fairview, pennsylvania

 Pennsylvania - Lots of History here.

Once again we pedaled along Lake Erie from Conneaut, Ohio to Fairview, Pennsylvania. We only pedaled eighteen miles so the ride was short and sweet. The shoulders, once we got into Pennsylvania, were smooth and about three to four feet wide which made for nice riding. The scenery was all farmland and, after a roadside lunch, we stopped at Mason Farms Roadside Market on Route 5 as we headed toward Fairview. We even went into the fields to pick black raspberries and strawberries. 

Pennsylvania is my state of birth. I was born in the York Hospital in York, Pennsylvania. I grew up in Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania and lived in and around there until I enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1962. From that time until now I've lived in Texas, Colorado, Ohio, Virginia, Florida, and now, Georgia. Even after all those moves, Pennsylvania is still home. We will only be here for a short time. Tomorrow we'll ride into New York and the next day we will head to Buffalo. Then on Monday we will begin the Erie Canal Trail for a ride almost all the way across New York. We are closing in on the target! Look out Maine. 

William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, was also very instrumental in the founding of America as well. Here are some of his thoughts:

"Men must be governed by God or they will be ruled by tyrants."

"Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it."

"I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness or abilities that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer it or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."

"Time is what we want most, but what we use worst."

"Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God."

 "In the rush and noise of life, as you have intervals, step home within yourselves and be still. Wait upon God, and feel His good presence; this will carry you evenly through your day's business."

"No pain, no palm; no thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown."

"Love is the hardest lesson in Christianity; but, for that reason, it should be most our care to learn it."

And . . .  from the Bible, "Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." (John 13:35)

Love God, love people.

Day 47 - 2,887.78/approximately 827 miles to go!

We were told not to eat more than we pick! Hmmm.

conneaut, ohio

 UNDER 900! 2,869.72/approximately 845 To Go!

Our ride today was 60.10 miles from Mentor, Ohio to Conneaut, Ohio. Most of the ride was very close to Lake Erie. The shoulders were very narrow, the wind was with us, and traffic was, once again, very kind. And . . . we had a good bit of rain. It still was a good riding day and we are sixty miles closer to the finish line. Oh, we did find a couple of cool bike trails. That's about it for the day. Not much to write about today but some days are just like that.

I am looking forward to the days ahead and our finish in Maine. Some highlights to brighten the days ahead include:

Tomorrow we go into Pennsylvania, my home state. I always like getting home even when it's hundreds of miles away from where I grew up. To all my Pennsylvania family, friends, and classmates, I'm saying hi and thinking of you.

Sarah, Barry, and Geneva will meet us Saturday in Orchard Beach, Pennsylvania. Sarah and Barry plan to pedal the Erie Canal Trail from Buffalo to Albany, New York. (For those who don't know us, Sarah is our older daughter, Barry is her husband, and Geneva is Barry's mom.)

We should be finished with the Erie Canal Trail by Saturday, 16 July. The trail is approximately 365 miles, flat, and without rumble strips and traffic. The ride from Buffalo to Albany, New York will take a good sized chunk out of our remaining miles. It will be a nice break too. And . . . it will also be a ride down History Lane. From the Erie Canal Trail we will go to Ticonderoga and pedal to Rockport, Miane using the Adventure Cycling trail maps.

In Vermont, we may get to visit with some great friends of ours, Mitch and Sara Kimbrell and their children.  We know Mitch and Sara from our church family in Bogart, Georgia. I sure hope we get to pull this off. I know it would be a special time.

Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine are not wide states. All cyclists I know love skinny states! Of course two of these skinny states will present us with some Green and White Mountain climbs. We'll get over them!

The traditional front tire dip in the water of the Atlantic Ocean. It will be picture time for sure. I'm excited that Phil and Gale get to experience this time of travel but the finish is worth the whole trip. There's something about it that is bittersweet. Sure it will be great and exciting to finish but it will also be sad that it's over. We'll wash our bikes and probably celebrate with something like a banana split or hot fudge sundae . . . something healthy. Then we'll begin to meander home.

The people we'll meet and the food that we'll eat. We still have over eight hundred miles worth of people to meet and talk with and food in the Mom & Pop eateries. Some my favorites thus far have been fish & chips, burgers & fries, and onion rings. (I don't think I've lost any weight.)

