It has been an interesting spring; and summer holds promise to be more of the same. Since our son was finishing his graduate studies in late May, we skipped our usual trip to Wyoming. Instead, we took seven weeks to journey to New England; camping in locations that promised bicycle trails and scenic vistas...
Before this trip, I had not ridden a bike for twenty-five years. The old adage that "once you learn how, you never forget" was about to be tested. My new e-trike arrived just days before our scheduled departure, leaving little time to become familiar with it. Luckily, Cheryl has owned an e-bike for some time and was able to give me plenty of advice...
The first place that we stopped was Hickory Run State Park in Pennsylvania. From there we had access to the Lehigh Gorge Bike Trail...
Cheryl did an excellent job of documenting our entire trip. Almost all of these photos were taken by her...
The bike trail has a great surface of hard packed stone and is wide enough for two bikes to share the path...
We encountered one timber rattlesnake that just wanted to enjoy the warmth of the path but was disturbed by the foot and bike traffic...
There is a railroad line that takes folks on a scenic ride through the gorge and parallels the bike trail...
Our next stop was Promised Land State Park, also in Pennsylvania...
This park offered nice scenery, but lacked a proper bike trail...
The Delaware Water Gap, near Bushkill, Pennsylvania, is the location of the McDade bike trail...
Our next stop was the Clarence Fahnestock State Park near the Hudson River in New York state...
The campground was nearly empty, something that we would find often during our travels...
The next day found us at the Burlingame State Park in Rhode Island...
Watchaug Pond bordered the campground and offered boating and fishing opportunities...
Ocean beaches were only a short drive away...
The campground had lots of birds including this scarlet tanager...
This trail goes from Providence almost to Connecticut. Our ride was just a ten mile section. This part is the Coventry Greenway of the Washington Secondary bike path...
We explored some local wildlife refuges and beaches...
One of the salt ponds on the refuge...
An elevated viewing station...
The view from the top extends all the way to Long Island...
This trail leads from the refuge...
to the beach...
Our next destination was Mansfield, Massachusetts where Kaya and Jay lived while he was attending graduate school in Providence...
Those receiving Doctorate degrees in Mathematics are pictured in the next photo. Kaya is third from the right...
While visiting Mansfield we did get to explore the area a little...
Our next stop was Nickerson State Park on Cape Cod...
The Crosby Mansion had once been a private residence...
Now it has been incorporated into the park and can be rented as an event venue...
At low tide the beach is huge...
The Cape Cod Rail to Trail is nearby...
We visited the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge named after the environmental scientist who authored the book "Silent Spring". She, perhaps more than anyone else, is responsible for the recovery of bald eagles and untold other species...
I found it disappointing that the refuge staff could not be responsible enough to maintain this plaque...
This is the text on the plaque...
PROVINCETOWN, Massachusetts holds the distinction of being the site of the first landing of the Mayflower. After coming ashore, the pilgrims found the area to be unsuitable for farming due to sandy soil. After five weeks exploring Cape Cod from Provincetown to Eastham, historians report that the Pilgrims got into a skirmish with the Nauset tribe of Native Americans and decided they might be better off settling in another location....
The Pilgrim Monument (seen below in the distance) is a well-known landmark on Cape Cod commemorating the first arrival of the Mayflower...
Leaving Cape Cod, we passed through the town of Kenebunkport, Maine...
Our next stop was in Freeport Maine...
This is by far the largest blog update that I've ever done. There is more to come in Part Two including...
SCHOODIC PENINSULA
MOUNT DESERT ISLAND
SCHOODIC
TRIAD TRAIL & CARRIAGE ROAD
LAKE SAINT GEORGE
MOUNT WASHINGTON
FRANCONIA NOTCH
LAKE CHAMPLAIN
Thanks for visiting, be well, and stop back soon.
What a trip, Steve! I have never heard of any of those parks. Your etrike makes me want one! But how to haul them would be an issue.
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