Last day

A short wet 17 miles today for a total of 560 miles for the trip. We started the morning riding in sunshine and after about 2 miles the sky got black and we had a heavy downpour. Unfortunately, we were in a place without shelter so we got very wet before we could put on the rain gear. Part of the final day took us into the city of Rochester. We rode through a beautiful leafy residential area with stately mansions right near the downtown. We then crossed the Genessee River which runs right through Rochester. We then followed a bike path along the river for a few miles before finishing the trip. At least it stopped raining by the time we finished riding. However, 2 miles from the end of the ride Hal got a rear tire flat. It was a slow leak so instead of fixing it he just pumped it up and we finished the ride. We then drove to Alfred, N.Y. to pick up Hal's new recumbent from the Bicycle Man bike shop. And, then we are heading back home via car.

Day 13 - almost done

We had our latest start this morning - 11 am! The late start was due to the great hospitality of our Oswego hosts who provided a sumptuous breakfast. Unfortunately, we started our ride in full rain gear because it was raining heavily as we left Oswego. We rode for several hours in heavy rain and chilly temperatures. Not the most pleasant riding conditions. We passed through only a few small towns with a dearth of services. Eventually we did pass a gas station/convenience store where we stood next to the gas pumps which had a roof over them in order to get some respite from the relentless rain. Finally, around 3 pm the rain let up and we decided to ride further than we had originally planned to ride. But for the late start we probably would have ridden all the way to our starting point in Rochester. After 58 miles we opted to stop at a motel in Webster, N.Y. around 5:30 pm. That leaves us only a short 16 mile ride tomorrow morning. Below is a picture of us with one of our Oswego hosts just before we ventured out into the rain.

Day 12

50 miles to Oswego, N.Y. Much nicer day for riding compared to yesterday. Still cold - in the 50s - but clear sky and sunny. We had a nice tailwind in the morning but a headwind in the afternoon. The terrain became a little hilly today compared to the previous week. No big hills but a lot of small rolling hills that can get tiresome especially with a headwind. Most of the riding today took us past farmland and the occasional very small town. We stopped for a short time at a small Amish food stand by the side of the road. A teenage boy was selling baked goods from his buggy. Oswego is a town of about 18,000 people but it seemed bigger than that. There is a SUNY campus in town and several nuclear power plants. We are staying tonight with a couple I met on a recent Adventure Cycling Association ride in Florida in March.

Day 11

41 miles from Kingston, Ontario to Henderson Bay, N.Y. After a filling breakfast we cycled 5 blocks along the waterfront in downtown Kingston to the ferry dock for the Wolfe Island ferry - another free ferry operated by the Canadian government. After a 30 minute ferry trip we disembarked onto Wolfe Island which appeared to be entirely residential. We cycled past a few farms but the most striking thing about the island was the number of electric-generating windmills on the island. They seemed to be everywhere. One local told us there were 87 windmills on the island but it looked like many more were situated on the island. The eight mile ride across the island was very quick because the island is flat and we had a nice tailwind. The second ferry them took us from Wolfe Island, Ontario to Cape Vincent, N.Y. this was a small private ferry which wasn't free. Much of the ferry dock was underwater so we rode our bikes onto the ferry to keep our feet dry. After landing in Cape Vincent we had to pass through U.S. Customs and border patrol. That took about two minutes. The border station consisted of a small booth with two agents stationed there. It must be a quiet station to work at. The ferry only arrives about every hour. The boat we were on had only one car on it in addition to us. We continued to have a tailwind after cycling out of Cape Vincent but it became cold and overcast. It was not an ideal day for cycling. Plus, the area we were riding in was very rural with few stores or motels. Finally, found a motel/restaurant/bar in Henderson Bay which appears to be a small town catering to fishermen.

Day 10

Easy 41 mile day because it was relatively flat and we had a tailwind most of the day. I had a hearty breakfast at the motel restaurant in Picton. It was the largest omelette I have ever been served. I was unable to eat all of it which is unusual for me. After about 5 miles we had to take a short ferry ride in Glenora, Ontario. The ferries are considered part of the highway system so they are free. The water in Lake Ontario is so high that the ferry was riding too high in the water for the dock on either side so a huge dump truck was parked in the center of the ferry to weigh it down so that it sat lower in the water. While waiting for the ferry we met a young couple in their 20s who were doing their first bike trip. They lived in Toronto and they were biking from Toronto to Kingston and then back to Toronto. They seemed to be having a good time although one of them had broken a cleat so only one cycling shoe could clip in. They were hoping to find a bike shop in Kingston. We got into Kingston early in the afternoon. It is the largest town we have been in since Toronto. Kingston has 124,000 inhabitants according to sign at the city boundary. We are staying right on the waterfront which has many restaurants and shops. It also has a university in the city; and, it is a four Starbucks city😀. Nice view of the sunset from the hotel room on the ninth floor. Tomorrow morning we ride about five blocks to get the Wolfe's Island ferry and we should be back in N.Y. state by lunchtime.

Day 9

Today was a short day - only 35 miles to Picton, Ontario. We needed a laundromat. Currently, we are watching the dryer go round and round - exciting. We have been following the Waterfront Trail but we had to detour off the trail today because it was poorly maintained. It would have been slow and bumpy to ride on it due to the loose gravel on the trail. Locals told us that funding was just approved to upgrade the trail so it should be nice to ride on in a year or two. Tonight we have to study the map to see if we will spend another night in Canada or cycle back to the U.S. tomorrow. Right now the weather is nice and sunny but the weather report just said possible thunderstorm with hail later today!! Finished the wash and had a good dinner at a local restaurant - very good chili.

Day 8

59 mile day to Brighton, Ontario. A little overcast in the morning but the sun came out in the afternoon and it actually got somewhat warm - 60s. The motels the last few nights didn't have washers/dryers for guests use so we are just about out of clean clothing. Planning a short day tomorrow which will give us time to use a laundromat to wash everything. I am tired so this will be a short post.