Day 8 through Day 11

I didn't keep a good record over these few days. It all started because it rained the first day I was in Ohio and my bike computer mileage counter was disrupted for an unknown amount of miles. From Wheeling I crossed the Ohio River into Ohio and then had to come up out the valley I had so blissfully descended into the previous evening.

I didn't see the sign saying I had crossed the state line. It was on the bridge over the car traffic I've been told, but I was on the pedestrian walkway off to the side so I missed it. It took me a few minutes to realize I was in Ohio and then I finally was able to celebrate.

After a long time, through the rain and after I took a break for lunch, route 40 dead ended and turned into Interstate 70 which it had been paralleling up to that point. Having no other option, I had to choose between going north or south on "Country Road 100" which was a gravel "road" that weaved its way through rolling countryside.

Here's me in the rain:


And here's the countryside in the rain:


Detours and Dogs
So I chose south. As I walked my bike up the gravel hill to the top not knowing where it would lead me, I started singing "Are You Ready for the Country?" by Neil Young. That lightened the mood and made me feel less anxious. I finally reached some houses and was able to ask a guy on a tractor if the road would take me somewhere and not just dead end a few miles up. He sounded confident so I kept on truckin down the road into Barnesville, OH which was pretty cute if a little rundown.

My only obstacle was a ferocious-looking dog who came bounding towards me barking and growling as I tried to pass. He was only defending his house and territory and he stayed about 10 or 15 feet away from me the whole time, but he seemed a little wiley so I stopped my bike and tried to "talk him down." Not an easy task. But I put on my best cooing doggy voice, found a stick and threw it into the yard of the house. He was distracted for a split second so I tried to make my escape but he came bounding back barking louder this time. I kept calm and waited a little while before throwing a second stick. He finally took the bait and ran down towards the house and I made off like a bandit.

I went through Barnesville, through Quaker City and onto Lore City on great (paved) country roads with the sun going down and farmland all around. It was wonderful. As I rode through Quaker City a Little League game was going on and a group of kids yelled out to me "Biker! Hey it's a biker! Hi Biker!!" as I passed them 50 yards away. That was the best part of the day.

Cambridge, OH
I made it back to route 40 and found a hotel out past the downtown area of Cambridge. There were a number of signs for glass making studios and museums so I figure that is the craft of the area; though the museum was closed the day I was passing through so I couldn't check it out.

For hotels, I had my choice of the Best Western/Denny's corporate combo, the Holiday Inn/Ruby Tuesday's, or the Comfort Inn/Cracker Barrel. Of course I chose Cracker Barrel and was able to get a discounted price on the hotel room because the young woman behind the counter took pity on me after seeing me come in on a bike. Best way to travel, folks.


Day 9 to Granville
I spent the day on route 40 which had a nice bike lane along most of it. Nearing 8 pm I called Peggy and Kevin Corrigan, friends of my friend Barbara Wilson, who I would be staying with that night. Peggy asked if I wanted to be picked up and I of course answered "Oh no! I can make it! Don't worry!" Well, thankfully they didn't listen and Kevin came out and met me after I had turned onto route 37 about 8 miles outside of Granville. I believe I was eating a leftover piece of garlic bread when he showed up and said "I love Barbara Wilson" as the secret code so I knew it was him.

Staying with Peggy and Kevin was absolutely great--my first time staying not in a tent or in hotel--and Kevin cooked up some of the best food I could have hoped for. The night I got there I had little salmon appetizer things covered with poppy and sesame seeds, salad, rice, and shrimp dumplings, and homemade salt-crusted bread. We talked and Peggy told me about the train ride she took across Siberia when she was around my age and Kevin told me about winter hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains on an Outward Bound trip. In the morning Kevin made ricotta pancakes--so Kat write this down for when I get back to DC: ricotta cheese, white pastry flour, baking soda, baking powder, apple cider vinegar...hopefully that's the full recipe or else we'll look it up. Anyhow, I had around 6 or 7 or the pancakes that morning.

Through Columbus
The next day I slept in, enjoyed the ricotta pancakes, and then headed off to Columbus. Starting off that morning I had to wear a long-sleeve shirt and pants because it was so chilly. I had discussed how to get into Columbus with Peggy and Kevin but ended up running into two other bikers on the road and they gave me a map of smaller roads ("country as all get out" one of the bikers said to me) to take into the city. But closer to the city i couldn't avoid biking through the sprawl, so it wasn't ideal conditions or great views, but it was all right.

Part of the time I was biking on the sidewalk on my way into the downtown area. One of my panniers clipped a "decorative rock" that was jutting out of someone's yard area so I fell over and smashed my right handlebar on the ground. I got a couple scrapes on my knee and ripped my long-sleeve shirt at the elbow, but I was able to get up and keep riding with no problem, though my handlebar was bent. So note to self: stay off the sidewalks, they suck.

I ate lunch in Columbus next to a fountain and said hi to the few bike messengers I saw in a spirit of solidarity. Though mainly I just wanted to leave the city because I felt too conspicuous with all my bags on my bike--occasionally the staring and attention gets to be a little much and when it's all condensed in one place like a larger, denser city, I just wanted to get out of there.

I rode through western Columbus across the bridge from downtown in order to get back on the roads that would take me to a state park. That part of the city is pretty poor but then leads into Grove City which is a posh-looking touristy area. Very strange where the magic line is that delineates poor from posh when it all seems continuous to an outsider like me.

Illegal Camping
I finally got back to the country roads and took route 665 to Madison Lake State Park. It was a nice time of the day to be riding and the road, though winding and somewhat hilly, was also quiet and serene most of the time. When I got to the state park I realized camping was prohibited, but I asked around and it didn't seem to bother any of the locals that I stay over (the park was located in a residential neighborhood). So I pitched my tent and got ready for bed. Around this time there were a couple rowdy dogs tipping over trash cans near me, but after awhile their owner who lived in a house nearby came out and began calling for them. Hearing all this made me feel better about sleeping alone outside in the park honestly. There was also a couple fishing at the lake (well after park closing time, mind you) and when they walked by my tent, they were a little surprised and called out "hello?" and I called back "Oh hi!" in my cheeriest, I'm not crazy voice. They said "We're just fishing!" and I said "I'm just sleeping!" and we each went about our business. The sheriff/park patrol did come by but they just shined a light onto the park grounds from their motorboat on the lake and failed to see my tent strategically placed behind a large tree.

I heard a train whistle in the distance, and thought to myself it was probably a recording of "camp night sounds" because why else would I hear a train whistle every night I've camped so far? If there isn't a train whistle, it just isn't camping. And then I fell fast asleep.