob was using as he navigated the back back roads of
VT. We stopped in the pretty little college town of Middlebury at the Frog
Hollow Mill. I took a few pictures of the mill race (falls) and mill and we
continued south. We passed through the marble town (sorry but I can't
remember the name) where all the major village buildings were either built
of white marble or clad in it. The fire hall was sheeted in polished marble
and was a work of art. We ran on every type of paved road the state of VT
has to offer from State roads, county roads, township roads to back back
roads.
My impression of a VT back back road--if you cut a cross section through it,
it will resemble a pair of Ws--WW with the points and gullies rounded. If
you want to pass a vehicle ahead of you it is very similar to riding behind
a boat and having to get through/over its wake passing it.
We travelled together to Manchester about 30 km (20 miles) north of the
Massachusetts border. Here we gassed up and parted ways. Rob headed home
and I headed south into MA.
Now I had to rely on maps. I got into on # 8 a very nice twisty road. I
did notice that I was getting a little more paranoid every time I saw some
official vehicle with a flashing light. I made it to Otis MA and was having
heart pallipitations being startled by a maill delivery vehicle with its
light flashing. I knew my wife was worrying about my expired licence and
decided this was far enough and I'd better head home while my luck held out.
I heaaded west to -you guesssed it West Otis then north on a nice windy
piece of tarmack until I found # 7 north. I took this though Pittsfield to
#2 in the MA NE corner. Don't miss this boys and girls as it is a fabulous
little run--as good or better than the dragon. I headed west up and over
the mountain into NY to #22. I took 22 north ( a recommended scenic drive)
through a lot of old tourist towns that have seen better days and mediocre
farm land but pretty all the same.
I turned east onto NY 149 a nice bit of wavy pavement and took it to Glen
Falls and north to Warrensburg where I got a room at a hotel. I asked the
girl at the counter if there was a restaurant nearby and she said that it
was over 1/2 a mile away. I put my gear away, had a shower and walked the
1/2 mile. I'd been 10 hours in the saddle and the walk was great.
Jim
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