“I drive wet and I drive cold,” is my mantra, “I don’t drive wet And cold.” Although I try to be prepared for cold or rain, I haven’t had to do much of either in 2025. I hear the roar of a thunderstorm outside my cozy apartment in Virginia and reflect on five weeks in New England: Connecticut, Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
This was probably the most relaxing tour I have ever been on. Plenty of exercise and beautiful surroundings, but also peace and quiet. We stayed at least five days in each place we visited, driving locally and enjoying the pleasure of deeper familiarity with destinations we’d never had time to visit before. It felt homely coming back to the hostel or campsite to prepare dinner, knowing we didn’t have to pack that night to leave in the morning.
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With my bike and suitcases ready for a tour, on Monday, August 11, I loaded everything into my car and drove to Charlottesville, Virginia, to spend two days with my son Daniel.
Wednesday the 13the In August, I hugged Daniel goodbye. He went to work at church (in my car) while I finished some chores I had promised him. I did one last check of my bike and equipment. As the sun’s shadows lengthened, I locked up behind me and then drove to the Amtrak station in downtown Charlottesville, where I raised the curtain on the 2025 Tour.
The rain from the week before had stopped and the streets were dry. Driving late in the day, I also found the air comfortably cool, after the heat of the day.
For me, the tour started with something I haven’t experienced in twelve years: an overnight stay in Coach. That time it was literally a carriage, as I carried my bike on a Greyhound bus from Houston to Charlottesville and from there to Pensacola in 2013 (https://freewheelingfreelancer.com/2013/11/30/what-i-left-behind/#more-183). This time it was the Amtrak Northeast Regional train that left Charlottesville at 7:30 PM and arrived in Old Saybrook, Connecticut at 7:54 AM the next morning.
When I travel by train overnight, I usually take a sleeping car, which includes all meals. It can take four days to cross the continent. The rate for a sleeper is lower than the cost of the rooms and meals for that time.
Dozing in a cushioned chair is not a strange feeling. In fact, the trip was more comfortable than I expected.
The conductor I approached as the train stopped from Roanoke turned out to be the friendliest and most helpful Amtrak employee I have ever met during my shift. He pointed out the car behind the locomotive and complimented me on the way my bicycle was hanging on the hook. I was standing right in front of the Silent Car and only two cars away from the cafe car. All comfort.
Two advantages of the night train: it is the cheapest fare for a certain route and it was very lightly loaded. I had the only bike, and there were no more people in Coach Class than in Business Class or the Quiet Car. I sat down comfortably, with my small office set up in front of me.
I’ve highlighted a lesson about packing: think about out-of-season clothing. I had packed the wool hoodie that Cheryl had sent me in my bike bag because I didn’t expect to need it on the first day of a summer tour. Without the air conditioning on the train, sleeping would have been impossible.
The four-hour layover in New York surprised me, because there was no mention of it in the schedule. It was a crew change, but nothing else to justify that much time. Most of us slept through it.
The next morning I rolled my bike and gear to the platform in Old Saybrook. The air was still cool, the air clear.
I had warned my family that I would be breaking my fast at the Ashlawn Farm Café next to the station. Not only is it my favorite, the delay allowed Jack and Allison to get to work and not have to worry about picking me up.
Allison was home after all. The dogs remembered me with playful greetings. It felt good to be with family again. They put a bed on the landing between my niece and nephew’s rooms so I had my own accommodation, convenient to the bathroom and the rest of the house.
Alison went to work, but Jack came home early, so I didn’t spend much time on the computer that day. Leland and Bella returned from work. The after-dinner conversation lasted as long as it could, but I was the only one who didn’t have to go to work in the morning. On Friday I relaxed while everyone was working, running errands and drawing scenes for work in progress (The swamp, expected early next year).
Saturday the 16theI swung into the saddle and took the road north. In the shade on the two-lane roads of Route 156 and 82, I made my way through Colchester and Hebron to Andover.
Overall I climbed cautiously, but my sister’s house is 217 meters higher than my brother’s. Unlike the wide open spaces of the West, the density of New England towns offered peace and refreshment that were as conveniently spaced as one wished.
I spent a few days bonding with family and catching up on what our adult children are doing. This is not the place to brag, but I am glad that they are growing so well in age, beauty and wisdom.
On Monday I drove back to Old Lyme. Jack had something tasty ready. On Tuesday we boarded his boat for a cruise on Long Island Sound. He took us up the River Thames, past the famous sights in New London. I had never seen the city, Fort Trumbull, Electric Boat, the submarine base or Groton from the water. He turned just before Norwich.
The trees outside the city go to the water and the roads along the shore are not noticeable. I could easily imagine the Pequot sidewalks and railroad tracks on either side before the asphalt took over.
Tuesday night no one wanted to stop, but others had to work and I had to pack to leave.
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Sometimes I wonder if Old Lyme is an outpost of Camelot. “It doesn’t rain until after sunset, and at sunrise the dew is bright.” That song was running through my head as I made sure the dogs were inside, closed the house, and drove to the station in Old Saybrook.
Traveling by train in the northeast is So simple. Because Amtrak owns the tracks between Washington DC and Boston, the stations can be optimized for passenger traffic without permission from the freight companies, which own the rest of the US rail network. For the cycle tourist like me, this also includes the platforms at the height of the coaches, eliminating the need to lug the bike and bags up and down the stairs near the car.
The freight operators cannot accept such a passenger-friendly platform, because they sometimes have to allow wide loads to pass through the station.
Wednesday afternoon I drove from South Station in Boston to the HI Hostel in a light rain. As I quickly checked in, the rain stopped. When Cheryl came to the baggage claim area at Logan International Airport, I was waiting.
Uber took us to the hostel, where we unpacked her bike. While she got settled, I walked her playpen to the storage unit I had rented nearby and locked the unit until our return.
The 2025 Tour started that evening with dinner at Legal Seafoods, always a treat. We closed the place and returned to the hostel. As we walked back it started to rain.
We slept the sleep of the righteous. Even the excitement of another tour together wouldn’t keep us awake.
The next morning would bring me more excitement than I expected. Come back for it next week!
Smooth roads and tailwind,
JT
© 2025, JT Hein
#Tour #sleeping #carriage