24 July 2010

We didn't quite need gas right away, and it was muggy, so we wanted some air moving through our suits as soon as possible.

On to the Mass. Turnpike, where we didn't have to pay getting off last night, speculating that the shortness of the travel was the reason. We got gas at the Blandford service area and headed for Springfield. At this exit, we'd been on the 'pike for 45 miles, and still didn't have to pay! What's with that?

Finding the armory was a bit of a challenge: as we rode past the complex, the gps said "Turn here." Through a fence? At the next intersection, we turned to circle the campus; half way down the block was an entrance, and careful observation revealed a sign pointing the way. We circled around and eventually found the building housing the armory, parked and went in, only to be greeted by stares from everybody.

To be fair, "everybody" was a team of "correctional custodial workers" shepherded by a ranger or two. Still, we were the only voluntary visitors, and a cursory tour revealed a vast display of firearms of all types, dating back to matchlocks, and all the way forward through Springfield rifles and Tommy Guns to the present--there must have been a thousand guns in display cases. Would that we had more time!

 

But no, back on the bikes, and wend our way out onto the 'pike again. North of Boston we ran into our first traffic jam of the day, where a two mile stretch took 10 minutes, then just before crossing into New Hampshire, another one where we finally had to pay a toll: $2.40. We thought that the toll plaza was the reason for the jam, but no! It was even worse after! We crawled along for another dozen miles before the road split, with some of the traffic heading off into the wilds of New Hampshire while we opened up toward Maine.

Once into Maine, I saw a sign that said "extensive construction on I-295--use alternate route." What alternate route? I made a snap decision to stay on I-95, and took that most of the way around/through Portland, but decided to get back on 295 after, since it looked like 95 was heading more westerly than we wanted to go.

Wham! Smack dab into the middle of a construction zone, where we stayed for about three miles and 25 minutes. Maybe 95 would have been a better choice, it does merge back in up a ways. But eventually we got out of it, and only had to contend with low speed limits and boring green scenery.

The road out to Bar Harbor was also under construction (although not actively) for several miles, with some dirt sections, delaying our arrival into town to after 1700, which meant that the various traffic anomalies cost us about an hour and a half--our original projected arrival time had been 1530. We'll get the Acadia NP stamp in the morning, before we leave, since it's only about five hours up to Madawaska tomorrow.

We found the Best Western Acadia Park Inn, where Boyd had made reservations, and checked in, soliciting the manager's advice on where to eat. She noted a lobster shack just up the road, and a "meat place" a bit further, so after we'd unpacked we hiked out to the "Bar Harbor Lobster Pound" and had a lobster each.



That didn't fill either of us up, so over to the "Mainely Meat BBQ" where we each had a pulled pork sandwich and I had an ice cream cone. That'll do.

Oh, and it's not hot and muggy here--more like cold and clammy.

States: Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine

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