Goose Haven

This goose is an odd duck. The huge decoy might attract Canada geese from many miles away, especially given the name "Goosehaven." What goose wouldn't want to touch down in Goosehaven for a rest?

But this Goosehaven sure isn't a haven for geese -- note the "goose hunting" notice at the bottom!

Rest Rooms on the Erie Canal

The Erie Canal was great, but the "facilities" were sometimes rather scarce. Bathrooms were a welcome relief wherever we found them. This one, in the photo below, was a particularly welcome sight after miles without so much as a port-a-potty. See photo, below.

Weight Loss

On Thursday morning I expect to climb on the scales and find out how much weight, if any, I have lost. For any of you who want to guess how much I lost, please send your guess to me by Thursday evening, if you have not done so already. You may win the first prize: a milkshake.

Some of you have asked for a current picture, to help judge my fatness. Please note that there are two photos of me posted for Day 126. And, for comparison purposes, postings on May 11 and May 17 show how fat I was at the start of my trip.

Here are two other thoughts that might help you gauge my weight loss (if any):

1. I have not specifically been trying to lose weight. I have generally been quite hungry every day, and have used my bicycling activity as an excuse to eat anything I wanted to, in whatever quantities I wanted.

2. I have bicycled almost 4,500 miles, and that is a lot of aerobic activity. So I clearly must have been burning a lot of calories, even as I was eating anything and everything in sight.

So, if you haven't yet made your guess, think about points 1 and 2 above, and then send your guess to me. I would sure love to take you out for a milkshake!

Day 137 (9/30): Poughkeepsie to Pleasantville, NY

Mileage: 57.2; 4,478 total

I am getting closer and closer to home, and very impatient to get back to Leslie, and to Dan, Heather, and of course grand-daughter Ariel.

The continuing hills today made this day's trip the hardest for quite awhile. The distance wasn't remarkable, but the many steep climbs were really challenging. And the traffic/road conditions were the worst that I have encountered for a long, long time. Going up Bear Mountain was long and steep, with virtually no shoulder most of the way, followed by a screaming downhill descent at about 35 mph, with automobile traffic behind us, impatient to pass. And a stretch going east from Peekskill may have been even worse: a long steep climb, no shoulder, and rush-hour traffic.

Our best stop during the trip was in Cold Springs, where we had an excellent lunch. Steve and I each chose the same thing: trout, two eggs, hashbrown potatoes, English muffins, and coffee. After the "continental" breakfast of cornflakes and coffee served at our motel, we had worked up a big appetite and this was a great meal! For you foodophiles out there (Dana F., etc) I have attached a photo, below
Eventually we found our way to Yorktown and the North County bike trail, and could relax and enjoy our last 10 miles or so to Pleasantville. This trail is as nice as any bike trail that I have been on! Peaceful, beautiful, paved! (two photos, below)

My sister, Melanie, and was home to greet us in Pleasantville, and my niece and nephew, Sara and Adam, soon joined us. (See photo of Melanie and Adam -- Sara slipped away before I could get her picture.). Melanie had prepared lots of food, starting off with cantalope and chips and bread w/peanut butter to eat right away, followed by champagne, a steak dinner, home-made apple pie with ice cream (!) and brownies for dessert. I had told her ahead of time that I would be pretty hungry, and she sure came through with great food!

Steve and I both enjoyed seeing Adam's backpacking equipment. He has recently gotten heavily involved in ultra-light backpacking, and it was fascinating to see how his poncho doubles as his tent, how he uses his water-carrier as his pillow, how his sleeping pad forms the support structure of his backpack, etc. He is intent on shaving off any extra grams he can find -- I could have used some of his techniques when I was packing for my bike trip!

Incidentally, Leslie had been in Manilla for two weeks but arrived home today. It is hard for me to realize that tomorrow I will be home, also, after almost five months! And then the next day, Thursday, I will complete my coast-to-coast trip by taking a ride to Coney Island or to The Rockaways (or to both).

Day 136 (9/29): Hudson to Poughkeepsie, NY

Mileage: 52.3; 4,421

Bicycling through the Hudson Valley is scenic, but there sure are a lot of hills. We encountered a long, steep one just after we got started, and found that there was no end to them as we rolled through the rolling countryside.

We choice of little country roads eventually took us right past the campus of Bard College. This was too good to pass up, and I stopped to have a brief visit with Jeremy B., son of one of Leslie's cousins. He is a freshman at Bard, and it was a real pleasure to see how well he seems to be doing and how involved he is in the great academic program at Bard. I only see Jeremy every few years, and his transition from a four-year old focused on "Where's Waldo" books, to 10 year old mastering yo-yo tricks, to an intelligent 18-year old so happily immersed in philosophy, music theory, and other academic pursuits seems really remarkable to me -- tempus fugit.

I am embarrassed to realize that I forgot to take a picture of Jeremy! Time flies, and I have gotten old and forgetful!

We arrived in Poughkeepsie before dark, and I was glad to have ridden through the town a few times, visiting my son Nathan who used to work there, and hence knew how to find our way to a south side of the city and to a motel there. Steve and I dined at Friendly's (where I took advantage of their "seniors menu" in order to get a free ice-cream sundae) and got a good night's sleep.

Day 135 (9/28): Schenectedy to Hudson, NY

Mileage: 54.2; 4,369 total

Steve and I were so confortable at Susan's and Dick's home that it was hard to break away on Sunday morning. But by about 11 AM we said our goodbyes and set off. Here is a picture of Susan and Dick, with Steve, taken right before we left. (Any old high school friends may be struck, as I was, by the Susan's resemblance to her brother Court.)

We were soon enjoying a beautiful bike path headed south to Albany (spoiled only by a 45 minute delay to repair a flat tire that I got from a piece of broken glass). Before long, we had a trailside conference with Jim and Ann (see photo, below), who were headed north. Jim and Ann are from the San Francisco area, and had ridden from there to Bar Harbor, Maine, and were now on their way back toward the West Coast, planning to bicycle as far as possible until they would need to catch a flight to be home in mid-November. What a couple! They sure know how to enjoy their recent retirement! They are already planning a six-month bicycle trip in Australia in 2009.

A replica of Henry Hudson's ship, the Half Moon, was tied up along the Hudson River in Albany. While Steve took a tour of the boat I talked with Brian, a.k.a. "Bike Breaker" (I guess he is rough on bicycles). See photo, below. Brian is an abstract artist and avid bicyclist, currently riding a Raleigh track-bike.

We left Albany, crossed a bridge to the east side of the Hudson, and continued south.

