140 weeks... travel

World Tour Self-discovery... to bike is to feel the land.

[Providence, RI to Willimantic, CT 55.8 mi

Willimantic, CT to New Haven, CT 58.4 mi

New Haven, CT to Stamford, CT 45.9 mi

Stamford, CT to New York, NY 46.6 mi]... 206.7 miles

So far I'd imagine a sort of excitement for the unknown. Not really knowing what to expect while on the bike tour. Sure I am researching it now. I want to have at least a route mapped, places to sleep, and of course my list of food-by bike savory restaurants. But that adventure of the unknown; doing something not routine. Something you know nothing about, but you have to lead yourself forward. I am not even sure I can find the right words to articulate this inner self-discovery. Though, I'd say traveling to a new place might best describe it.

Traveling to a new place. To feel the land will be about the discovery of new senses. That is a dimension most often captured with a picture. But might it be more about the perception of new thoughts. Maybe even the inception of something new about oneself.

Lately, I have been intrigued by the concept of one's Identity. Besides my curiosity with the food experience, I guess you could say that I dabble with philosophy. I'd say that I am not the most well read individual. Trial by error is more my nature (... learn it the hard way). I don't know, I just like to experience it for myself. I guess you could say to think about it. So I'd imagine that while on the bike tour I will have lots of time to think about it.

One's Identity. What about our experiences? I might think about that... or like the question of shared experiences. This movie BrainStorm is my favorite for that. But what I love about life is feeling my own experiences. Maybe it's a common sense thought, or something taken for granted. I guess it sort of hit home when I started researching World Tours. I didn't want to read about someone else doing it. I wanted to experience it for myself. Then try to explain to someone that you want to bike around the world. It's not an experience they care about so they don't understand. I got sort of curious with that discovery. Sure it might be nice that family or friends be interested in a shared experience, but my intended experience is my Identity.

Oh well, there will be time for more thoughts like that when actually on the World Tour. After 4 days, 206.7 miles more, I'd be pedaling into New York City to seek out some food-by bike savory restaurants.

141 weeks... Rhode Island

World Tour Self-discovery... to eat is to taste the land.

1. Fore Street [Portland, ME]
2. J's Oyster [Portland, ME]
3. Union Oyster House [Boston, MA]
4. Clambake [Boston, MA]
5. Cook & Brown Public House [Providence, RI]
6. The White Horse Tavern [Newport, RI]

Providence, Rhode Island

The World Tour hits Providence, Rhode Island, a not so famous birthplace for this food-by bike destination. I'd say food curiosity doesn't ignore the smallest detail, nor the smallest State in the Union. Of course, fresh seafood is a given from the Ocean State, but could there be more. So I continue my curiosity for food.

For those keeping track the World Tour is now about 4 days in, with a distance of 177.1 miles traveled. It's like the tip of the iceberg. Actually, this research doesn't even begin what self-discoveries I shall discover or will need to know while on the bike tour. I'd say starting is half the battle. And getting to that start will take time (along with a lot of planning). I'd probably sense that if I made it this far, as short as it has been, it's then about pushing forward. That be the same as like not giving up on this blog, but to continue (and learn "how to" food-by bike). Its started, so then I ask myself again that subjective question, "what food is the state of Rhode Island known for?" [And can it be discovered in Providence?]

So I thought that I'd first ask a local, my brother. Yep, I have roots in Rhode Island. I am actually partial to clam cakes. Not so much as an acquired taste, but a food that brings me back to a fuzzy Ocean State food experience. I'd also say Fish & chips does that for me. I can almost see myself sitting at that restaurant eating my first plate of Fish & chips with my grandmother.

This got me thinking about other past food experiences. Not sure how this fits into the World Tour, but sure is some self-discovery. So I decide to create a map of every place that I can recall that I've eaten at.


View restaurant relativity in a larger map

Well, this is a fun start. I will slowly update this map when I, "oh yeah, I forgot about that place..."

Okay, so I ask my brother, who I know is also into food. Well, it was a good answer ("Federal Hill... for fancy restaurants"), but my curiosity is what cuisine is Rhode Island known for. So I find this post to be a good start [Johnny cakes, Coffee milk, Doughboys, Fish & chips, Clam cakes, Chowder, Clam bake, Quahaugs, Steamers, Del's lemonade, Spinach pie, "Three all the way", and Grinders]. So that is maybe what Rhode islanders eat. So I push on trying to search engine up the goods on Rhode Island cuisine. I find that the key word visit... gets me on track with "One's sense of adventure... is discovered one meal at a time" Visit Rhode Island.

