Season 4 Episode 19. Oh those Ohioans!

Season 4 Episode 19. Oh those Ohioans!

9/10 Angola, IN to Toledo, OH. 86 miles. 1,011’ climb. 

What a creative and inspiring banana display at the hotel breakfast. The smallest of gestures goes a long way. As long as the sharpie ink doesn’t leak into the banana! This was a brilliant start to our day.

As has been the case through much of Indiana - there’s lots of corn! The roads were so thinly traveled we could easily ride two abreast or down the center of the road.

Restaurant bathroom art that speaks to me. Adapted for cycling (and I guess for life), we can all adjust our attitudes.

Without any sign or fanfare, welcome to Ohio.

Lunch stop at Walmart and locking up bikes.

Eating in between the doors area entering the Walmart. It was too hot outside and they had no sitting area.

We enjoyed several miles on the paved Wabash Cannonball Trail. Ohio is continuing the trend of great trails in the midwestern states. The shade is especially appreciated on such long days that get hotter in the late afternoon.

Today was our longest ride of the trip, but by no means hardest as it was very flat. Heather said it was such a relaxing day. I'm not sure 86 miles is relaxing, but given the conditions of quiet roads, shaded trails, even terrain, and mostly cool temperatures in the morning, I kind of agree with her. 

Our final miles into Toledo were on River Road which was a nice approach to the home of our WarmShowers hosts Sarah and Howard. They so well embody the ethos of the WarmShowers community. Although they were just coming back from 4 weeks away themselves and only arriving home at 7pm, they wanted to host us. So they had a neighbor let us in earlier at 6pm and bring us snacks, and leave us on our own to shower. We then ironically welcomed Sarah and Howard into their own home upon their arrival. 

Although Sarah had to be exhausted herself, within 20 minutes of returning, she whipped up dinner for us. And they would not let us help wash dishes, sending us to bed and our rest. 

We so enjoyed our stay and time with them and hearing of their own cross- country riding adventure. As they soon will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, at breakfast I asked Sarah what’s the secret to a successful marriage? In her kind but direct voice, she shared her view of commitment and remembering why you married them in the first place. I so enjoy these meaningful conversations with someone who was a complete stranger to me 15 hours earlier, but now after breaking bread together and sleeping in their home seems like a natural discussion. 

Speaking of breaking bread, Howard makes his own bread and even though he thought today’s batch was dense and not his best work, Heather and I loved it and both had seconds. It seems everybody is their own biggest critic. (Note to self - learn to make my own bread.)

Do not let a small person’s stature fool you. Sarah is an energetic dynamo! (We forgot to take a photo before Howard left.)

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9/11 Toledo, OH to Sandusky, OH. 65 miles. 619’ climb. 

A very meaningful 9/11 memorial flag display on our way through Toledo. Like almost all NYC area residents, we still have our own vivid personal memories of 9/11. Heather was teaching that day on Wall Street, a few blocks from the twin towers. Once she was evacuated from the building, she walked several miles to Grand Central Station while in her work shoes, and 8 months pregnant! Now 23 years later, i was pleased to see this display in the Midwest to not forget the tragedy.

More Midwest pro-biking infrastructure.

The old Elmore train station on the now converted rail to trail.

Sandusky is home to what’s recognized as one of the top amusement parks in the USA. Many cyclists would spend a day off here for the rides, as a welcome respite from riding. I’ve been here a few times in the past with student travel groups and experienced enough speed, G-forces and being suspended upside down for me to confirm my amusement park days were long done. Heather feels similarly. We are National Park not amusement park seekers. 

Although today we rode 21 fewer miles than yesterday, and with less elevation, I found it much harder. Maybe because of the accumulated fatigue? For whatever reason, I struggled after lunch when my legs felt much stiffer and we rode into the wind. I didn’t have the mojo today and it was a slow finish. Some days are still a grind. 

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9/12 Sandusky, OH to Moreland Hills, (Cleveland) OH. 81 miles. 1,749’ climb. 

It’s a popular car road trip to circumnavigate the Great Lakes. I would definitely do that one day when my cycling days are done.

This ice cream stand was closed at 9:15am or I’d have had to sample. For the simple reason I was in the play The Pied Piper twice. In kindergarten I was one of the rats, but by 6th grade progressed to be one of the town Aldermen. Some might say still a rat.

By midafternoon, from the West Cleveland area we could see the downtime skyline.

And the lakefront homes started getting more palatial.

The lakeshore beaches feel more like ocean beaches.

We didn’t learn if this path was always so patriotically adorned, or was it this week only as a 9/11 tribute.

After riding through downtown, then past Huntington Bank Field, home of the Browns, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, we rode a few grueling miles into the wind coming right off Lake Erie before turning south for an 18 mile ride to Moreland Hills. 

The ride south was beautiful as it wove by the Cultural Gardens, Case Western University and the grand homes in Shaker Heights.  

This was another instance of adding more distance for relationships. I guess we could say we rode further to further the friendship. We were visiting Debbie and Jeff who we’ve met a handful of times as their son Adam was one of our son Matt’s college housemates, and a close friend. They had invited us to visit on our ride through the area. They were wonderful hosts, and although not cyclists themselves, they had an innate sense of our need for downtime balanced with social time. Their hospitality and a rest day in their peaceful, beautiful home recharged us.

Jeff shared his personal oasis with me as we chilled by a running creek in a cathedral of trees.

For a post dinner dessert, they suggested Mitchell’s ice cream as Cleveland’s best. I could definitely taste why!! My caramel sea salt combined with butter pecan was unbeatable. Mitchell’s is now only in Ohio, but I wish they expand to New York. It reminded Heather and me a bit of Salt and Straw from California. The bottom line - you may find equally excellent ice cream, but won’t find better. This is elite!

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9/14 Moreland Hills, OH to Geneva, OH. 54 miles. 2,042’ climb. 

An easy ride to wrap up our time in Ohio and with a very special WarmShowers host couple, Rick and Jan. They met when Rick actually hosted Jan who is from New Zealand and she was his WarmShowers guest 6 years ago. We heard of their wonderful love story and how the couple came to be. 

Rick and Jan, a WarmShowers Romance.

Yet again, they are people who personify the spirit of WarmShowers. They left the door open for us so we could get in before they returned home. As it was Jan’s birthday, they took us to dinner for her celebration and although Rick had to run off early in the morning, he rose early to cook up a batch of his signature blueberry pancakes with the blueberries from his own garden. 

Ohioans, we will miss you all! Thanks for the warm welcomes to keep us fueled, nurtured and on our mission. 

That mission includes pedaling into Larchmont’s Dog Beach between 12-1pm on September 25th. This date would have been Christopher Reeve’s 72nd birthday. 

Readers:

I hope you are enjoying this blog and possibly learning and being entertained as I’ve tried to bring you into our experience. If you’ve not yet had a chance to support the Reeve Foundation, please do so at Heather & Mark Ride for Reeve!

© Copyright Mark Segal 2024.