September 21, 2013 - Final Post

September 21, 2013 - Final Post

The Tour of the Leaves is officially over and I am heading home. I confess that we arrived in Bar Harbor a little early and missed the full color of the turning leaves yet to come. However, the ride was successful in so many ways, not the least of which was to the benefit of the ALS Association of Texas. Thanks for your help.

Thanks to my dear friend Del Grosenheider. Your courage and willingness to make a positive statement out of your circumstances is so inspiring to me and others. Your example makes me want to always strive to be the best I can be.

Thanks again to my riding companion, Randy Garmon, for your friendship and all the wonderful conversations. You will forever remain one of the most influential people on my life.

As for me, it is on to the next chapter in my life's journey and new adventures ....


Kim Basinger
Portland, ME
September 21, 2013

September 19, 2013 (2)

September 19, 2013 (2) Kennebunkport --> Portland, ME - 40 miles

I spent the last couple of days in Kennebunkport, ME. I had decided sometime during the middle of the bike ride that going to see Kennebunkport was a personal priority. Our next door neighbors in Easley, SC where I grew up were from Kennebunkport - Mary Jean and Carl Tarr. Mrs. Tarr, affectionately nicknamed "Scoop", always had the inside info on whatever was going on. We came to rely on Scoop to keep us informed. However, Scoop's best quality was her gift for story telling. She would entertain us for hours, and many of those stories involved Kennebunkport. Visiting Kennebunkport became a fixture on my sister's bucket list. So, when I realized I would be so close at the end of the Tour of the Leaves bike ride, I started finagling a way to get to Kennebunkport. 

As I mentioned previously, I stumbled upon The Franciscan Guest House when researching a place to stay. This is a non-profit hotel on the grounds of St. Anthony's Monastery in Kennebunk, just across the bridge and within walking distance from Kennebunkport. The grounds are spacious and beautiful, and many folks come for the retreat-like atmosphere it offers. Mass is conducted every morning in the monastery chapel. There are walking trails and various shrines and statues. One of the statues, designed and executed by Vytautas Kazimieras Jonynas, graced the facade of the Vatican Pavilion at the 1964-1965 World's Fair in New York City. It was transported to the Monastery grounds in 1967. I had a wonderful time just being quiet, exploring the area and pondering the past 7 weeks on the bike.




I had spoken with Mrs. Tarr and let her know I would be visiting her old "stomping grounds." She gave me 2 assignments: First, take a picture of the building where her father had his office. I was told to face the statue on Dock Square toward the bridge and the building (now a candy store) would be the last down the little street on the left hand side. Her directions were perfect and I found the building easily. I went inside and bought a bag of atomic fire balls in celebration. (I am eating one as I write this).
My second assignment was to find a clothing store called "Carla's". The owner, Carla Perkins, was named after her uncle, Carl Tarr. I easily found the store. Unfortunately, Carla was in New York and I was unable to meet her. I left one of my "business cards."
As I had been biking into town on Tuesday afternoon, an elderly lady on a bike approached and asked if I was lost. She was really cute, and was dressed and talked like a real New Englander. She recommended that while I was there I should ride my bike along the Ocean Ave loop. So, I did that on Wednesday morning. It was a beautiful, bright clear day and the ride was fabulous. I stopped a number of time to take pictures. Various shots of the shore and St. Anne's church. At one point I looked out ahead to a compound across a bay as I pedaled along, and realized that it looked familiar. Sure enough, former President Bush's summer home I had seen on television.



After the Ocean Ave loop, I proceeded back over the bridge to Kennebunk and rode up the shore along its beaches.

All in all, I rode about 10 miles on "rest day," and enjoyed every minute. Later in the afternoon, I walked back into town and perused the shops and took a few more pictures before grabbing something to eat. Then returned to the monastery in time for Wednesday evening mass. I am not Catholic, but enjoyed the ambience in the very contemporary chapel and just sitting in the presence of believers.
All in all, my stay in Kennebunk and Kennebunkport was a smashing success and the perfect way to wind up the bike trip. I left feeling happy, peaceful and ready for the next new chapter to come post bike ride.

