To me, the Fourth of July means freedom -- from obligations. For the week of Independence Day, we liberated ourselves to enjoy some family time in Ohio followed by fun in the Finger Lakes. The region of New York has a lot to offer, including cooling weather and warming wine, but we picked the area because of the potential for a 50-mile training run.
Yes, I realize how crazy the phrase "50-mile training run" sounds, but you see, TJ has decided to participate in a 100-mile race. In August. In Cleveland. And according to his preparation schedule, he needed to hit the halfway mark by early July. (This is not at all unthinkable, considering he has already completed 50K and 50-mile races.) He had hoped to run in the Finger Lakes Fifties, but by the time we got our plans in order, there were only spots remaining on the wait list, which was closed. So TJ devised his own route along the nearby Genesee Valley Greenway instead.
Of course, I wasn't going to spend my week off just taking in TJ's stride, so sight-seeing had to be incorporated into the trip. On our way to our campsite, we took a spin by Lake Chatauqua, home of the scholarship- and philanthropy-promoting Chatauqua Institution. After all, the town topped Smithsonian magazine's list of small towns to visit in 2014. But idyllic idle comes at a cost: at least $14 for daily admission plus $8 for parking and even more for performances and classes. Not willing to drop so many dollars for so short a visit (besides, we couldn't get Sage past the front gate), we headed down the shore to Stow, where we had a picnic next to a very patriotic lighthouse (left). On weekends, it guides in 19th-century ferries bisecting the lake from the waterfront retreat of Bemus Point (right).
After cruising by Allegany State Park, we got to our campground at Letchworth State Park with just a little light left in the day. I didn't get to explore the park, oversold as the "Grand Canyon of the East," until the next morning, after TJ took off on his training run. I took in Upper and Middle Falls from Inspiration Point (top left), then took a hike to see Lower Falls as well (top right). The waterfalls break up the Genesee River on its way to Mount Morris Dam, where it is blocked to protect the downstream watershed from floods (bottom).
From the dam, I headed to the eponymous Mount Morris, birthplace of Francis Bellamy, a minister who wrote the "The Pledge of Allegiance" -- sans "under God" -- in August 1892 (top left). The town wasn't much to look at, but it was a good meeting point to replenish TJ's supplies a third of the way into his run. I replenished my own supplies at the Abbey of the Genesee, where I bought two loaves, rye and sunflower, of regionally famous Monks' Bread (top right). Then, I collected some more carbs, a half-dozen apple cider donuts, from the farmer's market in Geneseo (bottom left), home to a lovely historic district set across Main Street from a SUNY branch (bottom right).
I swung by the small town of Avon before my second pit stop with TJ. After ensuring that he was shipshape to finish the final stretch, I navigated 15 miles on the Erie Canal by car. My first docking was in scenic Pittsford, where only ducks were sailing the waterway (top left) in front of charming homes set canalside (top right). Two guard gates down the canal, Fairport featured similarly quaint buildings and structures (bottom left), including a lift bridge for vehicles and pedestrians alike (bottom right).
Before getting in lockstep with TJ at the terminus of his 50 miles, I had a little time to tour Rochester. I rubbernecked at the mansions along East Avenue, including the George Eastman House; the company Eastman founded is still based in the city. Kodak's main offices are across the road from High Falls. Water from the falls was diverted to create Brown's Race, once used as hydropower for nearby mills (left). Nowadays, the biggest business in the area is Genesee Beer, situated on a hill across the gorge from the falls (right).
Yes, I realize how crazy the phrase "50-mile training run" sounds, but you see, TJ has decided to participate in a 100-mile race. In August. In Cleveland. And according to his preparation schedule, he needed to hit the halfway mark by early July. (This is not at all unthinkable, considering he has already completed 50K and 50-mile races.) He had hoped to run in the Finger Lakes Fifties, but by the time we got our plans in order, there were only spots remaining on the wait list, which was closed. So TJ devised his own route along the nearby Genesee Valley Greenway instead.
Of course, I wasn't going to spend my week off just taking in TJ's stride, so sight-seeing had to be incorporated into the trip. On our way to our campsite, we took a spin by Lake Chatauqua, home of the scholarship- and philanthropy-promoting Chatauqua Institution. After all, the town topped Smithsonian magazine's list of small towns to visit in 2014. But idyllic idle comes at a cost: at least $14 for daily admission plus $8 for parking and even more for performances and classes. Not willing to drop so many dollars for so short a visit (besides, we couldn't get Sage past the front gate), we headed down the shore to Stow, where we had a picnic next to a very patriotic lighthouse (left). On weekends, it guides in 19th-century ferries bisecting the lake from the waterfront retreat of Bemus Point (right).
I passed by Mount Hope Cemetery, the final resting place of Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass, on the way to Genesee Valley Park, where TJ arrived looking fully fresh yet smelling fairly ripe (left). We concluded the day by celebrating with beef-packed meals at MacGregor's Grill and Tap Room (right). With more than 100 taps, it was hard to find the right hydration, but in the end, both of us chose regional Southern Tier Brewing Company beers that were on special. The $3.50 pints were a tasty and thrifty way to toast TJ's achievement.
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