56 miles :: trip total 248 miles
Hotel @ Oberlin, 10 E. College Street
::
What a wonderful start to a day--a sumptuous porch breakfast with Jen
and Brian, listening to the clip-clop of a parade of horse-drawn carriages
taking neighboring Amish families to Sunday service at a nearby home.
Jen explained that the 300 family Amish community here is divided into 30 family groups for Sunday worship--held each week in a different home.
We were back on the road by 9,
having altered our route to decrease
miles from the 70 of the Adventure Cycling route. We stopped in the village of Perrsyville to
find the Black Fork Market closed but the gas station across the road had the
lunch supplies we needed for a picnic later under a tree in a small
cemetery with all the good departed souls there.
From Perrysville, low-use highway 511 has subtle curves but is an almost straight shot to Oberlin with the pleasant city of Ashland along the way. After the initial hilly sections, 511 is reasonably flat.
Bob
stopped us to inflate one of the trailer tires, a challenge even with the twisted stem that tries increase clearance for the working end of the pump. A few drivers slowed down or stopped to see if we needed help. We were right next to the hedge of a house. Rich, wearing a Trump hat invited us into his yard. His handheld, battery-powered inflator did the trick in a moment. We
visited briefly. Seeing my Colorado biking shirt, he noted "Oh you're
from that liberal state." He went on to tell of his years of
volunteer participation in a summer program (Fin, Fur and Feather) for
kids in the area. He speculated on only 4 years of Biden; his curious
elderly neighbor who had joined in predicted 8. It was good, friendly conversation, but Rich told us of the several Coloradans he had met recently who were ready to leave the state. As we left, we agreed that we would like a less
divided US. We have been clearly in Trump countryside. Trump flags fly and
election signs remain as well as a new sign: Don't blame me. I voted
for Trump.
Lots of sweat and lots of water-and-snack stops
today on the road. Then a gusty north wind came. While the motors helped a lot, as expected, the wind was more of a challenge than expected because it was difficult to establish a good pedaling cadence.
We are
impressed with the courteous drivers who wait patiently for a safe time
to pass. We did get one unpleasant yell from a man working on his knees to repair something in an animal pen near his home: "Go to Hell."
At no extra cost the hotel upgraded our room because of our 2 night stay. We are in the bridal suite with more than ample space: perfect for bikes and gear.
Route Notes: Out of laziness and doubt for our endurance, we did not follow Adventure Cycling's 70-mile route from Butler to Oberlin. Instead, we caught OH-95 a short distance from our B&B and had a pleasant ride to Perrysville. There we caught 511 and followed it through the city of Ashland all the way to Kipton, just west of Oberlin. From Kipton the North Coast Inland Trail gave us a beautiful entry into Oberlin. To anyone looking to shorten the ride between Butler and Oberlin we can recommend this route.
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