Gigantic! (22 June)

Yes, the Niagara Falls are truly gigantic, a breathtaking marvel of nature. Since the Cross Roads tour took us so close to this spectacle, we drove out there together with the two British guys, Mark and Pete. Luckily it stopped pouring rain during our brief sojourn at the Falls, and the view was worth the 30 minute wait in traffic (and paying $0.35 for that pleasure at a toll booth). Unfortunately, I found there were way too many tourists jostling for photo ops and the power of the Falls was lost in the swaying, milling crowds. For the real Falls feeling, I prefer Vernal Falls in Yosemite, and the hike you have to take to get up there.

Originally I had planned to cycle on Presque Isle today, but leaving the shelter of the hotel I already encountered the first rain drops of the day. So I put poor Sirrus back in the car and mounted the much less attractive training bicycle in the fitness room. As it turned out, the timing was right as far as cycling went because I beat Emil to the hotel by just a few minutes.

Perhaps this also had to do with a delay I incurred when stopping for a coffee and a piece of pie at Aunt Millies (actually I had to use the restroom, so the rest of the stay wasn't really planned). However, at Aunt Millies I encountered another example of gigantism: I have never seen such enormous baked goods and especially the cream pies with their whipped toppings were almost frightening.
Who can eat these things?! The restaurant was packed with people attempting to do just that. I must admit, the meringue on top of my lemon pie defeated me ... it was almost as gigantic as the mountains of mist rising from the Niagara Falls. It was interesting to note that the majority of waitresses were probably retired seniors. They certainly took pride in their busy restaurant. And the sentiment of the sign in the window spoke to me.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
Talking about important people (11 June) It's time to talk about someone who is very important to the well-being of the Cross Roads riders: Tom. From dawn until after dusk he and the rest of the staff are busy stocking the SAG vehicles, setting up SAG stops, making sure all rooms are ready as soon as possible, transporting duffle bags to said rooms, organizing dinners and completing a myriad of other tasks, all pretty much out of sight of the riders. And he does all this without losing his sense of humor! Today the riders had a long stint of over 100 mi. to ride. Pleasant temperatures  and a moderate headwind made riding quite enjoyable. I did my stint in the fitness room and pool, and then headed toward Springfield, where I intended to meet another very important person: Abraham Lincoln. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum has the most elaborate dioramas and technically advanced shows I have ever seen. One such exhibition is a Holatheater, of which there are onl...
Read more
Image
In the MOOd Singing in the Rain (28 June) The last 90 miles, only 90 miles of 3,404 miles,  just the last little teeny bit and through lovely countryside and three states...and it is pouring rain, relentlessly! Adi and Roz are observing their partners with some worry as we follow them along the narrow, winding roads to the SAGs. How are Navi and Adam (and Emil!) dealing with the weather and the oblivious and even aggressive Massachusetts drivers? We were relieved to see our guys and gal spiting the elements and finally arriving safely at the last of 46 different hotels. Unfortunately, our wonderful Ichi, who had doggedly completed every mile to within the last 10 before Burlington, fell and damaged his knee so badly that he could not  complete the ride. Ichi has become the darling of the group with his infectious smile and his ability to get lost at some point nearly every day, thus actually completing many more than the prescribed miles! Today's route passed by...
Read more
Image
Underway on the I-10(15May) With a certain amount of trepidation, the Cross Roads riders faced the challenges of the I-10 and the weather conditions of the high desert. What about the wind? How hot will it get? What about the conditions riding on the shoulder ... and what about those big trucks?! Well, the wind was kindly blowing from West to East, so everyone enjoyed a lovely tailwind, and the heat was manageable. The shoulder was - with the exception of about three miles - all right. BUT those three miles were really horrible, with great cracks, debris and potholes. Also there was a fair share of flat tires, but nothing to compare with that record 27 flats in one day! The biggest surprise was the great care with which the truck drivers passed the cyclists; often moving into the left lane to give them more room. As usual, the support was exemplary with tasty snacks, fresh fruit and plenty to drink at the SAG stops. An inventive method for keeping cool in the desert heat were ...
Read more