Last night was the best night of sleep both Joe and I had this week. We got up early and hit the trail. Weather throughout the day was another fantastic day, with just a few drops of rain. The end of the day was a bit windy, but a good day nonetheless.
I purchased a couple of vegan double-chocolate cake donuts at the market below the B&B last night. We had those for breakfast to get us started. We decided we’d get more to eat a few miles later at a Dunkin’ Donuts in Loveland.
Our first destination today was Xenia Station, about 50 miles up the trail. We both had a wonderful and uneventful ride up to Xenia on the Little Miami Trail. I’ve ridden this trail numerous times over the years and I still enjoy it. It is not challenging – it’s an old railroad grade. The trail is mostly canopied by trees and passes through many small towns along the way. This made for an easy and relaxing day.
When we reached Xenia we grabbed a quick second lunch at Wendy’s before going our own ways. Joe and I haven’t done much riding together in a while and I really enjoyed touring with him for the last few days.
Xenia Station is the intersection of several great bike trails. We left the Little Miami Trail behind. Joe went west on the Creekside Trail and I cycled northeast on the Praire Grass Trail. He’s off to Dayton to meet his family for a college visit to UD. I’m continuing along my way to the Josephinum in Columbus.
I only had about 8 more miles to my destination for tonight: the Hearthstone Inn in Cedarville. The last few miles were fairly easy with a bit of a tailwind. I had to stop to climb over a downed tree on the trail. Otherwise, it was an easy trip.
The Hearthstone Inn is a great family run hotel right on the trail. I checked in and triple-scrubbed myself down to get off the bugs, dirt, and sunscreen before I joined a quick Zoom meeting for work.
Sitting in the hotel room by myself feels a bit weird after spending the last four evenings together. Joe texted me a little after I arrived to let me know that he’d arrived at his hotel. I’m glad to know we both made it safely. It’s a buddy-thing.
I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s ride. The weather looks cool and comfortable again. I’d like to arrive at the Josephinum around lunch time, if possible – we’ll have to see how things go.
May the Lord bless you and provide you rest.
Dcn. Matt
Deacon Matt's Blog 