Biking around Conesus Lake

Sunrise

I like to bike around Conesus Lake in a clockwise direction - not just to be on the slightly shorter "inside" of the loop (about 18.5 miles), but also to avoid left turns.  Since West and East Lake Roads hug the shore most of the way around, you get some great peeks of the lake in between cottages, and there are even some decent expanses where you have some lovely unobstructed views.  The best time to ride is in the morning - traffic seems quieter both off and on the lake, and it usually isn't too windy.  The terrain is mostly flat, unlike around some of the other Finger Lakes.  There's only one real hill, and even that is only an elevation gain of 100 feet!

(I used to do the ride with Charlie's sister Gay.  Despite my having a real road bike, wearing proper bike attire (including a helmet, which she disdained), and being years younger, she still sailed past me, quite a sight on whatever 3- or 10-speed bike she had found abandoned on the road or in the woods, wearing her overalls and sandals.  Whether I'm riding alone or with friends (like Ted & Susan, or Theresa & Ryan) or family (like Maria & Mark), I still miss her and imagine her being just up ahead of me...)

Stella Maris

At the north end, there's a sign for the Conesuscam, which is fun to check in on at different times of day or year.  Near the north end on the east side, Camp Stella Maris overlooks the lake.  The camp is across the road from the lake, but they have a handy bridge so the kids can safely cross.  Word is it has improved since the summer poor Charlie was sent there as a kid.

Farther south is Shoreless Acres General Store - a great pit stop where locals can be found sitting outside with their coffees.

Shoreless Acres General Store

Just before you come to the bottom of the lake, there's an interesting farm - llamas and alpacas!

My favorite part of the ride is the garden across the road from Long Point.  Each year the garden expands, in both length and variety.  The man who tends the garden was mowing the grass on one of my rides and caught me admiring his handiwork, so I had a chance to chat with him about his garden versus his wife's, across the road, and his annoyance at people who help themselves to his flowers.  It's obviously a labor of love, and it makes me wish I had the patience to garden and a tolerance of bees and bugs and dirt.  Alas, I'd rather admire someone else's handiwork, preferably from a safe distance - say, on a bike!