Days 21-25: Ohio

I admit to not knowing much about Ohio, having never spent any time here other than passing through to somewhere else. The weather and winds were pretty near perfect the five full days I've spent crossing the state diagonally from southwest to northeast.  That alone would make any state look good, even Kansas. But Ohio is truly beautiful: smaller scale agriculture in a more diverse landscape of small towns, bustling manufacturing, forests and river valleys.

After getting out of suburban Cincinnati with the help of Google Maps bike route feature ( which found a perfect route) I spent most of the day riding a paved bike trail (Ohio has a reputation for being bike friendly for its hundreds of miles of paved bike trails that criss-cross the state in all directions).  20 mph tailwinds propelled me up the state in record time. I stopped at a little roadside burger joint and checked Warm Showers for a place to stay. A host popped up in Cedarville but it was still 57 miles away. I called, and Jay and Andrea Kinsinger were happy to host, and with great winds I got there just about dark. Wonderful folks who'd done a lot of touring all over the world, and with their 4 kids aged 11-21. Jay builds beautiful, sturdy bikes out of laminated black walnut - check em out at sojournercyclery.com. He and his son Ben did 1000 miles of the Underground Railroad on a black walnut tandem!

Next morning they were off to church, and I think they put a good word in for me cause the wind and weather continued to cooperate. More paved bike trail up to and around Columbus. Arrived late afternoon at Alum Creek SP, pre-arranged rendezvous point to meet friend and INRS business partner Charlie Levesque who flew into Columbus to join me for 6 days riding up to Niagara Falls. Nice to ride with someone after 3 weeks solo and running into so few riders on the route.

The next three days Charlie and I wound our way up and across OH, staying in public campgrounds and mostly arriving too late and leaving too early to have to worry about paying. Nice stretches of Amish farm country, river valleys (e.g. Cuyahoga National Park), and bucolic high end communities like Medina, Hudson and Burton (OH's maple sugaring capital). Ohioans really take their lawns seriously, and I think spend most of their discretionary waking hours mowing. But this is true everywhere: Americans are truly obsessed with their lawns and lawn mowing.  What's wrong with me?

Last night we arrived on Lake Erie and camped near the lake in a state park. Out early to dodge the ranger, we headed east along the river shore into PA and eventually into Erie where we are camping tonight. Picture book sunset on the lake. Along the way we passed through extensive vineyards with the sweet smell of over-ripe grapes wafting across the road. Two more relatively short days to Niagara Falls wher Charlie will depart and Mabel will arrive to ride the last leg across NY, VT and NH!