Day 31--Spencerport to Newark, NY

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Jeannie prepared a dazzling array of choices for breakfast—blueberries, strawberries, yogurt, hot and cold cereal, bagels . . . anything a cyclist could want. I had a traditional cyclist’s breakfast of oatmeal and a glass of o.j. but of course I jazzed up my oatmeal with blueberries. Jeannie gave me a $10 Subway card so that we could get lunch on the road. Thank you Jeannie! I feel embarrassingly pampered and catered to. Dianne and Karen arrived to say goodbye, and a former volunteer named Susan stopped by with her adorable therapy dog, Toby, a standard poodle (see below). This dog was so well trained and appealing that I wanted to own it.

Toby the therapy dog

After we’d packed up our gear and B.O.B.s we were off at about 9:30 a.m. This is National Ride your Bike to Work Week and National Bike Month. Karen had told of listening to the radio that morning and hearing all about Susan Walker from Oklahoma who was riding for hospice and who was to be on the Canalway Trail all day. Listeners were instructed to “wave and get out of her way” or to “stop and give her some money.” While no one stopped and gave us a donation, all morning long we heard: “Hello Susan!” “Way to go!” “Good morning Susan from Oklahoma!”  “Hi  Susan, your man is waiting for you ahead about a mile and a half.” Suddenly I was famous. What fun!

“My man” was Dave Valvo, a retired Kodak employee who had been in touch with me on the Internet, and we had talked yesterday. I learned that Dave would turn 73 on May 25th, the Friday after I turn 70. Dave is a fantastic photographer (www.DaveValvo.com) and also the unofficial Erie Canalway Trail guide. He is on the trail nearly every day and has logged over 12,000 miles on it! Dave arranged to meet us at Long Pond Road where the trail becomes paved. He had volunteered to give us the grand tour into Rochester and along the trail as far as Pittsford where the trail returns to fine cinder.

Dave & Jess on the canalway trail; Dave taking a photo of me while I photograph them

I had ridden parts of the Canalway before with America by Bicycle but had forgotten how peaceful and beautiful it is. Each little “port” town (Spencerport, Lockport, Weedsport, Bridgeport, etc.) is proud of its history with the canal. See the photo below of our start in Spencerport). 

Dave was an excellent trail guide. He stopped for photos at just the right places, explained all the historical points, and led us on a trail down the Genesee River into the heart of downtown Rochester, past skulling crews (see photos below), through the University of Rochester, over bridges new and old, past colorful “project” housing, parks, and waterfalls. At one point we passed a popular BBQ restaurant at the foot of a bridge and right on the river. The tug was strong, but Dave had no time to stop for lunch, though Jess volunteered to treat him. Below are some of the pix I took on the tour.

When we got back to the trail and headed east, it looked as though the storm that was forming was going to overtake us. Dave checked the weather and found that the storm would arrive in about 35 minutes. He was about that distance from his house, so he said good-bye, turned around, and pedaled hard to beat the rain. Thank you Dave! We had a great ride with you and were only sorry that you did not get to have lunch and some leisure time with us. Below are some of the pix Dave took on the tour.

Dave's shot of Jessica and Susan coming down the trail

We two continued on to Pittsford. A few miles before it, Jess got a front flat (photo below). If you are keeping track, that’s the second flat she’s had in as many days. As soon as we can find a bike shop she is going to buy new tires and get her derailleur adjusted.

Jessica's first flat

We beat the rain to Pittsford, a great stop along the canal. Pittsford is a cute, touristy town with canal-side restaurants and stores, including a Birkenstock store . . . which immediately carried me back to the 60’s. One is instructed on the  paved trail into Pittsford to “Walk Your Bike” because there is so much activity in this area. We parked our bicycles under a sheltered area with benches, and then had lunch in a canal-side restaurant. Jess had a great salad with grilled chicken on it, and I had a chicken-salad pita—an enormous lettuce, bean-sprout, tomato, cucumber and chicken-salad affair that I had to eat with a fork. I wish I’d taken a picture of it.

Jessica at Aladdin Restaurant in Pittsford, NY

Now all this time we are headed for Newark and the Newark-Wayne Community Hospital & DeMay Living Center where they have planned a gala reception, and plan to put us up for the night. Janine DeCook has been in touch with me arranging all the details: What kinds of food do we like? What would we like for breakfast? Could I talk a little about hospice and my ride before the reception? Could I attend the reception before showering? (Whoa! These people are brave.) When do we think we'll leave the Aurora House? Where are you now? Etc.

When I spoke with Janine last night, I estimated that our 53-mile day would see us arriving at about 3 p.m. Then we detoured into Rochester. The next time we talked, I told Janine to plan on our arrival between 3:30 and 4 p.m. because we were going to add 6 miles to the day with our tour into the city. That became 5 p.m. Jessica got her second flat of the day and third so far (see below).  We finally made it to the hospital at 5:38 p.m.! By that time many who had planned on attending the reception had gone home or to other obligations. It was very embarrassing. Trail riding, particularly unpaved trail riding, is just not speedy.

Second flat for the day

We entered the hospital sweaty and exhausted to find hospital president Mark Klyczek; hospital administrator, Doug Stark; Christine Butler-Ludwig, PR Mgr; Betty Hammond, Executive Assistant (the woman to whom sister Sarah talked to originally about my ride and overnight); and several others (see below), waiting for us before a table containing iced soft drinks and water, cookies, fruit, flowers, and a "goodie bag" for each of us. (Later that evening we found that each bag contained literature about the hospital, a black polo shirt with the hospital's logo on it, a white tee with the logo on it, hand sanitizer, lip balm, and a water bottle.) Good Grief! the Newark-Wayne Community Hospital had gone all out!

Sweaty, tired Susan and Jess at the Newark-Wayne Community Hospital

Christine Butler-Ludwig, People Resource Manager; Janine DeCook, Marketing/PR specialist; hospital president Mark Klyczek; Susan Walker; Betty Hammond, Executive Assistant; Alexis Munding, Telemetry/ICU nurse manager; Doug Stark, Director of Outpatient Services/Business Development. Missing: Laurie Petrosino, Gift Shop Coordinator. Laurie coordinated the apartment and the special gifts

A podium with a "Welcome Susan and Jessica" sign on it was ready for our introductions and my talk. However, the podium was never used except as the gathering point for our photo taking (see above). Our lateness had taken the fizz out of the sizzle. We thanked those who had stayed to greet us, and learned that we were to spend the night in an apartment the hospital rented for visiting doctors. It was on the other side of town (only two miles by bicycle). Janine went to the kitchen and grabbed two ravioli dinners for us and a container of cookies and fruit. Then she drove our dinners and goodie bags to the apartment while we rode over. Thank you Janine!

The breakfast basket at our apartment; it contained bars,a pear, apple, and orange, bagels, and bottled water

The welcome bouquet at our apartment

I am close to tears as I write this. Once again I feel overwhelmed with the hospitality, kindness, and attention of all involved. I have no words other than a simple "Thank you" to let Janine and the people at Newark-Wayne Community Hospital, Karen and the people at Aurora House, Dave Valvo, and those all along my route know how much I appreciate this unexpected outpouring of hospitality, kindness, and help.