Day 13 – Huntington, IN to Paulding, OH

Logistics:

Since we arrived at the Campground after 9pm and set up so we could get a restful sleep with the AC at full blast, we would not have to drive in the AM. We of course ignored our alarm and finally got moving around 6:30. The RV looked like a war zone with dirty dishes still in the sink, computers on every surface and towels and cloths hanging on each hook. First order was coffee, then some lite b-fast. We had decided since it would be another scorcher today and we had 60 miles to go we would save ourselves and Zin some suffering today and leave her in her kennel in the RV with the AC going. She however was anxious to join us as she responded to seeing us in our biking clothes and helmets. We coaxed her into her Kenel and said our good-byes to two very sad eyes looking at us thru the Kennel. By 7:22 we were off.

The Route:

We only had to go about 4 miles off the route from our site to get back on the designated trail. After a short climb out of a creek bed we were greeted with nothing but flat open space. There was really little to observe. We counted 5 cars, 4 dogs (one with 3 legs), 2 cats, 2 fellow cyclists and 1 live snake in the first 21 miles. We also noticed that in Indiana some of the farm houses have put in quite elaborate swimming holes, complete with docks, beach areas, lounge chairs, diving boards and our favorite a rope swing! We contemplated if these 'natural' swimming pools were more economical than a more industrial lap pool. We figured the maintenance cost alone would justify this more natural alternative. We were making great time as we hit the 20 mile mark when Kevin heard whimpers, grunts, snarls, and wines from behind. Theresa was gradually slowing down because of an excruciating back ache. She did take her Aleve this AM but it was not helping. For those of us who suffer period back spasams or pain it can almost cripple a person, and definitely makes it a challenge to breath easily.

The towns along our route were virtually non-existant today. Many existed as a dot on the map due to a small post office. The only things we say repeatedly were Marathon Gas stations. Kevin pondered why they were named Marathon. Then it occurred to him that each station was placed 26.2 miles apart in any direction. The first was in Hoagland, which was our initial rest stop at 27 mile. We asked if there was any cafe in town but the reply was “there used to be one but it closed”. This was a common theme in these small towns as we noticed lots of vacant store fronts and very little services. We settled for a hoagie sandwich with Turkey, Ham, Cheese and the key ingredient of bologna (suppling the needed fat and salt), diet Pepsi and a Payday. We sat across the street in the shade of a Lutheran Church on the ledge of a planter for about 40 min. Theresa stretched out her back and studied the maps and helped Kevin down the hoagie. The 10am church bells rang as we once again mounted our bikes for the next stop Monroeville, which would mark the transition from one American Cycle Assoc. map ( #9) to the 2^nd and final map on our journey. Each map has approximately 400 miles carefully charted in full detail. We now continue our adventure with Section # 8 of the Northern Tier.

So on to Monroeville as the two began to slowly ramp up their speed and cadence in an effort to do slightly better than the days prior average speed.

With 23 miles left of their 60+ planned day Theresa begged for a brief stop to switch maps and to stretch her back once again. She read the directions a few times and off we continued. A turn east was required in the center of the town, however the street signs did not match the directions. After a few false turns we concluded someone had turned the signs! Sometimes you just have to go by feel. Thank you to whomever thought that was a bright idea. We only had one more stop in 13 miles before we completed our ride for the day. We followed a creek bed that wound us NE. The road was smooth and flat with a small shoulder. Theresa tucked in behind Kevin to get any draft to gain any speed she could muster. There was a stiff breeze that gave us a bit of a cross tail wind. There was nothing refreshing about the wind, it was hot and dry, and the pavement provided the same sensation as an open door on the oven once it is at temperature. Parched we arrived at our last stop, Payne, which surprisingly had another Marathon station. Wanting something cold, we inquired about a cafe or ice cream shop. Pleasantly there was one just 2 block off the path. The blocks were very residential and the yards were full of debris from not just one but two severe storms that ravaged the area. Alas we pulled into what may have been the only dining in town as the noon sirens sounded trucks pulled in and out grabbing a quick lunch. Kevin collapsed in a shaded picnic table in a gazebo next to the Drive Inn. Theresa got sodas, water and an ice cream cone. Ice was the key ingredient here. Kevin put some in is dew rag and let it melt to cool down his head. Talk about brain freeze! Theresa took any remaining ice and wrapped it in here neckerchief and put it behind her neck to melt the last 10 miles of the ride. She balanced the act of keeping ice on her neck while also rapidly devouring the Ice Cream cone which was on the verge of sublimating from a solid to a gas and bypassing the liquid stage.

