fremont, ohio

Barn near Gibsonburg, Ohio. Never Forget!

 Once again, we pedaled through farmlands on backroads of Ohio. We were so backroads that, at times, we didn't even have lines on the roads. The traffic was almost none existtent, as well, maybe because today is still part of the July 4th weekend and maybe because of the backroads route. Our planned fifty-four miles ride from Napoleon, Ohio to Fremont, Ohio ended up being 63.55 miles. There are times when our maps and computers differ from the real miles we ride and the ride today was a bit longer. No big deal though, because every mile counts and every miles gets us closer to Maine and the Atlantic.

We did a little route changing last night and we are again above 1,000 miles. We're not much above 1,000 though, we're right around 1,015. But . . . we will be back under 1,000 again tomorrow. With the changes in mind, here is the approximate breakdown for the remainder of the journey to the ocean. (This, too, is subject to change.) 2,699.36/1,015.5

Fremont, Ohio to Buffalo, New York - 282 miles. We will be using the Adventure Cycling Northern Tier bike maps for part of the journey. This may be the busiest part of the entire cross-country ride. Adventure Cycling will somehow take us on such a route as we'll miss the high-traffic and urban areas of Cleveland and surrounding areas.

Buffalo to Albany, New York - 339 miles. This portion of the ride will be on the Erie Canal Heritage Trail. This trail will be on the towpath that was in use when the canal was an active route for transporting goods and travelers through upstate New York.

Albany to Ticonderoga, New York - 96.5 miles. We will ride on the New York State Bicycle Route 9. This is not a bike trail but New York roads that are more bike-friendly with less traffic than other nearby roads.

Ticonderoga to Rockport, Maine - 298 miles. For this part of the ride, we will be back on the Adventure Cycling Northern Tier route all the way to the Atlantic at Rockport.

Our plans are to finish the Erie Canal Heritage Trail around 16 July and that will leave us with almost 400 miles to go to the Atlantic. Depending on how many miles we want to do each day, we could finish the ride somewhere around 22, 23 July. We'll see. It's not a race, it's a ride. Margaret keeps reminding me of that.

As we get closer to the finish, I think I get a little bit impatient. I want to git 'er done, dip my front tire and all ten of my toes into the Atlantic Ocean, raise my bike above my head, and shout Hallelujah! (I may have to pass on the bike raising. We'll see how strong I am at the coast.) To keep my mind somewhat restrained (not hurry) I found some finishing quotes that may help:

"Aim for the sky, but move slowly, enjoying every step along the way. It is all those little steps that make the journey complete."

"Accomplishment will prove to be a journey, not a destination." Dwight D. Eisenhower 

"Sometimes in life, we become so focused on the finish line that we fail to find joy in the journey."

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." Dr. Seuss

"My only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me." (Acts 20:24)

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith . . ." (Hebrews 12:1-2a)

We can run with patient endurance because our race is fixed! (Think about that.)