But all that reading still leaves me foodie empty. Then I guess Wikipedia might indeed be the holy grail, "Several foods and dishes are unique to Rhode Island and some are hard to find outside of the state." Hey, that is almost the same list I saw before that tried to answer "what do people around here eat?".

I'd say having a foodie list is one thing, now how about that food-by bike savory restaurant that's going to short order cook a bona fide Rhode Island food experience. Where to begin? How about tastes of Rhode Island for a one stop food-by bike extravaganza, although, I'd like a better way to beat the crowds (plus, might it be much like our own "festival that started out promoting Minnesota food ended up morphing into one of generic pronto pups and cotton candy").

This cookbook read gave me food picturesque Rhode Island - big recipes from the smallest state. I will definitely buy this one. Hint... my birthday is coming up! So let's eat good.

It's almost like picking a needle out of a haystack, so which savory restaurant. Then I stumble upon Cook & Brown Public House. Something about it, okay, call it my foodie superpowers, tells me this is the one (plus it was listed on Esquire's best new restaurants 2010). So it makes my list for the food-by bike World Tour. Then how about a 1673 tavern billing for "America's oldest running tavern". You guessed right, The White Horse Tavern is in.

I'd say Rhode Island was a good place for some self-discovery. Though, before I leave it would be great to share a food experience at old Rocky Hill Rd. Like cook up Lobster Ravioli with some fresh locally, and sustainable foods bought at Providence Farmers Market on the Hill.

World Tour Mileage...

[Portland, ME to Portsmouth, ME 59.7 miles

Portsmouth, ME to Boston, MA 68.5 miles

Boston, MA to Providence, RI 48.9 miles

Providence, RI to Willimantic, CT 55.8 miles
Willimantic, CT to New Haven, CT 58.4 miles
New Haven, CT to Stamford, CT 45.9 miles
Stamford, CT to New York, NY 46.6 miles]

142 weeks... Massachusetts

World Tour Self-discovery... to eat is to taste the land.

1. Fore Street [Portland, ME]

2. J's Oyster [Portland, ME]

3. Union Oyster House [Boston, MA]

4. Clambake [Boston, MA]

Boston, Massachusetts

The World Tour so far has traveled about 128.2 miles with a welcomed stay at Boston, Massachusetts, the home to "America's oldest restaurant" [est. 1826]. I am not sure if that fact will help discover Massachusetts cuisine, but it definitely makes it as a World Tour food-by bike destination. So I continue my curiosity for food.

I ask myself again that subjective question, "what food is the state of Massachusetts known for?" [And can it be discovered in Boston?] I'd think with Massachusetts also being a New England state it would have a similar cuisine portfolio. So seafood seems a given [lobster, fried clams, cod, and crab cake]. Besides that, my foodie intellect is drawing a blank. So I'll have to read on for some culinary clues. My search leads me to Visit Massachusetts.

I am sorry, but Boston baked beans leaves me a little flat, and the Macintosh apple, well, makes me think computers, not Massachusetts orchards. I foodie hope to find more than fish and chips, although, it's good feeding the multitude (and I've had my fair share of fish and chips). Nothing I read speaks culinary life, maybe that's because Boston has so much else going on for it, like for its intellectual reputation. Harvard, and the Social network (Facebook birthplace) for starters. This I think heightens my food experience expectation, for at least what Boston is known for; even if it is "hot roast beef sandwiches served with sweet barbecue sauce on an onion roll", or even bulkie rolls.

"... bike to a clambake"

So I'll bypass the food trivia, and seek out some food-by bike savory restaurants. So I read, read, and read. Okay, I will continue to read, but then start comparing how easy visit Maine got me craving it as a foodie destination. Sometimes it takes some knack to search engine up what your looking for. No real taste of Massachusetts cookbooks (but found this cookbook listing of interest). And Yelp for my online social ranking to see what the locals are saying about Boston, let's say got me feeling apprehensive. This quote sums it up, [Boston Globe] "If Bostonians had a dime for every time someone scoured our city for a stellar waterfront seafood restaurant, we’d have enough to, well, finally build one there." As for the Union Oyster House, I know will be touristy (with such a title as being the oldest American restaurant, that hype draws in the crowds), so maybe foodie wise to limit menu selection to what their known for "chowda", and purely soak up the nostalgia [even Neptune Oyster as more Yelp reviews, and 4.5 stars].

All this high foodie intent got me not so savory inspired. Then I think maybe I am getting restaurant hype. So I say to myself "to bike is to feel the land. to eat is to taste the land." The savory image of a local, and sustainable clambake speaks... bike to a clambake outing. If not able to crash one, then at least try some culinary self-discovery. So let's eat good.

