Lying here on the sofa-bed in Craig and Chelsea's Ypsilanti apartment, I've realized it's nice to have friendships which no amount of time can diminish. Since Wednesday I have been relaxing and visiting with many people that I haven't seen for more than a year, yet it feels as though I never moved away. Everyone has been very welcoming and eager to hear of my travels making this the perfect environment to recuperate from the three long, rainy days of riding since leaving Ashtabula.
Monday was a frustrating day, not because I had to ride through downtown Cleveland, but because I was too wet to hop off my bike and enjoy the city. I entered the eastern side by way of the Lakefront Bikeway which brought me right up next to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Cleveland Browns Stadium. From there I passed quickly through the tall downtown buildings, their tops obscured by fog, and crossed the Cuyahoga River into the intriguing neighborhoods of the suburb of Lakewood. I only stopped briefly, however, to chat with a curious pedestrian who noticed my loaded panniers and asked about my destination.
The frustration ended in Rocky River when I arrived at the home of friends of a friend who warmly invited me to spend the night despite their own busy schedule centered around two children, one being only two weeks old. Tom and Betsy fed me a delicious dinner and even drove me to the grocery store to stock up on provisions.
After a good night's rest I said goodbye to Cleveland on another gloomy morning. Forty miles later I veered southeast a bit, left Lake Erie behind, and met the rain once again. The rural Ohio roads stretched out straight on a perfect grid overlaying the flat, flooded farmland. One such road dipped down ever so slightly, yet low enough that a 100 foot segment was covered with an unknown depth of muddy water serrated with tiny waves from the wind. I had to backtrack and take a parallel road to the south. Once I made it to the North Coast Inland Bike Trail, the hours of rain and cold wind finally wore me down so much that I wheeled into a motel ten miles before my target campground for a hot shower and a chance to dry my clothes overnight.
The next day was my longest of the trip so far. I was resolute upon reaching my friends in Michigan so I covered the 92 miles from Fremont to Ypsilanti in a seven hour span. The weather was somewhat more cooperative with warmer temperatures, less wind and no rain until the last ten miles. At midday I passed through Toledo and crossed the Maumee River on the Craig Bridge bike lane which passes under the new Veterans' Glass City Skyway bridge seen above in the first photo. The second photo shows a barge in the Maumee unloading a strange blue substance to land.
Much of southern Michigan proved to be a bone shaking ride over some of the worst road surfaces I've yet encountered, but I couldn't be deterred from reaching my destination. As I rolled into Ypsi my fanfare was rush hour traffic, but I defended my lane bravely all the way through town to the sanctuary home of my old friends Craig and Chelsea.
The rest of the week was spent revisiting old haunts, including the Dreamland Theater where I have spent many hours enjoying the puppet shows and music concerts which happen there. Above you can see a marionette of Michael Jackson made by my friend Naia Venturi.
Of course I also spent a lot of time socializing with kith and kin. Above are photos of me with my mother, me with co-worker Teresa Flynn, and my friend Dan Florida's dog, Jake.
Today is beautiful and very warm outside, but tomorrow is forecast for more rain, so I may stay put for one final day before embarking on the relatively short journey to my dad's house in Manton.
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Location:N Adams St,Ypsilanti,United States
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