I'm looking forward to not packing and unpacking the Explorer every day. For the trip home, Margaret and I will pack and use a travel bag with only what we need for the nights on the road. Everything else will be packed neatly in the Explorer. I used the word neatly because, right now, the back of our Explorer looks kind of like a county landfill. We know where everything is but it still looks like county landfill!

But since we still have about two weeks of pedaling to go we'll pedal one mile at a time, stop and take pictures, eat snacks, and enjoy the ride. The quiet times on the bikes make every day a great time to hang out with the Father. God is good. 

The joy of the Lord is my strength.

Just so you'll know, GOTL stands for Geneva On The Lake. We pedaled through GOTL today. Neat little community.

mentor, ohio

Cleveland, Ohio.

 I feel like we've gone over the last major hurdle before getting to the Atlantic Ocean . . . Cleveland, Ohio. We did not get lost in Cleveland but we did do a little trailblazing. We made some new routes but I knew if Lake Erie was to our left, we would be going east and a little northeast and that's the way we wanted to be going. We pedaled 50.16 miles from Sheffield, Ohio to Mentor, Ohio. Most of the day we were on bike trails of one kind or another. 

Before we had pedaled two miles from our start, Phil had a flat tire. It was caused by a piece of glass lodged in his rear tire. After replacing the tube and tire, we were on the way for a hot day or riding. But . . . we are now fifty miles closer to Maine. Our total now is 2,809.62 and our mileage to the finish line is approximately 905. We're goin' ta Maine!

Seeing the skyline of Cleveland was exciting. I knew that just on the other side of the FirstEnergy Stadium we would be on the other side of the city and headed away from city streets. We really didn't have much city riding because Cleveland has an abundance of bike trails. The problem comes when a person doesn't know which ones to choose. With the help of a local fellow, walking his dog on the bike trail, we made it over the Detroit Superior Bridge, to the stadium, and out of town without a problem. The bike trail, Alfred Lerner Way, is wide, smooth, and quickly got us out of town! The rest of our ride was on the Cleveland Lakeshore Trail.

This evening we went to supper at Clay Street Grill where we met David Newby. David was in the student ministry at Prince in the early 1990s. David drove almost 400 miles from Dearborn, Michigan, to eat supper with us and what a good time we had together. He shared much about his growing up years, his time at Prince, and hs dream and passion for ministry to an elite group of people. David just realeased a new book, Beyond Billions: Create Lasting Wealth Using Trillionaire Solomon's Success Secrets. I asked him about the source of his information and he said it was from his own life and the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. 

I remember teaching through Ecclesiastes and telling students, "The first ten chapters of Ecclesiastes may make you feel like committing suicide but the last two chapters will help you see why you should not."

Ecclesiastes 12:1 gives wise advice to young and old alike, "Remember now the Creator in the days of your youth . . . " 

We live in a world where it seems like most people are looking for power, possessions, and pleasure. It also seems like enough is never enough. Storage units are everywhere! I have seen them in towns and literally in the middle of nowhere as we've pedaled. We have way too much stuff! We have so much stuff now we cannot keep it all at home. We find and rent places to store things we don't even use. I'm reminded of a verse from Mark's gospel, "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"All of this stuff is costly, however. And the cost is high: families, reputations, stress, health, sorrow, and sometimes life itself. In Ecclesiastes, Solomon, who was worth trillions of dollars in today's money, tells you all about it. He did, after all, have it all. His storage buildings were never enough. He tried it all but it never satisfied. But along with all of his stuff, Solomon received from God the greatest gift of all, Wisdom. Wisdom is seeing things from God's point of view. And Solomon saw those things and told us how to avoid the pitfalls that steal joy and peace. We can have the same wisdom as well. Look at James 1:5, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him." 

If we have to buy stuff to store our stuff, we have too much stuff. Get wisdom!

2,809.6/approximately 905

sheffield, ohio

We found it!

 The word for the day is lost. That's what we were for a bunch of miles. We started our ride in Fremont, Ohio and after about five miles of zigging and zagging, Phil and I finally found the beginning of the North Coast Inland Bike Path. The Path was, indeed, a super nice path, paved, smooth, and straight. Most of the path was through corn and wheat fields and some small towns. Next, we were supposed to exit the bike path at South Ridge Road near Clyde and, because the county roads are not marked at bike trail crossings, we missed it and were lost for a short time again. Next we got lost missing a sign for County Road 288 toward Avery and in Avery we could not find Huron-Avery Road to Huron which is right on Lake Erie. Once in Huron we only had to turn right and stay on Route 6 for a ride to our destination.

