Day Three- Done (over 250 miles)

July 23rd- It was a rough ride today. I’m really looking forward to a better one and soon. It rained almost the entire day. I got a late start due to heavy rains from 6 am when I woke up until 8 am. The rains let up a little and I was on my way.

I stopped and ate breakfast at a restaurant. I was eating within 3 minutes of sitting down. The owner came out after a few minutes and asked me some questions about what I was doing. He gave me some tips on which roads to take. I’ve noticed people love to do that. As I was heading out, the waitress told me that the meal was on them.

I rode north on 353 because that’s where the signs directed me. The problem is, the next sign that was supposed to direct me wasn’t there. I continued north in the pouring rain not knowing I was going the wrong way. But, boy was I riding hard. When I finally got sick of not seeing signs and the rain got so bad I had to pull to the side, I looked at my map, had a short freak out session, and decided how I was going to get back on track without turning around. 62 N to 39 E to 20 W was the answer. It was all for the best though as I received a free tomato at a vegetable stand.

I stopped to refill my water bottles in a quaint little town, where I met Amy. She told me of her husband, and how he used to ride while she followed behind. She wished me luck heading up Sheridan Hill, which I then looked at, and took a deep breath (see picture). I asked her and her friend not to laugh if they saw me jump off my bike heading up it, they promised, but I made it without stopping.

I rode into Pennsylvania and attempted to snap a decent picture with the rain coming down (see picture). My destination was Erie, PA. On the way there, I reached my top speed of 34.3 MPH for the day which was right before I slowed down in a 30 MPH zone. I was going 33.7 in the 30 zone! What a rebel!

The sun set while I was en route, but the rain was still pouring down. So, I didn’t take a picture. If you’re wondering what it looked like, refer to last night’s sunset and just add a bunch of rain drops. I took a picture of a beautiful rainbow earlier in the day to take its place.

When I arrived to Erie it was late at night. I stopped at American Legion Post 700. I could go on for hours about this group, but I think the picture says it all (see picture). We had a blast. They gave me extra waters, orange juices, chips, and jerky to send me on my way. The manager, Sheila, made sure I felt at home. They took up a collection and donated to my trip. After a few waters and some much needed good conversation, I headed out to find a place to sleep. (We all agreed that I needed to write a play called Post 700).

I realized that there is a reason the town is called Erie. It’s because of the feeling you get when you are trying to find a place to set up your tent. After about twenty minutes of bike riding at almost midnight, I found the perfect spot behind a shipping and receiving warehouse.

Daily Lesson #3: A storm won't last as long if you're pushing through it. (If you truly love storms, keep in mind that there's always more storms to push through)

(I'll patch this up later when I have time... the websites take so long to download pictures)