Today started off brisk. It was sunny but only about 45 degrees when I left. I put several layers on plus my knee warmers as I knew I was going to be cold as the first 4 miles or so was all downhill. I took several pictures of the buildings in Norfolk including the B&B I stayed in last night. I had to leave too early for the full breakfast that was included. I never even met the owner as he was working at his restaurant when I got there last night and he wasn''t around when I left. The B&B was gorgeous. It had been built by some millionaire around 1898. At that time a lot of rich folks from Harford came up into the mountains to get cool.
Anyway I flew down the mountain and stopped for breakfast at the town of East Canaan. It took me about an hour and a half to get to Lakeville, I kept thanking my lucky stars that the hotel I wanted was filled last night. I would have been trying to get there in the dark.
I saw three deer along side of the road. I actually thougt they were going to run in front of me but I guess theys were startled by a biker in a wild getup. I guess today was animal day, I stopped for a break beside a pen full of LLamas or someting like that. They were all curious and came over to have a look. After a couple of hours, I started up my last major climb in Connecticut. It was the climb up Mt Winchell. I hate it when the map cue sheet tells you to head up so and so Hill road. I really hate it when it says so and so Mountain road. I told myself to try and make it to the top by noon and then it was all down hill to Poughkeepsie. I figured I would get in early for a change. The plan was working, I made it to the top by noon and was on my way to an easy run into Poughkeepsie, then it started to rain. I don't mean just little sprinkles, I mean RAIN! I looked at my map and the route called for going north on rte 9G to Rhinebeck and then south on route 9 to Poughkeepsie. That didn't make any sense as the fellow told me last night that rte 9 was heavily traveled. I checked my map and rte 9G went right into Poughkeepsie. I decided if 9G had a good shoulder I was going south and not north. The shoulder was great so I went south. The road was flat, new and with a 5' wide shoulder. Just what a soaking wet cyclist wanted and needed. I made it into Pougkeepsie and the hotel by 4:45PM, changing the route saved about 10 miles of traveling in the rain. I wish I could have taken a picture of the rain but no way!
I almost forgot, today was another state border crossed, New York.
Tomorrow my riding buddy from last year, Meiri joins me and we will be off to Port Jervis!
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