As my focus slowly shifts from Boston, I again think about an imported food experience from Massachusetts. That is, to food-by bike locally to maybe find a Massachusetts influenced savory restaurant. Not one of my foodie haunts, but obviously a Boston Market might seem subjectively fitting. Then it hits me, the most important imported from Massachusetts food experience, the Thanksgiving dinner.

World Tour Mileage...

[Portland, ME to Portsmouth, ME 59.7 miles

Portsmouth, ME to Boston, MA 68.5 miles

Boston, MA to Providence, RI 48.9 miles]

143 weeks... Sea salt eatery

Bike savory destination...

To bike is to feel the land. How about feel 50.1 miles? I finally do the complete Grand Rounds scenic byway. It was a great ride. So many places for self-discovery. Lake of the Isles is picturesque with its mansion homes. It's sort of a past neighborhood living with both our girl's attending Grace Neighborhood nursery school. That's how we got to meet the friendly neighborhood with play dates at Triangle park. I'd like to checkout the old park, but decide after thinking about the miles ahead of me that I won't be able to reminisce every scene. Instead, I plan for a short break at Kenwood Cafe. Mainly to buy some water, but also to maybe get a chance to say hello to the owners. [We met at Grace when our kids attended nursery school]. Congratulations to a second great location. Isles Bun & Coffee, I believe is their first location, making the best puppy dog tails!

As I head north onto the Theodore Wirth parkway my senses are still reminiscent (like for the Quaking bog, and Eloise Butler wildflower garden). I'd say it's a parkway that shared some of our first scenic drives. It was a scenic drive for transitions. In 1995, I got out of the Marine Corps, and began our living transition in Minneapolis. My step-brother, who lived in Robinsdale, took us in until we found an apartment. I was going to be a student at the University of Minnesota. I don't recall, but somehow we discovered the parkway. Great find, because it lead us to the City of Lakes.

I continue farther north onto the Victory Memorial parkway. Then straight across the Webber parkway onto the St. Anthony parkway. It's here I met my match. Maybe the steepest hill so far. I am definitely not in shape for it. I also blame it on my poorly geared bike [thinking there must be a better bike with lower gears to make the climb more effortlessly]. It's then I start thinking about the Optibike.

I discovered the Optibike while researching about other World Tours. This site is about an Electric bike World Tour. Of course, I then thought, "Hey, the Optibike should have its own promotional world tour". So I emailed the company to research more about their bike. Unfortunately, their engineers/marketing team didn't seem so friendly with the idea. They did email back saying to check out their website. Hey, I already did that. I was sort of sold on the idea, but will need more technical data if I am going to use their bike for my Food-by Bike World Tour.

"Thanks for response...

I have visited your website. I believe I've seen all the videos but haven't seen any example for around the world travel. I did note that Jim Turner did a world cycling trip in 1990, thus, he would understand the parameters and load on a bike for such a trip (1 to 1.5 year trip traveling the world). I note that your touring battery would give 100+ miles. How long would it take to recharge? This would be ideal for USA cross-country, but think in remote places in the world would need a solar rig.

The bike that I found in the article is a wisper, UK based company. The rider claims on his blog/website to be the first person to do an around the world trip on an electric bike. He doesn't seem to be solely promoting the wisper, but all electric bikes in general. He seems to have some type of solar rig to recharge the battery. I'v been doing research on an around the world trip, and thru my research found articles about electric bikes. 

I thought this might be good PR for your company, if not me. I was curious first if your engineers would think such a trip would be possible on the Optibike. I think it would since that other guy is using the Wisper. But wanted to confirm. Then if I decide to use the Optibike for my trip, I'd need to know how best to recharge the batteries, such as in a solar rig. Could your engineers provide that data if needed? Then also replacement parts. If I am gone for 1.5 years, parts might break. I'd need a good communication link to get new parts. I'd need such a list, and costs, and understand shipping logistics."

That was my reply, so will see how that turns out.

Okay, back to the steep hill. I walk it up. Then continue on thru the Stinson parkway. I start to see familiar sights, and say to myself wow I made it [of course, I am only about halfway, but in my mind I could now grasp the whole Grand Rounds. I also feel a little more connected to our beautiful City of Lakes].

I've been on the road for a few hours, and my stomach starts to tell me it's time to eat (it's that time of day, plus been working hard). But I know that I want to buildup the anticipation for the Sea Salt Eatery. A fast food place with a line of cars catches my eye. As for my food-by bike disposition, "I laugh at the thought of eating a quick fix." Can you imagine riding 20+ miles for that. Sure when hungry we need sustenance. But I am convinced that my toil has given me a craving for more of an organic food experience not a commercialized one. I am inclined to say that it's more than just pedaling across the landscape. More than just the effort. It has been the time to appreciate the landscape.

