Canandaigua NY to Ithaca NY

Finger Lakes

Rode all over the place today. East out of Canandaigua on US Highway 20 for a couple miles then south on Kearney Road to the hamlet of Gorham. Jogged east for a block then south on Ontario County Highway 24 until it became Yates County Highway 27 until it became Yates County Highway 29. The flat terrain has ended and the hills are gradually coming back. I pick up K-Rock on my Sports Walkman for a few miles. An incredible DX event given that WXRK is an FM station from New York City. Howard Stern does nothing for me so I turn it off. If I wait long enough, I'm sure to hit another "K-Rock" or another "Mix" or another "Hot One-Oh-Something". Not only are the playlists uniform across the nation but the station names are as well. Less local control means more money shoveled directly into corporate headquarters.

Route 29 hugs the West Branch of Keuka Lake. Follow it to Hammondsport. Stopped to visit Carolyn at her bed & breakfast. Hang out for about an hour discussing Sierra Leone and New York. Business is booming this weekend for the upcoming craft fair and air show. Overall business is down due to the oppressive heat the state has been sweating through. Feels rather cool to me. Guess the heat is history.

The Finger Lakes region is a series of long parallel north-south hills with lakes in between. I head east, up and down across the hills like a roller coaster. A good hill workout. The surroundings aren't anywhere near as barren. Woods, farms, homes, lakes, rivers. Probably the nicest part of the state. Riding downhill is great here. Like a land luge. Fast, with plenty of twists and turns. A rocket fast drop into Watkins Glen and Seneca Lake followed by a serious climb back out. Crosswinds knock the bike around. Great views from the tops of the hills. Another luge ride into Ithaca and Cayuga Lake. Overall drop of 300 meters. The recumbent has excellent brakes. Rode around Ithaca. Climbed the hill to Cornell University. A neat campus, but nothing good enough for a photo. Did not run into any ex-Midwood students.

The motel is near an excellent supermarket in an aircraft hanger-sized building. You could put Zabar's, Citarella and the rest of the Upper West Side gourmet ghetto into the bakery. I load up a plastic tray at their Chinese buffet. It's not any cheaper but I get a half gallon of orange juice in the dairy for the price of a medium soda at a take out joint. On the way out I notice how young and healthy the people shopping here look. It's a change from the fossilized diners patronizing most of the places I've eaten along the way.