June 30, 2024
Sunny skies sleep in the morning
Day Two: Oberlin to Fremont
We got up late, we packed slowly, we stopped for bagels (that did not live up to the hype of the bartender who recommended them last night) and generally took our time. We didn’t start riding until 10 AM.
For the first hour or two, the sun showed itself briefly as more dark clouds blew across the sky, often threatening but never actually raining. Always the wind was with us, or I guess I should say, it was against us, blowing from the northwest into our face or pushing us from the side. The positive thing about the wind was that it eventually pushed the clouds away, leaving us with blue skies and lots of sunshine.
We started back on the North Coast Island Bike Trail, which was paved for the first 11 miles past Oberlin. We found ourselves riding with a small group out for a day ride. One of the members of that group cyclist was interested in bicycle touring. We compared notes about our experiences. He had ridden the GAP and C&O trails from Pittsburgh to Washington DC, the second person we’ve met this trip to have done that tour. Both spoke highly of it, increasing our interest in adding that to the list of possible adventures.
A little while later, we ran into a young woman named Emily (love that name!) who was cycling alone in the opposite direction from Michigan toward Cleveland and points East. She was actually riding to a professional conference where she was making a presentation. Talk about ambitious! Anyway, we learned about her plans because we had stopped at an intersection that was without signs just as she was about to head off in the wrong direction. We stopped her from pedaling away from her intended destination. In return, she gave us some welcome info about the good condition trail ahead, which turns to stow dust and can sometimes be difficult to ride.
The scenery today alternated between cornfields and soybean fields with a little town thrown in every now and then, along with a few wheat fields for the sake of variety. Honestly, there was a lot of beautiful scenery and big skies.
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We also saw lots of wildlife today. A deer trotted down the bike path, a couple dozen yards ahead of us briefly. We stopped and it stopped to look at us. It was nursing an injured leg or hoof. We also saw a half a dozen woodchucks, at least that many rabbits and birds of all types – flycatchers, robins, Orioles, hawks and several eagles (we think).
Several miles shy of our destination, we turned off for a restaurant that we had heard about from other cyclists' journals, The Tackle Box 2. It’s a pretty humble shack by the Sandusky River, but it’s a local favorite for local Perch fish fries, hamburgers and such. They serve huge portions, which was perfect for us after a day of cycling. We split a pound of fried perch with all the trimmings.
The last five miles to the hotel put us up against a constant headwind. Between the wind and the meal, we were moving slower than normal, but we made it eventually to a Hampton Inn located right near the interstate.
Tomorrow’s a big mileage day, at least for us … 75-plus miles to Sauder Heritage Village. But first we sleep!
Listen: Sunny skies, James Taylor.
Today's ride: 59 miles (95 km)
Total: 68 miles (109 km)
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