I'm starting to be concerned about the math of miles remaining divided by the time available for the trip. So, I've decided to accelerate for a few days so I can make sure to have enough time on the west coast. Today I left New York and blasted through some of Ohio and ended up in Indiana. As I went through the northwest corner of NY, I saw this plaque. It had some interesting information but the most interesting part was the founding of the WCTU in Fredonia. My grandmother Yarborough was a card-carrying member of the Women's Christian Temperance Union and I wouldn't put it past her to go axe in hand to local bars just like Carrie Nation.
Lake Ontario was big. But Lake Erie is even bigger at nearly 10,000 square miles. I rode through the city of Erie to the lake shore. I dawdle a while to watch a sailboat taken off a trailer and lowered into the lake. That was cool. I had to hustle to the motorcycle to get a camera and only got a photo of the last part of the operation. Walking around a yacht basin I was impressed by the size and quality of the boats. If I lived here I'd have a boat too... and I don't particularly like boats.
The water was clear and cold and the bay area was pretty busy with both sail and motorized boats.
There was one brief moment of high drama today. Upon leaving Erie I was doing about 60mph at the edge of town (prior to getting on the interstate) when I saw something blow out of the truck in front of me and to the right. It was a 4 X 8 sheet of plywood and it blew UP and back out of the truck. It brought two or three things with it, most of which I didn't play too much attention to. But a WHEEL BARROW flew out of the truck, tumbled on the road a couple of times then slid into my lane. I just moved over into the left side of my lane and hugged the divider. I wasn't in any real danger, but traffic behind me most assuredly got snarled.
The rest of the day was a blur of interstate highways, innumerable trucks buffeting at my bike, and the butt-numbing riding of travel for the sake of miles. The turnpikes all change tolls and it is nickel and dimeing me to death. Today I spent more than $20 in tolls. I'll be glad when I feel like I've caught up with where I should be on the trip.
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