Two Wheels with a Charge Day 6
Massillon to Akron: changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes
Raindrops dappled my hotel window accented by the rising sun as I readied the bike for the ride to Akron. Rain is not a good omen when cycling a limestone path for the day. I was pleasantly surprised when my tires touched the dry trail surface. There was no evidence of rain and a sunny sunny day ahead to the Rubber City.
I have been cycling paved trails over the past five days. The Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail is a change in latitude. The Tuscarawas River on my left and the canal on my right surrounded me in canal history that grew agriculture, industry, and communities along the path.
I am quite familiar with this area of Ohio as I lived most of my life in Northeast Ohio. This section of the Ohio to Erie Trail evokes memories of familiar places and times. The words of Jimmy Buffett’s Changes in Latitudes ring true as things never quite remain the same. I pedaled with a new perspective on the path of life that brought me here.
I have been skipping hotel breakfasts on this tour. I like interacting with locals to get a taste of their lives. Breakfasts and lunches at diners and coffee shops, particularly sharing a table or counter seat with locals give me that. I returned to a favorite this morning, The Speakeasy in Canal Fulton. The brew in question is perked and not on tap. I enjoyed my breakfast sandwich and an iced latte with the aroma of coffee and the sounds of a busy Saturday morning.
The history of the Ohio and Erie Canal is evident in this area. The canal is watered with a lockhouse and lock. The St. Helena III, a replica canal boat, offers a leisurely ride on the canal drawn by draft horses. Canal Fulton’s main street businesses back against the canal.
North of Canal Fulton sits Clinton. Its namesake is New York Governor Clinton who shepherded the American canal era by building the Erie Canal. I took a half-mile detour to the Ohio Veterans Memorial Park. It is a tribute to American veterans with a helicopter, tank, and military vehicle complementing the park’s memorials. A granite wall engraved with the names of Ohioans killed in combat is the park’s centerpiece. It is an excellent side trip for aficionados of American history.
Back to the trail, I headed to Akron passing through a series of locks where canal boats were repaired. I entered the Portage Lakes on the southern edge of Akron. Native Americans portaged canoes from the lakes through today’s Akron to the Cuyahoga River in the Merriman Valley. The southern terminus water flows to the Ohio River and Lake Erie at the northern terminus. Bronze sculptures of a native American carrying a canoe are just off the trail at the termini. I cycled 100 feet to the southern sculpture at Manchester Road.
Akron was up next as I passed over the floating towpath on the eastern shore of Summit Lake. Summit Metro Parks transformed a pumphouse which supplied lake water to the Firestone factories into a nature center. Recently, a trail was built circling the lake offering a nice diversion. This is an excellent example of reinventing once-neglected natural resources in an urban setting
Downtown Akron is bicycle-friendly with the revitalization of Main Street with bike infrastructure. A project is in progress to transform the downtown Lock 3 Park into an immersive gathering and event space along the trail. The historic Akron Civic Theater murals are worth a photo. The northern one on Bowery Street is visible from the trail as it leaves downtown.
I continued on the towpath into the Cascade Valley and Sand Run Metro Park where the little Little Cuyahoga River meets the Cuyahoga River that I would follow to Lake Erie and Cleveland. I was fortunate to catch the passing Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad train as it headed north. The train offers a nice bike and-ride option for cyclists into the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
I visited Blimp City Bike, my hometown bike shop for my years in Akron. It is on the towpath on Merriman Road. It is full service and a good stop for Ohio to Erie Trail cyclists. It was lunch and an opportunity to revisit yet another of my favorites, Vasili’s Greek Restaurant across Merriman Road from Blimp City.
My Akron memories tour was complete. I headed up the hill to Highland Square to my overnight at Berrodin Bed and Breakfast. Louis Berrodin, the innkeeper, is a friend and advocate for the trail. He has made the bed and breakfast very bike-friendly with many amenities. It is a few blocks from the center of the Highland Square neighborhood alive with dining, entertainment, and shops.
I ended the day with dinner at Lock 15 Brewing Company on the towpath with my pal Greg. He will join me tomorrow as I cycle into Cleveland. I have referred to this tour as 326+ miles since we will take an extended tour of Cleveland tomorrow.
There's just too much to see waiting in front of me and I know that I just can't go wrong- Changes in Latitude, Jimmy Buffet
Today’s miles: 40
Tour miles: 311
Beautiful blog!!!
I rode the O.T.E.T. first week of June. Your experience parallels my own, as one might expect. I think I saw that same blue heron along the towpath. Did you see any green herons? I counted one.