The last leg home

          So I wouldn't be discovered, I rose earlier than usual, packed up and headed  for the beach bath house.  The man washing down the pavilion was very obliging and took multiple pictures of me out on a small Boardwalk.  I had seen shots of guys holding their bikes over their head. On second thought, let's just do a few normal shoots of me by beach and ocean.  With the sun coming up in the east, an ocean shoot was near impossible but what the heck.  The resulting silhouette did the trick for the folks back home.

       Off I rode to the Cape May ferry where I crossed over to New Jersey.  Another five mile ride brought me to the historic downtown, nice place but packed with tourists. On the way I stopped at another fruit and vegetable stand and picked up a delicious peach.  Great time of year to be on the road with all the fresh produce being harvested.

      From the bus station, I caught a ride to Philadelphia.  The good news was that my bike easily fit in luggage compartment.  The bad news was what happens when I get there. Once in Philly, do I take a bus or a train?  No bus to New London until the next day and I certainly didn't want to end up in NYC for the night.  Good thing I had my bike; I to rode twenty blocks through the city to the 30th street train station.  As a seasoned rider, I easily handled the aggressive drivers.  Over the phone, I learned it was up to the conductor of each train as to whether or not I could bring my train on board.  I pleaded my case to the porters.  Prevailing, one really nice guy, Carl, loaded me and my bike on the elevator and took me down to the tracks.  "Go to section B and get on the last car where the handicap section is.  Offer to pay (bribe) the conductor if you he have to."  Here goes.

The train pulled in and I hustled aboard.  Getting my bike fit into place in the handicap space. I anxiously waited for the conductor.  Great, the train was rolling and I was still on the train.  The junior conductor took my ticket and said he wasn't sure I could take the bike on board.  Once again I pleaded my case and he caved.  Making it past NYC was my next concern.  Luck prevailed and at about 9:00pm the train rolled into New London but not before I had to roll my bike up two cars.  The conductor helped me carry the bike off over a few complaints but I thanked he profusely.  Amtrak is warming up to bikes but not fast enough.

        Pete and Cathy Bergeron picked me up in my truck where I drove to Robinson Street.  Back home after a fabulous life time experience; I need get going in planning my next road trip.  Vietnam?

Cooling my feet in the Atlantic

        The last fifty miles dwindled away even as I fought a moderate headwind. Being a real steamer of a day,  I took several breaks; two veggie stands and a classy convenience store.  For the record, I ate the largest peach I have ever seen, maybe a pound and wonderfully delicious.  Cruising into Lewes, Delaware during rush hour was a little challenging.  Being a mile from the Atlantic, I asserted myself at the intersections and took no BS from overly aggressive drivers.  I have learn how to protect my space and used it very effectively getting through Lewes to the water.

       At long last, there was the Atlantic  within a short walk.  With  helmet and shoes removed, I wove my way  through the sun worshippers and waded in past my ankles.  I looked totally out of place wearing with my ride tights and American flag shirt.  Who cares really, I scanned the sea and beach, pondered my accomplishment and headed back to the bike.  With directions, I found a very nice restaurant with a large wrap around porch bordering a lagoon. Of course, I treated myself to feast which included two IPAs.  The woman seated at the next table was nice enough to take a few photos of me with my iphone.  I posted one on Facebook, sent out a few texts and hit the road for Henlopin State Park.  Bummer, the park campsite was booked but the person at the gate house told me where I could take a shower.  I told him what I had done and, without saying so, he knew I was going to gorilla camp for the night. After showering , I rode down a deserted bike path, scoped out a secluded spot near the ocean and quickly pushed my bike through some high grasses to a place behind some low Pine trees.  I removed my yellow pannier rain covers and stashed them along with my bright orange helmet behind a tree. My rent is up and I hope to go undetected.  

      Tomorrow morning I may take the ferry over to Cape May and begin bicycling north. No sense in hanging around, it is peak season, the area is packed with beach goers and there is no place to stay which fits my budget.

   Now for the trek home in whatever form it may take, no doubt a lot of bicycling.

Another day of good fortune

        Leaving Washington had its moments of frustration.  Gradually the city gave way to the country.  Route 50, though a direct shot  to Annaplolis with a wide shoulder, was a roaring mess of cars three lanes wide. Through Goggle Map I found  a route suitable for me and my machine.  

