Friday, September 02, 2005

Ride a little, eat. Ride a little eat.

Sue and I finished a great week with #1 son Keith. I am very much more active when he is around. Especially biking. However, I tend to waaaay overeat also.

The latest ride was through the villages of Little Compton and Tiverton RI. This is the epidomy of the Old Yankee areas of New England. Most notably the low traffic roads and the free standing stone walls. The readers will notice that most photos have stone walls somewhere to be seen. The stone was origianally dug up by farmers in the seventeen and eighteen hundreds while preparing the land for growing. Building stone walls became a craft these farmers perfected as a way to dispose of the rocks gracefully and mark thier land. It is not unusual to be hiking through forest land and see stone walls in the most unlikely places. However, when you look at the trees it is obviousl that they are much younger growth around these walls and that not too long ago the forest was farmland.

The ride was just under 20 miles and the scenery was typical New England coastal. For riders the coastal translates to flat.

We unloaded the car and Sue led the charge on her brand spanking one day old Marin bike.


Final preparations for the day ride



Sue leading the charge


We headed down the main road in Tiverton on our way to Little Compton and Sakonett Point. Again there was next to no traffic and the road was ours. Keith was having difficuly adjusting to yet another borrowed bike. Also he forgot to change the pedals on the bike he borrowed in Saratoga NY. This left him having to ride on classic pedals no clips or straps. Just straight-off-the-rack flat pedals.


Flat straight long and a wall.


Checking bike during shakedown ride


The midpoint of the ride brought us to the harbor area of Little Compton RI called Sakonett Point. The style of houses here are typical New England ocean front, old money homes. This is a summer vacation area for wealthy New York Conneticut families to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city.


Keith checking out the ocean at Sakonett Point


Beach houses


Stonehedge RI


Sakonette point beach


This house made me think of the book and movie, Shipping News


During the return ride #2 son Todd called. He was in Boston and was going to meet up with Keith and go see the Red Sox play on Friday night. Sue was so proud of her new wheels and Keith and I were just as happy that she wants to ride more.





Sue, happy as a clam at high tide with her new wheels


There were more good sights on the return ride, including.....Yup.. stone walls





Some great old houses.








A driveway made of clam shells, leading to the waterfront






Sue with a forced smile. Her riding is two hands on the bike and look forward at all times.


When Keith was a youngster, he sometimes did things that made me call him "goober".


Goober


After fattening up on some ice cream, we headed home to get ready for dinner at Margeretts in Fairhaven. The best kept secret in this little fishing village in Massachusetts. Bring your own liquor makes for a very inexpensive evening.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This is so great. I love that area where you went biking. It's just beautiful! You're right, that's where I need to go for my ride down there!