Pedal around the Block

We were off on an adventure this week. We went on a bike, dine, and stay excursion on Block Island, Rhode Island, aka- BI-RI. The ferry ride was just about an hour, and it took us just over two hours to get down to the ferry port in Narragansett. So much better than wasting an entire day on an airplane. Our GPS "Vivian" found a great new path through Worcester so we didn't even have to go on 495. Tropical Storm Barry had just left the day before we headed down, but the waters were pretty calm, and it was a nice ride out although it was a little foggy still. We had a seagull follow the ferry all the way out. The boat must stir up fish in it's wake, as he seemed to snack the whole way out.

Day One

We got off the ferry at just about noon. We checked in and were back out on the beach in about ten minutes. We walked up a quite a ways just enjoying the day. You could tell that this is a place that hosts a large number of people. You could see so many tables and chairs, wide walk ways, and more bike racks than I could count. However, there were not that many people there when we were. It is still not their peak season. I also imagine that weekends are huge compared to mid-week travel. That would also be part of why we got such a good deal, too :) We likened it to being at an amusement park when it is closed. You can imagine the large crowd, the laughter of kids on holiday, the music, lights, action, the buzz of activity. But instead it was just a large empty stage. To be clear, there were some definate advantages to not having the crowds of people like not waiting to sit down for dinner, or wait in line, or have to share the road with other bikers, but it seemed odd nonetheless. It is an hour ride from Narragansett, RI, two hours from Newport, and not quite two hours from Montauk, Long Island. The island is not even ten square miles total. and the middle half is mostly an inlet/lake. It has been on both of our to do/see lists for a very long time. Very relaxing.

Day Two

Our second day was a little overcast. I told A to turn on the Tellie to check the weather while I took a shower. He told me that there would be afternoon rain showers, but the morning will be fine. So we headed off to the bike shop with a backpack full of raincoat for the afternoon. Well, by the time we got to the bike shop it was sprinkling. I could also see the gray clouds descending on us fast so I decided to avoid the rush and put on my raincoat. Apparently, I have officially become a New Englander. Growing up if it were raining, I would suggest we go inside to "wait it out". No-No, not anymore. Without a thought we hopped on our bikes and pedaled North to the far end of the Island and the North Lighthouse destination we had planned. There was very little traffic and no other bikes (go figure...) We did see a lot of feathered friends. Beautiful cardinals, Geese wandering around with their families and swimming in the water, a little duck came over to say "Hi' and give me a rest half way up a big hill. I liked this lighthouse best. Stone buildings are just so impressive. Unfortunately, it is still off-season so it wasn't open, but in season you can go to the top of the light. We had fun walking around. By the time we got back the rain had stopped and we were able to walk around the little town, and hang out on the porch of the hotel. We had a fabulous new ice cream flavor here. Boston Cream Pie Ice Cream. This could be my new favorite. Or, second to chocolate and peanut butter anyway. So good!

Day Three

The third day was the best weather day there. The sky was clear, the faintest of breeze, and right around 75 degrees. We pedaled South today, visiting the Mohegan Bluffs and climbing down the ten plus flights of stairs to the beach. A liked this lighthouse best. He thought you had a better perspective of light lenses. It was also at the edge of a bluff and had beautiful views all around. It was sure nice to sip coffee with DH on the porch of the hotel today too :)

Cupboard Under the Stairs

A and I just returned from a great mid-week getaway on Block Island, Rhode Island. We stepped off the ferry and walked across the street to the Harborside Inn. They checked us in and gave us our bike coupons, restaurant certificates for food, and the keys to our room. The hotel has been around for a while. It had some beautiful built-ins and many antique pieces in the lobby. It also had the little quirks that come with these old buildings. Slanted floors and ceilings being among the most fun. The main stairs we went up had about a foots headroom difference from one side to the other. I also felt a kinship with Harry Potter there. Our room was a little cupboard under the stairs. It tooks us a while, and a few wrong turns to even find it. The door is under the stairs to the third floor, and was a cozy little room with "Holly Hobbie" wallpaper. I remember a friend of mine growing up had wallpaper like that, and she was into Holly Hobbie so I think it was Holly Hobbie paper-Either that or it just reminded me of the fabric that Holly Hobbie's dress was made from.

