Early to rise

The weather forecast called for a high probability of rain starting around 11:00 in the morning. After our rainy ride yesterday, we decided to get an early start to try to beat the rain. We couldn't start too early, since Jeanna had to see at least the start of the royal wedding, but we rolled out of Wapakaneta at 8:00.

Yesterday, we only saw the area of Wapakaneta near the I75 exit ramp. It turned out to have a very nice town center which we enjoyed riding through this morning.

Boris, do the 142 covered bridges in Ohio include this pedestrian bridge?

Despite leaving at the crack of 8, a few rain drops began to fall. We decided to save 14 miles by skipping the bicycle museum in New Bremen. Alain began to worry that people would accuse us of cheating by taking shortcuts. To fend off such unwarranted criticism, he loaded a few bags of salt onto Kerry's bike to compensate for the short distance. Because the salt bags exactly match the rain covers on the recumbent, Kerry never even noticed the bags.

Although Kerry didn't notice the extra load he was carrying, he did seem to work up a good appetite.

If you are ever in Coldwater Ohio and feel really hungry, we recommend the burrito at the Grill on Main.

The area we rode through today has been shaped by the Miami Erie canal. Construction of the canal began in 1825. Many of the towns along the canal owe their existence to the canal, which provided employment for people with strong backs (30 cents plus a jigger of whiskey per day) and a cheap way to transport goods to both the Great Lakes and to the Ohio River.

The glory days of the Miami Erie canal were short lived. By 1850 a competing railway line had been built, offering an even faster way to move freight and passengers.

Notice the doors on the houses built to access canal boats.

Lake St Marys, the largest lake within Ohio, was built to supply water to the locks on the canal.

A notoriously stubborn critter. And a canal boat. And a mule.

I wonder if construction of the canal allowed fish to move between the great lakes and the Mississippi River system, causing an environmental disaster. I don't think people worried about such things in the 1800s.

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