The return ride to Portland seemed easier than the ride down to Kennebunkport. Once again, the weather was stunning, and I took my time to savor this last ride of the trip. I once again rode a 6 1/2 mile portion of the East Coast Greenway Trail. The trail is not paved, mostly packed dirt and gravel, but flat and offers some beautiful views. As I neared the end of the trail, I met Jim & Beth Calvert, a retired couple from Clearwater, Fl on the first day of their 7 week ride from Maine to Key West. I could just feel the joy, excitement and anticipation they felt about the start of their ride. I know and love that feeling. For one fleeting moment, I considered turning around and joining them. Although they have made several week long tours, this was to be their first really long distance ride. We chatted about bike touring in general, and especially about maps and "navigation" issues. I shared a little about my cross-country and current ride. We also shared info regarding the charities we are riding for and exchanged our business cards. For those interested, Jim & Beth's ride is called "Ride for Life," and their website is cyclecharity@yahoo.com. The theme of their ride is "Riding to Celebrate Life and Provide Resources for Women in Crisis." They asked if they could take my picture and I laughed - I am usually the one always asking folks I meet if I can take their picture for the blog. But these folks beat me to the punch! How perfect.



I reached Portland in the early afternoon and rode my bike to a local bike shop, where they packed my bike for the flight to Atlanta. I felt sad - the bike ride is really over. As I was waiting, a man riding a Trek 520 Touring Bike (same model as mine) rode up and asked if I knew the best way to get out of the city. Apparently, Randy and I are not the only ones who occasionally struggle with navigation issues. His bike was loaded to the gills with panniers, camping gear, etc. and I had to laugh inwardly. He told me that he had started in Los Angeles in May, was at the 7000 kilometer mark, and now headed for his end point in New York. Which, of course, made me think of Randy currently pedaling his way to Syracuse. 

I checked in to the motel near the airport where I will spend Friday resting and making final preparations for the flight home. Also preparing myself for re-emerging back into "normal" life, although my life has been anything but normal for 2 years now. I don't think most people really understand the adjustment after you come off this type of an adventure. It changes the way you think and see everything. In a good way. I have seen large parts of this country up close and with all senses engaged in a way that few people can relate to. I have had the opportunity to meet all sorts of interesting people with interesting stories along the way. Over and over again (with few exceptions), I have been touched by the essential kindness of people that makes me want to be kind. It makes me feel hopeful in a world where I admit I have occasionally felt like there was no hope.

September 19, 2013

Have Patience

With everything unresolved
in your heart
and try to love
the questions themselves...

The point is to live everything.

Live the questions now.

Perhaps then you will gradually
without even noticing it
Live your way into the answer.

(Author unknown to me)

September 16, 2013

September 16, 2013 Searsport --> Brunswick, ME - 84 miles

I decided to make it a long day to Brunswick, so that I would be positioned for a shorter ride of 55 miles to Kennebunkport on Tuesday. That gives me a half day on Tuesday and a full day Wednesday in Kennebunkport. The plan is to ride 30 miles back to Portland on Thursday and take my bike to a bike shop to be packed for the flight to Atlanta early Saturday morning.

I left my "haven" at the Yardham Motel at approximately 7:30 a.m. under cloudy skies. The temperature was in the high 40's - so a little cool. Really feeling like fall weather now, and I wore a couple of layers and gloves.

After about 10 miles, it started spitting then lightly raining. Not a major downpour, but enough to feel a little wet and blur my glasses. I rode south along Hwy 1, with frequent views of the water along the way. There were a fair number of hills, but nothing approaching the challenges of the past 2 weeks. I hummed and sang as I pedaled. There were a lot of cute and interesting B & B's along the way.

