Parades, I don't like watching them,

even as a child, I found Parades boring. so why would I want to be in one. I marched as a Cub Scout, and later in the Fire Department, enough parades. So, not knowing who would be at the Montville parade I knew not who to call, but with the day promising to be in the 80's it was too nice to sit it out, so...I called....the Birthday party survivors. I hooked up with one who came to the house, we went to the diner for a late breakfast. The day was suppose to be in the eighties but I decided to stick to the long sleeve shirt over a tee. Leaving the diner we went up Jerry Brown in Mystic, that rook us to Mistuxet avenue then down Cove to route 1. If i could bottle air to save this would have been one of those times, the temperature dropped to chilly and the salt air was rolling in off the sound. We took route 1 through Mystic, the I gave Reuben a quick tour of West Mystic before taking 215 to Noank and back up to the top of Fort hill. I mentioned at the top of the hill that it was warmer there than by the water, Reuben said with a smile, "We're higher up, it's closer to the sun".

We headed over to the Tech school since Tree and Amanda were working a Motorcycle Training course. About noon time we decided to see if Danny was alive. I called him in the morning but he was suffering from alcohol residue. He was going to spend the day drinking water and sitting with the cats while he read the paper. We arrived at his house the same time his brother and friend did. I unloaded the long sleeve shirt here.
 After a visit we finally convinced him to join us on the road to follow his brother and brothers friend on their ride to Jewett City. When we stopped for gas, Danny started telling his brother about some our rides, We departed alone, they seemed to think we're nuts.
               You can check out some of these roads on google maps "Street View"  https://www.google.com/maps/@41.4619828,-72.2877615,16z

The ride went nowhere really, old Colchester across 82 to Doyle, to Cottage, then Lake. Way road, Scott Hill, Camp Mooween road, to 616 the Norwich Colchester Turnpike which took us into Colchester. We cut across Elm and picked up 16 to 207 then Clubhouse road. We were running Ricks old roads and there was one he told me never to take. I asked him why and he looked at me and said "It's Dirt". This is the road I had in mind for Danny, hung over and a neat freak when it comes to his bike. 

So Clubhouse to Tobacco then straight up the dirt section and across to Leonard Bridge road. We crossed onto pine and picked up route 66 in Columbia. my plan was to come down Comstock Bridge road from the north but I wanted to find a different route in. We made a stop for water, gas, and Anti Allergy drugs in Hebron. The pollen was murder, i haven't had an allergy issue for years but my eyes felt like they were full of sand. While at the station we met a guy who was interested in the Club, he had meant to find us because he had heard of us for years. Not one of us had a card, but we gave him the website then hit 85 south to Old Colchester road.

That took us to old Hebron road then linked up Old Hartford rd in Colchester. Normally I would grab 149 to River, but I needed some uncharted roads. so we stayed on Old Hartford until it hit 66 in Marlborough.

We took a left on 66 and I switched to best guess navigating by taking a left on Quinn which took us to Flood then S road. This brought us in where i wanted and hooked a right up through bull Run. these roads have great corners and hills and 40 to 45 through blind corners and ridges is fast enough for a good time. Bull brought us down through the Hair pin at Salmon river onto Comstock Bridge road and route 16 where we made a stop.

I had planned on making a stop at Nat's cabin on Bashion lake but a call found her not at her cabin but heading from home to work in Willimantic. So we went west on 16 to Cobalt and route 196 south to 151 along the Connecticut River into Haddam. Here he picked up 82 and headed for Mount Parnassus (434) and the Hopyard. Route 434 has new pavement starting after Smith street, but going through Millington and into the Hopyard. we crossed the falls, bid the boys well then headed up Foxtown to Ed Williams road, Then West to route 82 and a stop at the Salem Valley Farms Dairy. 

We stuck together until 82 and 163 split, Danny departed there, I stuck with Reuben into Norwich and while he cruised up route 12 towards home in Jewett City, I hooked a right on route 2, which took me through Ledyard and home.

On Jenny for this ride, I think I was smacked by more bugs and caterpillars on this ride than all last year.  

It was a Fantastic ride to nowhere.