Distances
- Biked: 38.7 miles
- Walked: Not Tracked
In the morning Aunt Linda made pancakes and sausage. I helped make eggs too and we had a great breakfast. Afterwards I relaxed and spent some time sitting out in a chair on the dock in the sun. I took a short nap listening to the pond lap the shore.
Out on the Dock
Around noon, John and Kaitlyn went to play 9 holes at a local golf course. I set out on my bike heading north to see what there was to see and sort of had in mind finding a place called Raymond’s Frozen Custard which was about 15 miles away. The ride was nice. Clouds rolled in and kept the sun at bay. I rode through the town of East Sebago and Sebago State park. All the “civilization” I encountered were clumps of 3-4 buildings with various businesses. Homes dotted the roads but were spaced far apart. In the state park I rested for a couple minutes to grab a drink of water and while there a handful of raindrops came down and hit me, but that was the only rain I encountered.
I crossed to the other side of the park and started heading south on 302 looking for the custard stand, but as it turns out Google had the location wrong. I went quite a ways down without finding it then turned back double checking and still couldn’t spot it. I stopped at the Maplewood Inn and asked the extremely nice manager about it. He didn’t know about “Raymond’s” but said there was a frozen custard stand a mile further north on the right (farther north than where I had met up and turned on to 302). I was starting to feel the gravity of my ride knowing that I was somewhere near the halfway point and every mile I biked up until now I would be seeing again to get home, but decided to press on and find this place.
Sure enough a mile up the road on the right there was a frozen custard stand and it did say “Raymond’s Frozen Custard.” I wasn’t really planning on getting ice cream, but in the moment upon arriving I decided to go for it and got a kid’s size waffle cone with Peanut Butter Fudge Chunk ice cream and it was good. I felt happy just like a little kid. I was searching for Raymond’s under the misguided notion that it was the stand where Kaitlyn and Gregory had worked in summers at the cottage, but discovered later that their stand was called Richard’s and located only about 5 miles from Sand Pond (and not along the stretches of road I had been traveling).
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- Raymond’s Frozen Custard
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- Peanut Butter Fudge Chunk!
From Raymond’s I decided instead of doubling back through the state park I would continue on 302 North and meet back up 114 (the road which runs along the east shore of Sebago lake back to Sand Pond). Google declared it was slightly shorter and I figured being on a more major road I might see more things. This turned out to be right. I sent a quick text to Uncle Doug letting him know I was alright and that my ETA was going to be roughly 2 hours. Shortly after my Mom attempted to call me but being on a breezy road it was really difficult to talk so I said I would call back later.
Along 302 I did encounter more “civilization” in Naples. There were a few restaurants, a Rite Aid, and a supermarket. I stopped in the supermarket to pick up a bottle of grapefruit seltzer water and a bag of spinach for munching. I then continued home. Once I got back on 114 I passed the Naples Golf Course, where Kaitlyn and John went to play their 9 holes. A while later along the road they passed me in their car and waved. I waved back, but am not sure they saw me wave.
I made it back right on my predicted time feeling pretty good. Uncle Doug grilled up some delicious steak tips and chicken (after a quick run to the old cottage to retrieve another propane tank for the grill) and Aunt Linda made two delicious casseroles – one potato with cheese the other string beans with french onions.
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- Old Cottage
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- Back deck at old place
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- Fire pit at Dusk
Shortly after dinner John and Kaitlyn headed home. I spent the evening relaxing in the cabin and taking a short stroll down the road to the old cottage. When I got back, Aunt Linda and Uncle Doug had a small fire pit going on the edge of the pond and I joined them for a while until they were done feeding the fire and we all came in. We stayed up a while longer chatting. Before bed I took a shower and slept in the 2nd Bedroom for the night.
Maine Cycle 