Saturday before the ride starts, riders gather at the Hyde Park Golf Course in Niagara Falls. Some go there directly. Others leave their cars at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs (the end of the ride) and take a bus to Niagara Falls. That’s what I did, but you have to be at Skidmore by 10:30 am for loading your bike on the truck and for sure by noon since that’s when the buses leave.

I asked my son Jeff, who lives in downtown Saratoga Springs, if I could stay with him Friday night - leaving just a short drive rather than a 4 hour drive for Saturday morning. As it turned out, Friday night was the Hats Off Festival, a town wide party celebrating the beginning of racing season. After dinner, Jeff and I walked around and enjoyed the music, dancing, and refreshments.