Greg & Camille Go Bike

We woke up to a yummy breakfast of homemade pancakes and muffins. Late morning, we set out to cross the border with John and Madeline as our personal guides. Leading the way riding tandem, they frequently paused along the route to share with us interesting facts about the community. Stops on the tour included some Niagara vineyards where we learned about the equipment used and sampled grapes as well as (a look at) a ropes course overlooking the Niagara Whirlpool. 

We followed the escarpment and the riverside trail to goodbyes and Rainbow Bridge where we bid our hosts and Canada a very sad adieu. Our tour was much longer than anticipated; we crossed into the US at around 1 PM, leaving 45 miles to our next destination. After a 20-second check from border patrol that we weren’t hooligans, we popped into Goat Island where we bulked up on cold ramen at the top of Niagara Falls. A photographer nearby was amazed we were eating the soup without heat. He and his wife had driven there from California.

We enjoyed the scenery following the Niagara River to Tonawanda and Buffalo. Our next hosts had provided directions that took us on some great trails, one of which was our beloved Empire State Trail! This would be our third time on it (first in Manhattan and then again in Rouses Point). It was smooth sailing until we ran into our first obstacle of the day: a bridge closure whose detour added a few more miles to route. No problem, we thought. Then the rascally flats began. Camille got a flat. Greg got a flat. Camille got another flat. 

By then, it was dark. Camille was out of tubes, and her patch was failing. With just under 5 miles to go, the bikers called for help. Once again, a Fred (this time accompanied by a Sue) came to our rescue for the last leg. Our hosts, good friends of Greg’s parents from grad school, took us in and pampered us with delicious mac & cheese with peach cobbler for dessert. We were amused to learn from them that the sweet smells we experienced earlier in the day came from the General Mills factory along our route! (Just before the bridge closure, a Lucky Charmsesque fragrance wafted through the downtown Buffalo air.) We enjoyed hearing stories about when Sue and Fred were in college with Greg’s parents and how excited they were to catch up again soon. The Harringtons (Jack the dog included) gave us such a warm welcome back to the States. After taking care of laundry, it was time for bed.