Last Day_ Cayuga Lake STate Park- Syracuse, NY

Beautiful sunny day to ride on our last day!  WE ride out of Cayuga Lake SP and head up and down rolling hills past the Montezuma Wildlife Refuge.

Breaking camp at Cayuga Lake State Park

Group shot- our last morning ride together!

Riding the rolling hills of New York state enroute to Syracuse!  Betsy is driving the van today and will meet us at the lunch stop.

After riding up and down the rolling hills all morning- Greg finds us an ice cream stop!

Betsy finds us a cute little gazebo for lunch.

Here they come!

Emma!

Catherine!

Heading in to lunch

The Bicycle Dump

Lunch at the gazebo

Betsy has set up a nice spread of sandwich meat, breads, fruit , chips and drinks.  The job of van driver is not always appreciated as much as it should be.  The van driver buys all of the groceries, gets supplies, often secures camping or hotel reservations, picks up riders who need a break, and the van carries all of our gear.  It is crucial to the success of our trip!  All of the adults on our trip have taken a turn at being the van driver.

Liz and Emma

Lyle getting some grub

Joe, checking in on the rest of the world.

Greg embroiled in conversation

Our last afternoon along the Erie Canal.

The kids making the destination at the end of the Erie Canal in Syracuse.

Some shots of the Erie Canal on our last day of riding just outside of Syracuse.

The towpath runs alongside the canal all the way from Albany to Buffalo, except for a few areas where riders need to use the backroads.

Lyle leading the way.
Parting shots on our last day.

Christopher- bringing  it home!

David on the canal trail in Syracuse.

Joe riding the last few miles.

Greg- easing on down the canal trail to Syracuse.

Jack and Emma- on the last leg of the ride.

Liz- First bike trip under her belt!

Victory!  We have made it!

We are at the end of our journey with just a 3 mile ride to the Best Western Hotel where we will stay the night. 

Here we are.

As traditional, we will go out for a team dinner for our last night together.  We found a restaurant not too far away and were able to taxi everyone in two short trips in the van.

Such a great trip!  Highlights- For the kids, many of them said their favorite day was the rainy day!  I marveled at the growth we saw in all of the kids from our last trip two years ago.  For all of us it was an accomplishment in challenging ourselves physically, mentally, and to beat the elements.  More importantly, and as bike trips always are- It was a chance for a unique camaraderie to continue to grow and develop, among friends and three families. When Betsy and I first had this dream of taking a bi-family bike trip a number of years ago we were not sure if we could do it and how things would go- After this trip the kids were actually asking if we could go on a longer tour next trip.  So, where will we go next time?  ???  Possibly the Katy Trail - Hello to the Show Me State,  or will it be somewhere else?  Not sure yet-  but we will figure it out!  And I am again so amazed by the ease and flexibility of our friend Jack Freas, who adapted so easily into the intricacies of two families, who now see him as a close cousin.  As a veteran of many bike trips over the years, I have always told people- " If you are bummed about our country, just get out on your bike."  This trip did not disappoint- as we met so many varied and interesting people who extended their hospitality to us in different ways-  the guy we met under the bridge in a rainstorm, the Christian motorcycle club whom we shared a prayer with to begin our trip, the Rochester police force members, who escorted us through their fine city and the tour guide of the "It's A Wonderful Life Museum".  All of these folks reached out to us in one way or another.  There are so many great people to meet out there in our country- and you tend to find them more easily when you are on your bike. 

Rest Day- Cayuga Lake State Park, and Seneca Falls.

We woke up in the morning at the Microtel in Seneca Falls, rested and ready to go.  Not far to ride- we are riding to Cayuga Lake State Park where we will stay the night- Originally our plan had been to spend two nights at this state park- but the day of torrential rain changed our plans- and on a bike trip, flexibility is a must!  The sun is out and it is a relatively flat and easy ride about 6 miles to the state park.  Once we get there we will dry out our tents and the Turners wet sleeping bags! in the sun.

