I don't really like trails and paths. I like roads; roads go places. Like from where I live to where I don't live, thus places I want to visit. There are some roads I'm not allowed on like the Tobin Bridge, and the Sumner Tunnel, and well all of the interstate highway system really, but I've found the alternate routes are generally pretty good. Bestest Rides Farm Pond in Sherborn via Hale Reservation (Dover) back through Wellesley/Newtown details (June 2003) Bikes not Bombs 62 Mile Ride: Jamaica Pond - Farm Pond - Foxborough Stadium - Massapoag Lake - Bikes not Bombs World Headquarters (Fall 2002) Le Tour de Nouv Hampseur Stage 1: "Cities in New Hampshire with the Same Names as Towns in Massachusetts" a.k.a. "Manchester and Concord" (Summer 2001) Le Tour de Nouv Hampseur Stage 2: "The Tri-Stater" a.k.a. "Charles-Piscataqua River Race" details (Summer 2002) Le Tour de Nouv Hampseur Stage 3: "The Boston-Nashua-Salem Triangle" a.k.a. "There and Back Again" (Summer 2002) Shorties but Goodies Wellesley via Beacon or Comm. Ave. (especially fun with a stop at the Organic Farm) Walden Pond, any which way MIT Cycling's Concord Ave - Trapelo Road Loop Top of the hill at Brandeis Top of the hill at the Arboretum, via Southwest Corridor Park Flax Pond, Lynn (Cape Anne warmup ride) details

Le Tour de Nouv Hampseur Stage 2: "The Tri-Stater" a.k.a. "Charles-Piscataqua River Race"

Boston, MA - Portsmouth, NH / Killery, ME

This was probably the best ride I've had in the US. Its really nice, rather flat and fast, and absolutely beautiful towards the end. The route is pretty straight-forward, wiggle your way through Cambridge, Everett and Revere till you get you to 1A (lots of signage around the Revere Beach area), then just stay on 1A straight through to Portsmouth. To get to Maine, follow the signs for downtown Portsmouth, then take State Street (which is US-1, this is the only time its ok to be on US-1) over and you're there. 1A is pretty welled signed all the way through, but I'll note some tricky spots below. Its somewhere around 60-70 miles one way. There is quite good bus service back to Boston from Portsmouth on C&J Trailways, or Concord. The route looks something like this:

• Crummy Cambridge - just going around the Science Museum and Bunker Hill Community College, nothing too exciting.
  When I took this ride with Om, we had a flat here; great spot for an early morning repair
• Exxon's Everett - OK, in all fairness its Mobil, but its pretty disgusting. There are several miles of tanker after tanker, a few spots where pipes stretch over the roads... Then multi-story salt mountains, and other industrial wastelands.
• Rio de Revere - Sure didn't realize how many Brasileiro's there were in Revere until this trip, but definately saw about five establishments.
  Pickup route 1A here
• Losing myself in Lynn - In all fairness this could have happened anywhere, but it did happen in Lynn; though if you do the route the right way, you're only in Lynn very briefly.
  We definately missed a turn in Lynn and then were given absolutely bum directions and ended up back in Revere almost in Boston, losing about ten miles total. So as a lesson, follow the signs for 1A very judiciously, in Lynn there is one that hides behind a tree; don't go into Lynn downtown. Follow the signs for "Lynn Downtown 1A" then look for the 1A turn at the last minute.
• Swampscott - Need I say more?
• Silly Salem - and their crazy witches! Thats all I remember seeing, and it made me miss a turn!
  There is a turn for 1A somewhere before or around the Salem Witch Museum; I totally missed it but was kindly but back on my way by a nice young chap and his dog.
• Beautiful Beverly - where the young couples settle down
• Where's Wenham? - it was a quick fly through.
• The Horses of Hamilton - several farms and stabls, and a polo field, matches every Sunday at 3PM!
• Dipswitch? Ipswich - Fish and Chips? All I remember despite a rather long ride through this commuter rail stop town
• The Rowley Ruins - antiques, art galleries and flea markets.
• Non-memorable Newbury - Except for this CRAZY fountain that I saw and will hopefully have pictures of soon...

Flax Pond, Lynn (Cape Anne warmup ride)

Boston, MA - Flax Pond, Lynn: 14.1 miles as MapQuest drives, about an hour on the bike, pretty hard pace.

