Day 43 Niles, OH to Erie, PA
This was definitely one of our easier rides. Still a bit humid, but not nearly as bad as the previous days. As we left Ohio, the roads became flatter and flatter and 70 miles later, we found ourselves in the state of Pennsylvania. I ambled along the first 20 with Tim again and then put my head down and cruised all the way to the rest stop at Richardson's Rootbeer stand just this side of the Ohio/Pennsylvania line.
Richardson's was your classic outdoor, next to the road rootbeer concession. I had a marvelous milk shake (of course!) and got a great picture taken with Tim. This area is a very popular vacation area and is really a well kept secret. There are cabins all along the lake and it appears tourism and farming are the primary industries.
The last 20 miles into Erie were relatively easy except miles 15-17. We were routed on a road that had just been stripped to be repaved and it felt like we spent 30 minutes on a jackhammer! Those 2.5 miles were absolutely the most painful of the trip and yes, we did consider moving a block over, but most of us kept thinking, ". . . it can't go on much longer." We were all wrong!
When we arrived at the Avalon Hotel in downtown Erie, we were greeted by Rick and Lisa, ABB bikers who departed with us from San Francisco and biked to Pueblo, CO. Rick and Lisa live in Pittsburgh and drove over to welcome us with beer, soda, cheeses, meats, and fruit. And although it was an easy 91 miles, the treats were very much appreciated by all.
After a few treats, I headed to the Erie Public Library, just 10 blocks down the street and on the Presque Isle Bay. This beautiful building is shared with a Maritime Museum and is next to a sailboat harbor. The head librarian was very kind to me and helped me lock up my bike inside the library since I did not bring a lock with me. She also helped me get into the queue to use the computers (20 of them) in the library.
Larry continues to heal in Ohio and will join us tomorrow morning. Tim Fyda will fly him from Columbus to Erie on his corporate Cessna Citation jet. Larry and I are coordinating for a "flyover" sometime on Monday morning. Let's hope all works as we hope!
Richardson's was your classic outdoor, next to the road rootbeer concession. I had a marvelous milk shake (of course!) and got a great picture taken with Tim. This area is a very popular vacation area and is really a well kept secret. There are cabins all along the lake and it appears tourism and farming are the primary industries.
The last 20 miles into Erie were relatively easy except miles 15-17. We were routed on a road that had just been stripped to be repaved and it felt like we spent 30 minutes on a jackhammer! Those 2.5 miles were absolutely the most painful of the trip and yes, we did consider moving a block over, but most of us kept thinking, ". . . it can't go on much longer." We were all wrong!
When we arrived at the Avalon Hotel in downtown Erie, we were greeted by Rick and Lisa, ABB bikers who departed with us from San Francisco and biked to Pueblo, CO. Rick and Lisa live in Pittsburgh and drove over to welcome us with beer, soda, cheeses, meats, and fruit. And although it was an easy 91 miles, the treats were very much appreciated by all.
After a few treats, I headed to the Erie Public Library, just 10 blocks down the street and on the Presque Isle Bay. This beautiful building is shared with a Maritime Museum and is next to a sailboat harbor. The head librarian was very kind to me and helped me lock up my bike inside the library since I did not bring a lock with me. She also helped me get into the queue to use the computers (20 of them) in the library.
Larry continues to heal in Ohio and will join us tomorrow morning. Tim Fyda will fly him from Columbus to Erie on his corporate Cessna Citation jet. Larry and I are coordinating for a "flyover" sometime on Monday morning. Let's hope all works as we hope!
posted by Steve King at 11:30 AM
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