Day 5 - Canastota to Utica - Erie Canal - Buffalo to Albany

June 11, 2024

Day 5 - Canastota to Utica

Greens, Riggies and Doodles - A Food Experience!

Gray Day - Great Day!

The Day's Inn was a decent hotel for our stay in Canastota, but the breakfast was lacking. Luckily there was a McDonald's next door. It was gray and overcast outside, but thankfully it wasnt raining.

After breakfast we biked through Canastota and back to the Erie Canal path. There were some older historic homes from the 1800's throughout the town. There was one for sale for under $200,000 with over 3,000 square feet of space while other homes were $125,000 - $350,000. We briefly thought of buying a house and retiring like kings in Canastota, but decided against it. My wife wouldn't have approved of the cold NY winters anyway and I'm not much on boxing history.

The first part of the ride was a mix of green tunnels, a little road riding and varied views. At times the canal was not visible and either covered over or overgrown as we were still following the original Erie Canal that was no longer in use.

This short section was narrow and a bit tricky with bike packs

Lock 21 in Italy?

We came upon a town called Verona NY. It was very different from the Romeo and Juliet version found in Italy where we stayed on a bike tour in 2022. Looking ahead, we also noticed we would be biking through Rome NY shortly as well.

We had a less "in tents" experience in Verona NY compared to our bike tour through Verona Italy a few years ago. That's for another story.

We did a bit of low stress road riding before joining up with an active part of the Eric Canal at Lock 21. By this point in our trip, we'd seen a fair share of boats on the canal and active locks, but this one was the most memorable since we were able to chat with the Lock Chief who managed the lock.

This particular lock was one of the best maintained locks we encountered with a well manicured lawn, trees and railing areas. The Lock Chief answered many of our questions about all of his responsibilities including the maintenance of the lock and surrounding grounds, history of the lock and the seasonality of the canal. We probably spent 45 minutes hanging out at the lock, talking to the chief and watching some boats enter and depart the lock. We also encountered a few other bikers also riding the canal path.

The very basic lock controls of opening or closing up stream or down stream lock doors. The flowing water does the rest.

Lock 21 In Action

While chatting with the Lock Chief, he received a call from another lock alerting him to two approaching boats. So we decided to hang around a bit to watch the lock festivities.

While in the lock, there was some misunderstanding with one of the boat operators resulting in some interesting footage with the boat floating away from the wall of the lock, but all ended up OK in the end.

Here is a shortened version of the lock process.

Nicky Doodles and beyond...

Between the lock and the town of Rome NY, there was some great riding. But there was also a section of road that was the worst on the trip on our way to lunch with lots of traffic and really rough road. Luckily it was only about a mile or so.

We decided to have lunch at a restaurant called Nicky Doodles. What a great little spot to have lunch with a good selection of burgers, sandwiches and ice cream. There was a super nice outside seating area, but it was too cold to be sitting around. We also skipped the ice cream since we were a bit cold. I tried Nicky's Steak with peppers, onions, mushrooms and cheese and loved my choice.

We had some more road riding after leaving Nicky Doodles but thankfully it transitioned to a better road as we went through town. While the canal was close by, this section doesn't have a completed path along it. Maybe someday?

We failed to take pics of our food, but here we are in front of the restaurant.

Fort Stanwix

Shortly after lunch, we came across Fort Stanwix. This is well worth the stop and it was free to enter the fort. Not only was the history interesting, it's a great place to grab some water if needed and the staff here were incredibly friendly.

Brief History of Fort Stanwix (Website Link)

For thousands of years the ancient trail that connects the Mohawk River and Wood Creek served as a vital link for people traveling between the Atlantic Ocean and Lake Ontario. Travelers used this well-worn route through Oneida Indian territory to carry trade goods and news, as well as diseases, to others far away. When Europeans arrived they called this trail the Oneida Carrying Place and inaugurated a significant period in American history--a period when nations fought for control of not only the Oneida Carrying Place, but the Mohawk Valley, the homelands of the Six Nations Confederacy, and the rich resources of North America as well.

Doug with some of the workers dressed in period clothing

Well Placed Ace

As we approached Ft. Stanwix, I heard an awful sound coming from my bike. At some point I lost a bolt that was holding my bike rack on. We figured out a way to rig it but then we thought maybe there would be a hardware store along the route where I could find a replacement bolt. After a quick Google Maps search, I found there was an Ace Hardware less than 3 minutes by foot. What a fortunate turn of events.

