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.

Day 84: Nice People in Upstate NY

As I was making breakfast I started chatting with the camper next to me and resumed our conversation from the night before. Dave is on a motorcycle and taking a five day trip through the Midwest so we shared stories of the road and such. He was a great start to the day and I'm hoping he takes me up on my tour guide offer when he bikes out to the west coast next year. I also talked with the family on the other side after the dad, Clint, came over. Every time little kids here about my trip they're always excited and I can't get over how great it makes me feel. Once on the road I headed to Buffalo along the Niagara River waterfront trail. I stumbled across Pearl Street Brewing and stopped in for lunch where I had a good hoagie and a tasty flight. Next I continued out through the suburbs which were pretty run down and so I just pushed along. At one point I needed a break and stopped at a fruit stand. They didn't sell individuals but the lady gave me a slightly bruised peach and I enjoyed the snack. Just a little while down the road I stopped for a rest since it was humid and in the mid '90s, and a woman came out with a few bottles of water which I thankfully devoured. It always amazes me how nice and generous so many people are, especially if they see they can help out.

I finally arrived at my campground in Leroy, which I found out is the birthplace of Jello! I made camp, cooked a splendid meal of couscous and chicken, and had a leisurely night.

Day 83: Century Through Niagara Falls

When Dan left for work I headed to a cafe to get a bite and wake up. It was then that I realized I had forgotten my phone charger in his living room but thankfully he and the landlord were able to coordinate with me and the landlord opened the room. Now I was ready to ride and hopefully make it back to the States. I back-tracked quite a bit until I came to the river with the stairs where I took another route to head to St. Catherine. I ended up riding the Waterfront Trail for a long time which was nice to be able to just follow arrows rather than pull out the phone or stop for directions. On and on I just kept pushing and keeping up a decent pace. Recently on long days my knees have been getting a little sore but usually I find that a change in seating position alleviates it so I just have to keep shifting. Finally I got into the city of Niagara Falls, ON and came upon a scene I had not at all expected. Before I could get to the gorge was a touristy area like SF's Pier 39 on crack. There were at least 2 wax museums, Ripley's Moving Theater, all sorts of souvenir shops and the standard restaurants like the Hard Rock Cafe, Rainforest Cafe, etc. I sped right through and got to the parkway along the falls gorge. The scene I came upon was spectacular in every way that word can be used. The railings lined the 165+ foot deep gorge and provided fantastic views of one of the most awesome displays of nature I've ever seen. Niagara Falls has more water plunge over its face every second than any other waterfall in the world, and being next to the clear blue water and hearing its power was truly inspiring. I strolled the parkway and felt the spray shooting up from the bottom of Horseshoe Falls and watched the more able tourists getting soaked on the catwalks far below. I asked a lady to take a picture of me and she asked how long I had been out and where from, etc. With so many people on the parkway I soon had 8-10 people crowded around asking questions about the trip, all very supportive and excited. It was probably the closest I'll ever get to celebrity and it was fun to share my own excitement for the trip with so many others.

After a bit I crossed the Rainbow Bridge to the US, passed through customs, and setup my camera for a Welcome to NY sign. I had already put the jorts on before the falls, but in order to complete Frank's challenge I'm supposed to take my jersey off. Normally this is not a big deal since I'm on the side of some highway with cars flying by. But this time there was a huge flow of slow moving cars coming out of customs and tons of people walking around. I paced back and forth a bit and after probably 10 minutes decided it wasn't going to get any easier and I was burning daylight, so off came my top. I got several weird looks and a couple cheers as I stood there waiting for the camera to snap, then sheepishly grinning I ran back to the bike and robed myself again.

After a convenience store stop and a ride upstream along the Niagara River I found the KOA on Grand Island, made some food, and caught up on emails and mapping now that I'm back in the land of cell service and easy routing. I knew it had been a long day and was confirmed of the fact when my odometer said 105.7 miles today. It was a day where I felt that, if I want to ride 100 miles I'll do it, plain and simple. I wanted to reach the US and spent the appropriate energy and effort to get it done. Days like these tend to make me feel like a machine in the good way of being able to crank out the miles without much hassle, but also in the bad way of feeling like I'm not stopping to enjoy the areas I speed through. I'm glad that over the next week I only need to average 65 miles per day. This will allow me to take my time and really soak up the last leg of this trip.

So Canada 'eh?

After spending about 6 days in Canada now I thought I'd share some observations in case you've never been. Canadian readers, feel free to comment if you think anything is unfair, I don't think anybody reads the comments anyway so complain all you want.

One of the more unfortunate aspects of Canada for a person who is burning thousands of calories is that the food is a bit more expensive. This isn't helped by their favorable exchange rate so I spent certainly more than I anticipated. Beer is also more expensive, with signs for happy hours advertising "only" $5 pints!

