Boston to Providence, Rhode Island
On May 31st, I woke up early in the morning and boarded a train headed for Boston. Well, I actually boarded a train headed for Springfield, MA only to then get on another train later that day headed for Boston. Typically, there is a daily bus that goes from Burlington, VT to Boston, MA, but that bus doesn't allow you to take your bike. So I was stuck taking two trains. I didn't complain for even a second though - I love trains. I spent the day listening to music and exploring a bit of Springfield. After I got off the train in Boston that night, I realized that the Green Line on the T doesn't allow you to take your bike on the train, so I was stuck biking from Boston South Station to Brookline at night. It ended up being an absolute thrill! Boston has some of the best bike infastructure I've ever experienced, so I was completely separated from cars essentially the entire time. I got to test out my newly installed bike headlight and tailight, and both worked well. Try and imagine me grinning wildly while biking through Copley Square and down Commonwealth Avenue and you've basically got the correct picture. I arrived at my friend Blair's house at around 11pm and after catching up briefly with Blair, I went straight to bed. I knew I had a big day the next day. The beginning of my bike trip from Boston to Delaware was about to really begin!
First thing in the morning, I went and checked out Harvard University campus. I knew that I needed to see every Ivy League university throughout the trip, and this one was the first stop! Harvard Yard was locked down due to commencement, which I honestly thought was a bit silly. They had signs all over the place saying that they were locked down due to "security concerns" as if somebody was going to do a terrorist attack at Harvard. Of course, none of that was enough to actually prevent me from sneaking into Harvard Yard anyway.
Ultimately, I give Harvard about a 3.5 out of 5. The fact that it is located in Cambridge undeniably gives it a leg up, since Cambridge and Boston are both just very cool places to be. Also if you listen to "Perfect Day" from Legally Blonde whilst running around the campus you are guaranteed to have a great time. You can also listen to "Hand Covers Bruise" from the Social Network if you want an entirely different but totally accurate Harvard vibe. Anyway, after peeking at Harvard, I had to continue on my journey to Providence, Rhode Island
I honestly forgot to take pictures until I got to Providence this first day and I sincerely apologize for that. However, the ride along the Charles River was quite lovely, as was the various bike trails that led the way through Massachusetts and across the Rhode Island state line. Providence itself is quite hilly, which I didn't expect! Once I got to Providence, after eating my fill of Taco Bell, I rode to Roger Williams Park. This park is absolutely stunning! I was most taken with the Temple to Music, as you can see by my beaming face in front of it. After running around Roger Williams Park, I also of course had to check out Brown University. This was the only day that I got to knock out two Ivy League Universities in one day! Brown also gets 3.5 stars. It's less brown than I expected - I saw more reddish bricks. I did like the general underdog ethos of the whole place though - Brown knows that it's probably the last Ivy League university you think of when you think of the Ivy League, and it kind of owns it. Within a short walk from Brown's campus was also H.P. Lovecraft's house, so I snapped a picture of that place as well.
After a busy day making a menace of myself at two different Ivy League campuses and riding from Boston to Providence, I needed a good sleep. Unfortunately, the person I had originally planned to stay with canceled due to a Covid diagnosis, so I had to improvise. Luckily, there was room at the hostel quite close to Brown, and I booked myself a room there. The hostel ended up being right above a Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop, which was fun! I towed my bike up the stairs and went to sleep, ready to continue my adventure the next day.
Providence to Putnam, Connecticut
This was probably the hottest day biking for the whole trip! The sun was high in the sky and beating down on me the whole time, but luckily I started bright and early which made it bearable. The trails leaving Providence were quite lovely, and I felt lucky to be on bike trails essentially all the way to the Connecticut border. I was adjacent to a lovely river for much of this section, and it was fun to see different small Rhode Island communities. Right before the Connecticut border, the East Coast Greenway signs led me on to rural roads shared with cars, which made the rest of the ride a bit more interesting. While cars were few and far between, they were often going far faster than the posted speed limit, which always left me feeling a bit spooked whenever they passed. This section was also through very rural eastern Connecticut, which was hillier than I expected. I did stop at a gas station along the way entirely to buy a blue gatorade becuase my body needed the extra sugar and electrolytes (or so I told myself). After a fairly strenous ride, I did make it to Putnam at around 2pm. I didn't have a Warm Showers host here, due to it being such a small town, so I checked into a Motel 6. The Motel 6 clearly used to be a different, older hotel, and it was honestly a bit spooky. I did my best to ensure that the ghosts liked me, ordered a pizza, and rested for the remainder of the day. The next day was scheduled to be the longest ride of the trip in terms of mileage, so I knew I needed the extra sleep.
