Season 4 Episode 20. Don’t count the days, but make the days count.

Season 4 Episode 20. Don’t count the days, but make the days count. 

9/15 Geneva, OH to Erie, PA. 66 miles. 1,141’ climb.

Our daily routine includes typically stopping for a snack after 20 or so miles. (Heather could and would ride longer without stopping, but indulges my human need for fuel.) After Rick’s unlimited blueberry pancakes, we rode 28 miles to Conneaut for our morning snack. 

With the long sandy beach and  steep hill (picture does not capture the slope), we were just enjoying the view from up high. We were lucky that a local man interested in us told us this the sight of D-Day Ohio. We had no idea.

Hundreds of re-enactors from across the US and Canada assemble annually in August (not on June 6) at this site which closely resembles Omaha Beach in Normandy, France. It’s the world’s largest reenactment of D-Day. We must return. 

State #10

Overwhelmingly, motorists are respectful, yielding and kind. They go wide when passing and slow down otherwise. But then there is the exception: the guy with the full red beard driving the minivan with a woman passenger who passed us without incident. But a few minutes later coming back the other way, he honked at Heather who was ahead of me, and gave her the finger out of his window, and then turned the corner and honked at me and gave me the finger. We just ignored him and hoped his hate ends with him driving away. We are vulnerable and so do not confront. 

If you look at a map of Pennsylvania, there’s an odd boundary in the northwest where the city of Erie sits on Lake Erie and one may wonder why isn’t that part of NY state. We learned that CT, MA, and NY released their claims to the federal government, which in turn sold the land to PA so the state would have a freshwater port on Lake Erie.

It was only about a 48 mile ride to Erie, and then about 18 miles riding out and back on the Erie Peninsula and around Presque Isle State Park. The peninsula separates the bay side from the lake side and offers highlight views. But the real highlight was being joined in Erie by our good friends Liz and Joel who live in Toronto. Liz was one of the first friends I made in law school 39 years ago this month (maybe this week) and is a native of Erie. She had to “host” us in her native city so they made the 7-hour round trip drive to meet us. Wow, that’s friendship! Thanks!

Liz asked me a week earlier how many servings of ice cream and donuts do Heather and I “require” between our 4pm arrival and 8am departure the next morning? Clearly I’ve been typecast. Heather replied none. I asked Liz “how many do you have in mind?”

Mighty fine indeed! Liz wanted to cater to Heather’s fondness for donuts.

Worth a 7-hour round trip drive. Sorry Joel, we also ate yours. Best of the whole trip!

Enjoying Sara’s soft serve, curated by Liz and Joel, and an Erie peninsula treat for 44 years. And yes I wear my helmet at snacks, and mostly at lunch.

Out on the ride, making a super slow turn, I hit a patch of sand, and I fell to my left side so quickly that I couldn’t unclip either of my feet from their pedals. I landed on the pavement on my left hip and elbow. Trapped under my bike, I did a quick inventory of my body parts, and determined I was ok and very luckily did not break anything. 

I was just sore. In that split second, I could've just as easily broken a bone or worse. As we ride thinking daily about spinal cord injury (SCI), I was very mindful that for people we know with SCI’s, it’s very much one second all was great doing something you enjoy, and a split second later, your life and your family’s life is forever changed. I was very lucky to not even have a cut. 

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9/16 Erie, PA to Eden, NY. 79 miles. 2,097’ climb.

After both dinner last night and breakfast today with Liz and Joel, it was time for big hugs and good byes and back to our routine. We would pedal all day to cover a distance they could drive in little more than an hour. 

As we approached the Niagara region, we passed what felt like miles of grapes.

State #11. Amazing and so excited to be back in our home state. But still 10 days to go.

At our lunch stop in Dunkirk, a few people in the restaurant befriended Heather and just handed her some cash for the Reeve Foundation when they heard what we're doing. Amazing how people respond. And it’s fuel to our riding. 

8 weeks ago, it was on Highway 20 in WA state we were blocked by a fire and detoured back. And now here we are on Highway 20 in NY! Amazing to think about this.

It’s the second time I’ve seen a father and son mowing on a big John Deere together. I thought this is so cute and stopped to chat.  The boy is 3 and steers. I complimented the man on starting his son young; he replied that he needs to keep him off the iPad. I didn’t think at the time how come only dad has earphones to cancel the noise.

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9/17 Eden, NY to Niagara Falls, Ontario. 50 miles. 748’ climb.

If we wanted the most direct route home, we would have kept riding east and south from Buffalo. But it’s never been about that. It’s always been more about the journey. That’s why we headed back up to Glacier NP after our detour from the fire in WA. It’s why we took the route with 150 more miles in MN to see Lake Itasca and the Mississippi Headwaters. And it’s why today we turned north and left NY state to enter Canada and head up to Niagara Falls on the Canadian side. 

Leaving USA before riding across the international Peace Bridge.

Love this binational flag that captures our dual nationality.

Imagine an early explorer on the Niagara River, calm as can be, having no clue and unsuspecting of what their fate lies ahead an hour later.

In Canada, do they call them Canadian geese (as we do in the US) or do they just call them geese?

The Niagara River getting rougher ahead of its 200’ drop.

Bridal Veil Falls, on the US side but seen from Canada.

Horseshoe Falls on Canadian side with a spray so strong it looks like a cloud.

And as much as this was about the falls, a natural wonder of the world; this trip continues to be so much about relationships. I had the privilege of seeing JP, a colleague who lives in Niagara. It was amazing to see him in person for the first time since 2019, and celebrate his birthday with him.

Heather’s friend (and blog super fan) Susie made the 3-hour round trip drive from Toronto to have dinner with us. It was much appreciated and wonderful to see her!

Bridal Veil Falls lit at night.

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9/18 Niagara Falls, Ontario to Medina, NY. 51 miles. 532’ climb.

We rode back to the USA, and the America side of the falls, across the well named Rainbow Bridge.

We opted for the vehicle border crossing.

Welcome - take two!

Bridal Veil Falls (in USA) as seen from USA and Horseshoe Falls in Canada in background.

Start of Erie Canal Trail and Empire State Trail in Tonawanda, NY. The canal trailway is 345 miles to Albany and our path forward for 5 days.

A canal lock in Lockport.

Medina, NY downtown classic architecture on National Register of Historic Places.

Medina Sandstone was exported worldwide and can be found in places like Buckingham Palace.

When a tour starts winding down, and you know you’re home in a week or so, there’s a natural tendency to just start counting the days down and go into wrap up mode. An employee who was a much younger, yet wise Tour Director of student travel once taught me: Don’t count the days, but make the days count. 

Hope you enjoyed this blog, learned and/or were amused as I tried to bring you into our experience. If you’ve not yet had a chance to support the Reeve Foundation, please do so at Heather & Mark Ride for Reeve!

© Copyright Mark Segal 2024.