Not quite the early start I’d hoped for, but still at 8:15 am the air remained blissfully cool. I headed towards Buffalo via Tonawanda (a name reminiscent of travelling in New Zealand).
In Buffalo I stumbled across a military museum about the time I wanted to stop for lunch. Wandering through the destroyer, missile cruiser, and submarine, as well as the aforementioned lunch, used up much of the morning.
Heading south, more construction, including a bridge closed requiring a significant detour. By 1:15 pm, five hours after I’d left, I’d cycled only 50 of the 100 km intened for the day. I settled into a fixed route, and pushed forth in the heat and sun. Part of that heat, however, came from riding with tailwind. Combined with long, low, rolling hills, most of the day felt downhill!
I’m camped at the Lake Erie State Park after 114 km. Like other national parks, the reservation system charges a significant fee for reserving on-line (now mandatory due to Covid), as well as an out-of-state user tax. Still less than a motel, but not by nearly as much as it should be.
When trying to figure out my destination I stumbled over a lack of places to stay where I’d prefer to stop. I’ve rerouted a bit, and (after an hour-long AirBnB support call for why my account wasn’t validated), have a place to stay in Edinboro at roughly 100 km. I don’t know if my energy levels today were the tailwinds, a rest day, my metabolism finally coming on-line, or a combination thereof. More climbing tomorrow.