the trip is over

It was fun. I am exhausted.

I haven't really slept in more than a week. But last night could have lasted longer. I got at least 8 hours sleep. Amazing.

Sunday I was up at 5:30 fighting with the hotel internet to get my class done. I knew with the long bus ride, that I wouldn't be working later.

It was cold and raining. We had beautiful weather for the trip, and we need the rain, so I guess I can't complain.

We boarded the bus at 7:45 for the trip to Canandaigua, NY. We were close to town when traffic came to a halt. We had to wait for the Canandaigua Marathon to pass. Lake Canandaigua is undergoing a bit of a Renaissance, or destruction, depending on your point of view.  The area facing the waterfront was cleared and fenced in for redevlopment — 2 huge hotels, a lifestyle mall and a lot of housing. In 2016 it will look like the upscale Jersey shore. Yuck. I have never been to this lake before but my guess is that area used to have cottages and small, quaint business. My preference for a place like this.

Our walk didn't go past the steam boat. I was disappointed.

After signing in, in the rain, we started walking the 5K. No 10's in the rain for us. We may be crazy but we are not stupid. People were bundled up, but I knew I'd be hot, so I didn't. Though I should have kept out my Maid of the Mist raincoat. At the start I was cold. But quickly became warm walking. Except for my hands. They never became warm.

Our host from the Finger Lakes volkssport club was wheel measuring the course.

At the turnaround point was the pier, and the boat houses. Leaned up against the shacks were kayaks and SUP boards. I bet they aren't there on nice days. They looked like rentals. We went past a Hess Express and went in for hot chocolate and bananas. The coco warmed the hands. (I ended up only drinking half. The rest got poured in the buses toilet.) The bananas fed the belly.

At the half way point we passed the bus and the LL Bean Discovery School truck. Bonnie opted to bail not wanting to get sick again. Angel and I headed into the Nature Preserve for the second half. There we met a half dozen other walkers and finished the course.

I bet this whole area is spectacular when the sun is out.

One reason we chose the 5K was the rain. The other was the time limit. We only had 2 hours. The appointed time came and two people were missing. We had to wait another 20 minutes for them. They walked with the host from the FLVC who was measuring the course. They thought it rude to say we need to leave you behind and make the bus. I understand that, but maybe they should have called? Just saying.

We stopped at the 6th largest mall in the America on the way home to eat. The old Carousel Mall in Syracuse has been rebranded Destiny USA. There's lots of places to eat and they are concentrated in one area. Our first stop was the bathrooms. Our second was the Carousel.

Bonnie went to buy tokens and they asked if we had children. Um. No. Clearly they don't get many adult children riding. We should have skipped lunch and just ridden.

We had about 45 minutes left and went to Uno. We told them we had to be out of there at 3:30 and if it was a problem to tell us. She said no problem. At 3:20 the food still hadn't arrived. Two minutes later we were packing our food in to-go containers and ran to the bus. We made it with 2 minutes to spare. Most people arrived by 3:35. Many, like us, with to-go containers. And then we waited. And waited. And waited. For the remaining four. Guess where they ate? Uno. Of course.

( From Wikipedia, of course.)

It was back to the bus for the long ride home with one rest stop. and the 1953 film-noir Niagara. Let's just say Marilyn wasn't hired for her acting ability.

After the rest stop it began to really pour. All of a sudden the bus started beeping. It was everyone's cell phones with flash flood warnings. It actually came in three waves over about 30 seconds.

We got off the bus in Warminister and headed north home. We arrived at Bonnie's about 10. As Angel and Bonnie were carrying in her stuff, it began to pour. Angel was soaked when she got back in the car. Taking her home was challenging. By Rt. 512 the rain came down even heavier. The whole road was going 40 miles an hour. It was hard to see and the driver in front kept putting on his brakes.

Thankfully, by the time I pulled in in front of her house it slowed to a trickle.

Got home, climbed into bed, and woke at 6:45. It took my sorry butt till 7:30 to get up.

Vacations are exhausting. Especially when you walk almost 50 miles.

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I'd like to thank Angel and Bonnie for the bulk of the pictures in these road trip posts. 

Angel does miracles with an iPhone 6.  Bonnie used her iPhone 5 and her vintage Sony digital camera. It's only about 8 megapixels, but that thing is a workhorse. I used my antique iPod Touch. First generation. It's about 2 megapixels and the pixs are crap. But it was great for places like the Cave of the Winds and Maid of the Mist where if it got destroyed or fell in, it really didn't matter.