Akron

I slept in until 7:30 this morning. It was nice not to have pack up right away. Brad made us omelets for breakfast. Mine was awesome! He seasoned them with applewood smoked salt which is something I had never had. I guess he could tell I loved it because he gave me a whole shaker of it! I had never even heard of smoked salt until 2 days ago when I had overheard 2 women talking and one said “you have to use smoked salt on the butter”. In my notebook I keep in my handle bar bag I wrote , Google smoked salt. I never did look it up and now I don’t have to.

After breakfast I headed out on U.S 62 I had about 8 miles of road then back on the Sippo valley trail. At noon Brad met me at a diner and bought me lunch. I thought that was really nice of him! Thanks Brad!

I embarrassed myself a little while we were eating. Brad’s burger order was wrong. It had onions and cheese and it should not of. When he handed it back to the waitress I grabbed the plate too. So all three of us had a hold of the same plate. Then the waitress and I had a little tug of war with it and I won. Around that time I remembered my manners and was embarrassed. The bugers looked way to good to be thrown away though!

After lunch I was back on the OTET and it was new territory to me. When I left Massillon last time I turned left toward Cincinnati, this time I turned right to Cleavland. I know it looks the same as the last 200 miles but I haven’t been here before so once again I’m filled with excitement about what’s around the next bend or over the next hill. I think that’s why I rarely use maps. I don’t want to know too much about whats ahead.

I arrived in the little town of Canal Fulton moments before a little thunderstorm. It was one cloud in an otherwise blue sunny sky. I had been keeping an eye on it as it approached. I headed for a gas station to get under a roof so I didn’t get soaked. Unfortunately it did not have any roof overhang. Looking around I saw a laundromat and got there just in time.

Thats twice now a laundromat has protected me from the weather. Or maybe the weather is trying to send me a message. Hmm can a shirt reek so bad that it contributes to global warming? This particular one though had a surprise. In the corner was free food!

I got really exited and grabbed an arm load of stuff. There was canned lasagna and ravioli, instant mashed potatoes, mac n cheese, beef stew, beans, peanut butter and cans of mixed fruit. Before I even made it outside to my bike I started feeling guilty. That was put there to help those less fortunate. My food struggles are self imposed and that food was to help people feed there family. Not help some cyclist who is out having the time of his life. I put everything back and went outside. It had quit raining. Leaving my bike there I walked across the street to a gas station and bought 2 cans of espresso. (Thanks every one!) I went back into the laundromat as I was leaving and took 1 jar of peanut butter 1 can chicken 24 oz bag of beef stew and a can of mixed fruit and 2 boxes mac n cheese I just couldn’t pass it up. Then I headed out of town.

Canal Fulton seemed pretty cool. I don’t know why I didn’t wander around more. Here is a picture of an old canal boat. They were pulled with one or two mules or horses. What im biking on is the path the mules would walk while towing the barge.

I got to the outskirts of Akron tonight. After dinner of macaroni and cheese I emailed a person on the warm showers app about camping in there yard tomorrow night. Ill be right in Cleavland and I don’t want to have to stay in a motel if I can’t find a stealth campsite.

Warmshowers is a website that is for cyclist. Any one can join and you can be a host where you allow people to stay in your house or yard or you can be a guest like me. Its free.