The Free Day
19/05/2007 10:20 PM
Today was our first day without places
to be in the morning, so a group of us decided to sleep a little
longer and then go out for brunch. After that, Beka, Isaac, Dawn,
Alicia and I debated whether or not to go rent bikes for the
afternoon and take our own tour of part of Nantucket Island. The
weather was still chilly, and there had been a misting rain off and
on all morning. But we came back to the house and checked the radar
to see no more of the nor'easter coming our way. So we set off for
the center of town and a bicycle rental shop.
At the shop, the proprietor fitted the five of us for bicycles and sent us on our way with a particular path in mind. He told us it was ideal and that it would be a two-hour trip. It misted rain on us for a little bit, but then we got out of town and onto the path, and away we went.
It was interesting to see what Nantucket Island has become since the likes of Melville frequented the place. I don't know that he would be invitied here if he were alive today. Let's just say that I don't think I know anyone who could afford to live here. And we passed by several homes just out in the middle of the island, situated along the bike path. But the rural regions were quite picturesque. Of course, I didn't take as many pictures as I would have otherwise, mainly because I can't drive a bicycle and use a camera at the same time. I ran into the same problem in Germany last summer...
But as we were riding, several of us kept asking those with the maps and directions just how long it was going to be before we made it halfway along the trail. It seemed that our little bike path kept getting longer and longer. We ran into Dr. Rutledge and Belita at one point. They were both on a tour, and Dr. Rutledge's comment was, "Wow, you folks have come pretty far out."
As we started the return trip, I started to get a little worried. The legs were beginning to feel a little heavy and it was getting a little colder. I was starting to fade pretty quickly, and started to feel a little shaky.
We took a break and I, thankfully, had some crackers in my backpack. After that I was better. We got our second or third or fifteenth wind during the last part of the trip, and came successfully back into town and returned the bike.
That's when we started thinking and calculating. Apparently the guy at the bike shop sent us on the 18-20 mile bike path. Go figure.
My knees are going to hate me later.
At the shop, the proprietor fitted the five of us for bicycles and sent us on our way with a particular path in mind. He told us it was ideal and that it would be a two-hour trip. It misted rain on us for a little bit, but then we got out of town and onto the path, and away we went.
It was interesting to see what Nantucket Island has become since the likes of Melville frequented the place. I don't know that he would be invitied here if he were alive today. Let's just say that I don't think I know anyone who could afford to live here. And we passed by several homes just out in the middle of the island, situated along the bike path. But the rural regions were quite picturesque. Of course, I didn't take as many pictures as I would have otherwise, mainly because I can't drive a bicycle and use a camera at the same time. I ran into the same problem in Germany last summer...
But as we were riding, several of us kept asking those with the maps and directions just how long it was going to be before we made it halfway along the trail. It seemed that our little bike path kept getting longer and longer. We ran into Dr. Rutledge and Belita at one point. They were both on a tour, and Dr. Rutledge's comment was, "Wow, you folks have come pretty far out."
As we started the return trip, I started to get a little worried. The legs were beginning to feel a little heavy and it was getting a little colder. I was starting to fade pretty quickly, and started to feel a little shaky.
We took a break and I, thankfully, had some crackers in my backpack. After that I was better. We got our second or third or fifteenth wind during the last part of the trip, and came successfully back into town and returned the bike.
That's when we started thinking and calculating. Apparently the guy at the bike shop sent us on the 18-20 mile bike path. Go figure.
My knees are going to hate me later.