Local loop
September 6, 2021
(~ 108 miles)

Now that the bike maintenance issues seem to have abated, and I’d gotten a couple longer days out of my system, Char and I decided to get out of the house for a few hours on Labor Day to enjoy the beautiful weather together. We hadn’t been out for a 2-up ride since early June, due to the IBR prep and trip. Running a loop down through Westport MA is one of our go-to rides that I’ve covered before, so this is more of a short ride-stop report.

On the way through Portsmouth RI, we decided, on a lark, to head down a road I’d never really noticed before, called Hummocks Ave. It’s a very short mile and a half run out over a couple thin spits of land (aka “hummocks”) in the Sakonnet River, connected via a short bridge that enclose a connected body of water called The Cove.

There are some nice views of the river along this stretch, though we were not in the stopping mood for photos at the time. I also spotted a coffee house/restaurant along the way, that may require a repeat trip to check out sometime this fall.

Our planned stop, Gray’s Daily Grind, is another small coffee shop in Westport just over the MA state line from Adamsville RI. It’s a quiet intersection on the edge of town, inside part of a grist mill that still apparently operates as a working museum and gift shop. There is a picturesque mill pond across the street, with a small dam and herring ladder for the fish swimming upstream to spawn along this tiny branch of the Westport River. I always see cars there on my rides through, only stopping in once, a couple years back. The timing of today’s ride was perfect for a late morning stop.

This is a local place selling Seattle’esque froo-froo “coffee drinks” as well as some good coffee, Providence-sourced donuts, fresh breakfast sandwiches, and assort miscellany. They were providing window-order service only, still in pandemic mode, but it was a perfect day for it.

I’m usually a regular coffee guy, but I was feeling a bit freaky today.  I felt no guilt whatsoever at ordering a Nutty Pistachio Latte along with my sausage, egg and cheese croissant. And both were astonishingly delicious!

We took our vittles cross the road to the small park there next to the mill pond, where a couple wooden chairs and table invited us to sit for a spell and enjoy the peaceful scene.

After enjoying an unhurried meal and chat, we moseyed back over to the bike, stopping to gaze at the lovely little dam and herring ladder.

We had a hard stop for timing today, so after getting back on the bike, we had to bail on the backroads and took the fastest route home, up MA 88 and 24. Just a quick outing on familiar roads, with a great coffee stop. Sometimes that’s all you need.