With regards to language, yes they do say "'eh" here and there, much the same way as I would say "oh yeah" or "really," and they all have a strong accent on the ou sound like about, without, etc. Besides those things and the fact that they spell "centre" wrong, pretty much everything else is the same, although every label is required to have both French as well as English.

Some random observations:
Milk is sold in bags not cartons, so you snip the corner of a bag and place it in an open top pitcher.
Still have payphones!
When paying for something, whether at a convenience store or restaurant or whatever, they bring a card reader to you and you swipe it. Rarely did the credit card leave my hands which was pretty comforting.
Most "washrooms" have hand driers, but unlike the US they don't also have paper towels. Save the paper, no other option.
I was surprised to see as many classic muscle cars as I did, such as Camaros, Mach 1s, etc.

They do have their impatient cabbies and guys that call you an asshole when they clearly stepped out right in front of your bike, but overall they are a friendly people and don't bite. Go visit, 'eh!

This picture has something for everyone on the trip, though thankfully the second shot is only for a small few.

Day 82: Waffle Bacon, Lounging, Friends

One of the things I dearly miss about home is having brunch with friends on the weekend. San Francisco does brunch really well and I was definitely ready for the experience again so I bummed around until Starving Artist opened and rode over. Nat took me here a couple years ago so I knew it was good and I was definitely hungry. I got a latte, Sammy Benny (eggs Benedict on mini waffles with salmon), and a Waffle Bacon (yes, it's waffles with bacon cooked into the middle). I enjoyed the patio and my food and decided to make it a relaxing day so I cruised down to Kensington Market. This is a funky neighborhood with lots of outdoor booths selling all kinds of food and goods. It would be a great day to just wander around and pick up a few things there, but being on the bike with all my gear (I'm changing sleeping quarters tonight so I have all my stuff), and not wanting to pack my bags with heavy souvenirs kind of killed my shopping spirit. Just as I was about to leave Dee stopped me and asked about my stuff. This is the positive to cruising around a city with panniers, it invites a lot of conversation. Dee is planning a multi-week tour through Cuba in the fall and riddled me with all sorts of questions about bikes, gear, costs, you name it. I was more than happy to share my experiences and recommendations since I could see her excitement for touring just gushing out of her and we had a fun time chatting.

Yesterday Nat had reminded me of the old photo booth at Steamwhistle which I missed so after Kensington I dropped in for a free sample and took photos, then headed over to the Distillery District. This area is a fantastic little neighborhood of shops in an old distillery that is made of brick. I wandered around a bit and happened to find a sake brewery! They have been there a year and a half and brew their own sake using just rice, water, and yeast. I was stunned at the different flavors they achieved and it was certainly the best sake I've ever had. My next stop was at Mill St Brewing for a flight and a mussel appetizer which were accompanied by some good Olympics on TV.

After hanging out a bit longer I decided to do my grocery shopping for the road tomorrow. While in the grocery store I became too hungry to wait, and seeing an opportunity to save a few bucks, cobbled together a dinner of iced tea, green beans, bell pepper, whole grain baguette with goat cheese, olive bar mix, and a dark chocolate bar for dessert. I took these items to a grassy spot on the waterfront of Lake Ontario, pulled out my Kindle, and began to snack. I stayed there for over two hours, munching and reading The Call of the Wild. When I got my Kindle (thanks Steph!) I checked out the free books and there were all sorts of classics I'd never read so I've been making my way through several of them. This book is fantastic and gets the blood pumping with excitement for more adventure, just what I need for the last leg of this trip. As I lay there I realized that this is one of the things I will really miss when the trip is over. I've been able to take most days at my own pace and it's been truly wonderful. Some days I push myself but even then I have time to relax, and the slower pace of life when it's just eating, sleeping, and living will be something I never forget.

But of course I couldn't just lay there all night so eventually I packed up and rode to the Victory Cafe to meet a couple of my sister's friends who I had met last time in TO. I had drinks with Alia, Jesse, and Dan and we had a good time catching up and chatting. When we'd had our fill Dan and I rode back to his place and watched a little South Park before I made myself comfortable on his couch. This has been yet another case where I've been lucky enough to either know or have a connection to somebody awesome who is more than happy to let a travelling bum use the couch. Thanks Dan, see you in CA soon!

