Back in Ohio
DETAILS
When — June 12th and 13th, 2O22
Where — St. Louis, MO to Columbus, OH
Mileage — 579 miles
Compliments on my motorcycle - 5 (Louisville loved the Springfield!)
Big miles, heat, and LOUISVILLE slugger museum
I left Cory in St. Louis to catch a plane home and write the blog. I had a few days of hard riding to get back to Ohio. Weather was forecasted to be clear, but hot and humid. My plan was to do 331 miles to a KOA just below Kansas City, spend two nights with a visit to the Louisville Slugger Factory Museum, and then meet Steph in Columbus to celebrate our anniversary. After a tough day in the heat, I decided to get to Columbus a day sooner and use all interstates to get there. I am physically doing well, but I am not getting good sleep in the heat. This creates some fatigue later in the day, so I needed to adjust the plan.
Day one of leg 7 was perfect. No interstate all state or county roads. As I crossed into Illinois and then Indiana, I started to feel like I was already home. The curves, rolling hills, and head high corn fields shouted WELCOME HOME! I felt energized and hopeful. I found some good music and relaxed as I cruised through the country side. I found my campsite and the welcome relief of the swimming pool. I had some big mileage planned for tomorrow and decided that I needed to adjust the plan.
I am glad I did because I did not sleep well in the heat. I broke camp, had a good camp breakfast, and then headed to the Louisville Slugger Factory and Museum. I had been trying to get there for years, but never cold get it to work out. It was a great tour. They have a museum that talks about the all the great MLB players who used Louisville Slugger bats. You then get a tour of the plant that described where the trees are harvested to get the billets that are then turned down on CNC lathes to make the bats. They also described the different wood for bats - ash, birch, and maple, and how they are coated or painted. After the tour you get an opportunity to select a bat and have it custom laser engraved with a personalized message.
After, a quick lunch at a local cafe, I then started my interstate ride to Columbus through Cincinnati. I planned to avoid this, but the heat was telling me to hustle through. I have finished a lot of big rides on I-71 over the years. I have to say it is the worst road I have ever ridden anywhere. Now that i have ridden 8,000 miles to California and back, I can say it is THE worst. The speed, the huge humps every quarter miles, pot holes, and huge trucks. I buckled down and forged my way to Columbus. I made it to the hotel in Easton and finished the day eating dinner with my daughter in her beautiful apartment.
The trip is essentially over, I am mentally exhausted, but very happy and pleased on how the trip has went. I have a lot to think about as I think though the final recap of the trip. Have thought about a lot of things, but above all I am grateful. Steph is on her way to celebrate our 33rd wedding anniversary. I can’t wait to spend some time relaxing and reviewing the trip with her.
Thanks to all. I am glad to be back in Ohio.
