Michigan 26 Day 21 - Shrewsbury to Home

 It's so nice to be home. 

The very epic three week bike tour from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is complete. 

The ride was 1120 miles give or take a few. There were 13 nights in hotels, 5 nights in campgrounds, and 1 night of stealth camping. I visited four states and one Canadian province. Mechanical issues were two flat tires. That's it.

The last day was something, though. The return to Maryland was a return to brutal heat and humidity. After a month of Pleasant temperatures, a heat index of 95 was tough. We had to take many cool-down breaks and drink much water.

The day started with a steep climb over the ridge at Shrewsbury and down the other side to the tiny town of Railroad, where we rejoined the NCR trail. This nice shop is in Railroad. 

Then there is a gentle climb for a couple miles to New Freedom. They run railroad excursions from New Freedom, and there is a bunch of interesting vintage equipment parked around town, like this old locomotive from the Ma and Pa (which did not run anywhere near New Freedom).

The NCR trail is basically one big hill, with easy grades up and down. The top is just south of New Freedom, right before the state line.

Is the state line this division marker for the railroad?

Or is it the center post at the information display a few yards away?

It's an easy 20 miles, all downhill to the end of the trail in Cockeysville, MD. Riding the NCR is always a great excuse to stuff myself at Andy Nelson's.

Andy Nelson played safety for the Baltimore Colts, and he was a member of the 1958 and 1959 NFL championship teams. This was before the Super Bowl existed. He died last year at the age of 92. His amazing barbeque restaurant has outlived him, and it is as good as ever. 

This was a must-visit because Jim had never been to Andy Nelson's! "I've been driving by this place for years."

The heat was hitting pretty hard at this point. The key is to not push yourself hard, take cool-down breaks often, and stay hydrated.

We had a cool-down breaks at the Starbucks on Roland Ave., which is a couple blocks from our old house on Deepdene Rd. I rode over to have a look, the house is still doing fine. I really miss this neighborhood.

At Starbucks, Jim decides he is going to end his ride at the Checkerspot Brewery near the stadiums, which means that the rest of his day would be all downhill from Roland Park, and he won't have to do the 500 foot climb to his house in Catonsville. Which is not unreasonable, since day 2 on the 27 year old mountain bike he switched to after the frame broke on his touring bike has revealed some issues. Such as the rear brakes don't really work, and the front derailleur is stuck in the middle ring. Also one of his bike shoes has completely fallen apart. And he's still feeling the hills from yesterday, and the heat today.

I rode home, and got caught in a torrential downpour for the last two miles. It felt great.

Here's the Strava track: https://www.strava.com/activities/19785667254