Weston
VT100
Wow,
What a day! So many interesting
adventures, disappointments, frustrations, joys, surprises and culinary
delights!
Last
night as I rolled down Williston RD off the I-89 just east of downtown
Burnligton, I found numerous motels but one caught my attention. The Ho Hum Motel! With a name like that I suspected it was
really a nice place. And indeed it was! Bill and Tori (owners) are riders and warmly
welcomed me to their Ho Hum place J.
I slept well and long in a very clean room with the kind of mattress I like – firm. Also met two other riders there, Rich Stevenson and David Anzalone (I hope I spelled this correctly). I forget where they’re from but they are good buds that have ridden together a few years and shared stories with me about their rides over many different highways. Hope to see them down the road and hope they stay in touch.
I
easily found Lake Champlain with Bill’s directions (head west-it’s the big lakeJ) and got a photo taken downtown and
at the North Beach Shore.
Then it was off to Waterbury and the start of the VT100 (one of the SCMA’s USA Best 15 Roads Challenge). I took a number of photo’s in an attempt to validate my riding it…but also to have a few memory joggers.
The ride out of town heading south on VT100 was very rough. Lots of repairs, ruts, holes and cracks. Initial speed was around 50-55 but Sophia and I were bouncing way too much so we slowed down to the 40’s or less. This went on for around 15 miles and I was getting very frustrated…it was not fun. The VT100 ride is around 160 miles and I wasn’t looking forward to bouncing the whole time. Later I came upon a town that had a shopping center with the Mad River name on it and that is when things clicked in my pea brain’s memory. This is the VT locale that was devastated by Irene last year…the same Irene that had me and my brother stranded without water and power for 6 days in MD. So now I understood why the rough roads.
Eventually
the roads got better and it was very picturesque riding alongside the river in
many places. Oftentimes the road crossed
over the river, and in some places there was evidence of where the river ran
over the road and took out the bridge…new bridges/roads were in
construction. Occasionally I spied
destroyed homes on the side of the river or strewn upon the rocks and
boulders..not a pretty sight so I didn’t take any pics of them.
Pittsfield showed up and there was an old general store there so I took a break, had some chips and a coke and grabbed a pic. The attractive young lady behind the counter made me wish I was 50 again (but that would have still been too old of guy for her) J This is a very nice General Store with food supplies, drinks and a deli restaurant.
The
VT100 is an endless display of scenic surprises….lots of countryside, rivers
and streams, small towns, farms, and of course, wonderful local Americans living
a relaxed life a little more in tune with nature!
Around 5pm I reached Ludlow and tanked up. Watching heavy cumulus forming darkly in skies I decided not to camp and find a motel. The clerk directed me down the road where eventually I found 3 separate motels owned by the same family that were overpriced. It seemed a bit of a monopoly there…and I didn’t play. So off I went south.
In Weston there was an Inn advertising live music and some kind of a play. Turns out this is a local playhouse. No one was at the desk to take care of me so I figured not only were they too expensive but also were filled up. So off I went.
At this point, being totally discouraged, I decided to just take the next campsite and call it a night…if it rains, it rains, so be it….wouldn’t be the first time I slept in the rain…at least I have a tent. With that happy resolution I rode by a sign and caught the words “Lodge and Inn”. About ¼ mile down the road I turned around and went in to check it out…and it was such a good thing that I did.
Kim met me at the office….a delightful setting room with an coffee nook off to the side. She explained my room as being on the 2nd floor with a shared bath and since I had a lot of gear I could store it in their boiler room accessed right from the bike's parking spot next to their car. While unloading the bike she came out to tell me that her husband Jeff could prepare another dinner if I would be interested…a 4 course meal for only $26. My first thought was that I don’t eat that much, but the 2nd thought was…I should. And wow! What a meal indeed!
Appetizer was an eggplant cheese roll, salad, Chicken Marsala (melted in my mouth), and strawberry rhubarb pie (Inn baked) with a pot of Herbal tea. That delicious meal was only bettered by the wonderful company they sat me with. There were about 18 ladies from MA on a retreat to the local Catholic Benedictine Priori. The conversation with them was such fun. At the table with me were Kitty, Ginny, Sharon, Lin, Judy, Priscilla and Patricia. I have to say Patricia was my favorite. She was probably in her early 70’s and had a mischievous twinkle in her eye!
Later when I went to my room I heard a couple of bikes pull in…will probably meet them at breakfast. Pics of The Colonial Lodge will be in tomorrow’s Blogpost.
I hope the next 4 months on the road will be as HoHum as today was :) .
C ya mañana,
Gonzo
Twitter:
@GonzoCrossUSA
Email:
GonzoCrossUSA@gmail.com
Cell:
949-433-0761
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