         Annapolis is a beautiful city/town but a little overdone filled with the usual suspects.  Hold up in Subway while refueling, i had no luck with finding a warmshowers place to stay.  With time on my side, I decided to make an attempt on the Cheasepeake Bay bridge eight or so miles down the road.  No bikes allowed was the catch. One wamershowers person said he had merely set his bike by an entrance ramp to route  50 and hitched a ride over.  I was planning the same as I rode towards the bridge.  Behind me appeared another cyclist out for a spin.  He came along side and after realizing my situation, he offered to get his car and give me a lift over the bridge.  I hung out at a center medium war memorial near where we met. An hour later, David Beavis (an Englishman) appeared with his car, overhead bike rack and a supply. of water and Gatorade.  There is a god.  

He drove me over the bridge as well as the Kents Narrows bridge, another not so fun bridge.  It is amazing the bond bicyclists have with each other. Anyways, God bless the man and I hope I can return the favor some day.

      Once on my way, things became quite rural. Having no map, the sun was my only guide.  Eventually with the help of a driver I flagged down, I had Google Map directions to Tuckahoe Stare Park where I could tent for the night.   As has been the case throughout the trip, the directions were less than perfect. Another Goggle Map check corrected the errors. Traversing over several quaint country roads I arrived at the park.  With very little food, the sun going down and seventy-four miles on the odometer, I was once again rescued. The  park director emerged in his truck from the campsite road.  I waved him down asking for camping details. He pointed the way, followed me over, stored my bike in a shed  and drove me to a store so I could buy dinner. He even gave me a cold Gatorade and a map of Maryland and Delaware which I desperately needed.  My second guardian angel in one day.  Paul Detrich saved the day and I was able to get my tent set up just as the last rays of light faded away.  Washington to the middle of the Eastern Shore in one day.  Hot and tired, I pulled it off.

        Fifty miles to go and I will be swimming in the Atlantic!

The Capital

      One hundred eighty miles of beautiful forests, the Potomac and the Cheasepeake and Ohio Canal, every mile an obstacle course.  The history of the canal from its origins under George Washington to the Civil War battles beginning with John Brown give this canal a special place in our history. I finally emerged from the tree canopy of the canal to see the Washington monument in the distance.  From the woods to the city was amazingly abrupt as I entered the maddening pace of Georgetown minutes after leaving the canal path.  I was separated from John, Aaron and Eli as we all entered at our own pace. For the sixth time I jammed my chain between the chain rings and found a corner to make the necessary repairs and start my search for a place to stay.  Summer in the city without a reservation put me in tight position, nothing new.  My Warmershows app was not yielding  results so I found a bed at the William Penn House (a Quaker Hostel) behind the Capital.  Cyrus was in contact with me as I negotiated my way through the maze of tourists, monuments and traffic.  The hostel was virtually empty so I had the place to myself. After sixty-nine miles of precarious tow paths to the madness of Washington traffic I needed and hour to collect my wits before Cyrus came over.

     Seeing Cyrus for the first time since Christmas was worth the ride into the city. He treated me to a superb dinner with, of course, a few pints of IPA. I am a lucky father to have Cyrus as my son.

    No A/C made for a somewhat restless night but better than being in a tent in the  same heat.  The day started with a Quaker prayer meeting which was essentially total silence for twenty minutes. After a basic breakfast the house provided, I took on a list of things to do, i.e.,picked up medication and maps for the trip, washed my water bottles, bought a new bluetooth  and did my laundry at Cyrus' house. Every day off is more of a regrouping operation.  Nevertheless, Cyrus and  I made a visit to Starbucks in the afternoon and later a restaurant for dinner with an astounding selection of five hundred beers!  Cyrus loves his boutique bourbons; man is that stuff expensive.  I will stick to my plebeian ways of drinking beer. (Always remember, you never  purchase beer, you rent it.)

         Tomorrow, I will negotiate my way out of town via as many bike friendly routes as I can find.  Once out of the city, it is off to Annapolis.  No bikes are allowed on the Cheasepeake Bay bridge so I will need to bum a ride over it somehow.   Another day, another challenge.  I can almost smell the salt water.

