Cambridge, MA -> Ithica, NY

Today was exciting. My first day heading West, a definitive homeward trajectory. Technically, I've always been heading home in that Willy Wonka 'The only way outward is onward" sense. Another high-humidity scorcher. The morning weather check said that if I got going early and kept a good pace, temperatures would remain roughly level throughout the day at a crispy 85. I did not wake up early, I did not keep a good pace. The first half of my day took three hours and landed me in Albany for lunch. I settled on The Betty Boop Diner. Albany did not appear to have much in the way of good food. I figured if the food would be crappy, it should at least be iconic. During this stop, which was just as much about rehydrating and regaining electrolytes as it was about eating lunch, I finally sorted out my maintenance issue. My high school friend Daniel is coming to Michigan for the week starting Saturday. We've turned wrenches before so it was a no brainer to come to his house. I made some phone calls from the diner and had the parts shipped to his place. Done. I am still learning how to properly pack my new bags, the rubber deposits on my mufflers say as much. Before I left Albany I spent some time at the side of the road making adjustments. The deliveryman for the restaurant asked me if it was too hot to be wearing all of my gear. Really, it was just too hot to ride in general.

I pressed on with an annoying conundrum. To rain gear or not to rain gear? There were patches of rain floating throughout the route. With access to radar, this enabled me to make reckless judgement calls as to what constituted too much rain to ride though. The first soaking was pleasant and I was thankful for it. It quickly brought temperatures down into palatable levels and drenched me to the point that I was going to be cool for some time. I wasn't even uncomfortable. I even had ample time to put away my electronics. My only complaint was that I was not able to get the dead mosquito off of my visor. Bummer, more so for him really. The second drenching was less fun. On a weather check while underway I noted a severe thunderstorm watch on my route. I looked at the scary blob of clouds on my phone and decided that I had found a route which would allow me to out-maneuver it. Luckily, I noticed a sawmill along the way that I was able to turn back to when mother nature reminded me that she is indeed smarter. I rode in, soaking wet and in a downpour, and asked permission to wait it out in their covered storage. I was permitted in and I sat, watching the water fall. It was only a short storm but in that time I had gotten my socks wet, my underwear wet, and my gloves so soaked that the black dye from them is still on my fingers. A young man working at the mill struck up a conversation with me as he ended his shift. He was shocked that I was coming across the country on such a machine. In moments like that, I am too.

Board Track Racer

After my weather delay, I finally made it to Ithica. I made it to my cousin Ben's (same one as before and yes, Carla is here too) house where we sat and talked while my sopping riding gear hung on the bannister. We waited for my friend Allie (I saw her parents and brother in Port Washington) to get out of her vet rotation so we could grab dinner. We carried in a feast of Indian food and shared it amongst ourselves and two of his roommates. It was a warm dinner in a warm atmosphere (literally). It feels so nice to share food with a bunch of nearly random folks again. I'm spending the night on Allie's couch, hoping that my earplugs can make me ignore how early she and her two vet roommates get up in the morning. Here's to closed-cell foam.

Take Out Boxes and Smiles

Today's Distance: 320 Miles

Total Distance: 4305 Miles