Days 20-23 Conneaut to Mentor (51.8) Mentor to Lorain (59.5) Lorain to Fremont (54.8) Fremont to Napoleon (67.1) Total trip miles 1061.9

 These last few days have flown by.  The ride from Conneaut to Mentor was mostly along the lake, with the weather improving throughout the day.  We were into the eastern suburbs of Cleveland by the time we found our motel.  John and Nancy were driving from Maine to join us and arrived in time for dinner at the Happy Moose nearby.  

The next day was full of logistical challenges.  John and Nancy have ridden in the past to the ferry on the Canadian side of Sandusky, Ohio.  In their quest to eventually cover the coast to coast ride, they wanted to make sure they rode the entire route, so they drove to Old Woman Creek Nature Preserve, parked the car and rode into Sandusky, looked across Lake Erie and rode back.  In the meantime, Steve rode across the north of Cleveland on the lake, stopping for a bike selfie at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  

Allane visited Cleveland's West Side Market and continued on to the AirBnB house in Lorain, Ohio.  The houses along the Upper west side of Cleveland along the lake were impressive.  Nancy shopped for cold beverages on the way in and came up with some local craft beer.  

After all had arrived, showered, and refreshed, we headed back into Cleveland to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Afterwards we vied with (seemed like) all the 20-somethings in Cleveland for a place to eat on Sunday night before the holiday.  Finally had a late, but delicious meal at Lindy's Lake House.  

  

Next morning early, Steve and John drove two cars into Cleveland to drop John's car at parking where he will retrieve it after reaching Davenport, IA and driving a rented car back.  Riders departed for Fremont, Ohio.  This area is flat, flat, FLAT farmland as we dropped away from the lake.  Allane checked into a small motel on the outskirts and got some biking done in town, and met the riders on the bike trail to lead them in.

 The hosts at the motel were sweet and kind, giving Allane cold water for her ride and tips for restaurants.  The difficulty from here on lies in the fact that the truck can only seat 2 people.  So, once the riders have arrived and showered, going anywhere beyond walking distance provides another challenge!  In the end we found an open Mexican restaurant (this was Memorial Day!) and had a delicious meal and exceptional margaritas.

Finally, on Tuesday, June 1st, the riders set their sights on Bowling Green for lunch and Napoleon, Ohio for an end point.  More very flat farmland all the way.  Bowling Green provided a bike shop stop and a great little lunch at Call of the Canyon Cafe.  Allane visited a lovely place called Simpson Garden Park for a walk.

 

The Comfort Inn on Bonaparte St in Napoleon, Ohio was very comfortable, with hostess Norma providing all kinds of assistance and chatty info.  The restaurant she recommended was the Hill Family Restaurant, where they don't wear masks and they don't serve alcohol and they close at 7:30.  We only knew the 7:30 part, so scurried to ferry all there in a timely fashion.  The food was hearty and basic and they unlocked the door to let us out at 7:35!