Working out a route to Cape Anne. The first stretch of this made me think it was going to be awful, but its quickly gets very very nice. Here's a quick summary:

• I did the Esplanade to Science Museum (Left on Msgr O'Brian Highway) then right onto Gilmore Bridge which has a walkway on the left side only, but I did it with traffic. It has basically no shoulder, so its a bit tight, but I didn't have any problems. (On the way back I did Msgr O'Brian into downtown, through Beacon Hill, then Cambridge St. to Beacon, worked fine as well)
• Directly after the bridge, you make a left onto Main / 99. Basically follow 99 for a while, though you can stay on the side road until after the Mystic River bridge. Things are pretty lousy from this point until the end of Everett. Heavy traffic, crappy road and even a bit of smog around the plants in Everett. There is also a hilly stretch that has very busy traffic, and lots of lights to stop you on the hills. Big rotary where 99 meets 16, just avoid any signs for US1.
• 99 becomes Broadway through the rest of Everett, same hilly high traffic conditions. At the end of Everett, 99 branches left, continue straight onto Lynn St. From this point, the roads are remarkable, the traffic tranquil, though the scenery is suburban. Its really a great stretch, some good flats, a bit windy, but fairly wide shoulders, and very light traffic, I really got going on most of this. Some good rolling hills, very few lights.
• Lynn crosses underneath US1 and becomes Lincoln Ave. Follow that into Cliftondale Circle, bear right to continue on Lincoln. That will become Boston St at a very obvious Boston Street (biker) Cafe. It stays windy, but very very nice through this stretch. Its just straight through on this for quite a while, until you T into Flax Pond. You'll know you're there by the signs for 93 if not for the pond.

Farm Pond, Sherborn

Boston, MA to Farm Pond Sherborn: 16.9 miles as MapQuest drives. ~25 or more via Hale Reservation in Dover, ~20 via Beacon/Route 16

Farm Pond is like Walden, but bigger and better. Large pond with pretty sizeable beach. Lots of families out swimming, also a bit of sailing and other small boating. Loop I did was something like this:

• From Kenmore Square I head south on Brookline until you reach Landmark Center (Park St?) and pull right-left onto the bike path that runs parallel to Brookline, though its dirt, and not in great shape, but very rideable
• Got a little lost next, its a few complicated turns, but basically we went via Aspen Wall to Kent to Walnut St
• You'll run into a funny triangular rotary, straight through takes you on Dudley by a nice pond, but doesn't seem to lead back on route, so I suggest bearing left which on my map is Warren, but whatever its called, follow it through until you hit Lee, which runs into Clyde Lee
• This run into Newtown St, bear right, follow into straight onto Brookline St, which T's at Dedham, make a right, then first left onto Nahanton, becomes Kendrick
• Cross 128/95, take first left its called Greendale I believe, though its not labeled there at all
• I missed the next turn, but looking back, you want to make a Right at Great Plain Avenue, then left onto High Rock, and bear left for South St
• Left on Chestnut, Left on Westfield, bear right onto Summer. Those are all very well labeled. Right on 109 also called High Street. You'll pass through Westfield, higher traffic area. Watch closely for the turn, its a small street but does have a sign: Right on High Rock, Left onto Dover Rd
• You'll now be cruising through Hale Reservation, a really nice wooded area, very quiet smooth road. This becomes Powissett St
• This T's, right onto Walpole, left onto Springdale, I remember this having a rotary or something, but can't remember the details, it was well-signed. Left onto Farm St, then bear right onto Bridge
• I was planning to turn onto Forest, and head up Lake, but missed that turn and ended up go onto Farm, then left on Lake St, keep an eye for parking area for pond on left. You're at Farm Pond, enjoy. There's restrooms and waterfountains in a small building at one end of the parking lot, and a small road that goes right down to the beach on the other.

• Alternative route back: Back up Lake St, right on Farm Rd, Left on South St, follow it until it merges with Eliot, becomes Washington, becomes 16
• Follow 16 until into the town of Wellesley bear right onto 135 East, then left on Wellesy Ave, follow through rotary
• Map is a bit misleading here, but it works well if you do this Follow/merge left onto Hunnewel, first right onto Oakland, becomes Wellesley Ave again, becomes Eliot, cross route 9, second right onto Lincoln, which T's, left on Walnut, right on Beacon. Follow it all the back into the city.