We asked the locals if there was any short cut to Paulding. “NOPE, you gota go down the road to the lights and make the turn thru town and follow 500 all the way. As we finaly reached the edge of Paulding we elected not to go thru town because on our way out yesterday we discovered that the roads were bad and heavily traveled. Thanks to Google we found a way around to the north side of town where we rejoiced at seeing the golden arches, and one more Marathon station, which meant the car was near. Once in the car the temp registered 106 degrees. These have been 2 of the hottest days we have ever biked in over 40+ years of biking!

Stats:

Day 9 of riding, 62.1 miles (metric century), 14 mph avg, total trip miles 455, and 3846 calories burned for the days ride.

Kevin's Garmin stats:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/196749597#.T_izCH23ZIA.email

After the Ride:

We loaded the bikes up and Theresa fetched water from the store then we headed the 50 miles back to the campsite. Since we got in so late last night we needed to officially register and get all the paperwork done. The facility would be nice if we every got out of the RV to walk around and enjoy it. The heat is keeping us indoors as we work had to cool off. There were even several small ponds for fishing and swimming. Zin was very happy to see us and we assured her that she was much better off inside the AC than riding in the trailer in this heat. Kevin suggested Pasta for dinner and it hit the spot.

Plans for tomorrow:

Theresa is struggling with plans for the next 2 days as the campsite we are targeting is 11 miles off the route. We may just let Google guide us and worry about getting back on the trail in a few days. We don't move the RV until Monday, so we have a day to get the details figured out.

Day 12 – Paulding, OH to Mary Jane Thurston Park

Logistics:

Theresa googled Paulding and found a Chief's grocery store that would be suitable to stage the Jeep overnight until we bike back to it on Saturday. Knowing it was going to be the Hottest day yet we were up at 5:30 put some last items in the Jeep, took coffee with us and drove the 40 + miles to Paulding. Kevin went in and asked if it is OK to leave the car while Theresa took Zin to do her AM duty. All was OK so we prepared for today's trek. Kevin discovered he did not bring his dew rag that helps keep the sweat out of his eyes and Theresa forgot her sunglasses. Kevin had another pair of glasses in the Jeep that had the needed bifocal reader so Theresa could read the maps and directions. Kevin however was not looking forward to sweat dripping and stinging his eyes. We were finally ready to roll by 7:30am (still not very early considering the heat of the day and the 53 mile route).

The Route:

