Niagara Falls, NY 45 Miles: What a day!!

I awoke with such excitement!  Knowing that I would be riding into my childhood home town!  We all left Hamburg, NY @ 7:40 a.m. headed to the Peace Bridge in Buffalo, NY.  The ride through the city was fun, and the city of Buffalo looked better than I remember.  The City & water front looked especially refined from what I recall as a wild College kid, headed to Buffalo to party in the bars.  We then crossed the Peace Bridge in Buffalo, where we crossed into Canada, and biked along The Niagara Parkway where we cycled along the Niagara River into Niagara Ontario where we then crossed the Rainbow Bridge into the USA, Niagara Falls, NY.  This was a beautiful ride along a bike path.  Beautiful mansions, and we could begin to see the mist of the Falls from miles away.  My riding friends were getting so excited as we neared the Falls.  Once there, it was crowded with hundreds upon hundreds of tourists, all amazed at the roaring Falls before them!  Once we made it across the bridge, the photographer from the Niagara Gazette Newspaper snapped photos of me and my cycling posse, and then I was interviewed about the cross country journey I have been on.  It was a thrilling day!!  My parents picked me up at the Days Inn Hotel, I will be spending the next 2 nights here with them in Lewiston since we have a lay over day.  I'll be back on my bike Thursday morning to bike 68 miles to Brockport, NY.  We have about 900 more miles to go until we reach Bar Harbor, ME.  Total mileage so far:  1,495 miles.  Below are pictures from today at the Falls, and pictures of my parents & brother Joey, who came down to see my this evening in Lewiston.  Tomorrow, my sister, Mary Lynn is hosting a barbeque at her home for all 28 of us!!  Oh man!! 

New York! New York! Hamburg, NY 91 Miles

Entering into NYS this morning at 8:20 a.m. was a very happy moment for me.  This is my home state.  This is where I was born and bred for 21 years.  This is where my parents, brother, sister in law, sister, brother in law, niece, Uncle, cousin and other relatives live.  This is where I eat the best chicken wings in all the world.  This is where the people I love the most in my life live.  Tomorrow, will without doubt, be one of the most exciting days of my life.  We will be riding into Niagara Falls, NY.  As I mentioned, I grew up here for the first 9 years of my life.  My parents live just 6 miles away in Lewiston, NY.  I will be seeing them tomorrow.  Today, I was on the bike at 6:20 a.m.  We left Erie, PA headed for Hamburg NY 90 miles later.  I arrived at 12:40 p.m.  It was a beautiful ride, although some of the roads had a lot of treacherous pot holes--by no means a bikers friend. I now am at the Motel 8 right off the NYS Thruway.  Tomorrow, a reporter from the Niagara Gazette newspaper, Dan Capalazo, will be photographing us, and interviewing for a story. I am so excited!!  He wants to get a photo of us as we cross the Rainbow bridge, as we will be coming into Niagara Falls via the Canadian side.  Truly thrilling stuff!!  Todays ride was pretty, I rode with Annie, Milano, Jean, Carolyn, Mary. Tomorrow, is a short ride just 45 miles.  Total Miles:  1,453.  

Erie, PA 50 Miles

We left around 7:45 a.m. this morning on our bikes, heading further east, to Erie, PA.  We had a later start than usual as it would be a short day, only 50 miles to Erie.  The ride was pretty, rolling hills, some farm land and lots of farm stands.  We had some excitement on the route-we had to carry our bikes down a steep ravine to get to the other side because construction was going on at the bridge.  With about 10 miles left, Milano, Katie, Annie, Sue, Linda and I stopped at a farm stand and each bought a delicious peach.  Very refreshing and a healthy choice compared to the usual 9:00 a.m. ice cream sandwich I seem to be on the hunt for when on the bike!  We got into Erie around noon time and hit Backyard Burger, a burger chain.  I didn't order a burger though, but chicken fingers instead.  Around 1:00 our hotel rooms were ready, I showered and now am blogging.  We only spend tonight in PA.  We are at a Comfort Inn.  Tomorrow we ride 91 miles into Hamburg, NY, then onto Niagara Falls, NY, my birth place, and home of my parents just 6 miles away, in Lewiston, NY!  I am so excited to see my parents, sister, brother, brother in law, niece, cousin and Uncle.  I'm getting closer to my home.
Total mileage= 1,360 miles.

More Photos Austinburg, OH

Austinburg, OH-57 Miles I love Ohio!

