19 SEP 05 - Norway to Skowhegan, ME
The morning started with coffee and steak croissant at Dunkin Donuts. Considering the number of these franchises throughout New England, we would-be investment bikers say: "Buy now!". Next were a number of necessities most readers probably don't associate with the trip: wash the bikes, check email at the library, mail trinkets home from the Post Office, gas up, buy lottery tickets, beef jerky and Gatorade. Now we're ready to ride.
We took a really roundabout route to Waterville, ME, past a lot of lakes, pull-offs and old cemeteries. Yes, we stopped several times to catch our breath and enjoy the moment. In fact, Mike saw a boat ramp that gave him ideas for Caribbean usage: pre-formed, grooved slabs that are heavily hinged and "walked" into shallow water.
Waterville is small but busy, so we stopped at municipal parking in the middle of the city. While Mike asked directions to various set locations of HBO's "Empire Falls", OJ slipped into the Dollar Store and bought Mike his first imitation chamois cloth. For a buck apiece, you won't find a better wipe to clean the morning dew off your ride.
Within a mile was the abandoned Hathaway shirt factory where HBO filmed the character Miles (Ed Harris) getting beat up by the town cop. Oddly, there was no sign or any recognition of the HBO production.
Another mile further was HBO's church setting where Miles was up high painting and eventually overcame his fear of heights. It's an active church, Baptist we think, but stuck between two houses on a small city street with terrible parking. HBO probably rented the church for a song and once again, there was no indicator or relate to the miniseries, let alone someone selling the "Empire Falls" commemorative pin! Truth be told, we had trouble taking a photo of just the church, so we were impressed by a film crew that worked wonders to cut out the surrounding clutter.
We also learned that additional filming was done in Showhegan, ME, a smaller town a few miles to the north, so we headed for those more rural surroundings. Just as we left Waterville, we crested a country road to find an ultralight airport. We stayed for two take-offs, but moved on as the sun was setting lower.
We pulled into Skowhegan and found HBO's "Empire Grill" closed for the night at 6PM. Business must not be as good as the miniseries. After asking a few locals, we decided on the Towne Motel for the night. We were able to walk past grand old houses to a nearby restaurant, stretching our legs and taking in the crispy Fall evening. Full bellies lead to a good night's sleep.
We took a really roundabout route to Waterville, ME, past a lot of lakes, pull-offs and old cemeteries. Yes, we stopped several times to catch our breath and enjoy the moment. In fact, Mike saw a boat ramp that gave him ideas for Caribbean usage: pre-formed, grooved slabs that are heavily hinged and "walked" into shallow water.
Waterville is small but busy, so we stopped at municipal parking in the middle of the city. While Mike asked directions to various set locations of HBO's "Empire Falls", OJ slipped into the Dollar Store and bought Mike his first imitation chamois cloth. For a buck apiece, you won't find a better wipe to clean the morning dew off your ride.
Within a mile was the abandoned Hathaway shirt factory where HBO filmed the character Miles (Ed Harris) getting beat up by the town cop. Oddly, there was no sign or any recognition of the HBO production.
Another mile further was HBO's church setting where Miles was up high painting and eventually overcame his fear of heights. It's an active church, Baptist we think, but stuck between two houses on a small city street with terrible parking. HBO probably rented the church for a song and once again, there was no indicator or relate to the miniseries, let alone someone selling the "Empire Falls" commemorative pin! Truth be told, we had trouble taking a photo of just the church, so we were impressed by a film crew that worked wonders to cut out the surrounding clutter.
We also learned that additional filming was done in Showhegan, ME, a smaller town a few miles to the north, so we headed for those more rural surroundings. Just as we left Waterville, we crested a country road to find an ultralight airport. We stayed for two take-offs, but moved on as the sun was setting lower.We pulled into Skowhegan and found HBO's "Empire Grill" closed for the night at 6PM. Business must not be as good as the miniseries. After asking a few locals, we decided on the Towne Motel for the night. We were able to walk past grand old houses to a nearby restaurant, stretching our legs and taking in the crispy Fall evening. Full bellies lead to a good night's sleep.
posted by OJ_Audet @ HotMail.com at 10:22 PM
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