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After months and months of preparation, we finally hit the road this morning. Actually, I hit the road. Photographer Denny Gordon couldn't get his computer to work last evening, so he drove back to Akron this morning while I took off by bicycle from the Pennsylvania border, just east of Conneaut.
Denny joined me in Geneva-on-the-Lake just after noon, so much of the day was spent riding alone. We ended up covering about 57 miles.
This was a great, great riding day. Sunshine - instead of the 40 days and nights of rain we've been having - and a slight tailwind breeze to move us along. At several places along the Lake Erie shoreline, huge swarms of mosquitoes hovered over the roadside ditches where there was no tree cover. But they stayed away from me.
I probably interviewed 20 people today. I entered each conversation with the two simple questions: Why do you live in Ohio? Are you planning on staying in Ohio? Most people were more than happy to answer those questions and any others.
Nearly everyone I talked to said they were born and raised in Ohio and loved it here because of family and friends. I'm not surprised.
For you bike riders out there, today's ride was uneventful, in terms of rude people running you off the road. Two cars of teen-age boys honked repeatedly and shouted out their windows. Two raccoon, two skunk and one deer roadkill (numerous smaller creatures.) No breakdowns with the bike.
Well, first-day fatigue is starting to set in. Here's hoping tomorrow will be as enjoyable as today. And here's hoping you are coming along for the ride.
9:07:29 PM 
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