Day Four is Done’

We completed Day Four and another 101 miles, a corporate visit and an SPCA. Great weather, somewhat windy but still a good day and over 16 mph for our average speed.

We caught up with a few riders and missed an old friend due to a misunderstanding on the route. We also rolled into Watertown around rush hour (5:15pm) and then had a mix up at the hotel (which I hope gets cleared up before we check out), but otherwise a good day.

After a quick shower we went out looking for food and found a local Applebees which was a bit noisy but a good end to the day.

And how was your week?

Ainsworth Memorial Library in Sandy Creek, NY

Our good Samaritan today is Donna Jacobs at the Ainsworth Memorial Library in Sandy Creek, NY. We stopped here around 3:00pm largely because of the nice shade tree, but then thought we should step in and use the washroom.

She also told us of the County Fair that starts here next week. So for those in the area, please visit and know that their local SPCA is the one we visit with tomorrow!

Also we met up with a fellow cyclist, Dave Fuller who returned to his home town of Hastings for a ride. Cool.

Lunch at the Akropolis

No we did not actually ride to Greece, but we did stop just north of Central Square at a little family-owned restaurant called the Akropolis.

The stop was a bit early because we got hungry. The extra wind in our face was a bonus to the decision.

The good news / bad news is that we already met our SPCA friends earlier and we don’t have any others to visit with until Watertown and that is tomorrow morning. So now we just ride and from the GPS estimates we have about 50 miles to go.

The weather looks a bit ominous at times but so far, so good

Welch Allyn and the Finger Lakes SPCA

We were welcomed at 8:30am by the folks from Welch Allyn and the Finger Lakes SPCA.

Mike works at Welch Allyn and they gave a very generous donation to the Finger Lakes SPCA and let Mike take a couple of days off to do the ride.

Better still, Dave Allyn and Cassidy were there with us and though Dave isn’t riding with us today, he does ride and promised to join us next year.

That’s a promise we will help Dave keep!

Though Dave could not ride, Andy Clapper, another Welch Allyn employee.

Day Four, so it must be Skaneateles

We woke up to fire whistles. Earlier than we wanted to but that’s okay they also went off in the middle of the night. A busy place for firemen…

Just to prove Mile really lives here, I took a quick photo of the couch Gary slept on.

Mike lives over a bakery so the smell of fresh donuts hits you as soon as you step out the door. It smells good – very good. So, we had breakfast… As I sit here clicking away trying not to misspell too many words, we discuss the day ahead.

The weather seems perfect with low 70s and no noticeable humidity. We are expected at Welch Allyn at 8:30, to meet with the WA folks and with the Finger Lakes SPCA and possibly the local paper, but I won’t blog that until lunch so we can hit the road.

Time to eat. More soon!

Riding on 41A along Skaneateles Lake

Hello!

Depending on our time schedule we  may decide to continue to the Village of Skaneateles and stay with at my apartment rather than stay at a hotel in the Cortland/McGraw area.  If we do decide to push on Day 3, our route will take us along Skaneateles Lake on Rte 41A (which is the road that runs on the west-side of the lake).  This will add about 30-35 miles to Day 3’s mileage total. 

For those who have not had the pleasure of driving or cycling on 41A – it’s a wonderful road-with wide shoulders and scenic views and fairly light traffic.

The first couple miles of 41A wind through a wooded section with steep walls, towering trees and cool shade.  From there the road begins to undulate over rollers as you climb to the summit where you are greeted with spectacular views of Skanaeateles Lake. 

The second half of the ride contains several sweeping downhills and a few ‘minor’ climbs – just to keep you honest.  As a result, we will be riding 41A from Homer (Cortland) to the Village of Skaneateles on Day 3 and we will begin Day 4 from the Village of Skaneateles at 8:00 AM on our way to Watertown.

Happy Riding,
Mike