After our late start and lots of distractions, we got into the artsy town of Hudson just after dark, and checked into a cheap motel (converted, 50 years ago, from a movie theater!) with a very good little restaurant not too far away.

Day 134 (9/27): SIghtseeing in Greater Albany Area

Susan and Dick had a full day of activities planned for us on Saturday. We started off with a tour of the historic section of Schenectedy, which consisted of a number of square blocks of beautiful homes built in the mid-1700's, along the banks of the Mohawk River. We were particularly lucky because they were having a fair in the historic district, and so there were lots of people walking the streets in colonial style dress, as well as music and other entertainment. Although we had not purchased tickets for the house tour, we were lucky to be given a tour of a beautiful old house in which one of Dick's highschool classmates had grown up and in which she still lived.

We then drove towards Albany to see the Cohoes Falls, which is one of the two major falls on the Mohawk River. The Mohawk River played a vital role in the history of the United States, because it is the only river that flows through the Allegheny Mountains. Without the Mohawk as a transportation artery through the mountains, it is likely that the "west" would have eventually broken off from the "east."

We completed our sightseeing with a trip to Rockefeller Plaza in Albany, with a tour of the New York State Museum and the state office towers. Dick had been the lead civil engineer on one of the office towers, and in addition to being impressed with how the building was constructed I was impressed by the fact that for the year or so of the building's construction Dick would climb about 100 flights of stairs every day!

Day 133 (9/26): Rotterdam Junction to Schenectedy, NY

Mileage: 8.0; 4,315 total

Steve, Pat, and I had a very short ride into downtown Schenectedy, where we had breakfast at a downscale diner called Mike's. Then Pat took off by himself, headed to Albany where he had parked his car, and then home to an engagement in Northampton, Mass. We very much enjoyed riding with Pat -- his good nature, selflessness, stamina are great attributes in a bicycling companion! See photo of Pat (in red) and Steve, below.

Steve and I spent a couple of hours at the local library, blogging and emailing, and then proceeded to Susan's and Dick's home, where we had been invited to spend two nights! I had never met them before, but had known of Susan for almost 50 years because her brother was my roommate for both my freshman and junior years in highschool.

I was pretty sure we would enjoy visiting with them, and we sure did! After lunch at their house we spent the afternoon getting a brief tour of Schenectedy and Union College, followed by a home-cooked dinner, the Presidential Candidates' Debate, and a good night's sleep.

Scenes along the canal

I am trying to catch up on posting photos, and here are eight pictures taken along the Erie Canal or in adjacent towns.

Sent from my iPhone

Walt Wright
917 783 6540
Walterwright@brooklynny.us

www.walt-fatmanonabike.blogspot.com

Day 132 (9/25): Little Falls to Rotterdam Junction, NY

Mileage: 61.0; 4,307 total

Steve, Pat, and I slept late and then had a "free" breakfast at a nearby diner owned by the guy who ran the B&B.

The ride east was pleasant, mostly on a bike path removed from traffic, but not as scenic as our earlier parts of the Erie Canal Bike Route had been. Unfortunately, we generally were separated from the canal, and we did not pass through many towns or villages. We did find a good place for lunch in Canajoharie, and generally made pretty good progress.

When we set out, we were not exactly sure where we would be spending the night. We were hoping to camp near a lock along the way, but as the afternoon was drawing to a close we had not found anyplace that permitted camping. With about an hour of daylight left we found a lock that had a big grassy area that looked suitable to us, and the lock tender gave us permission to stay there. However, when he told us that the forecast was for heavy rains starting that night, we decided to press ahead a few miles in order to stay in a motel and avoid having to pack up in the rain in the morning.

We ended up sharing one room: Pat and I each had a double bed, and Steve volunteered to sleep on his blowup mattress on the floor. We ordered a couple of pizzas to be be delivered, and (for a small fee) the motel owner gave me a ride into town so that I could purchase some beer that we all had been looking forward to.

Day 131 (9/24): Oneida to Little Falls, NY

Mileage: 60.9; 4,246 total

Steve and I got off to a reasonably early start, and were hustling to get as far east as we could, to meet up with my old college friend/fraternity brother, Pat M. We didn't take many breaks along the way, and fortunately there weren't really any good places for sightseeing, anyway.

We were disappointed not to be able to find any good place to eat in Rome, and had to settle for a Denny's.

Meanwhile, Pat M., who is a veritable animal on a bicycle, had started out on his bike from somewhere near Albany, and was pedaling west to meet us on the trail. We joined him just west of Herkimer, and then the three of us proceeded east to Little Falls, where we checked into a suite in a B&B. Steve and I had done just under 61 miles, but Pat had completed 93 by the end of the day.

There were only two places available to us for dinner that evening, but the place we chose turned out to be just what we were looking for: excellent pasta dishes, with large portions, and beer. By about 10 PM, we were all ready to conk out for the night.

I lost my phone charger

This evening I realized that I had left my phone charger in the motel in Camillus. It will be mailed to me, but I will not have it for several days. As a result, I will not be able to update my blog from my iPhone, or to send photos to my daughter to post for me.

Guidance to Readers Leaving Comments

If you are asking questions that you would like me to answer, please send me an email directly (walterwright@brooklynny.us). Preferably, leave a phone number so that I can get back to you.

Otherwise, even if you give your name I may not know who you are, and therefore will not be able to give you a presonal response. For example, there is a recent comment (with questions) from "Chris," but I don't know if you are a Chris whom I know or someone whom I don't know. Please email me, Chris, and I will get back to you.

Day 130 (9/23): Camillus to Oneida, NY

Mileage: 50.1; 4,185 total

From Camillus it wasn't too far to Syracuse, where we spent time biking through various old neighborhoods and then visiting the Erie Canal Museum. The museum was in the old Weighlock Building, in which barges would be weighed as they came through the canal. The process was simple: the barge would enter the "weighlock," and then all the water would be drained out, leaving the barge on a scale that would measure its weight. This process took about 15 minutes.

The unusual thing, I think, is that they had previously used a much more efficient, simpler system: the water level in a lock would be marked; the barge would enter (and its weight would displace the amount of water that had an equal weight, as known by Archimedes 2,000 years ago); they would mark the new water level and the change in the water level would then be quickly converted into pounds of water displaced, and hence pounds of weight on the barge. This was a much faster system, because it didn't require draining the lock. But they got rid of it to please the barge pilots, who generally didn't understand how you could calculate weight by measuring the amount of water that had been displaced.

