Day 22 – 03/10/09
“Just double checking.” This is a phrase that can be taken as responsible or can it also be taken as a sign of weakness? When I pack my bike for my trip I plan on double and even triple checking to make sure that when I go off in to the wild of this crazy country that I have everything that I need. That to me is responsible. Or could that be that I doubt my packing skills so there for I am checking something that I should have gotten right in the first place?
I bring this up because today was a day of mistakes for me. Outside of my biking life I am dealing with lease problems about my current apartment and because I did not double check with the management company they think that I want to extend my lease for another year. So putting that into the mix, on my ride I completely took the wrong route to get to Harris Cyclery. I wanted to avoid the notorious Mt. Ida but with my excellent directional skills I started going around it than ran into it again. It was pretty funny because I was on the right track then I just decided to take a left for some reason and it put me between the highway and a vertical clime to get to Newtonville road, and although I love cars and trucks racing by me at 70 miles an hour I decided that the clime would be the path for me. I did get to go bombing down the other side, which almost made the mistake worth it, but man did I just want to get to the bike shop so I could do some more research for my trip.
I am nearing the time for me to buy my new bike so I have been doing many-much (it’s a word I swear) research and I have talked to many-a bike shop and read many-a websites, and I think that the Surly Long Haul Trucker is the bike for me. I am going to take the bike out for a test ride tomorrow but I have been narrowing it down and I think that for my trip and on my budget this bike is for me. It is a solid steel frame (so not as light as other bikes) it has many Braze-ons so I can attach my water bottles and racks to get a fully loaded bike. It has bar end shifters, which are going to be new for me, but I think the case for them is much better for the case against them. What they are are small levers on the end of the curved handlebars that move up and down. The reason for them is that if there were to be a crash and my shifters get damaged I can easily replace these for cheep. The other shifters are built into the brake levers so if one thing breaks the whole thing breaks, plus they are about $250 per shifter. And also one random fact is the fact that they are at the end of the bar you have to move your hands to shift them which keeps your body from being completely the same the entire time (that tidbit of info is from Elton from Harris). I have checked and double check to see if this bike is the one I want and after the test drive I think I will find out that I will not want any other.
So after a day of self-doubt I finish this entry with a thought about that phrase “just double checking.” There should be no judgment of character or responsibility for double-checking. Many things have been saved or changed; many destinations have been made because some one has double-checked. I hope every body is enjoying my blog and is excited for what is to come, I know that I am but I wanted to just double check with you…(ha.. wow that cheesy, that could be called a Vashroism)
TOTAL DISTANCE FOR DAY (TDD) : 12 miles
TOTAL TIME FOR THE DAY (TTD) : 90 min
TOTAL TIME TRAINING: 23 hrs 20 min
TOTAL DISTANCE TRAVELED: 169.19 Miles
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
The Esplanade... Finally!
Day 21 – 3/4/09
The Esplanade, for all of you people that don’t know, is a walkway that fallows the Boston side of the Charles River. It is one of the most beautiful places in Boston. There is so much life that is along that path. There are runners and walkers, people rollerblading, and bikers. The City is on one side and the water is on the other. Today was a great day for biking in general because it was sunny and warm (finally!) So I set out towards the esplanade and ended up biking all the way to the science museum and back. It was a smooth ride where I got to see lots of people and I also was able to do some training sprints and pace work. I would take a section of the path and try and go as fast as I could from one end to the other so I could work different parts of my leg muscles. Nothing bad happened on the trip it just was a pleasant ride with pleasant weather.
As far as news for the near future I have picked up another bike that I am going to be training on till I get my tour bike. It is a mountain bike (GT Talera all terrain). Will Lubelski who is a roommate of my friend Devon is letting me barrow it for the moment. It has two side saddlebags and rides very very well. I took a 2 min ride on it and one thing that I noticed was how far over the front tire the handlebars were. It affected my riding allot (in a good way). I really am thankful that all these people are being so helpful to me. It really is nice to have support for something that is a really big challenge. I am going to be taking the other bike that my friend Becca so greatfully let me use and (with Becca’s permission) I will be handing it off to my friend Jesse Rizuko who will be starting to bike with me.
