Today we rode to Kimball Fruit Farm in Hollis, NH. It's rather late in the season for our first trip here, but we waited until our friend's hip had healed for him to ride with us.
We met in Littleton, MA, which shaves about 5 miles off of our usual departure point of our friend's house, ten miles from my house. It's just a gorgeous day out, no hotter than about 78 degrees and very sunny. So, our friend had designed a new route for the middle part of the ride, up to the farm.. much prettier parts of Pepperell, MA (I wondered if I'd see Tygab, who raises her llamas there), although riding through Groton center was busy with cars. There's a serious 5 part hill climb road up to the farm. Only one of the climbs is really steep, but you are tired before you get there! We sat on a picnic bench on the grounds, with sweeping views of Mt. Monadnock and ate our pbjs. The farm has the most amazing varieties of heirloom tomatoes; DH bough one called a pineapple tomato. After lunch, we had about 25 miles left and also a new route both right after the farm, which we had done once last year, and right near the end, to avoid a road that is in horrible condition and getting worse. At about mile 32 I noticed an odd squeak coming from my bike, more when I was in very low gears. At one point, near Lake Massapoag in Dunstable, we stopped and DH deduced it's my chain, which he will change early tomorrow. Then, on to Lost Lake. This is a series of rollers, with a couple of steep climbs, but beautiful. Funny, how I used to think this was the toughest. But, it's still work. At the end of this road, we headed off on the new route back, which was a success.
45 miles, now I am getting ready to make sangria for when our friends come back here for dinner.
A really perfect day.