#112 NE Corner- Wilkes-Barre and homeward

September 9, 2007

307 miles

NE Corner Trip
Day 10
Sunday

This is our final day of this trip. Today we will be making miles, not sightseeing.
In a quick 3 hours, we rode from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania to Fredericksburg, Virginia.

I did manage to snap a couple state welcome signs as we flew past.

We know we are close to home when we start seeing Shenandoah signs.

Not that we needed the signs...we always have Jill's guidance.

Maine at the end of summer is a very refreshing. This was the second year we've made the trip and very likely could be an annual pilgrimage. And if you question whether this trip should qualify as an official pilgrimage, take one visit to the top of Cadillac Mountain and then decide for yourself whether this is a spiritual place.

The NE Corner Trip Summary

Total trip: 2,322 miles
Stamps collected: 25 standard + 3 bonus
States fleetered in this trip: 12

#111 NE Corner-Blow-Me-Down to the Hudson

September 8, 2007

411 miles

NE Corner Trip
Day 9
Saturday

The weather has warmed noticeably. It's already up to 75 degrees at 9:30am when we pull out from the Comfort Suites parking lot in White River Junction, Vermont.

First distraction comes soon after we cross back across the Connecticut River into New Hampshire -- the Plainfield, NH post office.

Across the road from the post office is the Blow-Me-Down Grange.
From the Internet:
Definition: Grange: An association of farmers, designed to further their interests, and particularly to bring producers and consumers, farmers and manufacturers, into direct commercial relations, without intervention of middlemen or traders. The first grange was organized in 1867. [U. S.]

Blow-Me-Down Grange No. 234, located in Plainfield Village, meets monthly under the leadership of Bill Jordan, Master. The Grange used to be just for folks related to agriculture, but, like everything else, it is more diversified now and anyone can join. The historic, brick, 1839 building was restored in 2001 and is available to rent for weddings, meetings and parties. For information on rental rates and policies as well as making reservations, please contact Alice Jordan at 675-6224. In 1839, the Union Congregational Church Society bought a half acre of land from Jeremiah Dow on the east side of the main street in Plainfield Village. Colonel Charles Eggleston, a local resident famous for the building of brick structures, built their meeting house. This fifty-foot by forty-foot structure was also known as Old South Church, but is now best known as the Blow-Me-Down Grange. The 1839 building is on the National Register of Historic Places. http://www.plainfieldnh.org/ourcomm.html#church

Rolling down NH12A, I saw another sign of distraction. It informed us that there is a covered bridge down the dirt/gravel road to our left. The sign didn't note how far, but we thought it was worth a little exploring. So off we go...down a gravel road in search of NH Covered Bridge #23.

Blow-Me-Down Covered Bridge

New Hampshire Covered Bridge #23 http://www.nh.gov/nhdhr/bridges/p45.html After our successful covered bridge hunting venture, we continue on to Saint-Gaudens NHS to nab the only NPS stamp available in New Hampshire. http://www.nga.gov/feature/shaw/s2100.shtm The Shaw Memorial is one of the more famous works of sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens.The bookstore at the Saint Gaudens site.

This was a bonus find... Little did we know when we rolled into town that we'd find this cool, old covered bridge right there off the main road (US4).

Covered bridge in Taftsville, VT.

http://www.coveredbridgesite.com/vt/taftsville.html

Just a few more miles down US4 is the Marsh-Billings Farm/Rockefeller NHP in Woodstock, VT . This is a working farm displaying the spirit of rural Vermont. http://www.billingsfarm.org/

Rockefeller NHP visitor center, the location of the only NPS stamp in Vermont.

Downtown Woodstock is a touristy little town full of shops and people milling along the sidewalks.

We found this covered bridge in downtown Woodstock, Vermont.Watching traffic, waiting my turn to jump out into the fray with the Woodstock tourists.

We stayed on US4 rolling west through Vermont. We passed right by VT100, reportedly the best known motorcycling road in Vermont. This guy seemed to be a serious two-wheeled tourer. And there he goes...heading to VT100! Apparently, bicyclists also have heard about VT100.