Another event that is coming up on Saturday March 14th is a bike ride with Mass Bike (www.massbike.org/) it is going to be a fun ride where we will start at the Boston Common and go to Petsi Pie in Somerville (www.petsipies.com/). If anybody would like to come, click HERE and contact Shane at shane@massbike.org. Please join a couple of my other friends and myself on a new pie adventure (I say new because I have gone on other pie adventures if you look at my previous posts).
TOTAL DISTANCE FOR DAY (TDD) : 10.61 miles
TOTAL TIME FOR THE DAY (TTD) : 60 min
TOTAL TIME TRAINING: 21 hrs 50 min
TOTAL DISTANCE TRAVELED: 157.19 Miles
My Local Bike Shop
Day 20 - 3/3/09
Have you ever felt a feeling of completeness? Something felt when you find your one true love, a really good friend, your perfect house. A sense of everything is right in the world. Well I experienced that feeling when I stepped into Harris Cyclery and had an hour and a half talk with A.J. I have found my local bike shop! Harris Cyclery (1353 Washington St. (Route 16) West Newton, MA 02465)
My trip to the store was not going to be a very long one, it was about 5 miles away but what I didn’t realize was the route that I chose was strait up a lovely little hill called Mt. Ida. The roads went from fairly flat to 50-degree incline (or something like that). Needless to say I was huffing and puffing (this time there was no glue ☺). I reached the top of the hill and realized that I could have easily just took the next road over and it would have taken me conveniently around this bump in my trip…oh well, what goes up must come down, and I flew down the other side of Mt. Ida like it was my job.
Arriving at Harris Cyclery was nice. I walked in and the shop was covered with bikes… they all looked beautiful and I wanted to ride them all. The bikes went from reclining bikes that you lay down on and the pedals are in front of you to high performance race bikes to Bike Fridays. There were two people in the back working on bikes and there was one guy at the register. Not 30 seconds into my exploring the shop I hear a voice “hey man, can I help you out” (not exact quote, I hope he wont sew). It was my soon to be bike mentor A.J. (that’s right A.J. our relationship has jump to the next level… intimidated yet?) I told him that I have this crazy idea where I plan on getting on a bike and peddling that machine 3,700 miles to San Diego for 2 months and I need as much information as I can get. After him telling me that I am some kind of crazy (thank you) he proceeds to tell me all about bicycles. From the frame building to the handlebars to the shorts that you need to wear but don’t want to be caught in at a bar. He showed me the shops tour bikes that were in my budget. They were the Jamis Aurora Touring bike and the Surly Long Haul Trucker. There were others that he showed me, such as the Bike Friday (the Folding Bikes) and the Waterford but those were either not my taste or way out of my price range (although I really do want a Bike Friday when I am able to afford another bike). I took notes on everything he said and became more and more excited with every new bit of information I received. I was a student again and this class is my favorite. A.J. and I exchanged information and Not only am I going to be buying a bike from this place but A.J. suggested that I could get some training on bike maintenance from him also…this was exactly what I wanted.
After my stay at the bike shop I left in a daze and a Boston Bike map (which shows all the routes that are safe for bikers) my mind was full of information and I was re energized about my trip. I started biking back to my place (the not so hilly way) and decided to stop at this wonderful pizza shop called SWEET TOMATOES (1279 Washington St. W. Newton, MA 0465). It is a great little place on the corner of a block. It was a clean modern hangout with great pizza ranging from traditional to a white three cheese pizza (which was fantastic). I got my two slices and took my time to study my new map and see what adventures await me. I was complete. My stomach was being filled, I have taken another step in my bike adventure and the day was beautiful. I wouldn’t say that I could die now but my mind was clear and everything was right with the world (and still is).
Note about Pictures. they are coming I have lost my cord to connect my camera to my computer...so they are coming.
TOTAL DISTANCE FOR DAY (TDD) : 12 miles
TOTAL TIME FOR THE DAY (TTD) : 90 min
TOTAL TIME TRAINING: 20 hrs 50 min
TOTAL DISTANCE TRAVELED: 146.58 Miles
Monday, March 2, 2009
New Cards, New Cameras, New Bike!
