Bicycle Trip: Lincoln NH to Phoenixville PA – Day 7: Stafford Springs, Connecticut

Not much to say about today except that it was COLD and WET. Forecast was for rain all day, so we got up early to break camp before the rain started. Unfortunately, it was already drizzling , but we got on the road early. Took a wrong turn out of the campground which turned into a brilliant mistake, since we used Google to get back on the trail and shaved 10 miles off of the ACA route. We missed a little detour down to the corner of Rhode Island, but it saved us an hour in the rain. Well worth it.

The plan was to ride until it got miserable and then find refuge for the night. Staying where we were to wait out the rain really wasn’t an option since the rain would have trapped us in our tent all day and our tent would have been soaked. So we, pedaled into Connecticut, passing through Quinebaug in a light drizzle. Quinebaug had plenty of stores, restaurants, hotels, etc. It would have been an easy place to stop. But we were only 10 miles in and still quite warm and dry so we decided to keep going. Well that turned into a huge mistake because there was NOTHING for the next 30 miles and the intensity of the rain picked up so that we were both wet and freezing (temps in the high 30’s). My water resistant pants began taking on water. I knew I was in trouble when I was trying to remember the symptoms of hypothermia and Mark on the seat in front of me was whistling like he didn’t have a care in the world. We passed through several small towns that consisted of a single intersection, sometimes a stop sign or a signal light, but nothing to eat and nowhere to stay.

As we crossed I-84, Mark was positive that there were services at that exit (“I’ve driven this road thousands of times”), but it turned out to be possibly the only exit on I-84 without any services at all.

Finally, as we were headed into Stafford Springs, CT we approached civilization…. a fishing and bait store. We stopped to hide under the covered walkway, and popped in to ask the proprietor how far we were from food and shelter. He pointed us 6 miles down the road (luckily mostly downhill) to Stafford Springs (which had been our original planned destination for the day anyway. We found a laundromat to dry our clothes. The attendant was extremely helpful, allowing us to spread out all of our dripping gear and use her restroom to change. She even offered us donuts and coffee (first time I ever wished we drank coffee). Back in warm clothes, we walked down the block to eat some piping hot baked ziti at a pizza place and plan our next move.

Finally concluded that the closest shelter was the original campground that we had planned that was 4 miles north (mostly uphill). No choice but to brave the rain again. The campground owner felt so sorry for us that she gave us a cabin for the night for only $20 because she felt bad that it wasn’t heated. Did laundry for real, re-dried everything, and settled into camp for the night.

And how did YOU spend your Mother’s Day? LOL