I left Corning, NY with a head full of steam and pushed towards Wellsville, NY with no plans or place in particular to stay. When I showed up I had decided to grab a bite to eat and several people had recommended a place called Better Days. I sat down at the bar and looked over the menu. This was certainly a moment where I had realized the impact that was made during my visit to the Farm Sanctuary in regards to my food choices and the negative environmental impact and cruelty towards animals created by large factory farming operations. I have always been an advocate for local and or organic foods however these types of foods are not really an option in some of the areas I am passing through and it is creating a great deal of internal conflict between my never ending hunger and my personal choices and convictions. I am sure I will touch on this moving forward as well.

As I sat and ate my chicken wrap having no clue where the food I was eating had actually come from I asked the bartender if she knew of anyone who would allow me to pitch a tent in their back yard and or if I could get away with sleeping in the local park. She told me to give her a minute and that she would ask a retired state trooper sitting at the end of the bar. She came back and looked at me with a smile and said “He says you can’t sleep in the park but he wants you to come to that end of the bar so he can buy you a beer” That is an offer I couldn’t refuse. It turns out this state trooper had taken a cross country bike ride himself years back.  This was awesome… not only did I score a free beer and great tips for the road but he had also arranged to have a friend let me sleep in his camper. That night I slept like a rock and enjoyed my free lodging and couldn’t help but smile when I thought about how kind and wonderful people in America truly are.

I left Wellsville and felt great as the legs are feeling strong and I continue to be overwhelmed with a growing confidence in the good within our country. So I was now en route to Olean with no place to stay or anyone to meet.  The most beautiful part about this ride was certainly the 4th of July picnics and people celebrating together as friends and family with flawless weather.

When I arrived in Olean, NY I could tell that finding a place to stay would be a challenge as most people had holiday plans and to make a long story short… I rode past a restaurant and a man out front yelled “where the he** are you going with all of that gear on your bike?”  I then proceeded to tell my story and he offered to call the owner of the establishment and ask if I could pitch a tent behind the building and he agreed.  So there I am pitching a tent in the backyard of a restaurant in Olean, NY and needless to say I woke up the next morning with that “where am I?” feeling. But once again it was another example as to what type of generosity you will find when you are on the road.

The next morning I packed up my camp and headed over to Salamanca, NY where I was considering an overnight stay. When I arrived I had decided that I would prefer to move on and make some progress and so I pushed towards Jamestown.  When I left Salamanca I had learned that the only possible way to get to Jamestown without getting on the highway was to go roughly 8 miles out of the way and cut over and via back country roads and so I did.  This was actually a great move as I put me in some great company. I enjoyed some beautiful scenery and several Amish farms. While climbing a hill I spotted a small food stand with 3 little Amish kids selling baked goods and decided to stop. Meeting the Amish on this journey has truly been some of the most fascinating aspects of the adventure. They were absolutely captivated by my ability to ride bike up this huge hill and even more entertained by my iPod playing music. They gazed and stared at my equipment as if I was an alien from another planet and I couldn’t help but wonder what was going through their young minds. I wish I could have taken a picture of their faces however I couldn’t bring myself to intrude on their wishes even though I could have easily taken a shot with my iPhone without making it obvious.

About 25 miles outside Jamestown, NY I had a pretty interesting occurrence as two guys who just so happened to be cycling from Boston to New Mexico came right up to me and started chatting. I prefer to ride and travel alone however I was sort of interested in the idea of riding with someone else for a short while. We rode together just past Jamestown, NY where we found a little RV park right on Lake Chautauqua and  we set up camp. 

The next morning I woke up to the sight of 4 Amish men paddling a canoe out on the lake for a day of fishing… talk about an interesting sight to see. I was now headed to Erie and my temporary biking partners were headed a bit south and so we parted without a goodbye after a series of hills. The trip to Erie was actually a bit tricky as there were strong head winds and a very hilly terrain. I will make one last remark in regards to the countryside in New York… if you have not experienced the state of New York beyond the big city of Manhattan you are truly missing out.  It is absolutely stunning and full of amazing scenery and great people.

During the day I had gotten in contact with an old friend from Pittsburgh who had family in Erie, PA and they had agreed to take me in.  It was nice to know I had a place with people and a few amenities waiting for me and I was looking forward to spending time in a town I have never visited before. After hustling my through city streets and heavy traffic I arrived and felt very welcomed. I have been given a tour of the town by night and plan to see the mighty Lake Erie later on this afternoon and that is where I am going to leave you all.  I will be sure to post soon and update as often as possible as I head towards the Cleveland area.

On a side note I would like to thank you guys for being patient this past week in between blog posts. The act of riding 50 plus miles each day and updating a detailed journal can be very tiring and at times problematic and I hope you all understand. I would also recommend following me while I am on the bike throughout the day via twitter as well. Thanks you all for reading my blog and supporting me on this journey. It has been great to have you all with me every mile on the road.

Until next time take care and take action!
Please support me in cause to protect land and nature and donate to my fundraiser!
http://firstgiving.com/follownathan