More of the C&O including Harpers Ferry

        Stopping at one historic spot after another slowed our pace but well worth it.  Harpers Ferrry took two hour to get a good look see.  John Brown, the armory, the nineteenth century brick and stone houses, it is a really nice place. We finished up at Brunswick, Maryland with about fifty-five miles behind us for the day.  Another night of camping and for a change there are plenty of tents and much fewer monster RV motor homes.  Needless to say, there are trains very close to our site passing us every half hour, more horns, less sleep. Jon, Aaron, Eli and I have been together for five days, terrific guys. A good time has been had by all.  Tomorrow we will finish up in Washington, check out the Mall and then go our separate ways. From there I will find a Warmershowers place and hang out with Cyrus for a day. Getting through Washington over to the eastern shore is my next adventure.

Took my first fall today

The C&O canal is a beautiful ride with the Potomac on one side and the old canal on the other.  The locks are still in place as are many of the stone structures making up the canal.  However, the path is anything but pleasant. The constant struggle to avoid roots, rocks, mud, ruts and occasional broken tree limbs wears on the entire body.  Aaron, riding in front of me, swung into me as he was swerving around a five inch downed limb. I braked but not enough. Hitting the rear left side of his bike.  I lost my balance and dumped the bike into a shoulder of grass. Everyone stopped and helped pick up my bike, about a minute passed.  I reattached my front pannier, climbed on the bike and started up again. No damage to the bike and no physical injury to me but I was a bit shaken.  

        Other than a long break for lunch, including some excellent beer, we chugged along until we reach Williamsport, seventy-five miles from campsite to campsite  Our only overnight option was a KOA campsite costing $60, welcome to the East.  A guy we met a few days earlier reappeared as we were weighing our lodging options. He joined us, bringing the camping fee to $10 per person.  

          We set up our tents, ordered some pizza from the front desk, which was delivered. Eli built a fire for the fourth time in as many days. We combined all our dirty laundry and did a much needed load of laundry.  Being on the road, it is hard to keep our clothes up to snuff.  We are grateful to have a shower ever night and not much else. It is amazing that I have a shave every morning.  Maintaining ones standards is essential.

       There remains one hundred miles on the C&O before we reach Washington.  Harpers Ferry is our next stop or we may push on a little further.  Ninety day on the road as of tomorrow! 

Crested the Eastern Continental Divide

         A gradual climb both yesterday and today brought us (John Hay, Aaron and Eli Spiegel and me) from Rickwood, Pa. over the Easturn Continental Divide to a camp site on the C&O Canal just past Old Town, Md.  In Cumberland, I picked a new tire and had some minor adjustments taken care of at a local bike shop before heading onto the not so user friendly C&O trail.  Rocks, roots, pot holes, mud puddles and plenty of mud have made for a difficult ride for the first twenty miles.  I almost dumped the bike twice as I navigated through stretch of slippery mud.  The next one hundred and sixty miles to Washington should be interesting if not a real slog.  

        We found two great places along the trail for lunch and dinner before stopping for night on the other side of the canal. No showers but  a dip in the Potomac River did the job  The trains are paralleling the trail and we are hoping that the train horns will not be blaring every thirty minutes as was the case last night. The volume of train traffic funneling through the Gap is astounding.  Coal and oil cars, stacked up trailer trucks and standard freight cars are passing by in the thousands. 

      The Great Allegheny Paasage and the C&Q canal trails are beautiful in every aspect.  The mountainous landscape and temperate forest which surrounds them makes for a very enjoyable ride. The ride to Washington should take another three days.  Meanwhile the four of us have our tents set up with the site to ourselves.  The bullfrogs in the Lillie covered canal are croaking away and the crickets are making a racket.  It is very pleasant as I lie in my tent writing this blog.  

Three flats

        So a little rain is no big deal but when a flat tire strikes, it isn't so fun.  Off loading four panniers, one bar bag, four water bottles, turning the bike upside down, protecting the Brooks saddle, digging out a new tube, unbolting the titanium skewers holding the wheel on, removing the tire with the irons, replacing the tube, checking for a tube pinch, pumping the tire up to the right pressure with only a hand pump, reattaching the wheel to the bike and, finally, loading up the bike again with all the panniers.  Now do that three times.  John Hay, who I met yesterday, assisted me but still it took about thirty minutes each time.  It is all part of bicycling long distance but, nevertheless, a real pain in the backside.

       We stopped for a leisurely lunch and still managed to put in fifty miles.  Riding on an unpaved surface, no matter how smooth, requires more effort because of the rolling resistance.  We found a nice camp site in Rockwood, PA, had dinner at the only open restaurant and enjoyed ourselves over a few beers and a nice camp fire. 