Day 81: Brewery Tour, Exploring TO

I left with Alex around 8am and started my day with some cafe lounging and breakfast. Once I was fueled up I rode through the University of Toronto and saw some fantastic old buildings scattered through the downtown campus. This was followed by a stop in Chinatown to see the area and get some reasonably priced fresh fruit to top off the baked goods from the cafe. I lazed around, got some more food, then rode down to Steamwhistle Brewing for a 1:30 tour. I was here last time but didn't take the tour so I was looking forward to it. It cost $10 and included a bottle opener and bottle of beer to enjoy during the tour. As we started bottles were coming off the line and our guide grabbed us each one. Since they stamp them with the date and time bottled I was able to see that this pilsner was bottled 3 minutes before it hit my lips, probably the freshest commercial beer I'll ever enjoy! The tour was fun and ended up being great timing as there was a fierce thunder and lightning storm raging outside and I would have been soaked through on my bike. The tour finished and I killed some time trying to wait the rain out and met a Danish woman who had done some touring around Europe so we exchanged some recommendations of places to visit.

Eventually I decided that the rain wasn't going to quit so I journeyed out into what was now at least a sprinkle and rode to St. Lawrence Market. This is similar to the superb markets found in most great cities and I had a good time sampling the mustard and cheeses and getting the customary personal size custard pie.

Soon after I had finished I got a notice from Alex that he was getting off work early due to the storm so we met back at his place and headed out to Pizza Libretto which had been recommended to me earlier in the day. The pizza was fantastic and very traditional Napoli style. I realize it sounds like all I did was eat, and in a way that's what I felt like. But for better pleasure and worse finances my metabolism still burns strong several days after riding so it takes quite a bit to keep me sated.

We got back and caught up on some Olympic highlights which I was happy to do since it hasn't been easy following them at all while on the road. The whole internet issue has been amazingly frustrating and none of my phone's apps have been working here, even with Wi-Fi. I realize these are what Louis C.K. would call "first world problems" but I've gotten so used to being able to access email and such easily that it is frustrating to be in a major city, very close to the US, and not have any functionality. To top it off the Blogger app has been crap recently anyway so just getting a post up takes 30-45 minutes, let alone the time it takes to actually write them. Either way I'm still making the effort and hope you're still enjoying them! I'll do some more solo exploring tomorrow, definitely excited for another full day here!

Day 80: Pre-TO Steak and Beers

I had snacked and packed and was replacing my brake pads when Phil came by with a coffee. I thanked him and he strongly suggested I come over for a pre ride meal of good beers and some steak before I took off. I normally don't eat red meat but I couldn't say no to a free meal, especially one that will satisfy the belly as much as this would. I joined him and Emily as he readied the coals and started grilling them over the open fire. Emily played around and showed me her coloring skills while Phil and I shared a beer he had bought 3 years ago and had been aging. I almost felt guilty that he was drinking such a special beer with a near stranger but he was too nice about it and I couldn't refuse. The beers and steak were fantastic and we sat there talking about everything from biking to the local history to Canada's ongoing conflict with the natives. With Phil having native blood himself it was interesting to get his views on the history and such and I thoroughly enjoyed the company, conversation, and hospitality that he and Emily showed.

Unfortunately I had to leave at some point and noon was about the right time. I stopped at McDonald's to refresh my maps with the Wi-Fi and soon I was on the Hamilton to Brantford Rail Trail, headed for Toronto. This trail was about 26 km (yes I've started improving my metric fluency since being here) and was glorious. The path was mostly hard packed dirt and the wooded scenery along most of it was as beautiful as most I've seen on this trip. I would rank this trail third best in my travels so far, behind the Trail of the Coeur D'Alene and then Mickelson. I was happy riding along it until I got to the passing over a river that empties to Lake Ontario. Here I was informed I would have some stairs coming up, and wow did I. I've included a picture of the stairs but they climb another 3 flights out of view. Luckily they had a groove on the side that I could roll the bike in but it was still pushing the bike up a completely unnecessary incline.

Once past the stairs I made my way along the Waterfront Trail which is also the Trans-Canadian Trail in this area. The trail was really just a route, sometimes along a path but mostly on the road and I found myself taking Lakeshore Dr nearly the whole way into TO. At one stoplight I rolled up and planned on putting the right foot down, but just slightly leaned left, and then couldn't get my left foot out of the clip in time. It was similar to a large tree being felled. With so much weight on the bike it was a slow start but then I and the bike came down with a crash. A nice guy got out of his car next to me to see if I was okay and yes, everything was fine except my ego. It was the first time since Day 4 that I've fallen and it was embarrassing and my wrist was a little sore after. Other than that and a cracked plastic mirror in my toiletry bag everything was fine, fall being partially broken by the panniers. I kept moving and eventually got to Alex's apartment in the Annex district. Alex is the brother of my sister's great friend and he volunteered his couch on short notice so I'm very appreciative. I cleaned up and we went out to Caplansky's for their signature Smoked Meats sandwich which was quite tasty. We got beers and chatted on the ride back before settling for the night. I'm excited for the variety and culture of Toronto, a welcome change from much of the Midwest. I was here for a week two years ago and I'm looking forward to a couple familiar stops as well as some fresh sights in the next couple days.