martha's vineyard trip

I haven't posted much because I was away on the bike club's Martha's Vineyard trip. Here's what I know:

June 9 – We drove to the Vineyard. My old $50 car bike rack is up to the task, but barely; we stopped about every hour or so to check the straps, which had loosened at first (I'm blaming the rough road surfaces in New York State). Because I'm such a nutball, we agreed to leave early, and it's a good thing we did; we got caught behind an accident on the road in Massachusetts and were stuck in traffic for over a half hour..., and we still got in in time to take an earlier ferry (and met Bill C and Bob P, who will be staying in the house behind the one we're in). The early ferry went to Vineyard Haven/Tisbury instead of Oak Bluffs, but it turns out we were only about ten minutes drive from where we were supposed to come in. We got to the house, and found a place to park for a few hours (we later found 24-hour parking), and met many of the other housemates, who are very cool. We have a funny little room, and share two bathrooms among about twelve people (other rooms have their own baths, but we don't). We walked around town, scouted out some places we want to check out during the week. The house backs on a street which also has the rear of a local bakery, and evenings, they do “back-door doughnuts”, fresh doughnuts from 7:30 until (I don't know; I go to bed at 9, remember?). As they used to say about heroin, the apple fritters are so good, don't even try them once.

June 10 – As usual, up by about 4:00, made coffee, saw the sun come up over the water (nice!). Rode around in my civilian clothes. This is a bike-friendly area; most of the cars let you go. By 8:30, the folks are gathering for three rides, the fastest to be led by Mike H, a slower ride led by convener and club president Pat V H, and a slow ride led by Mike's wife Carol. The Excellent Wife (TEW) agreed to go on that ride, and was a little nervous; it was to be her first group ride, and she's been agonizing about her ability to keep up and recover. Here's the route, mostly - I had some trouble with the GPS, so the link doesn’t show ether the full time or the full route... but it did show 56 miles for Mike's planned 45-mile ride (the actual ride was longer – and, in other news, evidently Mike has a reputation for under-representing how long his rides will actually go, although I'm sure he has the best of intentions! All the riders met at a fish store in Menemsha for lunch (those on the short ride drove out). Those of us with Mike took the long route to the bike ferry at Menemsha Creek, only to discover that, while the ferry was there (a trimaran on the far dock), the ferry-keeper was not (according to a friendly park ranger we met), so we were a smidge late to meet the others. On the way back, we stopped at a neat art gallery (whimsical statues on the grounds), and got the idea to take some bike paths around a forest. It took two or three tries to find them, but they did get us to cover a lot of mileage without traffic, which had been an irritant during the day. I got to talking with Bill C about my shower-curtain-hook-cleat-cover-carrier, and promised to give him one of my extras – after all, they come twelve for 89¢!

At lunch, TEW made me laugh when she said she had a good time on the ride... but she thought they could have gone a bit faster!

At night, out to dinner, then some purchases for the house, then to back-door doughnuts. Good thing the bike shorts are stretchy.

June 11- Started off early today; at about 5:00 am, the smoke alarms went off. While we could not find a source for the smoke, this crowd is sketchy enough that I would not be surprised if someone was cookin' up methamphetamine in the bedroom.

Today is supposed to be rainy, so we planned off-bike adventures. To a breakfast-and-lunch place called Biscuit's in the morning (recommended by a co-worker of TEW), then to Edgartown for a trip to the Martha's Vineyard Museum (not all the way open, but better than we had thought), then a walk around the waterfront there and a peek at some of the old houses. Wealth from fishing and whale oil built these houses, and the streets are wide enough for a horse-and-cart, but not much more than that (it's very pretty). The harbor had working boats and pleasure boats, and I saw one with a St. Croix registry.

Then back to Oak Bluffs, where, of all things, the sun was coming out! So after a laundry, I got in a not-too-quick 20 miles on my bike, the Yellow Maserati, down to the Edgartown bike shop (no, they didn't have custom water bottles, sorry; this is an all-Specialized shop), then up to East Chop and the Telegraph Hill light, and back. Then to dinner for all of the club visitors, (both Princeton Freewheelers and Central Bucks Bike Club; Mike H is a member of both and got a number of his club fellows to attend). During dinner, the threatened rain made an appearance. I'm actually relieved.

