Day 6 – Willoughby, OH Walmart to Indian Creek RV resort

Logistics:

We were just not moving very fast in the morning... Kevin had set his alarm for 5:30 am, Theresa had set hers to 6 am. Both alarms were totally ignored. Kevin claims he did not want to wake up our camping neighbors, who were in a tent only 4 feet from the drivers side of the RV. That was the side that had the water and sewer hook-ups. Theresa thought he was actually waiting to wake up a bit himself. Since check out time was 11 am and we would not be back to the RV until after 2 pm we needed to unhook the RV and store it in a different location until we returned at the end of the ride. Just as we were done parking the RV and contemplating our drive to the start some sprinkles started to fall. We both looked at each other and decided to give it a go and elected to drive the car to a Walmart on the east side of Cleveland. Kevin went in to ask if is was OK to leave the car overnight and was assured it would be OK. Got to Love Walmart. The plan was to do the ride then drive the RV, leapfrogging the car to a campground on the west side of Cleveland so we are ready for Sunday's ride thru Cleveland back to the car.

The Route:

The Walmart was only 2 miles south of the route, the rain appeared to be past us (good thing we had a late start) so we headed north to pick up Lakeshore Blvd and once again follow (mostly) along the edge of Lake Erie. The road had a useless bike lane full of debris and potholes. We are convinced that Bike Lanes are not a bikers friend. We noticed that drivers give you less space if riding in a bike lane than in the road. Not sure if it was because it was Saturday or Ohio, but the drivers seemed to be very much in a hurry and not give us much breathing room. They were much like NC drivers who pass you just to make a turn in front of you. PA drivers were much more pleasant. Zin got lots of attention from passing cars as they giggled and comment how cute she is and how much fun she was having! The route today had lots of twists and turns. Theresa had charted a 41 mile route with all the turns using google maps, however the turns did not match the Adventure Cycling charts (which were very confusing as well). It was hard to tell where one town stopped and another started except for a dip into a river valley and back up the other side. Kevin pulled Zin the first 16, then swapped out and Theresa pulled for the next 17 miles, which included head winds and a monster hill the required the Green Machine's granny gear. She could not even pass a guy who was pushing his bike up the same hill, but she did make it. We stopped with 8 miles left at a DQ for something cold. Theresa shared a small cone with Zin who licked every drop from the cone and then finished that as well. All mounted up and prepared to finish the days ride. As we biked thru Geneva State Park we welcomed the shade of each tree as it was reaching 91 degrees. We were thinking of our TNR buddies riding in 100+ and thankful we were coasting along with 5-7 mph tailwinds and lower humidity. We completed our route thru the town of Geneva on the Lake, which felt like riding thru a state fair. Kevin seemed to think it was a retirement community for Carnies. We finally rolled into the RV park at about 3:30 ish.

Stats:

Route is here: Willoughby Walmart to Indian Creek RV resort in Geneva on the Lake

44 miles, 12 mph avg, total trip miles 177, days riding 4 and 2500 calories burned

After the ride:

Exhausted Kevin headed to get a shower while Theresa chilled with a ice beer. The jeep was already staged for Sunday's end so we needed to get the Riverside Campground and Marina where we will stay for 5 nights! We recalled a very steep railroad crossing to get to I90 thru Geneva and we did not want to bottom out with the RV and become the Smitanic Teter-totter. We inquired to an alternate route to make the 100 miles to the campgrounds. The new campground entrance was a steep downhill that led to a very narrow opening and sharp turns to get into our assigned site. After blocking the entrance and exit for about 10 min. one of the other residents helped us maneuver into our spot along the river. In order to get into the site Kevin had to maneuver the RV using small adjustments forward and then back and then forward and then back. Most of the maneuvers included driving the RV into the trees and bushes on either side of the RV. The front tires were dangerously close to falling into a ditch during each incremental adjustment as he walked the RV into the site with assistance from both Theresa and a local who was very skilled at parking Big Rigs in Tight places. The next challenge will be upon departer time when Kevin and Theresa will be all alone in figuring out how to extract the SmitTanic from its narrow slip. The campgrounds prides itself as a Best Kept Secret, but there was lots of traffic in and out so I think the secret is long been leaked! The Smitanic was all settled in to it's new home finally around 7, then the nightly update, dinner and planning began!

Tomorrow's plans:

We will ride from here as early as possible 57 miles back to the Walmart in Willoughby, do some shopping, pick up the abandoned Jeep, and then head back to the RV.