We ate lunch in Syracuse at the original Dinasaur Bar-Be-Que; last December, in New York City, both Steve and I had attended the 25th anniversary celebration of Shorewalkers, held at the Dinasaur Bar-Be-Que at 131st and 12th Avenue.

We had a good ride from Syracuse to Oneida, arriving just as it got dark.

Day 129 (9/22): Montezuma Wild Life Refuge to Camillus, NY

Mileage: 52.4; 4,135 total

We took a long detour south, into Seneca Falls. This was a pretty little town, and historic. But the museum was closed and there really wasn't much to see. We had thought we would find an alternate way to get back on route, but ended up just making a big loop and then riding past the place we had camped the night before. All in all, this detour cost us about 25 miles, and neither of us thought it had been worth it.

Late in the day, while having a dinner of a foot-long hot dog, french fries, and a raspberry sunday, we booked a motel room in Camillus. We knew we were going to have to hustle to get there before dark, but we weren't fast enough. Nightfall came as we were biking along the Canal's bike path, and it was hard for us to go very fast because our headlights didn't give us much illumination. There were bumps of course, and slushy gravel in spots, but our main concern was that some trees had fallen across the path and we didn't want to crash into any. At one point Steve got tangled up in a tree that had been partially bent over, into the pathway, and he took a bit of a tumble. Eventually, with about six miles to go, we had a chance to get off the bike path and onto a country road, and we decided that we would be able to make faster progress on the road.

It was a very dark night, and the stars were beautiful because there were no street lights or house lights to interfere. Fortunately, no cars to speak of, either. It was still somewhat slow, because we couldn't see very far in front of us, but it was safe and easier than riding on the bike path, and eventually we got to the motel.

Day 128 (9/21): Macedon to Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, NY

Mileage: 40.6; 4,082 total

After a camp breakfast of oatmeal and coffee, Steve and I rode into Palmyra for a full breakfast.

Later in the day we stopped in Lyons at a fast food place selling "white hots," and I thoroughly enjoyed a "Dog Plate," which I think is their version of a Garbage Plate. The Dog Plate consisted of a "white hot" on a bun, which was then buried under a pile of hot french fries and cold macaroni salad, all covered with hot sauce. As odd as it may seem, this was actually very good.

(Incidentally, in this part of New York State a "white hot" is a pork hot dog, as compared to a "red hot" which is a beef hot dog.)

As we continued on rural roads down to Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, and to our camp, we passed many old apple trees by the side of the road, and stopped to sample some. One, variety unknown, was the sweetest, crispest apple I had ever had.

We stopped at a private campground. We were glad to pay $24 for a campsite, because we were so eager for long, hot showers. The camp did have a shower room, but the water pressure was so low that it became more of a sponge bath than a shower! Oh well, at least we were able to get cleaned up.

Sent from my iPhone

Walt Wright
917 783 6540
Walterwright@brooklynny.us

www.walt-fatmanonabike.blogspot.com

Day 127 (9/20): Rochester to Macedon, NY

Mileage: 28.0; 4,042 total

In the morning, Steve went to a bike shop for some quick repair work. Meanwhile, I went to a laundrymat and, while there, called niece Bella to get her suggestion on brief sightseeing in Rochester. She suggested that we ride past the mansions on East Avenue, stop in the George Eastman house/museum, and stop for lunch on Park Blvd. I knew her advice would be excellent, even though the guy running the laundrymat said that the only thing on East Avenue was a bunch of old houses, and I should ride down Monroe, instead, to eat at a place that had great "white hots."

Steve was soon back from the bike shop, the laundry was done, we stopped for the small luxury of a coffee at Starbuck's, and then set off to follow Bella's advice. Needless to say, the old mansions were nice to look at, and the tour of the Eastman House was really great. Thanks, Bella.

On Park we stopped at Charlie's Frog Pond for lunch "al fresco." Very nice, even though they didn't have either white hots or a "garbage plate," which is apparently Rochester's contribution to fine cuisine.

From there we rode east, back to the canal and through the very picturesque towns of Pittsford and Fairport. We stopped at BW Ice Cream, to sample the homemade ice cream (soley out of intellectual curiosity, as I really wasn't hungry). Verdict: the chocolate was excellent; the vanilla was frosty rather than smooth; and, the pistachio tasted like vanilla with cheap flavoring -- no actual nuts in it. I wouldn't go back.

We camped at the lock in Macedon, and dined on my standard meal of pasta and Hormel Chile. No charge for the campground, and it was scenic, but there were no showers and the freight trains running on a track about a quarter of a mile away came through every hour, blowing their whistles.

Sent from my iPhone

Walt Wright
917 783 6540
Walterwright@brooklynny.us

www.walt-fatmanonabike.blogspot.com

Day 126 (9/19): Albion to Rochester, NY

Mileage: 47.6; 4,014 total

We continued on the Canal Path, thoroughly enjoying it. I have never seen so many kingfishers as there are along the canal. And there are lots of old apple orchards with trees close to the path, with excellent, sweet apples that are a real treat.

Outside Brockport we had fun talking with Jim, on his tricycle bike (see photo). Jim is quite a guy: bright, articulate, and funny, he is a great conversationalist. His bike, incidentally, is one that he made in 1979 in Boise, Idaho. He has owned it ever since, although it was once stolen and spent a season submerged in the Erie Canal. Jim has built several other trikes, but prefers his original one. It turns out that not only was Jim in the army at roughly the same time I was, he was also in the Signal Corps and had the same "military occupational speciality" that I did. More important, I guess, we each had the rare good fortune of not being sent to Vietnam: Jim was stationed in Germany, I spent my time in Alaska.

We had a good lunch in the cute little town of Holley, and were particulary impressed with the Holley waterfalls (see photo).

A number of readers of this blog have asked for more photos of me. I haven't been flattered by this, because I know that they are just curious to see how fat I still am, in order to better estimate my weight loss. So, for your benefit, below is another photo of me.

We spent some time talking with Ian, who was hiking along the canal with an associate. Ian grew up in NYC, practiced law for 30 years in the area around Rochester (not sure exactly where), and then retired and moved back to Manhattan, where he now teaches at Fordham Law School. He loves it in this area, and returns often. I am hopeful that one of these days Ian will join in on some Shorewalkers events around NYC.

We crossed the Genesee River on the bike path, in the dark, and made our way several miles through Rochester to a cheap motel.

