Share the road!
Out for a leisurely cycle along lovely green roads! Well, the roads aren't green. The scenery is!
Not the best shot but was trying to show the size of the lawns these people have. Can you imagine trying to keep all that green in the West?
The first covered bridge we've encountered!
Our first sag stop was at 33 miles and we munched on cinnamon rolls and fruit and set off again. We were hoping for a place to stop for lunch but were told there probably wouldn't be anything until the next sag stop at 69 miles. They were right. I can't imagine cycling 36 miles in Colorado or Utah without even encountering a gas station but we did it in Ohio! It was pretty and a fairly easy day as far as that goes. We went along at a pretty good speed, sometimes riding with others and chatting for a while. FINALLY we got to Conneaut which is the last town in Ohio before getting to Pennsylvania. The sag stop was at Richardson's Rootbeer Stand and they are famous for their rootbeer floats so that's what we got! I also had a turkey sandwich plus some fruit from the van. At last fortified after our vigorous riding, we headed for the state line into Pennsylvania!
Hurray! And only 27 miles left for the day! After another 10 miles or so I was feeling pretty beat and just wanting to finish the day off and get to rest day. We kept pedaling and the miles kept going. We wound through some small towns and were finally in Erie, navigating our way towards the hotel. About three miles out, all of a sudden I heard a loud pop and some hissing and my bike started handling poorly. Blew my rear tire. Stopped and looked at it and I had a gash about an inch long in my back tire. I knew I would have to boot the tire - put something in it to keep the tube in - with a gash that size. I've never done it but I've read about it. They say a dollar bill or a Clif bar wrapper work great. So I got the back wheel off, got the tire off, got the tube out, new tube from my pack, was wondering exactly how you boot a tire when the support van showed up! Hurray! :) I borrowed a tire from them instead of booting mine, Michelle (staff) did most of the work getting the tube and tire installed, I got the wheel back on my bike and we set off again. Michelle was a little stressed because there were other things going on too but I was super happy to have her help! Marv also had a flat and he takes a special size tube and I think Aldo may have been lost again. So just a few more miles and a few more turns and we pulled up in front of the Hotel Avalon! More about that tomorrow. Shower and then time for food!
Conversation when they brought the pizza to the table.
Fiona (as she picks up a piece): It's hot!
Kettie: Really?
Fiona: I didn't think Americans were supposed to be sarcastic.
Fiona: I got a great shot of you just shoveling it in with both hands.
Kettie: Awesome.
I needed to be back at the hotel by 5 so I could swap out the borrowed tire for my extra spare so we took half the pizza back with us to the motel. By the way, it was amazing pizza. Stevo's on State Street in Erie PA. Highly recommended. The staff wasn't that friendly but the food spoke for itself. :) Dinner was at 6 and was pasta and chicken and not as amazing as the pizza. We made plans to hook up with PC, Ingun, and Jeremy the next day to go in a rental car to see Niagara Falls so we went to bed with that happy thought in our heads! I'll let you know about that tomorrow along with some more details about the Hotel Avalon. Not as highly recommended as the pizza. Just sayin'.
I still think you're doing this just for the food!
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