26th September
Feeling a little woolly headed, after 3 consecutive nights generous hospitality at Rider Mansion, I set about trying to pack my newly laundered clothes into my panniers at about 0900. By 1030, I’ve succeeded and I bid my farewells to Dan & Brenda – they’ve been superb hosts and I’ve had a great time here (even if much of it is a little hazy in my recollection as I type this…). Thanks Mr & Mrs Rider…
I ride out into the cool, bright morning and follow Bettie’s directions through downtown Columbus…
…which is almost devoid of traffic – all the parishioners are either at church, or still asleep, I guess. The downtown area has some nice buildings – I particularly like this art deco tower…
…although, with a carelessness for appearance which seems typical of American town planners, they’ve planted a scaffolding antenna tower on what was otherwise an elegant building…
I head south down the 104, which is a pleasant road, passing through farmland mostly devoted to the production of corn and soy beans. After stopping for a bite to eat at Chillicothe, I head south west, avoiding the tempting local attractions…
…on the 50, before turning left down the 149 and heading south into the hills. Here the road starts getting much more pleasant – both to look at and to ride.
Southern Ohio has some Amish residents, and the road signs reflect this…
Just as I’m leaving the town of Cythiana, I’m pleasantly surprised to be greeted by an Amish buggy being driven in the opposite direction…
The driver, traditionally dressed in black, with a straw hat, waves back at me, as do his two little daughters, peering out of the back window, in bonnets at least a hundred and fifty years out of date, as they clip-clop their way into town…
I continue south, past some very nice farms…
before arriving at the Ohio river, where I turn left towards Portsmouth. I notice that one of the tributaries, which run from my left into the river to my right, has recently been in severe flood…
The trees are coated in mud a good 4 metres above the current river level, and local fields are waterlogged, their crops destroyed. As I enter Portsmouth, I see that the local raceway circuit…
…is still partially flooded – though it’s clear the water has been much higher.
I check into the Ramada Inn at Portsmouth and catch up on my journal writing – no beer for me tonight…
Feeling a little woolly headed, after 3 consecutive nights generous hospitality at Rider Mansion, I set about trying to pack my newly laundered clothes into my panniers at about 0900. By 1030, I’ve succeeded and I bid my farewells to Dan & Brenda – they’ve been superb hosts and I’ve had a great time here (even if much of it is a little hazy in my recollection as I type this…). Thanks Mr & Mrs Rider…
I ride out into the cool, bright morning and follow Bettie’s directions through downtown Columbus…
…which is almost devoid of traffic – all the parishioners are either at church, or still asleep, I guess. The downtown area has some nice buildings – I particularly like this art deco tower…
…although, with a carelessness for appearance which seems typical of American town planners, they’ve planted a scaffolding antenna tower on what was otherwise an elegant building…
I head south down the 104, which is a pleasant road, passing through farmland mostly devoted to the production of corn and soy beans. After stopping for a bite to eat at Chillicothe, I head south west, avoiding the tempting local attractions…
…on the 50, before turning left down the 149 and heading south into the hills. Here the road starts getting much more pleasant – both to look at and to ride.
Southern Ohio has some Amish residents, and the road signs reflect this…
Just as I’m leaving the town of Cythiana, I’m pleasantly surprised to be greeted by an Amish buggy being driven in the opposite direction…
The driver, traditionally dressed in black, with a straw hat, waves back at me, as do his two little daughters, peering out of the back window, in bonnets at least a hundred and fifty years out of date, as they clip-clop their way into town…
I continue south, past some very nice farms…
before arriving at the Ohio river, where I turn left towards Portsmouth. I notice that one of the tributaries, which run from my left into the river to my right, has recently been in severe flood…
The trees are coated in mud a good 4 metres above the current river level, and local fields are waterlogged, their crops destroyed. As I enter Portsmouth, I see that the local raceway circuit…
…is still partially flooded – though it’s clear the water has been much higher.
I check into the Ramada Inn at Portsmouth and catch up on my journal writing – no beer for me tonight…