RTE?

[BigOgre]

Spur-of-the-moment thought I know but it seems a shame to waste this sort of weather in November. Thinking about heading across the Sound tomorrow morning (lunch?) but if it's easier on any of the NERDS brethren I could wait until Saturday. Plan at the moment is to leave the house around 7-ish to catch a 9:00 ferry tomorrow but if anyone wants to do something on Saturday instead post up before 08:45.

 

[Fred W]

I'm in for today (Friday). Just sent you a text.

 

[BkerChuck]

Sitting here at work reading this makes me just hate both of you......

Just jealousy on my part. Have a safe ride guys.

 

[GinaMcD]

We would have been in for tomorrow, but not today unfortunately.

You and Fred have fun and behave yourselves!

 

[Iris]

Have fun today while the rest of us work.

 

[ionbeam]

Unfortunately, the only place my FJR went this morning was to work. It sucks when work is a place that I actually have to go to in person, unlike Fred. When I rode past my car I noticed that it was seriously frosted over, hope everyone stays warm until the sun does some work on the daytime temps.

 

[GinaMcD]

Formerly-employed, self-employed and virtually-employed.

Someday we hope to have one of the prefixes. For now, we are simply "employed."

 

[Fred W]

He heh... yesterday was a legitimate, bona fide vacation day taken. I still have 3 1/2 more days, (plus two floating holidays) to burn before the end of the year, and we use 'em or lose 'em on Jan 1, so...

Met Big Ogre at the Miss Florence Diner out in Florence, MA. Nice, old school dining-car type diner. We even sat up at the counter, since all the booths were taken, which Mike noted was apparently made back when people were of smaller average stature (and girth).

Since they do breakfast all day, I had the chicken fried steak and eggs w/ sausage gravy (Mmmm... workin' on that girth

) and Mikey went for a Corned Beef Sammy on the recco of two of the waitresses. Of course, being a couple of NERDS there are no food pR0n pictures. You'll just have to go there and try it yourself some day.

I think Mike took some phone snaps of the inside of the diner though. He should be along shortly.

 

[BigOgre]

Deleted.

 

[BigOgre]

"Be along shortly" is a relative term. Old computers and Photobucket tries to take the fun out of it. But I prevailed!! HA!

Like I first posted this was a last minute thing and I almost talked myself out of it. Glad I didn't. Weather was perfect and once into northern CT I had most of the roads to myself. Now every year I think the same thing so I don't know why I'm still surprised by this but riding familiar areas in the late Fall (and hopefully early Winter) after all the trees are bare is like seeing it for the first time. You get to look further and see the rivers down low, railroad tracks winding through, farms more expansive and homes and properties normally hidden. Couple this with the low sun, long shadows and the hanging smell of burning wood and it truly was an enjoyable ride.

And having good company at lunch is always a plus. Glad this worked out Fred. Enjoyed it so that I'm thinking something like this should be tried more often (and with a little more notice

) that maybe others might be able to join in also.

Miss Florence Diner was a neat call. I think Fred said he got it from the NER website which is a great resource.

No food porn but I'd rate my Reuben as 'eh'. (Almost shades of buffalo while waiting to board at the dock three hours later.

) I'd go back though.

Even though the diner was just off I-91 I headed back west passing through towns like Huntington, Chester and Otis before picking up Rte.8 for the straight run down. The "extreme drought conditions" have been making the news somewhat and it was pretty evident passing a few lakes and reservoirs.

Off of the Otis Reservoir adjoining the Tolland State Forest. Looks like a great place normally for a summer home:

Colebrook Reservoir straddling the Mass/CT state line. Not as dramatic as some of the pics I've seen posted here from out west but still . . . .

Hard to tell from the pics but I'm guessing the "road" I was on is usually about 20' under water.

Wish I would've taken a shot of the Garmin. Got a chuckle out of seeing the motorcycle icon in the middle of the blue water field.

All told a 300 mile time-well-spent day. Looking forward to the next time.

 

[bluejag]

Glad someone is taking advantage of these very nice late fall days, glad you had a great day! ( as short as they are getting) Maybe our forecaster's will be paid for being wrong this year as well and we will have more days like this to enjoy!

 

[Fred W]

FYI - The idea for Miss Florence Diner came from the NERDS RTE thread on this forum, and the GPS POI list that we made in that thread. I had never visited it previously, so some one must have proposed it on that thread. I'm on my iPad right now, which is search handicapped, so I'll try and find that thread later.

edit - I found it: Northern New England RTE places

PS - My heart-attack-breakfast-for-lunch was very good. You just have to seek out the more decadent fare at these old greasy spoon diners. Just don't do it too often.

 

[GinaMcD]

Glad you enjoyed the Miss Flo. There isn't much in the way of non-chain quick eats out in that area, but an old diner always scores big for ambiance!