Day 86- Holy Toledo- Ohio

My stay at the motel last night allowed me to get an early start. It seems like it has been a long time since I was able to get on the road at a decent time. And the nice sunny weather seems to be holding, for now.

Today, I again will try to make it to Ohio. I think I stand a pretty good chance today. It is only about 15-20 miles from here.

The morning’s ride went through Monroe which is the home of General George Custer. I know this because there was a big sign at the city limit letting everyone know it. And there was a statue too.

After Monroe, it was only 5 miles to the Ohio border and it went by quickly.

And the border is also the city limit for Toledo. Now in Ohio, I had a new agenda. An Ohio map. It took a few stops to find one but eventually it was mission accomplished. Then after a lunch, I set about negotiating my way through Toledo and heading east along Lake Erie.

I looked forward to getting to Toledo for several reasons. It marked a new state, not that I was disappointed with Michigan, but rather that I was in Michigan for what seemed like a LONG time! Also, traveling south, I have been bucking a steady south westerly breeze. It was never terrible, but it knocks you back a couple of mph and takes its toll on you eventually. Turning the corner so to speak in Toledo I finally got to get a partial tailwind which has been a long time coming. And finally, reaching Toledo marks the end of the predominate southern direction I have been traveling in and now I will be going mainly east and north into New England eventually.

After Toledo, I am following the coastline of Lake Erie. I have yet to actually see it. My route seems to be a mile or inland of the lake. But I know it is out there somewhere. When I do see it, it will be the third of the Great Lakes that I have seen on the trip. Michigan, Huron, and now Erie. They are all impressive.

Today I also did something else I haven’t done in a while. I stopped riding at 5:00. I got to a private campground at Turtle Creek. Turtle Creek has a pretty dominate skyline to announce your arrival.

The cooling tower of a nuclear power generating station! This is the first one that I have seen on this trip. Well, the first OPERATING one. There was a decommissioned one on the Mississippi River in Wisconsin a while ago.

After getting settled in at my campsite, I took a walk and guess what I found?

Lake Erie! Only a few hundred yards away.

OK, mystery solved. Now I have to get back and cook dinner and do all that camp stuff. And see what tomorrow will bring.