June 13 Columbus to Xenia

Like prior mornings we put on our jackets before we left the hotel.  As soon as we stepped outside we immediately took them off.  It was already hot and going to get hotter. We left early to avoid the afternoon heat that was only going to get worse.  After about 7 miles we found a place for breakfast.  Actually, we had a “choice” of either McDonalds or Tim Hortens.  In honor of our Canadian brothers we chose Tim Hortens. 

Today was a people day.  While we saw lots of people on the trail, two warrant specific mention. First we met William Galloway riding a Cattrike (a 3 wheel recumbent) pulling a trailer.  He was on his fourth trip across the United States in four years.  While he said that he was homeless he was very pleasant and neat looking. We chatted for about 10 minutes but William was in no hurry to move on.  The second person was Heidi who was setting up a lunch stop for 11 cyclists on a Wilderness Voyageurs tour.  Her company is located in Ohiopyle, PA and provides fully supported bike adventures.  We wondered why we did not sign up with them rather than lug all of our stuff.  She gave us water and shared some Amish pecan cinnamon rolls with us. We talked for about half an hour before moving on.

About half our day was spent cycling on the Prairie Grass Trail.  It was freshly paved which was nice. However, the trail lacked much interest.  It was mostly straight and the few curves were not even 90 degrees.  We saw lots of farm fields and even more farm fields.  While the trail allowed us to cycle at a reasonable fast pace, we looked forward to the diversions through some of the small towns.  We went through London, founded in the early 1800s, as a Methodist community. Next was Cedarville where we passed the Cedarville Opera House.  Finally, we arrived in Xenia which was founded in 1803, the same year Ohio was admitted to the Union. Xenia was once a safe haven for enslaved people traveling to freedom along the Underground Railroad.  However, all we saw was the Xenia train station which is a replica building based on the original station. We were only focused on getting out of the heat and into an air conditioned hotel.

Pictures

Today's Map

Map Total South-Bound Trip



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