After our crazy day yesterday, we woke up early, eager to grab our stuff and get on the road.
Not only were we still a little freaked out by the "haunted mansion", but we also didn't want to run into the owner, AND we had another high mileage day ahead of us...56 miles.
The day again dawned sunny, and even cooler than the day before--40 degrees when we left Clyde. These first miles would be on the road, with the sun in our eyes as we headed east. But the traffic was light, and the roads very good, with wide shoulders and signage stating the cyclists would be on the road riding the Canal Trail.
This day would bring us to the half way point in our trip, both in time, and mileage. We hit the road knowing that a hot breakfast would be waiting 15 miles down the road in Port Byron.
Another recommendation from a past trail rider led us to a cute restaurant just outside of town. Potters Farm to Fork, and it did not disappoint. We hung out by the heater, and scarfed down breakfast and coffee. The day was already feeling better, even though our bodies were not.
Two of us were suffering with some pretty significant knee pain. We couldn't figure out why--was it bike fit? Overuse? Fitness? We chalked it up to all of the above, and sought out anything that could help. Luckily Port Byron has a cute little pharmacy in the center of town that we had passed on our way to breakfast. We bought every xs compression sleeve they had, and continued our trek. They seemed to help somewhat, so I guess that was good. But I was still worried. I didn't want anyone to get hurt on this crazy adventure. And if that meant we needed to stop, then I was ok with it. The trail wasn't going anywhere.
Port Byron gave us everything we could ask for...food, assistance, and off the road, and back on the canal trail. You get used to the pace, surface, and no cars of the path. I snapped a quick photo as we got on the path of a historical marker stating that Abraham Lincoln's funeral train had stopped there. The amount of history along the canal is astounding, and we didn't get to see much of it. Guess I'll need another trip, right?
As we continued along the old tow path we joked about the day before and made good progress despite our aches and pains. The small canal towns we cycled through were quaint, and the canal path well maintained. We passed by historical markers, museums, aquaducts (where the canal went over a river), and beautiful foliage. The cooler weather had sparked the fall colors in ernest. There was a time or two that we got turned around, but that was usually in a park, where there were intersecting trails, and not marked as well. But for the most part, the day was uneventful, until we came into Syracuse.
The closer we got, the darker the clouds became. It looked like we would not be beating this storm in time. We were sprinkled on when we entered the New York State Fairgrounds, but then it stopped. With the sun blocked by the thickening clouds, it also got cooler. Rain coats were put on, which also helped keep us warm. We still had almost 15 miles to go once we left the fairgrounds. We rode through downtown Syracuse, which wasn't too bad. However, once we got onto Erie Boulevard we all began to suffer.
Obviously, this was not designed with cyclists in mind.
The path was placed in the center median of the boulevard, which in theory was a great idea. It was a park like setting, with benches, and small trees. However, every 1/4 - 1/2 mile or so required a stop at a major intersection, which included a short steep uphill to the crosswalk. Probably no big deal for one cyclist, but when in a group, the last person would have to stop half way up, or worse, at the bottom, which is never good, even more so when loaded down with a rack and bags. This continued for about 3 miles, but it felt so much longer. We were so happy when we rejoined the canal path.
Now the path was paved, and defintely more park like, but it was only for 4 miles, before we turned onto the road that would take us to our hotel for the night...and laundry!
The dark clouds continued to haunt us to Fayetteville, and the Craftsman Inn and Suites, our stop for the night.
Now, full disclosure. When looking for rooms for the night, we started in Syracuse, which would've made our day shorter, but we also decided we wanted to get east of Syracuse if possible for our next stop. The Craftsman Inn came up. It was close to the trail, had a restaurant next door, and it was in the Arts and Crafts style.
I absolutely adore the Arts and Crafts movement!
If I had my choice to live in any kind of house, I'd pick a Craftsman bungalow. A circa 1900 house, which was part of the Arts and Crafts / Craftsman movement. The idea was to "blend in" to nature, versus the Victorian style of "gingerbread" and bright colors.
Woodwork galore, handmade tiles, stained glass...Stickley furniture. I'm drooling just typing this.
They are most prevalent in the midwest and California. Definitely few and far between in the Northeast. But there are some.
Anyway, we got to our room, and then checked on the laundry facilities.
They were out of order.
What?
After a phone call, it was determined, that they were no longer out of order, and we began the process of unpacking, showering, and then gathering all our items for the laundry. Ironically, during this time, the skies opened up, and it began to rain.
We again got lucky with our weather!
Next to the hotel was the hotel restaurant, and it was delicious!
We celebrated our halfway point with a hearty dinner and Manhattans!
We lived to ride another day. Now was the time to check our laundry and get to bed. Tomorrow we would head to Utica...and a 60 mile day was in store.
Stats for the ride so far:
Miles for the day: 56.1
Hours in the saddle: 4:57
Total Daily Hours: 7:16
Miles total: 202.8
Hours in the saddle total: 17:34
Total hours on the trail: 28:02
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