SEACOAST BY BIKE

Blame it on Global Warming, but this year we cannot get The Great Balkini off the road. Instead of sitting by the fire with the traditional hot toddy, he’s out on the cold byways again. Following is an Xtreme anecdote followed by more frozen tips on four-season free wheeling.

SEACOAST WALKS

It’s not just for picnickers, tourists and boaters. Why not pull over on that busy commute and walk around this riverside park? Be careful near the river. We once got caught in the swirling eddies by the Sullivan Bridge in a small boat and barely made it back to shore. The scenery is dramatic and the picnic area is well kept.

SCENIC WALKS

When the river freezes a small shanty village suddenly appears on the Squamscott River There wasn't a smelt in sight when we wandered onto the river last winter, but the ice was thick and dark. Fishermen huddled in their outhouse-sized sheds, some with radios and TVs, biding their time, drinking beer and just being men.

PORTSMOUTH QUICK GUIDE

Two major civil war monuments, each in its own park, are the city’s key memorial structures – unless you count the Memorial Bridge itself. The following Exclusive SeacoastNH guide quickly sums up the primary site in the immediate Portsmouth area.

TRAVEL QUICK GUIDES

Touring Portsmouth cemeteries in any season has become more interesting and rewarding. New printed and online research is available for genealogists, researchers and the merely curious. The city is reawakening to the importance of these endangered historic sites and art historians are drawn to the skill of the talented carvers themselves.

Bourne, MA
Built 1943
Light is 74 feet above water

This light near the Cape Cod entrance is new by New England standards. It was named after a US President. Guess which one. To get a really good look at this lighthouse you will need a sturdy boat.

Jeremy’s Lighthouse Guide #54

THE PORTSMOUTH VELODROME?

That white powder has descended from the heavens again. Long after the roads are cleared, melting snow reacts with frigid tarmac to create random and incredibly dangerous patches of ice. It’s time for the sane among us to head indoors. But why stop cycling? The Great Balkini tells all about stationery bikes, spinning and trainers. And should Portsmouth build its own indoor velodrome?

Provincetown, MA
38 feet tall

Originally built on sand, the lighthouse site dates to the late 1700s. Today it can be see via a seasonal shuttle at the historic site where the Pilgrims first visited on their arrival in 1620, making this an extra special destination point.

SEACOAST BY BIKE

It ain’t over until the fat lady freezes. The Great Balkini doesn’t know the meaning of the word frostbite and offers these hearty tips for the three-season cyclist. In a word – layers, layers, layers. And be sure to increase your layers and planning time as the thermometer plunges. Here an autumn Kittery ride becomes an object lesson.

SCENIC SEACOAST WALKS
Rye, NH

We’re off again, walking in the woods. Here’s a popular trail created specifically for the residents of Rye. Lots of trees in an unspoiled area posted NO HUNTING, which we always prefer when hiking in the fall. This forest walk has two entries in the town center and is used by walkers, cross country skiers and equestrians.