                                                                     Heading to Cayuga Lake

Rolling up and down the hills to Cayuga Lake State Park

 

First view of the lake

Setting up camp at Cayuga Lake State Park.  WE get the tents right up as some of them are wet.  Some of the group will stay and relax at the camp.  Liz and Betsy are going grocery shopping for the group.  Joe, Margie, Greg, Emma, Betsy, Catherine, Jack and Jonathan are heading into Seneca Falls.  Jonathan and Jack make a beeline for the food, as it is never enough for two teenage boys!  Greg and Emma head to a coffee shop.  The rest of us head to the "It's A Wonderful Life Museum".

So, "It's a Wonderful Life" the movie is supposedly based on a true story of an event that occurred here in Seneca Falls.  And the town of Seneca Falls is supposed to be the town that "Bedford Falls" was based on.  Apparently, Frank Capra, the screenwriter had recently visited Seneca Falls before he published his screenplay and made some changes to his original draft based on what he learned about the town.
First, the story:  So, "It's A Wonderful Life" is based on a short story by Phillip Van Doren Stern called," The Greatest Gift".  In the book, a man contemplates suicide by jumping off a bridge when a guardian angel rescues him and makes him reflect on his life.  In 1917, in the town of Seneca Falls, a young woman jumped off the steel bridge in town into the river below, attempting to commit suicide.  A young man who had just immigrated from Italy, by the name of Antonio Varacalli saw her and jumped in after her- He swam her to shore where another man had waded out.  Varacalli shoved the young woman to safety in the arms of the other man, then too fatigued to get out, disappeared under the waters of the river and lost his life.  The community wept for this young man and considered him a hero.  They collected money from the townspeople and brought his family over from Italy.  Today in Seneca Falls, you can see the steel bridge where this scenario played out.  There are bells all over the bridge where Antonio Varacalli lost his life and drowned.  Joe and Margie visited the bridge.  Frank Capra was in the final stages of writing the screenplay for "It's A Wonderful Life" and there are a number of other similarities between the fictional "Bedford Falls" and the real "Seneca Falls".  Many of the original actors and actresses who were in the movie also recognize the connection.

The bridge is over the Cayuga-Seneca Canal and if you look closely, you can see the bells on the bridge that signify "everytime a bell rings, an angel gets its wings>" the line that little Zuzu says in the movie.

Here is a photo of the museum.  The docent at the museum loved Joe and I as we asked so many questions and he was just thrilled to tell us all of the information he knew.

Jonathan and Jack
 in front of the museum.

Group photo in front of the museum.

And the greatest thing?  Every year at Christmastime, Seneca Falls hosts a Christmas Festival based on the movie.  The sign leading into town becomes, "Bedford Falls" and they get many of the child actors and actresses who played the Bailey children to come to the event.  I am dying to go!  Sounds so fun!

Well, who would've thought a small town could have so much history?  Our next stop was the Women's Rights Museum, which I have been wanting to see for the last number of years- The girls and I went, I only wish Liz and Betsy could have seen it too- Empowering!

The first Women's Rights Convention was held in 1848 in Seneca Falls, NY.  It was held for two days in July and launched the women's suffrage movement in the United States.   Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott were the leaders at the convention.

Here is Elizabeth Cady Stanton
And the other women and men who organized this convention:

Amongst the women was Frederick Douglas who was a champion of women's rights as well as an abolitionist.

Love the slogan- Still appropo in today's world.

At the convention, the women drew up a Declaration of Sentiments
Here is part of it:

"WE hold these truths to be self-evident that all men and women are created equal, and should be treated equally under the law." Sure took a long time for that to be realized!

The girls outside the museum.

Abby and Catherine

Emma

After the museum, we headed back to camp- Here are a few shots of our camp at Cayuga Lake State Park:

Making bracelets!

Our 'Tent City"

The kids just hangin'

Lyle and Greg

Liz relaxing at camp

Christopher 

and David play some frisbee 

Great night at Cayuga Lake.  Tomorrow is our last day.  Everyone is clamoring for a longer trip next time!  Tomorrow we ride from Cayuga Lake State Park to Syracuse ( about 44 miles)