Month: August 2011

RA83: Adirondacks Lakes

Posted on August 21, 2011February 10, 2012 by Rich

Thendara NY (Singing Waters RV Park) to Newcomb NY (Lake Harris campground) – 72.5 miles Nice evening of sleep last night. There was no grass at our campsite, so I learned that when you pitch your tent on the dirt in the rain, its floor is not only hard, but the tent bottom is really muddy when you go to roll it up. Ah the little things we learn. First thing out this morning a doe came prancing right in front of us across the highway. Just like ten feet away! We just stopped and admired her – it didn’t

RA82: More Superb Riding

Posted on August 20, 2011February 10, 2012 by Rich

Port Ontario NY to Thendara NY (Singing Waters RV Park) – 75.0 miles Jack and I considered breakfast in Port Ontario but instead rolled a few miles to Pulaski NY and found the Hometown Diner downtown for some good eats. Jack’s Belgian waffle with strawberries smelled especially good. By the way, you say it pull-ask’-eye. The riding weather was quite great today, starting out about 65F in the morning with only mild breezes. Healthy climbing met us squarely as we ascended away from the lake, and we then enjoyed 50-200 ft rollers over and over. We passed through small villages,

RA81: Along Lake Ontario

Posted on August 19, 2011February 10, 2012 by Rich

Sodus Point NY to Port Ontario, NY – 64.4 miles In Sodus Point NY Jack and I hit a place called the Hot Spot for breakfast, which may have been the only place in town serving. Decent food – the grits were my favorite. We then took off on the quiet streets and took in the beautiful coastal scenery created by the marina and Sodus Bay. As expected, we encountered much of the same rolling terrain as yesterday afternoon. Nothing overly steep or long but it kept the derailleur action lively. Jack says the landscape here is one he is

RA80: North to Lake Ontario

Posted on August 18, 2011February 10, 2012 by Rich

Holley NY to Sodus Point NY – 88.6 miles Out of the beautiful Holly NY campsite and back onto the AC route. Jack and I’d planned to meet up with the guys at the next town but, as usual, we rose slower and were about an hour behind them. In Brockport, we caught them just leaving Colleen’s Café (Jesse’s find) and raving about it, especially the French toast special. Jack and I both ended up ordering it. Great stuff, with 100% maple syrup from somewhere in New York. Add in excellent coffee. Colleen’s is a place with good atmosphere that

RA79: Along the Erie Canal

Posted on August 17, 2011February 10, 2012 by Rich

Niagara Falls NY to Holley NY – 67.8 miles Up and out of the KOA. I slept quite well – my earplugs seem well tuned to blocking out the freeway noise. But really, KOAs are no places for self contained campers. We only need 10 square feet of grass for our tiny tents, and that’s about it. It is always nice to have a source of water and a place for #2 within bike distance.. But you don’t need much more, in my humble opinion of course. North up and over the I190 bridge again. Jack and I dutifully walked

RA78: Niagara Falls!

Posted on August 16, 2011February 10, 2012 by Rich

Fort Erie Ontario to Niagara Falls NY – 33.0 miles Slowly I turned. Step by step. Inch by inch. Breakfast at a place called the M&J Drive In featuring broasted chicken. Doesn’t sound that great but in my mind it beats McDonalds or even Tim Horton’s hands down. And yes we had eggs and pancakes for breakfast, not broasted chicken. Jack, Jesse, and I started up the Niagara Recreational Trail together, but quickly separated due to different speeds and desires to stop. The trail took us along the edge of the Niagara River heading north, with Buffalo and the edge

RA77: Fantastic Riding

Posted on August 15, 2011February 10, 2012 by Rich

Port Dover Ontario to Fort Erie Ontario – 84.8 miles Despite some great-looking places along its streets, Jack and I reluctantly skipped breakfast in Port Dover in order to make some miles first today. The AC route started us out as usual through corn, soybean, and wind turbine fields on roads that generally hugged the coast. Past Nanticoke we ran into a tiny place called Floyd’s and decided to stop for breakfast. It was an isolated little building a block or two off the water, with only a handful of houses in the neighborhood and no other businesses. A young

RA76: Heavy Weather

Posted on August 14, 2011February 10, 2012 by Rich

Port Burwell Ontario to Port Dover Ontario – 45.7 miles I woke up several times last night to the moon filtering through the trees and onto my pillow. Does it get better? By 6AM big drops of rain, thunder, and lightning were our companions. I was forced out into it by nature. Drenched, I returned to my tent with the rains continuing steadily, so by 7:45AM I decided to start packing up no matter what, figuring, we’ll either pedal off or at least check into a motel. The camping rate at this park was practically the same as a motel

RA75: Lake Erie Beach Towns

Posted on August 13, 2011February 10, 2012 by Rich

Port Glasgow Ontario to Port Burwell Ontario – 62.4 miles The night on the beach had been fantastic. Isolated and ultra quiet, save for those sonorous insects and quiet waves. Around 11PM I peeked outside to see who was shining a light on my tent, and found only the moon, now exposed from behind some clouds. It glowed above the lake making a gorgeous reflection, which somehow just made me content. I awoke to Jesse’s stirrings – he sure likes to get up early. Around 7AM my mind told me to start rising but the rest of my body told

RA74: Lake Erie Beach Camping

Posted on August 12, 2011February 10, 2012 by Rich

Kingsville Ontario to Port Glasgow Ontario – 81.8 miles Up at 6:35AM, grudgingly. We’d told Jesse we’d meet him at 7AM for breakfast somewhere in town. Two places beckoned to be explored, two great old breakfast café places with stools in downtown Kingsville. But neither opened until 8AM. Another mile down the road brought us to Tim Horton’s, a Canadian favorite, but we nixed that for having a pastry-centric menu. Next door was the anti-restaurant (McD) which Jesse could not resist. Jack and I decided to ride 8 miles into the next town. We found Leamington Ontario and rode north