Canandaigua, NY to Syracuse, NY
69.94 miles
Well I am glad we are out of Canandaigua not because its a bad town or anything. Its just I really have no idea how to pronounce the name when asked where we are or where we came from. For the first 30 miles or so I messed about riding with people sometimes, then stopping to take photos, and then riding alone until I caught back up again. Luckily the rain stayed off and I was comfortable without a jacket in the cool quiet Sunday morning mist. Sunday’s are great for cycling as the roads are quieter and people do seem to be in less of a rush to get places. The road was nice down to Seneca Lake which is one of the finger lakes in NY state. While riding with Rod and John we stopped to take a photo of lake from a higher viewpoint.
A little after as I was pedalling along I noticed an animal run across the road towards the lake. At first I thought it might be a beaver but was told that was unlikely and it might have been a ground hog, and it might have been a ground hog, and it might have been (have you got the joke yet?). I have no idea what it was but it stopped looked at me and then wandered off.
The towns in this neck of the woods generally look to be healthy but still you see quite a few businesses closed and I guess with the everyone’s desire for cheap goods over local crafts this trend will continue, and the likes of Amazon will rule the world of retail. Next we came upon what looked to be an interesting diner called Mac’s which said it was open on the sign. Unfortunately, it was closed when we passed so no chance for a coffee and photos.
Before our first and only SAG of the day at 39 miles, I was looking up at a pylon on noticed a huge nest on top. There was a similar nest on the next metal tower. When I looked at the third metal tower, I noticed someone was home so stopped to take a picture. I am not sure what he/she was but a bird of prey for sure as they flew to a tree nearby as I passed. Maybe an eagle?
I didn’t stop at the SAG for too many minutes because the ice cream stand was closed, as were the bathrooms which I wanted to check out. I knew there were storms behind us so didn’t want to tempt fate and get caught out in the bad weather today. From here on in I rode by myself. The road got a little more hilly but nothing like the hills we’ve done before. The scenery became a little more rural with the odd long view of hills in the distance. The rivers around here seem to be more rock based and often have waterfalls or slate type river beds which make them very photogenic.
Lastly we came upon Erie Canal Park. I gather it was a canal that had a lot to do with industrial progression back in the day, opening up areas of the country with new transport for goods. I wonder if back in the day they thought the canal was the great advancement and nothing could come along that was better, sort of like how some see the likes of Amazon. It was a very pretty area and many people seemed to be getting some enjoyment from being along the Canal.
After a few more miles I arrived at the hotel at the same time as Ken. I showered and then went off to Subway for some much needed food. You should try the wraps, especially the Chipotle Steak & Cheese on the tomato basil wrap. This may seem like a blatant plug but it isn’t because I have become quite addicted to them myself. When I got to the Subway Mark and Susan were already in and I believe others had also stopped from our group. Unfortunately I didn’t have my Subway shirt on so I could start a chat with the Sandwich Artist.
Finally I hope you all remember the box car ‘Dinor’ in Erie, and the two local guys who chatted with us while we were waiting for our table. Well one of them, Bob Englert, asked if we would be near Syracuse on the ride. When I said yes he told me to try the ‘Dinosaur BBQ’ restaurant as he thought it was the best. So Bob if you’re reading this, you were absolutely right. Thanks so much for pointing us in that direction. The ‘three amigos’ were game to try it out and with the touch of my iPhone a car (Uber) miraculously appeared and whisked us away to the ‘Dinosaur’. When we arrived it looked packed and I worried we would have too long a wait for the boys to hold out. However the twenty minute wait time was manageable especially with a cold beer to help. The BBQ was as great, just as Bob promised! We ate well, and with the magic of the iPhone low and behold another car appeared and carried us home.
All in all another great day. We avoided the storms that never came. We cycled on quiet Sunday roads on what seemed to be a shortish day of 70 miles. We ended the day relaxed in one of the best BBQ joints I’ve ever visited. Today’s hero is defiantly Bob Englert who I met in a Box Car Diner in Erie and who kindly pointed us to another wonderful meal in Syracuse.
Lastly I want to thank my sister-in-law Colleen for the kind words she wrote in her guest blog. Deirdre posted them as a surprise for me which was lovely. I just have to remind people that I am English and we English don’t do emotion very well! I’m trying to not too emotional before my ride into Boston, as I don’t want to ride through tears and risk an incident! Five days of cycling left!
Tomorrow another 70 miles to Herkimer and we hope some sunshine.
