Day 85: Finger Lakes

As I left the campground I started with the most beautiful ride along a country road. With this and yesterday's fruit stand recommendation that most of the cities weren't worth going out of the way for, I decided I'd skip Rochester and Syracuse and just enjoy some camping and riding. It was a good feeling and I was excited to return to some of my habits at the beginning of this trip. As I rode through Lima they were having a street festival so I stopped and talked to a couple nice people, ultimately deciding to support whatever local cause it was and buy a slice of pie. I had never had elderberry pie but it was an unfortunate reminder that not all home baked pies are delicious. Once back on the road I made my way up and down the rolling hills towards the Finger Lakes. The first I came across was Canandaigua Lake. I stopped on the waterfront and snacked with my feet in the cool lake, watching the party boaters swim and hop back and forth along the chain of connected boats out on the water. Part of me definitely longed for the friends and a lazy day on the lake so I didn't linger too long and got back on the bike.

I rode past Seneca Lake and Geneva and into Seneca Falls where numerous placards and monuments informed me that this is a pivotal city in the struggle for women's rights. I decided to check out the Natl Park visitor center in the morning to learn more about it. Once at camp I met my neighbors Brian, Brian, and Ray who were great to chat with. I fixed up some dinner obtained from cans in the convenience store, topped off with a pint of local Mint Chip, and headed back to their site to schmooze and enjoy their fire. The past couple days of talking with fellow campers has really made the nights and mornings very enjoyable and makes the cost of a campsite well worth it for the company.