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.