Day 39
Day By Day Notes From The Road
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This document updated Wednesday, August 6, 2004
Napoleon to Burton Ohio - 92 Miles
By Erwin:
In many ways, today's ride was like the one to Kendalville (Day 36 - I had to check) because we stopped often for little treats along the route. Still, the landscape was different; we rode along Lake Erie and through the city of Cleveland. Also, after yesterday's bad weather, we doubly enjoyed today's sunshine; nothing like a rainy day to make you appreciate a sunny one!
The first stop we made was at a park in the town of Bay View OH, where Big Rider Scott's family had come together to cheer everyone on and feed us with great snacks. The spot where we stopped was right by a little lighthouse on the Lake Erie beach. I concluded that Lake Erie looks just like the North Sea - so much so that I had to go check to make sure the water was sweet, not salt. With the horizon like a straight line, the waves coming in high with the north east wind and the silhouette of the Cleveland skyline further down the coast line, the view was spectacular.
In Cleveland, we also stopped at the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame - an interactive museum dedicated to the greats of Rock 'n Roll. The place is awesome! The introductory video traces the roots of Elvis' first singles to the white and black communities of the south and to the jazz of Chicago. Then come the Beatles, Stones, Hendrix, and so on. There's their costumes, instruments, videos and much more to see - we spent a great two hours enjoying the high energy atmosphere.
But then, as always, we still had some work to do - 37 miles to Burton Ohio. We rode through Cleveland's Little Italy and the wealthy suburb of Fairmount into the Amish country until we reached Burton around 5.30pm (by far our latest arrival of the ride). Burton is tiny, but very friendly and convenient.
Tomorrow should be a nice day of relaxing, before we start what is essentially the final leg of our trip - 5 mountainous days through PA to Gettysburg, from where we have two easy days into DC. I cannot believe we are almost all the way across the US - that's crazy!
By Lucija:
Another super day! Today was not about the biking, it was about all the stops along the way. So fun! We left camp at 6.30am, and got to our destination only at 5.30pm! That's very late - usually we arrive between 1 and 3pm!
Stop 1, mile 40 - Scott's family put together a little party at a park alongside lake Erie. Check out the view on the photo below!
Stop 2, mile 58 - Cleveland and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Entering Cleveland we resembled little kids in a candy store. It was overwhelming (in a good way) to be inside a city again. I realized that ever since we left Seattle we have been moving through the rural countryside. The only buildings on the skyline were the lonesome water towers and grain elevators. I almost felt culture shock entering Cleveland through its wide boulevards. Passing the tall glass buildings, the outdoor cafes, and taking in the noise of the city was exhilarating! We even passed an outdoor summer concert on the city hall plaza. What a change! The Rock & Roll museum was also a great treat. We stayed there for over 2 hours. We also got to meet Stan, a future Big Rider who arranged our free tickets to the museum for our group. He'll be doing the Big Ride next year on a tandem bike!
Stop 3, mile 72 - Erwin and I made a little impromptu stop at a park along our route. What the heck, it was a beautiful sunny day and we were so behind schedule already... On a comfortable grass lawn we enjoyed delicious cannolis and tiramisu that we bought in Little Italy in Cleveland.
What a great day!
Photos:
Our first view of Cleveland, over the waters of Lake Erie.
It was exciting to be in a city again (and eat some pretzels)!