Days 28 - 30: NYC to Niagara Falls

July 21 - 23, 2014

We've made good progress over the past two days and are already in Hudson, New York after stops in Little Falls and Schenectady.  We're about four days from NYC, the end of our 900ish-mile journey.  A ride like this isn't glamorous.  Sometimes we've had to push the bikes over train tracks:

Lunch might be on a curb:

And we got soaked with rain:

It's been worth the effort, and I've loved the chance to share this challenging adventure with my kids.  

On our way through Albany, we met up with Kate Seckinger, who wrote an article about us in the Times Union newspaper three weeks ago.  We left town before the article came out, and she saved some hard copies for us and made time to deliver them in person.  Very cool.  

The weather was hot and muggy as we rode out of Schenectady this morning, and my kids teased me for sweating so much.  But by mid-afternoon, a major storm blew in.  The temperature dropped rapidly, and soon we were riding through heavy showers.  My shirt went from sweat-soaked to rain-drenched.  

During a lull in the storm in the late afternoon, a local cyclist rode up to us and asked if we wanted to stop by his house to chat.  He seemed very nice and mentioned that he planned to do some long rides with his daughter.  One of the best parts of a trip like this is meeting interesting people, and I should have taken him up on his offer.  But I felt pressure to get to Hudson before dark and demurred.  Within five minutes, rain began to pound us and, in accordance with Murphy's Law, I got a flat tire.  By the time I fixed the flat, it was 6:15 p.m. and growing darker because of the storm.  For safety reasons, I don't cycle with my kids at dusk or night time.  But we were still about 45 minutes away from Hudson and without a good option to sleep.  The rain storm made camping a bad idea -- our tent would have been flooded.  

And then the lightening began.  When a bolt flashed nearby, followed immediately by a resounding blast of thunder, I pulled the bikes over to the side of the road.  It was no longer safe to ride.  Just then, a man in a truck pulled along side us and offered to give us a ride.  His name was Tom Eastman, and as he helped load our gear into his vehicle, we agreed that he just earned a bunch of good karma.  Thanks Tom!  You're a gentleman, and we appreciated your help.

Day 27: NYC to Niagara Falls

July 20, 2014

Sho, Saya and I cycled from Syracuse to Rome, NY today.  Much of the ride was along the Erie Canal, which afforded opportunities for Saya to create impromptu public art

And measure the height of corn stalks

And check out a local playground

We also saw firsthand how a canal lock works when we cycled over Lock #21 in New London.  The upstream elevation was 420 feet, and the downtown elevation 394 feet.  Two boats pulled into the lock, and Saya started a conversation with the people in one of the boats.  

As the boat dropped 26 feet over a period of about 10 minutes, she had to lean over the edge and raise her voice to continue the conversation.

Soon, the lock doors opened, and Saya waved farewell to her new friends

Days 25 - 26: NYC to Niagara Falls

July 18 - 19, 2014

We're making good progress cycling back from Niagara Falls to NYC, and are now in Syracuse.  Our route took us through beautiful farm country, including on a dirt road curiously called "Turnpike Road."  We passed several Amish families in horse and buggy:

The weather has been pleasant, and we enjoyed this sunset while in Weedsport, NY:

Sho made time to teach some soccer tricks to a little boy he met at a local swimming pool.  Sho let the child score lots of goals on him, and when it was time to go, the boy didn't want to say goodbye. 

Here's a pic of Sho, as we stopped to document roadkill:

Today's ride into Syracuse was hilly, and I was exhausted by the effort.  Near the end, I discovered that Saya had been collecting rocks and storing them in the rear panniers:

I asked Saya to throw them out, but she teared up and pleaded not to get rid of her "special baby rocks."  I suggested that she start collecting special baby feathers instead, but she looked up at me with big puppy dog eyes, and I gave in.  I guess I'll be pulling a few more pounds the rest of the trip...

Days 23 - 24: NYC to Niagara Falls

July 16 - 17, 2014

We've begun our return trip from Niagara Falls back to NYC.  Here's a pic as we pedaled through border patrol from the Canadian side of the falls.  We had to wait in line just like a car:

We cycled about 60 miles to a camping spot along the Erie Canal in the town of Holley.  

After setting up the tent, Sho and Saya immediately went to work building a fire,

roasting marshmallows and, of course...

... eating some well earned s'mores!

The first words out of Sho's mouth when he woke up the next morning was, "Is it okay if I fish?" 

Saya slept in but soon joined Sho by the canal...

... where she caught her first fish!

After celebrating Saya's fishing prowess, we spent the rest of the day cycling about 45 miles to the town of Fairport, NY.  As we sat down to eat dinner, we started chatting with a father and his two kids seated nearby: Clair Smith (an economics professor), Kendall (age 7) and Ronan (age 3).  We hit it off and spent the next 2 hours together.  Clair gave us a driving tour of Fairport, and the kids quickly became friends.  We got lucky today meeting such friendly people.

Clair even took us to an auto show to check out some fancy cars.  This is a 1931 Chrysler De Soto with wood spoke wheels:

Here's the De Soto's fancy hood ornament:

Hmm, don't be surprised if you see one of those on my bike.

