After a lovely morning in Geneva, we hit the road. A few quick back roads brought us to the Erie Canalway Trail, a buggy, but scenic and pleasant path along the canal. That took us all the way into Rochester where my relatives the Brodies live. Unfortunately my uncle Hugh and cousins Claire, Fiona, and Colin were all out on adventures of their own, but my aunt Anne was an excellent host who provided a delicious meal, refreshing beverages, and even the use of their hot tub! I’ve missed the last few family get-togethers because of school and internships, so it was nice to see relatives again.
In the morning, after a delicious pancake breakfast, we started south for Letchworth State Park. It was a bit out of our way, but Deb’s aunt Carolyn and uncle Bill lived in that direction, and how could we pass up the “Grand Canyon of the East”? The ride was hot but pleasant, and we stopped at a flea market on the way for kettle corn and cherries. Deb’s relatives met us at the northern end of the canyon, bringing burgers and milkshakes for lunch, absolutely heavenly on a day like that. After a refreshing picnic, we explored the canyon, unburdened by our gear which Deb’s relatives were nice enough to drive home for us. It proved to be a beautiful ride, well worth the diversion.
We finished the day with a rough but rewarding ride to Carolyn and Bill’s house in the hill, an oasis of hospitality in beautiful New York farmland. Carolyn prepared an excellent dinner, including some of the brussel sprouts Deb had snagged from the apartment in Geneva!
The next morning, after a filling breakfast, we head north towards Buffalo. Not half a mile down the road though, two dogs came barking out of the woods, blocking our path. At first they were insistent on halting our progress, but after a meaningful conversation, some good laughs, and a few tears, we realized that they were just trying to warn us about the above-average tick population in the area, and raise awareness of a lack of K9 representation in local government. …but actually, their owner started yelling at them and they scurried home.
The rest of the day was a nice ride, including the first real rain of the trip which was a five minute downpour that was actually quite refreshing! That evening we arrived in Tonawanda, ready to explore Niagara Falls and venture into Canada in the coming days.