Day 10, Wednesday, April 30: Ohio relented. For now
After the grind of yesterday, it was nice to get back in the groove with a good day. A very good day. We made good distance and good time, much of it away from traffic.
It took a while to get going. The hotel serves continental breakfast, but the woman in charge seemed to think that with the power out she didn't really need to do anything. She seemed quite annoyed we made her set out bagels and jam and bananas to go with the instant coffee we made behind the hotel with my camp stove.
Here is an observation about the people of eastern Ohio: they are the most surly, unfriendly, uncurious bunch of people you will ever meet. I have always thought it ridiculous when someone says the people of a certain locale are the friendliest people they ever met. My experience has been that people everywhere are friendly. At least until I rode a bike in eastern Ohio.
We had gone off route to get the hotel in Cadiz, but we made quick work of the 8 miles to get back on route in Jewett, Ohio, where we stopped at a Marathon gas station for more coffee and calories. There we hit the Conotton Creek Trail, a wide, paved bikeway that took us 11 miles to Bowerston. John and I were both thankful to be cranking out miles on flat ground in cool weather after the travails of the day before.
From Bowerston we were on a state highway for a while. It was through rolling hills, but the climbs were not as steep or long as the day before. In Zoar we finally got into the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath, where we would remain the rest of the day.
The towpath was very much like the C&O at the beginning of the trip. The canal was on the right, the Tuscarawas River on the left. There was definitely a green tunnel effect, but it was very much welcome.
The surface was mostly crushed limestone, with bits of pavement here and there. It was rough in a few places, but never so rough I ever wanted to be on pavement, in traffic.
In Massillon, OH our route turns eastward, leaving the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath, but our destination for the night was a free campsite three miles beyond our turn. We had a quick stop at Ernie's Bike Shop right on the trail, dried the wet clothes we had carried all day at a nearby laundromat, then pushed on to the campsite.
After setting up camp we saw there were two pubs nearby, one north, one south. We went to the closest, the one to the north.
It was a dismal little place that didn't serve food, but we had a couple of beers. We decided to check out the other pub, and John, who had elected to walk, set out first while I finished my beer and chatted with the bartender about our trip.
I paid up and went outside. As I was unlocking my bike I heard someone say "Did I hear right, that you're going to Oregon? On your bikes?"
He held something out, which I instinctively took, and said, "Well, your beers are on me." It was a twenty-dollar bill.
Maybe I should have given it back, but my approach to this trip is to let people be kind and accept their generosity. People instinctively know bicycle tourists are vulnerable, and I'm sure it gives them joy to help us out.
And I relearned a valuable lesson: do not judge the people of a region by one or two, or even five or six, characters you meet.
John and I eventually rejoined at the other bar, TJ Dillon's, a fine, lively pub with good food and friendly staff and patrons. Give it a visit if you are ever in Massillon, Ohio.
Great entry!
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