121 miles and 3780 feet of climbing. Day 30 is in the record book as we cruise on towards the Atlantic. We followed Route 5/20 as we skirted the Finger Lake Region, Seneca Lake, segments of the Erie Canal and Syracuse. It was a very picturesque ride with rolling hills and expansive vistas. We cruised through numerous small towns that were founded in the late 1700’s/early 1800’s. It was a very interesting area. The Erie Canal is quite an intriguing engineering marvel. I would like to come back here and learn more about it. I talked to a guy who says that you can rent barges/house boats for extended trips. I might have to put that on the list. The weather was in the mid 70’s, clear skies and 15 – 20 mph out of the South. The winds always seem to be a factor on this trip. Though it was at our side it still takes its toll on you physically as you have to focus to keep from being blown into traffic. Fortunately, most roads in NY have a good 8 foot paved shoulder. I was on the bike at 7:00 a.m. and arrived in Liverpool at 3:30 p.m. I tried to take it slow and easy as the next 3 days are going to be quite intense. I am feeling healthy, but very tired. The morning alarm clock is getting to be quite annoying.
We had a near tragedy this a.m. when one of our riders was hit by a car. A car entering the highway from the right did not see him as he was going by. He was struck on the side, knocked off his bike, etc.. He was transported to the hospital and at our meeting tonight they reported that he had no serious injuries and plans to rejoin us tomorrow. Of course that is contingent on his being able to find a new bike as his was really busted up. This was quite a sobering event for all of us.
The fund raising for Special Olympics, Region 9 has been going very well. As of today we have raised $7789. I am quite confident that we will/can exceed $8500. So if you know of someone who has not yet made a donation send this link to them: http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/jaycrane/jay-cranes-fundraising
Tomorrow we press on to Amersterdam, NY. Only 3 days left!!
Here is a pic of the Erie Canal.
Can't believe you only have 3 more days of riding. I have so many more things on my list I don't know if I can get them all done in 3 days. If I don't I might be a few days late picking you up from the airport. You could hang out at the coney island and have a few dogs while you wait. Just remember to drink from the can not the glass!
ReplyDeleteLeisa