17. 6/15/23 Painesville, OH to Cleveland (Lakewood),OH

June 15, 2023

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Elevation gain today was 606 ft. per Strava.

We did it! We rode from Lakewood Travelodge around Lake Erie and back to the Travelodge. We were both a little anxious today because of going through Cleveland but it was not difficult at all.

First, I need to tell you more about Judge Elaine Crane, owner of The Rider's Inn in Painesville. She can talk and she has stories to tell! She is 78 years old and plans to run the Inn until she dies. In doing a little research, it turns out she was stripped of her license to practice law due to estate tax evasion and a few years after that she bought the Inn. We found her interesting and fun.

We were on the road a little after 9 a.m. with sunshine, 60 degrees and wind from the W at 7 mph. We meandered on low traffic roads for about 5 miles.

We had a bike lane for much of the way. The towns along the lake blended into each other and had either a bike lane or two lanes each direction and we got one!

Briefly stopped at this little park with a view of the lake .

We rode another 16 miles on Lakeshore Blvd going through town after town.

Coming into the tony neighborhood of Bratenahl. Just a bit further down the road, the trees formed a canopy and mansions lined the lakeside.

Just north of Cleveland proper, we stopped at this lovely park (part of the Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve).

We are excited at this point to almost be done, but also anxious about getting through the city even though we have been told there are bicycle lanes and well-marked routes. We rode right next to I-90.

If you zoom in, you can see a small deer right next to the freeway fence. Right after I took this picture, the deer ran back and forth across our street in a panic. It's parent was on the freeway side of the fence. We held our breaths watching it. Miraculously, it jumped over the fence and back to it's parent.

This "frontage" road led to a bicycle path right past the Rock and Roll Museum.

We were on city streets for probably less than a mile, over one large bridge with a bike lane, then back on a trail that took us to an industrial section and our own bridges.

We were able to ride up this lovely spiral path to the second pedestrian/bike bridge.

Now we are in a series of waterfront parks.

This beach had a take-out refreshment business where we got lunch.

Got to our Travelodge motel at 1:35 p.m. Despite all my whining about the motels, it is very handy having the motels on the route. We were given a different room today and it is quite a bit nicer. The rest of the day will be spent taking the bike apart and packing it up. Bike Flight will pick it up and ship it home while we fly to Minneapolis to visit our daughter Bobbi!

Today's ride: 38 miles (61 km)
Total: 555 miles (893 km)

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Rich FrasierCongratulations on making it all the way around!
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1 year ago

Jeanna & Kerry SmithCongratulations on completing the circle. It's always fun to complete a tour with a great final day.
Yesterday at Tahquamenon Falls State Park, a car with Washington plates carrying a Santana tandem parked right next to me. Kerry left our card on the window. I'm not going to be at all surprised if we find out that it's someone you know!
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1 year ago

Francie GassTo Rich FrasierThanks!
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1 year ago

Francie GassTo Jeanna & Kerry SmithThanks! Glad you left your card....it does seem to be a small world!
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1 year ago

Glenn GassCongratulations! 500 miles! Quite an achievement - must be an amazing feeling. Lake Superior next!!
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1 year ago

Julie GassYes, Congratulations! Way to go. What a great trip!!
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1 year ago

Ken GassTo Julie GassThanks, Julie, it was a good adventure with challenges that were surmountable, the best kind!
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1 year ago