Portland

From the coast to the end of the trail – endless
Average speed – Not important

That massage yesterday at the Cliff House worked wonders. I figured that I might be just a bit too relaxed to bicycle, but that wasn’t really the case. I will be heading to the massage school in Albany when I get back – not to become a therapist, but to get some of my muscles de-stressed. I can’t say that I am really sore, but that could be just because I have gotten used to it and don’t notice it so much.

We slept with the patio doors open last night so that we could enjoy the waves crashing on the rocks and lulling us to sleep. You might not think that crashing waves are ideal for inducing sleep, but after a stressful day of cycling, just about any repetitive sounds induces sleep.

We found some decent cycling routes today, mostly using the Eastern Trail(ET), which avoids busy roads, but adds lots of mileage as it darts in and out from the coast. It also means that we drop to the ocean and then climb back up into the interior several times. Part of our route took us on a freshly paved road, which was a real treat considering the road conditions of the past few days.

A nice short cut through the marsh near Scarsborough saved us some mileage and took us into a popular area frequented by nature lovers, fishermen, cyclists and herons who took advantage of this special landscape. It was here that I got bitten by a huge black fly. Guess that I can’t be in Maine without escaping the bite of one of these annoying pests.

The shoreline trail in Portland was torn up a bit, but we made our way to the East End Beach where we were greeted by a welcoming committee organized by Hilary.

Elizabeth and her daughter, Harriet were there, as was Erin, who bicycled with us in the Yucatan long ago. Hilary’s friend showed up as well and we discussed our next adventure, which I think might be hiking El Camino de Santiago de Compostela, which she had done parts of. The friendly folks from the Portland CVB also welcomed us, thanking us for choosing Portland as our endpoint. Little did they know that Portsmouth was sounding really good as the spot to dip the wheels.
Wende couldn’t attend, but sent a balloon bouquet. The group supplied champagne, cider and cupcakes. It was really a treat to have these people waiting for us at the end.

We dipped our wheels from the boat ramp, trying hard not to slip on the green slime.

After the group dispersed we had lunch at Gritty McDuff’s and then headed on our way to Bethel to meet Wende. After a too short visit, we continued on to Chatham, NH to meet with our friends, Sue and Tom, whom we hadn’t seen for a long time.

To say the least, our last day was full of excitement, but in some ways the end of the trip was anti-climactic. Maybe it was because the ocean had been right alongside of us for a few days. Or maybe it was because the entire trip seemed a distant(no pun intended) memory. That chilly day dipping the wheels at the state park in Oregon was just a few months ago, but seems either like just yesterday or eons ago.