Today started off very wet, pouring down as we rose and showing little if any sign of improving so the decision was made to move on to our next port of call as soon as possible. We had breakfast, included in the room rate, always good, which was fine although Anne discovered she is not a great fan of maple flavoured sausages. Packing and paying the bill took little time so we were on the road for about 9.30am. The expected journey time was in the region of 90 minutes basically heading out of the mountains towards the lakes and the town of Meredith. The name of course caused Anne and I to break into a discussion on Stargate Atlantic and the fact that Meredith is Rodney's 'real' name in the series. A little sad I know but conversation topics wear thin when you have been together as long as Anne and I have!!

Any way we set off, Anne navigating again, and very shortly we'd driven out if the inclement weather and into dry, warm sunny stuff, which was a marked change on what we'd had for the majority of our time in America so far. As we drove we noticed a substantial number of motor cyclists heading the same way as us, lots of groups riding together maybe anything from 3 to 12 at anyone time.

Anyway we arrived in Meredith along with hundreds and I do mean hundreds of motor cyclists, all going up the same bloody road as we were, all getting in my way and generally causing havoc. Me and motorbikes do not get on (it's yet another category of person that I hate) and they made me miss the hotel. As a result we had to turn around and join the hundreds more motorcyclists entering Meredith from the opposite direction, eventually we made it to the hotel but guess what I couldn't get parked outside to unload the cases because of? Go on guess, yep that's right motorbikes, chugging things were everywhere.

At reception we were greeted in a haphazard way by the young lady behind the desk. I don't think she was really prepared for our arrival, to be fair it was only 11am. Luckily the room was ready, she only had one key and when I offered her my Barclay Debit card she didn't want to take it, so I'll have to pay cash for everything!! Up to the room using a particularly iffy lift although it seems to travel at the speed of sound as you get on in the lobby press the button for the fourth floor and you arrive almost instantaneously albeit with a lot of clanking and grinding. The bedroom is okay, a little dated and with a low sloping ceiling above the bed on Anne's side (she doesn't know it's her side yet).

After unpacking we went off into town to get some lunch and ended up at a place where you design your own sandwich or salad. I did sandwich Anne the salad. The food was okay but Anne has been spoilt for salads after the one in the shopping centre in Boston, nothing is meeting the standard set by that place. After finishing our fare a walk along the lakeside was in order as the weather was hot and sunny, just nice for topping up the 'lobster' look I've developed. Having wandered as far as we could, the wooden walkway terminates at a gazebo, and taken a couple of photographs if a loving couple ( it was at their request I wasn't just perving), we made our way for an ice cream. I have to say that the walk was spoilt to some degree by the constant throb of motorcycle engines as they were ridden up and down the lakeside. Even now as I wire this the noise is incessant, if it goes on late into or through the night I will not be a happy bunny!!

The ice cream here did not fall into the same category as the ones we had in Bar Harbor, these were of a more normal size and mine was delicious, lemon sherbet. By now Anne and I were both melting due to the heat and we beat a retreat to our room to get changed and cool down a little.

After awhile during which we had a chat to Lisa and Steven over the Internet (not a great connection) we were off out once more and this time to catch the boat down to a place called Weir. A thirty minute trip for a return fee of $30, excellent value. Only a few passengers so Anne and I grabbed the back seat upstairs, outside. It was a little like being on the school coach without everyone throwing up and singing rugby songs!! The trip provided some excellent views and photo opportunities which was nice. Our arrival in Weir was unbelievable the place had literally been turned over to the hundreds if nit thousands of bikers. There were bikes and bikers everywhere. Every size, shape, make and type and that was just the riders. It was a sight that neither Anne or I had seen before and is difficult to describe. Literally the main street along the lakeside had been turned into a parking lot. Bikes were parked in a single line down each side if the road and double parked down the centre of the road. There was just enough space for a single vehicle to travel between the parked bikes and a one way system was in force. The place was just a sea of motorbikes and this must have gone on for about a mile, there must have been hundreds of bikes. Not only bikes but there were stalls all along the footpaths selling everything you could think if to do with biking from insurance to biker chick clothing (or lack of it)!! Some of the women the way they were dressed left little to the imagination, although at my age a reminder is useful now and then! It would appear that not wearing a bra is the tell tale sign of a true biker chick, and trust me fellas watching them ride past is a joy to behold! Anne and I spent sometime wandering around taking pictures, Anne seemed very interested in the whole thing and I could have seen her being tempted with the biker chick thing but for the bra issue.

The weather suddenly started to deteriorate, dark skies, wind etc so we went back to the d*** to return to Meredith. The boat arrived just in time, we had all just managed to get aboard and inside when a storm started, high winds, thunder and torrential rain, it lasted about 10 minutes before the sun came out a rainbow appeared (minus Bungle and George) and other than the wet footpaths etc you'd never have know that such a storm had occurred. The trip back was uneventful other than we had a conversation with a couple of bikers who apparently had never heard of the UK!!

Hotel, rest, changed and out for dinner at 8pm at Geosseppi's (Italian). A perfectly nice place, good choice of food and drink and all at reasonable prices. The thing is you get so much food, too much that Anne and I are both leaving stuff. I had New York cheesecake for dessert and it was so large a portion they sent two spoons so we could share it despite the fact Anne had ordered her dessert which was a giant chocolate chip cookie. To top it all off Anne had ordered an Italian coffee (alcohol based) and I kid you not it turned up in a jam jar ( a handle had been added but it was a jam jar) and a straw to drink it through, unbelievable! Another interesting thing about eating in American restaurants is the lack of cutlery. You get one knife, one fork and sometimes one spoon. These have to be kept and used for all courses unless for instance you have steak when you get a steak knife, no fork just the knife. It's the same if I order coffee with milk it cones but no tea spoon you need to utilise your dessert spoon to stir your sugar in etc! Very peculiar, personally I think it's to save on washing up!!

Any way that was finished, bill paid and back to the room to finish off my blog. To sleep now and we'll see what tomorrow brings. Sleep tight and if the bed bugs bite, yell!!