Biking: 64 miles.
Ah, a paved bike path. Today was an easy ride, just what I needed on a sore knee. In fact, it hurt very little today.
The paths we followed are rails-to trails, built along current and former railroad beds. Our first stop on the path was the Xenia Station, about 14 miles down the road, which was a major railroad hub in the 19th century. From here, paths lead out to major Ohio cities – Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati, and Cleveland. We’re headed toward Columbus.
The surface of the trail is surprisingly smooth, and most of the route is under tree cover with some spots that brought us back out into the sun. It’s a great great trail.
Toward the end of the ride today, we hit an unpaved section that had small climbs. That surprised us, but it was fun to have some variety.
We finished our ride in Lincoln Village which is right outside of Columbus. Following the path was a little tricky as we crossed major intersections and lost the route a few times. But, we found our way to the parking lot where we saw the RV – always a welcome sight!
Brian and I planned to stay in the RV at the Ohio Expo and Fairgrounds tonight, but when we arrived they asked us to pay $1500…ya, what? There is a month-long event happening, and the cost includes camping for the whole event. We would be reimbursed most of the money after we checked out, but good grief. So, after fighting rush hour traffic through Columbus for 45 minutes, we turned around and drove back through traffic to another campground. Flexibility is important on trips like this. We’ve had so many unexpected challenges, but they always seem to work out.
Tomorrow promises to be a rainy, wet day. But, we’ll be back on the bike for another day on the Ohio-to-Erie trail. It will be to a special day for Anita and me. Our biking friend Kim drove from State College to Lincoln Village last night, and she’s joining us on the ride. We’re excited to see her! She’ll be with us for two days on the trail.
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