By noon it became glaringly clear that I wasn’t getting anywhere near Syracuse. I called the hotel and they were nice enough to move my reservation to Saturday, which kept me from losing the reward points I was using for the free stay. Then I tracked down a hotel in Utica. There was only one there associated with the Choice Hotels group (more reward points!), and so I booked a room. I was just going to have to suffer through two nights in a row indoors.
I was on the trail in the morning, but just before lunch it gave way to NY Bike Route 5 – which is an east-west designated route along streets that more or less traces the same general path of the Canalway trail. I passed through Herkimer (one of my all-time favorite place names), and took a break there by the historic Fort Herkimer church. I need to do some research to find out what this place is all about. But, no time to linger – I’ve got miles to go before I can rest.
I made good time to Utica, checked in and was delighted to find that it was once a “Grand Hotel” originally built in 1912. The place had obviously seen better days, but it was still very high on my cool index. After a shower, I asked the girl at the front desk where the most convenient convenience store was (one that sold beer, of course). Her answer was go down to the red light, make a left, go over the bridge, then past the Taco Bell and Peepers (a gentleman’s showplace), through another set of lights and there was a gas station on the right with a store. How very convenient. No doubt it was only 1.3 miles away. As I was trying to puzzle out a way for a pedestrian to transit the bridge, ominously rumbling clouds rushed in.
I decided I could live without beer and junk food, and rushed back toward the hotel. I was only a block away when the skies opened up. I sat dripping at the hotel bar with a cheap local brew as I caught my breath after my soggy dash to shelter, and proceeded to watch the tornado warnings being issued from the TV behind the bar. I didn’t expect to have to worry about tornadoes until I got to the Midwest! Guess we’re not in Kansas anymore.
What I learned: I can just barely carry my fully-loaded bike up a set of hotel stairs.
Distance Today: 36 miles
Total Distance: 333 miles
On a previous trip through the area, I stayed at the Hotel Utica for a couple nights. It was classier, more historic and a good deal creepier than the usual chain lodging. It was, for a time, an assisted living facility. More than one resident checked out of the hotel (and this world) via an upper floor window. Other stories abound. https://youtu.be/4EcksqQE87U
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