Day 19(2) – 2/24/09 + 2/25/09
The weather was great then the one-day I was able to actually go biking snowfalls like that’s its job. Well I have to say it does make me sad that getting on my bike is dangerous, but I can’t be too sad because these last couple of days have been very productive for the planning stages of my trip. I have received my business cards so it is easier to tell people about my blog (www.vistaprint.com) and I have received some funding to buy a new bike! This trip is really coming around. I have been looking at bikes of all different brands. The ones that have peeked my interest so far has been Fuji bikes (www.fujibikes.com), and Bike Fridays (www.bikefriday.com) and there are many more that I haven’t checked out yet. The fuji bike is probably no what I am going to go with, I just like the look and the name but I think fuji focuses on race bikes more and I don’t need a race bike. Bike Fridays are a very interesting type of bike. I was told about them by my mom (Kathy) because when she biked across the country for her 50th (that’s right she did it!), one of the women that she was riding with is now continuing to bike all around the world using a Bike Friday. It is a folding bike that has a high amount of gears so it can counteract the size of the wheels and then the case that the bike folds up into, after getting off the plan in, I don’t know…New Zealand, you can just use it as a trailer to store your travel goods. This bike really interests me, it’s the right price $999, it is specifically designed for what I want to do, it would be very useful in the future after my trip across the country, but there is just something that bothers me about the size of the wheels. I feel as though no matter how many gears you add, the amount of energy you exert will still be greater than if you had larger wheels. I could be wrong but it just doesn’t feel right. I looked at some reviews and they said that the bike is fantastic and the only down side is that when going up hills the speed is slower and also the amount of shock that gets absorbed by the wheels is significantly less than a larger wheel type. There is a bike shop not far away from my apartment called Harris Cyclery (www.HarrisCyclery.com) this shop has several Bike Fridays so I was going to go check it out and see what I’m missing out on. I am going to continue to keep looking and researching for the best bike for me and then I will get it…ride it, and well obsess over it.
So along with this exiting news of finances for my bike I have been doing some research on cameras and storage devices. I went to Boston camera (which is a rental place) and asked around about lipstick camera…which are called that because they look like a tube of lipstick….I was told to check out Rule (S/P) in Watertown because they could definitely advise me on more details about what I am going to want to get the picture that I want. I plan on having 3 cameras. I would have one lipstick on my bike, one in my parents RV (to capture their day to day activity), and one HD camera that I can use to capture locations that I stop at. I would store these to a hard drive and upload them to a server so Cody my friend/producer can start editing the footage together so we can release the documentary in sections as I travel. This style of creation will allow for people to interact with me through the Internet and in person and be directly involved in the documentary and my trip.
I keep looking outside while I am writing this and saying to my self I can get on my bike in that amazing wind and small pellets of snow…. I probably shouldn’t though. Well I will just continue to plan my trip and keep you all up to date on my next adventures.
P.S. There is a Facebook fan page names “Against the Wind” please join it and help support me and the documentary. Thank you all.
TOTAL DISTANCE FOR DAY (TDD) : 5 miles
TOTAL TIME FOR THE DAY (TTD) : 25 min
TOTAL TIME TRAINING: 19 hrs 20 min
TOTAL DISTANCE TRAVELED: 134.58 Miles
Friday, February 27, 2009
Forecast: Very Windy with a Chance of…KICK ASS
Day 18 – 2/23/09
I have become an addict. I am willing to admit this because…well I am addicted to bicycling. I am glad I have come to this realization because I think I would have to be addicted to be able to bike 3,000 miles in one trip. This last weekend I have biked a total of 55.82 miles. I am going to be taking a break today just to let my muscles heal but man am I itching to do a longer ride.
My trip started in Brookline like all of them have been so far. I went over the route that I chose on Google maps. I checked the forecast for the day and to my surprise (sarcasm) it was very heavy winds. This did not discourage me it actually exited me. I have wanted a challenge, because so far my rides (even the one on Saturday) have been pretty straightforward and simple. So I wanted to have to deal with the elements and really work for my goal.
I finally decided to invest in some glasses for the sun and the wind, so I went to City Sports and purchased TIFOSI Slip model glasses. They have interchangeable lenses and they are really comfortable. They were $50, which was a good price considering I was expecting to pay around $100. I was planning on doing some more research before I bought glasses but I needed them that day and they have a 30 day return policy so if they didn’t work or I find something better I could exchange them. The different lenses are, sunglasses, yellow glasses (for snow or low light), clear (for night), and some blue/orange lenses that I am unsure what they are for but look really cool.
