July 23, 2021
Utica to Fort Plains, Lock 15
I rode up the hill to check out downtown Utica. Like Tomato Pie it was missing something, mainly people and business.
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I hit the trail again shooting for a room in Palatine Bridge. Palatine Bridge had a Budget Inn and the Palatine Motel. Colorado Connie texted me that the Palatine Motel was booked. I called the Budget Inn and booked a room. The Philly Boys were going to camp at Lock 15. I texted the Coloradoans to look out for them. It was another great riding day weather-wise.
Outside of Utica, the signage let me down once again. I actually started going in the wrong direction. I corrected and persevered. Connie texted me that they got caught in a severe downpour and were soaked to the bone. The isolated thunderstorm must have been a few miles ahead of me. I stayed dry. Eventually, I made it to Lock 15. The gang was all there: the Philly Boys, Colorado Ed and Connie. We decided to go eat in Fort Plains. We chose the Mediterrainian Kitchen. While I was eating my undercooked falafel, I got a call from the Budget Inn asking if I still want the room. I told them yes, I am an hour away and I am on a bicycle. Five minutes later the Budget Inn calls me back and tells me that my room has been struck by lightning, has no electricity and they are unable to rent it to me. Colorado Ed and Philly Ed hear this exchange and burst out laughing.
I hop on my bike thinking I’ll speak to them at the Budget Inn. I calm down after a mile or two thinking it’s Friday and if I pull Mr. Budget Inn over the front desk I won’t see the judge till Monday morning. Putting me behind schedule. Instead, I ride to the Palatine Motel to see if they have cancellations. At the Palatine, I meet Jimmy the Greek, the owner. He is sitting outside with five or six kids running around. I tell him my story and he says the Budget Inn is full of drug addicts, but he has no rooms. He calls his buddy Lyons over. Lyons makes a few phone calls trying to get a tent he loaned to his friend. Jimmy gets me a chair and tells me to sit down, we’ll figure it out. And we do.
I borrow a sleeping bag from Lyons and ride back to Lock 15, Philly Bob lets me bunk with him in his tent. I go to Family Dollar and get a rubber backed threshold rug and some cardboard to act as an insulator from the ground.
Connie had suggested checking out Family Dollar before I left after dinner. It was a good suggestion, they had fleece blankets, shower curtains, bug spray and area rugs. I could have put something together. I had a good night's sleep, Bob less so. I left the cardboard out of Bob’s $500 Big Agnes tent and used the rug as a sleeping pad, stuffing my stuff sack with rolled clothes for a pillow. Lyon’s sleeping bag kept me warm. 55.8 miles for the day.
Today's ride: 56 miles (90 km)
Total: 330 miles (531 km)
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