About noon, as we enter Rutland and the skies show a more threatening side than what we've seen so far this trip. Within a couple blocks of entering town, I spot a gas station that has gone out of business. Bingo. Just what we need about now. We pull in to evaluate the weather. Wasn't hard. Within a minute of parking under the pumps' pavilion, the rain came pouring down! We start pulling on rain gear and putting the rain covers on our tankbags and luggage. The rain let up a few minutes later and we were on our way again. The rain gear did its job -- it scared the rain away! We had dry roads the rest of the afternoon.

Still on US4, we cross into New York near Whitehall and turn south before reaching Lake George, then we follow the Champlain Canal to Hudson Falls. We make a quick stop for fuel at Fort Ann. This is the kind of place that makes me wish we had more time and less miles in our day. It's the kind of place that begs you park the bike and spend some time looking around and maybe get a bite to eat. But not today, today we keep moving. However, rolling down the road, we see lots of other riders out and about...most seem to be taking the more leisurely approach while out on their day trip.

What pulled me to stop awhile in Fort Ann, spoke even louder in Hudson Falls.
Junkett Park was filled with people and crafts & food booths as locals and tourists alike celebrated Sandy Hill Days -- a festival to honor the founding of the community of Hudson Falls. Rolling south from Hudson Falls, we follow along the Hudson River, which was named for the Englishman Henry Hudson who explored it in 1609 while sailing for the Dutch India Company. http://www.lakestolocks.com/
A close up of one of the locks.
Crossing the Hudson River into Saratoga County New York.That's the kind of bridge grate that make many riders a bit nervous. I find that it travels much better if you use a light hand on the grips and don't fight the handlebars. Just let the tire travel where it wants to...as long as you get safely across.

We make the predicted "stamp stop" at Saratoga NHP while in New York. After collecting the available stamps, we got back on the road heading to Schenectady, NY.

We found the very beginning (or end, depending on your direction of travel) of I88. After getting something to eat and watching the clouds darkening the sky, we pulled out onto I88 and started making time southwest to Binghampton.

By the time we cross into Pennsylvania, we've been riding in heavy rain or drizzle for over an hour so we stopped for a break at the visitor center. Looking through the motel coupon book, we decide to head to Wilkes-Barre, PA for the night -- about 80 miles further south. We are already wet, and we're hoping that the rain will let up and dry us out a bit before we stop for the night. Even though riding in the rain can be bothersome, it can be more of a hassle to stop and unpack in the pouring rain. It's almost easier to leave everything that's dry, tucked away in it's place and ride down the road into drier territory. Gives a chance to blow dry so that we're not dripping wet when we stop to unload.

We arrive in Wilkes-Barre, PA at 10:30pm where it's 73 degrees and the roads are dry.

#110 NE Corner-Mexico chicken & a Bath bridge

September 7, 2007

253 miles

NE Corner Trip
Day 8
Friday

We pull out of Bangor, Maine at 9:30am with a crisp 66 degrees air temp and a bright sunny sky above. I95 south is our route out of town, but our exit for US2 is only a quick 30 miles away.

There already are signs of fall color in the area. The color may be spotty, but when we come across the early preview I start thinking about coming back in a few weeks.
Or later in the year... next time.

One stop shopping for most all edibles on your list.

This is the same diner we ate at last year passing through Farmington, Maine on the way to Rangeley (Fleeter Log #37). Just a small place away from the Interstates where most of the customers are regulars. We didn't eat here, but it certainly got our interest. Maybe the next time through Mexico, Maine we'll make this a lunch spot.

Still on US2, we spot another 'Paul' in Rumford, Maine.

In Rumford, we see moose and Indians loitering near the river.

We shared sky with the White Mountains as we crossed into New Hampshire.

On stayed on US2 running along side the White Mountains into Gorham, NH.

There are some moose that will stay still long enough for a second look or a photo -- though I didn't stop for this shot, but snapped it as I rolled by. After making our way across New Hampshire, we entered the small community of Bath on US302 about 5 miles from the Vermont state line.

The Brick Store, the oldest general store in America, is located in Bath and has been in continuous operation since the 1790s. http://www.thebrickstore.com/ Also in Bath, we see an old covered bridge at the edge of town. That's the backside of The Brick Store in the background.
Kiss'n Bridge?
The Bath Village Covered Bridge is the longest covered bridge in New Hampshire and one of the oldest in America. Like on the Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge (Fleeter Log #37 ), there's a sign noting the fine for 'speeding' across the bridge.

