September 12, 2022
Day 3: Columbus – Mount Vernon
Cycling familiar trails to the Heart of Ohio
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It appears the rain is moving out for the week with sunny skies taking its place. Today was one of those problematic days for a cyclist. It was 60 degrees with a slight chance of showers this morning. Do I put on or pack the rain jacket? I decided to wear it. I shed it 15 miles into the ride. My volunteer role today is sweep riding at the back of the pack and making sure everyone makes it to Mount Vernon.
Cyclists on the Ohio to Erie Tri have a low-traffic route out of downtown Columbus. It was only a few street blocks before I jumped on my first trail for the day, the Downtown Connector. As the name implies, it connects downtown with the city's eastern neighborhoods and suburbs.
I turned onto the Alum Creek Trail where the busy sounds of I-670 were traded for the more soothing sounds of nature. The trail follows the winding Alum Creek north to Westerville on the northeastern edge of the I-270 outer belt. Urban greenways are pleasant and surprise me with a parklike path through city neighborhoods. I followed the trail into suburban Westerville.
Westerville is a Columbus suburb and home to Otterbein University. It has a historic downtown with a wide selection of food and drink. The Ohio to Erie Trail passes a few blocks east of downtown through nicely maintained neighborhoods. It does cross several streets as it heads out of town and passes the edge of a busy retail area. Cyclists need to watch for trail signage and pay attention to their maps on the lower and upper city boundaries, each of which has several turns.
Genoa Township was a welcome sight north of Westerville. A beautiful, shaded trail through the township led me to the towns of Galena and Sunbury in Delaware county. This section of trail parallels busy State Route 3, known as the 3C. It connects Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland, the 3Cs. Despite the proximity of the trail to the road, cycling is peaceful.
Sunbury is a picturesque Ohio small town with an real town square. It was an ideal lunch stop for the day at Surve, my favorite dining spot in town. Back on the bike after lunch, I was on a short 10-mile cycle to Centerburg which proclaims itself as the geographic center of Ohio.
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Centerburg is the location of the midpoint of the Ohio to Erie Trail. The Heart of Ohio Trail (HOOT) erected a selfie-style sign at the village’s gateway to its downtown. A coffee shop and pizza parlor are within sight of the midpoint. I and the other cyclist were welcomed to the village by the HOOT officers and Robert from Kolacheez Coffee Bar. I pedaled out of Centerburg energized by a Czech Texas style kolache.
Today’s destination was Mount Vernon. This city has transformed itself into a trail town welcoming cyclists. Ariel-Foundation Park, a repurposed glass factory, is an excellent example of an industrial site turned into a park with factory artifacts as centerpieces of the greenspaces. I opted not to climb the Rastin Observation tower, a former factory smokestack, that many cyclists take on.
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I pedaled off the trail into downtown Mount Vernon to end the day's ride at The Grand Hotel on Mount Vernon's square. I am not spending the night at the hotel since I live 8 miles south of the city. My husband shuttles me home to where I am doing laundry and catching up with a few household chores, a rare treat on a bike tour.
Tom's Miles
- Today: 50
- On the Tour: 110
Quote of the Day
Attitude is like a flat bicycle tire. You can’t go anywhere until you change it. – Unknown
Today's Trivia
Mount Vernon’s Ariel-Foundation Park sits on the former sites of Pittsburgh Plate Glass and Goodwin Sand and Gravel. The Rastin Observation Tower, a former PP&G factory smokestack, sits along the Heart of Ohio Trail. It measures 280 feet high. There are 224 steps and an observation platform at 140 feet. It is the tallest structure in Knox County.
Follow the Tour
No need to jump on a train or canal boat as I pedal the tracks of steam locomotives and canal boats across the Buckeye State. You can just check me out on social media at Cycle Blaze and Instagram with hashtags #OH2Erie and #Moffitt22.
Today's ride: 50 miles (80 km)
Total: 180 miles (290 km)
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