canastota, new york

Interesting. And it all happened right here in the small town of Clyde, New York.

 Day 52! 83.87 miles pedaled from Newark, New York to Canastota, New York. All of our riding was along the Erie Canalway Trail except for a few detours and a maze going through Syracuse. When we looked at the route on Strava, we were surprised at how direct our route was through this rather large New York city. We did good!

Our first stop was in Clyde. We stopped to fix a flat and, of course, it was raining. While in Clyde, I saw the train wreck sign (above) which caught my attention because of my love for trains. There seems to be a lot of train activity along the route we have taken all across America. I guess it's no different back home. I hear several trains sounding their horns on tracks near our home in Statham, Georgia. In Clyde, we were on a street that looked somewhat like a ghost town. Maybe it was because we were there pretty early in the morning but I tend to think we were in an unused part of the town. On the corner stood an old building which interested me. I would like to have a permit or license to explore old buildings like this, especially the attic areas. Who knows what I'd find! You do have to admit, it's a building looking like it's full of stories and, maybe, mystery. Down the street, to the left, we could see can entire street of empty-looking storefronts. Probably once a busy street and now every store looks empty and lifeless. I need some stories here!

When we arrived in Camillus, New York, the center of the Erie Canalway Trail, we found the Erie Canal Park Steam Engine Exhibit. We soon met Jim, who knew all about the steam engine on display. He told us how it ran, how it was used and why, where a steam engine was located in a large building, and how it pumped water to floors high in a tall building while, at the same time, generating electrical power for the building as well. After giving us the steam engine tour and information, Jim started and ran the very large steam engine. The huge wheel that seems to be a flywheel is eleven feet in diameter and weighs in at seven and a half tons. Nevertheless, Jim started turning the huge wheel and soon the steam engine was running. The surprise, to me, was that the engine was making no noise. I suppose silence for a steam engine located in the basement of a large department store or tall apartment building would have been a must. It was well worth the time to make this stop today. Thank you, Jim.

Well . . . we now have a total of 3,193.91 miles pedaled through almost eleven states. That's a lot of pedaling but it's been worth it. Some days are tougher than others. Some days are longer than others, but the finish will make the days worthwhile. We have sixty miles to pedal tomorrow and eighty miles on Friday. We have approximately 520 miles to go. In two days then, we will be down to around 380 miles and we'll be dipping our front tires in the Atlantic Ocean at Rockport, Maine. 

Saturday is our last rest day and it's much needed for rest and recovery as well as some reorganization of bags, bikes, and paraphernalia in the vehicles for the ride home. I think we'll be doing a day or two of sightseeing in Maine and then heading down the road. Thus far it's been an amazing journey and full of surprises and adventure. We've enjoyed God's incredible handiwork.

The heavens declare the glory of God;

    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

2 

Day after day they pour forth speech;

    night after night they reveal knowledge.

3 

They have no speech, they use no words;

    no sound is heard from them.

4 

Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,

    their words to the ends of the world.

God is good!

America . . . I love you.

newark, new york

RV&E Bike & Skate in Fairport, New York

 This will probably be a quick blog post. I am so tired and I may fall asleep doing this. Maybe it's because I just had a great supper at the SnackWagon. I don't know, but somethings has me ready for some major sleep. ZZZZZZZZ.

We pedaled 54.77 miles from Brockport, New York to Newark, New York. (Not New Jersey!) All of our pedaling was, once again, on the Erie Canalway Trail. For most of the ride we were right next to the Canal so we had a flat ride with headwind again. The surface was asphalt for a small part of the way. The rest was on crushed limestone but wasn't bad at all.

It seems like every other town along the canalway ends with the word port. We stayed in Brockport, pedaled through Spenceport, Lockport, and Rockport. I'm sure there are more and I'm also sure they were, in the past, and maybe still are, ports along the canal where goods are shipped in and out.

We stopped in Spenceport to watch a lift bridge in action. A boat coming through the canal signals the bridge-keeper with three toots of the horn and then the bridge-keeper, who stays at the bridge all day, raises the bridge so the boat can pass under and then lowers the bridge for vehicle traffic. On the canal, we saw some good size boats, a barge, some small boats and kayaks, and two rowing teams out for some time of practice. Ducks and geese are in abundance by the canal, beside the canal, and on the trail path. We did have several detours as we pedaled today but they were well-marked and easy to pedal.

