Day 6

Awoke to a very quiet, foggy camp. A little eerie, (but I'm not at that lake yet, tehe...).

There's Breezey among all the big boys, thinking, "I may not look it, but I'm still a hell of  recreational vehicle!"
Out on the road this morning I was pleasantly surprised with fog instead of rain. With the apple and other fruit orchards lining the road, quaint shoreside towns, and warm, moist air, I was beginning to think I had made a wrong turn and ended up in Northern California...

The riding was swell and I enjoyed the sights, which included street names such as:
Muck Dr
Hapeman St (planet of the hapemen)
Dutch Street Rd (a street and a road!?)
Jerry Look Blvd (or as I read it: Jerry, Look! A Boulevard!)

Finally found myself on the outskirts of Rochester and happened upon that gutter they call the Erie canal.

Actually quite pleasant despite the brownish tinge. Eventually as I neared the southern end of the city I made a stop at several outdoor stores to see if I could get some professional help with my stove. Turns out they know a lot more about how to sell them than actually use them. So there I was, playing with fire on the sidewalk outside LL Bean, in front of the biggest parking lot I have ever seen, trying to block the wind while everybody and thier mother-in-law stopped in to look at loafers and sweaters.

A couple youtube tutorials later and I had cleaned or replaced every piece of that thing. I'm hoping it stays fixed.
Now to enter the city. I was off the route here so I really just winged it and followed whatever arterial seemed to be the most direct. It wasn't the most bike friendly, and even while I did my best to avoid the broken glass, rusty nails and other detritis on the shoulder, I got stuck with a flat.

Luckily, this was the kinda crap I trained for. Shoulda timed myself because I was speedy-quick replacing that sucker. Nice fella pulled up, asked if I needed help, told him I had everything with me, and he said he lived round the corner, so I says, well if you've got a floor pump, I could use that. He brought it by and it made a short job even shorter. Turns out the guy lived in Eugene for a while and even played the Seattle Sounders before they went MLS. Whooda thunk?
Well anyway, got into Rochester proper and was welcomed into the home of fellow bike tourist Karen, who treated me to a bowl of chili and even some brownies. Easy to tell a bike nut, simply by looking in thr basement:

I got clean, my clothes got clean, and even Breezey got a good clean and oil job. Feeling in good hands and ready to face the road again.