Entering Vermont, we jump onto I91 and head south to White River Junction, VT.

We make our stop for the night at the Comfort Suites in

White River Junction, VT about 6pm ... early enough to make it a laundry night.

#109 NE Corner-Easternmost Point USA Quoddy Lighthouse

September 6, 2007

288 miles

NE Corner Trip
Day 7
Thursday

We left Bar Harbor at 9:30am with sunny skies and 57 degrees to head further northeast with the intention of fleetering as far NE as we possibly could go in the USA.

Some places are just too interesting to pass up whether you're ready to eat or not.

Ruth & Wimpy's Home of Wilbur the Lobster
Ellsworth, Maine

We keep rolling on Coastal US1 --
the Downeast and Acadia Byway.

We pass by the turnoff for Schoodic Peninsula...this time.

It will stay on the list for... next time. I have NEVER seen a Cranberry Bog...until driving by here.

There it is, a bog...a cranberry bog. There's the ramp leading down into the bog. I'm disappointed not to see a couple fellas out there in waders making a commercial. http://www.oceanspray.com/
The tide was out and the birds were circling looking for tidbits left behind.Near Cutler, we stopped for some photos of the US Naval Radio Station.The small harbor town of Cutler on ME191 looks (and smells) like the fishing village it is.See how low the water is when the tide goes out? That's why all the boats get anchored out away from the shore. But then you ask, "How does the skipper and his mateys get back to shore?" Good question! Answer: Tenders. Not Chicken Tenders, but the little boats called tenders. That's why you see a couple smaller boats (tenders) anchored out there. They are left on the anchor buoy while the skipper is out on the big boat. Now you know.We're getting further and further east. We turn at Fitzhenry's Store onto the smaller Boot Cove Road still heading east.

Boot Cove Road takes us to Quoddy Head.

The West Quoddy Head Lighthouse.

Easternmost Point in the USA

West Quoddy Head

Lubec, Maine

Before leaving West Quoddy, we chat with some other motorcyclists that we cross paths with.Next stop: The Easternmost Town in the USA ... Lubec, Maine. I can't help it ... I feel the urge to push the envelope. That bridge right there...goes to Canada.

If I ride across it, I'll go even further east. And I can collect an International Park stamp for the collection. How tempting... Sylvia decides to stay in the US and explore Lubec, while I zip into Canada to see what I can see there. Yep! There I go...across the bridge into Canada. Color in New Brunswick on the "fleetered there" map!I cross the bridge onto Campobello Island, New Brunswick, Canada.

The first cool sight I saw while on Canadian soil was rather ironic. Less than a mile into Canada and I see a huge bird soaring overhead. I look up at it ... it is so close I can see the big yellow beak and the detail of the feathers. It was a Bald Eagle heading toward to the USA. Told you it was ironic -- I enter Canada and promptly see the national symbol of America, in bird form...soaring toward the homeland.

Not much further into Canada, I see the sign for the Roosevelt Campobello International Park.
Notice the French on the sign...and km/h? Good thing for me the signs are also in English.
The park's visitor center where I find my next stamp. The Roosevelt Campobello International Park was created in 1964 as a cooperative effort between Canada and the US.

http://www.nps.gov/roca/ Campobello is where Franklin D. Roosevelt spent vacation time at this island cottage.
I pass Wilson's Beach and keep going. Canada Post = Postes Canada, apparently.
So I go until I get here....Head Harbor. I see the lighthouse -- East Quoddy Head Light. I put the kickstand down and trod off for a better photo angle.There's East Quoddy Head Light... wearing its distinct markings. After taking a few photos, I headed back to Fleeter to swing into the saddle and return to the USA. I take my seat and start rolling Fleeter backwards when it happened...

I was staring out over the waters of the Bay of Fundy ... the view you see here, when I saw it. I squinted to make sure it's what I thought it to be. Sure enough, no mistaking that broadside and tail. I saw a whale! I waited awhile staring and concentrated real hard to see if it would surface again. After about 4 - 5 minutes, I decided it could be long far gone by then so I went back to rolling back across the gravel to get turned around in the dead end road. I couldn't believe it...I actually saw a whale while sitting on Fleeter. I don't need to pay for no stinkin' whale watching tour on a boat! I can see many a worthy sight from Fleeter's saddle! Sorry, no photo -- But it happened so fast and I didn't have the camera at the ready. But really, I saw a whale. As I left, I saw people walking toward some benches with their binoculars ... bet I know what they are hoping to see!

