Day 260 Days End 6,904 miles

Laughing Gull “crossed her wake” today at Troy New York. We left August 4 of last year and its a bit unreal to have completed the loop. We're tied up to the dock at the Erie Canal Visitor Center across the Hudson from the boat ramp. Al will drive our truck and trailer over from NH tomorrow and pick us up. So now or soon the “how do you feel about it being over?” and “what will you do now?” questions have to be faced.

The second question is easier to answer. Libbey is anxious to reopen her studio (WhitefieldPottery.com) and resume throwing her lovely pots. Within a few weeks the boat will be spiffed up and maintenance brought up to date and Laughing Gull Boat Charters (lgboatcharters.com) will be taking bookings.

I'll also be looking for interesting and worthwhile projects at BigPineConsulting.com . I'm not opposed in theory to obscenely lucrative projects but have to admit I'm more experienced at interesting and worthwhile. Inquiries and leads are greatly appreciated.

The “how do you feel about having completed the loop?” question defies a simple answer. T.S. Elliot's quote:
“We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time."
comes to mind, if perhaps a bit convoluted and over dramatic for a Mainer. Certainly we're not done wandering, or coming home. We're really looking forward to reconnecting with family and friends and our favorite Maine haunts. We're also brainstorming our next expedition, possibly a long south/southwestern road/hiking/paddling trip next winter (suggestions welcome).

We'll put up a few more blog posts before ending. Trip stats, favorite gear/unsuccessful gear, and fitness afloat are possible topics. If any reader is considering a loop trip, we'd be glad to share more details or brainstorm if you'd like. Thanks for joining us on the loop.