The sun has just popped over the ridge top. I am enjoying both coffee AND Â oatmeal, x2yum!
We are well rested and excited to finish off the southbound route. They say hot and windy again today but this time we don’t care so much.
Around 50 miles to go and we will have our tires in the Ohio River!
It was so late when we arrived at Frontier Campground last night and Walter was so kind and generous. We barely had enough energy to get clothes washed and enjoy the fabulous shower house. No time or energy to cook so we just knocked off our scraps of leftovers and more almonds and passed out. I woke up because I was hot, not good. It was just before nine and it was already steamy. We decided to move with purpose and skip coffee (ouch!) and oatmeal (x2 ouch). We geared up and had a delicious breakfast of tuna fish and you guessed it, almonds. We were pedaling by 10.
Once we were away from the giant wetland of the Spring Valley Nature reserve it was less humid but the wind was pounding us straight on. We both felt just as exhausted as the night before.
When we arrived at the Corwin Peddler they were closed. We learned that they are only open weekends and the business is for sale. Someone please buy it.
We did not feel like pedaling the 2 miles in to waynesville so we moved on. Eventually we got our second breakfast! More tuna, and V8! delicious.
So we arrive at Morgan ‘s. I can see the dream cabin from the trail. We stop and consider our options but pedal on to Morrow. We get ice cream first, it’s hot. Then we took our carry out chicken dinners to the local park pavilion. The picnic tables were concrete, which we love, because they are cold! Perfect for quick nap.
We pedaled the 3 miles back north to Morgan’s. Yay! We got the dream cabin. Guy is sleeping in the hammock and I am on the deck that overhangs the Little Miami River.
I cannot say enough about how great this place is or about the family that runs it.
We are in our favorite little cabin in a small private campground in Spring Valley, about 65 miles north of Cincinnati. We pedaled almost 63 miles today an got here after dark at 9:30 pm with headlights (and tail lights) blazing. It was really a different perspective riding the trail through the woods after dark. Just as we were leaving Xenia tonight, on our last stage of 8 or 9 miles to the campground, we stopped to call the campground owner to let him know we were on our way and would be there within the hour. We figured we’d get ther right at Night fall. Carol hung up with Walter, the owner, and we saddled up to ride off into the sunset, but whoops! Carol has a flat front tire!
Really?!
Luckily, my flat changing skills were up to par as I recently had some flats back at home. Still though, it was a half an hour to change it out. Not bad when you consider digging out the tools, pannier removal, getting the rim out from the rack, etc.
Tomorrow is supposed to be hot and humid. We don’t like hot or humid, so that may impinge upon our progress. Cincinnati is within striking distance for us tomorrow, but we may need to hide from the mid day heat.
We woke up to rain and a very dark sky. Yay more sleep! Guy made me a “fender” out of the styrofoam carry out box from the Chinese food. It worked! Stopped raining just as we pedaled off around noon. It was cold. Long sleeves and pants again. Now it is warm and sunny and our jerseys are enough. It’s windy.
We are trying to make it to Spring Valley so we can stay in the tiny cabin. Thunderstorms are forecasted.
Sorry for the delay, but after eating all that Chinese food, I plain passed out!
So we started the day with the best of intentions, until we got to Schrock road and Carolyn remembered that it was Sunday and the railroad museum would be open. By now you know that I stop at all rail crossings 😉
After the trains, we met up with Jerry Rampelt, Executive Director of the OTE (he found us at the museum), and rode to his house and enjoyed a luxurious lunch with him and his wife Toby and Buddy, their dog.
After lunch, we were back on the trail again, but it the shadow of The Shoe, my rear brake started making a sickening metal-on-metal sound. Baer Wheels to the rescue again! Seems my brakes had worn a little thin…
That little deal cost us an hour and a half, including backtracking. Because of that we were unable to make it to our destination, the Cordle Motel. Hopefully we can stay there on the way back, as it seams to be a really nice family run business. Instead we ended up at the very pleasant Country Inn and Suites, about a mile north of 40 off of Hillard Rome Avenue.
We are safe and sound just south of Columbus. Our Chinese food is here. I have many stories to tell and a lot of pics to post, including break downs and trains, but I need to eat first!
So I hope you all realize that was Guy posting Carol. He is snoring big time! I am waiting on laundry and sittng on the nice front porch of the hotel. There is a constant thunderous speedy hum of I70. It a stark contrast to our slow, silent progress.
Today we considered an early start but our bike shorts were still damp. Luckily the sun was on our side so we shuffled things and slept.
We goofed off at the Ohio Railway Museum. (detail, later)
We were delighted to spend some time with Toby, Jerry and Buddy and enjoy a fabulous lunch. Time flew by.
Just as we were enjoying the not detoured route through Ohio State University Guy’s bike began to squeal.
We back-tracked to Baer Wheel and Dave rescued us, again. Best bike shop, ever, and open, late, Sunday, holiday weekend! Thanks!
We hoped to stay at the Cordel Motel but the day ran out. We are at Country Inn, great, just north of our turn south on Galloway Road.
Thanks to all. Good night zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
C
End
Finally, a decent weather day! Was still a tad on the chilly side, but I’ll take it over the heat any day. It was the kind of day when you were in the sun, you were hot, and when you were in the shade, you were cold. Sweatshirt on, pants off, jacket on, gloves off.
Last night at the Kokosing Campgrond, we met some of the nicest people. The couple next to us , Chaz and his wife Jen(?) shared their fire and conversation and even their breakfast with us. They were great neighbors.
Today we covered exactly 56 miles. Again we did a lot of road riding, but the roads were fairly pleasant. Maybe I jus blocked out the scary stuff, but we were on some beautiful country back roads today with only a crosswind to a slight crossing headwind, so it felt like we were flying. It was actually a really good speed for us, fully loaded, at 15mph.
We saw a wedding in Centerburg. We dinged our bells and they loved it. It was a biker wedding and they all passed us on their Harley’s at the outskirts of town, waving to us.
Oh, I took a nap in Centerburg, too. That really set me up for the second half of the day.
We are now at the Four Points Sherton at Polaris.
Oh yeah… News flash! Here’s the link to the Massilon Independant newspaper article. Maybe somebody can download it and archive it for us?
http://www.indeonline.com/topstories/x1379225745/Bike-motorcycle-riders-mean-its-time-to-share-the-road
Scroll down to see the picture of us.
The nicest people in the world are in this great campground. No need to build a fire as everyone invited us to their fire.
I met Lynne, a super lady, she just brought us a thick fluffy wide super blanket so no worries about the cold.
Wow!
We are in the middle of the back country and have Internet access! Spike from CDPUG turned us on to a little gizmo to get our iPad connected! It works! Thanks Spike!
It’s still brisk and windy but the clouds have given way to blue sky and perfect white fluffy clouds. We got some gardening gloves, bandanas and sweatshirts so we are warm enough. Plenty of beach balls and coolers for sale but very few long sleeves and no knit hats. Wish I had a pair of wool socks.
County road 6 was awesome. We were able to pedal up all the hills but the BIG one. Last year I walked most of them. Mitch at Shaker Cycle helped us get new baby chain rings for climbing and they worked like a dream. It was an awesome feeling to be able to pedal all the way up some monster hills!
Another bonus is no trucks! Route 62 is closed because they are building a bike trail tunnel! Perfect! We were able to safely coast down without the hassle of traffic. We had a very tough time at this spot last year! Yay!
It took us about 3 hours. After lunch and a nap we have a couple more hills to get to Danville, then maybe 8 miles to the campground.
