Day 7: Mount Vernon to Westerville 61km
Tuesday, May 16
Cloudy with the odd sprinkle of rain. SW light wind. 23C
We must be getting stronger because we had enough extra energy this morning to go for a walk around downtown Mount Vernon. We saw the historic town square and a fun piece of public art – inspired by a fountain in Toronto.
The Ohio to Erie Trail is a continuous trail from the Ohio River in Cincinnati to Lake Erie in Cleveland and it is made up of all sorts of trails, each with their own name. Today alone, we rode on 10 different ones: The Kokosing Gap Trail, The Heart of Ohio Trail, The Delaware County Trail, The Sandel Legacy Trail, The T.W. Hopper Trail, The Hoover Scenic Trail, The Genoa Trail, The Blue Star Trail, The Westerville Bike & Walk Route and The Alum Creek Trail. I had to keep notes to remember them all!
Aside from our usual trail-side snack breaks on a bench or just standing beside our bikes, we encountered some extraordinary reststops today. The closer we got to Columbus the nicer they seemed to get.
It did rain a little bit throughout the day, but never enough to get us or the trail wet. We’d get a bit damp and then the combination of the sun struggling to come out and the mild breeze would dry us off before we ever needed our rain jackets. The cloud cover also kept us from needing to reapply sunscreen which has become a daily chore.
We searched out a grocery store just off the trail on the way into Westerville, knowing that there weren’t any nearby the hotel where we’d be staying. Kroeger is a mega-supermarket and we spent awhile cruising the aisles before deciding what to order for dinner. Tonight’s meal was built around salsa and chips.
When we finally arrived at our hotel we were pleasantly surprised. We wheeled our bikes into the 7 story indoor atrium and rode up in the glass walled elevator to our room. The 2 room suite has more than enough space to stretch out in, and we haven’t even got to enjoy the sectional couch yet. We ate dinner at the table instead of in bed and we didn’t have to wash the dishes in the bathroom sink!
Tomorrow we’ve got a short ride into Columbus. We’ve got to finalize the details for the next leg of the trip and we’re planning on doing some sight-seeing and some relaxing!
eimajeyn 