I think this may be the old train station.
We're camping tonight in the Alton RV Park near Galloway OH. Owners Jim and Sue are very nice and accomodating.
We got a late start and by the time we turned around in the northern part of Columbus we were running kind of late. And then we were stopped by a stalled train across the road.
Val talked to the driver in the front car waiting in line, who said she had already been there 25 minutes. Not long after, a couple other local cyclists rode up. A lady walking by said she thought some people had walked down the tracks and crossed past the end of the train. So we decided to do the same.
We slogged the bikes through the thick, rough gravel rail bed. By the time we walked far enough to see around the curve, it became apparent that the train still stretched out as far as we could see so we slogged back to the crossing.
By then some other cyclists had appeared, including Michael and Amy, two locals doing a day ride who live just a mile or two from the RV park where our car was located.
So they checked Google maps and we followed them to another crossing. It also was blocked by the train but we only had to go a short distance down the track to get around it.
It turned out that Michael and Amy are good friends of Jim and Sue, the RV park owners. Michael and Amy met on a trip to Jerusalem and Jim and Sue attended their wedding.
The train set us back a good hour or more.
By the time we got back to the RV park it was quite late and we still needed to get dinner. So we decided to spend another night there and drive to Granville tomorrow morning.
The first part of the ride today was again on rail trails.
The second half of the ride was on roads, so there were some hills. These sculptures next to the bike path by artist Gary Lee Price are called "Training Wheels" and "Family Outing".
There were sections of the road that were gravel, with no pavement.
On the steep sections that meant more walking. But, as in the past,
the scenery
I thought this sign was fitting for the Reunion tour.
We're camped at Seneca Lake park. They do have a small dedicated tent camping area.
And there's a nice view of the lake through the forest of RVs.
We had dinner at the restaurant on site, which overlooks the marina.
We entered West Virginia when we crossed the river.
We're staying at the McLure Hotel, which has a long and storied history. The elevator door lists some of the famous people who have stayed here.
Wheeling is not exactly a ghost town, but it clearly has seen better days. The windows are all boarded up on the upper floors of many buildings, including the restaurant where we had dinner.
The streets are nearly deserted, especially at night.
You can see the reflection of the Episcopal church across the street in the windows of the Lutheran Church.
This is the suspension bridge, built in 1847, where Greg and I crossed the Ohio River into downtown yesterday.
Wheeling is where Greg and I part ways. He plans to head to Detroit and Toronto to visit friends and family while I'm headed to Gettysburg for the reunion. Greg was a great touring companion. He always made me push the pace a bit so I can be lean and fit when I attend the reunion. We'll miss his humor and magic tricks. (I still haven't figured out how he does them despite having seen them dozens of times.)
Last updated August 24, 2018