         Tomorrow we should finish the GAP trail and get a little bit of the way down the C&O canal trail.  The C&O is in poor condition with pot holes, rocks and tree roots. It will slow us down considerably. 

On the GAP trail to Cumberland, Md.

         For pretty much the whole morning Edward took me around Pittsburgh, helping me mail home more clothes and maps, go to REI for new riding gloves and other asundry stops.  After a light breakfast, Edward showed me the way to the GAP trail and off I pedaled.  Ten twenty miles down the path, I met up with three riders like myself.  We rode another thirty miles to Connellsville where the town has built lean-to dwellings for us to sleep.  No showers on sight so we scrubbed up in the Youghegheny River right next to us..  The water was clean and cool, just right for us road worn riders.  

       John, one of the riders, has bicycled through India, Vietnam and Kenya.  Each time he has hired a local company to provide a SAG vehicle and set up places to stay.  Real inexpensive which always sparks my interest.  Traveling solo in second and third world countries can be dicey so it may be wise for me to take the SAG approach.

        Tomorrow, we will cover another sixty miles but in the middle we plan to divert to see Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water house, a very cool building which I have always wanted to see.

Now for the GAP trail

        A note about the writer of is blog.  The hour is generally late when I put the ink to the paper, my fingers are too pudgy for the key board and, for sure,  I am not Charles Dickens.  The original manuscript will go through several iterations before it goes to press.  Mr. Peter Nichols has graciously volunteered his services as editor in chief. 

        So where was I, ah yes, my bicycle adventures of August 8, I think.  Harmony, Pa. faded into the back ground as I pushed south.  Route 68 to an unmarked route led me to Pittsburgh.  Miraculously, I was spared from having to climb the steep hills like the ones I granny geared up yesterday.  Yet, getting into Pittsburgh was so bicycle unfriendly,  I had to pull off the road to find a safer route via my google map.  The drivers are seriously inconsiderate when it comes to giving bicycles the safety

margin they need.  I found what I thought was the GAP trail but I ended up at the Science Museum not having a clue as to how to find my way.  Once again Warmershowers.com came to my rescue.  Edward picked me up in his SUV and brought me back to his place.  No beer but good white wine, a shower and a late afternoon nap. His friend Gary cooked a absolutely to die for pot roast and mash potatoes while Edward put together one of the best three bean salads I have ever tasted.  

          Their house, mission style, is located high above downtown Pittsburgh with a small neighborhood viewing area  thirty seconds down the road, pretty cool.   

          Tomorrow Edward and I will bike to the beginning of the trail and stop at REI on the way to pick up some new riding gloves.  My old gloves can be classified as hazardous waste.   Now for some critical hours of rack time.

        

My fourth flat amount other things

      The Amish regularly show up at the Camp site every morning to sell their pastries. What a spread to behold.  Needless to say, I didn't hold back; two days of delicious Amish food.

     Before setting off I had to adjust my dérailleur which wasn't synced with my indexed gear lever.  Losing gears on a steep hill is maddening. A five minute Youtube video was instrumental in helping me figure out the problem. The fix ate an hour of morning riding time.  Three hours later ss I rode along I thought I would probably have another flat before too long.  Be careful what you think, I had   a flat an hour later.  Now for the interesting part. Coming up on a house set back from the road a bit, I saw a man and asked if I could use his property to fix my tire.  I needed shade and some distance from the road.  Nice guy, twenty-six years old, just finished a tour with the Air Force.  We talked it up and he offered to help.  We continued to converse when I noticed a handgun in his waist band.  A wee bit concerned, I asked him what size gun it was. He took it out and unloaded a clip of bullets from of it but not before ejecting a round from the chamber.  A second or two went by as I thought he was cocking it, not a good feeling.  Anyways, it was a nine millimeter with hollow tip bullets! Jeremiah turned out to be a decent person who offered to take me to a bike shop if I wanted.  After fixing the tire, he gave me his cell number in case I had troubles down the road.  I was relieved to move on.

       Ok, so now two hours down the tubes fixing the bike.  Not to be out done, the hills were steep and unrelenting.  I slugged out thirty-seven miles with a few missed turns to round out the ride.  I followed route 19 instead of the established route and put up with the Penn drivers, not bike friendly at all.  Thank god for my horizontal flag protruding out from my left rear pannier.

