From Meadville, PA to Columbus, OH 
From Meadville, PA to Columbus, OH
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Another rainy day in Bedrock! The weather report this morning is the same as the past four or five days. Radial bands of rain rotating around a low pressure system sitting over Chicago creating intermittent rains across the Midwest.
The planned route is another day of all interstate travel in an effort to make as much progress as possible. Unfortunately, this really shortchanges any sightseeing but it is a necessary evil, particularly you have no idea when you will get stuck on the side of the road in a downpour or you have to cut the day short because of weather. I made the difficult decision to skip Cleveland and the Rock N Roll Museum primarily on weather related concerns.
The ride south on Interstate 79 is fine. The road is in great shape and the traffic is fairly light. The weather remains dry. The transition to Interstate 80 includes a fair amount of construction. This is tough going as the trucks are directed onto the right hand lanes and the left hand lane is out on the emergency parking lane. The rain starts on and off as predicted. This only makes the situation worse of course -- but I need to keep rolling on.
Unfortunately the construction continues on I-76 and I-79 as well. The last seventy-five miles are very dry even sunny at times. But of course, there is a major weather cell sweeping in from the southwest as I arrive at my motel. It seems like there are dozens of long traffic lights that seem intent on keeping me out on the road until the rain starts. Luckily, I just make it in before a short cloudburst soaks the parking lots.
After check-in and a short rest, I go outside to look at the sky. There is a lot going on here -- this is weather that California does not see. The sky is partly cloudy. The fringes of the cloud over me are just incredible. The edge looks almost like a giant jellyfish almost like the edge of the cloud is boiling. Thunder can be heard to the west. That system moves rapidly over northern Columbus. The thunder is awesome -- it sounds like it is everywhere at once. The rain is very hard but short-lived. Then another period and so it goes for the rest of the afternoon.
I take the opportunity to do some laundry. It takes forever as the dryer is truly anemic. I decide to stay in as the weather is absolutely unpredictable. I spend some time on the Weather Channel. It looks like tomorrow will be another stormy day but Sunday is likely to be almost clear. So I decide to hang in Columbus for an extra day. I consider continuing on, but the next logical stop is Indianapolis and tomorrow is race day. That doesn't seem like a good idea.
The book tells me that one of the favorites is the 'garbage omelet' so called because it contains everything. There isn't really a menu, so I end up with an omelet of my own design, cottage fries and orange juice. The French Toast looks really good, so I have a slice of that as well.
At the end of your meal, the bill is rounded down to the nearest whole dollar. Regulars make their own change from a cash register that stands open near the front of the restaurant. And don't think you're going to dawdle over a third cup of coffee and the Sunday paper. If people are waiting, and they always were waiting while I was there, you'll be told that the seat is not there for you to warm. Done Eating? Beat It! This place seemed like a real original.
My dining companion is an older man that is losing his battle with cancer. It would be sad but he is so damned upbeat. His doctor gave him six months -- of course that was almost three years ago. He spent several months in the San Diego area taking nontraditional treatments in a clinic in Tijuana Mexico. He is convinced that it helped add two years to his life. We have a good laugh about his upcoming birthday. His family is asking him what he wants for his birthday. He's currently trying to figure what to give to whom when he passes away. He laughs at the irony of them compounding his problem. He thinks my journey is pretty exciting and enthusiastically asks questions.
Not wanting to get a rude scolding, we take off before we were done talking.
From Nancy's, I seek out a Honda dealership. On the ride from Meadville, I noticed that the clutch fluid level was lower than normal. I couldn't really remember checking the fluid level since the service in Stamford. I'm concerned that I'm losing fluid but I don't see any evidence of a leak. The service manager has a quick look and assures me the level is normal. That's good! This is a really nice dealership in a new building. They have several brands on the floor and a great selection of after-market parts. Its almost as good as the average Harley Davidson dealership.
Next stop is a Border's bookstore to hang out. I buy a couple magazines, a cup of coffee and snuggle in for a good read. Its nice to be snug and warm inside and watch the periodic rainstorms that sweep across the parking lot.
In
the afternoon, it is much drier so I wander downtown to check out the
city. Like many cities Columbus has built a sports facility as part
of a plan to revitalize downtown. A lone archway from the previous
building is left standing. It looks like a triumphant arch you might
see in Rome or some other European city.
Columbus
is also the state capital of Ohio. The capitol building is very
handsome with a distinct non-dome design. It looks rather like a
wedding cake plunked down in the middle of downtown.
Unfortunately the dry weather has left while I was at The Trade Winds. The ride back to the hotel is really tough. I've become comfortable with riding in the rain. Riding in the rain and the dark is no fun and I'm happy and relieved to exit the freeway and head into the hotel parking lot.
Tomorrow: Going to Chicago
Depart Meadville, PA on Interstate 79 heading south.
Transition onto Interstate 80 heading west.
Transition onto Interstate 76 heading west.
At end of I-79, transition onto Interstate 71 heading south.
Arrive Columbus
(c) 2001 Thomas N. Engler Revision Date: 05/30/2001
