September 4 through September 5
Belfast, Maine; Bar Harbor, Maine
Total miles: 4,693
Northern Tier (coast to coast) Data: 4,533 miles; 79 days riding; 9 days off (two for medical reasons)
We rode into Bar Harbor on Monday afternoon, September 5th. Each day we routinely go through a discussion about directions as we conclude our day that involves locating the particular camping spot for the evening. Sallie usually has the information about our campground and I have the daily maps and routes, so it becomes a collaborative effort to get us to our final stop for the day.
This time was different.
The maps take us right to the wharf where the ride officially ends and as we wound our way into Bar Harbor I was headed directly for our end point at the water’s edge. There was a moment when Sallie became confused and started asking about why we were not going to our hotel. I responded, “If you want to do ‘high-fives’ in the parking lot of some hotel maybe we can find a someone to take our picture, but I have another idea.” On to the water’s edge we went.
My map case on the handle bar bag of my bike
First smells of tidal salt water ... getting close!
Penobscot River Bridge
We stopped for lunch on Monday in Ellsworth, Maine at the Flexit Cafe & Bakery. As we were looking over the menu and waiting in line to place our order, a gentleman was wrapping silverware in napkins and asked us about our cycling. Once he heard about our adventure, he wrote our order down saying one of the cash registers was out of order. This was a ruse. He was actually Paul Markosian, the owner of the restaurant and he was buying our lunch in celebration of our soon-to-be accomplishment.
Thank you Paul!
A few folks are beginning to ask about future ride plans. Although it is way too early to have anything definitive, I’ve been hinting at a European journey for some time. As luck would have it, we met these two cyclists (below) in Conway, New Hampshire.
Meet Hermann and Christiane. They are from Germany and were riding from Niagara to Portland, Maine. They were very encouraging about a ride in Germany and promised to send some information our way to help us determine if that is something we’d like to do. Bucket list that? Maybe…
I’ll have another post or two as a wrap-up to this trip, but my time has been consumed by cleaning and packing bikes and gear along with getting all the preparations completed to fly back to Florida. In the meantime, thank you for following and check back soon for final thoughts.
Beauty Break:
Waves at Thunder Hole, Mount Desert Island
In Memory of Warmer Summers 
All of us who know you through MADD salute your second cross country journey. Well done. I will always remember greeting you at the end of the first journey, Astoria, OR.
Lynn Chiotti, MADD Columbia County – Oregon
Amen to another successful journey you two!!! Keep us posted!!!
Carl- Major congratulations to you and Sallie!! Your MADD friends again salute you for your incredible journey. Hope to see you again soon to shake your hand! Chuck
Carl and Sally,
First, congratulations on your achievement! Just remarkable, and you two are now the envy of all the cyclists here in Fernandina Beach.
Second, thank you for sharing your trip and adventures with us all. Every post has been an enjoyable read and a topic Mary and I discuss frequently.
Mike P
Enjoy fallowing your journey all summer.
Thank you for sharing your physical and emotional journey with us. Your posts are heartfelt and gave us a glimpse into your adventures. Tell Sister Sally hey for me! Looking forward to “what’s next!”
Congratulations Carl and Sallie! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being “along for the ride” through your blog. Can’t wait to hear where you go next!
Congrats to both of you for another remarkable journey; thanks for sharing along the way! Love the PHOTO at the FINISH 🙂 XX Judy
Amazing job – congratulations to you both! We miss you around here Carl, but loved being able to watch your journey 🙂 Thanks for sharing it.
It has been wonderful reading about your journey. Thanks for everything
It has been a pure pleasure reading your descriptions of this amazing journey. Congratulations to both of you for accomplishing such a monumental goal.
Congratulations – what a tremendous achievement. Enjoy a nice rest while planning your next adventure.
I came across this blog by chance today when I googled my late brother’s name. David Scott Berry. You honored him in 2011 here @https://warmersummers.com/2011/07/04/either-or-2/ We actually called him Scott, or Scottie. I am so sorrowful that you are part of this awful club of loss due to drunk drivers. But I am grateful you chose the remarkable life of my sweet late brother in your series. He was a loving young man, very sweet and sentimental, an animal lover, kind to everyone, and that he was taken from us still feels raw as it did 9 years ago. Please rest well, continue the wondrous work, and be blessed on your future journeys
-Michelle Leigh Arroyo, nee’ Berry, writing as Leigh Royals
Michelle – Thank you for taking a moment to write. It is bitter-sweet that these notes reach out from the hearts of those touched by this preventable crime. I wish you peace with your loss.