07/14/19 - Palmyra, NY to Fulton, NY : 64.2 miles
After we settled in our tent at 9 pm, nearby persons unknown set off fireworks. Not just small ones, either, but bigger stuff like cherry bombs, M-80s, and mortars. Surprisingly, the cops didn’t show up and stop the racket. After dark, the mosquitoes appeared. When Betsy got up in the night to pee, the bugs moved in our tent for dinner. After Betsy returned, I swatted mosquitoes but couldn’t get them all and they got us. We got up early, ate breakfast, and rode to the east end of Palmyra for a cup of C-store coffee.
We traveled north on Hwy 15 for 14 miles, past Marion and Williamson - passing rural residences, pastures, and fruit orchards. We left Hwy 15 and rode east on Hwy 104 for 6 miles, past more fruit orchards (mostly apples) to Sodus Point on Lake Ontario. We ate a tasty breakfast at 6:50 am on the Bay. After breakfast, we biked south and east on hilly county roads, past deciduous forest and apple orchards, to Wolcott. At Wolcott, we ventured a mile to Hwy 104 and rode east, past fruit orchards, on a wide, smooth shoulder to Hannibal.
We noticed young apple and pear trees planted 5 feet apart and pruned about 7 feet tall and 5 feet tall, and 2 feet wide. Such small trees reminded me of espaliered fruit trees. The developing fruit appeared to be much easier to pick than fruit on standard-sized trees. We ate lunch in the shade of the Markville post office. While we ate, a parade of perhaps 500 motorcycle riders roared past. Unbelievable! In Hannibal, Betsy bought groceries and we chatted with two motorcycle riders about long-distance cycling and hiking. We finished the day with a 6-mile ride to the North Bay Campground just west of Fulton. For $20, we got a shady camp site next to Lake Neatahwanta with showers nearby (see photo). The cool air, sunshine, and frequent westerly tail winds made this a easy, short day.
