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.