Bike ride through Kennebunkport

I have to admit I'm not a big fan of road biking. But Elaine and I had a day to kill in the Kennebunkport area on Saturday. Griffin was going to spend the day at the Seashore Trolley Museum. So we packed our bikes and rolled from the museum parking lot. Our plan was to go toward Ocean Avenue and see Walker's Point.

We headed south down Log Cabin Road and quickly ran into Winks. It's a small market with a great sandwich and meal menu. If you're in the neighborhood without provisions, it's a good place to start building a picnic basket.

It took almost no time to get to Kennebunkport Village. We skirted around it and found Ocean Avenue - one of the most scenic routes in the state.

This also was where the traffic increased. Once we were in view of the ocean, the road got tighter and windier. We're not avid road bikers so we were a bit nervous. But we stopped a lot to soak in the view properly and take photos.

We found St. Ann's on Ocean Avenue a beautiful place. The seaside chapel was a great place to pray, meditate and shoot photos. I have to say it impressed me more than Walker's Point.

The Bush compound is in a pretty spot. And I appreciated the overlook to see it. But we didn't feel very welcome. Part of it was the certainty that Secret Service agents were sizing us up. And there was the well-marked poison ivy (I don't know if that was a security measure planted by the Secret Service). And the view was obscured by fog (Another Secret Service touch?).

We kept going along Ocean Avenue and found Turbats Creek - a beach area near Vaughn's Island. It had some very quaint "houses" along the water. Elaine called them shacks. I thought it was classic Maine. But we scouted it out as a place to put in our kayaks the next time Griffin has a day at the trolley museum.

From there, it was a short ride to Pier 77 in Cape Porpoise. It's a popular spot with two seafood restaurants and a working pier. Parking was chaotic. Well not for us. We leaned the bikes against a sign and ate lunch on a bench.

Normally that spot had great views of the ocean and Goat Island Lighthouse. But fog had rolled in. We enjoyed our wrap from Winks and watched a group of kayakers put in.

By the way, there are rest rooms at the seafood shack.

We decided to keep rolling east and make our way north - angling for the trolley museum. About 20 minutes later, we ran into Dave and Kathy, a couple friends who ducked out of the rain in a stand of trees. After waiting out the rain, the four of us rolled past Goose Rocks Beach and to Fortunes Rock Beach.

By then, there was practically no ocean to see. The fog had cloaked the beaches very well. Distant thunder convinced us to call it a day. We split up, heading back to our parking spots.

It took us almost an hour to make our way to the trolley museum via the back roads on the other side of Route 9. It was a pleasant, sunny ride. Very little traffic to bother us.

All in all it was a great day. We kept the pace gentle - stretching 26 miles over six hours. It was just right to get around the area and enjoy the views. Plus it's always good to run into Dave and Kathy.

Beautiful morning

Yeah the skies are overcast. The temps are about 50. And the ground is kind of damp from Sunday's rain.

But I finally got on my bike and took a quick ride on the Mountain Division Trail. Burley was thrilled. He ran beside me - sometimes leading. The cool temps made it much more comfortable for him.

Speaking of biking, if you missed the Great Maine Bike Swap on Sunday, you can catch it again Sunday in Orono.

Co-worker Wendy Almeida skipped work Friday to take her family on the Kennebec River Rail Trail. They had a great day, and the kids rated it five stars.

Get it in Gear

It's been a couple weeks since I've been on the Mountain Division Trail. Most of the winter it was my local cross country trail. But I've assumed the spring weather has taken its toll on the snow. But how long before it's bikable. Burley's wondering the same thing. He's eager to get running.

Before I try it out, I need a tune up. My bike is a beater but it does need some work. And I use the term "beater" lovingly. It's one of those road/trail hybrids that will do a passable job on the pavement and a good job on bike trails. No single track or jumps for me. It serves me very well on the carriage roads.

I got it a few years ago at the Bicycle Coalition of Maine's Great Maine Bike Swap. If you're interested in getting a set of wheels, you need to make time for this year's sale. There are two of them:

April 27: Portland
May 4: Orono

This is a perfect chance for someone to get started in biking. You can find something that's comfortable in the seat and wallet. If you get really serious about it, save your money to get something lighter or stronger.