In Fairport, we ate lunch in the SnackWagon. We also visited RV&E Bike & Skate, a very good bike shop near the trail. The guys there were very friendly and helpful. Phil's front wheel on the bike he was riding today was way out of alignment and crooked. The guys at the shop repaired his wheel and replaced a broken part on his derailleur. They did all that while we ate lunch. Back at the shop we bought some needed items and talked with Ian and Phil (shop guys) about our ride from coast to coast. Of course, they both said they would like to do the cross-country ride sometime. It was a good visit at a great bike shop and if I lived in Fairport it would, for sure, be my bike shop: neat shop, great service, friendly staff, and good prices, based on Phil's service and the prices of items we purchased.

I'm going to quit this blog right now and head to bed. Tomorrow's got some questions about what we'll be doing. I'm sure we'll work them out before we depart, hopefully early in the morning. What comes to my mind at this time is the invitation from Jesus in Matthew 11:28, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." I'm accepting that invitation and going to bed. I've had a good day and am now 54 miles closer to Maine. Tomorrow, Lord willing, we'll do away with another eighty miles. To do that, I'm going to bed an hour earlier than usual. (Need my beauty sleep.)

See ya in the morning. Rested and ready to pedal.

"In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety." (Psalm 4:8)

Day 51 - 3,110.04/approximately 604 miles to go

brockport, new york

The Erie Canalway Trail in New York. Great Trail!

 We are over 3,000 and under 700! Our miles pedaled are now at 3,055.27 and we have approximately 659 miles to the ocean! We pedaled 71.48 miles from Buffalo, New York to Brockport, New York. We did have headwinds today, all the way, all day! But we made it and we are tired. Sarah, Barry, Phil and I left from the beginning of the Erie Canalway Trail at the Erie County Towpath Park in Buffalo where several drug deals were going down in cars nearby. We did pedal quickly and removed ourselves from the area ASAP! It didn't seem to be the best place in town to be hanging out.

The trail was paved for about the first fifteen miles or so and then became crushed gravel. The gravel wasn't too bad to ride on although it did require some major bike washing at a nearby car wash when we finally got to Brockport. Because the car wash was almost right next to a Dunkin' Donuts, we decided a donut or two would add additional power and pedaling strength to our riding tomorrow. I'm sure that's true.

The biggest obstacles on this ride were the Canada Geese. They must think this is their trail and that we don't belong anywhere on it. They simply plop down on the trail and dare you to ride through. I found that the best way to make it through is just to head straight for the ones in the way. Sometimes it's like an old-fashioned game of Chicken to see who moves first. I just want you to know that I won every challenge. The geese had their hissy-fits and I'm sure their geese language was not very kind as they flapped away in panic and turned to hiss a few censored goose words back at me.

The other obstacle between us and Brockport was the little, well not very little, piles the geese deposit onto the trail surface. Try as hard as we did, we simply could not miss all the piles. It was very much like a game that you will surely lose every time. But that game had several consequences which were not very pleasant. Most of our bikes have no fenders so whatever we run through or run over is often distributed in various directions. What we run over ends up on the backs of our clothes, on our bikes or the biker following, or on your bicycle wheels and frames. That's all I'm gonna say, except these piles also contributed to the need for the bike washes . . . and laundry . . . and showers.

It has been a good day. The headwinds made the 71 miles seem more like 101 miles but the ride is finished and tomorrow we only have to pedal 54 miles. How 'bout that! I always like it when a short day shows up on the schedule. If we begin early and finish by lunch time, it's almost like a rest day. We should be finished with the Erie Canalway Trail on Friday or Saturday. We'll then be close to Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

The goose piles remind me of something I heard Barry Milliner say to Phil yesterday. They were talking about how we often hit obstacles on the road as we pedal and Barry said, "If you look at something, you're going to hit it." Same is true in other areas of life, as well. Think about that for a minute or two. Your focus will become your life. 

Our pastor is preaching through the book of Hebrews and he just finished chapter seven. Along this journey through Hebrews, he has often said that all of Hebrews is wrapped up, or summed up, in chapter 12, verse 2, first three words, "Looking unto Jesus." That's where our focus needs to be . . . a target worth hitting dead center.

Look to Jesus.

The Harriet H. Wiles canal boat. I don't know who she is, or was, but she's got a pretty cool boat named after her.

