Traverse City Adventure: A tailwind to Oberlin
DAY 17 and DAY 18 • 28 AUGUST 2017 • WOOSTER, OHIO
We rode 45 miles on this day, mostly on back roads, lightly traveled and rolling. We turned onto Route 58 north, 10 miles south of Oberlin, and burned up those miles quickly with the benefit of a sweet tailwind out of the southeast. Those 45 miles took us over the 600-mile mark - 604 to be exact.
Arrived in Oberlin where I graduated college in 1972. When I walked across the stage, barefooted and with a braid down my back and an earring adorning one lobe (but no eye patch), I told myself my days of writing papers were over. The Tao Te Ching says presuming to know is a disease.
Day 18 is a rest day and a work day. Just finished a column about Oberlin and Frank Shapiro that will appear in the Friday, Sept. 1 edition of the Cape Gazette. I also wrote an editorial about Punkin’ Chunkin’ which will appear in that edition. Both will also be published at capegazette.com.
While Becky’s doing laundry and I’m writing, the mechanics at Swerve bicycle shop in Oberlin are giving our bicycles a tune-up. Becky’s was in pretty good shape but mine needed a new chain and the crank bearings were shot. They’ve also ordered a new compass for my capstan. The old one says I’m going north no matter which direction I’m going. It will get cold enough without its help.
We’ll saddle up again tomorrow morning and head west northwest toward Toledo and then on to Kalamazoo. A chilly bunch of days ahead. I remember now that Oberlin gets a lot of moist air off of Lake Erie which makes the chill sink in deeper.
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Dennis Forney has been a journalist on the Delmarva Peninsula since 1972 and has been writing his Barefootin’ column for The Whale and then the Cape Gazette for more than 30 years. Like his Barefootin' Facebook page to get notified of blog updates.
