New Hampshire- Jetski mission accomplished!

20th August.
I had the most amazing day of the holiday today. I rode from Boston up the New Hampshire sea board, then up through Portsmouth and then to Lake Winnipesaukee. Found an excellent jetski place and took out a 700cc Sea-Doo on the lake. It was AWESOME! All I can say is, I am hooked. It was pure unadalterated adrenalized fun. Those of you who know me well will not be surprised to hear- I want to buy one (yes mum, I know it is not very practical).

Then I took the Kancamagus Highway through the White Mountains in NH. Amazing views, beautiful winding roads, good weather in fact it was slightly over cast but my yellow tinted shades make everything looking sunny so I had a better view than all the other drivers.

All this taking longer than estimated I found myself 150 miles away from the Vermont hostel. I phoned to say I was still going to arrive and set out in light mist, with a thunder storm in the distance. Sporadic flashes lit the amazing and otherwise invisible clouds in the sky. I arrived safely and slept soundly.

Total miles today: 470
Total miles on the trip: 4096. Oil change needed.

21st August.
Bennington, Vermont. Tropical rain. Had breakfast in a diner and then did my laundry in the drive-in (really!) launderette.

Plymouth Rock, Cape Cod

Went to Cape Cod today, via Plymouth. The pilgrim pioneers left Plymouth in England and arrived here in Plymouth- how lucky is that! There is even the actual rock that they stepped on to. Also, the Mayflower II. Unclear if this is a mock up or a later version of the original.

Cape Cod was beautiful but I failed to get on a jet ski. Tides were out and traffic jams disuaded me from pushing further round the island. Maybe tomorrow in New Hampshire...

The view over the water whilst crossing the Saratoga (spelling to be checked later on the map-itmight be called something entirely different) bridge was amazing- I had to go over it twice. Wonderful.

BOSTON

17 August

Boston is great. Met some good people at the hostel here which is tidy and well run.

The sit-com CHEERS was based here and there is a theme bar in Boston. The outside is the same (the actual one?) but the inside is not the same (but styled in the fashion of the film set).


18 Aug
Went to Gloucester today. Really beautiful. Featured in the true story of The Perfect Storm. I had a lobster roll in the real life version of the Crow's Nest, the raucus sailors' bar shown in the film.


Also passed through Salem, site of the horrifically unjust and hysterical Witch Trials of 1692 (written about in works like The Crucible).

Evening- Hard Rock Cafe biker meet. The usual- lots of bike talk, chrome and loud exhausts. 175 bikes lined the streets around the cafe. Same old, same old... but I was there and you weren't! (this comment directed at my bike buddies back home!)

Rain rain rain....

Saw Spiderman 2 on the IMAX screen. Average film but great expericence, especially since the film is situated in New York with loads of local recognisable places, including the Flatiron building as the Daily Planet HQ. When I left, I have to admit to looking up to see if he was around, and how he swings between the buildings.

I got talking to a guy on the street, Saturday, with a BMW K1200LT called Gary, who belongs to the NY chapter of the Christian Motorcyclist Association. We chatted for 15 minutes, during which time 4 other people came over and made conversation, either about the bike or the CMA back patch. Never short of people to talk to when you ride around America it seems.

Gary invited me on a charity bike rally today, complete with police escort through NYC. We met early this morning but hurricane weather in Florida has sent us a load of rain so the rideout didn't happen. We would have travelled round the whole island of Manhatten and then ended up in the Bronx for lunch. Oh well, next time...

Instead, I went with Gary to Times Square Church which is world famous. They meet in an old theatre building which still has all the classic styling (like the Old Vic in Bristol). About 8000 people attend one of their five weekly services. The pastor is David Wilkerson who wrote the well known book "The Cross and the Switchblade" which is a true account of his work with the gangs of New York in the (I think) 1960s.

Pictures:


Appartment Views: Okay, so it's a bit cloudy but still atmospheric.


Now is this the building featured at the end of Ghostbusters where they cross the streams...?


Me (for a change)