Bike 2 Boat - Oct 2025
Some adventures feel planned. Others unfold in chapters — each more unexpected than the last. My Keuka Lake Bike & Boat adventure turned into both: a stunning 25-mile rural ride through early fall countryside, an unexpected Mennonite pit stop, a near-heart-attack dog chase, and then a perfect afternoon on the water with our little boat-club crew. September sun, changing leaves, laughter, and a sense of freedom — everything I love wrapped into one adventure.
⭐ Part One: The Ride to Keuka
The ride from home to Keuka Lake takes me a little over two hours — about 25 miles of rolling hills, open farmland, quiet roads, and hardly any cars. It’s the kind of ride where you settle into your breath, notice the smell of cut fields, hear the buzzing of late-summer insects, and feel the sun warming your shoulders. The September air was that perfect in-between: warm but crisp, with the first hints of color brushing the edges of the trees.
Of course, no adventure is complete without a little chaos. First came the dog — a huge farm dog who decided I looked like the best morning entertainment he’d had in years. My heart nearly leapt out of my chest as I pedaled for my life, yelling, praying, bargaining with the universe… finally escaping with my dignity barely intact.
And then… the tire.
I felt it slowly softening under me. A quick Google search showed the nearest bike shop was a small Mennonite shop located in a barn. I called, expecting no answer — but the family immediately picked up, opened the shop for me, and welcomed me in. The two young boys worked on my tire under their father’s supervision, carefully diagnosing the culprit: a tiny sharp stone that had worked its way through the tread and punctured the tube.
They were gentle, soft-spoken, and unbelievably kind. They refused to take any payment, just wished me a safe ride and waved me on. I biked away feeling touched — not just that they fixed my tire, but that people like that exist.
As if that wasn’t enough drama, the next obstacle was a crop-dusting plane. It wasn’t actually chasing me, but that’s certainly how it felt. Every time I rerouted to avoid the dust cloud, the plane moved to the next field… directly in my path again. I laughed, groaned, and pedaled through what felt like the world’s strangest obstacle course.
By the time I reached Keuka Lake, I felt triumphant — sweaty, alive, exhilarated, and full of stories.
⭐ Part Two: The Boat Club Afternoon
Once at Keuka Lake, the adventure shifted gears completely. Our boat club is made up of three couples we boat with regularly — relaxed, fun, easygoing people who make the lake feel like home.
We packed our usual spread: picnic snacks, drinks, a little wine, and the full sense of summer freedom. We cruised across the water, stopping to swim, laugh, sun ourselves, and enjoy every warm patch of the early fall air. On these trips, we often dock at different restaurants and bars along the lake, and today was no exception. We eventually made our way to Hammondsport — one of the most scenic villages in the Finger Lakes — and took a long, peaceful walk around town.
The combination of the ride and the boat day felt perfect. A little challenge, a little chaos, a little beauty, and a lot of joy. Adventures don’t need to be dramatic to matter. Sometimes they’re simply the days that make you feel alive.
This Keuka ride-and-boat day felt like the pure essence of early fall — sunshine, connection, movement, and the sense that life is still full of surprises. It reminded me that adventures don’t always need to be far away. Sometimes they’re right outside your door… waiting for you to say yes.
