On the last day of the ride, a woman in Chatham outside of her house asked about my trip. After I described the route, she asked me what my favorite part was. I had to think about that for a bit, but I said that it was the people I met along the way. In these hyper politicized times, touring by bicycle is an activity without partisan bias. Traffic was generally heavy on the main roads, but drivers were polite and cautious to the point where they would frequently drift into the opposite lane even when I was three feet to the right of the rumble strip. Rarely did any honk their horn except to warn me that they were approaching. Several times, total strangers would pull over and ask me if I needed water, food, or directions. And then there were the people who insisted on paying for my meals at restaurants. 

As for the ride itself, I have to say that it was quite challenging at times. Not only was it physically challenging, but there were times when I questioned the whole idea of the trip. Long stretches of boring roads and bike paths, in the face of the wind can be very demoralizing, and before I got to Cleveland, I actually considered leaving my stuff at my brother's house and flying home. But Pennsylvania was nice, and riding with Cale and Zach was pretty special, too.  

This will undoubtedly be my last big ride. The next challenge will be keeping the 14 pounds of fat that I shed from returning. Good luck with that.

Stats:

Total miles: 1,623

Total Climbing: 51, 770 (per RidewithGPS maps)

Flat tires: 0

Nights in Campgrounds: 9

Nights with Warmshowers hosts: 3

Nights in Airbnb places: 5

Nights with friends and family: 3

Nights wherever I could: 4