August 7 Rockford Illinois to Hudson Wisconsin

I traveled across one more state and camped very close to the Minnesota border.  I found this lovely park called Willow River State Park .  I arrived early enough to hike to their water falls. Like many trails the mileage reported on the sign posts were wrong by much so the 2.5 miles was more like 4 and the locals agreed with me. So I’m hiking along thinking I should be seeing water soon and I came along a group of people standing by a fairly swiftly flowing stream but it was very level. I stood there a few with them and they seemed to be in such awe that I tentatively asked if this was the falls.  I gave them their laugh for the day I’m sure.  I explained I was from another state, I didn’t want to embarrassed Tennessee, and thought we might have different ideas about the meaning of falls.  Anyway they told me to keep walking and to ignore the mileage posts since they were all wrong
It turned out to be a beautiful falls with many teens swimming and climbing. I’m fairly sure there was another way to get there but the hike was what I needed after a long couple of days in the van.  The steps took you to the top of the falls.

August 6 Indiana to Rockford, Illinois

I was able to cover Indiana and get north of Chicago without any traffic issues and camped in Athens Winnebago Forest Preserve at Sugar River.  Again a lovely campground with only a few people but it was only $14 and had some hiking trails so that was nice after driving all day. The following day as I left I went on some back roads and discovered I was only four miles out of Wisconsin. So far Wisconsin backroads have been the most entertaining. My favorite sign went by too quickly to realize and get a good photo but it was a sign for E’ville Spirits and Liquors. And you can see in the photos below the elevated tractors on display. Who spends their time doing this kind of thing?

Knoxville to Indiana August 5, 2019

I’m planning to blog this trip primarily for my own memories and if someone else finds it fun or useful I’ll be so glad.  I had some trouble getting out of Knoxville because of  several inconveniences along the way.  I missed my Sunday scheduled departure because my electrify, primarily my refrigerator wasn’t working. When I consulted with the repair guy on Monday morning it turned out that two plugs were not connected to the battery. I guess now I’ll know.  I had a supervisor at child and family services who frequently would preface new cases with, “this will be such a great learning experience “ meaning watch out and none of the senior clinicians want this case.
I was able to get to Indiana, just over the state border and stayed at Charlestown State Park.  Nice campsites but very few people.  Maybe four other campers.  I discovered most of them had been carried off by mosquitoes 😑.  It did seem to be a park for the local people who didn’t have the resources to go anywhere else and it was a way to get away from home.

  A

June 8. What comes next?

I’ve had a great rest with Molly’s family, particularly Sawyer who is so happy about everything.  It’s been useful to take the time to decide what’s been happening to me over the last week and what I want from this bicycle ride.
Some of the things I’ve learned about myself are:
I like being on my own and having independence but I don’t do well when I have too much alone time and become isolated. I’ve had tons of contact with my friends and family, actually probably more than I do on a regular basis, but there is isolation in doing something that it’s hard for others to imagine at the moment.  You know, like I’m freezing and it’s 90 in Knoxville. Or it’s raining so much that there’s no open B&Bs because they are trying to avoid being flooded by the lake.
I love to travel  and to tour on a bicycle but probably want more control over where I’m going than just following a trail because it has been created. The adventure cycling maps are fantastic.  They take you off the beaten path and avoid major traffic areas.  They’re as scenic as possible but because of this there are very few grocery stores, restaurants, etc.  I notice that most cross country riders enjoy the idea of eating convenience store foods, lots of sugary treats, burgers, fries, all that fast food stuff but I end up not feeling well with that food and consequently avoid eating as much as I should because I can’t stomach another energy bar, freeze dried meal or diner food.
As an older person, I’m not as flexible about where I sleep.  I actually enjoy camping but I’m probably more sensitive to sketchiness than I was as a younger person or when I’m with some of my male cycling friends. I’ve been to some lovely campgrounds and inns on this trip but I’ve had to work hard to avoid some less than lovely places.
I have trouble making sure I have rest if I’m concerned I need to ride while the weather is better when I know it’s forecast to rain for the next four days. Planning rest is going to be essential in the future and trying to stick to that plan.
All of this is explaining why I’ve decided to stop my cross country trip, go home and reconsider my plans.  During the past week, I’ve dreaded getting started  in the mornings. I’ve been happy riding but dreaded the drudgery and monotony of stopping and starting each day.  It’s been impacting my mood and consequently impacting how I feel about the people and places I’m seeing.
So I’m thinking I will take at least two more bicycle trips this year, probably for up to two weeks, that seems to be my bewitching point.  Maybe this will be with friends, maybe not.  I haven’t felt any fear about being alone, but find being alone for too long is too isolating for me. And I do plan on shorter tours until I’m too old to bike them. I don’t want to lose the joy of touring.
I so appreciate the support I have received for doing this trip. I’m proud of the 900 miles I did and the challenges I managed.  I hope no one feels disappointed or mislead in anyway.

