Riding out of Bryan was peaceful; the temperature was cool enough without being considered too cold, by my estimation. The absence of wind and a mostly cloudless sky provided reassurance that the weather would be great for riding. As we rode eastward, I noticed that we were riding along US-6, which passes through Iowa City. While this obviously conjured up thoughts of Iowa, there was still plenty of riding to do going in the opposite direction.
Before reaching Bowling Green, we stopped along the highway when we saw another cyclist sitting in the shade. I asked if he was alright, and he replied that he was fine. This gentleman was also named Jacob. During our conversation, he mentioned that he left Florence, OR back in February. Garrett asked how long he had been out on the road, and Jacob's response was remarkable: he had been on the road for two years! Jacob went on saying that he would usually ride north during the summer months and return south during the winter months. He appeared healthy and well, and there were no indications that he hadn't enjoyed his time out on the road. After chatting for a while, we continued on to Bowling Green. Garrett had plans to meet up with his brother later this week across the country, so today was likely going to be the final day that we would ride together. We stopped in Bowling Green for lunch at a local burger joint. From what I noticed while we were here the music selection did not stray away from Fleetwood Mac, which was fine. At this point, riding further east for Garrett would have complicated getting back to Chicago in a timely manner, so he rode north from here to Toledo to catch a train back to Chicago, and I rode onward to Clyde, OH. Back to riding solo: I enjoyed Garrett's company over these past couple of days, and I anticipate that we'll share each other's company again in the future by bike. Before reaching Clyde, I stopped in Fremont at the former estate of president Rutherford B. Hayes. This historical site was on the south end of town in a grove that provided ample shade from the afternoon sun. Elsewhere in Fremont, there were a number of older homes, churches, and other structures. Architecturally and historically speaking, Fremont was the first significant indicator that I was riding into an older region of the United States. Here, and especially further east, it wasn't uncommon to find buildings that were older than 150, 175, or even 200 years. The remaining eight miles of riding to Clyde were all on an old railroad bed that had converted to a paved bike path. Departing from the roadways and concluding today's ride on a bike path made for a fine end to the ride. When I reached Clyde, I checked in and settled in at the hotel room. Tomorrow's ride into the Akron/Kent area would be around 100 miles, so going to bed early was the course of action for this evening.