Sent from my iPhone

Walt Wright
917 783 6540
Walterwright@brooklynny.us

www.walt-fatmanonabike.blogspot.com

Day 125 (9/18): Lockport to Albion, NY

Mileage: 31.6; 3,966 total

We enjoyed a lengthy breakfast with Suzanne (see photo), our host at the B&B where we had spent the night. Suzanne, we found out, is an avid bicyclist. For example, some years ago (1970s?) she organized a bike trip for 60 people, from Buffalo to New York City, zigzagging back and forth so that they could spend each night on a college campus. She currently assists the volunteer group that maintains the Erie Canal Bike Path, and had lots of good advice for us. We especially enjoyed talking with her about her graduate work in the psychology of innovation and invention, and the creativity workshops that she used to run.

On Suzanne's advice, we next went to the Lockport Discovery Center, which gave a lot of background on the Erie Canal, and on the "flight" of five adjacent locks that lifted boats over the Lockport Escarpment. The exhibits and film might have been pitched toward school kids, but it was excellently designed and Steve and I both really enjoyed it.

The 1st Presbyterian Church of Lockport is across from the street from the Discovery Center, and it is known for its 14 stained glass windows: two by Tiffany himself; four more by the Tiffany workshop; and six by another, later, stained glass artist who used Tiffany glass in his work. Two windows (more properly, the bottom halves of two windows) are shown in photos below. I enjoyed seeing this glass artwork, and am particularly pleased to post these windows because one of the readers of this blog, Reverend Rodgers, married me and Leslie almost 40 years ago in the 1st Presbyterian Church of Peters Township, Pennsylvania.



Following our tourist activities we decided to have lunch at the same restaurant whose food we had enjoyed yesterday. I had the chicken & biscuits special (see photo), which turned out to be a very large portion of what tasted to me like a chicken pot pie -- delicious!

After lunch we rode along the bike trail (see two photos) to Albion, where we checked into a cheap motel. The town itself had a very pretty town square, surrounded by churches. Of particular note was the Universalist Church (see photo), donated by the inventor of the Pullman Train Car.

Sent from my iPhone

Walt Wright
917 783 6540
Walterwright@brooklynny.us

www.walt-fatmanonabike.blogspot.com

Day 124 (9/17): Tonawanda to Lockport, NY

Mileage: @ 19.1; 3,934 total

We had a nice ride along bike paths and quiet roads. Late in the morning we stopped at Uncle G's ice cream shop, and had a nice discussion about New York City with Cheryl, who was dishing out the ice cream, and with Cathy and Karen who arrived on their bikes. Cathy and Karen are fairly avid bicyclists, and I would certainly be happy to find out that our discussion encouraged them to take off on a multi-day bike tour of the Erie Canal. In the picture, below, from left to right are: Uncle G; Uncle G's mother, Cheryl; Cathy; Karen; and friend Steve Libby.

I am proud to point out that at the ice cream stop, noted above, I did not order any ice cream, or anything else.

A bit later we stopped in Lockport, and had lunch. (I had split pea soup; beef on a weck [a local specialty]; a piece of cherry pie; and -- because the other food was all so good, a piece of apple pie.

We then checked into a B&B and spent the rest of the afternoon sightseeing in Lockport. When the Erie Canal was built in about 1825, a major challenge was to get through the Lockport Escarpment, a 50 foot drop. This was accomplished by a series of five locks, one right after another, that was a significant engineering feat. As we toured the canal, and remnants of water-powered factories that once lined the canal, we got a sense of what a busy little town Lockport must was, 200 years ago.

I am glad to have had an easy day today, because I feel like I am on the verge of getting a bad cold. Hopefully, I will be close to 100% tomorrow morning.

Day 123 (9/16): Buffalo to Tonawanda, NY

Mileage: 27.1; 3,915 total

Did a bit of sightseeing in Buffalo while waiting for friend Steve Libby to arrive by Amtrak to join me on the ride from here to New York City.

Steve's train was quite late, and shortly after we started out Steve had a flat tire. By the time we were rolling out of Buffalo it was beginning to get dark, but fortunately we were riding on a bike path and so didn't have to be concerned about traffic. The real problem was that it got colder and colder as we rode in the dark, and we both got quite chilled by the time we checked into a motel.

More on the Mackinaw Bridge

In a comment a week or two ago, reader John D. asked if it was windy on the bridge, and I explained that when I walked across there was no wind at all.

But it can get very windy. Here is an interesting newspaper article about the bridge, and you will see that it includes metntion of an incident about 20 years ago in which a small car, a Yugo, was blown off the bridge! Thanks, cousin Ken G., for sending this to me. http://info.detnews.com/redesign/history/story/historytemplate.cfm?id=156

Day 122 (9/15): Day in Buffalo

Mileage: 11.1; 3,888 total

Caught up on blogging, emails, etc. Ran some errands.

I didn't really have anyone to talk with today until Carlos (see photo) struck up a conversation at a coffee shop. He had seen my bike, and although it didn't have any of my baggage on it he recognized it as a touring bike and asked about my trip. He and a friend had biked from California to Virginia several years ago, after he graduated from college. It was nice to talk to another long-distance biker.

Shortly after talking with Carlos I had a chance to get a picture of Leland, on his bicycle, and to talk with him briefly. I've often thought I was carrying too much stuff but WOW! What a load he carries! See photo. (He does landscaping work, and transports all the tools of his trade by bicycle.)

Sent from my iPhone

Walt Wright
917 783 6540
Walterwright@brooklynny.us

www.walt-fatmanonabike.blogspot.com

Day 121: Port Colbourne, Ontario to Buffalo, New York

Mileage: 30.6; 3,877 total

Matt and I crossed the Peace Bridge today, from Fort Erie, Ontario to Buffalo, New York, finishing the "international" segment of our trips.

The weather turneed out to be fairly nice today, gradually clearing as we left. From Port Colbourne we picked up a bicycle path that led all the way to the Peace Bridge, making this a very pleasant way to end our last day in Ontario. In Fort Erie, at Matt's suggestion, we stopped to take a tour of the actual fort (or, more correctly, a 1937 replica of the fort). The fort was important during the War of 1812, and was the site of the most war fatalities that Canada has ever had on its soil: in a war in which the total death toll was about 6,000, there were 3,000 soldiers (both British and American) who died when the Brits tried to recapture the fort from the Americans.

After riding over the Peace Bridge (fortunately, it was about noon on Sunday and there was not too much traffic) and getting through immigration/customs, we rested for awhile over lunch at a Burger King. Matt was trying to figure out what route he wanted to take to continue his trip (he was thinking departing from his original plan, and maybe bicycling along the Erie Canal to Albany, and from there to the Boston area or to the NYC area). Whichever plan you selected, Matt, I hope all goes well on the rest of the trip. And don't forget to keep in touch and look me up if/when you get to New York City.

