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Day 6 - 29 April (Brattleboro, VT to Mystic, CT)
We wake up early morning and were feeling a lil colder than normal. Although we later learnt it was a small technical snag with the heating system, however the internet said the outside temp was -3 deg C (26 deg F) and with winds it felt like -6 deg C (21 deg F)!! We feast on the nicely laid out complimentary continental breakfast and get on the road. There is an Indian Shop next door to our hotel selling 'exotic Indian stuff' at premium prices, many of which we buy in India off the pavement at bargain prices!!.
Now that's really cold for us in April!
Getting to the ride, fortunately by now the sun has come out and its not as freezing as it was an hour earlier, but sure its still cold by the tropical standards we both are used to. We straight hook onto the Interstate-91 South and soon enter the state of Massachusetts just before Bernardston and proceed some more miles further before getting off the I-91 towards Sunderland on the Rt 116 completely avoiding the claustrophobic geography of Springfield & Hartford cities continuing thru Amherst and passing the neatly laid out imposing red brick building complexes of the campus of University of Massachusetts.
Riding further we pass the small communities of Belchertown, Bondsville and stop at Palmer for a Coffee & Doughnut break. As we are riding out 2 lady riders come in riding a Goldwing trike & a Harley. Soon after we pick Rt 32 crossing the village of Monson, we bid farewell to the state of MA and make our grand entry into the wonderful state of Connecticut at Stafford.
The Rt 32 curves and bends and rolls constantly together with elevation changes making it another wonderful asphalt playground for bikers and I am enjoying every bit of it. Sure my lieutenant is also enjoying the journey from the comfort of the wonderful pillion seat of BMWs flagship luxo-touring bike. We tick off a few more towns enroute such as Willimantic, Franklin & stop for lunch near Norwich at the all too familiar Burger King. With our tummies refueled, we then branch off onto Rt 395 fast-tracking towards Waterford and then getting on I-95 east that swiftly puts us into the serene & historic town of Mystic which exudes New England charm.
At Mystic, we skip the famed Aquarium and gun for the Mystic Seaport. With about an hour to closing time, we are lucky to get a discounted ticket!! (Wow, now we are Mrs & Mr Discount Adventure!). Here we get to see various exhibits on the Mystic river including the famous Charles W. Morgan, which is the last remaining wooden whaleship and the oldest American commercial vessel still in existence. A little on its history- built in 1841, she sailed on 37 voyages around the globe during an 80-year whaling career. BTW, they caught whales and its oil was processed onboard and this oil was what ran inside the engines of most motor vehicles back in the day. The vessel came to Mystic Seaport in 1941 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1967. Currently, it is undergoing an extensive restoration which we got to see first-hand onboard and it will be re-launched to embark on one final voyage to historic ports in New England in 2014. We visit a few more exhibits of re-created parts of this once thriving ship building community & round off our visit to the seaport.
The blacksmith's place
The Pharmacy back then
After a quick check on the GPS we start calling and luckily get a nice price at the Hyatt Place which is 6 miles from downtown. After checking into the hotel, to cool the inner coils of our intestines, we ride back into town to conclude the day with a romantic seafood dinner at the S&P Oyster Restaurant located on the edge of the Mystic river with a nice twilight view of the boats on the river with the backdrop of the historic Bascule Bridge.
The restaurant is a little pricey but wonderful ambience, food & very courteous (sometimes overwhelming) service. We head back to the hotel and hit the sack.
Distance travelled 149 miles
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