Days 20 - 22: NYC to Niagara Falls

July 15, 2014

Two days ago, my wife Eiko drove up to Niagara Falls from NYC to stay with Sho and Saya while I drove to Whippany, NJ to give a speech at a conference.  After weeks of cycling, it felt strange to be in a car, separated from the passing terrain and animals in my protected capsule. I appreciate the efficient travel, but I missed the sense of connection that comes from seeing the world from a bike saddle.

On my drive, I stopped by the EconoLodge in Syracuse to pick up Eiko's bicycle, which we stored a week ago.  Eiko had cycled with us from NYC to Syracuse from June 24 to July 5, then took a train back home to return to work.  The train didn't allow bicycles, so we stored hers to pick up later.  Here's a picture of Chirag, the manager at the motel who kindly let us keep Eiko's bicycle there.  

I gave a keynote at the Public Relations & Communications Summit at Bayer's headquarters in Whippany, NJ.  

My speech was entitled, "Being Adventurous!" and I encouraged the audience to challenge their limits, using anecdotes from the cycling trips I've taken around the world with my kids.  I also told them about my plans to guide Dan Berlin, who lost his vision to cone rod dystrophy, on a 46-mile run across the Grand Canyon.  I'm inspired by people like Dan, who don't give up in the face of adversity.  Here are pics with Karen Carolonza and Bryon Main, the awesome people who organized the conference:

 

After the conference, I returned to Niagara Falls, where we said goodbye to Eiko.  

Sho, Saya and I resume cycling tomorrow (Wed, July 16).  Here are some farewell photos from the Falls:

Day 19: NYC to Niagara Falls

July 12, 2014

We're half way done!!  Sho, Saya and I reached Niagara Falls today after cycling about 450 miles from New York City.  

Sho and Saya (with flower)

Saya decided to take a nap as we took what was supposed to be an iconic photo from this ride...

Earlier today, we met Bob Kirby, who stopped to chat while on a double century (200-mile) ride.  He expected to finish around 10 p.m.  That's a tough feat, and Bob told me that he weighed something like 300 pounds a year or two ago.  Respect.

Bob Kirby and I

I have to interrupt this trip for two days to give a speech at a conference in Whippany, New Jersey.  Eiko drove up to Niagara Falls and will spend two days with Sho and Saya while I'm at the conference.  Sho and Saya were happy to see their mommy!

Eiko will return to NYC on Tuesday, and Sho, Saya and I will resume cycling on Wednesday, July 16.  We expect to reach NYC by the end of the month.

Days 16 - 18: NYC to Niagara Falls

July 9 - 11, 2014

Before talking about our ride, I'd like to say goodbye to John Seigenthaler, who died yesterday at age 86.  I had the honor of appearing on his show, "A Word on Words" in a 30-minute interview about my book Rising Son.  Always encouraging people to improve themselves, he finished every show with "Keep reading!"  Growing up in Mr. Seigenthaler's hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, I heard all about his fascinating life and accomplishments.  As a young reporter sent to cover an imminent suicide attempt, he saved the man from jumping off the bridge, which was subsequently named after Seigenthaler.  He was a confidant of the Kennedy family in the 1960's, worked for Robert Kennedy when he was Attorney General in JFK's administration, and was at the forefront of supporting the Civil Rights movement.  The Tennesseean Newspaper, which Seigenthaler ran for many years, wrote an extensive piece about his remarkable life.  It ends, fittingly, with Seigenthaler's favorite quote from Bobby Kennedy: "Few will have the greatness to bend history, but each of us can work to change small events, and those acts can write the history of our generation."

I mentioned in my last post that I would give the kids a day off from cycling to play at the Seabreeze Amusement Park in Rochester, NY.  We had a lot of fun.  Near the end of the day, the sky blackened, and it began to rain.  I asked the kids if we should go home, but Saya, who has cycled through her fair share of storms, said, "A little rain isn't going to stop us from having fun!"

While in Rochester, we stopped by yellow haus bicycles to say hello to Alex Wirth.  Alex commented on our blog two weeks ago and invited us to stop by when we rode through town.  He's a good guy.  If you visit Rochester, make sure to check out his shop.

People sometimes worry that cycling so many miles might be too much to ask of a 13-year-old and 7-year-old.  But every time we take a break from riding, Sho and Saya grab the soccer ball for an impromptu game.  Clearly, these kids aren't getting enough exercise...

Cycling along the Erie Canal offers many opportunities to see local animals.  Here's Saya with a family of ducks passing by:

More soccer fun next to our tent, which we set up by the Erie Canal in Holley, NY:

Saya catching our dinner:

While camping, we met a group of cyclists on a ride organized by the Adventure Cycling Association (ACA).  This hardy crew is following the Northern Tier route across the United States and expect to reach the Pacific Ocean on September 15.  

I chatted for a while with Zoe, the tour leader.  She was a lot of fun, and I was sorry to say goodbye.  

Since we live in NYC, my kids rarely get to play with fire.  By that all changes when we camp out.  They compete to see who can collect the best firewood, and they've learned how to arrange the wood to allow oxygen to flow.  I've also taught them the most important part: how to keep from starting a forest fire when you leave the camping area.  The trick is to pour water over the ash, even if you think the fire has completely burned out.

Sho and Saya know how to press each other's buttons and regularly bicker, as all siblings do.  But they also share a lot of love.  I hope these bike trips help to create a loving bond that will last for the rest of their lives.