Meanwhile, I got directions to some local motels.

I was very pleased that my brother-in-law Cesar stopped by in the mid-afternoon, enroute from Syracuse (where he had gone for a Penn State game) to Pittsburgh. We enjoyed a couple of beers, an early dinner, and a lot of talk before he had to continue on his way. Thanks again, Cesar!

I will be hanging out in Buffalo until Tuesday afternoon, when Steve Libby, a friend from Shorewalkers, will arrive by Amtrak. It will be great to have a traveling companion for the rest of my trip, and I am also hopeful that old fraternity brother Pat M. will be able to join us for a couple of days as we approach Albany!

Day 120 (9/13): Port Dover to Port Colbourne, Ontario

Mileage: 61.1; 3,846 total

The day was overcast at the start, but began raining in the afternoon and was soon raining pretty hard. Riding in the rain isn't ideal, but it really isn't too bad if you don't mind being soaked.

Matt and I rode together, more or less: he rode at his pace, and I tried to keep up but usually dropped off his pace. We generally met at rest stops along the way, and ended up sharing a motel room again.

Matt was certainly good company. Unlike most other bicycling tourists whom I have met, he is neither retired nor a student. He is about 40 years old, and works as a contracting para-medic. He had just returned from a year in Kuwait, and had time for this trip because he was between contracts. Matt is certainly a strong rider: whenever we came to a hill (oddly, there were several very short, but steep hills along the coast) he would stand up and charge up the hill. He is also a serious, technical mountain climber, having traveled as far as Tibet on climbing expeditions.

Day 119 (9/12): Port Stanley to Port Dover, Ontario

Mileage: 69.6; 3,785 total

It rained all morning and gradually stopped in the afternoon, but remained overcast all day. Not a good day for seeing the sights in all the little towns along the north coast of Lake Erie -- generally, I couldn't even distinguish the lake from the fog.

In the early afternoon I stopped at a little restaurant called Coop, at Long Point, near Port Rowan. There was no one else in the restaurant when I arrived, just the proprietor, reading a newspaper. I had intended to stop for a quick bowl of soup, and he said he was known for his excellent clam chowder; I decided to give it a try. It was, in fact, excellent, and he explained that he takes pains to use only the best ingredients, using only canned clams that he gets from Maine. I was impressed, so decided to try a sandwich, and he recommended a fried perch sandwich: again, excellent! So at this point I thought I should try one of his homemade pies, and selected cherry -- but he told me I really should try his specially, "Long Point" pie. He said that it would be the best dessert I had ever had and that there was no charge if I didn't like it. So, out of curiousity, I gave it a try. (See photo, below.) It was a fairly generous piece of warm apple pie, covered with vanilla ice cream, and with a heap of whipped cream; I think the whole thing was then placed under a broiler for a minute or so. It was very good ( although not the best dessert I had ever had, and not even the best apple pie I had ever had).


While I was working my way through this meal, described above, I was glad to have a long phone conversation with old friend and fellow actuary Ted Z. As we were about finished our talk I saw, out the window, another bicyclist coming down the road with all the baggage indicating he was on a long tour. I quickly signed off with Ted, and ran outside to flag down the cyclist; meanwhile, he had already spotted my bicycle and was pulling into the parking lot to look for me. Matt (see photo), from Colorado Springs, Colorado, had left Seattle in July, bound for Bar Harbor, Maine. He joined me in the restaurant, ate his fair share (including a "Long Point" pie), and joined me on the ride to Pt. Dover, where we shared a motel room.


Note: While Matt and I were in the Coop restaurant, we got to talking to a couple that had come in. They, and the owner, were very enthusiastic about the Long Point region, and pointed out that this was the longest "point" on any fresh water lake in the world, a spit of sand stretching out about 22 miles across the lake, about half way to Erie, Pennsylvania. It has over 400 shipwreaks, a much higher concentration than the "Bermuda Triangle." It is apparently one of the most important sites in North America for migrating birds, and attracts serious/academic ornithologists from around the world. The guy was pointing out how big Ontario is, and drove the point home by explaining that it is further for him to drive from his home in London, Ontario to his cabin in northern Ontario, than it is for him to drive to Fort Meyers, Florida! I don't know where his cabin is, but looking at a map of Ontario I do see how this would be possible.

Silly Photo: I was amused by this street sign. It suggests that the folks in this part of Ontario like Bill Clinton but worship George Bush!

Day 118 (9/11): Thamesville to Pt. Stanley,Ontario

Mileage: 56.1; 3,715 total

Overcast all day, with occasional light rain. The ride was fairly uneventful except for a stop for some excellent pie. Along the route, two different people, in different towns, had told me that I should stop at a restaurant called the Greenhouse and Restaurant (was it in Eagle? or Burwells Corner? I forget.) I stopped there, naturally; after narrowing my choices down to cherry, blueberry, or strawberry/rhubarb I was having trouble making a final decision, and so the waitress very wisely suggested that she give me a small piece of each. They were each fantastic, the best pie that I have had on this trip. I also bought I piece of cherry pie to take with me, because I knew I would be camping and that the cherry pie would be a super dessert.

I pulled into a campground as I entered Pt. Stanley. The owner said there would not be any charge, given that I was traveling by bicycle. The campground was very small, with about 15 recreational vehicles, most of which seemed pretty old and which appeared to be parked there permanently. As soon as I arrived Steve stopped over to say talk as I set up my tent and cooked my dinner, bringing with him gifts, for me, of two cold bottles of beer plus a bottle of a vodka-laced chocolate milkshake (quite good, actually!). It was fairly obvious that Steve had some addiction problems, but he was very nice, as well as bright and a good conversationalist. About 50 years old, he apparently has been traveling around Canada for years, finding restaurant work here and there. He told me that he was going to be living at the campsite over the winter. He was keenly interested in rock music (used to play the harmonica, he said, 20 years or so ago in some group that had Cowboys in its name and which he was surprised I hadn't heard of) and in art: he was flabbergasted and very excited by the fact that I was familiar with the book "Drawing on the Right Side of Your Brain," and said I was only the second person he had ever met who had read it. He told me he would by up by 5 in the morning, and that I should stop by his trailer when I was leaving so that he could bicycle into town with me for breakfast. I did stop as I left at about 8 am; his bicycle was there, but there were no signs of anyone awake, and he didn't answer when I rapped gently on his door. As I left, I noticed a bumper sticker on his trailer: "Rehab is for Quitters."

