June 18, 2008
Day 37: Pulaski, NY to Palmyra, NY
100.40 miles, 8:12:40 Ride Time, 12.22 Average Speed, 35.52 Maximum Speed
I got a very late start this morning - so late that I missed the continental breakfast at the Super 8. I think it's the first time that's happened.
It was chilly again, and looked like it could rain at any moment. I got back on the route at Port Ontario, which obviously catered to visiting fishermen - I saw several "fish butchers" and fisherman's cabins for rent. It might have been interesting to have stayed at one of those places (if the price had been right), but I might have had to deal with fish guts in the bathtub, I suppose.
I really had trouble getting interested in the ride this morning - after the Adirondacks, the scenery seemed dull, and of course the mostly cloudy sky didn't help improve my mood. It was so chilly most of the morning that I started fantasizing about stopping at some old country store where they had a fire going in the stove. This felt like Fall to me.
I stopped for lunch on the outskirts of Fulton (pop. 11,885), where I had a fish sandwich and fries. A couple of local guys in the next booth tried to convince me to abandon my (hopefully scenic) route and take a busy highway instead. This seems to happen all the time.
About an hour and a half later, near Fair Haven (pop. 884), the sun finally came out for the day, and puffy white clouds replaced the depressing gray skies - and as usual, my mood improved along with the weather.
From this point, it felt like a different day entirely. The countryside became very pretty, and I started seeing orchards and farm stands everywhere. I stopped at one of the places, which offered ice cream as well as healthy fruits and vegetables, and had a hot fudge sundae. While I was inside ordering it, I noticed several little boys (probably eight years old) pointing at my bike and talking. When I walked out, a woman, obviously their babysitter, had a series of questions for me that the boys were apparently too shy to ask themselves. My favorite: "They're worried that the seat isn't comfortable." ("Worried"?)
For the next couple of hours I was on some great country roads:
Caywood
Chapmans Corners
Red Creek
Furnace
W. Port Bay (Not to be confused with Port Bay, as I did for about a mile...)
Woodruff
Lummisville
Dutch Street
Ridge
Shaker Tract
Red Mill
It was later in the afternoon when I arrived in Sodus Point (pop. 1,160), on Lake Ontario. I had a place to stay in Palmyra, but because I wasn't sure if I could get there in time, I briefly considered stopping in Sodus Point. There was an expensive-looking B&B (its sign proclaimed that it had been named National Bed and Breakfast of the Year - I bet that added $50 to the nightly rate), and a seedy-looking hotel that was above a bar. I didn't even go in there to check it out.
After verifying with a friendly young woman that I had seen everything Sodus Point had to offer, I decided to ride on to Palmyra. After about ten miles through more orchards and farms, I got to the little town of Pultneyville, where I turned South for the rest of the day.
The last seventeen miles of the day went quickly. When I arrived in Palmyra, I stopped at Mark's Pizza, where I ordered a medium pepperoni pizza and an order of fries. I was just finishing it about 8:30, when Dale and Nina, my hosts for the night, called to tell me they were now home. I rode the last mile to their house in the near dark - by far the latest I've ridden the bike on this (or the other) tour. As I put the bike in the garage, it started to sprinkle - once again, my uncanny good luck with the rain had held up - and, after the unpromising start this morning, I ended up with just over 100 miles for the day.
Dale and I swapped touring stories for a while... that's always fun. He has done much (perhaps all... correct me if I'm wrong, Dale) of the Northern Tier in sections, and he had lots of good tips about places to stay out West. Thanks, Dale!.
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Today's ride: 100 miles (161 km)
Total: 2,693 miles (4,334 km)
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