We left Charlie parked beside the parking deck that he’s much too tall to enter mostly under an overpass so it wouldn’t get too hot while he waits for us to return in 8 days. Hopefully they won’t tow him away while we’re gone, but that remains a possibility.
The deal was that we could park in the open lot instead of in the deck and pay the daily fee on a phone app since pre-paying isn’t an option for the lot. It sounded like a good plan but when we tried to pay for today, the app just said “location not currently available” no matter what options we tried. Another troubling sign was the construction going on in the roped off area at the far end of the lot. A few other vehicles were scattered int the lot so it looked like it should be open for business but being a Saturday morning there was no one around to verify. On the advice of a young construction worker, we concluded the app wasn’t allowing payment because parking is free on the weekend. Hoping for the best, we grabbed our bags and headed for the shuttle buses.
We had dropped off our bikes and large bags a block or two away at the shuttle bus staging area before parking Charlie. A large group of riders, mostly couples and most definitely on the far side of middle age, were chatting while waiting to board one f three shuttle buses bound for Buffalo. We introduced ourselves to two couples standing in the sun where it was warm (the air was surprisingly cool this morning). Terry and Mike, and Terry and Rick. We’d met one of the Terry’s in the bicycle loading/bus ticket line earlier. Before long we boarded the bus and settled in for the four-hour ride.
At the halfway point we stopped for a nutritious pre-ride lunch at the McDonald’s in the I-90 Travel Plaza. Only the best fuel for this group of athletes! Just to be safe, we grabbed a Butterfinger, a pack of Vienna Fingers cookies and sesame sticks in case we needed a snack back on the bus.
We finally arrived at tonight’s base camp at Nichols School in Buffalo. Everyone retrieved their bags, bikes and scouted out spots to pitch their tents on the beautiful campus. Ours is under a big tree conveniently located near the indoor bathrooms and away from annoying street lights that can keep me awake all night. After getting everything squared away we picked up our packets and shirts at Registration and relaxed before dinner.
Music, wine tasting and meeting new friends rounded out the evening. I think I’ll take a shower and read a little before calling it a night. I’m looking forward to our first day of riding tomorrow.
Spoonfeed 