September 23, 2023
It’s pronounced “Skinny Atlas”
Auburn to Skaneateles loop; another Ghetto for the 1%, Genny takes a long nap; Amber finds treasure
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Jim woke up bright and raring to go, fully recovered from his migraine. I, on the other hand, had a terrible night, unable to get comfortable, much less fall asleep. When I got up, my brain felt like it was enveloped in fog and I was extremely fatigued. I think it may just be an accumulation of fatigue over several days finally hitting a breaking point. Even after we walked to a diner for breakfast and having several cups of coffee, (normal for me,) I still felt foggy.
We planned a ride to Skaneateles town and lake, our next digit. Then we had hoped to go on and view the next finger to the east, Otisco lake.
The road out of Auburn was not a major highway, but it had pretty major traffic and no shoulder. In my foggy state, it was all I could do to keep my bike on the white line, just off the dirt, as cars and trucks zipped by us, all in a seeming hurry to get somewhere. I was so happy when we turned off on a quieter road.
That road took us into the town of Skaneateles, which is naturally, right on Skaneateles lake. The name is derived from the Iroquois for “long lake” according to Wikipedia. Anyway Skaneateles is a very upscale, pretty town with lots of neat, little waterfront shops and cafes and large well-kept Victorians and other homes. This end of the lake was lined with similar mansions; this town and lakeshore clearly are what we call a “Ghetto for the 1%,” quite possibly the 0.1%.
After a bit of exploring we conferred to consider our options, and ultimately we decided to skip Otisco lake. We headed back towards Auburn by a different country road, with new chip-seal and low traffic.
After returning to Auburn, I wanted nothing more than to take a nap. But Jim was hungry so we walked to Swaby’s tavern for lunch. Basically an old-fashioned bar that also serves food, Swaby’s has some of the most eclectic decor I have ever seen-stuffed animals, skeletons, gargoyles, armor, interesting posters and plaques and many other things. It was too dark for photos but worth a visit while in Auburn, because the food was great, as was the service, and reasonably priced.
Finally I got my nap. In fact I slept from 2-5pm, and felt much better upon awakening.
Meanwhile Amber and Rich did their own exploring and treasure hunting. They were rewarded with some fine chocolates and, in a charity textile thrift shop, Amber found some $14 skeins of merino wool yard for 25 cents! What a score!
Dinner was also a score. Our first choice was overcrowded and noisy so we went a couple doors down the street to Osteria Salina. This turned out to be a very fine Italian restaurant with fantastic food and the best service we have had the entire trip.
Tomorrow we leave Auburn and head towards Waterloo/Seneca Falls where we will take a rest day before spending two more days riding back to Rochester.
Today’s video:
Today's ride: 17 miles (27 km)
Total: 397 miles (639 km)
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