Day 5 - Geneva on the Lake to West Erie, PA

Logistics:

Today will be our 3^rd day of riding. After a very late night getting set up in the Walmart parking lot (thanks to Allstays app), we were not ready to face the heat and miles. We loaded up the Jeep with the bikes, helmets, Doggy Ride and the rest of the stuff we needed and made our first stop at Wegmanns. This store would be one reason to relocate to this area. It has everything and lots of folks to help you find with you need. Theresa could hav spent more time there but her mission was to get 2 coffees and something eatable to fuel us for the days 45 mile ride. The coffee was good and the breakfast sandwich was great. Even Kevin ate the whole thing which is unusual for him to eat any b-fast. We drove about 50 miles to the Indian Creek RV NASCAR resort to check in and see where we could park the car while we do our ride and return with the RV. We were directed to the Laundry building parking which conveniently had the restrooms as well. After everyone made a bathroom stop we were all ready to roll. We left the Wegmanns lot at 7:15 and were finally rolling on our bikes by 8:45... we really need to work on getting up earlier to beat the heat of the day!

Route:

Theresa pulled Zin for the first 19 miles along Lake Erie. Once the sweat started to drip at a steady stream she was able to keep a slow but steady pace of 13 mph. The route was mostly flat with 1 or 2 hills thrown it just to see if she could figure out the right gears to use. All varieties of road kill spotted the road which first took us thru the quaint town of Ashtabula, which was decorated with large hanging basket of flowers for the 4 blocks that defined it's “downtown”. Next there was a long stretch of flat unpopulated road where we took a break to get Zin a drink and roll onward. Theresa was ready to unload the trailer so we stopped at a gas station convenience store at the outskirts of Conneaut but “no bathrooms for you” (nor anyone) was the reply to Kevin's request. We swapped out Zin and move on. Shouldn't it be a requirement to allow customers to use a restroom? We went a bit further and spotted a small cafe with seating outside so we stopped and had a ice tea and used the facilities. When Kevin went inside he immediately spotted the large homemade cinnamon rolls and had to order one to share with Theresa. This hit the spot and would surely fuel them for the remainder of the ride. With Kevin towing the trailer now the speeds increased from a whapping 13mph to 15 mph. With just 7 miles to go Theresa's foot had gone numb and Kevin was about to bonk from the heat. We pulled into a Farmers Market and sat in the shade for a bit just thinking about how our fellow TNR buddies in Cary, NC are facing 100 degrees and we are suffering at 90. Hot is hot at that point! As we rode a few more miles we saw a big down then up hill with barricades and a Detour sign. Glad that we did not have to face yet another hill we turned right but then checked with Theresa's iPhone which way to head. We only had 3 miles to go and of course 1 hill right at the end! Kevin used his granny gear on his triple as Zin was still in tow, while Theresa was comfortably spinning the Green Machine in the middle front ring and the low gear in back. Even without the trailer the GM adds lots of weight to haul up any hill (that is her excuse anyway). We were glad to return to Walmart and see the Smitanic waiting for us.

Stats:

45 miles, 13.5 mph avg, total trip miles 132, days riding 3

After the ride:

We drove the RV back to the RV park which BTW adds NASCAR to it's name because it has a feed of the races that it shows in a large screen at the front of the park. After setting up and downloading pics we decided to try the 'restaurant' out. To our surprise it was a wine bar which we did enjoy along with some dinner! Kevin and Zin proceeded to go into food comma while Theresa finished the blog write up and laundry.

Tomorrow's plans:

We were fortunate to get a site for 4 days at a campground in Vermillion. We plan to do 41 miles tomorrow and then leave the jeep at Saturday's start and Sunday's finish (a Walmart in Willoughby) then do our ride and go directly to Sunday's start (57 miles) in Vermillion. This should save us the drop time on Sunday so maybe we can beat the heat!

Day 4 - Erie, PA Staycation

Well we are still hanging in Erie, PA while we await the repair on the RV. We did get word that they think it is the Starter and that they can possibly rebuild it and have it done today ! We were just about getting ready to fill out a change of address card for our new adopted location. :) Theresa made tacos for lunch for all the gang. She and Kevin both did a bit more work and tried to figure out when to work the biking in between calls and errands, but it is just not in the cards for today.

We did get word that the RV is Fixed! Yeah! The starter definitely had an issue, so we are pleased that they were able to repair it. We visited some friends who Kevin worked with at Progress Energy, Stacy and Steve Launcher, for a great dinner, then headed to get the RV out of hock and drive to the Walmart on the west side of Erie. We were happy to get to see friends and family here in Erie but the road is awaiting! Here is our route for tomorrow:
Geneva on the lake to West Erie, PA

We found a NASCAR RV resort with 500+ spaces that had one left for tomorrow night.  Not sure what to expect, could be interesting.

