August 29, 2013

August 29, 2013 Kingston, ON --> Watertown, NY - 46 miles

BACK IN THE USA!

Met Randy for an early start and we rode 6 miles through morning traffic to downtown Kingston, where I was to catch the ferry to Wolfe Island and Randy was to resume riding the Waterfront Trail. When we reached the downtown area, we found a cute and rather eclectic restaurant called The Sleeping Sheep. I had a cheese, mushroom and broccoli omelet with wonderful homemade toast. It felt like Randy and I were savoring those last moments together, because in truth we didn't really want to stop riding together. But we both realized and agreed that we had different areas that we wanted to see. And, as I mentioned previously, I had been to Montreal and wasn't excited about riding a bicycle through another big city when I could be enjoying a new experience in the Adirondack mountains.




Randy accompanied me to the Wolfe Island ferry and we said our goodbyes. A little awkward because we don't know when/if we will see each other again.

I had a 45 minute wait for the ferry, and took a short ride around the immediate downtown area for a quick look. Nice small city with some interesting sights and buildings.










The ferry to Wolfe Island took about 30 minutes. There must have been 50 vehicles or so on the ferry, including several large trucks. What struck me most as we disembarked were the many wind turbines nearby.







I got on my bike and headed east for the 10 kilometer ride to catch the Cape Vincent ferry to the USA. The ride was similar to the previous two days, with the exception of the wind turbines right next to the fields. Mostly flat roads and I made good time.




The Cape Vincent ferry is privately owned, and has been in the Horne family for I think 100 years. As I waited, I watched various boats in the distance and the flight of gulls and Canadian geese as they passed by. Also watched a large tanker go by. It was very quiet for the most part and I sort of gathered myself for the next phase of my journey alone. There was only 1 car on the small ferry boat with me, and the ride was all of about 10 minutes.




I quickly cleared customs and headed for the information center, where I picked up a NY state highway map and requested information on the Scenic Adirondack Byways. The lady at the office was extremely helpful, and I left with a new sense of direction. Instead of cutting across east to catch the Adventure Cycling northern tier immediately, I decided to take the more northernly Olympic Scenic Byway route through Lake Placid. That plan excited me since the Lake Placid Olympics were among my favorites. I was staying with my sister Donna in Atlanta at the time and every night we would hunker down for Olympics watching. It was great fun to share that with her.

Got back on the bike and rode 25 miles to Watertown, NY, where I found a lovely locally owned and reasonable motel for the night. Spent the next 2-3 hours going over the route for tomorrow and exploring accommodation options - there weren't many since it is Labor Day weekend. And it is 125 miles to Lake Placid and I needed a stopping place somewhere near halfway for Friday night. Also, there is a strong probability of rain/storms in the immediate forecast. The only possibility was Cranberry Lake, some 72 miles from Watertown, and I could only find 1 possible room there. So, I booked it. Decided I would have to gut it out the 72 miles, imagining a ride through rain and possible mountains. Then, I was fortunate enough to find a locally owned reasonably priced motel in Lake Placid for Saturday/Sunday, where I will take a rest day. It will be fun to explore the area a little.

Heard from Randy tonight - still on the WT trail and said he missed me. The last thing I told him at the ferry in Kingston was that if he came to his senses he should turn right and find me in the Adirondacks. Not likely, as I know he really wants to see the big cities, but one can hope. In any event, I know I made the right decision and am looking forward to the challenges of the next few days.