Day 24: Medina to Buffalo

Yesterday, Mike and I made good speed while riding on the bike trail. It was a partially cloudy day, but at least it didn’t rain. And the temperature was just right for a bicycle ride.

We passed by some workers who were fixing the sensors on the canal. The sensors track the water level on the canal and send signals to a station. Mike and I were impressed by the technology that’s implemented here at the canal.

After riding for a couple of hours, we arrived at the town of Lockport where it’s famous for the tall five locks. Mike and I explored the area a bit and went inside the small, one-room Lock Museum there.

We arrived at North Tonawanda that’s just north of Buffalo around 1 PM, just in time for lunch. Mike and I had Drunken Noodles at Spring Garden Cuisine that was pretty good. The owner was impressed that we traveled long distances by bicycles to get here.

It was fun riding with Mike and I enjoyed our conversations. He reminded me of my 2018 riding partner, Crispin. Crispin was 69 years old when I met him and was a high spirited person. Mike is 67 years old and has a similar demeanor.

Mike and I rode the rails to trails bike path from Tonawanda to my Warmshowers host Michael’s house in Buffalo. We arrived at 2:30 PM and rode 41.2 miles that day. It was the perfect distance for a bicycle ride, not doing too much or too little for a day.

Michael is an engineer. I later learned that he’s the lead battery engineer for the upcoming Slate modular pickup trucks that was featured in the news a few weeks ago. What an honor to meet him! Michael’s wife Wendy works in accounting for the VA. Both of them are very kind and easy to talk to.

We ended up going to Neighbors Pub for Tuesday’s taco night and to meet with Michael and Wendy’s four friends. It was nice to chat with other cyclists. I learned about a local cycling event called Slow Roll, where people ride bicycles once per week through the city streets.

When we came back, we chatted a bit more before I went to bed. This morning, I woke up at 6:30. Mike was ready to leave for his ride out of Buffalo toward Cleveland and Michael will guide him through the local roads. We said our goodbye. It was truly nice to ride with Mike, even though it was just for one day.

Wendy offered me breakfast and I ate some oatmeal with blueberries, along with clementines and a cup of coffee. After writing this post, I will ride my bike to downtown Buffalo to explore the city. Tonight, I’ll be staying with a different Warmshowers host that’s not far from Michael and Wendy’s house.

A boat on the canal going to Lockport.

Workers fixing the sensor on the canal.

The locks at Lockport

The Lock Museum

Inside the Lock Museum

Action shot of me from Mike

One of many Honor Gardens on the bike path

Mike taking a water break.

The Canal Street in Tonawanda

Left to right: Mike, Michael, and Wendy, with their dogs Bijou and Trooper