We took our time in the morning, getting a breakfast of eggs and bacon and my first bagel with cream cheese in an awfully long time. It tasted better than it was.
I got my bike ready to go while Andrew loaded the car, and with a last longing look at our cozy room I headed out with a plan to meet Andrew at our hotel in Toledo mid to late afternoon. Like I said before, riding with people at the end of the day is so lovely and also a harder ride, one that can feel like it’s just in the way of me getting there. A headwind doesn’t help, and I did have that as well, though a fairly mild one.
It was pretty nice riding out of Ann Arbor, of course, after I got myself untangled from the campus and the abundance of available bike routes; there was one rough stretch, but mainly I was in bike lanes or on bike trails. One roadside trail lasted far longer than I’d anticipated, and I thought to myself “maybe getting to Toledo won’t be so bad!” And then, as is so often the case when I slip and let myself have such thoughts, this happened.
I jumped back on the road, which was fine, nothing to write home about. I was away from water until Toledo, when I’d hit Lake Erie (but probably not see it), or really Sandusky, when I’d get on the coast for real.
Googlemaps tried its crap again with a major road that turned into gravel, but I was ready for it this time and quickly rerouted to paved roads; there are more roads and more paved roads as I get farther south and east, so I can more easily zig and zag.
I stopped for a snack in a cute little park in Dundee on the River Raisin.
At some point I was in Ohio, with no fanfare or signage. It felt a little strange after being in Michigan for so long (15+ days!). I’d stopped really considering other states and what they might be like; they were too far away and hypothetical. And now Ohio.
I was riding without panniers on a Saturday afternoon, which made me look like I was just out for a ride; I was bemused to realize this bothered me a bit—I’d lost the cachet of being an apparent through-traveler.
And then I was in Toledo! I met Andrew at our hotel downtown after making my way through the ugly outskirts of the city, as they always are. After a shower, we had dinner at the hotel restaurant, which was fine.
We sat outside looking at all the graceful old buildings emptily lining the strip and watching the night come on, then headed up for bed.
That is a very abrupt end to a trail. No signs, no warning, just kaput, huh?
I love those drinks! Maybe I’m drunk rn? Who can say.
Im glad you had AJO at the end of the day of disappearing trails and headwinds.
Orchard Park is home to the Erie County Fair, as well as the Buffalo Bills. Hopefully neither of those things are happening during your pass through.
Andrew’s hand signals the last two posts have cracked me up.
I’m glad I’m not the only one appreciating Andrew’s gestures, he’s quite eloquent in that way!
Me three on Andrew’s gesture game being ON POINT!