July 4, 2005

It doesn’t seem like the 4th of July

It was french toast and zucchini bread for breakfast at Tim and Anne’s. It was a good night’s sleep for all. We said our good byes at around 8:45 and were on our way again. The plan for the day and the next two is around 70 to 80 mile days to get to my sister Pat and her husband Jim’s home outside of Albany on Wednesday.

Goodbye Picture at Tim and Anne's

The weather is hotter (in the low 90’s) and more humid than the last two days. The winds are OK with a tail to cross of around 5 to 10 MPH. Our route is NY bike route 5 which goes along the Erie Canal. As yesterday sometimes we are close to the Canal and sometimes not. There are more ups and downs. I would call it lightly rolling hills. A few of them have some steepness to them but nothing really long. We were some what concerned about 4th of July traffic but it never materialized on NY Old Route 31.

Old Boat by the Erie Canal

The trip is winding down as we are getting closer to our destination. We know it is the 4th of July but it really doesn’t seem like it to us. At one point Nick turned and said: “This is the most uneventful 4th of July I can remember”. Our priorities are different from others on a weekend like this. For us, it’s pretty much business. Eat, sleep, and ride. The things that we do relate to the success of the ride. It’s us, the bikes, and the route. Our riding today is back to what it should have been the last two days in terms of consistency and safety. It felt much more comfortable. Nick’s wheel broke another spoke but we expect that by now. Tim got his first flat. While he was fixing it we all related how we were wondering if he would ever get one.

Tim's Flat ... Nick on the Phone as Usual

The short day we planned got us into camp pretty early for us at 4:45. The Sunset Park Campground is pretty nice although it took a bit of unusual navigating to get to. We were relying on the GPS to get to the campground but our left hand turn onto McDonald road doesn’t exist. When we got there, and there was a fence in between. Tim walked up to the fence and found a gate of sorts. He says his boyhood days of growing up around farms is finally paying off. The next thing was a bridge that was under construction and the gravel road before and after it. The old bridge that we went over has a metal deck requiring a lot of caution.

New York Hay

The Sunset Park Campground was packed over the weekend according to the seasonal campers we talked to, but now it’s pretty much the seasonals and the week vacationers. I asked to buy a Coke from the Mallore’s (seasonal campers) to have with dinner but they wouldn’t accept any money. Later were treated to some hot dogs from the Mallore’s, and some roast pork and corn on the cob from the Cain’s. This is the nicest commercial campground that we have stayed at. It is quiet, well kept, we are a hundred yards from the lake, and the people are real friendly. As I am typing this log I can hear laughter and kids playing. Two young girls accompanied by two women came over and we chatted about the trip, and answered their questions. There is a soft cool breeze coming off the lake. It is really nice.