Even More Lakes

Getting to be a bit boring?  Not for us.
We departed Rochester and went up to the Lake Ontario coast again and followed that for most of the morning.

The Seaway Trail signs showed us the way.

We found an old Parkway we had used previously going the other way in 09.  We marveled then at how little it is used.  Still the same and getting overgrown in parts.

Nice sights

We stopped in to a State Park ($7 to get in) and went for a wander on a near-deserted beach.  Just a small school group and a few seagulls.

Got a call from an IBR rider whilst here

Some local flora

It was a big park by a big lake.  You can just see a salt barge crossing the lake in the background.

Local flowers grow well in the summertime.

We then spent some time following the Seaway Trail until we got to a part where a big river cut across our path and across that river was another country.  Called Niagara River.  It has some waterfalls in it.

Look closely at the fire hydrant

We found a waterfall.  So did some other people.

 Spent a little while here and even had the obligatory hot dogs from a hot dog stand called Mustards Last Stand (Nyuk nyuk).
Then it was time to hit a couple of highways and make our way to the shores of another lake.  Erie.  It was getting late and the western sky was looking dark.

He leaves it everywhere apparently

The further west we went, the blacker it got.  We consulted Aussie Karen and she told us there was some accommodation nearby - to the west.  Uh-Oh.
We were fast approaching lightning and black clouds and wondering if it would be a good idea to waste time putting on wets, when Karen said to turn right.  A couple of miles getting wind-blasted from the side and we pulled in under the motel awning as it came down.
I'm sure the girl behind the counter saw what was happening and jacked the price up.  But we had no choice now, so checked in.

Threatening over the motel and from our room.

Apparently there were tornadoes involved in the line of weather that crossed the area.  Luckily not too many IBR riders are in this area yet.  That will happen tomorrow.

More Lakes

Probably because we have so few of them at home and they have so very many here, we are enjoying our time cruising around admiring the local lakes.

Our wanderings today took us down the western side of one lake to the town of Ithaca where we found a nice diner for a late breakfast, then up the west side of another lake.

These are all part of the Fingerlakes, which were apparently carved out thousands of years ago by glaciers.  The glaciers have receded and left several valleys full of water, all running north/south.

Makes for pretty country and great farmland.  Wine grapes grow well here and there is a whole Wine Trail thing happening in the area.

No wine for us though, travelling on the Little Black Bike gives us no room for such indulgences.

Lakeside homes are everywhere.

Taughannock Falls where a river feeds the lakes.

In Ithaca, a sculpture over six feet tall

A winery's picnic shelter overlooks Lake Seneca

We reached the northern end of Lake seneca and continued north on Hwy 14.  It didn't take lonf before we reached another lake.  This time one of the big ones, Lake Ontario.  This is a northern border of USA, with Canada on the other side.

Little Black Bike pauses at a lighthouse. Sodus Point, Lake Ontario

Cherries!

 We traveled west along the lakeside as much as we could, getting caught up in the odd rain squall.  But at Rochester, we were stopped by a small bridge that stays open for boats all summer and is only cross-able in winter.
So it was around to a major Hwy and in to Rochester and so we found some digs for the night, right next to a nice Red Lobster restaurant.

End of this road.

Finger Lakes were Recommended

We still have a few days until we need to be back in Cranberry for the finish of the Iron Butt Rally, so we are free to cruise about.
Back in Cranberry we were stopped at a traffic light when a bloke in a Mercedes called out to us.  He had noticed our New Mexico number plate and marveled we were so far from home.  Imagine his surprise when we told him we were from a lot further than that.
He suggested we visit the Finger Lakes area of New York State.  Very nice.  We thanked him for his input.
Traffic lights stay red for a while in Cranberry.

So lakes are on the agenda for the next few days.  We set up a nice ride up here staying away from major highways as much as possible.  The countryside is quite pretty - a lot greener than home - but the freeways are mostly tree-lined and just a way to get A to B.
Minor roads are much better if you can just convince the GPS to use them.  Not easy.

When I saw the green roadside sign I  first thought it said something else.
Had to look twice and then we were giggling so much, thought we better stop here for breakfast.

Saw a few of these.  Rudolf gets blamed for everything

Having an argument with Aussie Karen

Pretty farm

Later we had to take a detour for roadwork.  Three miles down the road and back again to make a simple turn.  We watched as one car tried to do an illegal U-turn just as this car below turned up.  Changed his mind.

We eventually found the Finger Lakes district and followed one of the lakes north to Auburn, our stop for the night.  

Lake Owasko and some nice farmland.

After settling in we went for a bit of a ride on the lakeside drive and the following pics show a bit of what it is like.

Just need to remember that come winter this all turns to snow and ice.  Hard to imagine in today's heat.