To eat is to taste the land. Okay, the Sea Salt Eatery is probably not a Maine influenced restaurant. I had heard about this food destination, plus it was right on the Grand Rounds. The Sea Salt claims to be "serving extremely fresh seafood..." that I believe is what Maine would be known for. Fresh seafood. I'll be frank to say that I just rode 30+ miles, so my food intent is extremely high. So lets eat good.

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Foodie-by bike review...

At last, I arrive at Sea Salt Eatery. I'd say the location is perfect for gatherings (keep in mind outdoor park style). Its got a bustling sort of vibe with a diverse clientele. Friendly, and family welcoming. I can hear cyclists chatting about maybe the best routes home, or at least they seem to be comparing notes. I see scattered groups overlooking the Minnehaha Falls, and a mixed group of diners. I am eager to join them, with a big appetite.

Unfortunately, this ride also had some technical self-discovery. First, some might notice the improved picture quality compared to the last. I decided to upgrade my smartphone for the new iphone 4. I was motivated by lots of factors. The first being, I was tired of my old phone crashing, and also the slow operating system response. This is all subjective, but I am very impressed with the iphone 4 (that means I am very happy with it, and think it's the best smartphone on the market). I had also compared its camera quality, and wanted to be able to take good pictures. My old phone's camera had such a slow response time that it just wasn't good for those kodak moments. I could go on, but this is not a gadget blog. Thus, I am happy with the pictures.

SprintGPS map... phone died.

The bad news is that I didn't know that the SprintGPS app [I thought it would be cool to post its GPS map, but seems more work than its worth so won't do that again] would drain the phone so fast. So my phone died, and thus, no food pictures. This got me thinking about a backup camera, which might be a good alternative for higher quality food pictures. But also, what about power issues when doing the World Tour?

A food experience intent is all about menu selection. It seems simple, but I'll admit that I've failed numerous times. I see one customer holding a printed menu from their website, and orders from it. He's done his homework. I scan over their special's board to see if I can find their signature dish. It's like I'm hoping that it will pop out at me, and say, "Here it is. Our signature dish. This is what you biked here for." Nothing magical happens. So this confirms that I don't have any foodie supernatural powers in menu selection. One item, though, does catch my foodie curiosity. "Steamed whole IP swich..."

Actually, I don't know what that is so I ready my order questions. First, I want to ask them what they are known for. So I ask. Their response is not so welcoming. I don't feel like it's saying, "please ask more questions, so you can select your food intent". Their response sort of various, but I recall with a distinct Po'boys... which now I learn is a traditional submarine sandwich (with seafood) from Louisiana. Okay, next time I will have done my homework. It won't be so spontaneous. I will have it all calculated out to a foodie detail. The reason is this.

I then ask about the "IP swich" special on their blackboard. It's not well described, but do hear the words clam sandwich. Sounds good! So I order it. [I am now doing research on Ipswich clams, and go figure I might have foodie menu selection powers. Ipswich clams are "... soft-shell clams currently sold as 'Ipswich' clams — even in Ipswich — in fact come from Maine..."]

After ordering, I go out to find a relaxing seat. Sure I have been in the saddle for about 6 hours, but a chair is so welcomed. The wait isn't too long. I actually meet some friends, a fellow cyclist with his family. So we chat. Then the food comes.

"Well, I did it again?!"

Visually, I am shocked. What is this? I am so confused I don't bother to ask the food runner. The food presentation definitely took me by surprise. I say to myself, well, I did it again a bad menu selection. I don't even know what it is. It looks like a whole deep-fried fish. My friend's wife says it's a crappie. Since I don't have the ability to take pictures my mood is less foodie, and more small talk with my friends company. Plus, I am out of sorts about my selection. So I eat, and talk.

After I still feel hungry, and decide to give them a second chance. Because this is not a wow food experience. I have failed to find the wow in this restaurant. So I go back to their order line. I check out the special board again, and decided to try their "ahi tuna steak burger". I also recalled them saying it was good. But then I noticed a "sold out" note on their "whole crappie" special. Aha! She had taken my order wrong, and gave me the whole crappie dish. But that's not what I had ordered. I wanted the "Ip-swich". So I politely complain about that (she seemed not to remember me, which is maybe understandable), and order the ahi tuna steak burger.

I'd say that I had some issues with service execution... With that, of course their menu offers more, and we all have different likes. So I'd recommend this bike savory restaurant when you food by bike.