In Camden, I cut across on Hwy 90 for 10 miles or so, then reconnected with Hwy 1 for the remainder of the day. Camden was a very intriguing looking town. The type of place I wouldn't mind spending more time in. Lots of neat shops and restaurants, and the waterfront nearby.

I essentially rode Hwy 1 all the way to Brunswick, stopping only at Wicassett briefly for a Subway veggie delight for lunch. Arrived at my motel around 4 p.m., took a hot bath, grabbed some pasta for dinner and settled in for the night.

I am very excited about spending time in Kennebunkport the next few days. As I mentioned, I love getting to see where Mrs. Tarr hails from and sharing that with her. I am just as excited by the prospect of staying at The Franciscan Guest House, situated next to the grounds of the St. Anthony's monastery. There are trails and gorgeous views from the grounds of the monastery. The guest house is also located within walking distance of town and the beach. It has been described as a wonderful place to go as a spiritual retreat. For the past several years, I have extensively read and studied Richard Rohr's writings. Rohr is a Franciscan monk who runs a center for contemplative studies in New Mexico. I am so amused by God's timing and abundance. I mean, what perfect way to end this ride and phase of my life than to spend a couple days at a Franciscan monastery thinking, praying and resting. Coincidence? I don't think so. 

I forgot to mention that the forecast for the ride to Kennebunkport is clear blue skies and temperatures in the low to mid 60's. A slight tailwind from the north to carry me in. In other words, perfect riding conditions. The real mystery is that I am still surprised when these adventures come together so perfectly. I feel somewhat overwhelmed with gratitude and blessing.

I may not blog for a few days, and simply be...

September 15, 2013

September 15, 2013 - Rest day in Searsport, ME

Had breakfast with Randy, then saw him off on his way to Augusta today en route to Syracuse. Happy/sad again. We had a good time in Bar Harbor and I will miss him these last few days of my ride. Perfect weather for riding today - clear blue skies and cool temperatures.





I spent the rest of the morning working on the blog, doing laundry, cleaning my bike and performing basic bike maintenance, and working on potential routes and places to stay for tomorrow. My goal is to ride 77 miles to Brunswick tomorrow, which would leave approximately 55 miles to Kennebunkport on Tuesday. My legs got another good day of rest today, so I think I will be good to go tomorrow.

I went downtown to the market for a few items and stopped by the town park on the coast. It was very quiet down there, and I sat for a moment before hiking out on the sand bar and picking up a few pretty shells to take home. Next I stopped by the maritime museum for a few minutes before heading "home" to rest and be quiet.








Watched a little HGTV and looked for places to stay in Kennebunkport. Found an intriguing place called the Franciscan Guest House right near the downtown area. There is a monastery next door with all sorts of neat trails and gardens. I called our long time family friend, Mary Jean Tarr, who originally hailed from Kennebunkport. She now lives in Tampa, Florida. We had a nice chat and she made some suggestions for my time in Kennebunkport. It will be fun to see Kennebunkport after all the stories my sister and I grew up hearing. Visiting Kennebunkport is on my sister's bucket list, so I am doing a little vicarious visiting on Donna's behalf as well.

Had a good dinner and settled in for the evening. A very pleasant rest day.

September 14, 2013

September 14, 2013 Bar Harbor --> Searsport, ME - 50 miles

We left our motel in Bar Harbor at approximately 9:30 a.m. and headed for Searsport. It was a bright and mostly clear, calm day, which made me feel fairly lighthearted after two cloudy and sometimes rainy days. My legs were feeling a little better as we began the up and down hills around the coast of Mount Desert Island. Under the sunlight and blue skies, the marshes and coast provided some calming and peaceful views.


