Day 42--Brantford ON to Niagara Falls NY--August 1st
Miles Ridden 72.5
Avg. Speed 17.1 MPH
Climbing 1400 Ft.
Total Miles Ridden 3065
Miles To Go 564
After falling yesterday, my hip was a little stiff at the start of the ride but everything got sorted out and felt OK by the time we were a few miles down the road. Today's ride was over excellent, quiet roads and the first forty miles were very flat although with a fairly stiff headwind. We then got into some unexpected steep hills in the fruit growing region on the southern side of the Niagara Escarpment. We crossed the Welland Canal and could see the sightseeing towers of Niagara Falls in the distance.
Traffic gradually got heavier as we approached the Falls until we were in the blocks of tourist snarl near the Rainbow Bridge. A number of the riders hadn't been to the Falls before so we rode along Horseshoe Falls and took some pictures before we crossed the bridge into New York to the hotel.
Bicyclists have to cross with the cars so we got in line on the streets in Canada and then onto the Rainbow Bridge and waited our turn to clear customs. It took about half an hour under a hot sun but we were soon in New York and in our hotel which was just over the bridge.
I had driven through Niagara Falls a couple of times since finishing school here almost forty years ago so I knew things had changed in the area around the Falls but I wasn't prepared for the total tear-up that I saw I on my bike. Entire blocks of old buildings full of souvenir stands and bars had been cleared out and replaced with a casino, new hotels and a convention center that looked abandoned. I later found out the casino started out as an arena but was converted into a large Indian casino when that failed. Old streets were gone and the whole area was unfamiliar. The bustle and crowds of the Canadian side were noticeably absent.
After dark we went back to the Falls to see the fireworks display and view the lights.
Tomorrow is our last rest day so I'll get to take a closer look at the area and see if there is anything still here that I might remember.
Avg. Speed 17.1 MPH
Climbing 1400 Ft.
Total Miles Ridden 3065
Miles To Go 564
After falling yesterday, my hip was a little stiff at the start of the ride but everything got sorted out and felt OK by the time we were a few miles down the road. Today's ride was over excellent, quiet roads and the first forty miles were very flat although with a fairly stiff headwind. We then got into some unexpected steep hills in the fruit growing region on the southern side of the Niagara Escarpment. We crossed the Welland Canal and could see the sightseeing towers of Niagara Falls in the distance.
Traffic gradually got heavier as we approached the Falls until we were in the blocks of tourist snarl near the Rainbow Bridge. A number of the riders hadn't been to the Falls before so we rode along Horseshoe Falls and took some pictures before we crossed the bridge into New York to the hotel.
Bicyclists have to cross with the cars so we got in line on the streets in Canada and then onto the Rainbow Bridge and waited our turn to clear customs. It took about half an hour under a hot sun but we were soon in New York and in our hotel which was just over the bridge.
I had driven through Niagara Falls a couple of times since finishing school here almost forty years ago so I knew things had changed in the area around the Falls but I wasn't prepared for the total tear-up that I saw I on my bike. Entire blocks of old buildings full of souvenir stands and bars had been cleared out and replaced with a casino, new hotels and a convention center that looked abandoned. I later found out the casino started out as an arena but was converted into a large Indian casino when that failed. Old streets were gone and the whole area was unfamiliar. The bustle and crowds of the Canadian side were noticeably absent.
After dark we went back to the Falls to see the fireworks display and view the lights.
Tomorrow is our last rest day so I'll get to take a closer look at the area and see if there is anything still here that I might remember.
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| Riders arriving at the Falls |
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| Mike Munk, the ride leader, taking a picture near the Falls |
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| Two more states to go |
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| The American Falls at Night |
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| View of Canada From Goat Island |
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| During the Fireworks |
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| The American Falls From Goat Island |
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| The Niagara River just above the Falls |
Great pictures! And it's 38 years ago you graduated - not forty! Let's not rush the years!
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