Having not eaten in the RV we rolled across the street to McDonalds to consume fuel for the day. Kevin had a large OJ with his Sausage McMuffin, Theresa on the other hand still needed more coffee to wash down her Egg McMuffin. Zin got a few morsels of sausage as she loves meat. As we eat our b-fast several utility trucks rolled by carrying what we assumed were poles to repair the damage from recent heavy storms in the area. At about 8:00 we were ready to roll South to pick up the designated trail. There was not a cloud in the sky so the sun was in full intensity immediately! Theresa took the first pull out of town and into the abyss of Ohio. There was absolutely nothing except open fields patch-worked with country roads with large numbered signs. This made it easy to identify our turns. Locals who passed in pick up trucks gave us a friendly wave. The first switch of the trailer was at 11 miles at a crossroads named Junction (cleaver these Ohioans). We turned onto a road that followed the Auglaise river. The roads were smooth but rolled up and down to river level then back up to about 50 feet. That may not seem like much of a climb but with 80 lbs of dog and trailer and a heavy bike in the heat even the slightest climb slowed us down by 3-5 mph. The next large town was Defiance. Theresa needed to pick up some lip medicine as her lips were beginning to blister from the intense sun exposure, even with sunscreen applied liberally several times each day, she will inevitably break out! Kevin spotted a Chief's grocery store with a Pharmacy so we pulled into some shade at the far edge of the parking lot. Theresa got what she needed and also found some little girl's head bands that might serve to stop the sweat now pouring from Kevin's helmet into his eyes. He and Zin rested in the shade and drank some water. In this heat we also tried to pour water on Zin to keep her from over heating. Despite the fact she is not peddling she is still sitting upright in the trailer and using her legs to balance as the trailer rolls down the road. This does wear her out, but she is never reluctant to hop back in the trailer and go for a ride. We have also started to leave the back flap of the trailer open so that she will get more airflow. Kevin continued to pull Zin to the next stop, Florida, which promised at least a grocery store in 9 miles. We were now following the Maumee river on the north side. There were spots where trees provided some shade over the road but it was short lived and was of little relief. We pulled into Florida and spied the only store with a sign “Closed for remodeling” , great! Kevin was over heating so he laid down on a picnic table in the shade. Theresa saw a garden hose leading behind a building. She tuned on the water and began to spray the water from her head to tow. Kevin did the same and Zin reluctantly got the same treatment. Water bottles where filled but no restrooms were needed as we were all sweating everything out! Theresa's turn to pull again. It was another 10 mile stretch into Napoleon. She kept a steady 10-11mph pace but did have to contend with the fluctuating gradual climbs. Once in town we crossed to the south side of the Maumee River and stopped at a Subway. Sirens sounded the noon alarm so the wait for the sandwich was a bit long as a line of 7 or so workers were ahead of her. We sat in the shade outside and consumed some much needed lunch. We watered Zin and gave her a few remains from our meal. Theresa was a bit recovered and ready to continue for a bit further as she estimated 12 miles to the campsite. Out side of town we joined hwy 6 with a constant stream of semi trucks passing in both directions. Most gave us our space as there was not much of a shoulder and Theresa seemed to accelerate from the draft as they passed. Several where heading in and out of a large Campbell's soup plant which also produced V8. Who drinks that stuff? According to the map the route was suppose to follow the river but it was about 1 mile away from it so there was no shade, only the sun baking the road (and us) as it reflected the heat. As we later discovered the temp was 105 with a heat index of 115. Theresa was getting slower and slower and only able to barely do 8mph. She at last found some shade so Kevin could take over the 80lbs of rolling resistance and make the death march the last 7 miles to the camp site. We passed 5 different RV parks leading up to our campground, all with full hook ups and wished we had booked any of these instead of where we were at so we could have immediate relief from the heat when we arrived.

Stats:

Day 8 of riding, 53 miles, 12 mph avg, total trip miles 393, and 2936 calories burned for the days ride.

See Kevin's garmin stats here:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/196439447#.T_eiW1uWzfY.email

How hot was it?

It was so hot we had to hold the water from our bottles in our mouth just to cool it off before we swallowed it.

It was so hot that Kevin's Garmin over heated.

It was so hot Kevin saw mirages of Ice Cream cones and Ice Castles.

It was so hot that a water bottle that Kevin packed with ice was completely melted and warm in 3.1 miles.

It was so hot that upon the end of our ride when we stepped into the RV it felt cooler than outside. The RV was closed baking in the sun with no AC all day. We the temp in the RV and it was 98. (which was cooler than outside.)

It was so hot that Kevin got a 2^nd degree burn from his frame when he loaded it up on the bike rack.

It was so hot that 2 ACs running off the generator in the RV could only get the temp down to 88 degrees in 4 hours!

It was so hot that the external temp registered at 119 on the RV.

It was so hot that our fat melted off our bodies like squeeze butter!

