The day started off like so many others before it - breakfast, load, ride!
When we came to Canastota we had another chance to ride alongside the Erie Canal.
Your overall speed drops but there's no car traffic and it's pretty!
We continued to pass through a number of small towns. Oneida had this lovely little chapel.
Al paused a moment to do some reflecting.
What happens when you're just too tired to cross the road? You just sit down for a bit. I've felt like that frequently on this trip!
We were supposed to have our first sag stop not long after Oneida but it came sooner than we expected. The road ahead was closed due to bridge repairs. Some of the front runners had gotten through but we were not so fortunate. We had an impromptu sag at the Road Closed sign and waited for Michelle to scout out a detour for us. Didn't take too long before we were rerouted and on our way. It added a little mileage but nothing too significant.
Stopping for a loo break, I observed this shameful case of neglect. Poor Al! Forgotten, abandoned.
Westmoreland has something against cyclists and solicitors.
We saw another town that actually posted the fines assessed. We thought about trying to coast all the way through town. Didn't work though. Luckily we either didn't get caught or we unknowingly operated within the ordinance.
As we passed through Whitesboro, we caught an amazing scent - meat roasted outside! - and noticed Gene, Jane, and Jed lined up at a roadside BBQ stand. The aroma won us over and we stopped to have lunch with them. Gene and Jane had stopped at the same place last year on the tour and were thrillled it was still going.
Lock 19 with 21 feet of lift.
The place was deserted when we were there.
Seemed like there should be some Keep Out signs posted but there weren't!
We stopped off at Wal-Mart in Herkimer to buy flash drives so we could get a copy of the photos taken by the staff. I was also looking for new pajamas.
After arriving in Little Falls, I was tired and hungry. Possibly even more so than usual. McDonald's was closest and I didn't feel up to exploring without some calories so I headed there and had an orange cream shake. Mistake. I cannot recommend McDonald's shakes. If you need ice cream at McDonald's, stick with a cone or a sundae. Yuck. It showered on and off that afternoon. I did a small town tour with Patty after the unfortunate shake experience. We hit the post office - which closed earlier than the sign said it would - and the pharmacy where I purchased a Snickers bar because I was still hungry. Food options for large groups were limited so the motel hosted us for a happy hour and dinner. After dinner almost everyone headed out for ice cream. My group was later starting off and we weren't sure where the others had gone so we asked at the front desk about ice cream and hiked up a hill for a few blocks to find the wrong ice cream place. We asked a local where else there might be and were directed back down the hill, under the canal, to a little business district. Nice little ice cream shop and other touristy businesses down there. A tasty end to the day!
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