String of Friends

(Ruins of dry docks for canal boats) Just a quick note to stay I'm safely in Ilion, NY right next door to Herkimer for you Phinney Ridge coffee people. It was a long, beautiful, and uneventful day. 

Static map: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/414915576?privacy_code=dBfxgnbH9NOG2gdCRYWwBjE0djw4LM7E Animated map: https://www.relive.com/view/v7O9z5LWRL6 I found my people. Compared to anyplace else along this trip, there are a ton of cyclists. Doing the Erie Canal is a thing. It’s beautiful, flat, and there are plenty of options to spend the night. I am sitting at Community Coffee and Cafe in Lyon. It’s 9:23 am. My tent is drying on the railing in from of the cafe after a dry, but dewy night. The folks here are super friendly, living up to the community in the name. (Me, Charlie, and Audrey) I had a long dinner with Doug, Tom, and Jack, fellow cyclists I met along the way. Doug is 79 and did 86 miles yesterday. He is staying in hotels because he’s not a camper. Ted and Jake are from Albany and heading west to Buffalo. They camped at the Newark Locks with me.  The day began in Brockport after a dew-free night. I thought briefly about cooking my own breakfast, ...

Days of beautiful scenery, progress, new friends, mishaps, and road angels. I'm in Syracuse, but will turn in early after a day of adventures. I'll try to catch up tomorrow. Good night 

Static map: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/414666592?privacy_code=Keec1mWeINi9SXguJUgi50YqaMj7guK9 Animated map:  https://www.relive.com/view/vMq5zjXQr8v Restarting after a rest day is always exciting. I felt great after two good nights of sleep. But first things first, baked goods. I graded over to Five Points Bakery for the cinnamon roll bread pudding and a latte. Breakfast of champions!  I was on the road by 8:30. I had to retrace my route into Buffalo for a couple of miles, but soon I was back at the eastern end of the I-190 bridge to Grand Island, but this time I headed north to Tonawanda. In what would be a theme for the day, the wind blew in my face. It would be headwinds the whole day. New York doesn't want me to leave! Nor did eastern Ontario. (Abandoned section of canal) The way wound around the eastern shore of the Niagara River. It was 11 miles, but felt longer with the wind. I found a historic marker for the historic Erie Canal. The current ...

Static map: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/414211016?privacy_code=ZSWzu5krcoMSa5OScCZoC27bTAHBaa6h Animated map: https://www.relive.com/view/vMq5zj7w8Qv Punchy, I let my pedal crunch into the gravel on the side of the bike path on a tight turn, causing the bike to wobble and a near fall. My brain was foggy as the Niagara Falls overlook where I’d been two hours before. Six days of riding is about my limit. I earned this rest day in Buffalo. I am ensconced at the Five Points Bakery now. (Side note: the Bills are like Lil’ Sebastian from Parks and Rec. Everyone, EVERYONE loves the Bills in Buffalo. I’ve ridden by more than one house flying a rainbow intersectional flag and a Bills flag. Do not insult the Bills in Buffalo!) The day got started with a pleasantly dry tent. We are past the days of dew. I had no way to heat water because as readers of yesterday’s entry will know, the striker on my stove has struck its last. I had no lighter or matches. Breakfast was crackers, baby c...

Static map: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/413926333?privacy_code=vGHHFWOPjZoGdblMECUqXGAaeYQZDPNj Animated map:  https://www.relive.com/view/vMq5zEZVEQv I finally had a leisurely soak in Lake Erie at the end of a leisurely ride to Rock Point Provincial Park. It was a perfect cycling day as long as you didn’t care about going fast because there was a headwind the entire day. It was the sort of day where you can bike in the sun all day without feeling cold and without breaking a sweat. It started with a leisurely morning in the cabin. Heather invited me to have breakfast up an the main house. She doesn’t wake until 8:00 am. I didn’t text her until 8:30. I was able to finish the blog post that I couldn’t last night because my eyes wouldn’t stay open. I checked email, did NYT games, and generally dinked around.  The weather had totally changed. Soft, September sunshine appeared out the windows. When I popped the door it was warm, but with a crispness that meant fall is...