After the ride:

We sat out side in the shade and breeze and downed ice water and ice beer. After 2 hours the RV temp was at 90 and not making any more progress. We sprayed ourselves with the outside shower (which was hot) then went inside and turned on every fan we could find! The generator will surely be running all night! Kevin called our insurance about the RV windshield that we hope to get repaired when we are staying in Moline, IL before RAGBRAI. Reconsidering the generator running all night we found a private campground near Huntington, IN that had full hook up and had a site for 3 days! We gathered all the gear spread out over our current (water only) site in less that 30 min and were off about 100 miles to the comfort of 50amp, water, sewer and even internet.

Plans for tomorrow:

With the new campsite Theresa will have to figure out tomorrows distance back to the car in Paulding. Yes we say good by to Ohio, but not the heat. There is one more high heat day forecasted for tomorrow. Maybe we get up at 3AM so that we can hit the road by 6 and be done before noon.

Day 11 – Mary Jane Thurston Park to Fremont Walmart

ITEM of special note: On the drive in the RV to the previous campgrounds the RV was attacked by a Kamikaze BIRD. The bird flew straight into the top of the windshield with a resounding THUMP. The SmitTanic seemed to have survived the attack unscathed.

As Kevin was prepping the RV two days later to leave for the next destination he noticed a large 12” crack in the front windshield. The crack started at the top of the windshield half way between the driver and passenger. The crack ran down and then curved slightly towards the driver side. Kevin felt the windshield and could not detect the crack on the inside. He then went out side to look for the crack from the outside. No crack is detected. We learned the the RV has triple pane glass in the windshield. It appears that the middle pane is the one that is compromised. Kevin marked the end of the crack with a piece of tape to see if it progresses. He will need to call the insurance company to see what can be done to replace the windshield. Ideally it can last until his week long stay in Moline Illinois prior to the start of RAGBRAI.

Logistics:

We new that it would be a 2 hour drive to get the RV to MJ Thurston Park in Grand Rapids, OH so it was up early (5 am) to get the RV ready to move. Even planning ahead and doing a lot of Prep the night before we still were not able to leave the campgrounds until around 6:30 am. The skies were dark due to the early time and the threatening storm clouds. As we made our way down the road the rain and wind and lightening entertained us. On our way to the drop off site we stopped at a very elaborate truck stop complete with several dining options and even a Starbucks. Kevin added Diesel and Theresa gabbed a breakfast sandwich. Upon arrival at the next camp site for the RV we recognized there was no place to park the rig until check in time. We had already had a conversation with the camp host who informed us there was a Marina just down the road were we could stage the RV until our arrival back on the bikes to then check into the campgrounds. The skies had unloaded a bit on the drive over but appeared to be dry, but cloudy for our late 8:45 start.

The Route:

Theresa pulled Zin first. The route took the trio back thru 'town' along the Maumee River then turned right into the headwind for a 7 mile stretch. Theresa assessed all of her aches and pains from yesterday and wished she had taken some Aleve before she started, oh well at least the sun was muffled by some heavy cloud cover. She shifted the Green Machine into the middle chain ring up front and could barely make 8.5 mph. Slow and steady was the mornings motto! The sun was starting to peek thru as the cloud cover slowly melted away, the winds started to shift more westerly to our favor (mostly). The roads were very smooth, newly paved with no shoulder but few cars. The first town was Bowling Green, our route took us straight thru and Theresa's plan was to find a place to get a cold beverage and swap the trailer on the far side of town. In the middle of the straight shot thru town was major construction and a not very well marked detour that added about 3 miles out of our way (that sucked). Once back on the trail and the other side of Bowling Green Theresa disparately looked for a suitable place (shade, bathrooms and cold drinks) but all there was was a golf course and some businesses. She kept peddling checking the map it was 11 miles to the next potential stop. At this point the road headed NE which was mostly with the wind at their backs the roads continued to be exceptionally smooth so Theresa settled in and kept a blistering 12-13 mph pace (wooohoo). As we rolled into the metropolis of Pemberville we spotted a Diner on the Left with no shade and 2 (not open) eateries on the right with shade. We parked in the shade and talked to a local (who happened to own one of the not open establishments named The Forks) to get the skinny. She said the Diner was the only thing open and suggested we could get some thing to go and sit in the shade. What a grand idea! Theresa was off to procure lunch and Kevin took Zin behind some buildings to do her business. After a good rest and downing ice water and some Diet Coke, we were ready to hit the road. Zin drank lots of water as well and was refreshed and cooled down by the water that Kevin poured on her. Theresa had pulled Zin 27 miles, the rest of the route (about 25) would be left for Kevin! By this time the sun had made a rude appearance and turned the steamy ride into a sauna.