I set off on my adventure to Lowell. I was estimating around a 4 hour ride, with wind and some pretty cold temperatures. What I ended up with was a 4 hour 45 minute ride, a lot of wind and two frozen feet. It was so worth it though, because when I pulled up to my destination (Lara’s Apartment) I felt as though I had worked my ass off, that I had taken on a big task and achieved that task without complaints. I had road my bike for almost 5 hours in one day and I was still not tired of riding. The only part of my body that took any damage were my feet (which for some reason I cannot keep warm for the life of me) I had lost feeling in them about ¾ of the way through my ride because of the wind and the occasional puddle splash.
The trip went through, Allston, Watertown, Waverl(e)y, Belmont, Lexington, Bedford, Billerica, North Billerica, and finally Lowell. I got to race through the first part because I had already gone to Lexington so I knew the route. Once I passed Lexington it was constant up hill climes all the way to Lowell. The sun had set and I was pushing through. Some times the wind would hit me and push my bike and myself to the side, it was an amazing experience. There was so much history that I past that I am sure I could keep biking up and down that same route and continue to find new and interesting things.
While I was riding this time I continued to feel an excitement and an attachment to bicycling. I became more and more comfortable with my abilities on my bike and I loved feeling the air on my face and having the freedom that a bike allowed me to have such as squeezing through small spaces, stopping where ever I would like, and to really feel the road and the environment around me.
The minuteman trail goes right through Lexington and when the ice melts away I plan to ride the 10 mile path and take in all the history it has to offer.
TOTAL DISTANCE FOR DAY (TDD) : 25.9 miles
TOTAL TIME FOR THE DAY (TTD) : 4hr 45 min
TOTAL TIME TRAINING: 18 hrs 55 min
TOTAL DISTANCE TRAVELED: 129.58 Miles
I have become an addict. I am willing to admit this because…well I am addicted to bicycling. I am glad I have come to this realization because I think I would have to be addicted to be able to bike 3,000 miles in one trip. This last weekend I have biked a total of 55.82 miles. I am going to be taking a break today just to let my muscles heal but man am I itching to do a longer ride.
My trip started in Brookline like all of them have been so far. I went over the route that I chose on Google maps. I checked the forecast for the day and to my surprise (sarcasm) it was very heavy winds. This did not discourage me it actually exited me. I have wanted a challenge, because so far my rides (even the one on Saturday) have been pretty straightforward and simple. So I wanted to have to deal with the elements and really work for my goal.
I finally decided to invest in some glasses for the sun and the wind, so I went to City Sports and purchased TIFOSI Slip model glasses. They have interchangeable lenses and they are really comfortable. They were $50, which was a good price considering I was expecting to pay around $100. I was planning on doing some more research before I bought glasses but I needed them that day and they have a 30 day return policy so if they didn’t work or I find something better I could exchange them. The different lenses are, sunglasses, yellow glasses (for snow or low light), clear (for night), and some blue/orange lenses that I am unsure what they are for but look really cool.
I set off on my adventure to Lowell. I was estimating around a 4 hour ride, with wind and some pretty cold temperatures. What I ended up with was a 4 hour 45 minute ride, a lot of wind and two frozen feet. It was so worth it though, because when I pulled up to my destination (Lara’s Apartment) I felt as though I had worked my ass off, that I had taken on a big task and achieved that task without complaints. I had road my bike for almost 5 hours in one day and I was still not tired of riding. The only part of my body that took any damage were my feet (which for some reason I cannot keep warm for the life of me) I had lost feeling in them about ¾ of the way through my ride because of the wind and the occasional puddle splash.
The trip went through, Allston, Watertown, Waverl(e)y, Belmont, Lexington, Bedford, Billerica, North Billerica, and finally Lowell. I got to race through the first part because I had already gone to Lexington so I knew the route. Once I passed Lexington it was constant up hill climes all the way to Lowell. The sun had set and I was pushing through. Some times the wind would hit me and push my bike and myself to the side, it was an amazing experience. There was so much history that I past that I am sure I could keep biking up and down that same route and continue to find new and interesting things.
