Day 4 - A cold start, with a promise of great weather - The Long Way to Cleveland

May 18, 2023

Day 4 - A cold start, with a promise of great weather

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I sure am glad that I made it to the Airbnb last night. The temperature here did indeed get down well below freezing. But the high today is expected to be in the sixties, with sunny skies and greatly reduced wind.

My accommodations were a bedroom in a mobile home. When Airbnb first started, this was what they had in mind, supplemental income for people willing to share their homes. For the retired couple that owns this place, it's really perfect. And they price it at basically the same as a campground, so it's perfect for me, too.

My very gracious hosts from last night. He's a guitarist who plays bluegrass. But I didn't find that out until morning and it was too late to jam.

The day did start out on the chilly side, but as expected, by noon I was able to start shedding layers. Fortunately, not a lot of excitement today. I passed through Middlebury, and Burlington, and I'm currently at a warmshowers host in Colchester, VT, a very nice gentleman named Fernando, originally from the Dominican Republic. His daughter had done a cross country bike trip some years back with an organization called bike and build. It's a non-profit that raises funds to promote affordable housing. Unfortunately, she is not living with her father anymore. It would have been fun to talk to her about her trip.

Good advertising, but a waste of a good car as well.

A view of the Adirondack mountains. The plan is go around them.

There are a lot of very nice farms in this area, but quite a few old barns in very poor shape.

This is part of the route that the Katzins and Jeanfavres rode a few years back.

This was a gentleman I met on the bike path in Burlington who kept me captivated with his stories. Actually, it was more like captive, because he wandered all over the place. In the end he admitted that he might be suffering from dementia. But still, a very nice man.

Fernando was the greatest host. He made Mexican Tostadas for dinner, and then we drove down to the harbor to see the sunset. We were a little late, but it was still beautiful down there. After that he showed me evening sites in downtown Burlington. It's a pretty cool town

Fernando making Mexican Tostadas for dinner

Evening scene in Burlington harbor with Alleghenies in the background.

Live music at Red Square. They were pretty good.

Colorful fountains in the park in downtown Burlington.

Today's ride: 66 miles (106 km)
Total: 250 miles (402 km)

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Jonathan DyerLove Burlington, great city, beautiful scenery, planning to get back with the camper and a bike.
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11 months ago

Charlotte KatzinWhat a wonderful host and guide. I'm amazed that you had the energy to go out and see the sites in Burlington, but obviously so worth it. Loving the photos and stories.
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11 months ago