Day 117 (9/10): Wallaceburg to Thamesville, Ontario

Mileage: 31; 3,660 total

This was intended to be a "light" day, and it was. And enjoyable, also.

Near Dresden I saw signs for "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and ventured off-route to see what this was all about. I found a very nice interpretive center devoted to Rev. Josiah Henson and the industrial training school that he founded. Josiah was born in 178, a slave in Charles County, Maryland and escaped via the underground railroad to Canada in 1830. Near Dresden, in the now defunct town of Dawn, he started an industrial training school for other fugitive slaves; this was the first industrial training school in Canada. His autobiography, published in 1849, is thought to be the inspiration for Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin," published two years later. Hence he became known as Uncle Tom, and his house was of course called "Uncle Tom's Cabin" (see photo, below). He is a celebrated hero in Canada, but not widely known in the U.S: our loss was Canada's gain.

Some Uncle Tom trivia:
(a) His great-great nephew was Matthew Henson, who explored the North Pole with Admiral Peary. Matthew must have inherited some of Josiah's genes.
(b) As a youngster, Josiah and his mother wer sold to a slaveowner in Bethesda, Montgomery County, Maryland. The cabin that he lived in there still stands, as an attachment to a house at 11420 Old Georgetown Road, and is now owned by the County....maybe some Maryland readers are familiar with it.
(c) I have ancestors who were slaveowners in Charles County, Maryland and other relatives, Quakers, who were active on the underground railroad: I couldn't help but think how curious it would be if Josiah Henson had crossed paths with both of these families.

Planning to spend the night in the small town of Troy, in which I had thought there was a B&B, I stopped about 10 miles north of there, at a general store, to try to get a phone number for them and to make a reservation. The woman who ran the general store was very helpful, but after about one hour, and several very confusing calls to a couple of businesses in Troy, we discovered that there are two "Troys" in Ontario, quite some distance apart, and we had been talking with people in the wrong town! So, at the suggestion of the woman in the general store, I went off route (but not really out of the way) for about six miles to stay at a very nice little B&B run by Joe and Claudia (see photo of Claudia outside the B&B). The B&B, in Thamesville, was originally a bank and post office built in about 1900; it's use changed some over the years, and Joe opened a barber shop there in about 1955, which he still runs, and converted the rest of the building into living quarters.

The landscape in this part of Ontario is scenic, with lush vegetable farms and fruit orchards, and very pretty brick and stone farmhouses. The files of soybeans are attactive at this time of year, because the leaves are turning yellow: I have attached a photo of a soybean field and another landscape photo, plus a photo of a big willow tree -- ever since eastern Michigan I have been noticing a lot of very large willows, so I thought I should include this photo.

Day 116 (9/9): Yale, Michigan to Wallaceburg, Ontario

Mileage: 59.5; 3,629 total

Found a nice breakfast restaurant in Yale, and had a good meal. I talked briefly with a woman who was wearing a T-shirt that said "Yale Bologna 2008." I was curious about why her T-shirt mentioned bologna, and she said that it was because of the town's recent bologna festival -- apparently Yale makes a lot of bologna. I had seen a sign earlier that day that advertised "pickled bologna"; when I told her that, and told her I had never heard of pickled bologna before, she seemed genuinely shocked!

I was off to an early start, with plenty of time to poke along the way. The pretty little town of Memphis, Mich., had an historic sign announcing that the first self-propelled vehicle (the sign didn't use the term "car") manufactured in Michigan, and possibly in the U.S., was fabricated here in 1885. The vehicle logged over 500 miles, but then the inventor dismantled it and sold the engine to a local creamery!

Since Helena, Montana I had been carrying a small canister of pepper spray to use, if needed, to fend off dogs. I have never needed to use it. I knew that I would not be able to take it across the border into Canada, and didn't want to just throw it away, so I was on the lookout for a responsible person who might have use for it. I was hoping to find another bicyclist who would like to have it, but I wasn't finding any today. After eating lunch in St. Clair I got into a conversation with a woman who was asking questions about my bike trip. I explained my situation with the pepper spray, and asked her if she would have any use for it. She said "yes," she had just been thinking that she should buy some; she explained that the day before someone with a history of ual offenses had come into her shop and begun to molest an employee, and that she thought that in the future she should be armed with pepper spray. So, I was glad to get rid of it, but hope she will never need to use it.

There was a bike path running south from St. Clair for about 7 miles, and I soon boarded a ferry at Marine City and crossed the St. Clair River to Sombra, Ontario. For several miles I rode south along the river, admiring the nice houses and docks along the waterfront. I stopped at an apple orchard, and enjoyed talking with the owners and eating a delicious, crispy Macintosh apple -- two for 50 cents, and then they gave me two Gala apples as I left.

This part of Ontario, like Michigan, has lots of fields of soybeans, corn, and sugar beets. Also some fields of dill (or at least that is what someone told me they thought it was).

I plan to poke around town tomorrow (Wednesday), doing laundry and so forth, and then put in only a few hours of pedaling.

Day 115 (9/8): Vassar to Yale, Michigan

Mileage: 58.3; 3,570 total

Sometimes when people start talking to me I get concerned about "wasting time," and the thought crosses my mind that I should be somewhat uncommunicative so that I can avoid getting bogged down in conversation and can get back on the road. But then I usually remember that the people I meet along the way, and the conversations that I have, are what make this trip so great. So I quit worrying abou the time and enjoy the talk.

This morning I was all set to get off to a reasonably early start, but during breakfast I got caught up with talking to Dave, at the next table. He is a railroad engineer, and travels the tracks all around Michigan; the high gas prices have been great for the railroad business, and they are moving a lot of freight by rail. After Dave left I started talking to a friend of his, Don, who was a retired tree surgeon and a current minister. The discussion turned to politics, and I was struck by the perceptiveness of Don's observations -- at least, they seemed preceptive to me because they matched my views about 100%.

As I was pedaling out of Vassar someone shouted "Have a safe trip to New York." I turned to see who had said this, but didn't recognize him. He said we hadn't met, but he had been in the restaurant where I had eaten the night before, and had overheard someone else talking to me about my trip!

