78: grohl alley, first flight, cockeye, center of the world, the backwards walking man, old cabin/new gutters, kiddies' punching bag, bad curve, hiding the mailbox, psssst, headwaters, dq and the wizard of odds, drive crossing, deeann

July 14, 2025

Warren to Hiram

If Warren, Ohio, never produces anything of value for the rest of time, the fact that Dave Grohl was born here will be enough. Grohl is a self taught drummer (using his teeth to count beats instead of sheet music) who was originally in the band Nirvana. When Kirt Cobain died, his means of processing it was to record a new album, and played every single part, including drums, guitar (rhythm and lead), bass, vocals, and even backing harmonies. Not wanting to ride on the coattails of Nirvana’s fame, he released it anonymously as a new band called The Foo Fighters, and it ultimately sold over a million copies.

That’s sort of impressive, but really, who cares? What makes him so special is his kindness, for which he’s well known in the music industry and beyond. If you haven’t read the story about his friendship with Nandi Bushell, a 10-year-old living in England, it’s worth a read. She’s a prodigy drummer who sent him a tape of herself drumming and challenged him to a “drum-off.” (Even if you don't like the genre, consider watching it because she replicated the drumming of the original song exactly - every note, and expresses her joy in playing the way only a 10-year-old can) He accepted, and after some back-and-forth competitions, Grohl ultimately admitted defeat. It's heartwarming.

The Dave Grohl Alley here in Warren is a tribute to him, founded by Warren police sergeant Joe O'Grady.

He wanted to honor a hometown hero so he cleaned up the derelict alley (with help) and elicited the assistance of local artists for murals, lighting and sculpture installations.

Grohl himself made a surprise visit to the dedication in 2009 and performed an acoustic set (you know, because he's a nice guy).

The (barely) pictured drumsticks are 23 feet long and weigh around 900 pounds each.... the largest drumsticks in the world.

Dave Grohl got an alley. Pffft..... I got an entire Avenue.

The Dave Grohl Alley, according to Google Maps, was only 480 feet from the door of my hotel, but I'm going a little out of my way for a couple of other places.

Although Neil Armstrong was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio, the town of Warren has a scale model of the landing craft which landed on the moon. Why? Because, when Neil was six, his father was driving through town and randomly noticed a place where you could pay for a ride in an airplane, a Tri-Motor, typically called a "Tin Goose" by pilots.

The pilot took both of them up for a joyride and although his dad got sick, Armstrong loved it, and it sparked a fire in him to reach for the skies. Thirty three years later he would be the first person to step on the moon.

A big box store now covers most of Warren Airfield, but this memorial was created at the site of the First Flight by retired steelworkers.

It started raining as I was leaving town, the kind of rain you want to ride in: soft, pleasant, and barely noticeable. When it's hot outside, the humidity can make it difficult to breathe, but when it's cool, like today, it's easy to fill your lungs with the rich, saturated air.

My other detour on the way out of town was to The Center of the World, which, in spite of the name, didn’t quite reach 9,400°F (5,200°C). In the mid-1800s, Randall Wilmot, a wealthy land speculator and entrepreneur, named the town with the hope that it would become a large metropolitan city, a place where all roads intersect. Although he envisioned it becoming a major railroad and economic hub, the railroad settled on the city of Warren instead, and his dream died an early death, leaving not much but a sign that tourists tend to steal.

After this failed venture he moved to Cortland, Ohio, where he opened another store and called it The End of the World. Unsurprisingly, before establishing The Center of the World, he started some type of business venture in Wayne County, NY, and named it The Beginning of the World.

This was very peculiar. The guy in the picture walked out to his mailbox, pulled out the mail, then walked backwards to his house.

You can see that in this second picture he's closer to his house.

Any ideas about what this might be? Humorous guesses welcome as well.

This appears to be a very old log cabin.... with modern gutters.

Another one for the "I don't want you to hit my mailbox" category.

"Pssst. How long do you think we're going to have to stand out here?"

I got on the Headwaters Trail just before Garrettsville and will be on it for the rest of the day with the exception of about a mile at the end.

Garrettsville has a couple of minor Points of Interest, so I took a detour into town. First, it was home to Ken Uston, a world-famous blackjack player who helped develop team card counting strategies. His nickname was "The Wizard of Odds."

Garrettsville also has a Dairy Queen with a cult following. People believe that, in spite of the fact that DQ ice cream is formulaic, the one in this town is better than any other one in Ohio. Never one to trust the judgement of others when it comes to ice cream, I stopped in for a Blizzard. It was pretty good, just like all the other Blizzards I've eaten.

this looked a lot more delicate in person

Cattle drive? Driveway crossing? and if so, why does their driveway cross a Rail Trail and go into a corn field? (I didn't see a house anywhere)

Tonight I'm staying with my cousin, DeeAnn, her husband Jim, and their son Andy. Tomorrow will be a rest day, but mainly it'll be a chance to visit with them since I don't get to see them often enough.

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Today's ride: 28 miles (45 km)
Total: 1,997 miles (3,214 km)

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Halûk OkurThanks for the Dave Grohl and Nandi Bushell story. Something completely new to me.

I watched and loved all the footage on YT. Unbelievable young talent that girl and unbelievable kind that man...
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6 days ago

Mark BinghamTo Halûk OkurIsn't it?!?! :-)
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5 days ago