Sunday

Taking cue from SG Atlantis I decided to take Sunday off. Well, Tropical Storm Barry also had a hand in it. Luckily he was the worst tragedy to have befallen us Sunday. We went to get the car first thing in the am, but after that- doing things?? Not so much.
I enjoyed a cup or three of coffee. We had a Dunkie's on the way to get the car, and brought the truck driver a cup, but it merely whet my pallet. Read the Sunday paper which my Mom started when she was visiting last fall and I haven't cancelled yet... Watched as DH fiddled with and preened the car all day in the garage. Watched my Stargate's, of course! We ended up watching chick flicks; Miss Congeniality 1&2. The family was all over at A's folks house, but since we would be gone for most of this week, and A's schedule will be so busy when we will be here that it was even more enjoyable to do nothing.

As for the inspiration: Sunday. Since I was gone Friday night I recorded the SG's and watched them Sunday! This was a great episode, first off! I had been feeling recently that it had become the David Hewlett show instead of Stargate Atlantis. Don't get me wrong- I absolutely love Rodney McKay, but there are others at that outpost that I like too and I was missing them a bit. Maybe if tptb had spent more time on character development for Beckett, or even as much as they did this ep he wouldn't have had to leave... It was sad, and frustrating to watch him die, but I did not have the sadness that I had for Dr. Fraser or even Jacob/Selmac. Can't wait to see how he returns! No one dies in sci fi...

Home at Last!

When I turned 30 I had only been in NH a few years. I was feeling a little home sick so as a b-day gift DH got me a plane ticket home. My folks were happy to have me, of course. Except~

The night we celebrated my b-day was pretty straight forward. The usual cake and a few little gifts. The "little" gift from my Dad was a car cleaning kit. A very elaborate one. It came in a little suitcase, and had Porsche logos on all of the little bottles. Simple me, I thought he gave me a freebie pack he got at the last servicing of his Porsche as a joke or maybe because he thought I'd really like to have a car cleaning kit??? Well, the next gift was a KEY! To a Porsche! He gave me his Porsche for my 30th B-day. No words to describe that one! He said they were going to drive it out and surprise me, but then I came to CO instead. It is a 1988 944. It was originally used as a race car in Florida so it is souped up pretty well. The car has lived in my folks garage for the last five plus years waiting for me to build my garage and somehow get it across the country. We did get to use the car a few times in Colorado, but it's just not the same. I was talking with a friend earlier this spring who had a son going to school in AZ. They had his car shipped to NH on a carrier for a pretty reasonable price. Why hadn't I thought of that? So I started calling transport companies to get a quote since we finished our garage last fall. It hopped on the carrier last week, and arrived without a scratch today :) It's like receiving the present all over again. I cannot express Thanks enough to my folks. They are pretty amazing, and very generous!

First Night

Last night was a beautiful night. We went to catch up with some friends at the "Hippie Pub" in the next town. We sat out on the deck and had dinner about ten feet from a massive blooming lilac bush. It smelled like heaven! The Hippie Pub is in the artsy little community of Peterborough. The NH center for eccentric, old money, artistic types. Harlow's has always been a gathering place in town. It started as a little vegetarian cafe, but expanded a bar room upstairs with live music, and they now have a pretty expansive dinner selection to boot. When our friend Steve found out who was playing that night we decided to stick around.
The band was Ivy Levine and the Chums. (Pronounced Ivy Le-Vine not Leveen, of course :) Her name suits her well. She's probably near six feet tall, maybe 110 pounds, and her lean yet long limbs weaved, dove and climbed as she danced around. played a good variety of music. All originals. Among my favorites was a ska sounding "I can run fast- Touchdown!". They played some folksie tunes like "Star Trek Heroine in the Moonlight". My personal favorite was a country/rock song "Yippie-Ey-O" in which Ivy dawned two gloves that had little puppets dressed in ball gowns. Her first two fingers of each hand being the legs. The little puppets were wearing heels and they danced first in the air doing the can-can, then they moved to a cymbal and played a percussion bit with their "dance". Very entertaining.
I like the crowd that gathers at the pub. It isn't the bar of college years where everyone goes to drink beer as fast as they can and party hard. The bar serves primarily beer and it is good quality beer. Beer is not on my list so I stuck with soda. By the time the band started a good part of the crowd had moved on to water or soda as well. Their is always an active group of dancers here as well. They clear out several tables after dinner to make a dance area. There were many couples there. The "first date" couple was fun to watch- stuck to each other in the close slow spin dance. Another couple demonstrated their success in swing dance lessons together as they two stepped around the floor. Another couple dressed to the nines used ballroom dance techniques. Then, being Peterborough, there were of course two middle aged women (I am guessing a couple) who were wearing the beads, and flowing skirts who looked like they had learned to dance at a Dead show back in the seventies.
All in all, a great evening. A great way to spend the first night in June.