Update 27 - 7/2/01
We continued following the shore of Lake Erie in Ohio, eventually leaving the Vineyards and entering the suburbs of Cleveland. Traffic increased, and of course there was road construction to help keep things interesting. We rode through a park and then back onto busy city streets to Cleveland Heights and Hubbub Bicycles where we met Brian and Diane who had graciously agreed to host us. We beat an afternoon rain shower to their shop and found our way to their apartment, located upstairs.
That evening we joined some local cyclists who are on a Crossroads Tour from California to New York and happened to be in Cleveland. Chris, who was seeing his wife Valerie for the first time in several weeks, is riding a fixed gear track bike. His friend Shaun is also a local cyclist who is on the tour. We had a great time exchanging stories about our travels around the country.
The next day brought rain and we decided to stay in Cleveland. We used the time to make some repairs on our bike. Brian, who is an expert mechanic and wheel builder, replaced a broken spoke on our rear wheel and corrected the spoke tensions, as well as making some general adjustments. He was also able to repair Sharon's helmet liner which had failed a few days ago. We learned that Brian and Diane specialize in custom built singles and tandems. Their shop is very busy serving the needs of serious cyclists from all over the country.
After another restful night in Cleveland, we bid farewell to Brian and Diane and followed the bike route west out of town. The bike route was through a park and along the lakefront, giving us low traffic and a good bike path through the city. That evening we stayed at the Lakeland Cottages near Vermilion. The owners, Debbie and Dick gave us a reduced rate, offered to loan us their pickup or take us to dinner. Dick told us he owns a trucking company and said if we had any problems from here to St. Louis to give a call and he would send a truck to help us. We are still in awe of the outpouring of love and kindness that we are receiving.
The next morning we soon left the Great Lakes and turned southwest to Monroeville, Indiana, where we left the Adventure Cycling Route. We stopped in town for lunch and met two men that work for the Parks Department. They gave us a county map, which made following the low traffic farm roads very easy. The Midwest is covered with great low traffic roads, the only issue is to be sure that the road you pick goes through and is paved. With help from local cyclists we found good low traffic routes across the state toward Indianapolis.
We found the State Parks in Indiana to be excellent. Grassy sites and great facilities greeted us at each park we stayed in. Near Bluffton we enjoyed several miles along the Wabash River on a bike trail.
Reaching Indianapolis we were hosted by Bernie and Dolores. Bernie guided us into town on a great bike route and suggested that we stop for lunch at the Logan Street Cafe in Nobelsville. We did and the food was great! Bernie and Delores feed us a great dinner, provide a comfortable King Size bed, laundry and exchanged great stories about cycling. The next morning we rode off, again following Bernie's suggested route west. About 15 miles from town, Bernie and Delores tracked us down in their mini-van to give Sharon a battery powered fan to fight the heat!
Thank you Bernie and Dolores!!!
Approaching Terra Haute, we contacted our son and some local St. Louis area cyclists concerning our route into town. After considering the options, we decided to rent a car and drive in, avoiding the heavy holiday traffic. Although we were glad to be out of the traffic, we were disappointed when we saw the great bike lanes on the new bridge across the Mississippi at Alton. We will do it next trip!
Our son lives about 1 mile from the famous Katy Trail that runs about 200 miles west from Saint Charles, following the Missouri River. We will be riding about 40 miles of the trail later this week to join the Adventure Cycling Great Rivers Route northwest toward Fargo, North Dakota.
We have already visited the St. Louis Planetarium, the Art Museum, had a picnic in the famous Park and strolled along the cobblestones of historic Saint Charles where Lewis and Clark passed on the Voyage of Discovery. Lots more to do and see around here!
Having a great time exploring and learning about the "Hub" of the USA,
George and Sharon Miner
Vancouver Bicycle Club, Vancouver, Washington
2000 da Vinci Global Venture towing Bob Trailer
Free as the Wind - Our one year self-supported tandem tour of the USA, Mexico and Canada
Visit our web site: Touring with Roadbikers
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