Just so you'll know . . . I just checked this boat out and it is one of a fleet owned by the Wiles family and named after a family member as are all of their boats. This is a house boat and can be rented for private and personal use.

buffalo, new york

We're goin' ta Maine!

 This was a fun day of riding. We pedaled in some sort of dampness all 35.02 miles from Dunkirk, New York to Buffalo, New York. Tomorrow we begin riding the Erie Canalway Trail to Albany. Once again, I'm looking forward to the trail. We'll have four riders tomorrow: Sarah, Barry, Phil, and me.

On the ride today, we saw some pretty interesting signs that were photo-worthy. One was the ENTERING SENECA NATION OF INDIANS TERRITORY, Onondowa'ga:' Honoeja:de. I'm sure the last part of that sign is in Seneca language. I'd like to hear it pronounced. (Phonetics doesn't work.) The other sign was TOASTED HOG, BURRITOS, ICE CREAM & MORE. Burritos and ice cream just don't seem to go together. It would be interesting to stop at all of these places just to find out more about the food.

Right after entering Buffalo, I had my eighth flat of the journey. I guess that's not too bad for almost 3,000 miles of pedaling but I'd gladly do with less. Phil and I now have eleven flats to our list of accomplishments for this trip. We may have more. At this point, we just don't know. If we have more, we'll just patch or replace tubes, and pedal on. We're goin' ta Maine!

Just for the record, I had my ninth flat in front of the Ford Stamping Plant at Buffalo. For you trivia folks, I checked Wickipedia and here's what I found: 

The plant is located on an 88-acre (360,000 m²) site at the Eastern end of Lake Erie near the city of Buffalo, New York. The facility processes over 1,700 tons of steel each day and ships an average of 100 rail cars of parts manufactured daily. During the year, over 425,000 tons of steel are received for manufacturing at the facility. The facility has 20 major press stamping lines that include several transfer presses which include some of the world's largest. One of those large transfer presses is the Schuler. This press is 162 feet (49 m) long, 49 feet (15 m) high from the basement to the top of the crown and weights in excess of 7,000,000 pounds. 

Buffalo Stamping supplies components to two Ford Motor Company assembly plants: Oakville Assembly which assembles the Ford Edge, and Lincoln MKX, and the Kentucky Truck Plant.

I just had a pretty serious nap and I'm almost awake. So this is a good time to get my blog done for the day. I may add more this evening since Barry mentioned a good ice cream place near the motel. I still have a yearning for a banana split. I'm talking about the whole banana, chocolate ice cream, vanilla ice cream, strawberry ice cream, pineapple, strawberries, chocolate syrup, whipped cream, and a cherry. I will have one before or right after this journey is finished. (I may reschedule the ice cream since Margaret just walked in the door with Ben & Jerry's chocolate peanut butter ice cream.)

Before my nap, we ate lunch at Rock Stuffed Burgers in nearby Cheektowaga. Here's just a sampling of some of the stuffed burgers from the menu:

"The Observation Deck" The bun is topped with red sauce, mozzarella, and pepperoni. The burger is stuffed with mozzarella & topped with mozzarella, grated parmasan & oregano.

"Oh-My-Oreo" stuffed with oreo cookies topped with bacon and frosting.

"The Dorito Torch" stuffed with cheese and original Doritos topped with cheese, spicy seasoning, Bison dip & Frank's.

"The Dorito Explosion" stuffed with cheese and cool ranch Doritos topped with cheese, ranch seasoning, Bison dip & Frank's.

"The Reese's Extreme" stuffed with Reese's peanut butter cup topped with cheddar, bacon, and strawberry spread.

"The Fruity Pebble" stuffed with cheese topped with cheddar, fruity pebbles & frosting.

I'm not making this stuff up. It's for real! Oh . . . as we were leaving, a family of seven came in, five boys and parents. I can't imagine what their order looked like!

OK, let's get back to the ride across America. We are now using Map 10 of a set of eleven maps. We are  also on fold nine of a map with ten folds. We should finish the Erie Canalway Trail on or before 16 July and finish the ride across America around 22-23 July. That simply means we are close. The map above shows Buffalo, New York and Rockport, Maine which is in the circle on the coast. Keep following us for up-to-date information. And, please keep praying for us as we pedal. We sure do appreciate it very much. I've also enjoyed the notes from folks all over the country. They have been fuel for the heart and soul. They've been dessert for the days. Thanks again.

