To Ogdensburg

July 25, 2021

Some unfinished business from last night:

A photo from last night’s dinner that I omitted from yesterday’s post: a bicycle in the yard beside the outdoor patio.

Our apologies to the rest of the country. We’re getting way more luck with weather here than we’re entitled to. We’d share it if we could, but since that’s not possible we’ll do our best to enjoy it on your behalf.

Today really exceeds expectations, weather-wise. It’s a pleasant low sixties when we start out northeast along the Seaway, taking it easy at first because Rachael is being cautious with her still stiff back. Not much effort is required though because we have a direct tailwind - a significant one that will persist for the whole ride and build to 15-20 mph. Easier than a rest day!

We don’t even get to the outskirts of town though before we’re halted. We usually ignore phone calls on the road, but we do pay attention to ones that come first thing like this just in case. And a good thing, this time. It’s the Ship Motel, wondering if I really meant to leave my camera as a tip. I’d have figured it out soon enough anyway when I came to an excuse to stop and pull it out, but it’s nice that we’re only a half mile in when I’m called back.

Five minutes later we’re underway again, not quite believing what a fine ride we’re experiencing. We’re sailing down the highway that parallels the sea, a route that I nearly steered us away from in favor of a quieter one inland away from the river. I’d been concerned that traffic might be a problem and that we wouldn’t see the river much anyway, but I was wrong. It’s a brilliant ride, especially if you’re biking with the wind.

Looking at this now, it seems silly that I wondered about how safe this road would be to bike on. From the satellite view I thought this wide shoulder must be a second lane.

The road is considerably more scenic than I expected too.

Along Highway 12. Really a great cycling road.

About halfway through the ride we pull off at a scenic overlook, the first really sweeping view of the Seaway we’ve gotten. Another couple is sitting at a picnic bench there beside their bikes, so we pause for an extended chat. They’re a local couple that ride this stretch often, as well as elsewhere - they recently took a bike/barge trip in Central Europe, if I’m remembering correctly. Enjoying the conversation, I forgot to take their photo to remember them by. Bill & Kathy, if you’re reading this you might send us a photo of yourselves, with your bikes of course.

Eventually it’s time to move on. They leave to push upwind back toward Alexandria Bay, while we stop to sit on a granite boulder and enjoy our snacks.

The map names this spot above Fogelman Bay a scenic overlook. We agree.

The GBO gets his chance to see New York, and takes it. As a bonus he gets to look across the Seaway at Ontario.

I’ve had my eye out for a long time for a granite boulder that goes with my raincoat. In the pannier it goes - In Rocky’s, that is.

The second half of the ride is as enjoyable as the first, maybe even better. It’s quieter, because for several miles we pull off onto a local road that parallels the highway; and it’s even more scenic because we’re often in view of the seaway along this stretch.

Still on Highway 12, guided on by a ribbon of chicory and Queen Anne’s lace. We’ll leave it soon for a side road though.

Video sound track: Can’t Keep It In, by Cat Stevens (Rocky’s go-to number when she really enjoys the ride).

At Jacques Cartier State Park: easiest lifeguard duty ever.

McConnell’s Windmill, in Morristown. Built in 1825 by a Scottish miller, it originally served as a grist mill but later moved on to a career as a mail and then as an air warning system observation post in World War II. Sort of a plowshares into swords story.

We had a brief scare when we saw this in the distance, wondering if we’d have to backtrack into the headwind.

The view across the Seaway from Morristown: Brockville, Ontario.

We arrive in Ogdensburg mid-afternoon, bike along its waterway for a short stretch, and then pull up at an ice cream shop before moving on to our lodging for the night, the Sherman Inn. Approaching it, it’s an improbable looking place - a large, institutional looking red brick building.

We’ve never stayed anywhere like the Sherman Inn. It’s an old public school building, and every room is immense. I paced off ours, and it’s roughly 45 feet square - obviously an old classroom. Besides its vast size one of its more interesting features is the door to the bathroom - an inch thick and solid oak from the looks of it, you almost need both hands to shove it open.

As soon as we arrive we’re given a tour of the whole building, including the interiors of several other chambers. They’re all named for former U.S. presidents who visited Ogdensburg at some point in the past. We’re staying in the Grant Room, but both Roosevelt Rooms are equally as impressive.

We’re also given a brief history lesson on the town. It’s interesting to hear that before the locks were built downriver at Massena in the mid 1950’s Ogdensburg was an important port town. It was the last navigable spot on the river above the falls at Massena, and ships from the Great Lakes side would stop here to unload their car for bridging by rail to Massena below the falls for reloading onto oceanside freighters.

The Ogdensburg Harbor Light. 65 feet tall, built in 1871 to replace the original from 1834, deactivated in 1961.

The historic Ogdensburg National Guard Armory, built in 1895.

There are a lot of firsts about our stay at the Sherman House in Ogdensburg. For one, the bikes have never been quartered in a playroom before.

We’re staying in the U.S. Grant room. This is a unique experience too, and surely the largest room we’ve ever lodged in.

Another option would be the Teddy Roosevelt Room, shown here; or the equally spacious FDR Room. These rooms are all huge. To make sense of it imagine them as they must once have been, filled with thirty children’s school desks.

The chalkboard in our room is so clean! It’s disappointing that there’s no chalk laying around to leave a thank you note with.

The hosts are obviously serious collectors. The rooms are all appointed with interesting and eclectic furnishings.

For dinner we walk the few blocks to Little Italy, the only restaurant in town open on Sunday night if you don’t count McD’s, which we don’t. While we’re waiting for our salads to arrive a swarthy looking guy swaggers through the hall, crooning along with the Sinatra tune coming in over the sound track. I’m just wondering whether we might have a drunk on our hands when Giuseppe addresses us and asks if we’d been served yet. He’s the owner, and his parents immigrated to Montreal from Sicily before he was born. We tell him that we’re bound for Italy ourselves and love Sicily, and he gives us a few tourist language pointers before sauntering off. Buon Giorno!

At the table next to us is a solo diner who strikes up a conversation after Giuseppe has moved on. He too is interested in travel, bikes a bit, and he and his wife are leaving for a cruise in Central Europe in October (so this must not be have been where Bill and Kathy went - I’ve mixed up conversations).

And, in a day that begins and ends with lost objects found, we get a few blocks back toward our room when Rachael discovers her glasses missing. I hurry back to the restaurant, where our waitress gives a beaming smile and exclaims “Oh, good. You came back!”. Good thing we left a decent tip.

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Ride stats today: 41 miles, 1,200’; for the tour: 2,119 miles, 62,700’

Today's ride: 41 miles (66 km)
Total: 2,119 miles (3,410 km)

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Bob DistelbergThis is starting to look like familiar territory. Are you getting anywhere near Potsdam perhaps? My old college town.
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3 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Bob DistelbergQuite close, although we won’t be going there. It’s about 15 miles southeast of Ogdensburg, but we’ll be continuing northeast along the seaway from here so we’ll bypass it.

We’re also not all that far away from Amenia. Are we still on?
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3 years ago

Bob DistelbergTo Scott AndersonYes indeed. I'm heading to Amenia this Thursday, and my calendar while there is pretty open. Keep me posted as to your schedule as you get closer, and we'll work something out.
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3 years ago

Suzanne GibsonIn Italy once Janos has left his camera at a hotel, too. We weren't close enough to cycle back easily, but they agreed to have a taxi deliver it to where we were waiting. The real problem was making contact with the hotel since this was before cell phones were common. But it all worked out.
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3 years ago