We were blessed with another great day of nice weather and good riding. We had a simple breakfast at the Hearthstone Inn before rolling off about 9AM. We woke up to a foggy view, but by the time we left, the fog was nearly gone.
The trip today was nearly all on rail-trails. There are just a couple of miles of connectors when you reach the towns along the way and the last mile or so in Columbus to get to the hotel. This kind of riding is very different than our normal Kentucky riding or the first two days of this tour. The paths are flat and quiet. No cars to worry about, no hills to climb. I really enjoy these kinds of trails, but I also like the variety of rolling hills to mix up the workout for the legs.
The Prairie Grass Trail took us part of the way, followed by the Camp Chase Trail. Finally the Scioto trail in Columbus led us into the city. Columbus has a great network of trails that can get you all over the city and out into the suburbs. I sure wish my home town of Lexington had the same kind of biking infrastructure.
Our first stop of the day was the little town of South Charleston. It is a small farming community with just a few stores and shops to support the locals. We stopped for some pictures and a snack break before heading on.
About half way through the ride today is the town of London. London is a sizable town with a good trailhead. We stopped there for more water and snacks. Leaving the trailhead, the Ohio to Erie trail gives you two options: one goes through town, the other bypasses the busiest roads. JB and Zubby opted for going through town, we opted for bypassing town. Due to a lack of coordination on my part, we didn’t sync up again for several miles before regrouping on the trail.
As you begin to get to the outskirts of the city, there is a neat park: Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park. We stopped for a quick photo and then did the only climbing for the day as the trail goes through the woods within the park.
A few miles later, the suburbs of Columbus emerge as we paralleled the Camp Chase Railroad. I promised the guys some donuts to make up for error outside of London. There’s a place called Amy’s Donuts along the way, so we stopped in and I bought a round of donuts.
I have ridden this section of our trip many times; This is my third cycling trip through here and I often do long day-rides out from where I work in Columbus. When we reached Amy’s, I felt like I was in the home stretch.
We arrived in the city and did a little impromptu navigating because the path I had planned was closed due to a party being held in the riverfront park. I’m sure we could have just walked around the event, but I didn’t think of that at the moment. About 15 minutes later, we arrived at the Hilton and rolled our bikes into the lobby. Lots of soap and hot water just feels like magic after a long day.
Next up, getting to mass and meeting the guys for dinner afterwards. I’m really craving a good sized meal and a beer. I’m sure downtown Columbus won’t disappoint.
I had a request to learn a little more about our mascot airplanes. So here’s the first installment. These nice little toys are modeled on the North American Mustang P-51. I’m not much for airplane factoids, but thanks to Wikipedia, I now know that the North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War. There are British and American versions of this airplane and it was the dominant fighter until modern jet engines came along. Our current toys have held up well over the 243 miles of cycling. The propellers catch the wind and spin nicely. At first, we figured they’d fall apart after a few miles, but they’re hanging in strong – just like their real life counterparts. I’m betting they’ll be with us easily to the end of the ride.
With that, I’m off to get to mass at the Cathedral here in Columbus, followed by a generous dinner somewhere.
Peace,
— Dcn. Matt
Deacon Matt's Blog 
love reading your posts!! Glad you are enjoying your trip