Day 49: Dunnville, ON to Lockport, NY

Off to see the falls... our route today would take us Northeast up to Niagara Falls and then across the Canadian/US border to Lockport, NY. Since we grunted out 2 back to back 100 mile days, our reward today was a lighter 60 mile ride.

We got off to a good start this morning after a huge breakfast at the Dunnville Deli. This place had outstanding food! Maybe it was the 100 miles from yesterday talking, but my Vegetable Omelet was one of the best breakfasts of the trip.

We left Dunnville around 10:15 am and were making great time until we both heard a loud ping. Sure enough, Marc had a two spokes break on his back wheel. After about a 1/2 hour of repair and 15 more minutes of wheel truing, we were back on the road to Niagara.

Our next delay was at the Welland Canal where we arrived just in time for a boat crossing. However, the boat was nowhere to be found. We waited, and waited, and ate some leftover pizza, and waited some more. About 15 minutes later, a small barge with a tugboat attached came chugging through. It was neat to see the bridge as it was unlike any draw bridge that I've ever seen. (see photos)

We approached Niagara via Lindy Lane which is obviously the place where every guy wants to have his bachelor party. We must have passed at least 20 "Gentleman's Clubs" and a few other massage parlors. I don't think there is a shortage of motel rooms in Niagara either... we passed at least 200 motels along the 5 mile ride into Niagara's city center. Wow, all I can say is that this town has changed quite a bit since I was last here as a kid. We turned a corner off the main street and entered a theme park resort with all sorts of casinos, a Ferris wheel and even a mini version of the Space Needle. What a circus!

We made our way through the crowds of people to the falls overlook - wow! I had forgotten how amazing the scenery was. Its too bad that you have to go through all the madness of these man made attractions to get to this beautiful piece of nature.

While enjoying the view of the falls, we met another rider biking from Astoria to Boston. He had his family meet him at the falls and was crossing the border with assistance. We crossed over to the US on the Rainbow Bridge right next to the falls. It was weird to be waiting in the customs line with all the other vehicles.

Once we entered New York it was a night and day difference. The town of Niagara Falls on the US side is almost deserted. We rode around for awhile trying to find a place for lunch with very little options. I guess New York couldn't compete with all the casinos and other attractions on the Canadian side.

After eating way too much food at an Indian Restaurant, we contacted Jeff, our host in Lockport, and rode out to meet him. Jeff is a avid cyclist, triathlete and former thru-hiker of the Appalachian Trail. He rode out and met us about 8 miles out of Lockport and led us back into town.

We were about a half mile from Jeff's house when I looked down and noticed that I had a flat tire! Wow - I haven't had a flat since Idaho! I couldn't believe my bad luck. Marc and Jeff rode back and got my flat fixed in no time. I'm such a lucky girl!

We had a great time at Jeff's! He took us over to his Mom's house for some great home cooking and conversation with the family. (Jeff's family just had a big reunion so a lot of his relatives were still in town.) That was really fun! I love the fact that we are meeting so many people along the way. After a big dinner, Jeff picked up some genuine Buffalo Wings for us to try. Wow, even with a full belly, the wings were outstanding - just lightly sauced with blue cheese dip. Yum!

After dinner Jeff showed us his albums from when he hiked the Appalachian Trail. What a neat adventure! I'm in awe of the few people that I know that have hiked all the way through on the 2000+ mile trail. Hmm, maybe Marc and I can do this next summer? (Just kidding!)

So, I know you are all wondering about the pie.... I hate to admit it but I am so darn sick of pie right now that I can't even dream of eating another slice. Marc's been giving me a really hard time about it and says that I'm a quitter. I'm going to try very hard to get back on the pie wagon again but for now I need a few rest days from the pie. (Come on...we get rest days from the bikes so what's a day or two off from pie?)