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Our GOBA Journey, Page 2 |
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After enjoying a smoothie, we discovered that the stop had only been about half-way up the hill. At the top, we stopped to enjoy the beautiful view, before moving on along quiet farm roads to Smithville, Ohio. In Smithville we enjoyed a snack of juicy watermelon at the restored Mishler Mill. Inside the mill, volunteers used the spinning wheels to make rugs, blankets, and placemats. |
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Riders top "Smoothie Hill" |
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In Orrville, our friend Mike helped us to pick a camping spot that, while not shaded, would be in the shade soon. We had dinner with friends from Marion and Delaware, Ohio at a Salvation Army dinner in the park,. After dinner, Alex and his friend Chase wandered around together, and then played catch with a tennis ball. |
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Orr Park Pavilion |
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Monday dawned bright and sunny. Soon after starting, we saw a woman on the back of a tandem wearing a shirt that said "He thinks I'm peddling!". Riding past Amish farms, we soon came to a farmyard where a young girl was selling lemonade for $0.25 a cup. We rolled into the town of Kidron, where we found Lehman's Hardware Store, described as "part hardware store, gift shop, book store, and purveyor of old time memorabilia.". After stopping in the store, we cycled on over beautiful rolling hills, passing a young Amish boy with a horse-drawn plow. We rode into Navarre, where we stopped for lunch. The lunch there was good, but we were frustrated because many items had sold out before we arrived. Leaving Navarre, we rode up a big hill. At the top, we met Sharon Bouchonville, an e-mail friend who we had been hoping to locate on GOBA. Sharon was inspired by her first GOBA to pen the delightful poem which ends this journal. |
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After a stop at Ft. Laurens, site of a Revolutionary War fort, we cycled on to historic Zoar Village. This town was settled by German Separatists, and several buildings have been restored to the original design. We spent an hour or two at the village, with our friends Mike and Janine, eating snacks, addressing postcards, and touring the village. |
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Janine visits the Zoar Village laundry room |
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Talking with a volunteer at Zoar Village. |
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Frequently as we cycled along we saw members of "Grandma's GOBA Gang." The gang consisted of members of the Welch family, originally of Lancaster, Ohio, but now scattered far and wide. They each wore shirts titled "Grandma's GOBA Gang", and the names of each rider were listed on the back. Each family member's name was circled on their shirt. There were 17 family members on GOBA 1999. We admired their closeness and sense of adventure. |
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Leaving Zoar Village, we grunted up a long, steady hill for about 10 minutes. Most of the hill was not steep, but the last 50 yards were tough. This led to an exciting downhill, and soon we reached GOBAville at Tuscora Park in New Philadelphia. The park was in a valley, surrounded by wooded slopes, and contained a large swimming pool, batting cages, a miniature golf course, and many other rides. |
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GOBAville in New Philadelphia. |
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