To Fayetteville

June 21, 2021

Today was an eventful day, filled with some of the highs and lows of bike touring: sun, wind, rain, losing your way, losing your gear, finding friends. In the end, it was a great day capped by fine meal at a greatly reduced price.

I had put Auburn on my route in order to visit the Harriet Tubman Home and National Historic Park - even though I knew that tours were closed due to Covid, I was hoping the outdoor areas were open for visitors. After a bite to eat at a local coffee shop, I headed south along a tree-lined street of stately and historic homes. Then, I ran into a road closure blocking all access to the Harriet Tubman Home. I shrugged my shoulders and headed east to Skaneateles.

A pretty stiff southerly wind buffeted me around a bit as I rolled up and down small roads through a countryside replete with barns, farm animals, and views. After about 10 miles, I dropped down to Skaneateles Lake and wound a short way up the lake to the village of Skaneateles.

The Tubman Home will have to wait for another day

Skaneateles is an affluent village located at the north end of the lake, a summer magnet for vacationing New Yorkers and other tourists – the Clintons once vacationed here. Nice parks ring the north end of the lake and the town streets are lined with an eclectic array of antique and gift shops, boutique clothing stores, and restaurants. I spent a little time at the lakeside park, watching wind-whipped whitecaps and waves splashing against the sea wall. An excursion boat full of day-trippers slid into dock and loaded up the next batch o tourists for a tour around the lake. By the time I left town, I had putzed around for about an hour, enjoying the lake, looking to restock my supply of electrolyte tablets (no luck), and getting provisions for a later lunch. Saying good-bye to the Finger Lakes, we headed northeast to the Canalway Trail.

Out on the pier, looking back toward the park and village

Some of stately residences along the western shore of Skaneateles Lake

The village of Skaneateles - decorated for Pride Month

Susan and Vincent bid farewell to the Finger Lakes Region

As I headed northeast to Marcellus on the smaller roads, the terrain got hillier and the climbs a little steeper. At Marcellus, I opted for State Route 174, which followed Nine Mile Creek to Camillus. A smart choice – not only did it avoid a steep hill, but there was moderate traffic, a good shoulder, and downhill most of the way. I made pretty good time and picked up the Eric Canalway Trail just north of Camillus, at the halfway point on the Trail between Buffalo and Albany. After a quick lunch stop, I was back on the canal trail headed for Syracuse.

The next five miles took me on a crushed stone surface to the industrial west side of Syracuse. At that point, my RWGPS route had me go southeast through Solvay and into the heart of Syracuse. However, the Empire State Trail sign had me heading north. I followed the Trail sign up and over a bridge, after which point the signage disappeared. It had started to sprinkle, so I went back over the bridge and followed my planned route through Solvay. The droplets turned into serious rain and I took refuge under a tree, retrieving my rain jacket just as a deluge began. I scooted over to the local library and found shelter to wait out the storm. While there, I chatted with one of the librarians who tried to explain how the new bike route went along Onondoga Lake. I half-listened as the skies were clearing, deciding to continue on using my RWGPS navigation.

Back on the Erie Canalway Trail. The park has a museum and store, both of which were closed.

Back on the canal trail, heading toward Syracuse

You can always count on your local library

I soon found myself in downtown Syracuse, face to face with a sign for the Empire State Trail! From here, the signage and routing through the city was very good. The route passed the Erie Canal Museum, where I stopped to take a look. I was busily snapping photos of the murals depicting the early days on the canal when they locked the doors – it was 3:07 and the museum closed at 3:00! On the bright side, I met Bill and Jennifer who were celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary by cycling along the canal from Buffalo to Albany. They were fairly new to bike touring, having done the Katy Trail and GAP before Covid altered their plans for an anniversary tour in Spain. Their passion for touring was evident and I encouraged them to visit Cycle Blaze for ideas, information, and sharing their journeys.

Mural depicting early history of the Erie Canal

Bill and Jennifer from Houston - celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary by touring the Erie Canalway

A pretty impressive biking infrastructure that took me through the eastern outskirts of Syracuse, with a dedicated two-way bike lane running down the middle of the four-lane, strip mall/commercial landscape that plagues near-urban landscapes. Wide grassy strips separated the bike lanes from traffic on each side, and traffic controls at crossings were plentiful – probably a bit too plentiful for my taste. At any rate, I was soon through Syracuse and back again on the canal trail for the short ride to Fayetteville.

The bike route runs down the middle, flanked by two lanes of traffic

The skies darkening as I push the last few miles to Fayetteville

I had chosen to stay in Fayetteville because of the nearby Stickley Museum and Furniture Store. I bought my first Stickley piece, a mantle clock, shortly after I got my first “real job” and have collected several additional pieces since then. I'm such a fan that I even booked a room at the Craftsman Inn! However, I had dawdled around for much of the day and it was almost 5 by the time I checked in just as another downpour began. I opted for a long indoor shower and a nice dinner at the adjacent restaurant. It was then I discovered that I’d lost the small bag with my underwear! Not sure if I left it at last night’s motel or, more probably, under the tree as I was digging my rainout out of the panniers. Luckily, there was a Target across the street where I could shop in the morning. But I was going commando for dinner.

Dinner itself was an unexpected bonus. I ordered a house salad with “Diver sea scallops, cous cous, black lentils, carrot puree and fava beans” with a side of asparagus. When the plate arrived, four rather small scallops sat on a bed of julienned lettuce, raw carrots and corn kernels – not exactly what the menu described. I usually don’t fuss, but there was such a disconnect between what was on my plate and what was described in the menu that I called the waitress over. Bottom line, I exchanged the scallops for a starter order fish tacos (delicious) and capped the meal off with dessert, and they only charged me for the salad!

The lesson for the day is to be a bit more mindful of time, weather and possessions. If there are sites I want to visit, I need to know when/if they are open. All things considered, my losses were minimal, the highs easily outweighed the lows, and I ended the day a bit richer in more ways than one.

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Today's ride: 46 miles (74 km)
Total: 525 miles (845 km)

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Kathleen JonesWe won’t tell anyone that you went commando. (That line had me laughing out loud. Thanks.)
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2 years ago

Peter BrownWish I knew about the Stickley Museum, I would have stopped.
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2 years ago