Today started with a leisurely walk to get breakfast before rolling off. The original plan was only 50 miles, so we decided to sleep in a bit, walk to a breakfast spot a little ways from the hotel, then return to get ready and roll. The weather today was crisp and windy, with fantastic riding temperatures. We also wanted to wait a bit to allow the temps to get above 60.
We left the hotel about 10AM and rolled eastbound using a few blocks of city streets, then the 670 connector bike path, and the Alum Creek trail. About 7-8 miles into the ride, Billy said – “uh oh” (or something akin to that, but less PG rated). He realized that he did not have his cell phone with him. We tried unsuccessfully to use the Samsung tools to locate his phone but did eventually get ahold of the hotel. A few miles later, Billy remembered exactly where he had left it and we called the hotel again. We backtracked from somewhere on the quiet Alum Creek trail all the way back to the hotel in downtown Columbus. The people from the hotel were helpful in getting his phone back to him.
Since we don’t have any G-rated transcript or photos, we decided to recreate the scene for you: 1) Billy says “uh oh”, 2) Billy is very sad and consoled by Zubby, 3) after riding back to the hotel and returning, Billy is gleefully staring at his cell phone.
The rest of the day was much less eventful. We took a series of several bike paths and connectors to get away from Columbus and arrive in the town of Sunbury. We were about 2 hours behind, so a late lunch in Sunbury was the only stop there.
The last time I rode through here was in 2019. Since that time, Sunbury has now added a new bike trail that replaces several miles of road riding. It is a nice addition to the trail network.
We continued along and came to Centerburg, OH. This town claims to be the geographic center of Ohio. There’s a rock in the middle of a park with a plaque to make it official. We got a picture and moved on.
Our destination for today is the town of Mount Vernon. This is the home of Mount Vernon Nazarene University and Kenyon College. I’ve never spent any time in the town itself before today. I really like this little town. We’re going to explore the town a bit more tomorrow. One of the fun things in town is a Dog Fountain. It is a large public fountain where all the water fountains are dogs. It is very well done.
Right before arriving in the town from the west, is the Ariel-Foundation Park. An old PPG glass industrial factory that was cleaned up and turned into a really amazing outdoor park. There’s an old smoke stack that has been repurposed to a viewing tower. You climb up about 250 steps to get to the viewing platform. We climbed up, took a few pictures, and carefully climbed back down.
Our home for the night is the Mount Vernon Grand Hotel. It is very nice inside and economical. Our rooms are comfy and the staff has been fantastic about helping with our bikes and laundry.
After getting cleaned up, we went to a local restaurant for dinner. I had perhaps the best grilled chicken sandwich on the planet. It had pesto, aioli, lettuce, fresh tomatoes, on grilled sourdough bread. It was messy but delicious. I tried not to eat too many of the fries that came with it, but I admit that they were tasty too.
We wandered a bit after dinner and returned to the hotel. Tomorrow is a short day, so we’re going to get a leisurely start, exploring the town and local colleges before heading out.
It’s time for sleep. May the Lord provide you with a restful night.
Peace,
Dcn. Matt
Deacon Matt's Blog 