Last week we made a last-minute decision to do the Eastern Shore Farm to Fork Fondo. I’m not sure why I hesitated so long to sign up, but it ended up being a great ride.
The only climb of the ride—
it was easier than this makes it look. 😉
Eastern Shore Farm to Fork Fondo
The Eastern Shore Farm to Fork Fondo is based in Chestertown, Maryland—about 90 minutes from home. With registration starting at 8:30 before a 9:15 start, we left our house at 7:00 am and breezed across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge without hitting traffic. (The “Eastern Shore” is the region of Maryland east of the Chesapeake Bay.)
The ride started at the Hodson Boathouse of Washington College. It was cloudy and in the low 60s—perfect for a long ride.
The first few miles had more rolling hills than I expected—when I think of the Eastern Shore, I think flat. The riding was easy, and we rolled into the first farm stop after about 15 miles. We were given a bowl with plain yogurt and encouraged to pick our own strawberries.
It was hard not to keep picking and eating—they were incredibly sweet!
On the next leg of the route, we encountered headwinds—another thing I think of when I think of the Eastern Shore. I put my head down and pushed through. It would be so much easier if I was comfortable drafting, but I hate not being able to see the road ahead of me.
The next stop was in Betterton, a cute town with a little beach. Here, we were served crab cakes—a Maryland specialty.
After heading back through Betterton we were on a busy-ish road with a headwind for a while. I looked forward to every turn hoping for relief. When my pace went from 14 mph to 19 mph I knew the wind was behind us!
The third stop was at Crow Vineyard, where you could sample one of their whites or a rosé. Actually, you probably could have sampled both, but with 20 miles still to go, I stuck with one tasting glass. It was really yummy.
They also had cheese and salami to go with the wine.
The ride to the last farm stop was hard. By now my butt was sore and I was tired of that headwind, but the promise of ice cream kept me going.
It was a nice surprise when we were invited to pick strawberries to have with our cups of homemade ice cream.
It was only a few more miles to the finish—where we enjoyed a post-ice cream lunch at Modern Stone Age Kitchen back in Chestertown. I forgot to take photos, but we were served tacos (pork, chicken, beef, or veggie) on fresh-made corn tortillas with black beans on the side. It really hit the spot.
There’s a ton of bikes just out of frame,
and riders eating at the tables out back. 😉
Overall, it was another great Farm to Fork Fondo. We did the 60 mile Gran Fondo route in 3 hours and 50 minutes of riding time, although it took about 5 hours with all the stops. The roads weren’t as quiet as the usual Pennsylvania Dutch Fondo route, but the busiest roads had wide shoulders and I never felt uneasy. We always were with or within sight of other riders and enjoyed the camaraderie and support.
Our drive home took closer to 2 hours with the usual summer weekend backup at the Bay Bridge. When we got home, I hopped in the shower and then made an effort to stretch, but mostly lay on the floor. 😛
I’m joining the Tuesday Topics link up hosted by Kim and Zenaida.
Have you ever picked strawberries?
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You make it sound fun to be a biker – food!! those berries looked delish.
Congrats on last minute signing up and having your hubby as a companion. It certainly worked out well (except for the traffic). What’s next?
Oh, I absolutely love this! Combing the ride with food stops special to those different farms! I’m not much of a cyclist but the thought of exploring those food stops would quickly get me on a bike!
Yes, I’ll agree with Darlene- I’m not a cyclist but you definitely make it sound fun! This looks like an awesome event.
We have a u-pick strawberry farm near us (they’re ripe in March here) but to be honest they’re not very good. I’m guessing the South Florida “soil” (i.e. sand) isn’t really conducive to delicious strawberries. Your description of incredibly sweet strawberries is making my mouth water!
Sounds like another fun Farm to Fork Fondo event!
Sidenote: I’ve been complaining the past 2 weeks that the strawberries I purchase haven’t been sweet, so I’m so jealous of the yummy ones you were able to get, lol.
These rides sound so fun! The headwind, though…not so much, LOL. I have found a few new-to-me rides I’m hoping to do this summer. The long miles aren’t too intimidating when you know there will be a few random stops along the route (usually at dive bars with good food) 😉
I’m glad to see you were able to get your farm fondo in this year. I did a bike event out that way many years ago and was not prepared for the hills or the headwinds. Looks like a nice day and nice route
I love these Fork Fondos!! Well done, that’s a nice speed, too!
If only we had biking events like this, I’d sign up immediately!
I get a sore bum too. But even worse is the neck/shoulder area. I think I need to get my bike adjusted, I’m sure that would help.
What a fun adventure! I love that you got some great meals there too. Food is very important! 🙂