Day 24 - Napoleon, OH to Fort Wayne, IN - 73.4 mi, Tot: 1,135.7

 What a wet day! Rain was forecasted for the day and so we bundled up and headed out from the Comfort Inn in Napoleon, OH. Our goal for the early morning was to get to Defiance, OH. The name alone is enough to make one want to ride through this small town. The road between Napoleon and Defiance was straight, flat and had a reasonably good shoulder, and the rain was light, so nothing was holding us back. We made good time arriving at Fort Defiance in the morning.

Enthusiasm abounds as we enter Defiance.

We turned into town and came upon what was one of the great coffee shops in the Midwest, Cabin Fever Coffee. The decor was just right and the vibe was very warm and welcoming. We enjoyed a break from the rain and wonderful atmosphere. 

Cabin Fever Coffee

While enjoying our coffees and snacks we met two members of the Team Defiance Bike Club, Sam and Eric. They chatted with us for quite a while. They are serious bikers who like the speed and time trial sort of riding, not the slower touring that we're doing. Nonetheless, we shared stories and respect for each other. They brought Team Defiance jerseys for us and we'll certainly wear these on the trip. 

We continued on toward Indiana and the rain picked up. It got to the point that we were in quite a downpour as we came in Payne, Ohio. We had had enough and thought it wise to stop. Thankfully, there was a wonderful pizza shop that treated us very well. We got out of the rain and enjoyed one fabulous pizza while the rain continued. 

The ride in from Payne was fairly straight forward. We just had to navigate the weather in the best way we could. We all got pretty wet.

Yea, another state in our journey!


 We arrived in Fort Wayne through some challenging road closures and road construction areas, but made it safe and sound to the LaSalle Inn in downtown Fort Wayne at ~4pm after a well-earned 74 miles.  After a shower,  and some re-sorting of gear, we headed out for an excellent dinner at the Hoppy Gnome. 



We enjoyed a well-deserved down day following five days on the road.  


Comments

  1. UnknownJune 5, 2021 at 7:29 PM

    A day after and so glad to see all of you via ZOOM...OMG! Technology!
    Be well. Peddle often. Break sometimes.

    ReplyDelete
  2. LeslieJune 6, 2021 at 4:32 PM

    You all are doing great! Wonderful to see the pictures and see you on Saturdays! Best Wishes!!

    ReplyDelete

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