It was another scorcher today, so I can again be found cooling my heels in an air-conditioned motel room tonight. (But at least I'm back in the realm of the $40 to $50 room.) The official temperatures are reported in the high 90s, but both my bike computer and a bank thermometer in the town of Napoleon showed 102 degrees. Enough! The weather forecasters say a front will be going through overnight that will drop the high temperatures into the 80s. I hope so.
I expected today to be flat and all farmlands, and it wasn't. What a surprise! I started the morning in farm country, with corn fields that seemed to go on forever. It stayed that way until I hit Grand Rapids (OH), which was a charming little one-block town with B&Bs, restaurants, and a number of shops. What impressed me the most was that there were actually public restrooms in the center of town - a far cry from my normal search for bathrooms or reasonable side-of-the-road pit stops! There were also benches and a walk along the Maumee River. Very nice.
I followed the Maumee River for most of the day, and I assume it is the river that is responsible for the change in scenery. There were actually trees lining the road at times, although they still didn't cast any shadows on the road. It was another day when I was hoping for the sun to hide behind some clouds. I can't say that it was hilly today because it certainly wasn't, but it wasn't pancake flat either. As I got closer to Defiance, I could see what looked like real hills on the south side of the river.
My first stop of the day was after I turned onto Tontogany Road. I had just stopped to flip my map over, but a very nice gray-haired man and his very cute black dog stopped their car to ask if I needed help with directions. I didn't, but he made sure I knew where the road was heading before he drove on. That was a funny road. It looked like it was just barely wide enough for two cars. It almost looked like a wide bike path!
I stopped at the post office in Napoleon to send a couple of things home - my off-the-bike long pants (I'll use my rain pants or cycling tights instead), spare cables for the bike (the cables on the bike are brand new, so what are the odds I'll need these), and some spare parts for the stove. I sent them to my parents, so if I decide I need them back I can get them sent back! I've been trying to send those pants home for weeks now, even though I did wear them in the Adirondacks. It was probably silly, since the package weighed only 1.3 pounds, but every little bit helps. I wonder if there is anything else I can get rid of. From my habits so far, I could send all of the camping gear home - but nope, I'm not going to do that!
While I was at the post office I ended up talking to all of the people in line about my trip. I was standing there addressing my envelope wearing my helmet (of course) and with sweat just pouring off of me when one of the women in line asked if I was traveling far. My answer generated some more questions from other people standing in line. We had a nice conversation, and I managed to get cooled off in the nice air-conditioned post office.
I have maps spread out all over the room. I'm looking at my Adventure Cycling route, and I'm looking at some alternate roads suggested by Larry Mitchell - many thanks to Larry for emailing me with some good riding suggestions in Indiana and Illinois. Now I just need to make a decision!
I've already had dinner - but there's an ice cream place just down the street, so I think it's time for some dessert. Eating whatever you want is certainly a nice side benefit to cycle touring!
