Since I was in West Virginia near the Ohio border, I decided to stretch the ride out a bit and ride on Ohio's state route 555, the "Triple Nickel", which was ranked #1 in a Car and Driver listicle about the Best American Driving roads.
On my way from the hotel to its southern terminus, I stopped for some donuts and asked the clerk what the deal was with all these little "perk" cafe buildings. They didn't make any sense to me: they had aluminum siding all the way around and no windows. She said that they were casinos (the lack of windows made my original guess strip clubs, but casinos made sense too). I was glad I didn't stop in and get disappointed!
The Triple Nickel was a fun ride. I came across a deer, which was a good reminder that I was on a public road and not some kind of racetrack. There was barely any traffic otherwise: a few residents and commercial vehicles and a handful of motorcycles. I saw a Ducati at the gas station at the northern end -- I had a pretty good guess what his morning plan was going to be!
Afterward, I figured... why not try out Ohio Valley (Steubenville)-style pizza? I was kind of annoyed by the restaurant I tried (DiCarlo’s Original Pizza, which was the first to make this style): their web site listed their corporate headquarters instead of an actual pizzeria, and when I tried to get to the next closest store, it had a sign up that it was closed, and redirected me back to a different branch past the HQ. The pizza was interesting: it had a crispy bottom and was warm, but the toppings and cheese were added on cool after I ordered, so the cheese was just starting to melt.
Next, I decided to swing by a gas station in Strasburg to pick up some cinnamon rolls that are a hit with my folks. This turned from an easy errand to a quest: the route that Apple Maps tried to send me on had a major road closed, and I ended up taking a bunch of back roads (some gravel) to get to a different store. It ended up a success, and I even got to chat with a guy who was excited by my bike. He shared stories of missing the one he owned back in the 1970s and enjoying riding around the Tuscarawas County area. He also had a fun reaction when I said where I was going -- "they're the #1 football team!"
I made it home, had a quick dinner with my parents, and went to see the football game. I got to connect with a high school buddy, Jason -- his wife was recognized with her 4x 800 track team and added to the Perry Athletic Hall of Fame. I was glad to see him and some of my other high school friends.
All in all -- this was a pretty successful trip. I head back to Rochester tomorrow, and that will probably be an unexciting trek.
On my way from the hotel to its southern terminus, I stopped for some donuts and asked the clerk what the deal was with all these little "perk" cafe buildings. They didn't make any sense to me: they had aluminum siding all the way around and no windows. She said that they were casinos (the lack of windows made my original guess strip clubs, but casinos made sense too). I was glad I didn't stop in and get disappointed!
The Triple Nickel was a fun ride. I came across a deer, which was a good reminder that I was on a public road and not some kind of racetrack. There was barely any traffic otherwise: a few residents and commercial vehicles and a handful of motorcycles. I saw a Ducati at the gas station at the northern end -- I had a pretty good guess what his morning plan was going to be!
Afterward, I figured... why not try out Ohio Valley (Steubenville)-style pizza? I was kind of annoyed by the restaurant I tried (DiCarlo’s Original Pizza, which was the first to make this style): their web site listed their corporate headquarters instead of an actual pizzeria, and when I tried to get to the next closest store, it had a sign up that it was closed, and redirected me back to a different branch past the HQ. The pizza was interesting: it had a crispy bottom and was warm, but the toppings and cheese were added on cool after I ordered, so the cheese was just starting to melt.
Next, I decided to swing by a gas station in Strasburg to pick up some cinnamon rolls that are a hit with my folks. This turned from an easy errand to a quest: the route that Apple Maps tried to send me on had a major road closed, and I ended up taking a bunch of back roads (some gravel) to get to a different store. It ended up a success, and I even got to chat with a guy who was excited by my bike. He shared stories of missing the one he owned back in the 1970s and enjoying riding around the Tuscarawas County area. He also had a fun reaction when I said where I was going -- "they're the #1 football team!"
I made it home, had a quick dinner with my parents, and went to see the football game. I got to connect with a high school buddy, Jason -- his wife was recognized with her 4x 800 track team and added to the Perry Athletic Hall of Fame. I was glad to see him and some of my other high school friends.
All in all -- this was a pretty successful trip. I head back to Rochester tomorrow, and that will probably be an unexciting trek.