Kevin's turn into the head winds south awoke his legs and heartbeat as he tried to stay below his max heart rate. Kevin was recognizing that he felt better, could ride longer and steadier if he was able to keep his heart rate just below 120 bpm. This got him thinking of what his max is and what 80% of max is for him. Last time he calculated it was many years ago. Back then 80% of max was somewhere around 150 BPM. Lately he has struggled to achieve that. He associated that difficulty with being out of shape, over weight, and getting older. OLDER that was it. He had not recalculated his heart rate zones in years. SO. For several miles as he watched his heart rate he also calculated the following formula in his head. MAX heart rate = 220 – age. For Kevin that is 220 – 60 = 160. Then calculate 80% of that for your peak Target Zone. For Kevin that is 80% of 160 = 128. WHAT 128 is the top of his work out zone, and all this time he has been pushing to reach that 150 range. Getting old means you got to pace yourself more.

After 2 miles once again we turned east (with the wind mostly) and he picked up the pace into Gibsonburg. No stop was made (even with Theresa pleas'), “stopping gets us no where!”, Kevin just wanted this trek to be over! Seems like the last 10 miles are always the worst! We had a straight away towards the target town of Fremont and turned onto a road that was not even 1 lane. There were 2 cars that passed us and both had to go in the grass to get by. The road had no lines panted on it (why bother). We deviated from the AC (Adventure Cycling) route only to get to the Walmart on the north side of Fremont. Finally done! It was 96 degrees with a heat index of 107.

Stats:

Day 7 of riding, 50 miles, 12.1 mph avg, total trip miles 340, and 2865 calories burned for the days ride.

See Kevin's garmin stats here:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/196142251#.T_YtcunKg78.email

After the ride:

First order of business was to get something cold in us. Theresa went in for round 1 at Walmart for cold Beer, water and a Payday. Second round would take 1 hour with a shopping list that spanned every corner of the store at least once if not twice to find everything but one on the list. Meanwhile Kevin and Zin sat in the jeep with the air going as a downpour doused the black asphalt parking lot causing steam to rise. One more quick trip into the Lowes across the street to get the remaining item then on to the campground. The site was a water only site with only a port-a-pottie for the campers. The only other occupants where the camp hosts, who came out in the rain to great us. Kevin maneuvered the Smitanic into the designated slot with no issue. It was 5:30pm, 12 hours since we began our day. Wine was poured and dinner prepared on the grill.

Item of Note: the crack in the windshield grew an extra inch on the drive to todays campground.

Tomorrow's Plans:

Theresa has yet to figure out the route for tomorrow that will be about 52 miles. That is the next chore after this write up is done while Kevin makes his edits.

Day 10 – Fremont, OH Walmart to Vermillion, OH

Logistics:

Today we stage our leap frog vehicle, the Jeep, at a Walmart in Fremont, OH. The route takes us right thru the center of town and the Walmart is on north side. So there will be a short way to get back on the trail. To our liking this is a Super Walmart which is open 24 hours, which means the Jeep will be a bit safer and when we get done tomorrow we can get supplies. Kevin checked in with the manager on duty to confirm we could leave the vehicle over night and with a thumb up we were rolling by 7:45. Got to Love Walmart.

