Day 43: Putnam, CT, to Lincoln, RI

Rainy day on the Trestle Trail headed for Providence

Our amazing lucky streak of avoiding rain broke today. We were in and out of light rain from the time we left our motel this morning through the afternoon. Rain makes navigating more challenging because we don’t have covers for our phones. But we have rest stops, of course.

You can almost hear the squeak of our brakes to turn off our route because, Cumberland Farms: a dry place to check our navigation and 99 cent coffee.

In all other respects, however, we are lucky ducks. Of our 58 miles today, more than 25 were on greenways: the Quinebaug River Trail in Connecticut and 19 miles of the Washington Secondary Rail-Trail stretching from Coventry to West Warwick, Warwick and Cranston. It made for easy, pleasant riding despite the cool rain. Of the 15 states along the East Coast Greenway, Rhode Island has the highest percentage of its miles complete — 63 percent. Today we experienced what that feels like: riding for nearly two hours without worrying about traffic or navigation.

Much as we work to stay in the present and savor each day, a sign like this reminds us we are closing in on our destination.

At about 26 miles, feeling cold and wet and hungry, we arrived at the home of M’lyn, a friend of Dee and Sally’s. She lives a mile off the route and just over the Rhode Island line. What an exquisite treat: she handed us towels to dry off, let me throw my wet clothes in her dryer, and invited us to her dining table laden with banana bread, cheddar cornbread, yogurt and fruit, and a big pot of coffee. And fine conversation. We reluctantly pulled ourselves up from her table after an hour and a half. It started raining again a few miles after leaving M’lyn, but we were warmed and well fed.

Our lunch host M’lyn with her friend Jonathan.

Quintessential Rhode Island scene: beautiful old factory seen from the greenway

Our route into Providence took us down Broadway, where Dee was delighted to see Leo of Dash Bicycle, the shop where she bought her Kona Rove for this trip.

Headed into Providence

Coming home! Greeting Sally at the driveway in Lincoln. It’s been almost six weeks since we said goodbye to her in Florida. We’ll enjoy a rest day in Lincoln with Sally before heading out for our last two weeks of riding.

Click the link below to watch an animated map of most of our route today:

Relive 'Killingly CT to Lincoln RI'