July 21, 2018
Lakeside State Park, NY to Medina, NY
Day 16
Weather: Sunny, light winds
We left our campsite at 8:30 a.m., a bit later than normal as we didn't have far to go. Today we end our tour and return to our starting point in Medina, NY
On the way out we walked up to the end of the Parkway.
First we headed east back up the Lake Ontario State Parkway to Oak Orchard to visit the Oak Orchard Lighthouse. The lighthouse wasn't going to be open when we got there but when we arrived I saw a sign that we could call a volunteer who would come down and open up.
I called Don and he said he was having breakfast but would come over afterwards so we decided to hang around and wait.
While waiting we made a sign and Cameron tossed it in the river. Maybe we will find it next year if we head down the St Lawrence River.
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Oak Orchard Lighthouse (Replica)
Congress appropriated $20,000 for a lighthouse on July 15, 1870. Work commenced on the original Oak Orchard lighthouse on March 30, 1871 which was built on the western pier where the Oak Orchard River formed a harbor at the lake. The light was first lit on June 17, 1871.
The lighthouse had a relatively short life as it was was deactivated on May 1, 1914 due to the decline in commercial trade at the harbor. A storm later in 1914 swept away part of the pier and another in December of 1916 swept away the rest of the pier along with the lighthouse.
Founded in 2004, the Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum successfully raised funds to build a replica.
On June 26, 2010, a ceremony was held to officially dedicate the new Oak Orchard Lighthouse. The light in the lighthouse is active from April 1 to November 1.
It had been a few days since we were able to climb a lighthouse tower so it was good to get a tour of one.
From the lighthouse we followed the Oak Orchard River River all the way to our car.
While on our way back we run into our old friend Hwy 104 that had been our companion for a number of days earlier in the week.
16 days ago we stopped at this Dollar General and it was closed. Today it was open and we stocked up on drinks and eats for the drive home.
We made it back to the car at 12 noon and packed up.
Once in the car we followed Hwy 104 back the way we had come and drove into Rochester. We stopped downtown and walked around the Genesee River and the Blue Cross Arena where the Americans ice hockey team play. Once Cameron had his photo taken, we pressed on south towards Pittsburgh, PA. The plan to tomorrow was to visit the Penguins ice arena.
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Leaving Rochester on I390, we headed south. Later we were on eastbound I86 for a while then headed south again on I99 into Pennsylvania.
I99 was an interesting drive where most of the freeway was built into the side of hills and we looked down into the valleys where the towns were.
We stopped in State College briefly to look at Penn State University but didn't hang around because of the rain.
It rained most of the drive through PA and we got a hotel just out of Pittsburgh, PA.
Today's ride: 21 miles (34 km)
Total: 744 miles (1,197 km)
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