After 10 or 12 miles I stopped at a little general store to get a cold drink. In addition to the standard store items, the owner also had a collection of old tools, cars, tractors, and other knicknacks that he sold. I puzzled over some of the tools, and had to ask what they were: a hog scraper (used to scrape the hairs off a hog's carcass; but if you are trying this at home, don't forget to first dunk the carcass in boiling water); a tool used to wean a calf (this was a metal thing, with long protruding spikes, that somehow fit on the calf's face; when it tried to suckle its mother would kick it away -- what mother wouldn't, with those spikes?); a boot jack (for a no-hands approach to removing your boots). I also admired the owner's oil paintings, three landscapes that he had hanging on a wall; they certainly were not really any good, but I would have been proud of them if they had been my work.

After all this poking around, I hadn't made much progress and there were dark rain clouds on the horizon. In Brown City I stopped at a little convenience store/restaurant, and got inside just as the rain started pouring down. I waited out the storm for about an hour and a half (while having coffee and ice cream and talking with the two women who ran the store). There was no place to stay in Brown City, but I made reservations for the Yale Hotel in Yale, and finally rode the last 15 miles or so to Yale in a moderate rainfall. I was glad to have a place to sleep, but the Yale Hotel has to rate at the very bottom of the places I have stayed: an old hotel with about 20 rooms on the 2nd and 3rd floors, but I think it is rare that anyone stays there -- the active business seems to be the bar on the 1st floor. No TV. Somewhat dirty room. No hot water in the shower (the hot water supply line didn't work)! But I was able to sleep well, and I should be able to get to Wallaceburg, Ontario on Day 116!

Day 114 (9/7): Midand to Vassar, Michigan

Mileage: 46.6; 3,511.2 total

I slept late, enjoyed a big breakfast, and left Midland about noon. After about 20 miles or so I was crossing a bridge over the Saginaw River in Bay City and heard someone shout my name. It was Jim and Debbie again! (See post for Day 113 for background.) They were on their Sunday bike ride, and it was a real pleasure to meet up with them again.

They were going out of town on a bike path, and I deviated a bit from my planned route in order to enjoy their company for a few more miles. They are both extremely familiar with the roads in the area, and pointed out a way that I could take the bike path with them, and then take a pretty good bicycling road into Vassar. So we rode together for about five or six miles, and then I headed over to Vassar where, as I approached town, I found the motel and restaurant that Jim had told me would be there.

Day 113 (9/6): Clare to Midland, Michigan

Mileage: 36.1; 3,464.6 total

This was intended as a "rest day," and it was, and very enjoyable.

From Clare, there is a 30 mile bike trail that goes to Midland. When I got to the start of the trail I met Debbie and Jim (see photo), who had just ridden over from Midland and were about to return to complete the 60 mile round trip. We rode together to Midland, and the miles sure passed quickly as we talked.


They are from Birch Run, Michigan, and drive to Midland each Saturday in order to do their 60 mile roundtrip. They also take a somewhat shorter ride on Sundays, on a trail near Bay City. They are regulars on this bike path, and knew a lot of the other bicyclsts whom we encountered along the way.

When we got to Midland they showed me around a little, and recommended a restaurant that had great hamburgers and milkshakes. I poked around there for more than an hour, and as I was leaving to head for a motel I heard someone shout my name. It was Debbie and Jim again, who had returned to tell me their "small world" story. After leaving me they had loaded their bikes on their truck and had gone to visit friends, Russ and Carla, who live nearby. When they mentioned to them that they had ridden from Clare with a guy who was bicycling from the West Coast to New York City, Russ said something to the effect of "Was he riding a green Co-Motion with black, waterproof panniers? We talked to him last week, on the Upper Peninsula!" I did remember having had a brief conversation with them.

Midland, incidentally, is an upscale little town with a lot of nice parks and bike trails. These have been provided largly by Dow Chemical, which got its start here and whose world headquarters are still located here. Below is a picture of the towns "tridge," a bridge with three-spans that is part of the trail system.

More responses to comments

On September 2 John posted a comment, asking about the winds on the Mackinaw Bridge, and whether anyone got blown off the railing. It wasn't windy: we had perfect weather for the walk. But maybe John is familiar with the bridge, because the railing is fairly low and I can imagine someone being knocked over the railing by a strong wind!

In my September 4 post, Larissa has now posted the three pictures that Jean-Paul submitted. You will notice that one is from Death Valley, the low point of his trip, and another is from a snow-coverd pass at about 10,000 feet! It is also interesting to see the picture of his bicycle, with baggage: he somehow managed to get by with a lot less luggage than I have been carrying.

On September 5, Larissa posted a "Happy Birthday" message to me. (That's what happens when you don't maintain strict editorial control of your own blog!) But thanks, Larissa!

Today, September 6, Christie posted an interesting comment with a very generous offer to contribute money to a charity of my choice. The amount of her contribution is to be based on the number of pounds that I lose. The organization that she identified, which donates bicycles to Africa, sounds like a very worthwhile charitable group. Don't feel obligated, but if any of you want to make a contribution to this group please let me know.

Day 112 (9/5): Cadillac to Clare, Michigan

Mileage: 57.3; 3,429 total

It rained all night and into the morning. When I left Cadillac, late in the morning, the rain had stopped but it was still overcast and cool, and so humid that I was actually riding through a mist and was soon soaked through. In the mid-afternoon it gradually cleared up, and warmed up, and overall it wasn't a bad day.

With about 30 miles to go, I was able to pick up the "Lake Erie Connector" route published by the Adventure Cycling Association, and this directed me onto less busy, rural roads. This probably added a few miles to the trip, but it was well worth it to be able to ride through the countryside, from one little lake town to another, without having to be very much concerned about automobile traffic.

This part of Michigan has a significant Amish population. I saw several horses and buggies along the way and in the town of Clare. At one rest stop I had a long talk about bicycle touring with a young Amish fellow who was manning a little country store that sold handcrafted items. He appeared to be about 18 years old, and was enthusiastic about his bicycle and about the idea of bicycle touring; I guess that the Amish consider bicycles to be an "old" invention and therefore permissable for them to ride.

I was glad to get to Clare and to a laundrymat. Tomorrow I will take a "semi-rest" day. There is a bicycle path that starts at Clare and runs along my route for about 35 miles. The weather should be improved tomorrow, and I plan to take a leisurely afternoon ride, limiting my distance to the length of this bike path.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO WALT

September 5th!!! We love you!!!

Responses to Comments

A number of readers' comments have been posted recently, and I have a hard time keeping up with them all and responding to those that ask questions. Here are answers to a couple of recent questions:

Valerie--regarding my hours per week "in the saddle," I started at a meager 14 hours/week and gradually increased it to about 33 hours/week, where it has stayed for the past 6 weeks or so.

