JULY 17 RAINY DAY TO AUSTINTOWN

When I was young my grandmother used to tell me that sometimes I didn't "know enough to come in out of the rain." She may not have been serious, but today I proved her right. We were out riding in the rain all morning from Wooster to Austintown, OH, a distance of 91 miles.

We departed the hotel in our Hi-Vis Yellow rain gear and headed for the backroads that we have been travelling in Ohio. It was a cool, gray day with rain expected most of the morning. The steady rain soaked us. Our shoes, pants, and glasses were drenched. Certainly it is more difficult to bike in the rain: the roads are slippery, the pot-holes less visible, it is tougher to see clearly. However, we were in no rush - we had all day to complete the ride.

SAG Stop in the rain

We passed a LARGE commercial dairy farm that held about 2000 milking cows (according to my farm consultant, Tom (IA)). They were housed in buildings with individual stalls, which apparently they never left. This was not the little family farm with "Bessie" coming in at the end of the day to get milked. We also noticed that many of the farms had oats as a crop in addition to the corn and soybeans. Mason, John and Joe spent some time at a pig farm (why I'm not sure).

Yesterday I mentioned that we have had a couple of accidents with injuries. I know that statements like that can alarm the friends and families of the bikers. That is certainly not my intent--and let me assure you that EVERYONE is ok--no one has been seriously hurt. Unfortunately, biking accidents sometimes occur in spite of our best efforts to ride safely to prevent them.

Meg, Dale and Mason at Cracker Barrel

The total climb today was 2670 feet. We encountered mainly rolling hills that were less steep and less frequent than yesterday. The town of Canal Fulton with its cobblestone streets and manicured lawns looked like a perfect little village, even on a dark, cloudy day as we passed through.

The route through Ohio has been very pleasant for all of us. We have had some rain and some rough pavement, but the backroads chosen for us to take through the state have really been enjoyable.

Route Rap in Austintown

We are planning our final days parties now. The realization that we are approaching the Coast is apparent. Our odometers tell us we have gone over 3000 miles. Tomorrow we will enter Pennsylvania and a rest day in Erie. The group continues to get along great. We are truly a compatible bunch!

         - Bill

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