While I was riding this time I continued to feel an excitement and an attachment to bicycling. I became more and more comfortable with my abilities on my bike and I loved feeling the air on my face and having the freedom that a bike allowed me to have such as squeezing through small spaces, stopping where ever I would like, and to really feel the road and the environment around me.
The minuteman trail goes right through Lexington and when the ice melts away I plan to ride the 10 mile path and take in all the history it has to offer.
TOTAL DISTANCE FOR DAY (TDD) : 25.9 miles
TOTAL TIME FOR THE DAY (TTD) : 4hr 45 min
TOTAL TIME TRAINING: 18 hrs 55 min
TOTAL DISTANCE TRAVELED: 129.58 Miles
Emotional Biking and My 100 Mile Goal
Day 17 – 2/22/09
Having a semi long-term goal has really helped me organize my life and stay motivated to continue to do more. This bike ride has given me the focus that I need to keep from wallowing in my own sadness and misery…(dramatic I know).
On Sunday I woke up early in the morning feeling a bit down. Not about anything in specific, just not a chipper as I have been lately. I think I was worrying about financial things (which I do way to much, which I shouldn’t do) anyways… I get out of bed thinking to myself that I really don’t want to put on all my cloths, the many layers of sweatshirts and pants to go ride around Brookline. So I sat there in bed with the sheets half on me and half on the floor, my hair doing its thing, going in every direction, and I took some deep breaths. I don’t like suppressing my feelings so I was trying to just not let them overwhelm me. After a couple breaths I put my head in my hands and thought about what getting on the bike means to me. The Big Picture: Training for my trip across country, it is exercise (which is always good), and it’s a constant challenge that I hope to concur. The Small Picture: It will help me work with my emotions, it will wake me up, and it will push me over 100 miles worth of training (which is the goal that I set for today)! After that little check in I stood up, started putting on my cloths, grabbed my bike and headed out.
The trip was short, just to the JP ponds and back. I really only needed 6.02 miles to get to 100 so I figured that would be good enough. While I was peddling I found my self being very aggressive with the bike, taking my turns sharper, every stroke of the peddle was a bit more defined rather than the constant smooth circle that it usually was. The emotions that I had inside were coming out through my technique. This didn’t bother me; it just was a different experience than what I am used to. Once I got to the JP loop I was bolting around the path, passing people left and right jumping over tree roots and sidewalk imperfections. As I was coming around the pond for a second time this couple and their kid started shouting at me, “This isn’t the bike path!, This is NOT the bike path!” They were frustrated with me; I could hear it in their voices. I felt a surge of anger which was pushing me to just say “screw it” and keep on riding but I knew that that was not what I wanted to do, so I slowed down, turned around (which I don’t think they were expecting) and asked them where the bike path was. After a second of their astonishment that I cared where I was biking they pointed about 20 feet away at another path. I said thank you and headed to the bike path. This incident for some reason cleansed me of my frustrations and anger and sadness. I got on the bike path and my feet were rotating the wheels in a constant motion and I was paying attention to everything all-around me instead of just the immediate 10 feet. Being forced to look at my actions strait in the face and say “I don’t like what they do to me”, gave me the control to focus and enjoy the rest of the ride.
After the trip I worked at Eureka for a couple of hours and then had my Oscar party. The Oscars were fantastic and Slumdog millionaire as I and the rest of the world predicted swept the academy. Some very close friends were there and some new people that I now consider friends were there and I was happy. I had achieved my goal of 100 miles (103.68 to be exact) and I was with good people and good entertainment (go Hugh Jackman sing that song!). Paying attention to the bigger picture, the bigger goal of my bike ride and documentary allows me to stay focused and attentive to the life that is happening around me at this moment. Because after all this trip is for me to reconnect with my country, my family, and my self, and I cant do that if I am only looking 10 feet ahead.
TOTAL DISTANCE FOR DAY (TDD) : 8.72 miles
TOTAL TIME FOR THE DAY (TTD) : 55 min
TOTAL TIME TRAINING: 14 hrs 10 min
TOTAL DISTANCE TRAVELED: 103.68 Miles
Having a semi long-term goal has really helped me organize my life and stay motivated to continue to do more. This bike ride has given me the focus that I need to keep from wallowing in my own sadness and misery…(dramatic I know).