       Zelienople was the first town of any size I reached after leaving Mercer.   After having a super lunch at Z town cafe, I decided to seek out a camp site and call it a day.  Back in Harmony I parked myself at a private camp site.  Two guys at a parked RV struck up a conversation with me as I rode in looking for someone who could sign me in.   They invited me over for a few brews after I cleaned up.  As well, the owner of the camp invited me to a pot luck supper.  She exempted me from having to bring a dish, good thing. Later when I revisited the RV,  Randy (from Mississippi with a thick southern accent) feed me

an enormous steak with cheese potatoes. On this trip I been shameless about what I have eaten, anything and everything. Tomorrow I should be rocket man given all the protein I consumed tonight.

        With an early start and the re-routing to a less congested route, I hope to make Millvale where the GAP trail begins and the killer hills end.

The mountains are BACH!

      For the third day the weather has been in the four star category, cool in the morning, high seventies to low eighties in the afternoon.  To make up for the lack of sweltering heat, the exertion put into climbing the foot hills of the Alleghenies has more than compensated. From Lake Erie to Pittsburgh, the terrain is UP and down the whole way.  I am thrilled!

      The landscape has become dramatically more forested with fewer crops of corn and soybean. No  more big sky because of all the hills. For weeks I have looked at farmland, the change is welcome.

        As I was cranking away in  my granny gear with only wilderness around me, a sign appears out of nowhere advertising deli food and grocery supplies. Down a gravel road  surrounded by mowed lawn, I stopped at an Amish store with absolutely the best food.  Great people, I talked with them for over an hour as I ate lunch.  Everyone takes picture of these people so I held back from using my iPhone. I did get their business card however.  This place could become a destination, that good!

      I checked into the Mercer Library for a wifi connection.  No Warmershowers places in the area so I found the local RV camping "Resort" and popped my tent.  Upon arrival, my neighbors and I exchange greetings  After the shower and general clean up,  April, Andy, Mark and Michael invited me over for a veritable feast.  Great people who rendez-vous every year at this site.  Four people, four tents; they met seventeen years ago via an online game they played; the "Wolf Pack" as they are known. We are hanging out by the camp fire having some good laughs.

       Having ridden over seventy miles today, Pittsburgh is now only sixty-five miles further south.  The GAP begins in the center of the city, probably at the train station.  I will do Warmshowers in the city so I can bicycle to it first thing in the morning. 

      

The weather was perfect

       Ron and I rode east from Geneva with the temperature hovering in the mid-sixties.  Yesterday was the same; beats the heat of Kentucky and Virginia.  Nothing much today other tha following the shore of Lake Erie and passing over into Pennslyvania.  We split off as I had to head south to Pittsburgh.  We had a real good time together and I hope we stay in touch.  

          The hills going south are getting steeper but I am managing. Tonight I am at a Warmshowers house in Edinboro staying with a young couple. Jeremiah Covert likes furniture making so we hit it off.  Tomorrow he will return me to route 98. 

          Nigel and Derek text me to say they arrived in Yorktown, Virginia

with no teeth marks on them.  I image it will take another two weeks before I reach the Atlantic.

We be jammin'

      After being feed a killer breakfast, Ron and I headed east with the lake to our left. Thirty-four miles down the road, we arrive at Madison, with brewery no less... break time!  We ate like gods, drank two delicious IPAs followed by a nap in the town park; it doesn't get any better. The weather was perfect today.        

     On our way to Geneva, I once again was confronted by a missing bridge.  The river was merely a stream three feet wide one hundred feet to our left.  We muscled our bikes through the shallow stream and up and over a short but steep bank. Situation solved and a little wet below the ankles, we bicycled several more miles to Geneva-By-The-Sea, a nice lakeside resort.  I found another Warmshowers accommodation about four miles away at an old farm house belonging to a retired Air Force NCO.  We had take out pizza delivered and called it a day after fifty miles of easy terrain.

       Tomorrow I will be turning south at Fairview to get on the Underground Railroad Trail taking me to Pittsburgh.  The topo on the map is a bit hilly but a breeze l compared to the Rockies.  Checking out the temperature in Kentucky and Virginia, the states are pushing 100 degrees. I made the right decision to head north.  No dogs, no meth heads, moderate heat, and no endlessly short steep climbs.  Some cyclists feel compelled to stay on a route no matter how unreasonable the situation gets.  I would rather take the route that get me to the Atlantic safely without any nightmare sections like Eastern Kentucky.  

