July 29: Happy in Newport!

What a fantastic day! It is so good to be back on my home turf. Today’s delightful ride took me on miles of well-paved interstate, over three beautiful bridges, and along coastal side roads to Newport, Rhode Island for lunch and East Haven, Connecticut for dinner. Great roads, excellent food, and beautiful views – does it get any better?

I decided to splurge and take toll roads today, allowing me to get an extra hour and a half of sleep and reach my destination for lunch that much more quickly. I traveled south on interstate 95 from Portland Maine, reveling in the pristine condition of the roads (no potholes or cracks here!) and the fast-moving traffic flow (around 80 miles per hour) as I traveled through New Hampshire and Massachusetts on my way to Rhode Island. It’s been almost six weeks since I got to really pull on the throttle and travel at higher speeds. The sun was out, the heat was manageable at higher speeds, and I loved the feel of the wind in my face.

I took the back way into Newport over the Easton Bay and headed north on Thames Street to the Bar and Board Bistro, one of my favorite food stops last summer. The restaurant is situated right in downtown Newport on Aquidneck Island, facing pedestrian-filled streets of little shops and the yacht-filled harbor.

I wasn’t sure if the eatery would be able to match last year’s performance but was pleased to find that they outdid themselves again. The roasted faroe island salmon I ordered was quite possibly the best I’ve ever had. The buttery, flaky, and juicy morsels of meat melted on my tongue and the bed of farro, corn, succotash, zucchini, and squash underneath it was both sweet and satisfying. I polished off every bit on my plate and felt so refreshed and ready to ride.

Newport truly is a magical place, not just because of the great food and harbor but also because of the beautiful bridges connecting it to the rest of Rhode Island. After finishing my meal, I headed north on Farewell Street and then west over first the Claiborne Pell/Newport Bridge and then the Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge. What fun! I was giggling and smiling the whole way over, loving the views of the Narragansett Bay, the little islands in the bay, and the colorful boats scattered all around.

From there I headed south and west on highway 1 to follow the coastline to Haversham, Rhode Island. There were a few views of the sound from my perch on the bike but most of the beach access seemed to be on private land. One road that seemed to be promising – East Beach Road – turned to dirt and sand before the water. I turned around, feeling already satisfied with the pretty views at Newport and not needing to challenge myself on more dirt so soon after completing my Alaskan adventure.  

I’m looking forward to tonight’s dinner with my local Bunk a Biker hosts as well as more miles of fun down the road.