Piscataway to Princeton

On Sunday, May 28th, Cristina and I set out on our first overnight biking adventure, with one big deviation from our usual: we had Billie the Blackmouth Cur in tow.
I don't think Cristina really took into account what she was getting into when she said she'd tow the Billie trailer. (Billie weighs in at 26 lbs and the trailer is 20.)

Since we were staying overnight we needed a place to crash, and I really did not want to camp. We decided to test out our Warm Showers account. (Warm Showers is like Couch Surfing but for cyclists.) We were hosted in Princeton by Tracy and his wife Joan. Tracy actually met up with us en route, when we were about halfway to P-town. We took the East Coast Greenway and ride was gorgeous and so green (after all the rain we had received). It was slightly sketchy getting out of New Brunswick, as there weren't any bike lanes on the hill and bridge we had to cross. Cristina really activated her superhero strength to get herself and the Billie up those hills.

Billie is still unsure about the trailer situation. It took her at least an hour and a half before she settled down. She didn't lie down until the last half hour of the trip or when Cristina was climbing a big hill. We had originally planned to switch off on the Billie trailer, but C doesn't have a rack on her bike and I do and I can carry the gear. Additionally, Billie needed to be able to see me or she started panicking. Thus, C got stuck hauling the extra weight. 

We really hit the 'Warm Showers' jackpot as Tracy and his wife and daughter were the best hosts. Billie got along with their dog, Otto, a Portuguese Water dog. (Otto is pictured below.) We enjoyed a feast the evening we arrived, complete with a scrumptious homemade apple rhubarb pie that Tracy's daughter baked. (Sadly, I didn't snap a photo of the pie.) It was raining we when awoke Monday, so we lingered in bed. We made our way downstairs to discover Joan was making waffles and Tracy poured us some damn fine cappuccinos. (Waffles pictured below!) After we were properly caffeinated and full of homemade waffles and fruit, we loaded up our gear and hit the Greenway.

The ride back to Piscataway was smooth and we took it slow. I think Billie started to become accustomed to the trailer but I also think she is sensitive to too much stimulation. We clocked 55.56 miles on this 2-day adventure.