Riding Across the Country

 We are making progress. Riding along Lake Erie has been nice. It's rural country sprinkled with vineyards, vacation camps and quaint, small towns. The roads are generally flat with rolling hills overlooking the massive lake.   Today was bound to be notable if only because I would be riding through two state borders. I had to reflect that I was finally leaving the grand state of New York. New York is big in so many ways. But I must admit I now have a whole new appreciation for the size of the Empire State. I have cycled 469 miles in the state of New York. To put it in perspective, my ride in New York will make up more than 10% of my entire ride across country. And I'm through it feeling healthy and good! I passed the border between New York and Pennsylvania in the small, unspectacular town of Ripley, New York. Yea! One happy camper! The border was a nice stop for Allane.  As she waited for me, she parked in the lot of a golf course.  There was a beautiful little pond...

 Steve started out at about 6:30 and rode for almost an hour to the Cozy Corners diner in Springville.  I joined him for a nice breakfast stop.  We tried "salt-rising bread" which was good, homemade bread, but apparently tricky to make. Steve had a straightforward ride west toward Lake Erie.   I decided to search out an unusual roadside attraction or two. What I found was a more southerly route taking me through the heart of Amish country.  It was sparsely populated countryside and farmland like yesterday, but with more green pastures.  I saw more horse and buggies than I saw cars.  Everyone gave a friendly wave as I passed by.  Loved the names of some of the roads:  Snake Run Road and E Flat Road for example.  Passing through a town called Cattaraugus, I saw a beautiful old brick Methodist Church.  Sadly, it was for sale....     I also drove on a short road in town that was made of red brick.  I loved seeing the Amis...

 Steve was up early and gone by 5:30am, heading mostly south today.  The weather was clear and warm early.  Allane decided to back track a bit and spent the morning at Highland Park in Rochester.  A lovely maze of trails covering hills topped by a reservoir, the park displays trees and flowers galore.  The magnolia trees and the chestnut trees were in bloom, as well as forests of azaleas and rhododendrons.  The lilacs were mostly gone by, but their fragrance lingered on the morning breeze.  I just wandered the paths, enjoying the cool quiet and the morning sun.  I saw robins, cardinals, a flicker, and some noisy brown thrashers (I think).  Steve called just as I was making my way back to the truck.  He had traveled 32 miles in 3 hours. Relief map of Highland Park, Rochester, NY Once I knew where he was, I set my GPS to find him.  Of course, by the time I reached the little eatery called Twilight Meadows, he was gone.  Unfortuna...

  Allane and Steve with the morning his before heading out on his first solo day. Giddy-up.. After Steve rode away, Mary and John packed up their camper while Allane packed the camping gear into the truck.  Breakfast awaited at a diner a short ride to the north.  We said our farewells, Mary and John heading for Niagara Falls and Longport.  I drove until I reached the shore of Lake Ontario and the turned west again.  I finally saw the scenery I had been expecting:  orchards as far as the eye could see, vineyards dotting the hillsides.  All the signs for local wineries were tempting, but Sunday morning was an inopportune time, unfortunately.  Lake Ontario Apples!   I left NorWin Campground with every intent to hit the Erie Canal Bike Trail. The proprietors of the campground said, "Oh, it's so easy to find the trailhead." Should have been a tip-off. Well, after stumbling around the small town of Lyons just south of the campground ...

John and I left the campground at ~06:30. Again, we enjoyed very favorable cycling weather. The route took us through the southern section of Syracuse and then the northern edges of the Finger Lakes. We cycled along the Erie Canal at a fairly easy clip on NY Rte 31 through such towns as Camillus, Weedsport, Montezuma, Savannah, and Clyde. It was largely flat, rural landscape with mega-farm swaths of turned soil recently planted. This is not the New York landscape most people think of when thinking of the Empire State.  It was in Clyde that we rested at a park with a statue of George Washington erected by the Sons of Italy in America. I'm not sure why they were commemorating Washington, but it was a very nice place for a rest on day that was getting hot. John Benziger resting under a very inviting tree in Washington in Clyde, NY After a restless night at Green Lakes State Park, due mostly to a group of campers who partied loudly until 2 am, but also in part to a faulty air mattress,...

I'm finding that getting out early is the way to go. The heat can make the ride seem much harder and if I can leave at ~06:00 then my ride can be over before the peak heat of the day.  John and I left Utica headed for Green Lake State Park a bit after 06:00. Our breakfast was a breakfast sandwich at a convenience store outside of Rome, NY. We were again hugging the Erie Canal Bike Trail as closely as we could.  We found that when the crushed cinder material was laid on a little heavy on the trail, the loose, almost soft sand texture made it very hard to cycle through, especially for John's thinner road bike tires.  We still stayed close to the Erie Canal. It made for good scenery and often protected, shady roads.   John and I had a sandwich near Oneida at a nice convenience store with seating and AC. We had a nice stop at a park in Chittenango.   John resting in Chittenango, NY We pulled into Green Lakes State Park in early afternoon. We even beat the ladies, bu...

Amsterdam was a wonderful and needed stop, if only for the laundromat. The Down Day (Day 11) was restful and fun. The town is old in architecture and culture. With Mary and John, we returned  to the great little Italian restaurant, Russo Grill, that had been in existence in one form or another since 1920. You walked in and felt the overflowing Italian hospitality and tradition oozing from the brick walls. Pictures filled the walls with memories of sons, cousins, families that had been a part of this town's and this country's history since its opening. Our second waitress, Anne, fit the bill exactly for the sincere mother wanting us to be fully satisfied with our Russo's experience.  Both Marie and Anne were rightly proud of their heritage and left us with a deeper feeling of gratitude for everything that makes up this crazy, multi-cultural country. Steve at the front of Russo's Grill in Amsterdam, NY The following day was a riding day! John and I left for the Erie Canal...

 What an interesting day! It was not meant to be a long day and, as it turned out, we were thankful for that. We started the day with the hunt for a breakfast diner. After several strikeouts - our initial choices closed - we found Sam's Diner, a small community eatery that was perfect. I have found that a good hearty breakfast is more than a necessity for me before riding.  Outside Sam's in Glens Falls, NY. We all got back to the motel only find that John had apparently lost his wallet. after check rooms and the van, John called Sam's and was told there was not a wallet inside the restaurant. UGH! Scurrying around, re-checking the room and the van John and Mary left for Sam's Diner in hopes that maybe it was somewhere. When they called, Kelly, the proprietor and head waitress, said she had found it outside where John had taken our photos. What a relief! With that crises averted, John and I pulled out of the motel and not more than four miles into our ride I had a flat t...