A local club that did a karaoke night two nights ago is doing a Motown night tonight, so the 9:30 ride call for the morning may get postponed. Or not. Most people may have more resilience than I.

June 12 – Didn't do the karaoke last night. The cottage, while lovely, is wide open to the light, and it's a strange bed, and I'm up early anyway, so here it is 8:30 am, I've been up since about 5:00 (this time; it's my third time waking today), and TEW (who also has been waking early due to the light pouring in before 5:00 am) and I are complaining about the late start of the 9:30 rides (I'm waiting for a 50-or-so miler that Mike H is set to lead). Winds are predicted for up to 20 with gust to 30, so a number of folks are foregoing the ride today.

While I brought a camera, I forget to use it, and I don't have a way to carry it on the bike. I hope to steal pictures from others to post or link to.

Later: Nine of us, including a few of the Central Bucks folks, did this route. There were similarities to Monday's ride (Mike likes the food in Menemsha), and some differences. There are only a few roads that go from one side of the island to the other, so you've got to take your pick.

I got into a discussion with Metta C about the comparative friendliness of Martha's Vineyard drivers versus those in Jersey. I said I thought the MV drivers were friendlier, and I think, in general, they are, because many of them are other vacationers. She pointed out that she thought that the trucks here were worse, and I think she's right about that. There is a network of bike paths on the island, as wide as a lane of traffic and paved. They go many places, but they don't go everywhere; riders take them where we can... but Metta thinks (and now, so do I) that the commercial drivers object to riders being on the roads slowing them down when there ARE so many bike paths.

We went back to the Menemsha light, and afterwards, to the Outermost Inn to see their view, which was wonderful. They know it, though, and they did not approve of a bunch of bikers coming to hang around and look at the view; we got the bum's rush from one staffer, and, when we didn't depart quickly enough, another came around on a golf cart to see us off the property. Then to Menemsha, then back to another art gallery... where we found a bike tour guide who pointed out the entrance to the bike trail that we couldn't find Monday. It turns out it was simply further along a dirt road we looked at, but didn't investigate far enough. (I'll admit I was probably the crankiest one on Monday about getting on the route; I am not graceful about ride leaders not knowing the roads, perhaps because I am so frequently lost myself.) Then back to Oak Bluffs. The Garmin led us the last of the way in – it worked!

I gave one of my shower curtain hooks to Bill C for him to carry his cleat covers, and he's far too grateful!

Tonight, a private dinner with TEW. I am lucky to have her.

June 13 – Rain called for later, so I went out for an early ride. I had downloaded a metric century and half-century from Cycle Martha's Vineyard and adjusted them so they started and ended at our house. I decided to try the half-century (which wound up about 23 miles with the adjustment), but about six miles in, I noticed a binding in the back brake... and, sure enough, a broken rear spoke (on the drive side, which is unusual). So I opened the brake and rode home (faster than I should have, probably, but I've been so slow on the group rides that I had to burn it up a bit).

A pain, but if you're gonna break a spoke, the last day of the trip, with rain predicted later, is the day to do it (and why am I in such a good mood about the limping bike?). I'll try Edgartown Cycles when they open to see what they can do.

Later – Well, I will sing the praises of Edgartown Cycles to anyone who will stand still long enough to listen. It wasn't the spoke that broke; it was the nipple that sheared off. They were able to use the old spoke, and then they trued and tuned the wheel and put in a new rim tape for $30, less than my local shop charges, and did it while I waited (it helps that they aren't busy; the craziness doesn't hit for a couple of weeks). They sell a raft of Martha's Vineyard jerseys at $80, but I think they're missing a bet by not having Martha's Vineyard water bottles for sale; I would have bought a matching set for myself AND one for TEW.

Later we went to Vineyard Haven (it used to be called Tisbury, and still should be; Tisbury is a far better name) to scout around; dropped in at a bookstore, and drove by the B&B where we'll stay tomorrow night, and had lunch in a local place. The unintelligible language going on all around that cafe turned out to be Portuguese; there's a Portuguese population on the island (but you might not know it from the folks who meet the tourists; I suspect the Portuguese-speakers are doing stuff like building and trades work).