We made the 18 miles to Ellsworth in good time, only to find the main road into town blocked off because of a parade honoring Maine firefighters. Once again, being on bicycles proved to be an advantage as we were waved through and allowed to ride down the street opposite the parade. There were all sorts of different fire engines in the parade, some quite old and interesting looking. Also, various firefighters dressed in formal attire were marching in formation, some carrying ceremonial "fire axes". I stopped to take a picture of one such group which was led by two young children, also dressed in formal ceremonial attire. A couple of women standing nearby started a conversation with me, enthusiastically asking all the familiar questions regarding the bike ride. I told them a little about the ride and that it was a vehicle to raise awareness regarding ALS, and gave them my "business card." Once again, they had had some experience with a friend or family member afflicted with ALS.









It had become increasingly cloudy and cool and, in fact, we stopped to put on jackets. However, the ride to Bucksport was very enjoyable. It seemed to me that we encountered more downhill than uphill, or maybe I was just more rested and had fresher legs on this return trip. We passed by a man on a fully loaded touring bike obviously headed toward Bar Harbor. As I may have mentioned before, Bar Harbor is the end point for the Adventure Cycling Northern Tier Route.

At Bucksport, we stopped for a lunch snack at a lovely park from which you could see Fort Knox across the water in the distance. We took our time and sort of savored the moment. From there, we crossed the impressive expansion bridge I had crossed over on Thursday and continued on to Searsport. We arrived at the Yardham Motel at approximately 3:00 p.m. and had some time to clean up and relax on the comfortable porch. There was a pleasant breeze and it was sunny again.





For dinner, we biked into town and returned to The Brick House, where I had eaten dinner last Wednesday. Had the pasta dish I liked so much but, unfortunately, they were out of that exceptional strawberry shortbread. Randy and I had a wonderful time reminiscing about our various travels together, and plans for our separate routes this coming week. We also talked about other topics and our lives in general - both past, present and future. Randy picked up the tab to make up for missing my birthday dinner in June. I definitely came out ahead on the birthday dinners!

Tomorrow, Randy will head out west towards Syracuse. I am staying in Searsport for the day, and will start my journey towards Kennebunk on Monday.

September 13, 2013

September 13, 2013 - Rest day in Bar Harbor

Awoke to a very heavy fog that sat over Frenchman's Bay like a blanket. We decided to take the convenient bus into town to catch the Acadia National Park tour. Our motel is located a little less than a mile from town along Hwy 3, along with a lot of others. The city runs a constant free bus shuttle out which is wonderful. No bikes for us today.

It was lightly raining and still heavy fog as we began the bus tour. We learned that the Queen Mary 2 was anchored out in the bay and, in fact, several of their passengers were on the bus tour with us. However, it was impossible to see the ship due to the fog. We had an excellent tour guide, a gentleman from the area who obviously knew his history and had many interesting stories to tell. That was a good thing, because we could essentially see nothing due to the fog and rain. He would say something like, "And off to the right is the sand bar to Bar Harbor Island you can walk across at low ride," or "one of the carriage trails built by Rockefeller in the early 1900's is on the left." Everyone would crane their necks and see nothing. So, I more or less took to just closing my eyes and imagining based on his very good descriptions. We stopped at several places along the way and got out to see the little museums and shops. Among those were Sieur de Monts and Jordan Pond House. As we rode along the one way Park Loop Road, we also saw several groups of bicyclists riding in the rain. There was a group here for a few days who had been on a 400+ mile ride in Maine and were staying in Bar Harbor for a few days.


Fortunately, the rain and fog had cleared up enough that we did get to see one of the major attractions up close - Thunder Hole, described as, "a large partially submerged crevice with vertical granite walls.....when waves roll into Thunder Hole, their power is concentrated...inrushing waves capture and compress air in the back of Thunder Hole, sometimes producing a thundering 'boom'..." I took several pictures, including one last picture of Randy and me.








The one major attraction we did not get to see that I most wanted to see was Cadillac Mountain. At an elevation of 1532 feet, it is the highest elevation on the Eastern Seaboard all the way to Rio De Janeiro. They say this is the first spot the sun rises on. I found that fascinating. Due to the fog, however, the driver didn't even attempt to go there because we would not have been able to see anything anyway.