Day 3 - Erie, PA Homstead

No biking today, instead Kevin and Theresa took over the Brace living room and where on calls for work and catching up on emails and such. The RV is being looked at today and we should have some sort of verdict later today.

We took complete advantage of the accommodations and did laundry and let Zin enjoy the large yard from the extent her cable would let her. She was very jealous of Hank, a large golden retriever, as he had the freedom to roam the yard controlled by an invisible fence. We did experiment with attaching Zin to Hank with a leash and letting them walk around the yard tethered to each other. It was entertaining to watch as Zin would get close to the edge of the yard, Hank would just refuse to go any further. Hank is about 80 lbs so he always won that tug-o-war.

Tomorrow maybe a short ride, although we have some work to do as well as run back and get items from the RV and get to the store. We also made contact with some other friends who live here in Erie and will be meeting them for dinner.

Day 2 - Erie, PA to Lake Erie State Park, NY

Logistics:

After checking her email the night before and doing some catch up, Theresa needed to work the first part of the day and do any biking later on. Kevin had issues starting the RV and was very concerned about the starter and house batteries. While Theresa was on her calls, Kevin called around to see where we could get the RV looked at. He found a place about 8 miles NE from our planned start. We drove to the Truck repair center with the car and bikes on top. Theresa quickly charted an alternate route for the day that would get us from this point back to the RV so we could gather a few items for a stay at Theresa's niece's house in Erie. We then dropped off the RV and loaded all the bikes, electronics, dog, and us in the Jeep and headed to the Brace house.

Route:

The Truck Repair center was tucked behind a very busy fuel/wash/repair/hotel stop off I90. We dodged the semi trucks as they reentered the interstate to get to a narrow, but less traveled side road with a short sweet hill right off the bat! Kevin pulled Zin and the hill quickly awoke his legs for the days ride. As soon as we crested the top we could see the Lake in the distance and were relieved that we in for a wonderful 8 mile downhill coast to get to Lake Rd. Once we made the right turn on Lake Rd we were headed NE for the remaining 26 miles back to the campsite where we parked the RV. To every bikers delight the winds were in our favor coming from the West at about 15 MPH. We were happy that we were able to get some riding in today! We passed field after field of grapevines and had to work hard to resist pulling into the many wineries along the route (man we could have used a stop!) We only stopped briefly for bathroom breaks and swapping the trailer from one bike to the other. As we were anxious to get the RV into the repair place. We completed the 36 mile ride exhausted with a 13 mph average, which is great for us pulling the dog!

After the Ride:

Melody and Kirt Brace have a wonderful place South of Erie with lots of room for their 6 children and a dog. They treated us to a hamburger dinner and wine. We share pictures, videos and Kevin even read the kids a story or two! You might think that a house with 6 kids would be much like a Zoo, but we were amazed at how calm and relaxed we felt in their home. To our delight they invited us to stay even another night as we wait to hear the prognosis on the RV.

Tomorrow's Plans:

Up in the air! We expect a call sometime during the day on the status of the RV, meanwhile Kevin and Theresa will have all their laptops straining the mifi card doing work, and updating this blog with pics and such. We hope to do another short ride on Thursday to somewhere west of Erie or perhaps just do a short tour of Presque Isle on the north side of Erie.

Day 1 – Lake Erie State Park to Orchard Park

After a hefty storm during the night that shook our 8 ton RV, we woke to cloudy skies with cool temps and 18-19 mph winds from the NNE (nor-easter which has been known to sink many a ship) but the Smitanic weathered the storm! Since the car was waiting for us in Orchard Park we only had to get what we needed for the 51 mile ride and ourselves ready to go. Kevin was a bit nervous about leaving the RV sliders out while we were gone with the strong winds so we brought those in just for comfort. With breakfast and doggy pottied we were ready to roll. The course would take us pretty much straight down SR5 with very few turns. The road was pitted and the shoulder full of loose gravel. Traffic was moderate and kind. Theresa pulled Zin with the Surley for the first 16 miles. The shore was lined with houses and retreats of every religion. We felt surrounded by our friends as we road seeing roads and establishments with names like Don's Hotel, Beaver St, Jim White motors, Rob Discount tire, Pepper's Cafe, the towns of Evans and Blasdell, Holt Realty, Lotus Point Rd … which triggered a Beatle's song that stuck in Theresa's head for the day http://youtu.be/T4C7nzceL8Q.

