Buffaloed in Buffalo

How Do my friends! These last few days have been fun and full of exploration. I made it to Lake Erie and found that island I mentioned earlier, it was lame. It was a peninsula not a detached piece of land. But I saw some awesome things ( like this restored ship that was actually sailing out to the lake ) and met a few really nice folks. Did you know some of the oldest concord grape vines in the world are in North Western New York? Fields of grape vines trailing off into the lake and setting sun is an amazing sight to see.
I had to make my way through Buffalo, NY to get to Niagra Falls ( pictured above ) and found out though there may be a bike path / lane, it doesn't always get you somewhere. I ended up riding in circles and I was following the signs! So after about 5 miles of wasted energy I got my bearings from the sun and headed east to 'go around' the city. Although this added about 15 miles to my trip it didn't smell as bad and there was less traffic, so I thought it worthwhile.
I'm at about 540 miles so far and still heading north towards Maine. I thought it would be nice to detour and work on some farms and rest up, but it isn't getting any warmer and every stop along the way takes days away. I don't really know how to describe the attraction to New England other than magnetic. So here I go, like a roasted marshmallow to chocolate and graham cracker, it just fits.

On the road again

First off I want to shout out and say thanks to all of my friends that called to wish me well. The cell phone contact will be spotty because it is put away in my bags most of the time. So... DP, D-Spot,L-Spot,MC, Broke Dog, Big M, Rand-L, Ash, Trey, G$, Fatty, Levitate, and the rest of you A-Town crew ( fellowship if you prefer ), I wish the best for you and yours and I'll have you in my thoughts and heart forever. We'll keep in touch.

And of course my family, thanks for putting me up for the last few days, it's been real, and I've enjoyed the meals and time together. But just like a pint of ice cream, it is over at just the right time.

So, here I go. Off to New York with a short detour in Pennsylvania to spend time on an island in Lake Erie. Crazy.

Nothing to do. Watching storms brew.

Things have been slow these last few days. It's nice to be spending time back in the old house. Remembering the creaks of the floors and hearing the echo off the plaster walls brings me right back to 1995. With little to do I've been replenishing supplies, learning new songs, eating lots of food, and trying to clean out years worth of junk in the attic ( Goodwill beware! ). Not to make you envious but it's worth mentioning that I've been helping myself to Mom's homemade wine and cookies too!

I've been tracking hurricane Danny and checking in with the weather channel and it seems like I'll be staying put for at least another day. An easterly moving low pressure storm pushing in from Lake Erie is supposed to meet up with Danny and dump all over Pennsylvania and New York. Since that is where I'm heading to it looks like I had better find something to do. Like exploring the hustle and bustle of Boardman, the shopping Utopia right next to Youngstown. And of course, sleeping.

Holmes is where the heart is

So, I decided before I ramble about that I should see my folks. My father's birthday is at the end of August and I haven't been for a visit in a while, so it seemed just right. On the way from Athens to Youngstown ( 233 miles ) I took a scenic route that led me straight through the heart of Amish country. The land was so enchantingly beautiful. The soil was rich, the crops were stout, and the livestock were happily feasting in their lush pasture. Holmes county, Stark co., and Wayne co. need to be seen to be believed. I passed about two dozen buggies, ate lunch at an orchard, saw the Yoder's processing plant ( it's huge, they have their own road! ), and found out that SE Ohio isn't the only place to find steep hills in the state.

Once I made it to Akron the hills petered out. I got excited to see familiar territory once I hit 224 E and that was enough to get me the rest of the way. With the sun long gone I kept on pushing and made it to my folks place a little after 10 o'clock. I'm going to stay here for a few days and then hit the road well rested and over fed.

Well, I'm on my way. I left thursday August 20th and have been going at it pretty steady since. I had one rest day at Dillon Lake SP because it was so beautiful and I was sore from pushing my way out of Athens County. At about 33 miles I reached the top of the biggest 'Appalachian molehill' where someone's house was perched. Abandoned for a while it seemed, but there was a picinic table right at the edge of this vista. ( The picture does it no justice, from here you can see every bit of southeast Ohio, storms rolling in, and the curve of the earth )

Here are some pictures of my bike "BB", she's naked (her saddle bags were being waterproofed at the time) and my newly created mascot "Petzl". Who would've thought propping up a listing pot on a camp stove would awaken a spirit in my coffee cup?! He talks to me, and insists on sitting side-saddle to view the traffic rolling by. Just kidding, I'm not crazy...yet.