The day long ride from Connecticut to Buffalo is incident free. Now that sounds good from a safety perspective, but is awfully boring. It is a long gray ride where the sun refuses to show itself under a blanket of clouds, fog, rain and mist. Like many drives on interstate highways in this portion of the United States, the surroundings are nondescript. I could be in Pennsylvania, Maine or New York, which is where we are located and driving, and the scenery would be no different.
The median is filled with scrub grasses and plants that have the tenacity to survive as cars and trucks fly by at 70 mph on either side. A few patches of milkweed emerge in areas that have not been mowed though I wonder what monarch would want to subject her baby caterpillars to such a home.
Within a half hour of our start, the Erie Canal comes into view flush and filled with brown fast moving water that is tumbling over a series of dams adjacent to its locks. We will be hugging its route for the next week on nearby towpaths that are used by two legged creatures rather the those of four.
We travel through a tunnel of trees flush with the dark green leafs of Summer. Dead ashes stand out as skeletons as do the numerous sumacs with their triangular pods of large flowers at the apex of their stems.
A good variety of other invasive plants—phragmites, porcelain berry, tree of heaven and bittersweet — have a good representation along the highway looking to envelop and crowd out the native stands of trees and shrubs.
When we get to Buffalo, Ted promises namesake wings. I’m ready for a good meal. He delivers.
But before and after our meal, we walk up and down the downtown area of Buffalo, which has a funky beauty and architecture that was totally unexpected.
Each block brings a new surprise and charm with a wide variety of historical and unique buildings. There is a humor and soulfulness in the windows of the storefronts we pass.
The only downside we find is the lack of people along our walk. The fairly deserted streets are a sobering counterpoint to a city that looks revitalized. An interesting way to start our trip.