Kevin and Zin were well hydrated and had to stop several times to get some relief. We had one navigational challenge when we turned about 1 mile too soon on Erie St vs Erie Rd. Theresa pulled out her iPhone to get us back on the right route. We continued heading NNE pushing the wind until we crested hill with a wonderful view of Buffalo and then turned away from the lake on Pleasant St which lived up to it's name as it had little traffic and provided a little tailwind. That took us right into Hamburg, then once again we had to make our last turn into the wind. Just as we were heading up the last hill, Kevin's phone rings and he takes the call trying not to puff or pant into the phone. We arrived back at Jack Devines pub famished and thirsty. Zin did great and was happy to lay in the grass for a bit while we grabbed a bite to eat before we headed back to the RV.

All in all this was a great start to our adventure. Our plans for tomorrow are a bit of a late start after Theresa does some work stuff, then we drive the Jeep to Theresa's niece's house in Erie which will be the start of a 47 mile day back to the RV which we will leave at Lake Erie State park until we get back. Here is the route for Tomorrow http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/106646779

Day 0 - Getting ready

Our Big adventure began right after our 8^th annual fundraiser for the Kassel Smit Make a Difference Fund (which was a tremendous success, thank you to everyone !)

We loaded up the RV with the jeep in tow with all our bike stuff, Theresa's Mom, her sisters Dorothy and Mary Jean and Zin. We were on the road by 6AM and rolled into Theresa's Brother's area around 2pm. We spent Father's day thru that Wed there at his place called 'Hardalee' near Cambridge, MD on the Chesapeake Bay and enjoyed Crab, fresh fish, seeing his family and helping out with some house repairs. On Thursday we headed North to Niagara Falls. Theresa's Mom, Helen Blaisdell, has always wanted to see the Falls! It was spectacular and a wonderful way to share her 91^st b-day! We all did 2 days of tours both the American side and the Canadian side. Theresa's Nephew and his wife joined us for 2 days as well. What a great week! But now on to the riding....

With everyone else all heading to their respective homes on Sunday it was time for Kevin, Theresa and Zin to begin their biking adventure. We headed about 30 miles south of Niagara Falls to Orchard Park to find a place to stage the car so it will be there when we complete the next days ride. We had called ahead to a hotel that was in our Adventure Cycling map for Orchard Park and the cleaning person assured us it would be just fine for us to leave our car there overnight. We arrived to discover that the manager would not allow us to park the car there. We searched around via iPhone to find a shopping mall or any other place that would be OK for overnight parking. There was one just about 2 miles away. At this point we had the car disconnected so Theresa drove that and Kevin was to follow her onto the Mall, we had walkie talkies to communicate while in route. Just as Kevin rounded a corner the RV GPS sounded an alarm that indicated trucks (our RV is classified as a Truck) are not allowed on the road to the Mall... so he quickly pulled into the nearest parking area and told Theresa to turn around and come back. Once again time to come up with Plan C... Kevin noticed a bike shop just down the road, we call them but the manager was out for lunch... HUMM lunch sounds good and wouldn't you know we were in the parking lot of an Irish Pub named 'Jack Devines' ! They had outdoor seating so we asked if it was OK to bring Zin in with us oh and by the way do you think we could park our car overnight?? It was yes to all requests from the very pleasant manager Rick. Kevin and I enjoyed the wonderful pub food rinsed down with Guinness ! We put the bikes on the RV and got what we needed out of the Jeep and were off to Lake Erie State park to spend 2 nights there. We got a bit of a preview of the bike route which looked fairly flat with wide shoulders. Theresa had made reservations online for the park a few days prior so we did not know what to expect. The Park was nice and we drove to our reserved site to discover it had a large tree at one end and was a bit more sloped than we were comfortable with so we made another loop around and asked for a different site. We were lucky there was one that suited us just a bit down from our reserved site with a great view of Lake Erie! With the RV parked and sliders out we began preparing for our first day or riding. Theresa charted the route on mapmyride here is the link:

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/106310875

Logistics took us about 4 hours today, so Theresa made a call to her niece who lives in Erie to get tips for our Tuesday destination. Her niece graciously offered to let us park the RV in their driveway for the night! It will be fun to see them as it has been 8 years since we saw her and her 5 kids!

The network using my Mifi is very iffy so I am not sure if I will be able to post much tonight or tomorrow but I will post as soon as I can. Should be fun!