One of the biggest takeaways from the bus tour was that apparently Mount Desert Island and Bar Harbor was once a haven for the wealthy who would build large summer "cottages" here. Reminded me of the "camps" on Lake Placid. Many of these wealthy families were responsible for the development of the Acadia National Forest, including such things as the carriage roads. The carriage roads are unpaved paths for pedestrians and non-motorized vehicle use that wind throughout the park and give a unique view and perspective. There are also numerous hiking trails. In 1947, there was a huge fire that wiped out many of these summer cottages. What was rebuilt in place were many of the present day hotels and inns, and Bar Harbor became more of a tourist destination.

After the bus tour, Randy and I had lunch then went our separate ways for the afternoon. He went to find the Heritage Museum, and I more or less wandered around town. The fog had continued to clear, and the Queen Mary 2 was now visible in the harbor. It looked like a Phoenix rising from the fog and was simply magnificent. I took the shore line path around the harbor and snapped numerous pictures of the ship and shore line from all angles.








The path ended up near the Village Green, where I was to catch the bus back to the motel. I noticed a couple of trees on the Village Green that had leaves turning color, and chose one as my official "Tour of the Leaves" tree ending the ride in Bar Harbor proper. Then, I picked up several of the colorful leaves from that tree to press and take home as soveigners - Del, I picked up a very special leaf for you.


Tomorrow, Randy and I are riding to Seasport, and plan on staying at the Yarham Motel - the place I stayed last Wednesday that I liked so much. Randy plans to leave Sunday morning and head towards Syracuse along the same route I took to get here. I have given him all my input as to the route and motels as far as Middlebury, VT. I am thinking I will stay in Seasport until Monday and gear up for the final week. I am riding 185 miles south to Kennebunk, former home of Mary Jean Tarr; then 28 miles back to Portland, ME to catch a flight to Atlanta next Saturday.

September 12, 2013

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED - BAR HARBOR, MAINE!!


September 12, 2013 Searsport --> Bar Harbor, ME - 50 miles

Got off to an early start at 7:30 a.m. so that I would arrive in Bar Harbor around lunchtime to meet up with Randy. It rained quite heavily during the night, and the forecast was for 30-40 % chance of rain at times during the day. It was quite overcast, but not raining, so I donned the rain/fog gear and lights as I started out. It was also very humid and warm, and I immediately started sweating profusely.

Up and down, up and down, up and down....if I have learned one thing about Maine and the end game, it is that the hills and mountains do not stop as you near the coast. In fact, that is one of the defining characteristics of this part of the Maine coast and region. Bar Harbor is located on the northeast shore of what is called Mount Desert Island. The highest point of Mount Desert Island is Cadillac Mountain, which at an elevation of 1,530 feet is the highest point on the Eastern Seaboard. There are several other mountains as well with decent elevations. But I am getting ahead of myself.

The ride over to Bar Harbor was tough, as my body and legs are just generally tired from some hard riding over the past week or so. So, I just took it one mile at a time and consoled myself with the knowledge that I have a couple of rest days coming up. I felt myself feeling quite emotional - much like I did at the end of the cross-country ride last summer. Feelings of sadness, joy, much much gratitude, anticipation... Absorbed the sights and sounds around me, said many prayers, quietly listened, shed a few tears, and just let myself be in the moment. Thought some about the most significant events of the trip to date, and what has impressed me the most. In some ways, the ride felt poignant.

To reach Bucksport, there is a massive new bridge with impressive spans. Just before entering the bridge, there was a beautiful rock formation and sign for Fort Knox. I stopped halfway across the bridge and took a picture of Bucksport from a distance. It was quite lovely.








Pedaled on to Ellsworth. The center of town was a very steep uphill, and I stopped on the outskirts at a McDonald's to re-group and refuel with a Blueberry Pomegranate smoothie for the final 20 miles to Bar Harbor. Blessed with no rain!

