Bennington to Brattleboro
47 miles / 2388ft climb
Today started with an eight mile climb. It was already hot when we set off and it was hard. I’d like to say that it was all downhill after that, but it wasn’t! We are however making our way over the Appalachian mountains in our quest to get to the Atlantic Ocean so I’m trying to embrace the climbs. They are all part of our adventure and all part of the story. That said, I was delighted when we found an alternative route for the afternoon that saved us a few hundred feet of climbing and added only a couple of miles.
The roads weren’t easy today. Busy, with a hard shoulder varying from about 6ft wide to nothing. Full of debris, potholes, uneven surfaces and gravel, they didn’t make for easy riding but slowly and steadily we made progress.
The wind gave us a welcome helping hand at times during the morning but by afternoon we faced some strong head on gusts that literally stopped us in our tracks, even in the downhill sections.
Passing a farmers market a couple of miles from the end, we stopped for a drink and to enjoy the last of the late afternoon sunshine.
We enjoyed chatting with Scott and Kathleen while we sat and rested. A few short miles later we reached Brattleboro, our destination for the day bringing us closer still to the Atlantic Ocean.
We spent the evening planning the next few days of how and where exactly, we were going to get to the Atlantic Ocean!
We are only about 100 miles from the Atlantic and we are taking a very wiggly route to ensure we complete the 4,500 miles we committed to.
We will take in the States of New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts over the next few days. We will reach the Atlantic Coast on Thursday and have chosen New Castle as the place to dip our front wheels in the Atlantic.
Our route takes in towns such as Peterborough, Manchester, Dover, New Castle but we are not in England. They all serve as a reminder that we will be heading back home to the U.K. soon though as our adventure begins to draw to its conclusion.
When we reach New Castle, we will have cycled 4,365 miles. The remaining 135 miles will take us to Waltham, near Boston, where Steve and Marianne live. We will stay with them for a couple of days, box up our bikes and celebrate!
Wish us luck!
Challenging Times 
A last few tough days. So close now though. Keep peddling. 😘😘
So good to see your journey. If stars align – we will be cycling together to Phoenix on the West Coast in May. Suffice to say you have have inspired many on this epic XC ride. Safe roads toward your Atlantic Ocean baptism.
-Richard
Oh wow nearing the end. I’m feeling emotional just reading that so goodness knows how you feel. You’ve done so well and taken us all along with you, thank you. You’re both an inspiration and what a fantastic adventure you’ve had. You’ve given hope in so many ways to those living with Parkinson’s. I admire your honesty, determination and bravery. Safe pedalling in the last few days xxx
You must have mixed feelings about reaching the end of your incredible journey. I feel very lucky to have joined you for just a small part of it, and I am in awe of your strength, determination and resilience to carry on regardless of the enormity of the journey, headwinds, rain and hills.
I shall be thinking about you tomorrow xxx
Wonderful stuff. Enjoy the last few days, I hope you can just drink it all in. New Castle now makes sense, for John at any rate. 👏
Blommin’ Amazing!!! Enjoy the last days of this incredible adventure. Like Nicid7 I am really going to miss your daily blog with my morning tea. I have thoroughly enjoyed your observations and comments on the cycle, life in the USA, and achieving all of this with parkinsons – inspiring xxx
This is nailbiting stuff! Can’t believe how far you’ve come it’s amazing… Such good luck for the next few days… You got this
What a lot of climbing in a relatively short distance!
It does look like a lovely route to take, hopefully not too busy and it’s always good to ride beside the sea, even if the wind sometimes gets to you.
Have a great last few days!
You’re so close now, the end is within sight! Utterly amazing achievement thus far. So very proud of you both. Best of luck for your final 4 days. I’m going to miss reading your daily blog. It’s usually the first email I receive and read on waking! Much love. Xxx