55 Mile Ride to Plum Island and Back

Tuesday’s weather was quite good.  Just warm enough to wear shorts and a short-sleeved shirt.  The wind was strong and I knew that I’d feel it especially because Plum Island was my destination.  It was a side-wind as I approached the beach and I had to really watch myself not to be blown into the street.  I pretty much battled it head-on coming home but that’s a minor complaint for what was a very nice ride experience.  I always love going onto the freely accessible beach and gazing out on the ocean while enjoying my endorphin buzz.

The route I chose allowed me to almost ride entirely different roads coming and going.  1A is not my favorite but I rode a good stretch of it before taking Cross Street to get to quieter roads.  I prefer hilly riding and was able to squeeze in a couple decent ones on each end of the ride but, unsurprisingly, riding near the ocean is mainly flat.

I’ll let the photo captions tell the rest of the story of my ride.

The route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27321299

The Jennie Lagoulis Reservation is a nice place to stop on Boston Road.

There's a nice path through the woods.

The public and free access point to Plum Island beach.

Enjoying the warm sun and sand.

The sky was getting a little milky but it was still mainly a deep blue.

I found a nice little place to sit in the rocks out of the wind.

This is at the end of the peninsula that Northern Blvd takes you to.

The bridge leading to Plum Island.  It was low tide.

There is much farmland along 1A. This is Tendercrop Farm.

Crossing over the Parker River.

Almost home - the twisty ascent of Hill Street is ahead.

Danvers to Quaker Cemetery in West Newbury and Back

It was quite windy and the sunshine got less and less as the afternoon wore on but overall, it was a nice day for a ride. I enjoy the roads around Turkey Hill in West Newbury very much. Excellent pavement, beautiful surroundings, and almost no cars. The old Quaker Cemetery is an nice place for a stop. It's kind of tucked away but there's a path through it. The photo captions explain more.

This was the 55 mile route:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27270876

Much of the route is pretty flat but it is punctuated by some decent hills. With all the flat sections though, the feet per mile elevation gain only comes to around 43.

On Middle Road just after Governor's Academy.

Colby Farm. In late summer it will be a sea of sunflowers.

The long flat straight section of Turkey Hill right before coming to the Quaker Cemetery.

More Turkey Hill - Such a nice area to ride.

The entrance to the Quaker Cemetery. The white sign spells the word correctly. The old sign behind it does not.

A closer look at the misspelled word "cemetry".

Another of my favorite places to stop. That log is perfect to sit on. It's just a short walk down the dirt path. It's a very quiet location in nature with the water and woods to enjoy.

I usually bring my bike onto the trail to get off the road. There are probably around 25 grave stones in the cemetery. It's fascinating to read the names of these settlers from so long ago.

I particularly like this section of Turkey Hill road as it looks like a one lane road even though it's not.

The intersection of Indian Hill and Cherry Hill.

This was taken on the fly as I approached the Moulton reservoir.

Coming back on River Road.

The river is very high after Monday's deluge.