Notes from the Hinterland

Labor Day was surely one of the most beautiful days of the season, which is edging from summer to fall. The day was warm and dry, and the sky was a brilliant blue. For my husband, Clif, and me this could only mean one thing—a long bike ride. We decided to ride what we call “the big Monmouth loop,” with a stop in the middle at Cumston Hall for iced tea and a granola bar and then on to Winthrop and an ice cream, at the end, at Tubby’s. The loop is about 17 miles, and most of it is on back roads lined with trees and fields, on roads where there isn’t very much traffic. The route, like most routes in central Maine, has its fair share of hills, but Clif and I have gotten to the point where most hills really don’t bother us that much. I never thought we’d get to this point, but when you bike long enough and push yourself to go up hills, this does indeed happen.

We made it to Monmouth in good time, and here is where we bought the iced tea. It’s a general store with an old wooden floor and various items ranging from milk to iced tea to used books.

Then on to beautiful Cumston Hall, home to the Theater at Monmouth and the town library, where we could rest in the shade and admire this spectacular old building as we drank our iced tea and ate our granola bars.

Through Monmouth we went, down busy 132, which doesn’t have a breakdown lane. This was our least favorite part of the trip, but then we were back on country roads, and we biked by many gracious homes that have been around for a couple of hundred years.

All too soon, our bike ride was over, and we pulled into Tubby’s for an ice cream.

And what to do after Tubby’s? Why, return home and make pizza on the grill. The roasted tomato sauce and the topping of peppers and pepperoni all came from central Maine farms. I hate to boast, but Clif makes great pizza.

Then with rum and Coke, we said farewell to summer and welcome to autumn.

And we hope there are many more bike rides before the snow falls.