Putnam, CT to Hartford, CT
Due to the mishap with my Warm Showers host in Providence, Hartford was the first place I had a scheduled stop with a Warm Showers host. I texted Jack early in the morning to confirm that he was ready for me, and he texted me back letting me know he would meet me in Willimantic, CT, about halfway to Hartford, because he was part of a bike ride stopping there that morning anyway. I got on my bike and planned to meet Jack. The ride to Willimantic was entirely on a bike trail known as the Air Line State Park trail, which was stunning almost the entire ride. It was a tad rocky, but the scenery made all the rough riding worth it. After arriving in Willimantic at around 11am, I met Jack at the Willimantic Food Co-op. Jack was immediately friendly and gregarious, and I knew I would have a great time riding and staying with him. He let me know that he was happy to be my guide for the rest of the trip, and we wasted no time heading for Hartford. The rest of the ride I enjoyed Jack's company as he told me about Connecticut and the bike rides he'd been on around the state. This section of the ride also involved riding through a few large tunnels, one of which was so massive it seemed like a full cave with a cavernous ecosystem. Jack told me that bats almost certainly lived in the tunnel, which made me lower my voice as we spoke. After a fun ride through both rural and suburban Connecticut, we arrived in Hartford. Jack told me that he was part of a group called the Hartford Bike Party, and they were planning on having a party ride that evening if I wanted to join. Despite the fact that I had already ridden around 60miles that day, I knew I couldn't pass up the opportunity. That evening, Jack took me to the Hartford Bike Party and I rode around Hartford with a group of Hartford locals, all eager to show me their favorite haunts in Hartford. It was an absolute blast talking with all the Hartford bike folks, and the ride itself was easy and satisfying. After the Bike Party, I let Jack know that I was probably going to go right to sleep, so at 9pm he showed me to my room. Jack and his wife had a large spare bedroom in the upper level of their house, where I stayed for the night. Jack's dog Moose kept guard over my bed, which made me feel extra secure. I fell asleep quickly, knowing that the ride to New Haven awaited me early the next morning.
Hartford, CT to New Haven, CT
The ride to New Haven was almost entirely on a single bike trail, which was of course welcome! The only part not on a bike trail was a lovely ride next to a Reservoir, and I saw almost no cars at all. The bike trail was quite populated with runners, skaters, bikers, and other folks, far more than any other trail I had ridden on thus far. I rode through a few different Connecticut towns, including New Britain, which I had heard of previously entirely because it is mentioned in a YouTube video I loved in college. After a long and enjoyable ride alongside a mossy river, I made it to New Haven. I ate at a Vegetarian restaurant called Claire's Corner Copia, which was packed but lovely. I knew that after I ate, the next thing I needed to do was check out the campus of Yale University.
Yale is the only Ivy League that really went all in on Gothic architecutre. The whole campus really wants you to admire its pointed arches. The library was massive, the residence halls were massive, all in a way that gave you a Cathedral feeling. Yale itself, however, is located right in the middle of downtown New Haven, which felt a bit strange to me. There was almost no divide between campus and the rest of the city. You could tell you were next to a Yale building because it looked like a miniature Notre Dame, but otherwise, it never really felt like you could "leave campus" or "enter campus" at any point without just leaving or entering New Haven itself. Of course, some parts of the campus were gated off, which felt particularly elitist since the average New Haven resident lives right astride what ends up looking like a gated community. Yale ultimately gets a 2 out of 5. The architecture was lovely, but the fact that it was so spatially integrated with New Haven while still attempting to distinguish itself through gates and security made it seem particularly snobby
The Yale Art Museum, however, is free to the public, which is amazing and deserves five stars. After snapping some photos at Yale, I went into the Art Museum and took in the paintings of Van Gogh, Monet, and a rather large collection of Edward Hopper. After the art museum, I got back on my bike and rode to West Haven, where my Warm Showers host lived in a condo right next to the ocean. Lynne welcomed me into her condo and introduced me to her boyfriend, who she assured me was only visiting for dinner. They fed me a noodle/veggie salad and chips, and Lynne showed me to the spare room. After a short rest, I returned to the dining room and a short conversation with Lynne about her life. She had actually grown up in Vermont, so I told her I lived in Burlington and we talked for a while about Vermont. After a great conversation, I told Lynne I should probably head to bed in order to start bright and early, and I returned to the guest room and laid my head down to sleep.