D18 NE Napa Valley

To try and make up for our recent trip through the industrial revolution, I switched gears (figuratively and literally) and took Gloria through Napa Valley. Fortunately, this Napa is without the snobbery, Mercedes, and private jets. The northwest part of New York and the northeast part of Pennsylvania are known as wine country. I couldn’t tell you if they are any good but there are sure a lot of grapes that provided a nice fragrance as we skipped along the edge of Lake Erie from Dunkirk NY to Erie PA.

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When I was imprisoned by my parents in Findlay, OH as a teenager (my dad was transferred there by his employer and I was dragged along), we lived about 60 miles from Lake Erie. I remember people joking that you didn’t need a boat to go out on Lake Erie it was so polluted. From what we saw today either I was lied to in the past, or things have markedly changed. It was a beautiful ride along the coast today. We had vineyards all around and really beautiful homes (not napa valley mansions) and yards. There were also a great many apple and nut trees.

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To make it feel even more coast like, there were some great lighthouses. These waters have been navigated for a long time and by some very large ships. You can get to Erie starting in the St. Lawrence River. Despite the lighthouses, we read about dozens of shipwrecks in the Lake. Some were from storms and some were from naval battles especially during the war of 1812. A war which I know we fought with the British and started in 1812 – they either didn’t teach me much more or I forgot. So, I’m learning about that war, along with the French, British, and Canada “things” as we move along.

If our trip across the panhandle of Idaho last year could be described by one sign we saw (a thousand times) it would be “Trump”. The trip across New York and now Pennsylvania can sadly be described by the above sign. We have seen “help wanted” signs in every town and almost every business. I can’t explain it all, but it likely doesn’t bode well for our country.

Of additional concern we head south tomorrow away from the lake. I’ve no doubt we will see some beautiful country on our two day ride to Pittsburgh. My worry is that it appears to have some hills. I’ve become pretty lazy riding along the relatively flat lake shore and the pancake flat Erie Canal. Tomorrow, I have to man up – or hold onto Gloria on her e-bike.