By Mark Hance
We rolled out with a beautiful sunrise from Luther Memorial Church & Academy under early morning skies, leaving Erie behind as we mapped our way northeast along the shore. The cool morning air made for great riding conditions as the team gathered at the support trailer, packed up gear, and clipped in for nearly 80 miles along Lake Erie.
The Concord Grape Belt & Wave-Like Clouds
As we neared the state line, the route took us through rolling vineyard country—the famous Lake Erie Concord Grape Belt. The sky put on a display with dramatic, lake-effect cloud formations hanging low over the fields, framing the neat rows of vines stretching toward the horizon.
Welcome to New York!
A major highlight of the day was rolling up to the state border. We pulled off at the “Welcome to New York: The Empire State” sign near Ripley to celebrate crossing another state boundary on our journey across the country!
Lighthouses & Quirky Roadside Finds
Following the coastal route up through Chautauqua and Erie counties, we stopped at the historic Barcelona Lighthouse in Westfield, standing tall against the Lake Erie backdrop. Further along, the roadside scenery kept us entertained—including a memorable piece of local lawn art featuring a “tree” constructed entirely out of vintage outboard boat motors!
The Stretch to Hamburg
The terrain kept us working with gentle rolling hills and a modest 2,200+ feet of climbing spread over the 80-mile stretch. As we closed in on Hamburg, NY, the lake views accompanied us right into town and to a warm welcome at Wayside United Presbyterian Church!
Next Stop: Moving further east across New York! Thanks as always for following along and supporting the mission of the Fuller Center Bike Adventure.