When arriving back to the homeland, the good ol' USA, there's a line to get in.

I patiently wait my turn.

Many reminders in the area that you are

on a border town...closely sharing International waters.

I'm on US soil and that's Canada there across the water.When I returned from my International jaunt, I met Sylvia at a restaurant near the Lubec Harbor for supper at a small diner overlooking the water.As we finished up our supper, a couple from Ohio stopped by our table to ask if we've seen the seals. What seals? We haven't seen or even heard about the local seals. They tell us that anytime after 5:30pm, the seals usually come close into the harbor and swim in the huge whirlpool formed as the tide changes direction. We thought we were going to fire up our mounts and ride out of town once we finished eating, but now we have other plans. We're going in search of seals. We waited, we watched, and finally the seals swam in to play. Look closely in the photo below and you will see a snapshots I managed to get of one of the seals.By the time we left Lubec, the sun was sinking low and we had about 120 miles ahead of us before we shut it down for the day. It was a cool, but comfortable 61 degree ride to Bangor for the night.

#108 NE Corner-Bass Harbor Lighthouse

September 5, 2007

61 miles

NE Corner Trip
Day 6
Wednesday

Our first stop was the post office and then off to the slower half of Mount Desert Island.

Today we will see parts of the Island where the locals tend to outnumber the tourists.

We had lunch at the Seawall Grill. I had to try the lobster roll.

Leaving the Seawall Grill, we rode across the seawall (a road across a bunch of rocks) on the way to the Seawall Campground.

Seawall Campground is part of Acadia National Park and has a couple of stamps. These would be easy stamps to acquire without having to deal with the tourists over at the main part on the Park. But why, oh why, would anyone want to come this close and not ride the loop road, see Thunder Hole, and ride up to Cadillac Mountain?!

While stopping at one of the campground facilities, we met a couple from Michigan pulling a trailer with their Goldwing. They had plenty room for all their camping equipment. They also had the campground all to themselves on this Wednesday after Labor Day. We shared road stories for over an hour, before they went on to set up camp and we continued down the road in search of a lighthouse located on the southern tip of the island.Moving on down the road, we found the Bass Harbor Head Light. Signs for it anyway...

There's the bell, but where's the light house? It should be around here somewhere.

THERE IT IS! Now that's an odd place for a lighthouse...down in the bushes...

Let's see if we can get around there closer.

Come on down this path, then...

...down these stairs.

Okay, we found the water...and a lot of rocks.

But where's the light?

I found it!

Sure looks taller from this angle, doesn't it?!

We leave Bass Harbor Head Light and head into town. Not a big place...here's the post office.

A few miles up the road is even a smaller place....Seal Cove.
Continuing around the Island on ME102, we come to the north end of Long Pond.Doesn't it just make you want to sit and "be" for awhile?

#107 NE Corner-Acadia NP

September 4, 2007

52 miles

NE Corner Trip
Day 5
Tuesday

View of the sunrise from our balcony. Don't get too excited about an sunrise ride. The "early rise" didn't take. I went back to bed after seeing the sunrise. We start the day with breakfast at the restaurant on the hotel grounds overlooking the bay. You can see we had the perfect location in the first room from the office.-- our room was close enough to the office to get wireless Internet, it was a short walk to the office for coffee in the mornings, and we practically had reserved parking right in front of the room with the triangle shaped spot that 4 wheelers couldn't fit into. View of Frenchman's Bay from Wonder View during low tide.

All but the last day there, we saw a cruise ship or two anchored in the bay.

We take off to explore the area about 10am.

64 degrees and sunny skies -- the weather couldn't be any better!

The way to Acadia's main visitor center...52 steps up that way from the busy parking lot.

We head to the loop road on our way to our first stop -- Cadillac Mountain.

If you ever get within a 100 miles (or even 500 miles) and don't visit Cadillac Mountain, it would be a mistake!Cadillac Mountain is the highest point of the eastern seaboard. This location has the distinction of being the first place for the rising sun to reach the US mainland each morning.

Cadillac Mountain is mostly granite when you reach the top.

On the way back down from Cadillac Mountain, we make a quick pullout for another view of the town of Bar Harbor.

