A street sign I saw this morning reminded me of a couple of odd street names in eastern Connecticut. “Wine Sap Run” sounds like a 10k run to celebrate Bastille Day, where they have wine instead of water for the runners along the course. Maybe it should only be a 5k run. To my great disappointment, “Bacon Pond Road” does not lead to a pond filled with bacon.

Today was my longest ride since the first day. I can tell my body is getting used to riding, but may not be quite where I would like it to be. I entered Massachusetts almost immediately after starting out this morning. Like entering Connecticut, I was on a side road, so there was no sign that I had crossed the state line. The ride was mostly through what appeared to be suburbs and the roads were very busy and very narrow with no real shoulder. Several miles were on a rail trail, though, which was a nice break from the busy roads. I followed it until it became a rocky, single path trail. Then I had to hop back on the roadway.

I made it to Concord, Massachusetts, or someplace near there. I am going to take tomorrow off from riding to do some sightseeing. Concord is the hometown of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Probably more than anyone else, Emerson, and specifically his essay “Self Reliance”, helped shape my views. I had to read part of the essay back in high school and it made a big impression on me. I have read the full essay several times as an adult, to the point where I have internalized most of what he says. Visiting Concord is kind of like a pilgrimage for me and I am excited to be able to visit Emerson’s house, the area around it as well as Waldon Pond.

I already started to geek out a little bit when I rode through town this afternoon. There was a little overlook above Waldon Pond with a little historic marker. “This site possesses exceptional value in commemorating and illustrating the history of the United States.” Talk about an understatement. People were actually swimming in the pond. That seemed almost sacrilegious to me. Tomorrow, I will be in full nerd mode while I spend more time exploring these sites.