Disappointment

Our disappointment with Kittery and the Rodeway Inn in particular set the tone for our ride today. We’re feeling a bit bummed out - perhaps the size of our dream was unrealistic, perhaps we’re getting tired of this journey, or perhaps our second approaching Atlantic hurricane is simply depressing our spirits. Although we haven’t far to travel on the very congested Hwy1 to the Harley dealer in North Hampton, NH we are not only a little late arriving, but also the bike service takes longer than we expect and is wickedly expensive. We’re never sure what to expect from HD service centers that we are unfamiliar with, as the level of service and the cost of service varies greatly from location to location. We do not see many motorcycles on Hwy 1, which parallels the Turnpike all the way to Boston, certainly North America offers much better riding opportunities than these busy roads on the eastern Seaboard.
The online directions we downloaded to our nephew’s home in Arlington (part of metro Boston) prove correct and despite the traffic, the threat of rain, and some disappointments in sights and stops, we arrive safely. We don’t have a GPS on the motorcycle and usually don’t miss it because we rarely ride in large cities such as Boston. Our chief joy riding in North America is the many wide-open spaces and roads so we try to maximize our pleasure by riding the open road and traveling the crowded city places by public transit or car. We don’t arrive a minute too soon because just as Barry parks the bike in the garage the rain from the second Atlantic hurricane of the trip begins to fall.