Sieur De Monts visitor center is the nature center, so to speak, of Acadia.
This is the easiest place to get the Acadia stamp. It's not too busy - - you can park right near the building and not have to leave your motorcycle in a busy parking lot while you trek to the building! If only I had known this BEFORE treking up the 52 steps at the main visitor center.

Sweet Water of Acadia!

Thunder Hole is another special gem. It is very small, but very accessible and not too busy! It also has the stamps and a well stocked gift shop.

View from the southeast side of the loop.

Jordan Pond in Acadia NP

Back up to Cadillac Mountain to watch the sunset.

The high today was in the 70s this afternoon, but it was down to 59 degrees by the time we made it back to the hotel room after dark. What a wonderfully perfect day!

Tomorrow: Seawall and Bass Harbor Lighthouse

#106 NE Corner-Bucksport, Maine

September 3, 2007

300 miles

NE Corner Trip

Day 4

Monday

We start rolling before 8am in a cool 52 degrees, but the sun is making for a nice ride and it will only get better as the day goes. We pull out of downtown Worcester, MA and head northeast on I290 to connect to I495 for a loop around Boston. The loop joins into I95 north of Boston in Amesbury. It was hard to fly past the great little port towns north of Boston, but we want to be in Rockland, Maine in time for lunch...a late lunch that is.

Last year we followed US1 up the coast through Swampscott and Marblehead so we know what we're missing. But we also know that if we ride through there, it will be much longer than just the longer route on the map. I will get distracted and stop to get a better view of what the area has to offer and take photos . So I keep my blinders on and we stick to the Interstates thinking of the bigger prize at the end of the day...Bar Harbor, Maine.

We pull into Rockland, Maine at 2pm and go directly to the Visitor's Center. I'm hoping that Roxanne is in today. I met her when we stopped here last year when passing through the area. She was very helpful and took interest in my mode of traveling around the country. For the past year, she has been keeping up with the Fleeter Log and drops me a line once in awhile to let me know she's traveling along with me via the log. I was hoping to surprise her by stopping by to say hello. The surprise was on me when I was told that she was off today. DARN! But I took control of the surprise factor again when she just happened to call in while I was standing at the counter. The employee handed me the phone so I could say hello. Boy was she surprised to find me fleetering in her neighborhood again.

Rockland is not only home to the Maine Lobster Festival, but also home to The World's Largest Lobster.

Roxanne found time in her afternoon to meet us for a late lunch. She even wrangled her husband, Larry, into joining us. Turns out that they run a motorcycle training school and touring business. They are great people. Check out their site.
Maine Coast Motorcycle
http://www.mainecoastmotorcycle.com/

We had a wonderful visit. And to think... if she hadn't called in to the office just when she did, it wouldn't have happened...this time. Don't tell me the Force doesn't help out with the timing! We were so pleased to meet and share stories with Roxanne and Larry, I completely forgot to get their picture before leaving! Darn! Next time...

At Roxanne's suggestion, we stopped this little gem, Angler's Restaurant, in Searsport and they caught up with us there.

...and the Bait's Motel for you Hitchcock fans out there.

What's in a name?
Named after David Sears of Boston who funded much of the town. So I guess nothing to do with Sears and Robuck... Searsport is known as "Home to the Famous Sea Captains" and the "Antique Capital of Maine."

Leaving Searsport and continuing up US1, we come across the new Penobscot Narrows Bridge that just opened May 19, 2007. It crosses over the Penobscot River and is home to the Penobscot Narrows Observatory. This is the tallest public bridge observatory IN THE WORLD at 420 feet. You can see it at the top of the tower on the left in the photo. http://www.maine.gov/doc/parks/parksinfo/observatory/
http://www.penobscotnarrowsbridgefest.com/

For only $5 you can ride the elevator to the top and take in the view of the Penobscot River and surrounding mountains, lakes and towns. But we didn't get to go up to see the sights. It was after 5pm when we rode through and the tower had already closed. Next time...

