Epic Day...

My stay in Geneva-on-the-Lake was a good one.

I had some time to read up on the history of the place, which was neat. (Don't normally make time to do stuff like that...)

Got wifi from the motel just up the street.

Got to see a lovely sunset from the nearby park. Not everyday I get to see the sunset over the lake!

Was lulled to sleep by the sound of crickets and waves crashing outside the window.

Pat and Carol took me out to Mary's Diner for breakfast, letting me choose whatever I wanted... The cinnamon French toast and a side of fruit looked like it would hit the spot. I still had no confirmation from the host I had connected with earlier in regards to staying, and no address, only the awareness that he wouldn't be home till about 8 pm anyways. So I was in no rush to leave...

I figured 10 am departure would still give me plenty of time, besides it was growing quite warm already and the (head)wind was picking up already.

I was pleasantly surprised when Pat insisted on making me a lunch to take along, complete with ham and cheese bun, peach, cheese strings, granola bar and ice tea! It turned out to be quite a blessing for the road ahead...

One road led to another and the day slipped by. I made my way from the rural to downtown Cleveland Ohio. I'm not into big city cycling so I was, as per usual, eager to be through it! It just doesn't make me very comfortable... So much traffic and people.

I stopped at Lakewood park for a stretch and food break and to assess where I was at.

My next course of action was to find someplace with wifi. However as I was riding along the lake, there really was nothing except residences, so it wasn't till I go to Avon Lake that I went inland to find me some wifi. McDonald's it was. I ordered an artisan chicken sandwich, since I figured I wouldn't be getting supper unless I purchased it today, then I got connected and did some brainstorming as to what next...

That was when I took a moment to look into ferry schedules from Sandusky to Pelee... And found out only one ran on Saturday and it left at 3 pm... Which meant I wouldn't get to mainland Canada till 8:30 pm that evening, which felt like a ridiculous waste of a day... To wait for ferries!

Then I discovered that an 8:30 pm ferry left on Friday's! And as my host still hadn't responded I started toying with the idea of actually cycling to Sandusky yet... It was 5:45 pm and I had already cycled 120 kms... For me to cycle there would be another 65+km... And I would have to push the pace, no stopping, no dawdling.

I always like a good challenge so I took it on and began my 2 1/2 hr time trial, on a loaded touring bike, into the wind.

All I needed was the hope that I could get there on time.

I managed to hold a 26 km/hr average pace, doing my best to keep hydrated with the little water I had remaining (of the four bottles I carry), glad for the bananas Carol and Pat had insisted I take as well!

It was serious go time!

And here I thought my hardest riding days for this trip were over!

I pulled in with no time to spare before the ticket booth was closed. The relief was palpable. It would be a story with a good ending, the effort had paid off!

I grabbed a few things off my bike before they whisked it away onto the carport.

I was hungry and thirsty and wet with sweat.

They had a snack bar so once it opened I bought water, root beer and a toasted bagel.

My legs felt stiff and sore from the 189 km day.

I stretched and journaled and read my ebook during the 1 3/4 hr ride to the island as the sun sank.

The water was pretty rough with that west wind blowing!

I was incredibly thankful I had brought my bike headlamp since it was pitch black on the island roads and I had 7 kms to bike to get to the campground on the east side of the island. Glad I had visited the island a year ago with my sister and her husband and a friend. At least I knew where I was going and what to expect.

At least there were showers available (and I really needed one!) and somewhere to put up my tent. (Putting it up in he dark was interesting!)

It was 11:30 pm by the time I crawled into my sleeping bag to sleep. 

New record has been made, longest day on any of my bike tours; 196 km. 

I slept, but not as well as I would've liked. I was too sore, too tired.

In the morning the rain woke me. I had anticipated rain, but not till later in the morning.

Whatever. I went back to bed to sleep some more, too tired to do much else. I let up after about an hour, for which I was grateful, although once the sun started beating down on my black tent it got really warm really fast and I decided to pack it up and start my day.

Crackers, cheese sticks and trail mix was all I had along for breakfast. Hadn't planned that one out so good. But whatever! I was on the island!

I could catch the 12 pm ferry and be on the mainland by 1:30 pm.

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- Eritia