Ugh - Day 90: Fayettesville to Fort Plain, NY

More pretty stuff. The past few days were actually some of the most enjoyable riding I'd had since the Rockies, but I'd become immune at this point. Everything nice just served to remind me that I was the problem here, not anything happening around me. Depression can twist most anything to be bad.

I got pretty far regardless of my mental state, deciding to follow the canal north to Rome and back south to Utica instead of just following roads that were a straighter shot. Traffic was just more than I wanted to deal with, and I didn't particularly care where I was riding as long as I was able to tune out. I also told myself that the exercise would at least make me a more desirable partner for my girlfriend, which bizarrely did manage to provide a little solace. Eventually, I made it to Lock 16 late, and camped next to an inviting-looking picnic table that made me feel like I was supposed to be there. No one seemed to mind.

The "Whitestown" sign below managed to make me conscious of my beard and tan. The fort was in Utica, though I didn't stop to read about it, which is unlike me. Also, the graffiti along the canal was strangely nice, like the image below wishing me a nice trip.