Doing the big U

August 4, 2021

Last night we were deciding whether to have a short day or a longer day. Instead of deciding last night the plan was to ride to the end of the short day and see how we feel. If we feel up to it, we continue on to the long day. We always pick to continue on. When we get to the short day distance, it is usually around noon and we are in a little town in the middle of nowhere. This is a guarantee to continue on. Today we ended up riding 67 miles to Huron, Ohio. The route today was shaped as a big U. We went south for a bit, then east for a bit longer and then north back to the shore of Lake Erie. We had to do this because to follow the shore of Lake Erie east we would eventually come to a big bridge on Ohio interstate 2 that does not allow bicycles.

We got up early but did not start riding until 8:30. When we camp it takes longer to pack up our gear. Plus the tent is always wet so we try to dry it as best we can. Usually it is only partially dry when we decide we cannot wait any longer and pack it up. The first part of the ride was due south and Ross got us on flat, straight, low traffic roads. It was a nice day as we rode along, sunny, cool and no winds. After about 15 miles we came to the start of the North Coastal Inland Trail. We followed this trail for about 20 miles to Clyde. The trail was very nice with smooth asphalt. As we started down the trail a plane was crop dusting a field next to the trail. I stopped to take some pictures. It was so close I was afraid I was going to get crop dusted. I did not. I think the pilot saw me and it looked like he cut his spraying short so he would not dust me.

After 15 miles on the trail we came to the town of Fremont and stopped to get lunch. In Fremont 2 things happened. First we decided to do a long ride to Huron. Second we rejoined the Adventure Cycle Northern Tier route. We have been following the northern tier route to get across the country. However we went off route in North Dakota and went our own way across North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. Now we are back on the route and will follow it the rest of the way. The rest of the days ride was uneventful. We cruised along at a comfortable pace along quiet farm roads. We got to our hotel around 5:00 and cleaned up and went out to dinner.

Tomorrow we are following the south shore of Lake Erie to Cleveland. We hope to get done in time to visit the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Today's ride: 67 miles (108 km)
Total: 2,956 miles (4,757 km)

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