This post is part 2 of a 3-part series about a 3-day bike trip I did earlier this week. If you haven't already, please read part 1.
I made the mistake of putting my tent on not quite level ground that tilted ever so slightly to the left. Too tired to get up and move it, I realized by my shifted mattress that this is what kept me up through much of the night. I had picked a spot that had a tent previously, and so thought it would be a good spot. Better is to just place it so my head is always at the top of any slope.
We made coffee, but waited to get back to Springville to have breakfast at Tim Horton's. Now I'm not a huge Tim Horton's fan. I don't know why everyone in Buffalo thinks their coffee is so great. The food is nothing special. But after the long day before and camping in the woods it never tasted better. While we were eating a local cyclist approached us to ask where we were traveling to. He assumed we were going cross country. He told us about his own trip in the 1960s. We were both shocked when the guy told us he was 76 and still cycling every day. He looked no more than 60! Get on your bike if you want to stay young!
We finally got on the road and after a couple hours found a cool little bar called the Shamrock Inn. After telling the bartender Cindy about how I quit my job for the summer to spend more time on my bike, she gave me the bar's number and told me she could get me in touch with her brother's business when I decide to go back to work. I'll consider it when it comes down to that.
Alright, at this point the football match was starting in an hour. We were supposed to go to another free camping site in Carlton Hill. If we stayed for the match we would be running too late. Daniel then realized we were close to Strykersville, where a fishing buddy of his lived. Change of plans. We decided to visit his friend and camp in his yard instead. We rode to Strykersville and stopped at another bar, the Route 78 Pub, just down the street (hill) from his friend's house. We watched the football match here, had a couple beers and a pizza. This place was reasonably priced at $3-$4 a beer and less than $10 for a small pizza. We bought a 30-pack of beer and a plant to bring as gifts to his friend's house.
Did I mention his friend lived at the top of a hill? Not really what I wanted to see at the end of the ride, but he somehow made it up that hill with all that beer. (It was steeper than it looks in the photo.)
Daniel's friends Bud and Sherri were amazing hosts. They have been together since high school. Sherri just retired and Bud is retiring in 5 days. They have all kinds of travel plans, working hard all their lives to buy everything they need in retirement. Thanks for the hospitality and I hope you both have awesome adventures!
Their house had an inground pool and jacuzzi. But first they took us for a tour of the area in their electric golf cart. First we went to a pond on their friend's land. Daniel caught a couple small fish and threw them back.
Next we went to a neighbor's farm where he keeps long horn cattle. I say keeps because he's not raising them for food or anything. The guy just likes taking care of them. They're an unusual breed to see around here as they are usually raised in Texas. Our friends saw the photos I posted and were wondering how far we had actually rode!
When we got back to the house, we drank more beer, went swimming, drank more beer in the jacuzzi then finally set up the tents to get some sleep.
I'll post part 3 soon, but it'll be shorter as it's just the ride home.