The Route:

see this link Day 10 – Fremont, OH Walmart to Vermillion, OH

The temps today were suppose to be 95+ with a heat index of 103, the good news was the storms were off to the north and east and the winds were from the W at 7-10 mph. We lathered up with sunscreen (yes even Zin got some on her nose), stuck an American flag in her trailer just to show our spirit and began our planned 54 mi day. South of Fremont we caught an 8 mile bike path which was a converted RR track. There were a number of bikers and joggers out getting their morning work out in before any celebrations that we greeted as we rolled by. There was not much of a view on the trail as it was encased with trees and bushes. This kept the sun off but also blocked any tail wind advantage. Once the trail ended we turned onto some country roads that were smooth and were unexpectedly lightly traveled for a holiday. Kevin counted One Tractor and 6 cars in 2 miles. Corn was the main crop and was head high on this 4^th of July. Theresa had charted the route with Google maps using their bicycling transportation mode, this was mostly good, but did change the route unexpectedly even when you force a path using the tools provided by Google. Needless to say her printed directions were a bit confusing and did not jive with the Adventure Cycling instructions. One needs to ask why we don't just use the maps we paid for. Oh, because Theresa loves maps and just has to do map work. This caused a few stops to validate we were on course. (which map should we follow) Even with all that checking and rechecking Theresa still turned to left on one road when it should have been right... this took us 2 miles off route ( a 4 mile total out and back). By that time Kevin had pulled Zin 20+ miles and was ready to be relieved. Theresa then pulled Zin the 2 mile back to get to the correct turn and was then able to maintain a 14mph pace with the wind pushing the trailer like a sail. After a long hot but flat 20 mile pull Theresa was done, Zin was whining and Kevin confirmed that he too was hungry! Theresa already had the look in her eyes that suggested she needed food or someone would DIE, and it was not going to be her. At a junction we found shade at a Subway and shared a 12in Club and washed to down with Ice Tea. Zin did get a few bites and drank lots of water. We also poured water all over her just to get her cooled down a bit. That seemed to do the trick! Kevin took over pulling the remainder of the route. We cruised North-east for about 5 miles until we where once again hugging the shores of Lake Erie. This section of Hwy 6 was nice and had a wide shoulder but was rutted along the white line. While these rumble strips help drivers, who wander off the road, know they need to stay awake, it was a pain for Kevin with the trailer as he tried to thread, like a needle, the rumble strips and the edge of the road. He tried several times to use the shoulder of the road to let cars go by but he finally gave up and just stayed in the main road and let cars go around him. (Observation – cars will give a bicyclist more room if the bike rides on the road than on the shoulder). Finally we hit our last turn with just 3 miles to the campsite. It was none to soon as we were all exhausted and ready for the relief of AC in the RV. Kevin was just on the verge of a BONK. Upon completion he checked his Blood Pressure and it was 104 over 61 the sign of a BONK.

Stats:

Kevin went thru 1 water bottle every 10 miles (including using it to douse Zin on several occasions)

Day 6 of riding, 54.12 miles, 12.7 mph avg, total trip miles 290, and 3225 calories burned

See Kevin's garmin stats here: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/195809192#.T_SxpsFvYV4.email

After the Ride:

Beer on Ice was poured and enjoyed inside the RV out of the sun. A short nap, some munchies then we were able to tackle putting stuff away as we need to prepare to move the RV tomorrow to another campground. Too much heat today, so we will just chill in the RV and eat Erky-learky (Whatever Theresa can come up with from what is in the frig).

Tomorrow's plans:

We leapfrog where the jeep is parked and take the RV to MaryJane Thurston Park about 100 miles away. In order to get an early start we will disconnect the RV tonight bring up the jacks and bring in the sliders so we are ready to roll by 6am (right - like that will happen).

Day 9 – Breakfast surprise

We slept in late, started some laundry, made some toast for breakfast and took it outside to enjoy the campsite before we started on the tasks for the day. Just as we were finishing our first cup of coffee Theresa let out a scream! Kevin thought she had been stung by a bee! Then he saw a familiar face coming thru the surrounding campsite …. Jim and Alise found us!

