Our GOBA Journey, Page 3

Each day after setting up our camp, we visited the shower trucks for a cleansing shower.  There were two of these large semi trucks, each providing enough hot water for 16 people to shower at once.  The truck is divided in half, with the women at one end and the men at the other.  Outside, a pullout section provides eight sinks for brushing teeth, shaving, and general grooming.

We decided to walk to the Catholic High School for a spaghetti dinner.  We couldn't locate the school, but met two fellow riders (Vicki Dill and Donna Rahall) who had a map.  Together we walked to the school.  While strolling, we learned that we had already met via e-mail.  Donna and Vicki, from Pittsburgh, had read our 1998 GOBA journal and had e-mailed us about it.  We enjoyed a delicious dinner and delightful conversation, one of many friendly conversations that we would have with Vicki and Donna during the week.

After dinner, we listened to an impromptu concert, visited with friends, and played a game of miniature golf.  We treated ourselves to strawberry shortcake and then headed to bed.

Tuesday morning we cycled past Schoenbrunn, Ohio's first village, to the town of Dennison.   At the Dennison Depot, built in 1873, we ate breakfast and then loaded our bikes onto an old train.  As we were about to board the 10:00 train, several friends from Marion waved from another car.  Lucy Lehner and her son Chase were travelling with Lucy's brothers, Pat and Joe. (Lucy made a GOBA fashion statement by  wearing a roll of toilet paper atop her helmet, and soon was known by many GOBA riders as "the Toilet Paper Lady.")  We joined Lucy and Chase, and Alex squeezed between the two of them.  A few rows down, I found an empty seat in two facing seats that were shared by three children.

Lucy and Chase on train.
(note toilet paper)

While on the train, we saw Reuben and Rosa Rall.  The Ralls are from Upper Sandusky, Ohio, and have done every GOBA.  Their daughter Regina, an art teacher, designs beautiful custom GOBA shirts for them each year.

After riding quietly for the first 20 minutes of the train journey, I struck up a conversation with two of the children who were sitting by me.  Kendra, age 5, and Ben, age 7, had come from Maine to do GOBA with their parents and their sisters.  Kendra and I became friends when I playfully allowed the ice water surrounding my Gatorade to drop on her leg.  She retaliated by spending the rest of the journey having fun gently poking my leg with her finger.

When the train stopped in Newcomerstown, we rode to the park for a picnic lunch.  Alex was impressed to learn that Newcomerstown is the birthplace of two sports legends, Cy Young and Woody Hayes.

Riding on with Lucy and Chase through the rolling hills, we came to our campground, shady Lake Park on the outskirts of Coschocton.  After quickly setting up our tent, we headed for the brand new swimming pool.  The pool had two large water slides, one to be used with a tube and the other without.  The water was cool and refreshing, and we couldn't resist repeated trips down the slides.  We rode through Roscoe Village to Bob Evans for dinner,  then showered before heading back to the tent for the night.

Alex on the water slide.

Heart of  Ohio
Tailwinds Bike Club (Marion)

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