The Ace Hardware folks were incredibly helpful and I found the bolt I needed to secure my bike rack and also grabbed a few specialty chocolate bars they were selling. Wow were they good. I shared "some" of my chocolate with Doug. I have a history of sharing my chocolate with Doug in Italy, Austria, Germany, the bottom of Grand Canyon and now Rome NY.

While I have been generous with my chocolate, Doug has been labeled as a chocolate thief.... at least by me. This all stems from a train ride across Spain after a Camino we completed. We bought some chocolate to share and while I was napping, Doug scarfed down every bit of chocolate we bought. Some people just aren't good at sharing chocolate.

To be honest, my wife blames for the same infraction so I guess it's a bit of karma.

Surpises in Utica

The ride from Ft. Stanwix to Utica was approximately 22 miles and went by quickly. We searched and found a hotel about a 1/4 mile off trail with nearby restaurants and bars within walking distance. It may seem silly to want a restaurant within walking distance since we had bikes with us, but after biking all day, the last thing you feel like doing is having to bike anywhere.

For dinner, we visited a restaurant called Tavolo that featured Italian food and a few Utica NY staples. We were told Chicken Riggies and Utica Greens AKA Greens Morelle were specialites of the restaurant and the area.

Here is a bit about each dish:

Utica Greens / Greens Morelle

Utica greens are a dish made from sautéed escarole (broad-leaved endive) that’s flavored with prosciutto or pancetta and hot cherry peppers and broiled under a blanket of bread crumbs and romano cheese.

Our Review: I've had endive before and it was meh. But holy crap, when prepared as we had it, the dish was amazing. We both gave it 5 stars.

Chicken Riggies

Chicken riggies is dish featuring rigatoni pasta, chicken, hot cherry peppers or sweet bell peppers, and a spicy tomato-cream sauce.

It’s origin is hotly debated, with several Utica-area chefs claiming to have invented it. Like Utica Greens, it was likely adapted from home recipes enjoyed by Italian immigrants, and it’s popularity began to surge in the 1960s.

Our Review: Chicken Riggies was good but maybe after having Utica Greens, our expectation was higher. Also, the lasagna I ordered was so freaking good, it may have overshadowed the Riggies. We gave Riggies got a 3.75 stars.

Today was a great day!

While I have enjoyed the trip so far, this day was one of the best of the trip since it had a great mix of things including:

People: We had so many great interactions with people this day. Looking back the lock worker, the Nicky Doodles staff, the Ace Hardware clerks, the Ft. Stanwix workers dressed in period gear and then our amazing server during dinner who shared so much about Utica and the food we ordered. And last but not least, the time I get to spend with Doug on these trips today and other days. We have moments of quiet, lots of chatting and laughing and every minute of it is awesome. Even if he steals my chocolate.
Something went wrong: It's not an adventure until something goes wrong. Sure, we had rain and some little challenges, but nothing huge. My bike breaking could have been a bigger problem, but the trail provided and there was an Ace Hardware right when I needed it. Overcoming adversity and being present in the moment even when it's dealing with an issue somehow enhances the experience.
Towns: One thing we do wish there were more of and that is towns along the Erie Canal that have places to stop for food and adult beverages or other interesting sites or history to see. Some days on the Erie Canal there isn't a lot of this, but today it had a good mix of towns, wide open spaces and tree lined trail.
No plans: For this trip, we didn't do a lot of planning. Sure we had our flights and the return train ride from Albany to Buffalo planned, but everything in between was mostly planned out that same day. There is something liberating about having no plan and figuring it out as you go. Yes, some trips require planning, but the Erie Canal is one of those you can wing it a bit if you like.
Less Miles: Today, we not only had interesting things to see, we also were making good time and we didn't need to ride as far. It was a much needed butt break from prior days.
Rhythm of the ride: It also takes a few days to get into the swing of things. I've completed 8 mulit-day bicycle tours so far and in every case, it's not until about day 4 or 5 until I start to get into this new pace of life. Stress and everyday life chores fade away and you are living your best life and every day is a memorable day. And creating memorable days is what it's all about.

Today's ride: 38 miles (61 km)
Total: 251 miles (404 km)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	3
Comment on this entry	Comment	0