You would think that with all the navigational gear we have with us that lost would not even be part of our travel vocabulary. But it is. We've got Adventure Cycling Northern Tier maps, STRAVA, Garmin, Google Maps, and Waze. How could we ever get lost? Our biggest problem was the devices were not all giving the same directions! Two were giving directions to drivers of motorized vehicles. One was giving directions to bike riders and two weren't giving anything at all. They were just recording our ride on maps. When it came right down to which directions to believe, we chose the guidance of our bike maps and finally got to our destination. But what a mess we were in when we tried to get directions from two or three devices and put them together into one map! It didn't work.

This whole messy day reminds me of life in general. We often hear many voices guiding, advising, directing, and even deceiving us as we go from day to day and decision to decision. And, generally, what happens is . . . we get lost. If you really want guidance you can trust just open your Bible.

"Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path." (Psalm 119:105)

"How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." (Psalm 119:9-11)

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you." (Psalm 32:8)

"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." (James 1:5)

Now don't buy into what the prosperity preachers tell you. If you trust and follow Jesus, read his Word everyday, pray, and go to church, you will still have problems, temptations, hurts, and even get lost from time to time. But you will get through it. And . . . you'll have Someone who really cares and will travel every step of the way with you. Hang out with the Father every day . . . all day. Get into your Bible and get your Bible into you.

Don't get lost. Do the Bible!

Oh, I almost forgot! Day 44 . . . We pedaled 60.10 miles today. 2,759.46 miles/approximately 955 to go!

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.)

napoleon, ohio

Welcome to Ohio . . . we will be here for five nights. 

Day 42 of pedaling was flat, green, and tailwinds in Indiana and Ohio. That's it! We pedaled 52.04 miles from Kendallville, Indiana to Napoleon, Ohio. Another state finished! On to the Atlantic! No flats today and we are now at 2,635.81 miles with approximately 928.03 miles remaining! Today's ride included more Road Closed and Detour signs on Route 6 but they were passable on a bike. I did have to push my bike through grass, around a huge chasm across the road, around mud, and back onto the road. Margaret drove the detour and said it was a forty mile trip out of the way. It's one thing to do a detour in a car but a way bigger thing to pedal an extra forty miles on a bike.

Barns dot the Indiana and Ohio landscape where we are riding. We have seen barns in every state where we've pedaled. Barn design seems to differ with each state but, basically, they all provide housing for cattle, farm equipment, and grain storage. Barns are architectural gems whatever their design may be. Many of the barns I've seen could house two or three of the farmers' or ranchers' homes. As a kid, I loved climbing in local barns, catching pigeons at night, and even sleeping in some. To a kid, like me, barns were wooden wonderlands to climb, explore, play, and pretend. A barn could be a huge sailing vessel, a fort, or a series of hand-made tunnels amidst the hay and straw bales. Seeing a barn in the process of collapsing is sad to me. These giants of America are the foundations of many farms and when they're gone a big part of our history and culture is gone with them. I think, with a whole lot of work and elbow grease, a barn would make an incredible home.

Fremont, Ohio is our destination tomorrow. From here in Napoleon, we have about fifty-four miles of pedaling. Shouldn't be bad and if we leave early, we can be in Fremont by noon. 

As I pedal through America, I am once again reminded of the greatness of America. I love to see the red, white, and blue of Old Glory. Sometimes, as I ride by, I simply salute and say the Pledge to myself or even out loud. You know, right now, we have some sorry, spoiled brat, stinking attitude, Olympic tryouts who refuse to put their hands over their hearts and recognize the Pledge or the National Anthem. To these little brats, I say, "Find a country that you like, go there, compete for it, and stay there. And don't let the door hit you where the good Lord split you. We don't need you." I know that none of those cry babies will be reading this, but if one does, this is for you:

And . . . for you athlete cry-babies, let me remind you of something. You can only get away with your brat-like ranting and raving because you live in the United States of America. Grow up and get over it!

"Blessed is the Nation Whose God is the Lord" (Psalm 33:12).

Liberty . . . brought to you by real heroes who were not whiners, losers, and cry-babies!

kendallville, indiana

 I can smell the ocean!

