Quests

quests

Hi again! My last two days biking and meeting folks in Iowa were great! And yesterday I made it to Indiana, so we’ll see what happens here. Less to report on for this most recent say of riding, so let’s focus on the two before that.

Really what they felt like were a series of quests or missions, with a bit of guidance and instruction to get me set in the right direction, and then a reward at the end.

Jim

Sunday I woke up and took off towards my destination: latitude and longitude coordinates that I got using the Warm Showers site to hopefully get me to my host: a highly recommended host named Jim.

I had only 45 or so miles to, so I took it slow, buy all the better, since I was headed into the wind most of the day. I took a stop at a county park, then again at an ice cream stand in Grand Rapids Ohio to get some slush.

Grand Rapids. It was a hot day, so there were a decent number of people getting ice cream.

When I was within 30 minutes of my destination I texted Jim where I was headed, and he called me up. My address was not exactly correct, and he gave me slow step by step instructions on how to get to his place. That county of Ohio has its roads laid out in a grid pattern, with vertical running roads being numbers, and horizontal ones being letters, or maybe vice versa; I forget.

In any case, Jim said he’d be mowing his lawn when I got there, and sure enough there he was. He greeted me warmly and we talked about my route, past and present, making me feel at ease right away with his down to earth attitude.

We headed inside and I got everything I could have asked for, without needing to even do the asking. He told me before dinner I could take a bath to clean up, and I accepted, even after learning that it would be in discolored and odorous “sulfer water” pumped from the ground. If it was what him and his guests had bathed in, it was good enough for me, and I took my very hot bath with the help of a few bud lights.

The rest of the night was a lot of fun, as well as nourishing. I ate more than my fill of the pasta dinner which Jim and his house guest had made, and had fun relaxing with his son and daughter and other guests by a fire, making smores, playing frisbee, and trying my hand at riding Jim’s old unicycle. I almost got it, and maybe a few more hours and I would have wrangled it.

The driveway where we hung out

Jim’s old unicycle. I regretted every time I fell of it and it crashed to the cement, knowing it was basically an antique.

I know that all sounds like a story someone would tell about a night with their old friend of many years, but there it is. That’s what happened. Ask me in person for some more details, it’s a memory I don’t thing I’ll ever lose.

quest two

The next day, Jim sent me off after donuts and orange juice and a farewell picture his driveway, and I rode happy and fast, fueled by the food and hospitality. I took a scenic road along the Maumee River, stopping at a park for lunch.

Scenic Roads.

Maumee River.

I had 70 miles to go this day, but they were going by fast. I called my second quest destination, Warren in Monroeville, who is in charge of letting bicyclists into the town community center, which for the last 30+ years has been open to cross country bikers. Amazing! I knew I had to stop here for the night.

Just a few miles before crossing into Indiana, on a country road like ones I had been riding down all day I was stopped by a motorist who asked if I’d like an “ice cold Coka-Cola”. Wow, of course I did, and we talked a bit about how he respects people who do what I’m trying to do, and unfortunately can’t do it himself after some surgeries he had. He was a veteran, and I thanked him for his service. It was memorial day. Again, pretty unforgettable experience.

Proof.

I made it just a few minutes after I told Warren I would be there, as I had gotten lost in Monroeville trying to find it (after all, I didn’t have an address, just a town name), but was guided there via a man in an ATV after asking him where to find it.

There I met Warren, who is a talkative, knowledgeable, and lively man. There was a family high school graduation party being held at the community center which had been rented out, and admittedly I initially felt embarrassed and out of place, especially being as gross and sweaty as I was. But after just a few moments, I was already offered to take part in consuming any food and beverage that they had, and they had a lot.

After that I was basically part of the party, from eating, to playing ultimate frisbee with the teenagers, to cleaning up and getting everything ready for everyone to say their goodbyes and leave me with the whole place to myself, compete with the shower, washer and dryer, and leftovers on the fridge. Wow, talk about a reward for being where you set out to get to at the start of the day!

The community center grounds.

The way you got to this place was old school.

I added my name and note to the log of hundreds of bikers from ask over the world who had been through Monroeville.

well that was cool

Only so much I can write in a given session, so I’m going to take a break. Today I’m camping at a state park, and got here easy enough. Roads were great, with some signs I was pleased to see. Until next time!