A Tidbit of Ohio

After pedaling through many days of corn, we found ourselves on Lake Erie in the town of Huron, Ohio. To our delight, the community was celebrating its annual “Summerfest,” an event where music, food, and beer prevail for a full weekend of fun. We arrived in time to catch the band’s first set. Their song selection was solid and diverse, ranging from Big and Rich to Bon Jovi. After having an elephant ear, enjoying some tunes, and socializing for a while, we got word of Cedar Point, an amusement park on lake Erie that we just had to check out. We had planned to stay in Cleveland the following day, but plans had fallen through. Visiting the park seemed like a great way to spend a non-pedaling day of R&R.

The next morning we awoke and made the short trip to Cedar Point. We were excited to visit the attraction having not been to a theme park since our high school graduation trip to Six Flags. Our curiosity was also peaked after reading up on the park. Its 364 acre facility boasted more roller coasters than any other amusement park in the world. After a minor hiccup concerning secure bike storage, we were off to the races. We kicked off the day by riding a couple wicked modern coasters that felt as fast as bullet trains and turned tighter than candy canes. From there we demoed some awesome wood coasters like the one pictured here. They were just as thrilling as the modern coasters in a different way. The surprisingly steep drops and the ability to rattle your brain like a maraca made for a potent combination. By this time our appetites had gotten the best of us and we went into hunting/gathering mode. It wasn’t long before we found our prize: giant barbecued turkey legs (pictured). This thing was nearly as large as my head and was formidable enough to feed a Japanese family of six (if such a family existed). Having nearly been sent into a tryptophan coma, we set out in search of a ride capable of snapping us back awake. We met our match on the Top Thrill Dragster, a ride that accelerated occupants from 0 to 120 mph in just seconds. From there it was up a 420 foot climb (2nd tallest in the world), through a corkscrew, and back to ground level straight down. We should have guessed by the you know what eating grins on the returning riders’ faces that this attraction was the real deal. As we launched from the starting point it felt like our faces were being peeled from the bone; then we hit the corkscrew. My stomach felt like it had been relocated somewhere next to my left ear. What a blast! For a cool down lap we rode the Ferris wheel - one of the largest in the US. The scale of the park did not disappoint.

The following day we pedaled into Cleveland where a bike shop by the name of Century Cycles took great care of us. They ended up servicing Clancy’s front hub for nearly nothing and they even put us in contact with Lois, the owner’s ex-wife, who was eager to host us after hearing of our trip. On the way to Lois’ house we dropped by the Great Lakes Brewing Company where couple of good fellas (also cyclists) bought us a couple delicious pints. Once at Lois’ house, we enjoyed a fantastic dinner and listened to tales of her amazing European travels. Turns out Lois, like Sandie and Harlem in Sparta, is a giant bicycle advocate. We helped her make up some signs for the next “Walk and Roll” event she was putting together.

On the way out of town the next day we swung by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. There was so much interesting memorabilia that we could have spent the better part of the day there. This next picture is for all you Harley fans - this is the bike that was featured in many Bon Jovi promotions. In the end we saw a ton of cool Cleveland stuff. Unfortunately, as with other places, we felt like we could have spent a full month exploring the area. Another time perhaps?