We said our goodbyes to Sheryl and Rick and I got rolling about 8 am on a overcast morning but the weather was calling for clearing skies by mid morning. It was July 4th and the roads were really quite as most people had the day off. We entered the freeway on I-71 and headed north towards Cleveland. Nobody on the road as we enter and see the city and we grab I-90 east towards our first Cabot Tour item, #1, Erie PA and the Perry Monument on Presque Isle Peninsula.

It was a quick 1 1/2 hour 100 mile ride as the freeway was empty through Cleveland and not many trucks to contend with this morning. We exit off and enter the Presque Isle Peninsula, which is a gem for the people of Erie PA. Lots of places to go to the beach on Lake Erie, bicycling paths, walking paths, areas for boat launching, you name it… on a tree filled peninsula that just jets out a bit into Lake Erie.

Lake Erie has cleaned up quite a bit from when I was a kid swimming in it. I remember greenish water and kind of smelling when you got out of the lake. It doesn’t look like that now.

We took our documentation pictures and then I needed my coffee fix and I was reminded that I am a coffee snob… it’s true! Regular coffee doesn’t do it anymore, need some expresso or something equally as strong in flavor. But this coffee shop was busy for a reason, not only a holiday and people off, but good cookies and stuff. Also, we needed a receipt of purchasing something in town.

We got going again and our next stop was item #2 on the Cabot Tour list, Niagara Falls, another 100 miles away. Helmet back on for me and back on the interstate, or shall I say tollway as we enter New York State. We set our GPS’s for Goat Island, which is an island on the U.S. side between the Horseshoe Falls (aka Canadian Falls) and the American Falls. Rick had never been there so we decided to start there. The views are not quite as good for a frontal view of the falls, but great for being at the edge of the falls and up close.

As we exit off the tollway and take roads leading up to Goat Island, we are riding along the lake. You start to notice warning signs on the lake and soon you can see mist off in the distance indicating where the falls are. We are shortly entering the Island. It is sunny now, clear skies and hot and humid. We park our bikes and walk first to the edge of the Horseshoe Falls. It is much cooler as you stand on the edge with all the other people, doing selfies and taking pictures just like us.

Pictures do not do it justice, you just need to go there and spend some time. We only spent an hour, but there is plenty to do there. Maid of the Mist (a boat ride right up to the base of the falls), Walk behind the falls in caves, walk to the base of the falls, helicopter rides, evening light show with fireworks, zipline, etc. Many viewpoints from the American side and the Canadian side. Just google and you will see all that you can do, but not us, as we are on a motorcycle ride, and this is just an eye opener to come back.

We grab a quick snake to cool off and talk about how to ride to our next item on the list, Whiteface Mountain by Lake Placid New York. We decided on getting off the interstates and ride some back roads again. Upstate New York is pretty and soon we were following a road along the shores of Lake Ontario and and by late afternoon we past through Rochester New York to call it a day in Westbury NY.

We quickly check in and notice the hospitality isn’t quite the same as the south. And since it was the Forth of July, we hurried to get somewhere to eat as most establishments were closing early. We ended up at a Red Robin and it was quite friendly and good! Its’s been awhile since I’ve been to one of those. And I forgot the name of the grocery store we went to afterwards for some additional items, but it put to shame Trader Joes, Sprouts, and Whole Foods combined that we have in California. This store had more fresh produce and other fresh items. It was huge!

We called it a night and I tried to catch up on my blog, only to fail again as I should not have a beer for dinner….

Day 01 of the Great Lakes Cabot Tour video