The Wabash Cannonball: Part 3, "How Far is the Hotel!"

 Continuing with my story of my and my wife's ride on, or near The Wabash Cannonball Rail Trail. Please read the first 2 entries listed in the right column if you haven't checked them out already.

We continued on County Road F to Highway 109, heading south on 109 to pick up County Road EF. At an American Legion Post we took a break under a car port on the front of the building. The Legion had a sign in the front of the building advertising breakfast every Sunday morning. We agreed, this would be breakfast tomorrow morning. I would estimate the Legion post to be about an hour and one half to two hours into our return trip the next day. Moving along on the ride, we passed a very nice restoration of a covered bridge, which used to be a bridge on the rail line itself.

Uneventfully, we rode on to Fulton Lucas Road on which a short ride to the north brought us to the trail head of the paved section of the Wabash Cannonball. The paved trail is beautiful. The trail passes through the Oak Openings Preserve, a Toledo Metropark. As far as cycling is concerned this is as easy as it gets. There really are no hills or grades worth much discussion on the paved rail trail.

I really enjoyed the ride through Oak Openings. The facilities could not have come at a better time. It was also nice to see one of Toledo's Parks busy on a spring afternoon, it was quite a contrast from the ride up to this point.

The east-west section of trail terminates abruptly at Jerome Road. Shortly, before the terminus, is the connection to the north-south, or north-east and south-west branch of the trail which we did not ride, but I believe is completely paved or crushed stone.

NJ was ready for the hotel. But the hotel was through town near the shopping district. I though that she knew this fact, and after close to 60 miles, NJ had enough of riding and just about enough of me! We laugh about the experience now, but for me 60 miles was a Saturday bike ride, while for NJ that was a damn longed journey. Monclova Road took us into town. This is a moderately busy road. We avoided Anthony-Wayne Trail as we headed north to the hotel and dinner. We moved to the sidewalk on US20, which is heavily traveled, and followed Perrysburg-Holland Rd to the hotel district, and the end of our days ride. On Perrysburg-Holland, NJ missed a turn, and I made the mistake of informing her of the fact! You see, for NJ the ride was over at the end of the bike trail and the 3 miles to the hotel and dinner were tantamount to torture. I happened to be the first person in the way of her frustration that the hotel was not right at the end of the bike trail. NJ told me, "I know that JOHN!" The use of my given name emphasized, like a silver bullet shot at the mad cycling werewolf riding behind her and forcing her to continue this mindless journey.

NJ cheered up as we checked into the hotel, we talked and laughed about the days ride. The ride was not what we had expected. Our car in Montpelier some 63 miles away, awaiting our return on Sunday and the trip home.  Concluding with Part 4 to be posted soon.