Lake side ride

         It was tough getting up this morning, great mattress, great everything including the send off breakfast.  Ron and I took it easy on route 6 along Lake Erie.  One upscale town after another.  Looking at the size these huge houses packed next to one another was ridiculous, just for a view of the water. As for the suburban drivers, they are much more dangerous than the city drivers.  They cut you too close, always acting so inconvenienced.  Texting in the suburbs is one of my biggest fears.  City driving demands all the driver's attention leaving no chance for texting.

        Weaving through the city proved to be much simpler than negotiating the roads into the city.  After breaking for a celebratory beer for getting through Cleveland, we were prepared to drive another twenty-five miles to reach a designated camp site.  Waiting at a light on a busy four lane road, an older woman asked if she could help us; her church was just up ahead a few hundred feet.  She pulled into  the church driveway, we followed.  She told us to stay at her house a block away; there was plenty of cold beer in the basement frig.  The door was unlocked and she would be back later.  Amazing!  So here we are, chilled out having ridden only 61 miles.  Tomorrow, we will shoot  forLake  View where I split off for Pittsburgh.  Ron is heading on to meet his son in Sackett's Harbor, New York as I am heading south to see Cyrus.

        Each day of this trip is special.  The

Atlantic is getting closer but it is the daily adventure that really counts.  Eighty days on the road and I am still having the time of my life.

Check the weather before you hit the sack

        Sleeping in a tent is generally a nice experience but come a heat wave, the comfort factor can deteriorate rapidly.  

In an effort to cool my tent, I removed the fly which keeps the rain out.  A little after midnight, the wind begins howling and I see what I thought was heat lightning. Checking the Weather Station on my iPhone, I saw  a huge red storm cell coming my its way.  Out of the tent in a heart beat, I reattach the tent fly and make sure everything is covered.  Ten minutes later back in my tent all hell breaks loose, pouring rain, crashing lightning and strong wind.  It could have been a soggy scenario had I not woken up when I did.

     Off by 8:15 the next morning, I ride twelve miles to Pemberton where I meet my first touring cyclist in two weeks.  Trip Edwards, as in Trip Powers, he was a third with the same name.  He had ridden from Mississippi to Vermont and out Ohio on his way to the Pacific.  Later after topping off for breakfast at a local dinner in Pemberton, I see a bike ladened with gear.  I joined Ron Occhiuto for breakfast and yes, we are headed in the same direction. At lunch we met a SAG (support and gear) van for a group of riders Ron ran into in Montana.  They had tons of food and insisted we join them for lunch. A good time was had by all. With the wind at our backs,  Ron and I navigate through the back country roads putting 79 miles behind us. We arrived at a beautiful (Warmershowers accommodation) stone house smack on Lake Erie.  Huron was nothing special but five miles east we lucked out to find this place.  Beer in the frig, smacks, beautifully designed new living room to hang out in and deck chairs on the lawn to watch the sun go down over Lake Erie.  The house owners, Dick and Sheryl Cawrse own a local winery and have restored this gorgeouse stone house over the past few decades.  Once again I have landed on my feet.

     Ron and I will be following the shoreline for a few days before I head south to Pittsburgh. Perhaps we will reach Cleveland by tomorrow.

Recharging my batteries

      Down time is a critical component of any endurance challenge.  Three to four hundred miles a week is tops for this boy.

I know my limits and after a week my mindset starts to get a bit shaky.  Burn out is as dangerous any physical injury.

      I have been camping in Bowling Green, Ohio in the back yard of a fellow bike enthusiast.   My tent is next to a Japanese style pond loaded with goldfish of varying sizes.  Apparently they multiple like rabbits or about ten times faster.  A local great blue heron had a feast a while back.  

       I had the bike checked over and a few things adjusted. Having found a local CVS store, I was able to replenish my heart Meds.  I am healthier than ever but I do what my cardiologist tells me to do.  Try my hand at sewing, I stitched up a tear in my pannier.  Other tasks included buying more sunscreen lotion and abright orange hankerchief to cover my head.  I don't need my skin doctor carving me up..  The bike got a rest and I walked around town; how boring is that?!  Tomorrow, I will try for Huron, Ohio about 68 miles away.  The town borders Lake Erie.  When I get to Erie, Pa., I head south to Pittsburgh. One mile at a time with the wind hopefully at my back.

      

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.