Saturday, April 12, 2014

Seeing Double Presidents

If you missed the first part of the days ride you can find it here. It was off to Jefferson MA to pickup 2 spots. Initially I told the guys (Giff and Leith) that we were heading for Jefferson Jewelers, but I had placed this spot in the GPS first. Leith thanked my for the sand filled parking lot.

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Since the Team Strange Airhead tour will accept only post office or city limit signs and the GLMC specially excludes both of those, we headed for...

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Can't really say the ride out of Worcester to Jefferson was real scenic and with out traffic, but it did get somewhat countryish. Giff did say that he would be turning off at some point because he had to be home. I was frankly surprised that he was following me doing GT stuff. As we headed into Hubbardston, the scenery definitely became more rural. First I had picked up the library, but the sign was too small. We had passed the Highway department on the way up to the center, so I stopped to pick up a much bigger sign with HUBBARDSTON on it.

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Giff did say they would spinning off before the next town. Right turn and heading into Barre for the oldest newspaper still in print in Worcester County.

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Picked up 2 more towns that I had not planned on.

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Picked up the Post Office for another hobby of mine, Waymarking.

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Wheelwright was next up on deck. I was unable to find anything via Google for Wheelwright, so I did not have any hope of finding anything. I made this right turn down a side street and low and behold.

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By this time the ride had become very scenic. Picked up the old grammar school in New Braintree, which I was sure would be on the NRHP. When I got home it is not specifically listed, but is probably part of the Historic District. Found in MACRIS, it was built in 1938 as New Braintree's first consolidated school. It is Art Moderne in style, which was unusual for Massachusetts.

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Across the way was this massive farm. There has to be cows in that place and hooked up to tubes providing us with GOT MILK.

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The high point of the trip was pulling up to Three Rivers Laundromatt. A guy sitting in the joint, no pants, watching the washing machine tumble cleaning his clothes.

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This was the turn point to head back east for day. I had no clue what time it was, because the Nuvi 855 I was using had the time all screwed up this morning, the FJR battery was replaced and I never set the clock to the right time, but based on temperature in was before 5.

The last time I was specifically in Warren, MA was when I ran the 6 Warren town in New England to take the lead in OSJ's first treasure hunt. West Warren and Warren are 2 different towns for the GLMC Double Down tour.

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To finish the day up I hit the Brookfield's

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If you made it this far, I forgot to explain the 3 Grand Tours I am doing. Double Down is riding to towns that have double letters, except "LL". Team Strange is President GT, towns with the presidents last name for the town. There is 1 more I am doing but I didn't pick up any towns for this one, spell Team Strange Airheads 30.

What really surprised me today that potholes were not that bad, but there was sand everywhere, piles of it. I knew I would be sore when I got home. My throttle hand was killing me, especially the thumb. Of course the inner thighs would kick in, cramping up just as I made that one wrong twist on the couch. Not a long run for the day, just shy of 150 miles or so.


UL 2014 04 12







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