Nomad Life - Day 11

This morning, I woke up rested and ready for a new work week.  After waking up early, I was online by 0600 and had time for some reading, puzzles and Duolingo before the rest of my colleagues joined me.  I also took a short break to walk across the street from the Motel 6 to get breakfast (Sausage McMuffins) at McDonalds (0720).  Instead of going to lunch, I worked through the mid-day (snacking occasionally) so I could wrap up my telework by 1500.  At that point, I got geared up for a walk on the Seacoast Greenway (nearby) and departed the Motel 6.  It was VERY warm (high 80s) and this deterred me from immediately heading to the hiking trail I'd wanted to visit.  Instead, I stopped to pick up an early dinner (half turkey sandwich and half macaroni & cheese) at Panera (1530) and ate in the restaurant.  By 1600, I drove to I-95 and crossed the Piscataqua River into Maine.  Strangely, I determined recently that I'd not visited the state in two years - and this after many years of hiking the AT there.  So, it felt good to be back, even if I was not as familiar with this part of the state.  I checked out some minor landmarks under the Interstate bridge and then made my way through the town of Kittery to the entrance of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.  I'd always thought that this base was in New Hampshire but is is only accessible by car from Maine and falls within that state's borders.  I didn't have any trouble getting on post but the strange road layout made finding anything quite difficult.  Eventually, I stumbled across the Sound Basin Marina (full of boats) - it was located on the southeastern corner of the island and was connected to tiny Clarks Island by a jetty.  Parking near the marina entrance, I explored the area and talked to one boater (I presume he was a retired CPO, based on some comments he made) about landmarks that were visible nearby.  The place was crowded with seabirds of all kinds and the nearby channel (which I later learned was still the Piscataqua River) was full of myriad watercraft.  The breeze off the water made walking a bit better than I'd expected and I marveled at several good views of the Maine and New Hampshire coastline (both sides of the island on which the Base was located).  I explored the historic old prison and learned some more about early New Hampshire history: Portsmouth began its days as "Strawbery Banke" in the 1630s.  After nearly an hour of exploring, I went in search of the USS Thresher Memorial Roundabout (and even risked my life to cross through traffic on foot) to learn that it was just two signs of granite.  During this drive, though, I was impressed by all the businesses (pubs, restaurants, breweries, outlets) I found that seemed like they'd be interesting to visit.  Feeling like it was a good time for a drink (still hot and plenty of daylight left), I drove a short distance north on US-1 to the Definitive Brewing Company Tasting Room.  Unfortunately, I arrived just after they'd ended their happy hour (1700).  Undeterred, I ordered a flight of four beers (all made at their main location in Portland) - they were pretty good!  The bartender lady (rather young) was very nice and told me the history of the Brewery.  After about 30 minutes, I departed for New Hampshire; I crossed on the US-1 drawbridge and narrowly missed getting caught as the bridge opened just after I passed the middle.  As I descended the span, I noticed a beached submarine and decided to stop.  The USS Albacore was easy to access, although you'd need a ticket to get inside the museum and ship and those were closed for the day.  Next, I drove through Portsmouth in search for the parking lot for the northern end of the New Hampshire Seacoast Greenway.  After parking on a tiny dirt pad next to Barberry Street, I found my way onto the nearly straight cinder pathway that, apparently, will eventually connect this terminus with the Seabrook-Salisbury Connector and Seabrook Rail Trail that I walked the previous day (roughly about 14 miles of rail trail overall).  The project of completing the entire trail system appears to require another 10 years of construction.  Unfortunately, I can't wait for them... Between 1750 and 1920, I walked two miles south (to the crossing of Banfield Road) and back - earning me another four miles for the New Hampshire Rail Trails Challenge.  For a lot of this time, I joined my Knights of Columbus Council meeting via Zoom).  Overall, this walk was quite pleasant and not nearly as warm as it might have been if I tried it earlier in the day...  Returning to my car, I drove back to the Motel 6 and wound down my day with some reading, Duolingo and blogging.  Wanting to watch some movies, I managed to figure out how to connect my tablet to the TV and then accessed my streaming services.  Bed time was at 2230.  Nomad Life is good!