"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."  (Philippians 1:3-6)

2,983.79/approximately 731 miles to go!

dunkirk, new york

And now there are four!

UNDER 800! 

After a 60.99 mile ride, today, we are now in Dunkirk, New York. Four more states to go, one is wide and three are skinny. Look out Atlantic! We were blessed with wide and smooth shoulders and minimal traffic for a Saturday. And . . . our mileage stands at (drum roll please) 2,948.77/approximately 766 miles to go! Tomorrow, our total mileage should go over 3,000 miles and the day after, our miles to go should drop to under 700! 

I found a Pennsylvania license plate but not along the road where I usually find them. I stopped at a garage sale! I don't think I've ever been to a garage sale where I've found a license plate for sale. But . . . anyone who has a garage usually has a license plate or two hanging on a nail on a wall. I met Michelle, told her I was looking for a Pennsylvania license plate and told her why, she looked at a wall where there were quite a few license plates hanging on quite a few nails, and told me she did have one . . . or two. She took several off of the wall and said, "Would you like a truck, trailer, or car tag?" I picked the car tag and she told me, "No charge." Thank you for the tag, Michelle. Your kindness and generosity made my morning.

We pedaled out of Pennsylvania through some beautiful farming country including vineyards that look like we could be somewhere in Italy. Somewhere near Orchard Beach we were joined by Sarah, Barry, and Geneva. (For those of you who don't know, Sarah is our daughter, Barry is her husband, and Geneva is Barry's mom.) Sarah and Barry pedaled with us for the rest of the day. Tomorrow we head to the Erie Canalway Trail near Buffalo. From there we will be on the trail for about 300 miles to Albany. Here is the online information from the trail's website:

The Erie Canalway Trail follows the Erie Canal, which opened in 1825. At the time of the canal's construction, railroads were just coming into vogue. The Mohawk and Hudson, New York’s first railroad, opened in 1831 and ran from Albany to Schenectady. At first, the railroads were seen as competition for the precious canal, so the state’s lawmakers only permitted trains to carry freight during the winter when the canal was closed. But this restriction was soon lifted and, by the late 1800s, trains had clearly won the battle of transportation supremacy. Today, about a third of the Erie Canalway Trail (more than 100 miles) is built on these former railways, largely consisting of the West Shore Line on the trail’s eastern end.

As most of the trail follows these canal and rail corridors, it is nearly level with an average grade of 1 percent. A few steeper grades and hill climbs can be found in the Mohawk Valley section on the trail's eastern half. Large sections of the trail are surfaced in stone dust from crushed limestone; however, some stone dust sections are being converted to asphalt paving. A range of bike types can be used effectively on the trail, including mountain and hybrid bikes, as well as road bikes equipped with wider tires (28 mm or more recommended). The two longest paved sections are at either end of the trail: from Albany to Schoharie Crossing and from Buffalo to Pendleton.

I haven't mentioned anything about my notes of encouragement lately but I'm still reading one or two a day and it looks like they will last until we finish at the Atlantic Ocean. I plan to, near the end of the journey, doing a blog listing the names of everyone who texted, emailed, wrote, and doodled words that were encouraging, funny, and very special. Thank you for all the kindness.

"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is never wasted."  -Aesop

"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget the way you made them feel."  -Maya Angelou

"In a world where you can be anything, be kind."

"Kindness is more than deeds. It is an attitude, an expression, a look, a touch, It is anything that lifts another person."  -Plato

"A great man shows his greatness by the way he treats little people."

"Kind words are like honey--sweet to the soul and healthy for the body."  --Proverbs 16:24

"Be kind and tender to one another. Forgive each other, just as God forgave you because of what Christ has done." --Ephesians 4:32 

The more kindness you give away, the more you'll have. Be kind.

One cool barn.

fairview, pennsylvania

 Pennsylvania - Lots of History here.

Once again we pedaled along Lake Erie from Conneaut, Ohio to Fairview, Pennsylvania. We only pedaled eighteen miles so the ride was short and sweet. The shoulders, once we got into Pennsylvania, were smooth and about three to four feet wide which made for nice riding. The scenery was all farmland and, after a roadside lunch, we stopped at Mason Farms Roadside Market on Route 5 as we headed toward Fairview. We even went into the fields to pick black raspberries and strawberries. 