Dave: regarding my schedule, I expect to arrive in Buffalo (from Ontario) on about Sept 16, and to get home to Brooklyn by about Oct 7.

Sent from my iPhone

Walt Wright
917 783 6540
Walterwright@brooklynny.us

www.walt-fatmanonabike.blogspot.com

Jean-Paul

I have met many bicyclists on my ride, most of whom I haven't mentioned. I don't think I have ever mentioned Jean-Paul. But whenever I am talking about my adventures and the people that I have met, Jean-Paul is often at the top of my list. I usually say something like: "In Idaho I met a crazy (said in an admiring way) Frenchman named Jean-Paul. He was a very bright, enthusiastic, energetic guy. A retired engineer from Marseille, in his mid-60s, and a very experienced bicyclist. He started in LA, then rode through Death Valley and onward to Idaho. When I asked him what his route was, he took out a map of the Western U.S., with a map of France superimposed on it, and with a route marked out in the U.S. that followed the boundaries of France: Jean-Paul said that this was his "Tour de France!"

Jean-Paul emailed me recently to let me know that he has completed his trip. I have decided to copy the text of his email, below, to give you an understanding of what a great guy he is. Note that his three photos are attached, also.



Hye Walt!
I have not forgotten the thinguy on his bike. From time to time I visit your blog.
I must confess, as I have not found a reference of our meeting in your diaries, ...

I am really impressed by your trip. I think you will be in the New York area for the Indian Summer. The very best for a triumphant arrival in the Big Apple.

On my side, I have concluded my tour in SF. LA to SF in 49 legs/7000kilometers, 9 US states and etc
A wonderfull time for me. It is difficult to choose what was the best.
The bike friendly roads and cities (important for me: last year I have renounced to cross Italy and Greece, this was a kind of suicide!)
The warmfull people all along these days
The superb landscapes
The friendly American, especially when I was in difficult parts
The hello and the stop when I was crossing co-bikers for a warmfull parenthesis
And so on, and so on

Now I am back in Provence, my US Western trip is quite far and I have in my mind a new project: new Zealand... Do you know? It is a famous country for the landscape and wonderfull mountains, for the friendly people, and for the horrible weather. 8 meters of rain yearly in some parts!

You will see the adress of my website, but sorry for the French language and worst, it is still under refreshing! The battle is not fair between a computer cession for the updating and a bike tour in the surrounding hills of Provence or in the Alps.

Thank you again for this friendly time along the Lochsee river and I wish you my very best for the end of your tour.

PS1: you always refer to the number of miles, but what about the size of your belt...?
PS2: I have joined 3 photos from my trip
one is a hello from the Death Valley
a second one is in the Togwotee pass between Dubois and the Grand Teton/Yellowstone, really difficult
the third is a joke, my last pirouette in LA! (6 flags). This was one of my dream to conclude in this place.
PS3: I have realized a diaporama for my tour, I have in progress an English translation, If you are interested..

Bien amicalement, very friendly

jean-Paul and thank you again for your message

PHOTOS FROM JEAN-PAUL:

South of Traverse City to Cadillac, Michigan

Mileage: 39.7; 3,371 total

A somewhat short ride in a cold rain. Not much too see in the rain. I had planned to get in more miles, but given that a thunderstorm was forecast for later in the day, or tonight, I decided to stop where I could get a place to stay.

Day 110 (9/3): Charlevois to a few miles south of Traverse City, MIchigan

Mileage: 59.7: 3,335 total

This was a pleasant ride through the woods, with about a two-hour layover in the tony tourist town of Elk Rapids. In Elk Rapids a fellow named Jim, who was letting me use his office to recieve a fax, gave me detailed instructions regarding where to stop for a beer in Traverse City, and where to pick up the bicycle trail that runs through Traverse City. I followed both pieces of his advice.

The bike trail was particularly interesting because of the signs, placed about every mile, that told about the various planets in an informative and humorous way; these were placed there to commemorate the fact that Pluto, discussed on the first sign, was discovered in 1930 by an astronomer in Traverse City.

I hadn't realized, prior to this trip, that this northern part of Michigan is a big fruit growing region, and specializes in cherries. In the morning I passed a sign by the side of the road announcing the world's largest cherry pie (but I had already had breakfast). I did stop along the road at a couple of fruit stands, buying cherries, peaches, plums, and apricots that I ate along the way (and I had plenty left for the next day).

At one point on my ride I was becoming somewhat disoriented and feared getting lost, but a road sign (see photo below) gave me a clear sense of where I was.

Day 109 (9/2): Bayview to Charlevois, Michigan

Mileage: 24.1; 3,272 total

Another enjoyable day, but after sleeping late, going for a swim, socializing, packing, stopping at a bike shop to have my rear tire replaced*, and having some long phone conversations, I didn't get on the road until close to 5 PM.

*For the bicyclists who may be curious, I was cleaning my bike and noticed that not only was the rear tire "bald," there was a small chunk that was completely worn through so that only the tire liner was protecting the tube. The missing chunk was in the location that a large staple had pierced about a month ago, giving me my last flat, and I was really negligent for not having noticed this before. I had a replacement tire with me, but decided to take it to the bike shop that I knew I would pass on the way of of town, and have them replace it. They told me that the extreme wear on the rear tire, as compared to the front tire, was normal since the rear tire does all the work (transmitting the power from the pedals to the road).

Days 106-108: Relaxing in Bay View, Michigan

Mileage: 6.0; 3,248 total

Bay View is a beautiful little community on the shore of Little Traverse Bay, a bay of Lake Michigan. It was started as a religious association campground in the 1870's, and what were originally tent sites soon grew into small victorian cottages, many of which have been renovated and expanded over the years. Check http://www.bayviewassociation.org/ for a more detailed description of this idyllic spot.

From the back porch of the cottage of Cousin Carol and Ken, you look out over the community garden to the blue water of the bay, the dark green of the low hills across the bay, and the blue sky above (see photo). Looking to the west at sunset, the red sky is reflected in pink hues on the lake. I can see why Carol and Ken love spending summer months here, and I will be eager to return, with Leslie.

As any relatives reading this blog would know, Carol and Ken are great hosts. Among other things, I enjoyed swimming, playing a round of golf with Ken and friends, seeing the sights of Bay View (see photos of some of the houses, below), going to the community movie theater to see a French comedy (Moliere), and meeting many of the other Bay View residents. A special treat was joining Carol and Ken and tens of thousands of others for the annual walk across the Mackinaw Bridge, a five mile long bridge across the channel that connects Lake Michigan with Lake Huron.