Friday, June 26, 2009

11: I Could Get Used To This

Stoker's Log Day Eleven

6/26/09

Rest Day in Granville, OH

Ahhhhh...relaxation. Staying with Anne's family is like staying at a friend's bed and breakfast, chocolate mints and in-room coffee maker included. After a restful night in the four poster guest bed we were treated to a delicious breakfast that went a long way towards curing our fresh fruit withdrawal. We enjoyed some down time and then headed off to the bike shop as soon as it opened, with a tour of Granville and Newark from Anne's mom on the way. The shop specialized in recumbents and other atypical bicycles, which is a good sign when you're riding something as strange as our contraption. We were relieved to learn that we probably weren't carrying excessive weight and that we could replace our back wheel with a narrower one to solve the frame rub problem.

We left the bike in good hands and returned to the house to meet Bob Rush, a friend of Anne's family who has completed many amazing endurance adventures over the years, most recently biking the Lewis and Clark trail from Ohio to Oregon. He shared his photos and stories (he has links on the local bike club's website) and gave us advice on how to navigate the worst cities on our route. He also warned us about the challenges ahead, like increasingly unhealthy food options and unavoidable bike problems, but above all he was excited about our trip and just happy to talk touring cycling.

After a relaxing afternoon we headed back to the bike shop and then on to the famous Longaberger Basket. We just missed their open hours but could sneak a peek at their impressive lobby.

Then it was off to the beautiful library where Anne works....

...followed by the barn where she works her horses.

Kyle quickly made some new canine friends (and made me make friends with them too)

After a driving tour of the Denison campus it was back to the house for a delicious dinner and good conversation on the screened-in porch. Afterward we joined some of Anne's high school friends for drinks downtown (though drinks for me meant water since I forgot that my ID was buried in our bags). We talked about everything from crazy college shenanigans to the library funding crisis until it was time for us to get back and turn in. Tomorrow we're taking another day off to be pampered tourists. It is definitely going to be hard to leave here...

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