Pennsylvania is my state of birth. I was born in the York Hospital in York, Pennsylvania. I grew up in Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania and lived in and around there until I enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1962. From that time until now I've lived in Texas, Colorado, Ohio, Virginia, Florida, and now, Georgia. Even after all those moves, Pennsylvania is still home. We will only be here for a short time. Tomorrow we'll ride into New York and the next day we will head to Buffalo. Then on Monday we will begin the Erie Canal Trail for a ride almost all the way across New York. We are closing in on the target! Look out Maine. 

William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, was also very instrumental in the founding of America as well. Here are some of his thoughts:

"Men must be governed by God or they will be ruled by tyrants."

"Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it."

"I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness or abilities that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer it or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."

"Time is what we want most, but what we use worst."

"Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God."

 "In the rush and noise of life, as you have intervals, step home within yourselves and be still. Wait upon God, and feel His good presence; this will carry you evenly through your day's business."

"No pain, no palm; no thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown."

"Love is the hardest lesson in Christianity; but, for that reason, it should be most our care to learn it."

And . . .  from the Bible, "Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." (John 13:35)

Love God, love people.

Day 47 - 2,887.78/approximately 827 miles to go!

We were told not to eat more than we pick! Hmmm.

conneaut, ohio

 UNDER 900! 2,869.72/approximately 845 To Go!

Our ride today was 60.10 miles from Mentor, Ohio to Conneaut, Ohio. Most of the ride was very close to Lake Erie. The shoulders were very narrow, the wind was with us, and traffic was, once again, very kind. And . . . we had a good bit of rain. It still was a good riding day and we are sixty miles closer to the finish line. Oh, we did find a couple of cool bike trails. That's about it for the day. Not much to write about today but some days are just like that.

I am looking forward to the days ahead and our finish in Maine. Some highlights to brighten the days ahead include:

Tomorrow we go into Pennsylvania, my home state. I always like getting home even when it's hundreds of miles away from where I grew up. To all my Pennsylvania family, friends, and classmates, I'm saying hi and thinking of you.

Sarah, Barry, and Geneva will meet us Saturday in Orchard Beach, Pennsylvania. Sarah and Barry plan to pedal the Erie Canal Trail from Buffalo to Albany, New York. (For those who don't know us, Sarah is our older daughter, Barry is her husband, and Geneva is Barry's mom.)

We should be finished with the Erie Canal Trail by Saturday, 16 July. The trail is approximately 365 miles, flat, and without rumble strips and traffic. The ride from Buffalo to Albany, New York will take a good sized chunk out of our remaining miles. It will be a nice break too. And . . . it will also be a ride down History Lane. From the Erie Canal Trail we will go to Ticonderoga and pedal to Rockport, Miane using the Adventure Cycling trail maps.

In Vermont, we may get to visit with some great friends of ours, Mitch and Sara Kimbrell and their children.  We know Mitch and Sara from our church family in Bogart, Georgia. I sure hope we get to pull this off. I know it would be a special time.

Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine are not wide states. All cyclists I know love skinny states! Of course two of these skinny states will present us with some Green and White Mountain climbs. We'll get over them!

The traditional front tire dip in the water of the Atlantic Ocean. It will be picture time for sure. I'm excited that Phil and Gale get to experience this time of travel but the finish is worth the whole trip. There's something about it that is bittersweet. Sure it will be great and exciting to finish but it will also be sad that it's over. We'll wash our bikes and probably celebrate with something like a banana split or hot fudge sundae . . . something healthy. Then we'll begin to meander home.

The people we'll meet and the food that we'll eat. We still have over eight hundred miles worth of people to meet and talk with and food in the Mom & Pop eateries. Some my favorites thus far have been fish & chips, burgers & fries, and onion rings. (I don't think I've lost any weight.)

I'm looking forward to not packing and unpacking the Explorer every day. For the trip home, Margaret and I will pack and use a travel bag with only what we need for the nights on the road. Everything else will be packed neatly in the Explorer. I used the word neatly because, right now, the back of our Explorer looks kind of like a county landfill. We know where everything is but it still looks like county landfill!

But since we still have about two weeks of pedaling to go we'll pedal one mile at a time, stop and take pictures, eat snacks, and enjoy the ride. The quiet times on the bikes make every day a great time to hang out with the Father. God is good. 

The joy of the Lord is my strength.

Just so you'll know, GOTL stands for Geneva On The Lake. We pedaled through GOTL today. Neat little community.