We are now under 1,000 miles to go and we'll be at the Atlantic Ocean, maybe even in the Atlantic Ocean. It doesn't matter . . . we'll be there and we'll be finished! There was just something about going under that 1,000 mile mark today. I was in the middle of Nappanee and Kendallville, Indiana when my Garmin ceremoniously hit the seventeen mile mark for today. That let me know that I was in the three digits finally. 999 never felt so good. Did I yell? Yep. Nobody heard me but I did yell. I'm now looking forward to getting under the 100 mile mark. And . .  I'll yell again!

As I was leaving CountrySide Inn this morning I was greeted by Paul Miller. Paul is a Mennonite and was in Nappanee for his brother's funeral. Many of his family were in Nappanee for the funeral as well. Paul seems like the kind of guy I'd like to sit on the porch with and just talk about life in general. I told him that I grew up in York County, Pennsylvania which is next to Lancaster, County, home of a large Amish population and beautiful farms and fields. He knew where that was and said he was originally from Maryland which is very close to Lancaster. Paul asked about the bikes and that started our conversation about the cross-country journey. He thought it was a great adventure for us and said he would be praying for us as we travel. Paul is from Paris, Tennessee and said I was welcome to visit if I ever happened to be in that area of the country. I'd like to surprise him one day. Thanks, Paul, for much encouragement.

The road I pedaled, U. S. 6, had mostly narrow but smooth shoulders. It was also full of kind and considerate drivers. Margaret and I stopped so I could get some pictures of old cars and trucks and I think I got my first flat in the driveway there. I did manage to have two flat tires, one where I photographed the old vehicles and the other right after I got to Kendallville. Two in one day . . . and both were the results of running over very small pieces of wire from steel-belted radial tires. Same old story . . . that's five flats (out of my seven) from those tiny, sneaky pieces of wire. I'm over it, though. Probably won't be the last anyway. 

In Kendallville, Margaret and I went to what was kind of a flea market/thrift store. We bought nothing but had an interesting talk with the owner about DNR Approved Firewood in Indiana. I'll tell you about it sometime. From there we looked for a bike shop which may have existed at one time but wasn't on the map today. Not sure where it went but I am sure where is isn't so we went to Tractor Supply and bought enough tire patches to get me to the Atlantic. I'm hope I don't need them!

Lunch was at Richard's Ranch House where I had a super good burger and baked beans. Margaret had chicken salad croissant and fries. Both were very good and we left with full tummies and headed downtown Kendallville to check out two antique shops. At Carla's 5 Bucks Antiques & Such, I was looking for another Indiana license plate when Margaret spotted a box full. I asked Carla how much and she held up her hand a said, "Five bucks." That was fair for me so I grabbed one and continued to look around. When Carla and I started talking about the ride she asked, "Well, what are you doing in Kendallville?" I told her we were following U.S. 6 for much of the ride and Kendallville was part of the ride. I told her how I found license plates along the road
and wanted one from each state we pedaled through. I also told Carla that our favorite parts of the ride are the people we meet and the food we eat at the fine Ma & Pa eateries. When we finished talking I went to pay Carla for my Indiana plate and she simply indicated, "No," and gave it to me as a gift. Carla is one of those folks who make this ride an incredible and special journey. Carla, you made my day. And for that, I say thank you very much. So . . . for you folks reading this, if you ever get into Kendallville, Indiana, stop by 128 South Main Street at Carla's 5 Bucks Antiques & Such and say hi to Carla. You could even buy something.

Every day, I am reminded of God's goodness. Even though not all things that happen in our lives are good, the Bible says,  "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

That means every day and that means everything. So today . . . I give thanks for Paul Miller and his encouragement, narrow and smooth shoulders, Richard's Ranch House, a great burger, Carla and her encouragement and my gift license plate, a clean car, sunshine and wind, Kendallville, farms and long green fields, old rusty cars, kind and courteous drivers, encouraging notes and texts, going under 1,000 miles, America, tiny bits of wire, and two flat tires. There's much more I can give thanks for today but I hope my little list is enough to give you an idea and you grab a piece of paper and start writing. It's amazing how much encouragement we can get from being gracious. Write those things down. Give it try. And list things you normally wouldn't be thankful for, too. You won't be sorry.

Give thanks!

2,583.77/980.07!

Ohio tomorrow, Lord willing, then Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine! Look out Atlantic!