Crossing the bridge over to Mount Desert Island I came across a picturesque view of marsh, rocks, and water. Stopped a moment to take it all in. Then, proceeded up and down and up and down along the coast to Bar Harbor, where I found Randy at the motel. He had a big grim on his face, and we decided to bike the 1 mile into town for lunch.





We found a nice spot for lunch outside and next to the water, and re-counted our various adventures since parting ways a couple of weeks ago. We also made the decision to stay over in Bar Harbor tomorrow night, which gives us a full day on Friday to rest and see the area, before heading out on Saturday. There is a 70% chance of rain so I found a 2 1/2 bus tour around Acadia National Park that gives us a chance to rest and still see the highlights of the area. Should be a lot of fun.

September 11, 2013

September 11, 2013 Augusta --> Searsport, ME - 55 miles

It was still quite foggy as I set out at approximately 9:00 a.m. What I try to do to increase visibility in these situations is add blinking lights, pull out the bright yellow rain covers for the panniers, and wear my bright yellow bike jacket. Today, I added the new blinking red light to my clothes that was given to me by Scott in Vergennnes. The unique attachment device worked great.

Riding conditions more or less picked up where I left off yesterday. For the first 25 miles it was up and down and up and down and up and down... My legs quickly started feeling it, and my arms, shoulders and neck were stiff from yesterday's 80+ miles. It was also extremely humid, and I found myself sweating profusely. However, I did not want to take the bright yellow jacket off because of the fog and was soon drenched in sweat.

Several times along the way, my progress was delayed due to being held up by traffic crews performing road repairs. As I would continue on, I became more and more aware that I felt very tired, and began stopping more and more frequently to drink water, snack and just rest my legs a bit. The up and down hills continued on and on. I kept thinking that surely the road would level off the closer I got to the coast. But, the hills kept on.


By mid-morning, the fog had burned off and the sun came out. The temperature approached the low 80's. Low 80's in September in New England? I began to feel a little like late yesterday afternoon - like I might lose my mind due to the never-ending hills and heat. Since the traffic wasn't too heavy and there was a nice broad shoulder, I put on some music for the first time since the start of this trip and started singing at the top of my lungs. This helped "propel" me up the hills and I found that I began feeling more energetic. My legs felt stronger. The miles went by faster. And eventually, the hills became less and less steep - didn't go away entirely, but not quite as taxing.



I began noticing that there were still mountains off to the side in the distance, even as I came closer to the coast. That was something I had not known about Maine. Finally, I got my first glimpse of Atlantic Ocean related water. Wow - the destination goal is in sight, even if the leaves are not in full color mode yet. It has been a warmer than normal fall.








I reached Belfast around 2 p.m. and stopped in at McDonald's for a smoothie (thanks Nancy Perkins) and to use wi-fi to locate a motel. I found the Yardham Motel in Searsport, approximately 4 miles east of Belfast. Searsport is a cute little town and I immediately felt right at home. I passed by a church with a sign that said, "Choosing Joy is Worth the Effort." I loved that because I believe it is true that we can choose joy. In this world, that definitely requires effort at times. But the payoff for yourself and those who have to put up with you is well worth it.


The Yardham Motel was adorable - lots of character (the good kind) and I immediately felt at home. I felt very happy, and had arrived early enough that I could actually enjoy being there. I loved the fact that there is a bright yellow "Share the Road" sign attached to the motel sign. At the innkeeper's suggestion, I walked back into town for dinner at a local restaurant called The Brick House Restaurant. I had a pasta dish that was to die for, and a homemade strawberry short cake. One of the nice things about all the mountain and hill riding is guilt free eating.


I called Randy and we made arrangements to meet up tomorrow in Bar Harbor. I am looking forward to catching up on the past 2 weeks since we separated to pursue our different routes. After Bar Harbor, Randy will head to Syracuse to catch a flight home to Tucson the end of September.

The forecast tomorrow is for rain and cooler weather.