Back in the Empire State

Greetings from New York! After being stymied all morning I was just able to post a picture of the pedestrian & biker entrance to the US from Ft. Erie, Ontario Canada. It's so civilized, really, to be able to stroll across a bridge to get where you're going (unlike the border between Detroit and Windsor, which bikes are prohibited from crossing). Except earlier today the blogger posting thing kept crashing when I tried to load it...

That fed a temporary conspiracy theory among those of us vulnerable to such tendencies, because I got hollered at by the customs guy for taking photos at the border. You're not allowed, although there are no signs that say so - you're just supposed to know that danger lurks everywhere, apparently, disguised as a Beverly-Hillbillies-style bicycle tourist carrying a little digital camera. Since it just worked from here in Seneca Falls, I guess it must have been a problem at the place in Newark where I was before.

Had to show the bike path along the Niagara River in Buffalo (remember those lovely grassy parks on the Canada side?) - but to be fair, the Erie Canal towpath is really lovely.







But to then be honest, it's also muddy and full of puddles, and really slow to slog through - so mostly I have bailed on the canal path and am following Route 31 - which is also the NY State Bicycle Route 5 & even has official signs (first like this that I've seen anywhere) - although it's impossible to find a map of the route...

It's raining again today - third day in a row. I hope to camp at Cayuga Lake State Park tonight but it might be too wet... I just dried out my tent but it's starting to get a little raggedly from traveling wet - only a few more nights of camping on this trip, I just realized - so I want to take advantage.

It's been hard to find the internet, again, but I hope to have access on Tuesday night (in Ithaca, visiting Sheila, David, DC and Paul!)... we'll see!