What a great surprise! We were thrilled to see them. Jim had looked at Kevin's Garmin map for our last day of biking and found the coordinates for the campsite and plugged that into his phone and turned out it was only 4 miles off their course to Elkhart! They had dove almost the entire night to get this far on their way to Elkart. We visited for a bit as a thunderstorm rolled thru (glad we were not biking) and discussed how Elkhart was the meka of RVs, as many are manufactured there. In fact Jim worked on constructing RVs as a summer job when he was a lad. Kevin quickly latched on to that and told him about every issue we had on our rigg. Jim's response was “I can build them not repair them”. At a lull in the storm, our surprise visitors retreated to their car to continue to their destination. What fun it was to see them and catch up on the bike group back in Cary (Thorns N Roses).

Theresa was again working today and had a few calls scheduled and more catching up to do for work. Kevin worked on organizing pictures. It was a good day to just hang inside the RV as the rain continued to patter in spurts on the roof of the RV. We looked up the forecast for tomorrow which is 91 degrees, 60% humidity, 30% possibility of thunderstorms and 11 mph WSW winds. Not so good.

Day 8 – Recovery day at the Riverside RV Park in Vermillion, OH

After pure torture yesterday, we were very happy that today was a work day for Theresa and recovery day for Kevin and Zin! Sleep was in snippets interrupted by cramping in legs and feet, but with no alarm set all were able to accumulate enough rest. Breakfast was bacon, eggs and toast along with coffee. Theresa logged in and assessed what was awaiting her after the long weekend away from work. Since the 4^th is on Wed she was hoping it would be a slow week and she would be able to catch up on administrivia tasks that had been put on the back burner. She also spent some time charting out the remainder of the route adding up 50-60 mile segments and identifying potential campgrounds. The next bike day will be on July 4^th which will take us away from Lake Erie and into the heart of Ohio. There are few large towns which translates into no Walmart stops so we will be relying on state or local campgrounds to house the RV.

To minimize breaking camp every morning we have adopted a new logistic strategy that allows us to stay in one location for 2 nights in a row. We take the car 50 miles west then bike back to the RV, then we take the RV 50 miles past the car to the next campsite (day 1) and the next day bike back to the car and bring it back to RV, then on day 2 at the campsite we drive the car 50 miles west and bike back to the RV to stay the night and then repeat.... Theresa tried multiple times to explain the sequence to Kevin even a spreadsheet did not help, perhaps a diagram with arrows and little miniature vehicles will help. Or maybe not.

Even with all the detailed planning Theresa came up one day shy of making it to Muscatine, IA in the remaining days allowed for biking. This shortcoming even included a one 75 mile day that needs to be broke up to be able to survive the attempt. So the challenge for tomorrow is to turn one 75 mile day into two shorter ones and to find yet another day that will allow for the balance of work and play.

Dinner was Salmon and Cowboy potatoes on the grill with a salad and of course some wine. It was a beautiful evening so we eat out dinner outside. One more recovery day tomorrow before we start our 6+ days of riding in a row.

Later that evening Alise Cobb had texted Theresa that they were on their way to Elkart, IN where their parents and family are from and wondered if our route was near by. Theresa quickly Googled it and at the closest we would be 1-4 hours away and that would not be until July 8. Theresa texted Alise the towns we were going thru and some of the planned campsites. She responded back that a meeting was just not in the cards. RATS. It would have been fun to see them.

Day 7 – Vermillion to Willougby Walmart

Logistics:

Since the car was waiting for us at the Walmart we only had to get up and get ready to ride, but even as we knew we faced a long day we still were slow to move and did not get on the road before 8:15. Kevin was already frustrated as he kept on loosing his cleat cover just walking up the hill to the road. We knew it was going to be a long hot day.

