Saturday, June 1, 2013

Gone from Winter to Summer in 60 seconds

On Saturday mornings I have a tendency to wander over to Giff's place to just hang about. This Saturday was no different but it was different. Today is June 1st the first Saturday after May 31st. Yeah it happens every year, but motorcycle inspections were due to be complete as of the 31st and Bill figures he is going to get hammered today, so I went over to help him out. My lines good, good, good, good, which represents the rear turn signals are working and the brake, both foot and hand are working. It's not a very hard job except when one goes bad, which we did have one. So for 4 hours Bill did inspections and I said those four words. (Pictures are clickable and will enlarge)

This Saturday was also different in the temperature. Last weekend I was standing around in his shop with a coat on, today I was overdressed with shorts and a T-Shirt. After the inspections we hit the local lunch spot and I had a great sandwich called the Chilpolte. During lunch I discussed heading up to Portsmouth for a Z to A town. Bill thought about taggin along but declined because of the expected traffic.

Getting a late start (1:49pm) I blasted up I495 to I95, getting off Exit 60 and headed for the ocean on NH 286. My lane was wide open, but the other side was nothing but bumper to bumper traffic trying to get back to the interstate. I gave a chuckle and said I am glad I am not heading that way.

Hit my first destination right around 3:15pm. I have slowly been gathering these over the last 4 years and will eventually get them all.

This is Bound Rock right by the bridge that goes from Seabrook to Hampton Beach. As the sign says the rock was lost for quite a few years and found again in 1937 because the mouth of the Hampton River kept shifting. It was placed by Capt Nicolas Shapley in 1657.

The Marker
The Tomb the Stone is in
 
The Rock
 
Having made great time so far I headed to the next stop of the day and ran into this wall. Actually there was 2 walls this physical one and then the heat. While never reaching 100, the FJR did read 98. Regardless it was hot. Giff probably made the right choice of not following along. It took right around 1 hour to cover the next 4 miles.
 
Some Gixxer or CBR'r (could of been a RR) decided to split the lanes California style. Made a good run of in. Then out of the corner of my eye, over to the left, I see a black and white vehicle pull out into the traffic, point to the kid, point to the side of the road and there he sat as I passed him, saying but officer it is soo hot and my bike was over heating and my knees were getting sun burned, to which he was saying license and registration son.
 
Traffic traffic everywhere and not break to be found
 
I made the best of a bad thing. At least there was stuff to watch and see.
 
Hot
 
I think it was hotter out than the core of this thing. But the young thing above was hotter than both mother nature and the Seabrook
 

Hot but not a hot as above

Oh I figured I throw a close up of my Go Scans mirrors I recently mounted. I don't understand why it came out a little blurry. I caught MeAsWe starring at this picture too. Has something for everybody I guess.




Looking for more interesting stuff. Don't see any really, do you.

I could use one of those

Maybe I should jump

Finally hit the spot at the north end of Hampton Beach where every one turns to head for the interstate, I continued north. It was a great ride along RT 1A / Ocean Blvd. For one thing there was virtually no traffic.

I dropped my lens cap here and took advantage of snapping off a shot of the ocean.

What a view

Couple more markers along the way

One ringy dingy

Glad I don't have to spell that name

 
Got a picture without the plant life too
 
I was convinced this joint was going to be on the National Register of Historic Places, but it is still neat never the less. It does have some history thou. Built in 1874 by a distiller from Somerville MA, Daniel Chase. In 1905, the hotel housed the Russian and Japanese delegations who concluded the Treaty of Portsmouth to end the Russo-Japanese War. U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt suggested the peace talks, and won the Nobel Peace Prize for his actions.
 

Vacationing Gilded Age style
 
I rounded the corner looking for another NH Marker right around Fort Constitution on New Castle Island. I rode into the Coast Guard station and entrance to the fort, and made a note to myself I need to get back here for some quality time with the camera. There is a bunch of neat places up here. I thank the spirits that I was looking for a sign and my speed was way under the posted limit. Plenty of LEO out here willing to give you a ticket. As you head out of town and round the cornet to cross over the causeway / bridges into Portsmouth you are presented with the Portsmouth Naval Prison on your right. This place is actually in Kittery ME. It was used as a prison from 1908 to 1974 and was modeled after Alcatraz.

You can't handle the truth
 
 

Finally into Portmouth my actual destination for the day. Grabbed Piscataqua and pulled the map out to see how far the next stop was. The heat has been taking a toll.

I can't even pronounce this place

North Cemetery is only 1/2 mile away


The heat is killing me and thought about a nap

While in the comfort of the shade and the temps beginning to drop, I pull out my map and see where I am headed next.. It's right around 6:15pm, I have been cut off by a car getting to the cemetery, I have been capturing these for the last 4 years and I am sure they are not going any place, I decide to call it quits for the day and head back home. Well the Weeks marker is on the way home so one more and I am done.

 
 

Oldest native brick house in NH. The bricks were made right here
 
With this pick and the post office right across the street I head north to go south on I 95. Right around Littleton I see I am going to need gas and head off the highway. Grab an Orange Vanilla seltzer while I am stopped and downed the must needed fluid. Kind of taste like an orange creamsicle. I am sure I have the Littleton Post Office but just in case I don't have I fire off the last shots of the day.

 
Plus this is a much better shot to end the day with than the Weeks house which is so weak.
 
A brutally hot day and I traveled in the peak of the brutality. Pulled into the barn right around 8:30:33pm just shy of 225 miles for the afternoon.
 
 
 
 

1 comment:

Runner said...

My old stomping grounds!! I attended several photography workshops put on by Salem State, and we crawled all over this "neck of the woods" on themed photo shoots. You've got some great photos here!