Riding today was world class along the Niagara River Recreation Trail. The trail is beside one of the most scenic drives in the world. The trail would sometimes be part of access to driveways, and at one point was very congested with yard sale traffic. There were quite a few bicycles on the trail going both directions. We were traveling downstream towards the falls and about a mile away could see mist rising into the air that looked like steam. As we rode closer more and more pedestrians were on the trail until just before the falls it was impossible to ride and we just walked our bikes. When we got our first glimpse of the water just disappearing over the edge into the mist it was hard to imagine that massive fast flowing stream with all it’s hydraulic power just suddenly dropping away into what looked like nothing. We parked our bikes and went over to the viewing area which is not ten feet from the edge of horseshoe falls and just watched the water flow over the falls. There were hundreds of people around, looking over the edge, some posing while their friends or family would take their picture. As we continued downstream we would stop and look again at the falls from a different angle. We could also see a steady procession (one every 10 minutes or so) of Maid Of The Mist boats full of blue raincoated people getting close to the falls. We could see their faces looking up at us sometimes. The boats would power up into the mist and then let the power of the stream turn them around to head downstream so the next boat could approach. We rode on along the trail toward the Lewiston Bridge where we will cross into the United States. There is no pedestrian crossing on the bridge so we get onto the highway and eventually merge with cars that are nearly at a standstill, 4 lanes across and several hundred cars long. We can easily walk our bikes across the bridge and then through customs. We had no trouble entering Canada and we have no trouble entering the United States. Randy and I both got enhanced Drivers Licenses so we wouldn’t need a passport. The rest of the ride to Lockport New York, another hour and a half, was in mid 90’s heat. When we arrived, we checked into our motel then walked downtown to see the Erie Canal and the locks downtown. On the walk Randy notices that most of the curbing is not concrete, but is quarried granite. The canal and locks are impressive, but curiously the canal runs at an oblique angle through town just slicing through streets as if the canal and the streets each are built according to different patterns that don’t really fit together. We crossed the United States widest bridge at one intersections, then asked some people where to get a good dinner. Molinaros Italian they told us. We finished dinner and walked home. It was a great day.
Greg

— Sent from my Palm Pre