Last night after dark, a couple young guys walked up to the picnic shelter where I had set up my tent. They didn’t notice I was there till I said hello. I think they were just looking for a place to hang out and smoke. They asked if I minded if they hung out for a bit. I was a little uneasy but it’s a public place so I said yes. They asked some questions about my tour and I asked some questions about what they were all about. Somewhere in the conversation it was revealed that one of them had been released from jail recently. I can’t say I didn’t think about where my bear spray was but we kept talking and eventually they moved on. They seemed like they were not a threat but I did sleep with my bear spray close at hand.
The road bridges across the Erie Canal were cool! They were lift bridges and had a set of stairs on each side so when the bridge was up people could still walk across the bridge.
Had a great cup of coffee and a pastry in Medina at the Coffee Pot Cafe. Really nice owners that also own the town’s bakery.
I met Jim right outside of the cafe. He was on a bike tour also. He was riding from his home in New Jersey across New York and back home through Pennsylvania. He had a tubeless tire that had lost its seal to the rim. He had a tube to go in the tire but had forgotten to bring tire levers to get the tire back on the rim so he could get back on the trail. I had what he needed and was glad to dig them out so he could get going again. We really hit it off. He was from Ridgewood, New Jersey and was surprised when I told him I was born there. We would ride together for a while when he caught up with me later and we have stayed in touch. Thanks Jim for making me feel useful and prepared.
I came to this interesting spot on the canal where there was a stream that went under it and a road bridge went over it (video below). Building the canal took some tricky engineering in places.
I saw a good number of boats in the canal today and they were diverse in kind.
I stopped and picked up a sandwich for lunch in the canal town of Albion. They had a picnic table under a pavilion right next to the canal so I posted up there to eat. It wasn’t long and this young guy came along and asked if he could share the shelter. He seemed like he might not have a home currently. And after talking to him he told me that was the case. He seemed like a good kid. Then another guy came in the shelter and sat down behind me. I started talking to him and shifted my seat so I could see both of them. They knew each other. It was daylight but I was a little uneasy again in less than 24 hours. But after talking with them for a while I was more comfortable. The older guy was a Marine Vet that had served in Iraq. By the time I finished lunch and was packed up, we were friends. I gave them a link to my blog and then the older guy got up and I thought he was going to shake my hand but he gave me a hug. Then the younger guy got up and gave me a hug. I felt humbled that I didn’t trust them from the start.
I rode on along the Erie Canal to Rochester. I had a non Warmshowers host lined up. My good friend from high school, Kellie lives in Rochester and I have never been to visit her and her family there. Riding through her neighborhood’s streets I felt like a kid riding their bike to visit a friend. Her house is gorgeous. Kellie has a designer’s eye and can roll up her sleeves and get a home renovation project done.
I had met her husband Greg but had never spent time getting to know him. I enjoyed getting to know him, he is a great guy. Their son Gram was home but leaving to start his sophomore year studying music at SUNY Purchase in a couple days. I was lucky enough to hear him noodling around on his instrument, the piano. He is brilliant.
I felt like part of the family when they included me in dinner while we watched an episode of Andor. I miss being around family and it helped. Thanks for hosting me!
Slow and Steady 
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