We combined 2 days and got a day off...well, Holly did!!!

Once again so much has happened in the last few days that it is going to be a fun whirlwind to relay it all. We headed out from Wells, ME bright and early on Monday because we had decided to go all the way to Massachusetts and skip camping in New Hampshire...see a pattern yet?! But really, it was scorching hot and they were calling for evening thunderstorms so it is better to be safe than sorry, right? Our ride did not start out so well, though. Just a few miles in, our directions told us to take a left on a road that was dirt which turned to stones and dirt then rocks and mud then a nearly impassable, hilly trail. We were in the woods for nearly three miles and it was getting kind of scary, needless to say very tiring as we had to walk our bikes, not ride them. Finally we emerged back onto a road and made up some time as we rolled down the coast through funky resort towns. Mom and Dad met us at the very elegant Wentworth Mansion by the Sea in Portsmouth, NH for lunch which was a nice halfway point in our 50 mile day. We were treated to sweeping vistas of the Atlantic all the way down the NH coast and ended our journey in the very quaint town of Newburyport, MA home to Jeff Woodburn, yet another childhood friend whom we haven't seen in years. He showed us such a fantastic time with drinks along the Merrimac River and dinner at a Mexican restaurant on the third floor of an old brick building in town. The laughs just kept on coming! The next day Jeff's Mom, Sandy, who is Holly's Mom's other best friend from college, came into town to have lunch with us and wander through the cute shops. After lunch, Joel hopped on his bike to pedal the 25 miles to our overnight destination while Holly and her parents went back to Sandy's house in Ipswich to say hello to her older son Graig and husband Bob. Many wonderful weekends were spent on Riverbank Lane, and it was fun to see the house perched on the hill overlooking the river! Dad drove Holly and her bike on the back rack to the neighboring town of Manchester where Joel was already chatting with Julie Hester Janowicz and her kids, Nick, Sarah, and Will. Her husband, Mark, who works in Boston, got home in time to join us all for an evening walk on the beach. Once again we found tons of sea glass including two blue pieces...extremely rare:) Joel took a plunge into the ocean and said it felt great after all the riding. Both Julie and Mark are from Rome and have lived in New England for many years. We thank them for the delicious dinner and rousing game of Bananas!! We are now in Boston, but it is time for dinner so I will report on today's adventures in a future post!