On May the fifth after three days of delay due to rain I was finally able to begin the journey. As the urban decay of the industrial skeletons of the once iconic city of Detroit gradually faded in the mirrors, I couldn't help but smile thinking about what lies ahead.
Central Ohio was torture. Hours and hours of boring straight highway, deafening noise and nothing interesting to take the mind away from the butt and neck pain. Than, south of Cincinnati, the hills started to form and the asphalt started to curve, and suddenly my energy came right back. I planned to spend my first day exploring in southern Ohio, but I did not realize how draining riding for so many hours actually is.
My first night was spent with a lovely couple (and their five cats) from the Hocking Hills region of southern Ohio. Libby and Ron Chapman are longtime participants of the CouchSurfing Columbus group and they were simply the perfect hosts. I arrived late, exhausted and broken, to a set dinning table and a cozy bed in their small little home deep in the woods. In the morning Libby prepared the best waffle I have ever tasted with fresh strawberries and syrup she acquired from their Amish neighbors and we ate together.
Then I was off exploring that beautiful region. I ended up only having enough time for one of the main attractions in the area which was the Old Man's Cave. There really isn't much of a cave so that was a slight disappointment but there were two beautiful and somewhat large waterfalls. One was picture perfect, minus the other people trying to snap selfies, and both falls collected in calm pools of water blue from minerals that one ought not disturb.
Also at the park there happened to be a trio of media students whom ended up doing a quick interview with me for WOUB Athens radio. Then just after noon it started to rain a little so I rushed to repack Pegasus and I set off to the Red River Gorge area of north-eastern Kentucky, home of some of the best rock-climbing in the world. There I planned to meet up with some friends and have a productive weekend climbing, as a sort of a farewell sendoff from the familiar. I was elated to finally be on the road. The feeling alone is worth a trip somewhere, so I say whatever you have on your mind, DO IT! Now is the time or tomorrow is not a promised day!
Commentaires