Year 1 - Ride Day 13 - Mansfield Center to Southington - Sept 13















The motel was to have a “breakfast” for us ready at 7 a.m. We were present at 7 and the doors were still locked. We waited till about 10 after then walked across the street to the McDonalds.

About a mile or so after departing the motel, we were back on the Air Line State Park Trail and Veterans Memorial Greenway heading west out of Willimantic. 

On the west side of Willimantic, we transitioned to the Hop River State Park Trail. The Hop River Trail was not paved but well packed and relatively smooth. It also was a steady climb from beginning to end. We encountered a section where there was some trail washout. It appeared that the beavers had done an excellent job of plugging up the drainage systems. The recent storms, both remnants of hurricanes, created new ways for the excess water to escape and thereby damaging the trail.

This trail took us to the outskirts of Manchester where we transitioned to the Charter Oak Greenway along I384. 

The Charter Oak Trail parallels I384 and then I84 for many miles. This trail is relatively new, paved, and very nice. It must have been part of the construction/reconstruction of I384. Initially we continued climbing like on the Hop River Trail, but soon began to enjoy the serpentine downhill nature of this trail. What a joy! I stopped to take a photo of the Hartford skyline. 

We turned off this trail into East Hartford. The route took us along the Connecticut River and a trail in the Great River Park. After winding around, we finally crossed the river into Hartford via the Lincoln Sculpture Walk. The Connecticut Science Center building was front and center in our views! What a magnificent glass structure!

The East Coast Greenway “official” path leads through walkways in downtown Hartford. As I was programming the route into RWGPS, I found it too difficult to follow these paths as well as too difficult to write intelligent cues. So knowing that we were all experienced bicyclists, I plowed us right through downtown! 

As it would turn out, this was by far the easiest route to follow. It was a Monday at about lunch time and the streets of Hartford were relatively deserted. Everyone, or at least most everyone in Hartford must still be working from remote locations.

We ate lunch at a small local restaurant downtown along Capital Ave, Banh Meee. It had a Mexican flare and the food was very good and the prices reasonable. The young lady at the counter gladly filled our empty water bottles. 

A few miles after Hartford, we were routed on the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail. This paved trail took us almost to Plainville. From Plainville it was only a short ride to our motel in Southington. 

But, here is where the route planner needs to take a step back and review the route! I attempted to remain on the ECG route as much as possible and then divert to the motel. Had I taken a step back and reviewed the route and elevations, we could have avoided two very steep climbs at the end of the day! We could have simply continued straight on East St and then Queen St from Plainville. This would have been totally flat! Sorry guys!

Gary’s local big wheel club friend joined us for our evening meal. We shared lots of stories about exploits with their Penny Farthing bicycles. 

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