The route:

See the route here:

Vermillion to Willoughby Walmart

We needed to head north about 2 miles to catch back the designated route, then turn right and once again follow the coast of Lake Erie. We never get tired of seeing the massive body of water to our left. We followed Lake Rd which was lined with well groomed million dollar mansions which gave us little concern about the state of the economy. Along the start of the ride the roadway was OK but soon we were dodging debris and pot holes. The roads along the Lake in OH really suck! Kevin pulled Zin first so that Theresa could navigate, after about 21 miles we stopped at Jakes on the Lake for some rehydration and carbo-protein-fat injection of Biscuits and Gravy. Man did that hit the spot, even Zin got to lick up some of the remnants. Theresa was now set to take her turn pulling the dog. She soon realized the effort it took just to make 10mph. The strain on her pulling 30 labs of dog trailer along with the 55 lb dog allowed her to only last for 11 miles. She elected to relinquish the dog after crossing a bridge that marked the West edge of Cleveland. We continued along Lake road admiring yet more Multi-Million Dollar mansions until we reached a left turn that gave us a panoramic view of Cleveland in the near distance (see the pictures we posted). Total distance covered viewing these Multi Million Dollar mansions on the west end of Cleveland totaled 23 miles. After this high spot we navigated the Cleveland Lakefront State Park on a bike trail which was welcome relief to the pitted, tattered and well traveled road. The park was well attended as it was Sunday and there were plenty of picnic spots as well as a very nice beach, for all to enjoy! Once we exited the beach area we made a sharp right and climb along the bike path to a section of town that was a complete contrast to the Multi Million Dollar mansions not more than 2 miles away. The only similarity was that the folks in either section of town all commented on “how cool is that Dog”! We followed the Cleveland Lakefront Bicycle Route (CLBR) thru downtown Cleveland, which took us under the main bridge to another smaller bridge and then back up to downtown via a sharp right and up hill that reminded Theresa of a San Francisco climb. As Kevin attempted to attack the hill the pressure on the chain was so intense that the front derailer would not shift into and easier chain ring. This caused Kevin to make a quick U-turn to the downhill so he could shift and then make another U-turn with the gears now selected to allow for the grueling climb. The CLBR took us around the Brown's stadium and then on to the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame (see pics) it then continued, paralleling I90 to the right and an airport to the left. After the Airport the CLBR continued and exposed more park areas as well as scenery. Ultimately the route ended and left us back on the unkept roads to dodge potholes and cars. Kevin was spent after pulling the dog all but 11 miles he begged Theresa for a guesstimate of the remaining mileage. She quickly said “2 miles” but did not indicate if that was to the turn or the finish. Theresa was hoping the turn was soon and kept looking for the street name. Suddenly there it was and they both made the turn but Kevin had to stop... Theresa went on for about a quarter mile then noticed Kevin was stopped so she turned around. Kevin was letting his heart rate decrease a bit and Theresa told him that there was only 1.5 miles left to the Walmart. This was little comfort to Kevin as he had absolutely nothing left, zilch, notta, zip... completely done! Ready to get this over they both rolled out down the thankfully flat remainder of the route into Walmart! We packed everything in the car, then Theresa headed in to the store to grab some needed grocery items. Kevin and Zin sat in the Car with the Air-conditioning at full force. Unfortuantly this was not a Super Walmart so it had no produce, so we made an additional stop at another store to complete our list.

Stats:

58.5 miles, 11.1 mph avg, total trip miles 236, days riding 5 and 3347 calories burned

After the ride:

We charted a course back the Riverside RV park in Vermillion which was about 1 hour. Once at the site Kevin dumped the gray water from the RV while Theresa unloaded the groceries. It was about 5pm so we had time for showers before thinking about dinner. Theresa took some leftovers from a Italian restaurant meal and added what they had lacked in vegetables and garlic and meat to make a stellar on the spot meal for the famished cyclists. As we finished our dinner and began to log the days events a storm complete with thunder and lightening rolled thru. We were glad to have the comfort and protection of the RV from the elements not to mention the satellite TV and internet :)

Tomorrow's plans:

Kevin and Theresa will be working, thought this may seem like a vacation from biking! We will be charting out the next few days as it seems we will ultimately be short of our goal to make it to Muscatine, IA by July 14-15^th.