Hello, knees! (Comments: 1)

I rode a bit more than 20 miles today after 5 days off the bike. We went to the Berkshires for a little R&R, and we don’t have a bike rack, so I had to leave my bike at home. After work today, I decided to make up for it by riding up to Lake Ontario.

I took Culver Road all the way to lake, just past the ancient Seabreeze Amusement Park. According to the site, “Seabreeze began as a waterfront picnic park in 1879, at the end of the railroad line coming out of the city of Rochester. Mechanical rides and water attractions were added over the years, making the park what it is today.” I remember going there as a kid. It still looks pretty much the same today — and its location means that it can’t really expand, so it’s not a great target for acquisition. Which is good, if you ask me.

Culver Road can be an adventure. There’s a paved shoulder for some of the route, but much of it is narrow, twisty and exciting, if regular brushes with death are your idea of a good time. I’m rather surprised to find out that they are my idea of a good time, so I enjoyed the ride.

Just past Seabreeze is an Abbot’s Frozen Custard place, and I couldn’t resist a vanilla waffle cone at the midway point of my ride. It has a wide-open seating area that gave me a chance to park the bike right next to my table and relax while shoveling in the sweet stuff. A friend told me that a Japanese student came to Rochester, fell in love with Abbot’s, and then opened one in Sendai in northern Japan several years later. I used to live outside of Sendai in the early 90s, but I can’t confirm the Abbot’s story. It’s not listed on their Web site.

There were six or seven people fishing at the end of Culver. They didn’t come together, but they all seemed to know each other. Talk about a world I’m not part of! It looked like a relaxing way to spend some time. Just before I left I heard a big splash. A guy had thrown his catch off the bridge back into the lake. A teenager a few feet away said, “You’re throwing it back?” The man said, “I’m not going home with no one fish!”

On the way home I rode along Lakeshore for several miles, past Durand Lake and Eastman Lake. These are really ponds, not lakes, and they’re even more hilariously named considering that right across the road is Lake Ontario, which looks like an ocean from the shore. There’s a bike path along Lakeshore. From it, you can see little secluded beaches that are just out of sight from the road. There were tons of folks on the beaches — summer is nearly over and people seemed to be enjoying every last second of the gorgeous weather and free time.

After a bit, I ended up on part of the Genesee Riverway Trail, but I didn’t stay on it long. I crossed the Vets Bridge into the Maplewood neighborhood. The bridge was a sidewalk for bikes and pedestrians, but it’s still a hair-raising experience with the deafening roar of the cars speeding down the highway on their way into the city. I continued south on Lake Ave to State St, then across to Exchange and down Linden. On Linden, I ran into my friend Tanya, partner of my friend Julie. We talked about biking and the Terror of Mt. Hope Blvd., and also about housing repair and the premium you pay for good graces.

And did I mention that the other day I was recognized because of my Walz cap? Watch this space for a new logo that capitalizes on my goofiness and the design skills of Adam Durand.

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