Last year we crossed the old bridge as we eyeballed the newer, higher bridge under construction. Sure does look small and dinky down there now. Almost scary that we actually trusted it to see us safely across to the other side of the Penobscot River. What's in a name?
The town is named after Col. Jonathan Buck, Bucksport.
So I guess the origin of the name is more like Buck's Port, rather than Buck Sport... Sorry hunters.Bucksport is a typical small Maine town with lots of character and a great view of the new bridge.
Time to get on down the road if we want to make it to Bar Harbor before dark. It's 40 miles to the Mount Desert Island that is home to Bar Barbor and Acadia National Park.
Then we get distracted by a sporting goods store in Ellsworth -- Cadillac Mountain Sports.
There goes any hope of making it to Bar Harbor before dark.
Needless to say, it is well after dark when we pull up to the Wonder View Inn about 9:25pm.

Tomorrow: Cadillac Mountain, the highest point of the eastern seaboard.

#105 NE Corner-Little Rhody and Mass

September 2, 2007

207 miles

NE Corner Trip

Day 3

Sunday

It's 58 degrees as we roll out at 8:50am from the Hilton Garden Inn in Norwalk, CT.

First stop is the The Weir Farm NHS, a farm bought by J Alden Weir in 1882 and used as an artist's retreat for he and his artist friends. Later, his daughter, Dorothy, continued the artistic traditions.

It easily turned into a longer than anticipated stop. We couldn't resist walking around the grounds taking in the cool crisp air and the bright sun lighting up the landscape. I can see how it was a place of inspiration for artists...and still is.

For you Monopoly players out there...Marvin Gardens.

We make it into Little Rhody!

Next stop is at the Roger Williams NM in Providence, RI. Williams was the founder of Rhode Island, the first secular state. Williams was banished from Massachusetts for his beliefs so he founded Rhode Island as a colony where all could come and worship as they wished without interference from the State. No one knows what Roger Williams actually looks like. There was no known image done during his lifetime. All paintings and sculptures of Williams are only artists' impressions. It is worth noting that the statue of Roger Williams located at the Roger Williams University actually features the face of Boston Red Sox slugger Ted Williams. Who knew!?

A lesson offered in Providence:

The Three Sisters... Corn, Beans, and Squash. The State Capital building in Providence, RI.River Bend Farm located in Uxbridge, MA is part of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor.

The afternoon we showed up, there was a community band concert in the park. It was a nice bonus to the stamp collected at the visitor center.A lake near Northbridge, Massachusetts lured me to stop long enough for a quick pic before hopping back onto MA146 and riding into Worcester where we finally found the hotel where we had a room reserved for the night. Much of Worcester's downtown has been reconstructed to make room for a new Convention Center and apparently none of the mapping databases has been updated to reflect the new street names. Very frustrating, but it was a nice hotel once we finally found it.

It's so big...how could it be that hard to find? Because, we were on the other side of the even bigger convention center and couldn't see it.After riding in circles in the old downtown area of Worcester, it seemed much later than it actually was when we finally checked in and made it to the connected UNO restaurant for supper.

#104 NE Corner-Jockey Hollow Nonesense

September 1, 2007

279 miles

NE Corner Trip
Day 2
Saturday

We got under way in the refreshing 60 degree temperatures.

Riding US30 across the Susquehanna River.

Crossing under the Blue Mountain & Reading railway near Reading, Pennsylvania.

Crossing the Delaware River into New Jersey.

Morristown, New Jersey had some NPS stamp collecting opportunities. So off we went stamp hunting...

The Jockey Hollow visitor center serves up a stamp and directions to another one that can be found in downtown Morristown at Washington's Headquarters.

On the way to Washington's Headquarters, we find Fort Nonsense by taking the short twisty road to the top of a hill overlooking the town.

What's in a name? I can see where Washington liked to "hold the high ground" during conflict.

Crossing the Hudson River into White Plains, New York. "...into New York." That must explain the heavier traffic backing up to cross the $4 toll bridge.

Sylvia was not happy about how close to her Honda VTX the car at the Shell station parked when there was plenty room to be had without crowding the parking situation. I said either the Lexus driver had excellent driving (parking) skills or she got darn lucky that she didn't hit Sylvia's bike. We decided that she was darn lucky. The woman seemed unfazed at how close she parked. I thought that might be explained by the New York tags on the car. My guess is that she's from NYC and their concept of personal space is a bit different there as elsewhere. Life is certainly different here than what I experienced out West...the land of wide open spaces!

About 5:30pm, we checked into a hotel in Norwalk, CT for the night. It was 79 degrees as we were unloading... it was the high of the day. I can handle that!