2-7-11
Picton to Westport

Sheila said this one was really fragrant and maybe nicotina?

We found a really nice Bed and Breakfast place in Westport. When we came out to take the bike into town for groceries, I found that the host had covered the bike. This is a really nice hundred year old house that they have refurbished for guests. When we got here we were invited by the host guy to come with him back up the road where we had come from to a Country Music festival that was being held. When we rode by we wondered what maybe fifty motorhomes, campers, and trailers were doing. It turns out that country music is very big here and actually there is a country music museum near by. The host plays electric bass and when we got to talking about instruments he said he plays a Fender bass. He had to run out to his garage and bring in a treasure… a 1956 Fender amp that he said was probably worth $4,000 that he got at a yard sale for $25. he was sure proud of that amp but said it was really best for a harp player.

From our room on the second floor looking down at a couple of fern trees in the yard. The yard is really neat with lots of garden veggies, chooks (chickens) and flowers.

I really like the old building around town. they had a major earthquake in 1929 and had to rebuild some of the buildings. I think that is why there are a lot of Art Deco style. it is a really nice little town and as Sheila commented to me, they have no Wall Mart so they have all the little shops still downtown. Well, that is common down here, lucky they have no Wall Marts but they do have a few Kmarts. I asked the host and he said that they have coal, fishing and there is a cement plant here and that is what keeps the town going. he said they get a few tourists but not many. 

Way cool house down the street from us.

We rode out to Foul Wind where it seems like a lot of necking and pot smoking is going on. It is set up as a light for the entrance to the harbor and remembrance for those that were lost at sea.

It is nice to see fishing boats eh?

A cat snuck in I see. 

That boat on the left is the President Kennedy.

We took a ride up north of town and I really liked it up there. There were a few old stretches of coast where there were little settlements of beach homes.

Milking goats.

There is a coal mine up the hill and they use these gondolas to bring it down where they load it into train cars. Sheila said she can smell coal being burned while we ride around town. It has been rather cold it seems and someone told her that it is really like November weather that they are having, Which is what, spring weather down here? anyway, cool and wet for sure. as you can see in this photo, the forest is almost like a jungle. 

I stopped at an old graveyard on the way back for a look around.