Blueberry pancakes helped start the day in Weedsport. We met a rider named Stan Smith who was headed to Texas. He warned us about the hassle of riding through Syracuse but we didn’t find it very bad. Routing was a bit tricky but Jeff’s map skills were up to the task.
While relaxing in a park, a fellow named Nick was curious enough to ask us lots of questions. Even though he was a local he never made the time to ride the Erie Canal. Hopefully we inspired him. He was so laid back I was surprised to hear him say that he had three kids.
As planned, we stopped near Syracuse University and bought a beefier tire from “Mello Velo bike shop”. We voted on mexican food and it was delicious. I went out on a limb and ordered the catfish burrito. It was fun sitting at the sidewalk cafe soaking up the color that you often find in a college town. The woman wearing the raccoon tail took the cake.
The path alongside the old canal was really nice and made for a relaxing day. We headed north out of Canastota (aka ‘Can-a-soda’) and rode to our campsite at Verona Beach State Park on the shores of Oneida Lake. It amazes me that a religious group formed here in the late 1800’s and morphed into a company that makes silverware. I took a quick swim in the lake just to rinse and cool off.
We rode a few miles to the local tavern to eat a late dinner and relax after our 65 mile ride.
