Over the River LXVI
August 10, 2023
Highlights and lowlights from my 66th two-wheeled trek to the Great State of New York:
1. Math puzzle at the Fairview Mall bus stop . . .
2. Zombie overlord . . .
3. This was my first time using the Regional Transit 10-ride card I recently purchased at the downtown terminal. I had expected the driver to punch a hole through the dot, but instead he just scratched it off, much like a scratch-and-lose ticket.
4. Seated nearby on the Falls-bound regional bus was someone who could have passed as a very close relative of former Atlanta Thrasher Dustin Byfuglien.
5. I only wish there was something at this shop on Victoria Avenue in Niagara Falls (Canada) I wanted to buy . . .
6. To my surprise, despite the early hour, there was a line more than halfway across the Rainbow Bridge of those like me who just can’t seem to get enough of the New York State Experience.
But the line moved steadily along, and when I got to the booth, the officer addressed me by name and said, “OK brother, have a nice day.”
7. Shot at the midway point of the bridge:
8. Video of the Shoreline Trail between Niagara Falls and Lewiston:
Much of the trail has been repaved and/or newly constructed since the war. The section north of the Rainbow Bridge lies on top of what was the Robert Moses State Parkway Niagara Scenic Parkway, whose northern section was truncated at Whirlpool State Park and also runs underneath the tracks at the Whirlpool Bridge. The bridge which used to carry RMSP NSP traffic over it has long since been demolished. Farther north, the trail follows the Parkway and offers the most gentle grade going up and down the escarpment on either side of the river. Anyone wishing to access the Power Vista or the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge, however, will still have to exit the trail at Devil’s Hole State Park and use Route 104.
9. Scenes inside the Orange Cat in Lewiston, where I stopped for a break:
10. Metal Man scaling the window frame . . .
11. Despite not having been there for several years, I remembered their Wi-Fi password.
12. The Orange Cat was among many places I spotted on the day with “Help Wanted” signs out front. But if they’re so short-staffed, they should consider inviting applications from those who are 19 as well. Maybe really go all out and expand the field to 20- and 21-year-olds.
13. One of the most popular orders there was a “Smelly Ellie,” which I later learned was a specialty latte.
14. There were a lot of out-of-state plates parked nearby, yet everyone in line seemed to know each other.
15. One of those in line was a guy wearing a T-shirt from Abington-Jefferson Health with the message, “Heroes Work Here.” It’s amazing how many people still buy that narrative. Trust in doctors has been absolutely shot (hey, there’s a good pun!) and there’s more fear of the medical establishment right now than of any alleged virus that led us to this point.
16. In the washroom was a sign above the toilet that read, “If it didn’t naturally leave your body, don’t flush it down the potty.”
17. View looking down at Artpark. Across the river is the Queenston waterfront.
18. Views of the gorge and the Sir Adam Beck Hydroelectric Generating Stations:
19. Rest assured you won’t find me at Tim “Hortins” . . .
20. Spotted on Military Road was a FTOL (Fat Tub of Lard) on the sidewalk snapping shots of hydro poles with his DSLR camera.
21. Not that many will care, but the K-Mart store on Military Road is gone with the building now home to a Life Storage location. I can’t say I was surprised. The last time I was there, it was really junky and had the look of a 1970s store that hadn’t really been kept up.
22. Spotted in the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls, USA (which is in the Town of Niagara and not Niagara Falls – details, details) was a fat woman toting several bags and wearing a top with the message, “Not lost, exploring.”
23. Also spotted in the mall was a woman wearing a T-shirt featuring the old CBC logo. For some reason, I felt like throwing up.
24. Behind the counter at one of the diners in the food court was a woman cutting her fingernails who hurriedly put the clippers away when she saw me coming. But I wasn’t even going there. I was instead headed for the nearby washroom.
25. At Coach New York, they were selling purses for $149. “Today’s Wow Deal,” they called it. Because it’s certainly a “wow” moment if they can find anyone dumb enough to spend $149 on a purse.
26. On Buffalo Avenue near I-190 was a guy speeding along on a mini bike. On the sidewalk. OK, I know it’s the ’hood. Anything goes. Just down the street is an overpass named for a teenager who was brutally murdered there. But it’s still a residential area. And a few blocks later, I spotted another dude on a mini bike, though at least he was on the road.
27. Another sign brought to you by Captain Obvious . . .
28. At the Niagara USA Visitor Center, a young woman poked her head out of the bathroom to call for her mother because she had dropped her phone. Probably in the toilet, I suspect.
29. Likely someone who’s racked up a ton of parking tickets. Though why anyone would be proud of such a thing is another matter.
30. I thoroughly ruined the day of the woman collecting tolls at the Rainbow Bridge when I presented my collection of nickels and dimes.
31. Despite having put on more than 35 miles on the day, I was still more depressed than tired when returning across Checkpoint Charlie to Canada Ostdeutschland.
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