Day 8

A momentus day, for multiple reasons. One, today marks one week on the road- and I'm still alive. Amazing. Second, I finally made it to Niagara falls, one of the waypoints I was set on seing when I set out. And third, I made it in and out of Canada as a sort of a test ride, to see if I could cross the border with only my drivers liscence. Turns out it works, and thus, I shall be taking the shorter and probably vastly more interesting route from Buffalo, NY through the Ontario penninsula, into Michigan, and then across Lake Michigan and on westward (and not the southerly route below lake Erie and south of Chicago).

The day started early as the hot sun heated ny tent to awake me. My camp was somewhat of an impromptu camp along the Erie Canalway, not 20 yards from the canal itself. I had walked into Gasport the night before, stopped into a laundromat and asked a man where a fella might find a place to camp around town. He said he didn't think anyone would bother me if I camped on the canalway. So I did. 

I packed up and was on the road in record time. The ride from Gasport into Lockport was uneventful, but the locks in Lockport itself were a sight for sure, as was the big bridge (what might instead be called "wide-as-Hell Bridge"). Sometime later I rolled into the town of Niagara Falls, and following signs for Canada ended up in quite the kerfuffle of trailer trucks, semis, and other vehicles headed for the border crossing. After I begin to be funneled onto a major highway I realized I had made a huge mistake, turned around and pedaled back out and found a man in uniform who asked me where I was going, to which I responded "I have no idea, I need help." He directed me upriver towards Niagara Falls itself to the Rainbow Bridge where I could cross into Canada as a pedestrian. I made my way up the gorge enjoying the sights as I went.

At Rainbow Bridge too, confusion was abundant with a border crossing between two major Nations and a large tourist attraction, not to mention casinos and other side attractions. With a little charm and honesty I found my way across the border. The first thing to greet me on the Canadian side was an Elvis impersonator- not really the most Canadian but still entertaining. 

Then after taking in the sights for some time I found my way down the Niagara Parkway all the way to Fort Erie and across the Peace Bridge into Buffalo. Here I spent some time biking around Allentown and enjoying the sights, sounds, smells, and feels. 

Then, connecting with my hosts for the for the evening, I meant the Dugglebys, who welcomed to me into their home, and brought me out to the local pub for dinner. Through conversation, I became educated in he history of Buffalo, the thermodynamics of air conditioning, and advances in electric cars. It is amazing how at home I can feel so far from home and with those who could just have easily been strangers. Such is the magic of life on the road.