Day 2: Blow by blow: Sunday morning we were joined by Tour veterans Rick Dakters and Pat Serio, and also Phil Engeler and Norwalk club president Lyle Fisher and wife Suzanne. A wonderful late brunch at the Oberlin Inn (thanks, Rex Engle and Oberlin Rotary!) gave riders time to attend Sunday church services and allow the morning showers to blow past. Little did we know that “blow” would be the operative word of the day. At noon we saddled up and road out the North Coast Inland Trail toward Milan. West. Where weather “blows” from. The wind that carried the rainstorms past Oberlin was a freight train that reduced us to a pathetic crawl. So there were plenty of wry chuckles as we were greeted in Milan by not only club President Jackie Reed, but also club member Jim Johns and his very well-kept “Western Flyer” bicycle. The bike was a beauty (see pics), but the name was an apt description for today’s nemesis. Thanks, Milan Rotary! That rest stop was sorely needed! As we turned north toward Sandusky, a sizeable group “blew” right past a route marker and had a much lengthier tour of Erie County than expected. Eventually we all straggled into the Sandusky Yacht Club where we were greeted by Sandusky club members including club president Stephen Dice, who presented a check to MESA and thanked the riders for modeling “Service Above Self.” Thanks, Sandusky Rotary…we needed that rest stop more than you can imagine, and we thank you for understanding the brevity of our visit and not feeling that we “blew” you off! The final 10 miles east (yeah!) from Sandusky to Huron were literally a breeze. With the wind now at our backs, we sailed into Huron at a brisk pace, putting a happy finish on an otherwise brutal 55-mile day. We gathered at the United Methodist Church for a delightful pizza dinner courtesy of the Huron Rotary Club and president (and church pastor), Rev. John Roger Skelly-Watts and club secretary Cathy Platte. After dinner, host assignments, and showers, the Club treated us to “anything on the menu” at Pied Piper ice cream parlor. Wow!! No wonder this place has been hopping since 1954! We were also treated, quite serendipitously, to a fascinating show-and-tell of a penny-farthing (the old bikes with huge front wheels—see photos and video) by local cyclist Richard DeLombard who happened to ride by as we were in the church parking lot. Thanks so very much to the Rotary clubs of Oberlin, Milan, Sandusky and Huron for supporting our efforts and putting some wind in our sails, food in our bellies and cold drinks down our throats—and most importantly, your individual and club donations to MESA—to get us through Day 2 of the Tour!
Posted on: Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:41:32 +0000
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