When we got back, I took the bike out for a quick spin between the raindrops and in the wind, which was picking up. The bike feels good. With the rain and cold, it was a lazy afternoon. We went off to the Black Dog for dinner (a Vineyard institution, but now more of a merchandising opportunity; there are Black Dog outlets for hats, t-shirts, hoodies, &c. various places around the island). Then back for more of those back-door doughnuts (I've developed a chippie for the apple fritters; I expect to go through the withdrawals when I return to NJ).

The storm that was a big deal in NJ yesterday is beginning to hit us tonight.

6/14 – My sometime (and not always unwelcome) acquaintance, Insomnia, made an appearance last night, and while I was entertaining him at about 1:30 in the morning, I heard what I thought was a dripping. It was; there was a drip from the ceiling above one of the sofas in the house we're renting; I moved the sofa and found a vessel to contain the drips (there's a sponge-mop here, but it's next to useless). I read for a bit, and shortly heard dripping from two more places, and put pots under them. The storm was whipping up outside.

I went back to bed, and when I got up again, TEW was complaining of bad stomach upset, probably food poisoning (how bad to happen away from home, and on vacation!), and the storm was still going. I moved the car from the can-park-it-overnight-a-gazillion-miles-away spot and moved it to the close-enough-to-pack-it-up-but-gotta-move-it-by-noon location, braving the wind and rain. As I write this, the laundry is in, I'm finishing the pot of coffee, and beginning to pack the room. We're to be out by 10, and we're going to the B&B later.

Later – as the morning progressed, so did the drama. TEW's illness was such that she didn't want to leave the house until we had to, which meant we were the last to leave. In the meantime, the storm meant that the regular ferry reservations were up for grabs, as the ferry companies cancelled trips and changed docking locations (they should be cleared up by our reservation tomorrow afternoon). One by one, we said our goodbyes and “hope to see you again, maybe on a ride”. Finally, all the others were out of the house; I threw out the last of the trash and leavings, and we locked up. After a last apple fritter (I will miss that bakery), we went to the Thorncroft Inn, the B&B where we will stay tonight. The innkeeper was kind enough to allow us into the room early, and, as I write this, TEW is sleeping; when she awakes, she'll decided if she wants any of the whole-wheat bread we had me walk to town for, or if she's even thinking of dinner.

Later – While TEW slept, I went out on a short ride, but I was so tired and stressed that it's not worth linking to. Late in the day, although she's feeling better, TEW still wasn't up to dinner, so I went alone to the Grace Church Lobster Roll fundraiser. It's an excellent lobster roll, but the best part is the small-town church theater of the thing, with the apparently gay guy doing the cash register, the old gals from the altar society collecting money for the island homeless, the minister passing out the pie, and the old black fellow with the excellent lobster hat making jokes over the lemonade. After a walk around town, to bed.

June 15 – Up several times during the night, but I finally got some sleep... and TEW feels better! Yay! I got out and did this ride; not as fast as I'd like, but not bad for not knowing the roads. Now in for a shower and breakfast.

After breakfast, loaded up the car and went home. We caught an earlier ferry (just barely; ours was the last car on). The ferries that come into Oak Bluffs are smaller than the ones that go into Vineyard Haven. It struck me that these boats (ships?) might be built specifically, no only for this company, but for each mooring: the ones that go into Oak Bluffs might be built to fit the width and depth of that particular harbor.

I was taken by the line that held the boat into the slip. It was a two-inch-diameter line under such tension that it made the hull creak (with some resonance) every time the tension changed. It went out to a concrete stanchion, about 20 feet in diameter and about that high, on which were two young men to lift it off the cleat to which it was attached. I was eager to see how they did it, but I turned away to answer a call from TEW, and when I turned back, it was done.

Then to the long drive back. The GPS warned us of a traffic tie-up before the Bronx, and arranged another route, but it led us through local streets in the Bronx. I'm not only sure it didn't save any time, but I was so upset I nearly drove into a column. Finally, we got home, where we're unpacking; TEW is making herself an egg for dinner, and I will go out and get something less healthy. What a great trip.