OK! I'm done with LONG rides! Anything longer than 60 miles, you can count me OUT! Today we rode 86.5 miles from Erie, Pennsylvania, to Hamburg, New York, and believe me, that will be my last long ride for a long time! The best thing about the ride was the Margarita's we had tonight for crossing into ANOTHER (our eighth) state. We left Erie this morning at 6:30, and we were late leaving. Most of the group had already gone. Getting out of Erie was crazy. We were on a very busy highway with a lot of traffic for a long time. When we finally got out near the Lake Erie shoreline, it got better. There were miles and miles of Concord grape vineyards on one side of the road, and Lake Erie on the other. THAT was nice. I didn't expect to see so many grape vines, and the views of the lake were wonderful. Again, it was like riding along an ocean. There was a big group of us at the first SAG stop. Our SAG driver today, Georgia, scored a huge hit with the coffee drinkers of the group by serving Starbuck's coffee along with our usual drinks and snacks. Some of the women saw a bald eagle along the way. I didn't. I'm sorry I missed it. About mile 40 we hit a headwind. The roads were flat, and the wind just went on and on. Kathy, thank goodness, is so strong, and she pulled us through it. The few miles I was out front felt like climbing big hills again. We got a break, finally, with a left turn that took us through a series of pretty little villages along the Lake Erie shoreline. They were nestled among the trees with cape cod style houses and big green lawns. Closer to Hamburg, we passed million dollar (and plus) homes behind long stone and iron fences, with wonderful views of the lake. I was surprised that the road we were on in front of these beautiful homes was so bad. It was like riding an obstacle course, missing all the pot holes. We had a great view across the lake of the Buffalo skyline as we neared Hamburg. Kathy, Judy, and I got to the Holiday Inn at 2:30--an eight hour ride, including our multiple stops. It was way too much fun for me. I got lucky tonight and have a room to myself. NICE! Tomorrow's 43 mile ride will be like a walk in the park after today. Anne, Jennifer, and Marilee had enough left after their 88 mile ride, to ride an additional 12 miles of loops through the neighborhood to end their day with a full century--100 miles!
Today's ride 86.5 - Total miles, so far, 1869.1
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