Rode from South Bend Indiana on Monday ending the ride in the Western New York town of Batavia.  The midwest is encountering some record breaking temperatures making it a hot but dry ride (a little rain would have been welcome).  Encountered a vast number of wineries and vineyards along Lake Erie in Eastern Ohio, Northwest Pennsylvania and New York.

While working on a ride plan for today I reached out to one of my co-workers, Steve Lampke, who is from this area and rides to get any feedback on my route and any tips he might provide.

He first responded with a text of a barbecue place in Syracuse I should try then another text with a couple of towns to check out.  A few minutes later he called and offered to lead me on a ride of the Finger Lakes Region (Watkins Glen Raceway is in this area of New York).

When I arrived at our planned meeting place Steve was there waiting on his Softail S with the 110 and a nice sounding exhaust.

Steve also has a project bike that will utilize his 1938 Knuckle Head EL Engine.

He led us on a ride around Cayuga Lake on some great biking roads through hilly terrain providing great scenery of the lake, lush green landscape and many more wineries.

Made a couple of stops to view waterfalls.

Taughannock Falls – OK due to the dry summer very little water was coming over the falls but had to see if I could get the name right (copied it from a photo of a sign at the falls).  Don’t ask me to pronounce it…..

The water was doing better at Ithaca Falls but still a low flow due to the dry summer.

After the ride we did make it to the barbecue place he recommended in his first text.

If you ever make it to Syracuse this place is great!

After lunch Steve headed home and I rode North into the Adirondack mountains and ended the ride for the day in Tupper Lake (in the Lake Placid area).  First mountains encountered since the Black Hills on day one.

Continuing the ride East to the White Mountains in New Hampshire.  Have heard bikers from the Northeast talk about riding to the top of Mt. Washington.  Will see how it compares to the Colorado Pike’s Peak and Mt Evans rides.