On Sunday I woke up early in the morning feeling a bit down. Not about anything in specific, just not a chipper as I have been lately. I think I was worrying about financial things (which I do way to much, which I shouldn’t do) anyways… I get out of bed thinking to myself that I really don’t want to put on all my cloths, the many layers of sweatshirts and pants to go ride around Brookline. So I sat there in bed with the sheets half on me and half on the floor, my hair doing its thing, going in every direction, and I took some deep breaths. I don’t like suppressing my feelings so I was trying to just not let them overwhelm me. After a couple breaths I put my head in my hands and thought about what getting on the bike means to me. The Big Picture: Training for my trip across country, it is exercise (which is always good), and it’s a constant challenge that I hope to concur. The Small Picture: It will help me work with my emotions, it will wake me up, and it will push me over 100 miles worth of training (which is the goal that I set for today)! After that little check in I stood up, started putting on my cloths, grabbed my bike and headed out.
The trip was short, just to the JP ponds and back. I really only needed 6.02 miles to get to 100 so I figured that would be good enough. While I was peddling I found my self being very aggressive with the bike, taking my turns sharper, every stroke of the peddle was a bit more defined rather than the constant smooth circle that it usually was. The emotions that I had inside were coming out through my technique. This didn’t bother me; it just was a different experience than what I am used to. Once I got to the JP loop I was bolting around the path, passing people left and right jumping over tree roots and sidewalk imperfections. As I was coming around the pond for a second time this couple and their kid started shouting at me, “This isn’t the bike path!, This is NOT the bike path!” They were frustrated with me; I could hear it in their voices. I felt a surge of anger which was pushing me to just say “screw it” and keep on riding but I knew that that was not what I wanted to do, so I slowed down, turned around (which I don’t think they were expecting) and asked them where the bike path was. After a second of their astonishment that I cared where I was biking they pointed about 20 feet away at another path. I said thank you and headed to the bike path. This incident for some reason cleansed me of my frustrations and anger and sadness. I got on the bike path and my feet were rotating the wheels in a constant motion and I was paying attention to everything all-around me instead of just the immediate 10 feet. Being forced to look at my actions strait in the face and say “I don’t like what they do to me”, gave me the control to focus and enjoy the rest of the ride.
After the trip I worked at Eureka for a couple of hours and then had my Oscar party. The Oscars were fantastic and Slumdog millionaire as I and the rest of the world predicted swept the academy. Some very close friends were there and some new people that I now consider friends were there and I was happy. I had achieved my goal of 100 miles (103.68 to be exact) and I was with good people and good entertainment (go Hugh Jackman sing that song!). Paying attention to the bigger picture, the bigger goal of my bike ride and documentary allows me to stay focused and attentive to the life that is happening around me at this moment. Because after all this trip is for me to reconnect with my country, my family, and my self, and I cant do that if I am only looking 10 feet ahead.
TOTAL DISTANCE FOR DAY (TDD) : 8.72 miles
TOTAL TIME FOR THE DAY (TTD) : 55 min
TOTAL TIME TRAINING: 14 hrs 10 min
TOTAL DISTANCE TRAVELED: 103.68 Miles
Thursday, February 26, 2009
My Adventure to Candy Castle
Day 16 – 2/21/09
Asking the question, where should I ride? Has yet to bring in any crazy locations but I did get a random one from my friend Cody Fitch. I asked him my travel question and he said I should go to Lexington, MA. I asked him why and he responded, “you asked me and I found a place near by.” Well Cody has always been strait forward and I thank him for that.
