June 14

Day 9:

Today we happily traded the logging trucks and forests for tractors and farmland. After sleeping in a little bit, we had breakfast at the restaurant next to the motel (the same place as dinner the night before). Again, we were not on the road until around ten o’clock – we are a slow moving group. Thankfully, the morning ride was mostly downhill and the sun was shining. After fifteen miles we took a short break and were happy to finally have cell phone service. We were all excited to talk to Mom and can’t wait till she joins us! The change in terrain/scenery was greatly appreciated and we cruised through increasingly developed towns. Unlike the previous few days, we had multiple options for lunch. We decided to stop at a local chicken shack (it smelled great) where we enjoyed a full chicken and salt potatoes. The rather easy ride continued for most of the day; we stopped briefly for ice cream and again at a market to grab fruit for tonight. Though we were happy to be out of the boonies we quickly realized how much we had enjoyed the traffic free roads. With 15 miles to go we stopped for dinner, though we weren’t terribly hungry for a change. We headed towards the campground excited for a clear night of camping. Of course we couldn’t get off with too easy a day as we ended with some very steep climbs. We arrived at the Fair Haven State Park where we climbed an extra hill for a campsite overlooking lake Ontario. The sunset was the perfect end to a beautiful day. Despite our 62 miles, we are not as tired as usual and even enjoyed some Frisbee after setting up for the night. It seems that everyone is getting used to the routine and finding the biking less difficult. After spending all day in the hot sun our shorts/gloves tan lines are becoming more and more obvious. But, we’re not complaining, the weather today was perfect and we would love to enjoy similar days more often. We are excited to ride the bike route along the canal as we head towards Ontario in the next few days. Dad will most likely have us up early and on the road before eight, so it is time to get some rest; if we stick to the plan, we have some long days ahead.

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June 13

Day 8:

After an exciting hockey game (go pens!) and a restful night, we woke up refreshed and ready to go. Despite waking up early we weren’t on the road until 9 – we really need to tighten up our morning routine. We made great time on the first ten miles around the gorgeous lake scenery, and stopped for breakfast number two in Old Forge (The boys are always hungry). The sun was shining and we enjoyed a great ride along the Moose River until we reached Boonville where we stopped for lunch at the Boonville Hotel after a recommendation from a local. With thirty-five miles logged, we still had a ways to go in the afternoon. Zach was exhausted and we were unsure if he would last the day – but of course, he just stopped talking and managed to keep up. Despite a few tough hills right after lunch we continued on a nice run, making great time, as we headed towards Osceola. We made quick work of the winding road of rolling hills as we stopped briefly ever 5 miles. We arrived in Osceola and were greeted by some motorcycle riders we had met at lunch. They laughed as they warmed us about the hill ahead. We finished the steep climb just as the rain began. With ten miles to go, we cruised through the rain into Redfield, NY where we had planned to stay the night. Desperate to avoid another night of camping in the rain, we passed the campground and stopped at a small motel instead. After our longest day so far, at 71 miles, we all got a taste of what our average mileage will be eventually. Exhausted as usual, we are headed to bed early.