Pleasant ride, beautiful vistas, kept it under 60

         Sleeping on a cot in a room open to the fire trucks was different, a huge floor fan kept me cool despite the heat in the concrete floor.  All but the shift on duty was attending the funeral of the naval officer from Defiance kill recently by the Muslim extremist.  A few thousand are expected to attend.

        After an evening of bonding with the men, I pushed off at 7:27.  The ride down route 424 follows a river and is know for its scenery.  Early in the morning, Saturday, was very pleasant.  Although I am racking up the miles everyday, I am always taking in my surroundings. That is one of the benefits of riding a bicycle, slow motion across America, checking out everything that goes by.  A cool looking barn, haul on the disc brakes and pull out the camera. You can't match the ride with any other vehicle. 

        Grand Rapids was a good mid-morning breakfast stop.  Very nice town, popular among the cyclists.  Recommended to be a bicyclist restaurant favorite, a fellow rider walks in and joins me for breakfast.  Nice black guy who I a lot in common with. Both fathers in WWII, an MBA from good schools and close in age.  His father was in a segregated army but bullets don't discriminate based on race.  Someday race will not cross our mind. He snagged the breakfast bill like the guy last week.  They hear about my journey and, who knows, they are impressed and pick up the freight.  Really, I am doing what I have wanted to do for thirty-six years, chipping away at the miles one day at a time.  I am no one special just fulfilling my dream.

       k. Michael Jackson is out for a Saturday ride on his racing machine but wants to ride with me to Bowling Green.

He takes me to the local bike shop via the nicest country lanes I have been on.

Once at the bike shop we exchange emails and photos and he heads off. The shop adjusts a few things on my long distance hauler and I search for a place to stay.  The map listed a biker only camp site which is where I am landed for the night.  Very nice setting with a pond stocked with large gold fish. Off to CVS to load up on Meds and then to a local brewery for dinner and a few IPAs.  Tomorrow is an off day. I will walk around town, check out Bowling Green University and keep the bike leaning against the fence.