G.A.S.P.

(Great Adventures to Scenic Places)

[ Home ] [ Up ] [ May 19 ] [ May 20 ] [ May 21 ] [ May 22, 23, 24 ] [ May 25 ] [ May 26 ] [ May 27 ] [ May 28 ] [ May 29 ] [ May 30 ]

May 19, 1999

The journey began on a wonderful note. Becky, Aaron, Mom and Floyd were all there to see me off, and Don and Ruth escorted me out of town as far as Greenleaf Park on Medina Line Road. It was cool, but dry as I said my goodbyes and headed off west on Rt. 162. I was tired by the time I got to Medina (all hills for 20 miles), but I knew the terrain would flatten out beyond that point. What I didn't know was that the wind would blow in my face all that day, and that it would be at least as bad as the hills.

Shortly after noon, in the small town of New London, I encountered the first of many welcome McDonald's signs - no kidding - a clean restroom, good french fries and a cold milkshake. McDonald's will always be a welcome site on my journey.

The day was pretty uneventful, except for me riding right by my campground by about three miles. Hey, not my fault, they changed the name since the Woodall’s Directory (1998 version) came out. I even waved at the owner on my way past. Anyway, it meant getting to ride with the wind for the three miles on my way back, although I was already over 80 miles and could have done without. I asked the owner if he had any special price for a Long Distance Biker (LDB) who was destined to be very poor after the next year. He said he was already offering his "off season" rate of $17 and couldn't do

better than that. I said okay, but he thought about it a bit more, said "Don't tell your friends," and typed $15 into his computer for the registration. He then compounded his generosity by writing the VISA bill for $14.50. I guess it's true - people are nice to you when you travel by a slower means.