Day 9 - Beat my record!

Well, I am certainly finding out what this body can do!

67 miles today from Toledo, OH to Defiance, OH. Some of it was back tracking, but those count too.

I was pleasantly surprised at the ease of travel by bike through NW Ohio. I traversed two smooth sailing rail-to-trail bike paths, which combined for at least 20 of the 67 miles. The rest of the roads mostly had shoulders which kept me off the main road. But, there were a few challenges, as any day in any life have.

Today, I was jealous of

-the bikers who could turn around when the path ran out and "head home". I had to find a way around the "crushed cinder" trail which was really just a grassy path through a field.

-the cars which could go a whole lot faster on those loooooong roads with no end in sight.

Today I thanked God for

-local residents who know the roads and directions much better than google or mapmyride! They set me in the right direction more than once today!

-paved shoulders; no matter if they are 2 ft, 4ft, or 6ft. They give me elbow and breathable room!

-courteous drivers; many went out of their way (not just out of my way) to make sure I had the space I needed.

-whoever invented sun screen!!!!!! There was absolutely no shade today on the road. I found some off-road, in driveways, under gas station awnings, etc. but while driving, sun screen and my visor were my only protection. Glad it was only in the 80s!

-my conversations with Nancy (at Buffalo Wild Wings), the cashier and customer at the Danny's grocery story in Liberty Center, and the bikers on the University bike path

-friends' & family's encouragement throughout the day

For this 4th of July, I spent my lunch hour in LIBERTY CENTER, OH. I also almost spent the night in INDEPENDENCE Dam State Park, OH. : )

My original plan was to make it to Powell Creek Campground, south of Defiance, OH. While I was on the way, in all the time I have to think, I realized that I never packed a towel for a campground. "That's OK", I thought. "I can use a sock for a washcloth and my blanket for a towel." Then when I measured the mileage, I realized that the campground was 8 miles south of Defiance, not 3. When I got to my lunch break, @ 1:30, I realized it was going to take another 3 hours to get to Defiance, and another hour to find the campground. I was not excited about that prospect. Someone at the grocery store told me that there was a campground on the main road only a few miles outside of Defiance. "Cool!", I thought. "Let me see if there is a space there for me." Well, he didn't know the name of it, and I couldn't find a number. So, I just took off, hoping for the best. The closer I got to Defiance, the more often I needed to take a break. The lack of shade and the longer miles were taking its toll. But, only 5 min after a "quick break", I saw the sign for the place my latest stranger told me about. I turned in, all excited that this was going to be soooo much better than riding 2 more hours to get to the original campground. Well, the turn in turned into another mile or two heading back toward where I came from. I started wondering if this was a good idea. What if there was no site available? I'd have added all these miles to the others that I need to get. BLAH! Well, I finally got to the "self reservation" board and there were no more spaces available. Besides, there were also no showers or toilets, either. I looked up the other campground that was in Defiance. This one was also another 6 miles past town... It was about then when I realized that I didn't have to camp. There were three perfectly good hotels in Defiance that probably had a few rooms for me if needed. So, that's what I did. 6 miles later (the closest lodging to where I was) I had a room in a hotel and was heading over to Buffalo Wild Wings for a burger and fries!

I am sad that I missed out on the opportunity, but a shower and clean sheets are certainly worth it! So, I continue to take one day at a time. Tomorrow is a different State, Fort Wayne, IN. Then I get to hang with some friends in Indianapolis for a few days. I'm still working on the rest of the itinerary. Stay tuned for those details, if you are interested!

Hope you enjoyed your celebration of the 4th of July! Peace, Kathy

#IthankGodfor