Bishop Bike Adventure Day 50 August 19, 2010

Our exodus from the Cleveland area went well today. The first photo was taken from the bike path looking toward the skyline as we approached downtown. We rode through the streets of downtown between rush hour and lunchtime. Cleveland does not seem like a large city, its streets are not bustling, although the residential suburbs west and east of the city seem to go on forever, perhaps due to the lake to the north. Riding up the east side of the city put us into the most affluent area for housing. Most of the grounds were gated and well manicured such as shown in this photo, with many a mansion enclosed as well. Shortly after leaving this area, which was not very large, the neighborhood became clearly impoverished and depressed almost immediately, in stark contrast. People milling about seemed downcast, heavy-hearted, or just plain angry. This area stretched for quite a few miles, where the road surface mirrored the condition of the neighborhood.

We were impressed today that we have been riding for two days along Lake Erie and it appears endless. We can see nothing on the other side and neither end. Looking at the next few maps, we will still follow it along for many more miles without seeing the end. This all puts the word “Great” into perspective.

Today came with another favorable tail wind, flat terrain, generally good roads, and a beautiful sunshiny, low humidity day. Life is good! We again nearly logged a century, but stopped short with ample sunlight due to the availability of desirable accommodations. Tonight we are at the doorstep of another state: Pennsylvania, which presents us with about 50 miles to cross tomorrow.

Finally, due to a reader request, we have added the accompanying photo of one of our favorite treateries, where we were refreshed this afternoon on our way back to the Lake Erie shoreline!