Lexington ended up being a great place to bike to. My adventures took me to a place called Candy Castle (1853 Massachusetts Ave Lexington, MA 02420) where all your dreams come true. It is a local candy store that makes its own fudge and sells candy from runtz to saltwater taffy, to the sour powder you can fill straws with. It was a very nice place to visit and the girl that I met working there (Hayley) recommended that I get a chocolate truffle with caramel in the center. (fantastic choice Hayley). After arriving at Lexington I was starving and the gentleman that owned the Candy Castle told me that the restaurant that was uniquely Lexington was MARIOS (1733 Massachusetts Ave Lexington, MA 02420). It was fantastic. I missed it on the way into town because it is a small door and a small window. The restaurant inside is everything you think a place called Mario’s would be. The red checkered table cloths, dimly lit, with the smell of sausage and garlic filling the air. I walked in at about 1:30 and the place was packed so I knew I was in the right spot. There were people from all different walks of life. There was the dad with his suns that asked questions about everything, the mother and daughter that never said a word to each other, the elderly couple that have been coming to this place for years, and the motorcyclists that are there to eat their pasta and chat till they feel the urge to move on to there next location. I felt right at home. The menu was simple. What pasta, sub, or pizza do you want? Meat, cheese, or plain? I got an eggplant sub with red sauce and cheese. It was delish! The cheese oozed out of the sub each time I bit into it and the red sauce, which must have been a family secret because of the seasoning, was just out of this world. It complemented everything and did not overpower anything.
After my satisfying meal I went back to Candy Castle to pick up those chocolate caramels and headed back to Brookline. The trip took me 3 hours and was well worth the ride. I am going to be traveling through here for my trip to Lowell and I will be happy to see Lexington once more.
(Pictures will be coming I am just having some trouble transferring my photos to my computer)
P.S. There is a face book group now that everybody should become fans of. type in "Against the wind" in the search menu and it should come up or you can go to my profile and find it from there.
Thank you.
TOTAL DISTANCE FOR DAY (TDD) : 21.2 miles
TOTAL TIME FOR THE DAY (TTD) : 3hr 5 min
TOTAL TIME TRAINING: 13 hrs 15 min
TOTAL DISTANCE TRAVELED: 94.96 Miles
Asking the question, where should I ride? Has yet to bring in any crazy locations but I did get a random one from my friend Cody Fitch. I asked him my travel question and he said I should go to Lexington, MA. I asked him why and he responded, “you asked me and I found a place near by.” Well Cody has always been strait forward and I thank him for that.
Lexington ended up being a great place to bike to. My adventures took me to a place called Candy Castle (1853 Massachusetts Ave Lexington, MA 02420) where all your dreams come true. It is a local candy store that makes its own fudge and sells candy from runtz to saltwater taffy, to the sour powder you can fill straws with. It was a very nice place to visit and the girl that I met working there (Hayley) recommended that I get a chocolate truffle with caramel in the center. (fantastic choice Hayley). After arriving at Lexington I was starving and the gentleman that owned the Candy Castle told me that the restaurant that was uniquely Lexington was MARIOS (1733 Massachusetts Ave Lexington, MA 02420). It was fantastic. I missed it on the way into town because it is a small door and a small window. The restaurant inside is everything you think a place called Mario’s would be. The red checkered table cloths, dimly lit, with the smell of sausage and garlic filling the air. I walked in at about 1:30 and the place was packed so I knew I was in the right spot. There were people from all different walks of life. There was the dad with his suns that asked questions about everything, the mother and daughter that never said a word to each other, the elderly couple that have been coming to this place for years, and the motorcyclists that are there to eat their pasta and chat till they feel the urge to move on to there next location. I felt right at home. The menu was simple. What pasta, sub, or pizza do you want? Meat, cheese, or plain? I got an eggplant sub with red sauce and cheese. It was delish! The cheese oozed out of the sub each time I bit into it and the red sauce, which must have been a family secret because of the seasoning, was just out of this world. It complemented everything and did not overpower anything.
After my satisfying meal I went back to Candy Castle to pick up those chocolate caramels and headed back to Brookline. The trip took me 3 hours and was well worth the ride. I am going to be traveling through here for my trip to Lowell and I will be happy to see Lexington once more.
(Pictures will be coming I am just having some trouble transferring my photos to my computer)
P.S. There is a face book group now that everybody should become fans of. type in "Against the wind" in the search menu and it should come up or you can go to my profile and find it from there.
Thank you.
TOTAL DISTANCE FOR DAY (TDD) : 21.2 miles
TOTAL TIME FOR THE DAY (TTD) : 3hr 5 min
TOTAL TIME TRAINING: 13 hrs 15 min
TOTAL DISTANCE TRAVELED: 94.96 Miles
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)