Saturday June 24 2017 
(~193 miles)

After cooling my heels a bit following the Minuteman, it was time to get out for a ride to snag some Grand Tour bonuses in the area. Despite clouds and threats of showers for the morning hours, I set off on my chosen route around 07:30, heading for breakfast at the Miss Worcester diner.

I’d been going by this diner since I was a kid and had never eaten there, it having had a somewhat sketchy reputation back in the day. It was now on my list to try after hearing good reviews, and it did not disappoint. I also intended to use it for my MA diner bonus location, but I failed to capture the word “diner” (which is actually on that Pepsi sign) and will need to go back or seek another establishment to photograph.

I’m not a true diner afficionado, but I like eating in them and absorbing the history. I believe this car was actually manufactured right in Worcester.

         

Wasn’t too crowded at this time and service was friendly and quick. Enjoyed my greek omelet and then also ordered a piece of crunchy French toast after getting a message from a friend via Facebook. Apparently they are known for it, and it was quite amazing!

It began sprinkling as I left the diner, fueled by a hearty breakfast and ready to ride. Just around the corner, I pulled in to this fire station to satisfy the MA bonus requirement.

Union Station was right up the street as well and would satisfy the MA train station bonus category. This is the first time I’ve really gotten this close to the building, usually just spotting the towers from the highway while passing by. They did a very nice job on reconstruction several years back.


Wagner Motorsports in Boylston MA is on the north edge of Worcester, and is a specific bonus location for the GLMC tour. As I pulled up, there appeared to be a large group ride staging for departure in the lot. I was able to snag a quick photo from a side entrance and go on my way.

Heading north through Boylston, I spotted this school with an interesting modern facade and stopped for my MA school category.

In Lancaster, I once again fell victim to the “too many rally flags” conundrum and took a photo of the town line sign with the incorrect flag (pic omitted) – I’ll have to go back.

Luckily I got it right for the rest of the day, stopping at Leominster’s city limit for a shot of this faded welcome sign.

I collected Lunenburg’s post office without incident and then looped north around Fitchburg on back roads, passing through Ashburnham and down through Westminster, Hubbardston, and Barre.

I detoured through Oakham MA for the first time and then continued on MA 122 and MA 56 to Leicester and Oxford, collecting all three post offices for LOVE’s sake.

Central Turnpike and Route 146 carried me down to the Patriots Diner in Woonsocket RI for my final bonus stop of the day. Didn’t stop to eat but it appears to have a great Yelp rating, so I’ll be back to sample.