Day 43 – Youngstown, OH to Erie, PA via Great Lakes Seaway bike trail, 13 Jul 2014

Map and Pics:  Click Here for Map and Pics.

Miles 3120 to 3217, 97 miles (+4 bonus miles to see covered bridges), 1450 feet of climb (ha – it was 2395 ft), max speed 37 mph, avg speed 16 mph, heavy rain and strong wind, sometimes helpful.

You have to do selfies when you are so slow

New state: PA! Two events secured my last place finish today. First I broke a wheel. The mechanic said I broke the spoke on the roads earlier this week, but it popped today. The second event was that I went to church in Wayne, Ohio. I told the AbB staff don’t be looking for me until SAG Stop #2 (Richardson's Root Beer Stand), and they didn’t. They know my ways now. If something catches my eye, I’m going to investigate. And by the way, trains always catch my eye. Over the years they get to know types of riders. I’m not a ‘slow’, I’m a ‘stop’. They have no problem with that, but they do appreciate that I call in every once in a while to tell them what mile I am at. That is so they don’t have to send out a search party. I like it because they don’t hover over me. I’m on vacation.

Off the beaten path, Niles, OH

The promised rain came, and with a vengeance. Before the clouds opened I took a lot of pictures, but the one picture (left) more than the others brought me feelings of peace and goodness. I was unaware that the McKinley Presidential Library and birthplace were in Niles, OH. That and Big Bird; I got his picture too. What impressed me about Niles was the cobblestone streets that ventured away from the busy ones as if time stopped and it was late 1800’s. And yes, I had to go explore. And yes, the staff was not surprised when Dave disappeared once again from his expected place in line.

Inside the Country Church

A person could not be any wetter than I was when I squished my riding shoes through the front door of the country Congregational Church. The Sunday School teacher kept on teaching the lesson in the sanctuary but soon all eyes found my "Glow in the Dark" clothes (and skin tight pants that never had never ever never ever never been worn in that church before... I was tempted to tell them all that they all dressed funny.) I was invited in to get warm, dry off, and join in on the discussion. It was wonderful in spirit and dryness. The average age of the dozen in church was around 70, except for the teacher who was in his 20s, an intern preparing for the ministry. After class I received many invitations for dinner and dessert, but I had to decline. I got to talk to some kids later (they were in a downstairs Sunday School class) about my bike and what I was doing. I also got to talk to the pastor. I needed that. I miss Sundays more than any other day of the week.

The gem of the day could not be photographed. I happened upon an Amish Sunday Morning gathering at a home along the route. The adults were in the house while about twenty kids were in the yard playing tag. The girls were in their long dresses and bonnets, while the boys were in their “meetin’ clothes.” The game of tag was going on almost in slow motion. The kids dare not get their clothes dirty. A couple of the children gave me a greeting and returned their focus to the fun. It was almost surreal. Not a single kid was texting a message to another.

Bottom Line: This has been a hard week. Ohio should have been done in four days, not three. There are just too many good folks to meet to try to do it all in just three days.