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day 6, monday evening, Ilion

  paid $20 to camp at Ilion's marina.   includes access to a laundromat, showers, and restrooms, and there's a spot I can plug into recharge usb stuff.

right now, I'm a half mile up the road eating at Sorrento's.   so far so good.  huge portions, but on the cheaper side.   easy access off the thruway


had a good ride today.   will tell more stories later.  time to eat.    i can blab while i do laundry

 so....jumping back to Rome, after Dunkins.   The ride through Rome was fine,  side streets, no special lanes like Syracuse, but it's good.  not as much traffic

cat lovers everywhere i guess
read the advertise movie sign

after rome, on the way to utica, the trail was like this, a green tunnel, and the "canal" was mostly filled in
 caught some turtles sunning themselves on a log


and looks like maybe someone made an old footbridge at one point., but it's fallen to ruin


rode past this on the way in,  interesting to see up close instead of a fleeting view from the thruway while going 70mph

didn't go through Utica,  at one point popped off the trail and a self serve car wash was there, so i cleaned the bike's drivetrain again.   the harsh clunk i was getting occasionally went away.   next trip bringing a scrub brush designed to clean the chain and gears. 
Here's some cool barge and canal stuff


oh and dinner at sorrento's in ilion is well worth the stop.   pricing is lower than Dino's, portions are bigger,   Dino's wins on taste imho,  but it's better than spaghetti factory in Syracuse by a lot.


one last thing.   7:30 p.m. relaxing after getting laundry done and showering.   
i love this stupid little chair.    Very comfortable, and the piece of coroplast/signboard just big enough for the folding keyboard to make a desk has held up well.

Weirdly sitting in this chair is far more comfortable for my butt than a hard bench or picnic tabet.   Taking care of your butt when bike touring is super important.   well worth the 2.25 lbs and extra wind drag.   if i ever go cross country i'm bringing it or something similar.   too old to rough it.

pretty much used all my gear on this trip, except for repair stuff for the bike (touch wood it won't be needed)    
i think i'd just add the following
a small scrub brush for chain and gears
spare silicone earplugs for my induction headphones (lost one)
usb c to c cables instead A to c.    c to c charge faster.

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