{"id":783,"date":"2021-08-25T22:46:18","date_gmt":"2021-08-26T02:46:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/acrossthemapwithmatt.com\/?p=783"},"modified":"2021-08-25T22:47:21","modified_gmt":"2021-08-26T02:47:21","slug":"goodbye-ohio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acrossthemapwithmatt.com\/?p=783","title":{"rendered":"Goodbye Ohio"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I crossed the the Pa state line around around 2:30. I will miss Ohio. The parks and trails are some of the best that I’ve seen. I won’t miss the mosquitos though. They were the worst of the trip so far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Welcome to PA.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It was a nice ride getting to Pa. Mostly quiet roads. For a while in the morning there was a strong tailwind which made traveling at 14 mph easy. I’m glad I left as early as I did. 6:30 am but, just up the road from the Warmshower host I stayed with I stopped in a park and made coffee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Coffee time!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The host last night packed us all lunches.With my coffee I had cookies and a boiled egg <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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So nice!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While sitting at the table a guy came by walking his dog and talked a little bit. I told him I was headed to West Quoddy Head Maine next. He got pretty exited and started showing me pictures on his phone. Him and his wife had just returned from there. As I drank my coffee I watched a Coast Guard ship slowly head out until it was a tiny speck. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After my breakfast I hit the road and was really making good time with the tailwind helping me. Neil Hanson said, A tailwind, on the other hand, is one of the most beautiful experiences you can have on a bike.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Flat roads and tailwinds!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I loved this road. There was no traffic and it was in excellent condition. When your cycling the same speed as a tail wind, its like your in a little bubble. For once there is no wind roaring in your ears and your able to hear things that are normally drowned out. I heard Redwing blackbirds in the tall grass, the gulls crying and fussing over some bit of food they had found, and I could hear the waves hitting the rocky shoreline. My bike, thankfully had no squeaks, clicks or grinding noises. This went on for around 8 miles until I found a purse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shortly after passing an intersection I saw a little pink purse in the grass along the road. I stopped and went back for it. I couldn’t decide if I should keep it or not. It really didn’t match my outfit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Does pink and hi vis green clash?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

However what was inside went with anything and we all know its whats inside thats most import!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Definitely goes with hi vis green!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

$170 dollars! There was also credit cards and a drivers license. (Bummer!) A Google search showed that I was only 6 miles away from the lady’s house so after lengthy internal debate, I headed that way. Walter Winchell said no good deed goes unpunished. <\/em>And in this case that proved to be true. Her address was all uphill and the wind I had enjoyed so much was now a crosswind. Soon the shoulder disappeared. Traffic was courteous and gave me plenty of room though. Eventually after haveing to push my bike twice I got to her house. Nobody was home and as I stood there thinking of what to do the neighbor came over to ask if I was lost. I told him why I was there and asked if he would return it to her when she got home. He said he would. So with that out of the way I headed back to the lake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was now a little over 6 miles inland and instead of backtracking I angled my way to the road I wanted to be on. When I finally got back to it it was no longer the bike route! I continued on it any way knowing eventually the designated bike route and this road would meet up again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was starting to get hot. I was out of water and really wanted to fill up. I have been filling up at Taco Bells and McDonald’s. Both those places have let me fill my bottles from there soda fountains with ice and water for free. I have been spoiled with clean cold water and was putting off filtering until I was desperate. A man sitting in the open door way of his garage shouted out as I pedaled by, “I have ice cold water if you need it”! I didn’t see him right away as he was hidden in the shadows of the garage interior. I turned around and went back he, gave me four 16 ounce bottles to fill the ones on my bike and a fifth bottle to drink on the spot. He said he always keeps a fridge full for any of the long haulers that go by. I realized then that I must of hooked back up with the bike route. I propped my bike up and leaned my back against the wall, enjoying the water and the shade. The man t shirt was soaked through with sweat but I could not see what he had been working on. The garage held only his truck and the yard had not been mowed or trimmed that day. We talked a bit looking out at the lake. I said he sure had a nice view from his house. He replied with a note of regret that they had moved from Maryland for that view. I laughed and said I wasn’t sure if I would give up blue crabs just to look at lake Erie. You must be from Maryland too? Without waiting for me to answer he started telling me how, twice a year him and his wife go back just to eat crabs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I rode 53 miles today. 337 miles in the last 7 days so I’m getting closer to my 50 miles per day goal. And speaking of goals I think im pretty close to being back on budget. Tomorrow I hope to have a little shorter day and figure out where I am at with it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I crossed the the Pa state line around around 2:30. I will miss Ohio. The parks and trails are some … Continue reading Goodbye Ohio<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-783","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t