Days 46 and 47 Brockport to Fair Haven to Pulaski

Day 46 (18 Sep 09) Brockport to Fair Haven 99 miles

We continue on the plains of the Great Lakes and have the advantage of the canal trail for the first part of the ride. We know that we have a long day, and need an early start. However, despite Jim’s magic with the Internet it is difficult to find a place to stay. (Later we learn that it could be fall colors, tourists and a salmon run on the Salmon River that has places booked.)

The circular winds from Lake Ontario are blowing up to 20 mph sometimes in our faces, sometimes a quartering wind, but it seems never a good tail wind. The towns along the canal have downtowns influenced by the canal trade. As we approach Rochester we have to be careful to follow the correct canal trail because there is a confluence of the canal and the Genesse River. We pass along industrial areas of chemical plants, railroad yards and manufacturing plants.

As we follow the canal trail signs we end up on the campus of Nazarene College, where Jim comments that the tail signs, “just petered out.” We go in a circle and end up in Pittsford. Pittsford has incorporated the canal into its character by having barge trips and restaurants along the canal. With the wind at our back we end up in Palmyra quickly. Turning north we push against that 20 mph head wind.

A ride along Lake Ontario and we end up in Fair Haven just as darkness is settling in. Town and food is a mile away up a hill. Fortunately, Dan from Fair Haven Inn gives us a ride to town. Dan runs the hotel, has a Christmas tree farm, and moves to Lake Placid for the winter to coach bob sledding. Yes, he did coach the Jamaican bob sled team. The Jamaican bob sled team never made it to the bottom of the hill without crashing, but they had fast starts.

Day 47 (19 Sep 09) Fair Haven to Pulaski 52 miles

Only 50 miles we have time for a sit down breakfast. Maybe we will even have time to talk about our feelings.

At breakfast we meet a former Kodak engineer who worked on carbon fiber bikes for Lance Armstrong. He was consulted on the stresses on the headsets for carbon fiber bikes. He rode across the country several times on his motorcycle.

The chef pre-sold the oatmeal. He tells us he just had some. His wife is the waitress tells us that he samples the oatmeal too much. They live there all year round and the winters last one month too long.

The smell of apples accompanies us and we see the Hispanic pickers being shuttled to the orchards. We pedal through Mexico, NY turn on Route 3 to head to Port Ontario on the lake (Jim wanted to skip going to Texas (Texas, NY of course), having lived there for three years and not wanting to go back). Then to the Salmon River and the Pulaski Salmon Festival. Leonard is thinking about the salmon we will eat at the downtown festival when we arrive. Alas, its ½ chicken, salt potatoes and macaroni salad for $7 from the Lions Club and an elk burger for Jim. Later it is a rotisserie chicken in the Super 8 where we continue to talk about our feelings over dinner. We discovered we didn’t have any - well no more than one for each of the attorneys and maybe two for the pathologist doctor.