June 5 Fort Erie to Buffalo NY

So as I left Fort Erie the sun was shining and I had even used sunscreen, something I haven’t needed except on my face for most of this trip.  I had problems accessing the entry to the Peace Bridge, google and Adventure Cycling maps brought me to a locked gate.  So I had to climb on the ramp with the trucks, RVs and cars.  It was exciting.  Once on the bridge I realized that they had lots of construction going on and so the bike lane and pedestrian walkway were closed.  Someone suggested that I walk my bike but I ride faster than I walk so I decided that the best way across was the quickest way.  Someone else had suggested that I take a picture while I was up there.  Who are these people who would stop on that bridge and take a picture.  Someone with more courage than me for sure.  I didn’t even look out to see what you could see.  My plan was to live through that crossing. But for the most part, people were kind and gave me space.  I had one encounter with an eighteen wheeler that made me very anxious. I decided he had a vendetta against cyclist because he seemed to be nudging me over as far as he could.  While I was waiting in line to go through border entry, another motorist said that he couldn’t stop watching even though he thought he was about to watch me be crushed by that truck.  It was a real freak out.  I’ve never had someone come so close so deliberately before.
I did have a fun interaction with the border guard.  He kept asking me about having something with me to protect myself.  He asked about a gun, a knife and finally about pepper spray.  I answered “well I did have pepper spray for dogs, but I’ve lost it somewhere along the way.”  He helped me search but I couldn’t find it.  I told him that it had either been stolen or I had bounced it out on a freeze seam that was hugely expanded.  He realized this was a good possibility in the north.  He continued to be concerned that I had no protection.  I told him that I have never had problems with people, except maybe that truck driver, but that I had been bitten by dogs in Tennessee.  I also told him that the only person who had been hit with that pepper spray was me.  I accidentally squirted myself along my lip with it one day.  I think I was his entertainment for the day.
I went into Buffalo and had a bit of problem navigating but eventually got on course.  But then it started raining again and I had a meltdown.  Now don’t worry, most people wouldn’t recognize that I had a meltdown so no scenes were created.  But I did realize that if you are hungry, angry, lonely, tired it’s time to halt, for a while anyway. So I rented a car and drove to Cleveland where I’m visiting with Sawyer and Molly and Tyler, taking a rest and deciding if I’m built more for multiple short trips instead of one big one.  I realized that I’m struggling with the weather first and foremost and it’s really getting me down. But also the repetitive problems with packing and unpacking finding food and a place to stay.
Anyway, I’m in for a few days to reassess and I’ll let you know what happens next.

June 4 Locksport, NY to Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada

I left Locksport in sunshine but soon the sky clouded over and it became quite chilly.  I had a good ride on Upper Mountain Road to reach the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge into Canada.  Because I had heard stories about cyclist sitting in lines to get through customs I stopped  at a small convenience store before getting on the bridge.  I had the best sandwich I have had on this trip.  Great chicken salad on home made bread served by a man who called me honey in every sentence he used.
No rain today.  Just cloudy skies and the beautiful Niagara Falls.  Just enjoy the pictures.

June 3 Pittsford NY to Locksport NYe

First of all I want to do a disclaimer about the Red Roof Inn.  I didn’t mean to imply that all Red Roof Inns aren’t clean.  Actually I don’t know, I was only referring to the one in Fulton, NY so please don’t evaluate the whole chain according to my feedback.
Today I got an early start and was running along the Erie Canalway when I shifted gears slightly and broke my chain.  I have pieces to make a repair but decided that since I had passed a bike shop about a mile back I would walk back and let the professionals do it.  Unfortunately Towpath Bicycles didn’t open until 11am so I waited a while.  When they arrived they quickly got me a new chain in place and I was on my way.  The chain was nasty from so much road dirt from mud and filth I had been through over the last few weeks.  Rob from Brooklyn had put on his blog that he found a power washer to clean his chain and bike after the weather and mud.  I had been oiling mine and trying to clean it but there’s only so much you can do. Several of the roads along Lake Ontario had been flooded and had a lot of mud and then the canalway in the rain was dirty too.
When my chain was repaired I started again and was doing okay until the wind increased .  I was trying to make Locksport because Amy’s friend, Bob had a friend who lived there and was willing to give me a place to stay.  Around Spencerport I realized I couldn’t make Locksport in this wind and I wanted out of the cold so I called Joan to tell her I wouldn’t be there.  But fortunately, Joan’s son, who happens to live in Brockport, my next stop, was going to visit Joan to help with putting up an awning.  I met him in Brockport and rode in the car for the last 30 miles.  First time I have been in a car since May 15. Jeffrey said one of his sons is a cyclist so he brought along one beer for me to drink on the way to Locksport.  What service.
I spent the evening with Joan and her husband Roger.  They took me out for a beef on weck sandwich.  Western New York is known for this sandwich which is thin slices of beef on a kummelweck  roll that has kosher salt and  caraway seeds on top. It’s very good.  Joan took me to see the locks on the canal that gave Locksport it’s name since I missed the bike ride by them.  She was a gracious hostess and I got a good nights rest plus some laundry done.
I met a couple on the canalway who were riding the trail in segments.  They were very unhappy with the wind and said this trip has been a bust for them. They had planned to do the Katy Trail in Missouri but that was cancelled because of tornadoes. The weather was sending them home early in frustration.