Following the Saint John River further north, we crossed the longest covered bridge in the world in Hartland, New Brunswick. Originally built in 1901 as a private toll bridge, it was rebuilt and covered in 1921. After riding across, we parked and walked it to enjoy the structure.

Even though it was raining (lightly), we went up to St. Jacques to wander through the New Brunswick Botanical Gardens. Even in the middle of September, the blooms were out everywhere we looked. The grounds were wonderfully manicured and classical music was being broadcast.

Throughout the gardens were elegant structures to show off the plants and landscapes. Maybe the designers and gardeners want to take on a little project in the Sierra foothills.

Upon returning to the US, after 18,000 miles, we picked up our second corner at Madawaska, Maine. The highlight of our stop, however, was a private tour of the Fraser Paper Mill. Although cameras were not allowed, the detailed tour through the plant was fun and educational. A lot of the employees are bikers and we talked about our trip as much as paper production.

Back in New Hampshire, we were greeted by pockets of color as the foliage begins to acknowledge the arrival of fall. Although still a week or two early for widespread color, an occasional brilliant orange or red splash greets you as you round a bend in the road.

On the highest peak in the northeast, the world's first mountain climbing cog railway still operates. The Mt. Washington Cog Railway, built in 1869, is driven by a coal fueled steam engine pushing a single passenger car to the summit. On the few clear days a month, the view spans four states from Canada to the Atlantic Ocean.

But the summit of Mt. Washington is host to the worst average weather in the world. On our trip to the top, the icy wind was blowing 60 mph and gusting to 80+ mph! The highest wind speed ever recorded (at 238 mph) was at the weather station here.

On a day off of the bikes, we took to kayaks on Squam Lake with Jym's sister and her husband. It is the lake that the movie 'On Golden Pond' was filmed and is studded with small islands and an occasional Loon.

Following a delightful ride along the coast of New Hampshire (yes, it has a short one), we got to the Salem Maritime National Historic Site. The area is rich in history, from fishing, the witch trials, merchant shipping, an industrial center (textiles and cobbling), and financing for the early government (customs duty).

Near Salem is the Saugus Iron Works, a reconstruction of the first successful complete iron works in the new world, built in 1646. It was the technological rival of anything available in Europe at the time. Financial and legal problems caused an early demise.

After a grueling ride through Boston on a road system that is torn up, detoured, poorly marked, and just plain bad, we finally got to Plymouth. 'The Rock' (which may or may not have been anywhere near the pilgrim's landing) is in the monument.

Travelling out Cape Cod to the National Seashore, we stopped at the site where the first transatlantic wireless message was sent on a system built by Marconi in 1903. It was used to coordinate rescue efforts of the Titanic survivors in 1912.

After travelling through Rhode Island, the Connecticut coast, and up the river valley, we were riding through Bristol when we were reminded (by a sign) that there was another carousel museum to see. The New England Carousel Museum has one of the largest collections of carousel animals on display, and was definitely worth the stop.