Day 2: The longest day of the tour in the BOOKS!

May 8, 2023

I departed Akron 6:45 since I knew I had a long day ahead of me. Weather showed clouds for most of the morning but when I checked out at the desk, they informed me it was misting and would be for several hours. Oh, well, time to get moving.

The view from my room with the day just starting; it’s 6:45 and I’m in the process of departing

I make my way along the Main Street through the downtown area - they’ve extended the sidewalk into a part of the trail coming downtown so it’s really wide and riders don’t have to be in traffic. Then it turns and goes through the park and along the canal. They’ve done a really nice job integrating the trail with the downtown area. It’s devoid of people on a (early) Monday morning.

In the heart of downtown, next to the original lock’s walls, the water cascades over the canal falls.

Taking this photo of the high point as a souvenir; I can say confidently, “it’s all downhill from here”

It may be devoid of people, but Geese? Oh, they were in definite full force. And coupled with that, they became even more aggressive because it’s spring and they protect their babies. And where do all these geese hang out? Why on the trail of course. If there was only one family I could slow down, make a wide berth, and speak sternly to keep them away. On probably half-a-dozen occasions there were multiple families I had to serpentine through, avoiding the hissing long-necked arrogant beasts. One goose even charged me with wings flapping and hissing up a storm. #NoFear

Pretty soon, though, I got out of the Akron area and passed through very rural canal paths (gooseless, too) and that took me all the way to Barberton where I had breakfast. Belly full, I made my way even further south

The prettiest canal town today was Canal Fulton, hands down

What do I ride past at half-past nine o’clock? A working represention of an original canal lock

At Massillon, I’m a little less than halfway into the day - 32 miles in and 37 to go. The trail crosses over the waterway and then become the Sippo valley trail. This lasts for about 10 miles until Dalton, where the Ohio to Erie trail transitions to roads. The route is incredibly well marked through the on-road section. It made for a really nice change from the trails to the wide open prairies and farms.

With energy prices soaring ever higher, I think this family questioned, “Who needs a dryer?”

I rolled into Millersburg around 2:00 and checked into the Hotel Millersburg. Cool historic hotel. The day was a long one in the saddle and I have not been used to riding distances this long, especially with a loaded touring bike. So, I rested for about an hour and a half, then went to explore downtown Millersburg and get something to eat. Salmon salad was not enough so I walked to the dollar store for some salty/sweet snacks.

Tomorrow is an easier day so looking forward to that. I’m already planning on the breakfast stop in town, and they open at 6:00 so good for us early risers.

Heart

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Today's ride: 69 miles (111 km)
Total: 130 miles (209 km)

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