Waking up in a first class hotel sure has it's perks.  While in Cleveland, we stayed at the Double Tree.  Just awesome-they give you a hot chocolate chip cookie in a cute brown paper bag when you check in.  The bed was so comfortable, like a marshmallow.  Once up, the usual routine...slather on the sun screen, try to make some sense of my bed head (oh well it's only going under a helmet in minutes, so who really cares?!), brush teeth, dress, pack, get the bike down to the lobby, and suit case in the trailer.  We had a scrumptous buffet bfast right in the hotel, then it was onto Austinburg.  Riding through Cleveland was ok, it was early morning so not much traffic. The weather is perfect.  Sunny, no humidity, and around 86 degrees.  At the 30 mile mark, Milano's friend, Jim, a Forensic Psychologist, met up with us and two ohter riders, Sue & Linda, and we rode a beautiful route that he knew through breath taking wine country.  Jim is a very cool guy, smart and a great sense of humor.  I even got to ask him his view on the Casey Anthony case!  We stopped at this covered bridge and took photos.  See below.  He's the guy Milano is hugging!  It hink he really enjoyed riding with us chicks.  We loved having him along.  In no time, our ride was over, and we were at the Comfort Inn in Austinburg.  Upon getting into the hotel, my rear tire was flat.  Perfect timing!  The rooms were not ready yet, so we had lunch at Mr. C's Restaurant.  I ate a burger, cole slaw and fries.  Tonight is our last night in Ohio.  Tomorrow, we ride into Erie, PA.  Before I know it, we'll be in my home town of Niagara Falls, NY!  My family is putting on a barbeque for all of us on our lay over day there on August 3rd.  Total mileage for 20 riding days:  1,307 Miles.

Huron to Cleveland, OH-55 Miles 7/28/11

The morning began at 7:30, breakfast and on our bikes headed to Cleveland.  My great friend, Deb Milano was very excited for this ride as the route goes directly by her home in Rocky River, OH.  Three of her friends from home spent the night in Huron so they could ride in with she and Sue Wright, also from the same town.  It was quite humid and a bit drizzly.  We got on the road about 8:00.  We had several stops along the way and road right along Lake Erie.  We stopped and saw 2 cottages Milano use to own in a quaint little settlement.  Once on the road her friend got a flat, we changed it.  As we got into some more quaint towns,we stopped at their favorite candy store, Brummers and sampled some of the candy.  After all our dilly dallying, we kicked it into high gear, and hauled ass into Rocky River.  We were greeted at the local park by the local newspaper reporter, who interviewed Deb, and took photos of all of us.  It was very exciting! We then rode onto Milano's house--just beautigul, on Lake Erie, where her husband, Jay, and beautiful daughter, Jessica, and schnauzer, Lilly anxiously awaited us.  They were so happy to see Deb, and I guess, the other 26 of us!  After posing for more photos for the paper, we jumped back on our bikes, and once at the end of Milano's drive way a police escort escorted us in on our bikes to the Cleveland Yacht Club where Deb & Sue's families and friends put on a wonderful cook out for us!  Once we entered about 75 of them applauded us all!  It was very touching!  A truly wonderful day.  We ate, hotdogs, burgers, mac salad, etc... just delicious! (oh, I had 2 slices of red velvet cake!) and then it was back on our bikes for the last 10 miles into Cleveland.  The riding into Cleveland was busy, and typical urban riding.  I was glad to get to the hotel, The Double Tree, right here in the city.  Cleveland is a very nice city, and today, I toured the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on our off day.  Tomorrow, we ride onto Austinburg, OH 57 miles.    

Huron, OH. 68 Miles. Lovin' Ohio!!

I stayed up too late watching reality t.v. last night, Gene Simmon's Family Jewels. and was a bit bleary eyed when I awoken.  The usual for b-fast, steel cut oats, yogurt, raisins, juice, tea.  On the bike @ about 7:00 a.m.  The morning sun was beautiful.  We left Bowling Green headed for Huron, OH 68 miles down the road.  It was a nice ride, again flat, pretty farmland, and nice roads, although we did come into contact with some road work, but no big deal.  The highlight of the ride was a baby cow somehow got out from the grazing area and the electrified fence and was walking down the road.  The bikers ahead of me directed him to the side of the road and then Nancy went up to the farm house to notify the owners.  The cow was so sweet.  He looked like an oreo cookie.  I did manage to get a picture of one his relatives.  Perhaps his Ma' or Pa'.  He seemed scared so I didn't want to approach him. The biggest challenge of the ride was some head wind the last 12 miles or so.  Once into Huron, 4 of us continued on past  Motel 6, and ate lunch at this local joint called Lemmys (named after the Lake Erie Monster)  The owner, was the most friendly guy.  Milano, a fellow Ohio girl, had been there before, and ordered the breaded perch, a delicate white fish caught right in the waters of Lake Erie.  It was incredibly scrumptuous!  I'm glad she likes to share...I ate some of hers, and then some of Sue's as well!.  The owner, even gave us a slice of free chocolate cake for dessert!  So good, and dense!  He was impressed we are riding cross country.  He himself is a 2:32 marathoner!  The people in Ohio are so friendly, kind, and unassuming.  Milano says the cost of living is reasonable too.  I could easily live here.  Tomorrow we ride 55 miles into Cleveland.  Milano and Sue's families are hosting all of us for a cook out at the Yacht Club in Rocky River.  They say we are getting a Police escort in for the last 2 miles!  The H.S. band may even be playing they said!   All to welcome us!  Wow!!  We are looking forward to it!  After that we have an off day.  We will stay right in Cleveland for the night.  The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is on all of our lists.  Oh, the temps have been great, low 80's no humidity.  What a change from last week when our brains were frying on the road.  My total mileage thus far, for 18 riding days:  1,192 miles. Photos tomorrow, my AT&T server isn't covering me out here. 
Love,
Kit