July 10, 2011 Hershey, Pa.
On July 7, I headed south on Hwy 1 down the coast of Maine. That’s a fascinating stretch of road that passes through a wide range of socio-economic strata. There was a surprising amount of undeveloped or rural land, as well as upper-end, old money homes. Much of the coastline is rocky with glacier-deep water.
Over the last two years, I’ve taken my RV to work on several Habitat builds around the country and have enjoyed learning construction skills and getting to know other volunteers; it’s a special treat to spend time with the new home owners and attend a dedication/ribbon cutting ceremony. Picking Habitat for one of my four charities was easy. Habitat, founded in 1976 by Millard and Linda Fuller, is an international organization that builds decent, safe, and affordable housing and has built or rehabbed over 400,000 houses. However, the houses are not a giveaway. The new homeowners make a down payment and monthly mortgage payments and are required to provide hundreds of hours of volunteer labor known as “sweat equity.” The construction cost is kept low by the use of volunteer labor and donations of money and material. Administratively, Habitat for Humanity International acts as an umbrella of sorts for the various local affiliates around the country. Each affiliate is independently run, and each coordinates all aspects of home building in their area.
On Thursday, I rode over to the Habitat for Humanity Affiliate for Hancock County, located in Ellsworth, Maine. Relatively speaking, this is a small affiliate with a goal of building two houses a year. The number of houses built by an affiliate is determined by various factors, including weather, funding, and the availability of volunteers. My impression was that the Hancock County affiliate is on that uncomfortable, growing edge; they could do much more if they had more help. The ReStore sells donated building materials, appliances, furniture, and home accessories to fund local Habitat construction. Strolling through their ReStore, I saw wood burning stoves, furnaces, and other cold-weather items, as well as a fascinating array of almost anything else you can think of. There was also a shelf of handmade birdhouses, donated and for sale.
I left the Habitat ReStore in Ellsworth mid-day and turned north towards Bangor, Maine, where I picked up Hwy 2 going west. Hwy 2 is my kind of road; it goes across several states, passing through the heart of our country. I rode through the rolling green farmlands of Maine and then Vermont, through small towns, some without red lights. I stopped for the night 381 miles later in Burlington, VT. The next morning, I headed south on Hwy 7. thinking it was time to be “practical” and take the direct route to my sister’s near Hershey, PA. But then I passed a small sign on the right that read “NY Ferry.” So I turned and was soon waiting for the Essex Ferry. Pictures are at http://s1141.photobucket.com/albums/n595/gypsyjudge/
It was still a long way to my sister’s, and I had an appointment at noon the next day/Saturday for an oil change and possibly new tires. I knew that if I missed the Saturday appointment, it would be Tuesday before I could get the work done. (Motorcycle shops are typically closed on Sunday and Monday.) So I got “practical” and took Interstate 87 south through the Adirondack Mountains, rather than follow the meandering Hwy 2 west through the heart of this beautiful place to which I must return. And then I stayed on Interstates, forever. A couple of hours north of my sister’s I rode into a nasty thunderstorm. I put on rain gear and kept going, but 30 or 40 miles later I stopped under an overpass because I just couldn’t see. I sat there for a few minutes; the storm didn’t slack off any, and I thought I could wait there forever with no change. So I headed back into it, whereupon the rain got much heavier. There were no more overpasses, so I sludged on, and later the rain slacked off some; finally after a long day I pulled into my sister’s after 486 miles. Less than 5 miles from her house, the odometer rolled past 10,000 miles for this trip! 24 states, 4 Canadian provinces, and more variety than I imagined, stretched out over 5 weeks.
After a couple of days rest, it’s time to get back on the bike. Tomorrow, I’ll head south.